Education promotes values. The question is: What kind of values should education promote? There are various kinds of values that any good education system has to give importance to. Some values that education is expected to create and sustain may be changing along with the changes in the socio-economic environment, but some remain unchanged forever and they remain universally true.
The core values:
The core values are those, which are universal human values. They are: Satya (truth); Dharma (righteousness); Shanti (non-violence) and Prema (love). These are also considered as eternal human values. They do not change over time, nor are they context or location-specific. Most societies value these values. They are widely respected and least controversial.
All other values - physical, personal, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, national and social - spring from these eternal values. Not only these human values but also certain national, social and political values remain unchanged and they too could be universal in nature. They are: equity, social justice, patriotism, freedom, citizenship, dignity of labour, compassion, respect for women, respect for the aged and concern for poor.
We are familiar with the saying Dharmo rakshathi rakshithaha. Dharma is that which makes its followers eternal. This meaningful dictum is universally accepted because its right interpretation is concerned with all-round prosperity. Dharma stands for duties and obligations of man, his standard of conduct as a member of the community.
Violation of dharma has evil consequences. Those who follow an unrighteous path should be aware of this principle. Dharma is concerned with the essential nature of anything without which it cannot retain its independent existence. If we are to live as truly dynamic men in the world, we must also live faithful to our true nature. Adhering to the righteous path helps to attain contentment and peace of mind.
The values that may be subject to change are context and location-specific and they depend upon socio-political environment. For example, values relating to communism and socialism, social welfare, democracy and authoritarianism may change. Democracy, secularism and social justice have been enshrined in our Constitution as the three most important national values. But democracy and secularism may not figure positively in authoritarian societies and in religion-based societies.
Above all, there are spiritual values, which are considered more important for the very survival and sustenance of societies. Spiritual values are also believed to be those that lay basic foundation for the development of character of individuals, stressing moral and ethical values such as sincerity, honesty and truthfulness. Spiritual values are considered above religious values. Rather, religious values draw their strength from spiritual values.
Accordingly, people may find it difficult to impart spiritual values without relating them to any religion. Only at higher levels, religious values may completely get submerged with spiritual values and lose their individual specific identity. So, in practice, imparting of spiritual values in many contexts takes place through religion. This is not necessarily an undesirable method of imparting values, unless certain religious values conflict with human and spiritual values.
Most of these values — universal, spiritual, national and social — have emerged from the fundamental classical ethics stressing on respect for humanity and life in all its forms.
This article is an ‘Ashirvachana’ given by His Holiness Sri Balagangadaranatha Mahaswamiji, 71st Pontiff of Sri Adichunchanagiri Mahastana Math