Education in the Vision of Swami Vivekananda

In this paper, we would analyse about Swami Vivekananda's views on Philosophy of Education. According to Swami Vivekananda, education does not mean the mass of information which is inserted by force into the mind of a child. In his own words, education is the manifestation of perfection already reached man. Indian nationalism and spiritualism were the basic foundations for his philosophy of education and the philosophy of Vedant and Upanishads. He was against the system of contemporary educational system; it turned men into slaves, capable of slavery and nothing else. He emphasized that the aim of education to be life-building, man-making and character-making and also he said that knowledge without culture was only skin-deep. Swamiji attempts to establish, through his words and deeds, that the end of all education is man making. He prepares the scheme of this man-making education in the light of his over-all philosophy of Vedanta. According to Vedanta, the essence of man lies in his soul, which he possesses in addition to his body and mind. In true with this philosophy, Swamiji defines education as ‘the manifestation of the perfection already in man.’ The aim of education is to manifest in our lives the perfection, which is the very nature of our inner self. This perfection is the realization of the infinite power which resides in everything and every-where-existence, consciousness and bliss (satchidananda). In his scheme of education, Swamiji lays great stress on physical health because a sound mind resides in a sound body. He often quotes the Upanishadic dictum ‘nayamatmabalahinenalabhyah’; i.e. the self cannot be realized by the physically weak. Education for him means that process by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, and intellect is sharpened, as a result of which one can stand on one's own feet.

According to him, knowledge is inherent in every man's soul. What we mean when we say that a man ‘knows’ is only what he ‘discovers’ by taking the cover off his own soul. Consequently, he draws our attention to the fact that the task of the teacher is only to help the child to manifest its knowledge by removing the obstacles in its way. In his words: ‘Thus Vedanta says that within man is all knowledge even in a boy it is so and it requires only an awakening and that much is the work of a teacher.’ Swamiji lays a lot of emphasis on the environment at home and school for the proper growth of the child.

Vivekananda, in his scheme of education, meticulously includes all those studies, which are necessary for the all-around development of the body, mind and soul of the individual. Why religion forms the very foundation of education becomes clear in his following words: ‘In building up character, in making for everything that is good and great, in bringing peace to others, and peace to one's own self, religion is the highest motive power, and, therefore, ought to be studied from that standpoint. Swamiji believes that if education with its religious core can invigorate man's faith in his divine nature and the infinite potentialities of the human soul, it is sure to help man become strong, yet tolerant and sympathetic. It will also help man to extend his love and good will beyond the communal, national and racial barriers.