राष्ट्रीय शिक्षा प्रणाली एवं भारतीय मानस (श्री अरविन्द - एकात्म शिक्षा दर्शन)

42 NATIONAL EDUCATION slightly powerful here, in its effect on the direct impressions of the mind, it is extremely powerful and the chief source of error. The mind takes direct impressions primarily of thought, but also of form, sound, indeed of all the things for which it usually prefers to depend on the sense organs. The full development of this sensitiveness of the mind is called in our Yogic discipline Sushmadrishti or subtle reception of images. Telepathy, clairvoyance, claraudience, presentment, thought- reading, character-reading and many other modern discoveries are very ancient powers of the mind which have been left undeveloped, and they all belong to the manas. The develop- ment of the sixth sense has never formed part of human training. In a future age it will undoubtedly take a place in the necessary preliminary

THE TRAINING OF THE MIND 43 training of the human instrument. Meanwhile there is no reason why the mind should not be trained to give a correct report to the intellect so that our thought may start with absolutely correct if not with full impressions. The first obstacle, the nervous emotional, we may suppose to be removed by the purification of the nervous system. The second obstacle is that of the emotions themselves warping the impressions as it comes. Love may do this, hatred may do this, any emotion or desire according to its power and intensity may distort the impression as it travels. This difficulty can only be removed by the discipline of the emotions, the purifying of the moral train- ing and its consideration may be postponed for the moment. The next difficulty is the interference of

44 NATIONAL EDUCATION previous associations formed or in- grained in the chitta or passive memory. We have a habitual way of looking at things and the conserva- tive inertia in our nature disposes us to give every new experience the shape and semblance of those to which we are accustomed. It is only more developed minds which can receive first impressions without an unconscious bias against the novelty of novel experience. For instance, if we get a true impression of what is happening and we habitually act on such impressions true or false if it differs from what we are accustomed to expect, the old association meets it in the chitta and sends a changed report to the intellect in which either the new impression is overlaid and concealed by the old or mingled with it. To go farther into this subject

THE TRAINING OF THE MIND 45 would be to involve ourselves too deeply into the details of psychology. This typical instance will suffice. To get rid of this obstacle is impossible without chittasuddhi or purification of the mental moral habits formed in the chitta. This is a preliminary process of Yoga and was effected in our ancient system by various means, but would be considered out of place in a modern system of education. It is clear, therefore, that unless we revert to our old system in some of its principles, we must be content to allow this source of disturbance to remain. A really national system of education would not allow itself to be controlled by European ideas in this all important matter. And there is a process so simple and momentous that it can easily be made a part of our system.

46 NATIONAL EDUCATION It consists in bringing about passivity of the restless flood of thought sensa- tions rising of its own momentum from the passive memory independent of our will and control. This passivity liberatest he intellect from the siege of old associations and false impressions. It gives it power to select only what is wanted from the storehouse of the passive memory, automatically brings about the habit of getting right impres- sions and enables the intellect to dictate so the chitta what samskara or asso- ciations shall be formed or rejected. This is the real office of the intellect to discriminate, choose, select, arrange. But so long as there is not chitta- suddhi, instead of doing this office perfectly, it itself remains imperfect and corrupt and adds to the confusion in the mind channel by false judgment, false imagination, false memory, false

THE TRAINING OF THE MIND 47 observation, false comparison, contrast and analogy, false education, induction and inference. The purification of the chitta is essential for the liberation, purification and perfect action of the intellect.

CHAPTER VI SENSE-IMPROVEMENT BY PRACTICE Another cause of the ineffici- ency of the senses as gatherers of Knowledge, is insufficient use. We do not observe sufficiently or with suffici- ent attention and closeness and a sight, sound, smell, even touch or taste knocks in vain at the door for ad- mission. This tamasic inertia of the receiving instruments is no doubt due to the inattention of the buddhi and therefore its consideration may seem to come properly under the training of the functions of the intellect, but it is more convenient, though less psychologically correct, to notice it here. The student ought to be accustomed to catch the sights, sounds etc, around him, distinguish them, mark their nature, properties and

SENSE-IMPROVEMENT BY PRACTICE 49 sources and fix them in the chitta so that they may be always ready to respond when called for by the memory. It is a fact which has been proved by minute experiments that the faculty of observation is very imper- fectly developed in men, merely from want of care in the use of the sense and the memory. Give twelve men the task of recording from memory something they all saw two hours ago and the accounts will all vary from each other and from the actual occurence. To get rid of this imper- fection will go a long way towards the removal of error. It can be done by training the senses to do their work perfectly which they will do readily enough if they know the buddhi requires it of them, and giving sufficient attention to put the facts in 4

50 NATIONAL EDUCATION their right place and order in memory. Attention is a factor in knowledge, the importance of which has been always recognised. Attention is the first condition of right memory and of accuracy. To attend to what he is doing, is the first element of discipline required of the student, and, as I have suggested, this can easily be secured if the object of attention is made interesting. This attention to a single thing is called concentration. One truth is however, sometimes overlooked ; that concentration on several things at a time is often indispensable. When people talk of concentration, they imply centring the mind on one thing at a time ; but it is quite possible to develop the power of double concen- tration, triple concentration, multiple concentration. When a given incident is happening, it may be made up of

SENSE-IMPROVEMENT BY PRACTICE 51 several simultaneous happenings or a set of simultaneous circumstances, a sight, a sound, a touch or several sights, sounds, touches occuring at the same moment or in the same short space of time. The tendency of the kind is to fasten on one and mark others vaguely, many not at all or, if compelled to attend to all, to be distracted and mark none perfectly. Yet this can be remedied and the attention equally distributed over a set of circumstances in such a way as to observe and remember each per- fectly. It is merely a matter of abhyasa or steady natural practice. It is also very desirable that the hand should be capable of coming to the help of the eye in dealing with the multitudinous objects of its acti- vity so as to ensure accuracy. This is of a use so obvious and imperatively

52 NATIONAL EDUCATION needed, that it need not be dwelt on at length. The practice of imitation by the hand of the thing seen is of use both of detecting the lapses and inaccuracies of the mind in noticing the objects of sense and in registering accurately what has been seen. Imitation by the hand ensures accuracy of observation. This is one of the first uses of drawing and it is sufficient in itself to make the teaching of this subject a necessary part of the training of the organs.

CHAPTER VII THE TRAINING OF THE MENTAL FACULTIES The first qualities of the mind that have to be developed are those which can be grouped under observation. We notice some things, ignore others. Even of what we notice, we observe very little. A general perception of an object is what we all usually carry away from a cursory half-attentive glance. A closer attention fixes its place, from nature as distinct from its surroundings. Full concentration of the faculty of observation gives us all the knowledge that the three chief senses can gather about the object, or if we touch or taste, we may gather all that the five senses can tell of its nature and properties. Those who make use of the six senses, the Poet, the Painter,

54 NATIONAL EDUCATION the Yogin, can also gather much that is hidden from the ordinary observer. The Scientist by investigation ascer- tains other facts open to a minuter observation. These are the compo- nents of the faculty of observation, and it is obvious that its basis is attention, which may be only close, or close and minute. We may gather much even from a passing glance at an object, if we have the habit of concentrating the attention and the habit of Satwic receptivity. The first the teacher has to do is to accustom the pupil to concentrate attention. We may take the instance of a flower. Instead of looking casually at it and getting a casual impression of scent, form and colour, he should be encouraged to know the flower—to fix in his mind the exact shade, the

TRAINING MENTAL FACULTIES 55 peculiar glow, the precise intensity of the scent, the beauty of curve and design in the form. His touch should assure itself of the texture and its peculiarities. Next, the flower should be taken to pieces and its structure examined with the same carefulness of observation. All these should be done not as a task, but as an object of interest by skilfully arranged questions suited to the learner which will draw him on to observe and investigate one thing after the other until he has almost unconsciously mastered the whole. Memory and judgment are the next qualities that will be called upon, and they should be encouraged in the same unconscious way. The student should not be made to repeat the same lesson over again in order to remember it. That is a mechanical burden-

56 NATIONAL EDUCATION some and unintelligent way of training the memory. A similar but different flower should be put in the hands and he should be encouraged to note it with the same care, but with the avowed object of noting the similari- ties and differences. By this practice daily repeated the memory will naturally be trained. Not only so, but the mental centres of comparison and contrast will be developed. The learner will begin to observe as a habit the similarities of things and their differences. The teacher should take every care to encourage the perfect growth of this faculty and habit. At the same time, the laws of species and genus will begin to dawn on the mind and by a skilful follow- ing and leading of the young develop- ing mind, the scientific habit, the scientific attitude and the fundamental

TRAINING MENTAL FACULTIES 57 facts of scientific knowledge may in a very short time be made part of its permanent equipment. The observa- tion and comparison of flowers, leaves, plants, trees will lay the foundations of botanical knowledge without load- ing the mind with names and that dry, set acquisition of informations which is the beginning of cramming and detested by the healthy human mind when it is fresh from nature and unspoiled by natural habits. In the same way by the observation of the stars, astronomy, by the observation of earth, stones, etc., geology by the observation of insects and animals, etymology and zoology may be founded. A little later chemis- try may be started by interesting obser- vation of experiments without any formal teaching or heaping on the mind of formulas and book knowledge. There is no scientific object the

58 NATIONAL EDUCATION perfect and natural mastery of which cannot be prepared in early childhood by this training of the faculties to observe, compare, remember and judge various classes of objects. It can be done easily and attended with a supreme and absorbing interest in the mind of the student. Once the taste is created, the boy can be trusted to follow it up with all the enthusiasm of youth in his leisure hours. This will prevent the necessity at a later age of teaching him everything in class. The judgment will naturally be trained along with the other faculties. At every step the boy will have to decide what is the right idea, measure- ment, appreciation of colour, sound, scent, etc., and what is wrong. Often the judgments and distinctions made will have to be exceedingly subtle,

TRAINING MENTAL FACULTIES 59 and delicate. At first many errors will be made, but the learner should be taught to trust his judgment with- out being attached to its results. It will be found that the judgment will soon begin to respond to the calls made on it, clear itself of all errors and begin to judge correctly and minutely. The best way is to accustom the boy to compare his judgments with those of others. When he is wrong, it should at first be pointed out to him how far he was right and why he went wrong; afterwards he should be encouraged to note these things for itself. Every time he is right, his attention should be prominently and encouragingly called to it so that he may get confidence. While engaged in comparing and contrasting, another centre is certain to develop, the centre of analogy.

60 NATIONAL EDUCATION The learner will inevitably draw ana- logies and argue from like to like. He should be encouraged to use his faculty while noticing its limitations and errors. In this way he will be trained to form the habit of correct analogy which is an indispensable and in the acquisition of knowledge. The one faculty we have omitted, apart from the faculty of direct reasoning, is Imagination. This is a most important and indispensable instrument. It may be divided into three functions, the forming of mental images, the power of creating thoughts images and imitations or new combi- nations of existing thoughts and images, the appreciation of the soul in things, beauty, charm, greatness, hid- den suggestiveness, the emotion and spiritual life that prevades the world. This is in every way, as important as

TRAINING MENTAL FACULTIES 61 the training of the faculties which observe and compare outward things. But I shall deal with it in a subsequent chapter. The mental faculties should first be exercised on things, afterwards on words and ideas. Our dealings with language are much too perfunctory and the absence of a fine sense for words impoverishes the intellect and limits the fineness and truth of its operations. The mind should be accustomed first to notice the word thoroughly, its form, sound and sense ; then to compare the form with other similar forms in the points of simila- rity and difference, thus forming the foundation of the grammatical sense ; then to distinguish between the fine shades of sense of similar words and the formtaion and rhythm of different sentences; thus the formation of the