यह एक बहुत ही पुराने गांव की बात है| उस गांव के लोगों में रात के अँधेरे को लेकर एक काफी विचित्र सी अवधारणा थी| जिस तरह से बारिश में पानी बरसता है जमीन पर, इस गांव के लोग मानते थे की रात को अँधेरा बरसता है जमीन पर| और तो और ये लोग यहाँ तक मानते थे की जिस तरह से हम बारिश का पानी गांव की परिधि से बाहर फेंक सकते हैं और गांव को पानी से मुक्त कर सकते हैं, उसी तरह से हम रात के अँधेरे को भी गांव के बाहर फेंक सकते हैं और गांव को अँधेरे से मुक्त कर सकते हैं| इस मान्यता के तहत हर रात को उस गाँव के कुछ लोग पानी की तरह बाल्टियों में अँधेरे को लेकर गांव की परिधि पर जाते और अँधेरे को बाहर फेंक देते| हर रात को कुछ लोगों की अँधेरे को गाँव के बाहर फेंकने की ड्यूटी लगा करती| पूरी रात भर यह काम चला करता| सुबह जब रौशनी आना चालू हो जाती तो ये लोग सोचते कि हम अँधेरे को गांव के बाहर फेंकने में सफल हो गए|
बस इतनी ही है कहानी|
यह कहानी मैंने अभी कुछ ही दिनों पहले इस लिंक पर लिखी थी| यहाँ पर मैंने अपने विचार इस कहानी पर प्रस्तुत नहीं किये थे और पाठकों से अनुरोध किया था कि वे अपने विचार इस कहानी पर प्रस्तुत करें| कुछ पाठकों ने अपनी टिप्पणियां प्रस्तुत भी की| इस लेख में मैं अपने विचार इस कहानी पर प्रस्तुत करूँगा|
इस कहानी में मैंने बहुत कुछ देखा| अगर इन गांव वालों को पता होता कि रात के अँधेरे के ऊपर इनका कोई बस नहीं है तो वे रात को अँधेरे को गांव के बहार फेंकने की कोशिश करने के बजाये रात को आराम से सोते और सुबह होने का इंतज़ार करते| सुबह होते होते अँधेरा खुद-ब-खुद चला जाता| नियम की समझ के बाद इंसान को समझ में आता है कि क्या करना उसके हाथ में है और क्या अपने आप होता है| जो अपने आप होता है उसको करने की कोशिश करना या उससे अन्यथा करने की कोशिश करना ही दुःख है| जब नियम समझ में आता है तो जो प्रयास उसको करने में या उससे अन्यथा करने में लग रहा था वह रुक जाता है| निरर्थक प्रयास का रुक जाना ही दुःख से मुक्ति अथवा सुख है| यह नियम की समझ के साथ ही हो सकता है|
अगर हम अपने जीने को ध्यान से देखें तो हम भी इन गांव वालों से कुछ अलग नहीं हैं|या तो हम नियम के विरुद्ध काम करते हैं या फिर जो अपने आप होता है उसको करने के प्रयास में लगते हैं| दोनों में ही हम दुखी होते हैं|जैसे अगर हम यह नियम मानें कि “ज्ञान ही सुख का आधार है” तो या तो हम ज्ञान के अलावा हर जगह सुख को खोजने में लगे रहते हैं या फिर ज्ञान पाने के ही प्रयास में लग जाते हैं| ज्ञान पाने का प्रयास भी ज्ञान की उपलब्धि में एक अवरोध है| यह तभी समझ में आ सकता है जब ज्ञान का सही अर्थ स्पष्ट हो|ज्ञान पाया नहीं जा सकता, वह केवल हो सकता है|
Tribulations of A Fledgling Mind 
“ज्ञान पाया नहीं जा सकता, वह केवल हो सकता है 🙂
“ज्ञान पाने का प्रयास भी ज्ञान की उपलब्धि में एक अवरोध है| यह तभी समझ में आ सकता है जब ज्ञान का सही अर्थ स्पष्ट हो|ज्ञान पाया नहीं जा सकता, वह केवल हो सकता है|”
This is interesting… Does this mean that all efforts of education (which is essentially about imparting and acquiring knowledge) are of no use?
Best,
Rakesh…
Dear Rakesh Jee,
Thanks for your comment. It is quite a genuine thing to point out. The efforts which you pointed out for imparting and acquiring knowledge are definitely useful, but they are the means and not the end. The kind of knowledge which I am referring to here is the “Experiential Knowledge”. Is there anybody who can guarantee the experiential knowledge in somebody else? One can only give pointers, which may result into Knowledge or may also become a hinderence in Knowledge.
What do you say?
With Regards,
Devansh
It helps in distinguishing “experimental knowledge” (karya gyaan) and “experiential knowledge” (anubhav gyaan). Experimental knowledge can be imparted through training. I can say that for myself, because I have received and given trainings.
Can “experiential knowledge” (anubhav gyaan) be imparted through education? If yes, in what way? What transpires in this process?
Regards,
Rakesh…
Interesting. Sometimes I feel, how to distinct rules from social norms/conventions.
@Rakesh Gupta Jee,
I feel, one can give only pointers and not the experience. What you said about Experimental training, I agree to it.
With Regards,
Devansh
Dear Devansh,
Yes, it is true that experience (anubhav) would be of one’s own, whenever that happens.
The way I see this is as follows:
Education is the path which leads to experience (anubhav) in student – in which one with experience (teacher) guides/inspires the imagination of the student through giving pointers, giving evidences of experience from one’s own living, giving the holistic-vision of the complete realization, and so on…
Very often we are stuck up with the idea of “ownership of experience” even before having experienced! The idea of “ownership of experience” is actually very strong, since we link our very identity with it (and rightly so!), and we don’t want any second person intruding into that space – including our teacher. While enlightened teacher’s intervention is just to address that very space of student, for student’s own good. The resistance on the student’s part persists till his ahankaar (incorrect beliefs) doesn’t dissolve.
Education culminates in experience. Education happens in the light of experience of the teacher. In my view, the teacher’s role in the process of education is not of just giving the book of instructions for reaching till experience (anubhav). There is active involvement of both teacher and student in the process of education. Leave out student, there is no education. Leave out teacher, there is no education – only exploration, which is like groping in the dark for the light-switch.
Regards,
Rakesh…
Dear Rakesh Jee,
I do not disagree with what you say. Education definitely helps in experiences but can not guarantee it. While saying this, I do not deny the importance and relevance of education as you have rightly pointed out.
With Regards,
Devansh
Dear Devansh,
We need the education which would definitively lead to experience (anubhav) which would enable us to live harmoniously. Present education doesn’t have any mention of such experience (anubhav), it is not even guaranteeing a job! Madhyasth-Darshan is a proposal for education that would guarantee experience – if the teacher is enlightened (has experience) and the student pays attention.
I think, no teacher can guarantee whether his student will attain experience or not. Since for education to succeed the student also needs to pay attention. If the student continues to be stubborn about ‘ownership of experience’ before having experienced – then teacher can’t really help him!
I feel – ‘shraddha’ is a pre-requisite for education to happen.
I feel – education is not about doing something ‘different’, it is about accepting the guidance and inspiration of enlightened (or experienced) teacher.
I feel – education is about joining a tradition, instead of rebeling from tradition for exploring ab-initio.
Regards,
Rakesh.
Dear Rakesh Jee,
I have nothing more to add than what I said earlier. I also do not see any contradiction in what you have written and what I feel.
“Madhyasth-Darshan is a proposal for education that would guarantee experience – if the teacher is enlightened (has experience) and the student pays attention.”
I think this is a very strong statement. No darshan or philosophy in my opinion can guarantee that.
With Regards,
Devansh
Hello!
Yes, it is a tall claim – and that is the reason Madhyasth-Darshan has been presented as “vikalp” (alternative) to other philosophies.
I was thinking over the story and analogy you have given in this post. I think there is some difficulty here…
Darkness is perceived by human-being when there is some opaque object between the source of light and eyes. This is the law with which human-beings see the objects around them. So when we understand that Earth’s rotation would bring us again face-to-face with Sun, we don’t do the unnecessary activities of doling out “darkness”. Here we discovered that “darkness” didn’t really exist as a reality or an activity, while light did exist as a reality or activity – as confrontation with Sun.
It would be incorrect to give analogy of “darkness” with “knowledge”. Since knowledge is a reality. Knowledge happens upon successful-completion of education (adhyayan) or exploration (anusandhan). The teacher evidences knowledge as reality in his/her living. The student is with expectation of knowledge, and until he attains knowledge he perceives illusion.
I think “darkness” is analogous to “illusion” – since like darkness, illusion is also not a reality. When knowledge happens, the illusion which was perceived earlier gets dispelled.
Please don’t see that I am trying to prove you wrong.
regards,
Rakesh.