CHENNAI: The purpose of education is not to make money, but a difference, said monk Gaur Gopal Das at the 10th edition of the ThinkEdu Conclave, organised by The New Indian Express.
"When you make a difference, money follows. The goal and purpose of education is to make a difference and money comes as a consequence. It also makes you stand out of the crowd and the value increases exponentially," said Gopal Das while addressing the audience on the topic 'Pursuit of Happiness: The Indian Way'.
"Education has become more about the skillset instead of the mindset. Focus must be on mindset to ensure education is helping in overall growth of the youth," he said. He stressed that dedication is equally important. "When you are good at something, stick with it till you reach your goal no matter how long it takes. If you do not put in enough effort, there is no way to get better."
Another takeaway from the speech was not to compromise and fall into the labyrinth of comparison. According to Gopal Das, the best person to compare your growth with is yourself and any other means of comparison only ruins the cause. Self-care, love and acceptance are equally important for better mental health and to become a better version of yourself, said the monk.
ThinkEdu 2022 is the grand tenth edition of what has consistently been India's biggest education conclave for a decade now. Stalwarts of India's academic, economic and political ecosystems are sharing their ideas, ideologies and reflections on the past, present and future of India's education system at the event.
Over the last nine years, the conclave has seen stalwarts such as former Presidents, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Dr Pranab Mukherjee, MPs Jairam Ramesh, Smriti Irani, former CM of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah, NITI Aayog's CEO, Amitabh Kant, and spiritual guide Sadhguru.