Holistic Education &

.Mindfulness
P.L.Dhar

Why Education ?
Whatever good or bad that you see today in
the society is directly linked to the kind of

education

we give to our youth.

Aristotle ..the fate of empires

depends on the education of
the youth.

Education today
Best education

Assured high paying job

No discussion on Values

Materialistic world view

Pleasant is good !

We become felicity computers!

Happiness lies solely in sensory pleasures

Aim of life=> material acquisition!

Consequences of this materialistic

world view
Life means more !

Ecological degradation,
discontentment

Neighbours envy, owners pride

Inequity, Strife, Crime, Violence

Na baap bada na bhaya, sabse bada rupaiya

Dehumanization, Value erosion

What is real purpose of education ?

Views on Education
There are two educations. One should teach
us how to make a living and the other how to
live
Perhaps the most valuable result of all
education is the ability to make yourself do
the things you have to do, when it ought to be
done, whether you like it or not.
Education is not filling a bucket but lighting a
fire.

Education : Indian
Perspective
Vidyaya amritam ashnute
Sa vidya ya vimuktaye
Education is the manifestation of perfection already in Man

The purpose .. not to produce mere scholars,

technicians or job hunters, but integrated men
who are free of fear

UNESCO: Report of the International

Commission on Education for the
Twenty first Century

Learning : The Treasure

Within
Education throughout Life based
on four pillars
Learning to Know
Learning to do
Learning to live together
Learning to be

Learning to Know
Not a mere information
gathering but mastering the
instruments of knowledge -learning to learn
Calling upon the powers of
concentration, memory and thought
scientific temper
Understand the environment , to be
able to live in dignity .. various skills
The sheer joy of learning

Learning to Know
It is futile to try to know
everything
But specialization must not
exclude general knowledge.
Developing curiosity
Need for fruitful synergies
between disciplines
Future of work : Interdisciplinary Ecological

Learning to Do
Putting learning to practice
From skill to competence
Vocational trg + social
behaviour + aptitude for team
work +initiative + readiness to
take risks
importance of interpersonal
relationship rise of service
sector
Intuition, flair, judgment and the
ability to hold the team together

Learning to live together

By developing an understanding of
other people and appreciation of
interdependence
Discovering others, developing
empathy
First know oneself

Working towards common

objectives
projects, cultural activities, social
work

Manage conflicts in the spirit of

respect for the values of pluralism,
mutual understanding and peace.

Learning to BE
So as to better develop ones
personality
Act with greater autonomy,
judgment and personal
responsibility

Enable flowering of all potentials

Requirements of a Holistic
Education
Enhancing the power of concentration,
memory and thought
Scientific temper, Developing curiosity
Readiness to take risks fearlessness
Ability to face failure

Requirements of a Holistic
Education
Managing interpersonal relationships,
aptitude for team work, and the ability to
hold the team together
Manage conflicts , developing empathy,
appreciation of interdependence
Develop ones personality, Intuition
Enable flowering of all potentials

How to fulfill these requirements?

Teaching the art of increasing concentration
power to get control over actions, speech and
thoughts
Teaching the art of handling ups and downs
of life resisting temptations and handling
criticism !

Teaching the art of self-observation to

know the strengths and weaknesses

Present approach in most schools

Moral Education
Limitations of didactic approach
Example from Mahabharata

Need for addressing the root cause

Root cause of lack of self control:
instinctive tendency to seek pleasant

feelings [craving] and avoid unpleasant

feeling [aversion]

Feelings arise at all sense doors

Bodily sensations are the best anchor
for training

 Systematic scanning of the body to feel

the bodily sensations and training the mind
not to react to them.
Using breath as an anchor to raise
concentration [Anapana meditation] to
develop the ability to feel subtle sensations

Mindfulness
Emotions

Being
Consciously
aware of

Nonreactive
Thoughts

Body : postures,
Activities,
movements,
sensations
Moment
by moment

Mindfulness

Feelings

Open
curiosity

Nonjudgmental
Perceptions

Meditation process in nutshell

Select object of
meditation

Return the
attention to the
object

Notice any
reaction -Relax

Moment by
moment

Open Curiosity

Non-judgmental

Non -reactive

Attention wanders

Noticing
attention has
wandered

Let us practice for a few minutes

International acceptance of
Mindfulness

Moving from unconscious to conscious living

Benefits of practice
Increase in concentration & efficiency
Ability to resist temptations, distinguish
between urgent and important ; and say NO
Ability to face ups-downs of life
Proper self-appraisal- knowledge of strengths
and weaknesses
Improvement in relationships