Making Vedanta relevant to today's children

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PRESENTED AT: SEVENTEENTH VEDANTA CONFERENCE

Miami University of Ohio, USA

September 20, 2007 Making Vedanta relevant to the children of today, a case study Prepared by:

RJ, MT, Pt. AD

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*This case-study is based on the authors' experience in teaching children Sanatana Dharma concepts at the Hindu Temple ...

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Abstract

One doesn't have to ignore Vedanta until one reaches a certain age, or level of experience. The attempt here is to present a case study of practically implementing the education of basic Vedantic concepts to children. The case study shared is of a weekly Sanatana Dharma school run in the ... Hindu Temple for the past 2 years. The authors put in perspective their attempts to transmit the Vedantic underpinnings of Indic Hindu culture in the process of teaching the traditions of the Sanatana Dharma from India at weekly classes for members' children using contemporary methods of presentation. The relevance of this to the child's conception of Self is discussed. The thoroughly practical traditional teaching methodologies handed down over generations, of storytelling, and question answers within and upon these stories are discussed, complemented with the presentation of matter in a contemporary style via lists with bulleted points, charts and other visual aids is also discussed. The main narrative of this paper is of the teachers (a trained pandit formally schooled in the Vedic tradition, mentoring volunteers formally schooled in the Western mode, but with firm Sanatana Dharma backgrounds ) using the Ramayana, Srimad Bhagavat Purana, and drawing upon Sanskrit Slokas, and lectures in English from the Chinmaya and Arsha Vidya Gurukulams to accomplish these goals.

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Making Vedanta relevant to the children of today, a case studyIntroduction

We of Indic heritage come from the land of yogis, sadhus, and other realized beings. Our traditions have it that they have had actual "darshan" of Bhagvan / Paramatma ("God") in this life itself, and have left behind for us many rigorous & valid paths to experience the same for ourselves. When it comes to our children it is difficult to explain this in "plain English". What does "darshan" mean in the deeper sense? What does this all "Paramatma", "Bhagwan" "Atma" , "Moksha" etc. mean? How do we explain this part of our heritage to our kids? Is the stuff they're taught in schools as "Indian culture" good enough? And is what they pick up from here and there about India, its culture & philosophy, enough for them to gain an appreciation of their heritage? When we ask our kids to touch the feet of elders, what are we really teaching or saying to them? When we bring them to the temple, do they understand the elegantly simple basics behind all the apparently complex Poojas, Yagnas & other rituals that are so important for a practising hindu? The answer lies in attempting to better educate our kids, and in the process, ourselves.

Sanatana Dharma School

A weekly Sanatana Dharma school has been operating in the ... Hindu Temple for the past 2 years. The rationale behind this is to transmit the Vedantic underpinnings of Indic Hindu culture in the process of teaching the Indic wisdom traditions of Sanatana Dharma using contemporary methods of presentation. It had long been been felt that there was a need for a structured education of members' children, so that they both make sense of the concepts underlying the modes of worship at the Hindu Temple, and also learn to develop a healthy sense of self.

The classes are of about an hour every Sunday morning, timed to coincide with the school semesters so that parents find it convenient to get their kids to attend, and the kids consider it as a routine part of their education. The typical attendance has been of about 35-45 kids on any given day, and the age range is between 5 and 15 years. Children below 5 yrs. also have a separate section, which is out of the scope of this discussion. There are about 5 teachers in the group, of which 3 play a primary role, and 2 help when required. Of these primary teachers, 2 are professors holding Phds at the University ..., and 1 is a practicing engineer holding two masters degrees. The classes are supplemented by other group activities like competitions where public speaking on relevant topics is encouraged, and Annual Camps with a variety of activities.

The content of the classes is structured in three main sections, the "Sloka", the "Theory", and the "Story". Care is taken to ensure that the three modes of presentation are consistent and supplement each other in the child's learning. Basically, the sloka section deals with the principal, popularly known slokas that are typically recited in the temple as part of the Puja & Arati (services); the Theory section deals with explaining the key concepts that make up the mainstream understanding of Sanatana Dharma and putting it all in context; the Story section delves into the wealth of India's civilizational experience with Dharma, primarily via a telling of the Ramayana, the Srimad Bhagavatam, and the Mahabharata (which has just commenced).

Vedanta Basics for Beginners

Since the goal aspired for is to teach and demonstrate the synthesis of Sanatana Dharma as an expression culminating in the Vedanta, we have to work with a simplified framework containing the basics of Vedanta. What are the basics of Vedanta, and are they open to simplification, so that can be made intelligible to kids? Let us look at some of the ways in which we have tried to keep in mind the implicit structure of this Vedantic basis when we teach in our school.

From Ref. 6:-

"The system of Vedanta derives its doctrines from the Prasthana Traya, which comprises the three great textbooks viz., The Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras. Vedanta is the clearest and most comprehensive summary ever made of the perennial philosophy; hence its enduring value is meant not only for Indians, but for all mankind.

The quintessence if Vedanta Philosophy is found in the four great declarations (Maha Vakyas) of the four Vedas. These are arranged in the following ascending order:

Prajnaanam Brahman (Consciousness is Brahman).

Tat Twam Asi (That Thou Art).

Ayam Atma Brahma (This Self is Brahman).

Aham Brahma Asmi (I am Brahman)

The first Mahavakya gives an objective definition of Truth. It declares that the Consciousness, the spiritual core that makes one's personality layers dynamic and active, is the Consciousness that pulsates in all beings and pervades everywhere.

The second Mahavakya is addressed by a master to a disciple after having defined that Brahman is Consciousness. He declares the greatest truth "That Thou Art"; Oh! Disciple, that Brahman which is nothing but Consciousness, is not yonder in the clouds to be achieved as a posthumous reward, but is right here & now, to be experienced as the Atman within- your own self." [Ref. 6 Pp. 84-85]

Once past the first two, the seeker is led to the next, and then to the final Mahavakya "I am Brahman"

So, who is this "I"?

Though it is difficult to relate to these above statements in our mundane daily experiences, all of us have had these experiences, or are believed capable of having the experiences for ourselves that will substantiate the above statements.

The importance is, of course to have the vocabulary that understands the context in which these statements are made.

It might not be a stretch to say that by growing up immersed on the culture in India, we've an advantage that our kids growing up here haven't had. There is some background of verbal, and more importantly, non verbal understanding & usage of these concepts, which is at least implied if not directly stated in our conversations, & relationship to our selves, and to others. What about those who've not had the advantage, like our kids?

It might be interesting to recap, or to put in a structured manner the Vedantic basics we are talking about, so that the Mahavakyas make more sense.

Who Am I (Self, Life, and the World)

This sort of question is probably the most fundamental questions a person could ask, and the model of the Self, and the model of the "I" in it are fundamental to the answer. As we are aware even after a cursory brush with our philosophies, the identification of the Self with one's body is considered the very ignorance that proper vidya, or learning is supposed to cure.

To oversimplify somewhat for brevity, this basically involves the definition of the "felt body", i.e. the subjective sense of "This is what I am". For clarity, this is not just the "material body" which can be seen and measured by the senses, but the "experienced self". No contradiction with Science, or Biological descriptions here, one should note. We might call this Vedantic description the hierarchy of the Self, from the Gross Material Body (Biology) to the Subtle Atman (i.e. the Gross "Body" to the "Mind" from Annamaya Kosa, Pranamaya Kosa, to Manomaya Kosa->Vijnanamaya Kosa -> Anandamaya Kosa and the "Mind" as heirarchically the Manas, Ahamkara, Chitta, Buddhi, and finally, the Atman. The "mind" being embodied in the being, there is not a clear cut distinction of where the body ends & mind begins.)

It is easy to see from this, that Vedanta transcends the usual Mind/Body split, or duality, through which we typically see the self.

To get a pictorial representation, please refer to the "Pancha-Kosa" sketch on Fig 1 [Ref. 6, Pp. 69]

" The Rishis made a thorough study and scientific analysis of the structure of a human being and formulated his spirituo-physical personality. They discovered that human personality comprises the divine spark of life, called the Atman, with five layers enveloping it.

The Atman, or the Self, is represented in the diagram by the sacred mystic symbol Om. The five concentric layers of matter enveloping the Atman are called sheaths or "Kosas". The term "sheath" indicates that it is a mere covering for something, which is more vital. Just as the sword and its sheath remain separate from each other, so too, there is no mutual contact between the divine spark of life, and the matter vestures covering it. [Taken from Ref#6, Pp. 69]

Fig 1 : "Pancha-Kosa"; The five distinct Sheaths; or The hierarchy of the "felt Body/mind/Consciousness"Why it is relevant

How do the basics of Vedanta relate to our children? Do children need exposure Vedanta? If yes, are they old enough to understand, and what presentation methods could be used? Here, we can look at examples of what we are trying to do in our Sanatana Dharma Sunday School' to show the connection, and to demonstrate that it is indeed worthwhile to attempt sharing the simple basics of Vedanta with kids, as well as adults.

As explained earlier, we are attempting a judicious blend of lectures, sloka chanting, and story telling so that the "sense" and "experience" of bhakti & jnana is felt, along with the "theoretical" explanations so that the children are able to use the framework to start reasoning for themselves.

The world is a complicated place, and it is the task of parents & teachers to prepare the child to live successfully in it. Over and beyond what the "regular" school offers, our responsibility is to teach our kids the civilizational knowledge that is in our traditions, our philosophy and classic literature. These have contemporary relevance, since basic human nature hasn't changed significantly over the millennia since, say, the Mahabharata was written.

For example, the idea of "telling the truth" is an example of a value one needs to inculcate in the child. Is this as simple as just telling the child "Always speak the truth"? Is memorizing of simple rules like this enough? The subtleties involved in discriminating between good & bad ( one's dharma ) thoughts and actions are understood only through experience, and a comprehensive framework that allows the person to process events in their lives. The rich lore of stories in the Epics & Puranas are gems polished over the ages that show the hearer the richness and diversity of life, and models of decision-making, with the explanations of the all important "why".

As an example, we could look at the episode in the Mahabharata's "Drona Parva" where Yudhishtir utters the famous lines "avaktavyam abravid råjan hata˙ kuñjara ityuta" ("the king is dead, or the elephant"

[MB: 7.164.106cd]. The way this "lie" is dealt with in the story itself, and in subsequent commentaries, exemplifies how well our ancients understood the complexities of the notion of "truth". (as the well regarded author J B Priestley is reputed to have said: "Truth is better thought of as a tree, and not as a flagpole"). Philosopher Jonardon Ganeri, student of the famous B K Matilai, carries out a thorough discussion on truth in his paper (Ref. 4) where he brings in truth as understood in the whole main current of Indic thought, using references to Gita, Upanishads , and ManuSmriti ( Ref 4; (6) pages 18-22 ) For good measure, he also uses the work of the Western theologian John Henry Cardinal Newman ( Ref 4; pages 2-6 ) to make his ideas clear to those in the Western traditions who may not have a good sense of Indic traditions.

Per classical Indian Philosophy, the following are key to the idea of truth operating in real life circumstances. These are notions of (a) truth being a part of a set of values which taken together lead together to the desirable outcome of "dharma"; and (b) the idea of establishing the right of the recipient to be told the truth. The way Bhishma, in the later "Shanti Parva" explicates the multilayered nature of truth, and also gives practical guidance and explanations to Yudhishtir on this matter can be considered one of the most masterful ever.

Bhakti, Rationality and Logic

As anyone familiar with a Hindu temple will know, one primary mode in which members experience the temple is as a place for "Bhakti". It could be recalled that this is one of the four Yogas, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnaana Yoga, and Dhyana (sometimes Raja) Yoga.

The "Theory" module that the children are taught attempts to illustrate simple yet important concepts from the Vedanta that the children can translate into actionable behavior in their day to day lives. An example is the module on "Bhakti Yoga". As an abstraction, the concept of Bhakti Yoga means "Worshipping and Loving Bhagvan at a personal level". How do we do bhakti? We chant, do aarti, sing bhajans, for instance.

In a nutshell, we have tried to demonstrate "Bhakti Yoga" through the traditionally understood nine vidhis (modes) of bhakti

Nava Vidha Bhakti. First, we do Shravan Bhakti, that is, we hear about Bhagvan (closest English translation being "God")
we listen to discourses, bhajans and shlokas. Second, we do Smaran Bhakti, that is, we remember Bhagvan
we remember by meditating and concentrating at various times during the day, when we are in trouble or when we are happy or sad. Third, we do Keertan Bhakti we tell stories about Bhagvan through chanting and singing. Fourth
we do Dasyam Bhakti
we serve Bhagvan through obedience and service to out parents, teachers and elders. Fifth
we do Archana Bhakti by doing pooja and by making Bhagvan a member of our family. Sixth
we do Vandana Bhakti by bowing and prostrating ourselves before Bhagvan. Seventh
Pada Sevanam Bhakti by doing service, by volunteering and by directing our physical energies in the service of Bhagvan. Eigth
we do Sakhyam Bhakti, that is, we consider Bhagvan as our friend by meditating and remembering everyday. Ninth, we do Atma Nivedan Bhakti, that is, we surrender ourselves completely to Bhagvan. In this way, through everyday examples, we conveyed the concept of Bhakti
we stressed that we can come close to Bhagvan by doing bhakti in every day actions such as listening about Him, by remembering and meditating Him, by worshipping him, and by considering Him as a friend. ("Him" here is just a linguistic convenience. It could very well be "Her", or "That", signifying the Nirgun Brahman -beyond shape, form & attributes)

Why do we do all of this? Bhakti may have much similarity to the word "faith", but it's relationship to "rationality" is quite different from the Western sense. There is no dogmatic assertion that "Bhagvan" is described "thus & thus only". Through the various modes of Bhakti, one is given a path to experience "Bhagvan" in one's own unique way. This is constantly emphasized in Hindu thought, and continually reinforced in our classes.

Sanatana Dharma has not succumbed to the "faith vs. rationality" dichotomy, typically because our rishis and Yogis were practicing Philosophers who had developed the recognition that the "manas" ("mind" is the closest word in English) was a sense integrator only, and the "rational faculty" was not to be privileged over the holistic experience involving emotions and feelings. A reference to the earlier section on Vedanta basics shows that "mind" is not considered the highest aspect of Self. This is an important lesson we seek to transmit to the students, that of not becoming hypnotized by discursive logic.

Ganeri, in his "Philosophy in Classical India" (Ref. 3) explains the consistent philosophical attitude to reason thus

"Reason, the message seems to be, is misapplied when it is used in a purely negative, destructive way. In other words, the proper use of reason should be to support, and not to undermine, one's beliefs, goals and values."

Jnaana

There is also the important realization that what our traditions of Sanatana Dharma offer are not theories per se, but Epistemologies. (Ref 1.) This means it is part of the teaching to pass on the methods by which our traditions have sought to organize & discipline our thoughts & actions, and thus our lives. Here is where "theory" meets practice. After explaining, for example, the idea of "I am not this body" (Ref. 5) the child is also assigned homework where (s)he will keep these ideas in mind when performing the basic traditional gestures, like, say a simple "puja" at home, or a "touch the feet" namaskara of the family elders. The students then are encouraged to report back their experiences to the rest of the class. It is very typical to see and hear the feeling of resistance that "something inside" offers when, say, bending down & doing namskara be it either of the temple / home deities, or elders in the family. This in a practical way serves to explain the role of "ahamkara" (ego) in one's own personality. Exercises such as these let Vedantic concepts be talked about in a simple experiential way with youngsters. As an interesting discourse on "jnaana" in action, one could refer to the writings of Dr R K Puligandla (Ref. 2) where he goes through some exercises with readers in order to share the understanding of "awareness as self" (see page 15 of above reference)

The Stories And Slokas The beauty and harmony with which the Vedantic concepts are intertwined in & explained by our stories, the Itihaasa (Epics)

Ramayana & Mahabharata; and the Puranas has to be experienced to be believed. To experience this, the children in school were narrated the stories from the Ramayana, the Srimad Bhagavata Purana. The sources used were the "Bala Ramayana", the "Bala Bhagavatam", both from Chinmaya Publications, the "Mahabharata", by C Rajaji. Amar Chitra Katha comics, videos etc were used for illustrative purposes.Below is a sampling of stories from the class.

We narrated the preparatory part of Srimad Bhagavata (before Krishna leela). The story of Dashavatara, where Vishnu takes the various ten avatars on earth to uphold Dharma. The idea of the trinity Brahma Vishnu Mahesh/Siva in the cyclic creation preservation & regeneration was emphasized as central to our understanding of the Bhagvan or Paramatma (Analogous, but not the same as the English word "God"). One class covered the story of king Prachinabarhi (Prithu's grandson), who asks Narada muni for advice. He is told the story of Puranjana whose attachments got in the way of his living a good life, and who even in his next birth was still in the grip of over-attachment. This went on until Bhagvan (or Paramatma) in the shape of an old forgotten friend reminded him of the true nature of his Atma, and why it is immature to get excessively attached to ones body & worldly pleasures, while neglecting ones duties. Puranjana, and through his story, Prachinabarhi, learn their lessons & become good kings.

The story of the three consecutive births of great king Bharata was told. Overattached to a baby deer, he was haunted by his memories of his weakness of overattachment in his next two lives, that of a wise lonely deer, and then of a boy, that he went to the other extreme and avoided any attachment . Though he was a wise child, but since he wouldn't talk, this created its own set of problems. The incidents of his rescue from robbers by Maa Kali, and his encounter with a king who misunderstood his silence for foolishness, until he spoke words of wisdom, further explain the problem with extreme behavior.

Emphasis was put on explaining that over-attachment gets in the way of performing one's duties at any given stage of life, but the opposite extreme of non-attachment is also not good. Balance is key. {The concept of Shanti as Balance was explained in the Sloka.}

Also, the importance of the thinking behind the connected concepts of Karma (law of causality) & Punar-janma (Re-births) were explained. Why Rebirth? Because each action of ours has an effect beyond just this time & place, and human evolution is through better actions, based on more knowledge & wisdom attained in life. For most people, one lifetime is too little to attain enough "positive karma" to get enlightened, or to achieve "moksha" (merger with the divine Paramatma). Thus the opportunity provided for rebirth to continue the process of learning in "multiple stages".

The story of Samudra Manthan (Churning of the Milky Ocean) was covered. Obtaining knowledge as a process of Churning was explained. The Asuras getting distracted from the pursuit of "amrit", by shiny things & beings that emerged in the churning process, while the Devas being steadfast of purpose was illustrative in itself.

The has class discussed the connections between the Mahabharata (Pandavas & Kauravas) and Krishna's Leela. Basics of Bhagavad Geeta, its position in the Mahabharata, and the deeper ideas of Karma Yoga are slowly being introduced.

The "Sloka" module attempts to distill the wisdom of the ancient rishis by teaching shlokas that capture the essence of some of the importance concepts of Vedanta. Below are a few instances

The Vedantic vision of the interrelation between the Microcosm & Macrocosm was illustrated by mantras like this one below. The Shanti (Harmony, Balance & Peace) in the vastness of the Universe, and in the inner recesses of the Atma are one.

Aum Dyauhu Shantihi, Antariksham Shantihi, Pruthivi Shantihi, > Apaha Shantihi, Oshadhayaha Shantihi. Vaaaanaspatayaha Shantihi, > Vishwedevahaa Shantihi, Brahma Shantihi, Sarvam Shantihi > Shantireva Shantihi, Sa ma Shantiredhi. Aum Shantihi, Shantihi, Shantihi.

[Shukla Yajurveda. Adhyaya 3, mantra 37][Translation: Aum. May there be "shanti" in Heaven. May there be "shanti" in the sky. May "shanti" prevail on Earth. May there be "shanti" in the waters, in the herbs and plants and in the vegetation. May there be "shanti" in all the Gods in the Universe. May there be "shanti" in the Brahman, the Supreme. May there be "shanti" everywhere, "shanti", "shanti", and only "shanti".]

We taught the chant which conveyed the concept of "Sat", Asat" and the imperishable "Atman", along with the movement from tamasic darkness to sattvik light, by the following shloka:

Aum Asato Maa Sad Gamaya, Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya, Mrutyor Ma Amrutam Gamaya. Aum Shanti . [Brihadaranyaka Upanisad-1-3-28][Translation: Aum, Lead me from falsity (unreal) to real (truth), from darkness to the Light, from death to Immortality. Oum, Peace.]

Similarly, we discussed and chanted the following shloka, pertaining to the concept of detachment:

Aum Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhi Pustivardhanam.Urvarukamive Bandhanan Mrytyor Mukshiya Mamrutat. [Shukla Yajurveda. Adhyaya 3, mantra 60]

[Translation: We propitiate Tryambaka (Shiva) who spreads fragrance and increases nourishment. May he liberate me, like the cucumber fruits detach from the stem (when it becomes ripe), from death, but not from immortality. ]

Conclusion

To summarize, one doesn't have to wait to start on the path to Vedanta until one reaches a certain age, or level of experience. A child is as much a potential student as is a grown adult who has experienced the complex world. In fact, it could be said, that some grounding in Vedantic basics, as attempted in schools like ours, will help the child in experiencing the world in a much more enhanced and holistic way.

In conclusion, the concepts of Vedanta are equally applicable to children as they are for adults. Though a discursive approach, with structured diagrams, definitions, etc may be a bit to much for the child, there is a completely tested and superbly detailed method available through the Purana stories, and the Srimad Bhagavatam is one of the foremost among them. As in any teaching endeavour, the real results are known in the indeterminate future, but the experience is priceless, and the person occupying the teacher's position is also learning as (s)he "teaches".

REFERENCES1. Antonio De Nicolas, Prof. Emeritus of Philosophy, SUNY Stonybrook, USA

"The Bhagavad Gita- The Ethics Of Decision-Making", Nicolas-Hays, 1981, [ISBN: 0-89254-090-7]

"The Unity and Indivisibility of the Self" (At https://medhajournal.com/columns/indic-classics-and-bio-cultures/the-unity-and-indivisibility-of-the-self-brahman.html )"The goal of all inquiry is experience, (anubhava')...[Brahma Sutra Bhashya. I. 1.2]."

"I would like to bring forward the epistemological context within which philosophical statements from both East and West can be meaningful.

Without such a context, statements made by Eastern philosophy about the Self, Reality, and Experience are either meaningless (i.e., they have no self-sufficient reason in our Western universes of discourse), or empty, (i.e., they are only conceptual projections of some particular Western philosophical system without empirical content).

In order to avoid the trap of over-generalization, we shall confine ourselves to statements about the Self (Brahman), Reality (Sat), and Experience (anubhava), made by the great Indian philosopher Sankara.

Implicit in Sankara's analysis are several presuppositions about the philosophical activity, and the role of interpretation. Instead of being taken as arbitrary, however, these presuppositions are based on a conditioned discipline of doing philosophy which looks for the contextual reasons within which presuppositions appear. The key to this conditioned discipline lies in the following statement:

the beginning of knowledge is the realization that interpretation stands for interpretation; the end of knowledge is the decision that interpretation stands for something, or is the interpretation of something."

"Indian philosophy is pragmatic: speculation for speculation's sake is avoided or corrected;

the aim of speculation is to convince the listener that the particular system presented could develop a discipline leading to moksa (liberation)."

2. Ramakrishna Puligandla, Prof. Emeritus of Philosophy, University of Toledo, USA

"An Encounter With awareness", Quest Books, 1981, ISBN: 0-8356-0552-3

Ch. 1 "The Self", Page 15:

"Technique: Sit in any position that is comfortable to you. Close your eyes and command your mind as follows: "Mind, start talking. I shall listen to you with undivided attention."

Notice what happens. You will discover that the mind becomes paralyzed and consequently, all sensations and thoughts will come to a cessation. Now you are in a state of pure awareness, awareness without any objects at all. That objectless awareness is indeed the self. Do the exercise and find out for yourself."

3. Jonardon Ganeri, Professor of Philosophy, University of Liverpool, UK

"Philosophy in Classical India", ([ISBN 0-415-24035-2], also at

"1.1 EARLY RECOGNITION OF A PRACTICE OF REASON';

Reason can be used or abused. A cautionary episode in the Mahabharata illustrates the point. Bhishma tells YudhiShira that there is nothing more worth having than wisdom. Wisdom, he declares, is the greatest good, the refuge of all living things, the ultimate acquisition, and is considered by the virtuous to be heaven itself (12.173.2). But then, in case his point should be misunderstood, he recounts the story of Indra appearing in the form of a jackal (12.173.45-8):

"I used to be scholarly [says Indra], a reasoner, a scorner of the Veda. I was pointlessly fond of critical inquiry and the science of argument. I used to make declarations on the basis of logic; in assemblies, speaking with reasons, I harangued the brahmins and was rude during the Vedic recitations. I was an unbeliever, sceptical about everything, and though stupid, I thought myself wise. The status of a jackal that I have obtained is the result, Kashyapa, of my misdeeds."

The terms in which Indra deprecates himself are important ones, for they gradually came to be associated with the practice of philosophy itself in India.

Indra was a reasoner' (haituka), he was addicted to the study of critical inquiry (anvikshiki) and to the science of argument (tarka-vidyå).

In another epic narrative, the Ramayana, Rama advises his brother Bharata to steer well clear of such people (2.94.32-33):

"You must not associate with those worldly' (lokayata) brahmins, dear brother. Their only skill is in bringing misfortune; they are fools who think themselves wise. In spite of the pre-eminent treatises on right conduct (dharma), these ignorant people derive their ideas from critical inquiry, and make declarations without any point.

"These reasoners' represent a challenge and a threat to the existing tradition.

"They will assent to the deliverances of reason whether or not it agrees with the scriptures and the authorities on what is considered to be proper conduct. The lawmaker Manu therefore advises that a brahmin who has adopted the science of reasoning, treating with contempt the twin authorities on proper conduct (the scriptures and the texts on right conduct or dharma), should as an unbeliever' and a scorner of the Vedas' be driven from the company of the virtuous."

It is not that in the great epics reason as such is condemned, but only its capricious use.

The reasoners' are condemned for lacking any goal other than the use of reason itself; they believe in nothing and are sceptical of everything.

They use reason to criticise the scriptures, but have no doctrines of their own. Reason, the message seems to be, is misapplied when it is used in a purely negative, destructive way. In other words, the proper use of reason should be to support, and not to undermine, one's beliefs, goals and values.

The objection to the reasoners, as they are represented in the epics, is that for them the use of reason has become an end in itself. It is goalless, capricious, ungrounded."5. Jonardon Ganeri, Professor of Philosophy, University of Liverpool, UK"A Dynamic Tradition of Truth-telling: Moral Innovation in the Mahåbhårata."

[At ]

"An acknowledgement that truthfulness is among the principal virtues is already to be found in the Chåndogya Upanisad -*> When a man is hungry, thirsty, and without pleasures

that is his sacrificial consecration; and when he eats, drinks, and enjoys pleasures
by that he performs the preparatory rites; when he laughs, feasts, and has sex
by that he sings the chants and performs the recitations; austerity (tapas), generosity (dåna), integrity (årjava), non-injury (ahimså), and truthfulness (satyavacana)
these are his sacrificial gifts. [Ch 13.7.1-4]"*

Truthfulness is situated here within a framework of co-dependent virtues, themselves related to a conception of human flourishing through a ritual homology. The passage already raises the question of the relationship between truthfulness and other supporting or commeasurable virtues, and with that the possibility that truthfulness might come into conflict with other virtues of equal centrality. The idea that one only injures oneself by lying is hinted at in the Prasna Upanisad -

*Then Sukesa Bharadvåja asked him: "Hiranyanåbha, a prince of Kosala, once came to me, Lord, and asked this question: Do you know the person consisting of sixteen parts?' I told the prince: I don't know him. If I had known him, how could I have not told you. Up to his very roots, surely, a man withers when he tells a lie (anrta). That's why I can't tell you a lie.' He got on to his chariot silently and went away. So I ask you: who is that person?"

[Prasna 6.1]*

In the Chåndogya, we were told the story of Satyakåma (Ch. 4.4.1-5). Satyakåma (lit. "one whose desire is for truth") confesses to his teacher the obscurity of his origins, and the very frankness of his admission permits his teacher to conclude that he is indeed a brahmin, for only a brahmin would speak truly without regard to the humiliation. It might seem that Satyakåma could have avoided injury to himself (in the form of humiliation) by telling a lie.

The morale of the story, though, is that speaking the truth trumps the preservation of oneself from embarrassment or other such forms of emotional harm.

Later thinkers do not regard it as obligatory to tell the truth when there is a question of self-preservation from physical harm, or of doing and preventing harm to others. Manu succinctly brings out the logical relationship in such cases of conflicting obligation -

> A man should tell the truth and speak with kindness (priya); he should not tell the truth unkindly nor utter lies out of kindness. This is a constant duty. [Manu 4.138]

If we take kindness' here to include the virtues other than truthfulness, Manu's clever formula implies that the constant duty' (sanåtana-dharma) is to joint satisfaction of all the virtues, there being no categorical obligation to one when it is in conflict with another. One is not obliged to tell the truth regardless, when doing so involves one in an unkindness', nor is one obliged to lie even when doing so would be "kind". In a situation where the only choice is between speaking truly but unkindly or speaking untruly but kindly (the so-called paternalistic' deceit), an appeal to the standing virtues will not be able to guide one's action."

"In the twelfth book of the Mahåbhårata, the Såntiparvan, Bhisma is on his deathbed, and at Yudhishira's request enters into a lengthy moral discourse. If Yudhishira's deeds and misdeeds in the course of the battle are not explicitly referred to, this is nevertheless the place where a moral assessment of them is attempted. Of particular significance, then, are the sections where Bhisma discusses the moral status of truth and truthfulness (12.110, 12.140 and 12.156). Bhisma stresses more than once that it is not always immoral to lie, and that one has to use one's reason and intelligence in each particular case to discriminate between the moral and the immoral -

Therefore, O son-of-Kunti, one who is wise and self-restrained should dwell in this world resorting to his intellect (buddhi) in the discrimination of the moral and the immoral (dharmådharmaniscaya). [MB 12.139.94]

We have just been told the story of a brahmin Visvamitra who chooses to eat dog-meat rather than to starve, the morale being that the preservation of one's own life justifies erstwhile violations of religious duty. Yudhishira's response is extremely telling: he says that if an act so detestable that it resembles a lie is permissible, then moral duty (dharma) itself is made loose, and there is no act from which one should desist (12.140.1). In raising the spectre of moral chaos, Yudhishira reveals the fear that motivates the inflexible rule follower and displays again his moral cowardice. Unable to trust his moral judgement, he prefers instead a blind allegiance to the moral law.

Bhisma proceeds to give Yudhishira a sharp lesson in the necessity for kings to have sound practical reason! A king should not depend on a morality derived from one faction alone, but must use his intellect (buddhi) to draw wisdom from a variety of sources and examples. For the moral sometimes assumes the outward form of the immoral; the sin involved in killing one who ought not to have been killed is on a par with the sin of not killing someone who ought to be killed (i.e. one cannot simply follow the rule "do not kill") [12.140.26ab]." "Sometimes it is wrong to tell the truth; sometimes, indeed, it is right to lie. When? Bhisma's answer is clear

when one conceals the truth from a person who has no right to the truth. To give somebody something of value (a truth, a piece of wealth) to which they have no rightful entitlement is not to display any virtue; indeed, it is to fall victim to a vice. A person of sound moral reason is able to discriminate and decide for themselves in each particular case whether the person who makes a demand has a right to what is being demanded, the basis for that judgement involving an assessment of the person's reasons for wanting it. One might indeed incur a great moral wrong in blindly following some such moral precept as "Do not lie", as the example to which Bhisma alludes reveals. This is the case, mentioned in the Karnaparvan, of a man who reveals the whereabouts of an innocent fugitive to a would-be assassin. Bhisma's argument defends lies of concealment, when the person from whom one is concealing the truth does not have a right to the truth. On the other hand, his argument gives no succour to pernicious lies, lies that manipulate others when they have not asked for the truth, usually for one's own gain.

Now a new subtlety in the Drona story begins to unfold. The lie that deceived Drona

was it a lie of concealment or a lie of manipulation? Did Drona himself request the information, or was he "fed" that information with the intention of contorting his view of the world? We see now a clear difference between the sentence "Asvatthåman is dead" as uttered by Bhima and the same sentence as uttered by Yudhishira. In the mouth of Bhima, the sentence is a manipulative lie, intended to produce in Drona a false belief he had until then no reason even to suspect. But the seeds of doubt were laid, and by the time Drona turns to Yudhishira, he is demanding the information from him."

6. Kindle Life from Chinmaya Publications. [ISBN 81-7597-189-4]7. Bala Bhagavatam from Chinmaya Publications.8. Vedic Heritage Series, from Arsha Vidya Gurukulam.

Geeta For Children from Chinmaya Publications. [ISBN 81-7597-147-9].

Acknowledgements:

The authors acknowledge the support of the members of the ... Hindu Temple for their support and encouragement of the Sanatana Dharma School, and hope it will continue to enrich the lives of our coming generations.

The first author also acknowledges with thanks the personal discussions he has the good fortune in having, with (a) Dr Nicolas (Ref. 1) both via conversations and participation in the Medha Journal; and (b) Dr Puligandla, a combination of talk and musical interaction. For a beginner on the road to pursuit of knowledge, this is good company indeed.

About the Authors:

RJ is a practicing Engineer with Masters degrees in Engineering and Management. RJ] is enjoying the experience of learning, in order to teach. [RJ] can be reached at [... [ karigar@hotmail.com -for bloggers]

MT is a Professor in the ...University... [MT] finds the different teaching experience at the temple something close to [MTs] heart.

Pandit AD is in-charge at the Hindu Temple ..., and the mainstay and inspiration behind the Sanatana Dharma school.

Making Vedanta relevant to today's children

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