Institute of Sathya Sai Education
10th Floor, Blk. A1&2 , Burlington Mansion
92-94
Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR
Email: info@ssehv.org , Website: www.ssehv.org
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INTRODUCTION It is one thing to subscribe to great principles; quite another to implement them in actual life. All people believe in the existence of basic Human Values, like truth, but many fail to practice them in their every day lives. The school children on whom the future will rest have become even more susceptible to this failing. They may have a sound knowledge of the material world, science, and technology, but fail notwithstanding their intelligence and understanding to learn how to live a value-based life. This imbalance produces graduates without an integrated personality but rather only a fragmented one. True Education can transform the human mind and provide strength to meet the challenges of life – to see life in its totality, to regulate activities with a purpose and direction. Great educators today want the entire curricula for secondary students re-shaped, keeping moral education at the centre of the educational process itself. True education alone can have the power to transform the human mind and provide the strength to meet the challenges of life. The Sathya Sai Education in Human Values programme has brought a new scheme to re-educate children. These very children will play a role in shaping the future of mankind. The Sathya Sai Education in Human Values Programme (or SSEHV) derives its inspiration from Sri Sathya Sai Baba, who is the Chancellor of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning in south India. This Institute has been recognised by the Government in India as a University, and has been applying the Programme in the education of its students with great success. The Programme has its source in the spirit of man; therefore, it is both universal and secular in character and is accepted by people of all faiths. The ultimate goal of the Programme is the "blossoming of human excellence". This excellence is to be achieved through imparting values to the growing personalities of young children. The more specific objectives of the Programme are that children will: Learn about the cultures, religions and customs of other people in order to appreciate the brotherhood of man; Appreciate the five basic human values of Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love and Non-violence as being essential to the development of character; Acquire the necessary skills that will help them to experience the five human values; Experience the five stated values in dynamic and relevant ways so that they can be put into daily practice; Acquire decision-making skills for the development of moral learning; Develop a sense of responsibility for the consequences of their actions and act with regard for the rights, life and dignity of all persons; Develop the self-discipline and self-confidence necessary to promote the fulfilment of their potential; Act consistently with the stated human values in thought, word and deed; Develop a healthy attitude towards the environment; and Develop the value skills needed for personal, family, community, national and world harmony. The Programme qualifies for use in educational systems in both eastern and western countries. It is also consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations which provides in Article 26(2) that: "Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace." The Programme identifies five domains of the human personality and five "basic human values". The five domains of the personality are the physical, intellectual, emotional, super-conscious and the spiritual. The programme also identifies the five "basic human values" of Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love and Non-Violence. They are called basic because they are pursued by people of all cultures and religions and they are timeless. They include the profound moral insights of the great civilisations; and they are derived from the universal order which upholds harmony in society. The values are called human because their practice makes one "human" in the true sense of the word. These five basic values correspond with the five domains of the personality. The physical level corresponds with Right Conduct; the intellectual level corresponds with Truth; the emotional level corresponds with Peace; the Super-Conscious level corresponds with Love; and the Spiritual domain corresponds with Non-violence. The five values are in turn the end result produced by the five domains of the human personality. The intellect pursues and perceives the Truth. The refinement of the human will results in Righteous Conduct. The elimination of the lower impulses results in Peace. Love, which is defined as pure and selfless, flows forth from the Psyche itself and functions like intuition. Non-violence, or universal love, is love which flows from a higher consciousness and identifies itself with each individual and object in the universe. Thus the Holistic development of the personality becomes possible when all these faculties of the human being are refined to perfection. Let us now examine each of the five values in turn. TRUTH Truth is considered the most important of the five human values. This is because if one recognises the Truth that all humanity is one with a Supreme Being, the practice of the four other values becomes automatic. In the Human Values Programme, Truth is defined as the unison of thought, word and deed. It is also that which never changes and hence it is beyond causation. Furthermore, it is the awareness of the truth of Being. Lastly, truth is incapable of being destroyed. Since it corresponds with the intellectual domain, Truth represents the zenith of intellectual perfection and the blossoming of intuition in the individual. It is a testimony to the capacity of the intellect and the power and efficacy of intuition. In this Programme, Truth is developed through exposing children to components of Truth. These components are called ‘sub values’ and they are curiosity, discrimination, equality, honesty, integrity, intuition, optimism, quest for knowledge, reason, self-analysis and truthfulness. These sub-values of Truth concretise the value for children and provide a focus for the teacher. The children are led to perceive Truth through the development of memory and intuition. What is memory? Memory is our ability to retain and recall information and knowledge at the right time. At the bedrock of these layers of memory is the Truth. In fact, memory is activated and energised with the power of this Truth alone. What is Intuition? Intuition is described as the most grand and beautiful zone of human experience. It occurs in a flash and gives insight. The power of intuition is what distinguishes the capability of two individuals. History is full of examples to illustrate that behind all sparks of genius and excellence is the power of intuition. Intuition also expresses itself as the inner voice. Children make progress in the pursuit of Truth by listening to inspiring stories, through learning the teachings of great men and women, by sharpening their memory, and by discovering how to think about internalising the values vividly presented by the world’s cultures. RIGHT CONDUCT Right Conduct is concerned with developing the physical level of personality, primarily because man uses his body to engage in action. Within the context of the SSEHV programme, the physical does not only mean the development of a strong, healthy body. The physical also encompasses the development of skills and habits and the mechanisms for control and discipline. In fact, Right Conduct is described as the strengthening of the will so that it may direct the desires. The three skills recommended for developing Right Conduct are "self-help" skills, "social skills" and "ethical skills". "Self-help" skills are aimed at developing habits of personal cleanliness, hygiene, proper grooming, encouraging independence, self-reliance, self sufficiency, responsibility, resourcefulness, dependability, duty, ethics, helpfulness, initiative, leadership, perseverance, proper use of time, self-confidence and simplicity. Social skills" enable the child to function successfully in the various groups in which he belongs. The child is therefore taught how to sit properly, to answer with respect, to work harmoniously with others, to obey the rules of a game, to listen to and respect the views and opinions of others and to await his turn, among other things. He must share with others and he must respect parents, teachers, elders and other persons in authority. Closely related to ‘social skills’ is a third category – ‘ethical skills’. These skills are important both for personal character development and for interacting with others. Some of the skills emphasised are speaking pleasantly with others, speaking the truth, respect for the property of others and refraining from hurting others in thought, word and deed. Right Conduct is based on the premise that each individual is regarded as a link in the chain of creation, and just as each link needs to be in good condition for the effective functioning of the chain, in the same way, each person’s conduct should be perfect for the orderly functioning of the universe. PEACE The practice of Right Conduct leads to Peace. Peace is often described as the most elusive of the five values. The reason for its elusiveness is that it is always sought in the external phenomena. ‘Peace’ as a value in the SSEHV Programme is conceptualised as being innate in man; it is within each person simply waiting to be uncovered. It is described as ‘inner mental calm’, ‘mental equipoise’ or ‘equal–mindedness’. Equanimity of mind is achieved when a person is able to switch from outward vision to inward vision and is consequently able to minimise his desires and achieve a greater degree of contentment. ‘Peace’ as described in the Programme does not mean being idle or inactive or an absence of reaction. It is the calm contentment arising from the right attitude towards action. It is not static, it expresses itself in creative activities such as art, drama, dance, music and writing. These activities enable the child to express his energy in constructive ways. Hence Peace is seen as a condition in which the child’s energy works in co-ordination towards some worthwhile or noble goal. So that Peace might blossom within the child, the SSEHV programme aims at fostering the qualities of: attention, calmness, concentration, dignity, discipline, endurance, focus, happiness, honesty, humility, inner silence, optimism, patience, reflection, satisfaction, self-acceptance, self-confidence, self-control, self-discipline, self-respect and understanding. The development of these qualities results in the elimination of negative qualities and tendencies which cover the peace that lies within. LOVE Within the context of the SSEHV programme the definition of Love is quite broad, encompassing feelings of reverence, affection, friendship, sympathy and compassion. It is love for all life form. Love as a basic human value is conceived as much more than an emotion. Emotions have a tendency to be erratic. Love is explained as a form of energy which each person transmits and receives every moment. It is described as love "that flows from the depths of our soul". It is not simply mercy or gentleness; it flows all the time and not just to persons to whom we are attached. It is for everyone, for the whole of creation. It affects all forms of life. The more it is shared, the more it grows. The SSEHV Programme seeks to expand the vision of the child, thereby expanding his circle of love until it illumines all without distinction. This type of love transforms the child into a kind, caring and compassionate being who is willing to serve others and make sacrifices. It is unselfish love which is given unconditionally and indiscriminately. It is therefore a higher form of love. It develops the super-conscious level of the human personality – this being the psychological centre of energy in a human being. Sub-values of love in the Programme include: caring, compassion, dedication, friendship, forgiveness, generosity, helping, inner happiness, joy, kindness, patience, sharing, sincerity, sympathy and tolerance. NON-VIOLENCE Non-violence is the fruit of all the other values and our legacy to future generations. Non-violence may be defined as "universal love". It fosters the understanding that man has an obligation towards every component part of this universe and that he should try to expand his love to all. Non-violence goes beyond man’s relation with his fellow-beings, it embraces all non-living things. With regard to human beings, it means not causing harm by one’s thought, word and deed. It is interesting to note that in addition to promoting the other human values, Non-violence represents the fruition of all these values. That is to say, if one practises Truth, Right Conduct, Peace and Love, one is non-violent in one’s actions. Non-violence is described as the zenith of human achievement and perfection. It becomes a reality only when one recognises the oneness and unity of all creation. Then there is respect for all beings regardless of colour, class, occupation, religion or nationality. It gives rise to feelings of brotherhood, harmony, understanding and appreciation of other cultures and peoples. In the context of plants and animals, non-violence means desisting from avoidable harm. It means non-violation of the law and balance of nature so that care of the environment, anti-pollution, preservation of plant and animal life, and preservation of nature becomes critical issues. As far as non-living things go, non-violence incorporates care of and respect for the property and belongings of others and of the state. As a result, civic-mindedness, citizenship and the common good are important values. Sub-values of Non-violence are compassion, concern for all life, consideration, co-operation, forgiveness, good manners, loyalty, universal love, unwillingness to hurt, appreciation of other cultures and religions, brotherhood, citizenship, equality, national awareness, respect for property, service to others, social justice and unity. Non-Violence develops the spiritual level of the child’s personality. |