Gurukulam for those who want to take Veda and Shloka lessons online
Our role in the
Future of Vedic Education
Hindus have been stuck in a bubble for the last several hundred years. The last time we remember Hindu voices like नीलकण्ठ सोमयाजि (Kerala) and ज्येष्ठदेव (Kerala) at the forefront of scientific achievement was back in the 16th century in the "common" era! If Hindus are to once again make their voices heard, we need to update ourselves and not see technology as a deterrent but as an enhancer in our civilizational progress. Of course, this is being written in a challenging time, where the ill effects of technology are all but apparent. However, our ancestors have bestowed upon us the capability of पूर्वपक्ष and a keen sense of differentiating between सत् and असत्। So, we should be more than capable of independent thinking and make the right choice for us, as individuals and as a society.
With that general reminder out of the way, let us take a look at some of the challenges posed to the current Vedic education. We already know about the advantages of the गुरुकुलम् learning system.
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Pure atmosphere: A great care is taken by the students and family of the teacher, to keep a hygenic and clean location. So much so that there are restrictions of how one is supposed to enter such a place. It is worthwhile to note here that this culture is not only restricted to गुरुकुलानि and is popular in modern culture in a पहलवान अखाडा or a कलरि where Indian traditional wrestling and martial arts are taught.
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Punctuality: When the शिश्यः is also an अन्तेवासिन् and closely follows his गुरुः, it means that there is no excuse to be late to class. Time has a very special meaning in Indian culture and cosmological significance. Indians take a great care to do things at exactly the right time. This is exemplified in the सन्ध्यावन्दनम् timings and carried through into the rest of our life in the form of what we are familiar with - शुभ महूर्तम् ।
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Mind, Memory and Musicality: Indian learning systems are drastically different as compared with the modern Western education systems in the employment of the memory-faculty of the human brain. We have evolved our culture in such a way that musicality used as a tool to aid memory. It is a common experience that it is easier to remember a pleasing song instead of a dull block of prose. Indians like अभिनवगुप्त (Kashmir) and the great विवेकानन्द (Bengal) have already done extensive empirical, published research on the workings of the mind. This aspect of our culture is what enabled us to propagate it despite books (palm-leaf manuscripts) being burned by invading armies who felt threatened by books. The unlearning of our conditioning to say no to using our memory is aided best, in-person where the गुरुः can clearly hear the differences in musicality - श्रुतिः।
As we recognize the three aspects of purity, punctuality, and sharpening the human mind, we can reflect on how to facilitate optimal learning in the modern day. Modern day when Hindus aren't blessed with offline access to our Vedic scholars. Until we rebuild the Indian civilization to a point where we are not apprehensive of drinking from the ज्ञान-गङ्गा that our ancestors have bestowed upon us, we will have to try our best to create a conducive environment to absorb the knowledge with the tools and facilities we have. So, in the short-term when you do interact with your गुरुः online, please ensure that you are giving the learning experience the due respect, care, and devotion that it deserves. So, when you engage in e-learning, make sure you allocate a mandir/space to do your अध्ययनम् and make sure the purity of that space is maintained, be punctual to all your classes, and ensure that your chanting is clearly audible/you have a stable internet connection and a clear microphone so you may receive corrections. Happy chanting, happy learning.
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