How Gurukulam Learning Differs from Regular Education, Part 1

न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते

na hi jñānena sadṛiśaṁ pavitramiha vidyate

there is nothing as purifying as knowledge in this world

The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus pulls itself up the winding roads of the verdant Western ghats, at the foothills of Nilgiris, and comes to a sudden halt after the Salim Ali Center for Ornithology, in the midst of a lush jungle teeming with wildlife and birds. There before me is a simple space which matches my own ideal of how a gurukulam ought to be. Basic, rustic, functional, and carefree. I am here to learn about myself. Who am I? What is my connection to the world around me? And what is God? What is my relationship with that ‘entity’? Nature in all its bounty; elephants, peacocks, boars, snakes, migratory and local birds included, promise to assist me in my daily sādhanā here. I am elated, I have found a parallel universe!

We were given an individual room each and though these were small, what we were learning was about the infinite, so the lack of plush resources did not limit our minds from soaring. In fact having less helped us pay more attention to ourselves and our questions. The disciplined daily routine notwithstanding, which is true for most ashrams and gurukulams, along with the vegetarian fare from the dining hall, what moulded us was the presence of great masters on the premises and the teaching they gave us, removing our self ignorance via knowledge through classes, satsangs, storytelling and music sessions.

What I learnt in my stay at the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam (AVG) (Anaikatti, TN) and for free, is more than what I learnt by paying thousands of rupees and dollars in fees to colleges both in India and in the U.S. Yes, in terms of technical skills and for a job market, the latter may be essential, but in terms of life skills, for living well and to be in charge of myself irrespective of what life throws at me, this can only be acquired by an extended stay and study in a gurukulam under an able teacher who is trained in the śāstra. Education here fulfills the purpose of learning which is to integrate the spiritual with the material.

When I first returned home a decade ago from Anaikatti, I was often asked, ‘When were the Upaniṣads written? Who wrote them?’ It was difficult at first to answer such questions without getting annoyed. Did it matter who ‘wrote’ these texts and when? What really matters is what is IN them, what they convey, and want us to imbibe, isn’t it ? It was very clear to me why they were written which did away with the need to know when they were written and by whom, but most people might need to know how studying at a gurukulam can be transformative and how it differs from regular secular education.

For the impatient, gurukulam education is different because of what it teaches, its content, its pedagogy, and the process of teaching which is dialogical and dialectical. It is different because of the presence of gurus who are well versed in the content, the methodology and mostly embody the teachings. It is different because it is residential and also working towards a common goal of all the ‘inmates’, unlike a boarding school, and unlike a military establishment where all work in service of their nation. Here all are invested in the parā, the Self. And most importantly education at a gurukulam is different in today’s world because it provides ample opportunities and space to allow the learnings on one’s Self to internalize.

My experience of studying in a gurukulam showcased this difference very clearly. Although anecdotal and a personal lived experience, most of what I learnt in the gurukulam can easily be replicated in academic institutions of India, if we have the will and are concerned about the education of our future generations. Vaidika education prevents psychological dependence. Trained from an early age onwards it makes people self reliant and confident. It makes them into individuals who blossom to their fullest potential. Is this not what we want our youth to embody? So what does a gurukulam education based on the guru-śiṣya paramparā offer?

A gurukulam is not a utopian place where everything and everyone functions perfectly and people somehow transform overnight into wonderful humans who are always smiling and helping one another. If this is so, then they have not really worked on themselves and this facade will drop one day. In a gurukulam which has classes and teachings of the Self, the subconscious (apasmāra, the young dwarf wriggling under Lord Dakśiṇāmūrti’s right foot) rises to the fore and causes more issues and conflicts with oneself and others than expected or normal. The inner child has no place to hide and all the complexes one harboured since childhood, all the hurts and guilts that were buried come floating to the surface.

I was reprimanded often by my peers; about where I put away the previous days’ used pūjā flowers, where I kept chappals before class, where I sat with respect to the ācārya, when I kept the fan on, or off. These are trivial issues but take on a huge significance since in a gurukulam we are in a closed setting with the few people we run into daily, regularly. If someone takes a dislike to me, and is in charge, I have had it. Our own mettle is tested, how patient are we, how much can we let go, how far will we go to adjust and accommodate for the sake of the knowledge. It is all a part and parcel of learning. Sometimes someone who we thought of as a loyal friend may suddenly stop talking or befriend someone who is inimical towards us. If this sounds like everyday life, this is exactly what it is. Except that there is an attempt at knowing who we are, what our relation is with the world and to the ultimate reality.

I remember how grumpy we got after a few weeks since we were all dealing with our unresolved emotions which we now had to confront face to face, there was no more room to hide. Such a deep psychological process can cause sudden outbursts, or fights, or an intense need for being alone, away from people. Each person reacts differently. And there will always be those who are attracted to someone romantically. This creates more unnecessary tensions. A gurukulam is like any other normal community, except that it is a society that is focussed on recognizing one’s true potential and raising one’s consciousness to that level through sādhanā.

As for the adults, once we are undertake such a rigorous training, we will not allow our instinctual personality with uncontrollable urges to govern our life (causing so much crime and strife in society), instead a discerning viveki, a personality who can distinguish between what is ethical and not, what is valuable and not, what is infinite and not, will emerge, resulting in universal benefits says Svāmī Sadatmananda ji. We will lift ourselves from the jīvātmā status to the paramātmā level, and we will keep appreciating this fact, I am not a jīvā, whether completely internalized or not, this thought process will provide a safe space within, to keep that distance from whatever is happening in my life that is unbearable, that I am unable to face, and also from the highs of life which I wish to encounter all the time.

तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित्

अनिकेत: स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नर:

tulya-nindā-stutir maunī santuṣṭo yena kenacit

aniketaḥ sthira-matir bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ

Esmé Partridge says here that;

One of the reasons young people struggle so much with mental health nowadays is because there is a crisis of authority in society ….they have nothing to guide them except deceptive inner monologues … telling them “you do you”, “it’s okay to be lazy”, “it’s okay to be selfish” on their instagram feeds ..so people end up making mistakes and suffering consequence that could have been prevented had they been given actual advice acquired over centuries of culture and tradition (Scruton’s “answers that have been discovered to enduring questions”) But tradition alone is not enough – it needs to be embodied. We need teachers, counsellors, priests, and parents, who are personally invested in our self-betterment and can tell us when we are doing things wrong from a place of love.

Authored by Kavita Krishna Meegama.

Published by Brhat.