Connect to students: Sri Sri’s piece of advice for teachers

A classroom is not a ghetto and should not be treated like one. And nor are the students mere pupils who have to be merely fed on the grass of theory. The way spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar would like it, the growing disconnect between teachers and students needs to be looked into seriously from the viewpoint of ensuring personal guidance which, he feels, is lacking in the prevailing system of education.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of the Art of Living, was in Pune to interact with academicians and teachers at the Shikshan Prasarak Mandal’s NMV Girls School.

With the who’s who of Pune’s academic circle, including former vice-chancellors, management experts, teachers of technology and conventional arts, science and commerce listening to Sri Sri with rapt attention, the guru touched upon a range of issues, including the ways to deal with problems faced by youngsters from the void created by nucleus families and working parents, role of spiritualism in countering violence, the need for a combination of formal and informal studies and the pivotal role of teachers in inculcating values and guiding students to an apt career path.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said;

“The teacher-student relationship ought to be an ongoing process where the former needs to have the ability to connect with his pupil. There has to be a sense of sacredness attached to teaching, rather than looking at the profession as a business.”

When asked why the Indian society was witnessing disintegration of joint families, Sri Sri said;

“The general tendency among Indians is to imitate what is happening in the developed world. Nucleus families are a result of this tendency, although the phenomenon won’t last forever.”

He added;

“The problem can be countered only through wisdom. Our failure to impart spiritual education has landed us in a situation where we face three types of violence – domestic, societal and ideology-driven, similar to naxalism, Maoism and jehad.”

As regards the rising levels of stress among the youth that often leads to onset of blood pressure, diabetes and cardiac problems at an early age, Sri Sri’s advice to the young was to counter stressful situations with peace obtained from spirituality.

He said;

“This is the only way to prevent the youngsters from taking the extreme step of committing suicides as a way out of their troubles.”

Elaborating on how breathing forms for an important part in our way to living a balanced life, Sri Sri said;

“Our breath plays a very important role in our life. The breath is the connecting link between the inner world of the mind and the outer world of the body and environment. There are seven levels of existence: body, breath, mind, intellect, memory, ego and the Being. Meditation works by bringing an effect from the level of Being to the mind. With the breath we bring this effect to the physical level as well.”

As for the effect this practice has on relationships and the way we feel inside, Sri Sri stated:

“However you try to hide what you feel, it definitely reflects on your face and in your actions. So, when you feel good, naturally your relationships will be good. Trying to work on the surface or just the relationship aspect without feeling good deep inside doesn’t seem to work. People who are trying to be what they are not become unnatural and create much more tension and stress. That is why one must go deep into the source of one’s nature, one’s Being and come from there. I don’t say that you will never get upset again in life. You may still get upset but the quality of your life will not be the same. You will not get so caught up in your emotions for long periods of time. People have found that after they do the Sudarshan Kriya. They are able to come back to themselves very quickly.”