인도의 요가 교육 = Yoga-Education in India

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Evolution in education is a reflection of the evolution of societies and cultures. Human empowerment is central to this approach along with the conventional approach of skill development. The Modern Education system is rooted in mat-ter-based paradigm postulating that everything is nothing but matter. This up-ward-causation model has been the hallmark of the scientific revolution. Modern education centered on bread-earning uses this scientific approach for the develop-ment of intellect and its practical applications to modern life. While sharpening of the intellect is most essential, over-sensitivity created often by this sharpening leads to big imbalances and its hazards as depression among the teenagers even. Hence, a holistic education system to meet these challenges is the need of the hour. While science also is progressing towards consciousness-based paradigm (downward causation) featured by consciousness as the original state and matter as the end product of condensed consciousness, education system also should incorporate this holistic base. India today aims to become a knowledge-based society, possibly as early as 2025 or 2030. In such societies, intellectual property is the chief basis for prosperity and R&D the chief means of developing it. New ideas are at a premium, especially those with high impact, which bring changes and improvements to many people’s lives ― the more fundamental and the greater the change, the better. 50years ago, Alvin Toffler warned the world about ‘Future Shock’ ― the individual can only tolerate so much change, and after a given threshold, begins to become unhealthy from the accumulation of stress. Hence a knowledge-based society is an instant prescription for ‘Future Shock’. Ergo: any government which fails to integrate preventive health programs to accompany economic policies to become a knowledge-based society is not taking responsible care of its citizens. Yoga is a sacrosanct word in the long historical journey of Indian heritage and culture. Yoga is a way of life which is imbibed in the Indian way of living. People have a wrong notion that it is not for the common man as it is only for the higher spiritual practices. But, in the recent past, Yoga is being explored under diverse fields’ viz., Physical Education; Science; Medicine; Psychology; Management; Philosophy; Social sciences and Spirituality. Yoga as a science of holistic living brings out total personality development at physical, mental, emotional and intellectual levels with a spiritual basis. It can bring the necessary value system, character and nation-building dimensions. “Yoga is any effort to calm the mind,” says Yoga Vasista . This calmness or peace is the core nature of the soul according to sage Patanjali . Therefore from Yogic point of view, the ideal education cannot be that which imposes the things on the students’ minds. That is why Swami Vivekananda says, “Education is the manifestation of perfection which is already inherent.” Among Upanishad’s Ishavasya Upanishad is the foremost and one among the ten important Upanishads. In three slokas 9, 10 and 11 this Upanishad deals with the topic of vidya (Knowledge) giving a distinct division of types of knowledge. The Upanishad teacher classifies knowledge as vidya and avidya which can be put in modern language as knowledge and non- knowledge. The author also indicates that avidya does not mean ignorance or mere rituals as most of the times it is translated. Both knowledge and non-knowledge have utility neglecting one and pursuing the other will not contribute to total education. To great extent present-day global problems such as the rat race, sense of dissatisfaction, unrest in the name of religion etc. which are there in spite of the increasing educational standards can be traced to not having the balance between vidya and avidya .