Material Education and Forgetfulness of the Self

Material education is often praised as the foundation of civilization, yet Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals its deep limitations when it excludes spiritual knowledge. Rather than liberating the human being, such education frequently strengthens illusion and distances one from understanding the self and the Supreme. True education begins where material instruction ends—with inquiry into transcendence.

Material Education and Illusion

Material education, when centered solely on bodily comfort and technological progress, expands the influence of māyā. Instead of freeing the conditioned soul, he notes that it binds one more tightly to temporary identity and material ambition.

• Advancement of material education means advancement of the snares of the illusory energy of Krsna. Mayara vaibhava.
• Anyone who has come to this material world, he is illusioned. But advancement of so-called material education means the increasing of the same illusory propaganda.
• Materialistic education expands the influence of maya. Such an education induces the conditioned soul to be increasingly attracted to materialistic life and to stray further and further away from liberation from unwanted miseries.

Sense Gratification as Educational Success

According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, modern material education measures success by refinement of sense gratification. This orientation diverts intelligence away from spiritual life and reduces human life to polished animalism.

• Material education aims at increasing the activities of material sense gratification. Beyond material sense gratification is another negative form of knowledge called brahma-vidya, or impersonal transcendental knowledge.
• The standard of material education is sense gratification, but the highest standard of spiritual education is knowledge of the science of Krsna.
• So-called advancement of civilization means the living entity is always compared as an ass, mudha. So instead of becoming intelligent, by material education one becomes more and more first-class ass, jada-vidya saba mayara vaibhava tomara bhajane badha.

Pride Without Self-Control

Material education often inflates pride while failing to cultivate humility or inner peace. Despite impressive qualifications, the mind remains uncontrolled and disturbed.

• Material education, wealth and power will not help one to control the mind.
• Mahad-gunah means the material acquisition, material education, material wealth, or so many material qualification. That will not help me to control my mind.
• Those who are puffed up with material education, wealth, aristocracy and fruitive activity are very proud of possessing material things, and they often deride the devotees.

Absence of Knowledge of God

Śrīla Prabhupāda laments that despite widespread literacy and academic achievement, material education leaves society ignorant of God and the soul. This absence undermines the very purpose of human intelligence.

• Now, at the present moment, everyone is highly educated to the material standard, but they have no knowledge what is God.
• Mostly the so-called educated circle, they are agnostics. They do not believe in God, they do not believe in the soul.

Conclusion

Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that material education, when divorced from spiritual inquiry, leads to forgetfulness of the self and bondage to illusion. While it may refine external life, it fails to address the soul’s real needs. Only when education culminates in knowledge of Kṛṣṇa does it fulfill its true purpose and elevate human society.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Material Education. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

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