Does Secularism prevent making spiritual wisdom a part of mainstream schooling?

 The Problem of education bereft of spirituality 

Modern education was introduced by the British to create a band of brown babus and munims, the ‘Indians’, who could help them govern us, the masses, the ‘Bharati’. They wanted the babus who would look down upon our ancient spiritual culture and would look up to the British and their materialistic ways. They wanted to rule over us and they could do it better by creating divisions and hatreds in society amongst each other and for our ancient ways of life. And, so they deliberately created an India, distinct from Bharat.

Our challenge 

We’re now living in an unethical society, led by unethical preachers, teachers, politicians. Our challenge is to make our religious leaders and preachers unite and work together with the academia for creating enlightened ethical citizens. Spiritual practices as espoused by different religions and faiths are a time-tested way to imbibe human values, and strive to be good, better, best, working unselfishly for good of society.

So, why are academia, religions, governance afraid of introducing it in schooling? Are religions afraid of teaching spiritual wisdom openly in an academic environment, thru’ mainstream schooling? Can spiritual wisdom not be a part of schooling? Is it necessary to teach religions separately behind closed doors, which has led to growing fanaticism, divisions, superstitions, misunderstanding of the uniting spiritual essence of religions?

Today with the communication channels available, we can ensure that universal ideals of all religions are disseminated in an appropriate manner and from a common platform. How can we as a society prevail upon governance, academia and religions to work together to create an educational system focused on establishing the young in the habit of daily spiritual practices according to their respective faiths and traditions to become enlightened ethical citizens, committed to their duties?

 Is secularism preventing teaching of value-based education? Is it anti-religion? 

Our legal luminaries have given the following clear-cut advice and directive for all religious and political leaders and all the top educational policy makers: –  

Let us have a Secularist democracy where even a weak man hopes to prevail over a very strong man (having post, power or property) on the strength of rule of law by proper understanding of duties towards society. A secular state is not hostile to religion but holds itself neutral in matters of religions; tolerance of religion doesn’t make it religious or theocratic state. Secularism represents faiths born out of exercise of rational faculties and it enables to see the imperative requirements for human progress in all aspects of cultural and social advancement and indeed for human survival itself.

Secularism would not be in peril if religion is used in national policy of education. It is wrong to presume that knowledge of different religions would bring disharmony in society. On the contrary knowledge of various religious philosophies is material for bringing communal harmony as ignorance breeds hatred because of wrong notions, assumption, preaching and propaganda by misguided interested persons.

Secularism is neither anti-God nor pro-God; it treats alike the devout, agnostic, atheist. It is not the antithesis of religious devoutness. If a person is a devout Muslim or Hindu, he doesn’t cease to be secular. Vivekananda and Gandhiji were greatest Hindus yet their entire life and teachings embodied the essence of secularism. The real meaning of Secular in the language of Gandhi is: Sarva-dharma-sambhava, meaning equal treatment and respect of all religions. But we have misunderstood Secularism to mean negation of all religions.

They’ve explained that while “religious instructions” are prohibited, academic study of teachings and philosophy of any great saint such as Guru Nanak, Kabir, Mahavir, does not violate the law. Distinction has been made between teachings of Rituals, ways of worship, etc. and study of essential moral and spiritual thoughts of religions.

Value-based education is likely to help the nation fight against all kinds of prevailing fanaticism, ill-will, violence, dishonesty, corruption, exploitation and drug abuse. Education should be designed to enable the learner acquire knowledge and to be aimed at self-discipline, courage, love for social justice, truth, righteous conduct, peace, non-violence which are core universal values that can be the foundation for value-based education.

These high values cannot be achieved without knowledge of moral sanction behind it. There should not be room for narrow-mindedness, blind faith and dogma. For this purpose, if basic tenets of all religions are learnt it cannot be said that Secularism would not survive. There is NO prohibition for study of religious philosophy and culture particularly for having value based social life in a degenerating society.

Divisive ideas vis-à-vis Harmonizing ideas of Religion 

India, which accepts Secular education, can include study based on religious pluralism which encourages inclusivism and is opposed to exclusivism. Exclusivism implies that one particular tradition alone teaches truth and the way to salvation or liberation.

Students should be trained to cultivate the habit of understanding and appreciating the doctrines of great religions in a spirit of reverence and broad-minded tolerance. Properly done, it will give them a spiritual assurance and appreciation of own religion. Rule should be to study it through writings of devoted, known votaries, not of hostile critics; it will enable grasp of rock bottom unity of all religions and glimpse of universal and absolute truth beyond the dust of creeds and faiths.