We can learn from anybody and everybody in life.
Knowledge is not to be found outside. No teacher, no scripture can give it to you. It is inside you and if you wish to attain it, seek your own company. Be one with yourself.
Be curious… eager… and probing. Those who gone deeper have found the pearl.
Unfortunately, today our entire education is past-oriented. All our doctrines, ideas and ideals are taken from the past. That is what is dead and gone. We are trying to impose thousand years old things on the minds of our children.
There was a king who wanted to appoint a minister. An announcement was made that anybody who would solve the puzzle given by the king will become his minister. And
the puzzle was simple- there was a lock on the door of the Darbar, and the candidates were supposed to open that . But the lock was an odd one. Quite big and of such a shape as nobody had seen earlier… very futuristic. No teacher had ever taught about such a lock, no book had ever mentioned such a lock.
There was confusion now. Fear too. All three candidates who reached the final round wondered what to do.
The first one got up and asked the king for some time, as he wanted to go through his books; his notes that his teacher had given him in the class. But the poor chap never realized that he was taught only a part of the past.
The second one also asked the king for more time, as wanted to go and meet some lock picker… Some thieves, who knew how to break a lock and find solution to this enigma. But he too forgot that no one had ever picked a futuristic lock.
The third one was free from the pull of the past. He had a futuristic outlook towards knowledge; and he decided first to look at the lock. He wanted to feel the lock; he wanted to understand the problem more clearly. And then he touched the lock. And lo and behold! It was unlocked!! As if it was never keyed on!
We need to develop such an environment where past does not dominate the future; we need to provide an opportunity to students to think, to learn, and to experience on there own.
We need to stop teaching the story of hare and tortoise where the consistent but the slow one could only win. We need to teach the story of how we can win by identifying and utilizing our own unique inner strength.
I remember a story of the frog race. There was a race where the frogs had to run and climb a tree…. Frogs climbing trees is something unbelievable. Everybody was ready but had fear… and the race started….
All frogs were running fast, jumping high…. but there was a crowd, a crowd of those who never believed that frogs could ever climb. The crowd was shouting slogans, displaying their disbelief about the climbing ability of the frogs. “Stop you idiots… you can never climb a tree”, some shouted.
And suddenly frogs stopped. They were standing, they were confused and even some were smiling by themselves as if asking – `what an idiot I’m, how could I believe that I can climb a tree’.
But there was one… who was running, who was jumping and whom everybody in the crowd thought was gone mad. And to everyone’s surprise he climbed up the tree…. Yes, a frog climbed on the tree. An utter silence prevailed. Nobody could believe it. And then, suddenly everybody was clapping, everybody was shouting slogans that yes we knew that frogs could also climb the tree. They asked the winner how he could climb but the winner frog was not listening, and he actually didn’t listen because he couldn’t. He was deaf.
This is the secret of success, believe in yourself, don’t listen to the crowd, do what you are doing with confidence and you will win. Learn to speak dreams loud and share them with the world with proud.
Same is the case with the teachers, with administrators… Stop being critics of your students, of your team members; let them work, let them perform and they will give results for sure.
I have also observed a new behavioural tendency. If I am close to the boss I am also the boss. It is just like my driver claiming to be a boss as he is one person who works closely with me, who moves with me. Stop this approach. It will harm you. Be your own boss, be your own servant and you will find the results. You have to prove your worth to yourself. You have to be responsible to your responsibilities; don’t try to be a boss of others.
I thank all the teachers and my wonderful students to be a part of this journey of empowerment. Your success will only make us proud. You are our ambassadors and please ensure you remain one worthy of praise always.
My best wishes to all of you on Adarsh Teacher’s Day.
No, explanation is not needed – only exclamation, a wondering heart, awakened, surprised, feeling the mystery of life each moment. Then, and only then, you know what truth is. And truth liberate ~ Osho
(Excerpt of the talk delivered on Adarsh Teacher’s Day at Shobhit University Gangoh on 05 September, 2014)
Kunwar Shekhar Vijendra 