CHENNAI: Once the father of a young boy was busy in his work. The boy kept on interrupting him again and again. The father then devised a plan. He had before him a map which he tore into pieces and asked his son to re-join the pieces to get the map. He thought it would take his son a long time to finish this task but the boy accomplished the task within two minutes. Greatly surprised, the father asked him how he was able to do it quickly.
The son’s reply was, ‘It was so simple. There was a picture of a person on the other side. I just completed the picture of the human being and turned the paper over. The map of the world emerged intact automatically.’ What we get to learn from the above story is that a human being is a micro version of the whole world. Hence, we cannot succeed while trying to solve the problems of the world at the macro level. Instead, its more feasible and effective to address the problems within individual human beings. That’s why there is a saying, ‘Change the self to change the world.’ This can only happen when individuals are balanced, value-based and self-consistent.
The need of the hour is to integrate value education with a curriculum that would equip people to live a positive life. People with greater awareness can then contribute to shifting deeply entrenched social negative traits including the general acceptance of corruption, bribery and nepotism as part of life; and direct or indirect antagonism against women, children or people of a lower caste. Such enlightened attitudes can boost the confidence of socially disadvantaged individuals and encourage them to restore their self-respect with confidence.
People then become sensitised and become receptive of human, moral and spiritual values. Let us work towards educating our children in eternal values and empower our future in true tradition of our culture and heritage.