Education Means Brahma-vidyā, Not Animal Education

Śrīla Prabhupāda fundamentally defines education as the process of solving life's ultimate problems. He contrasts the temporary, materialistic pursuits of modern schooling with the essential, eternal goals of Vedic knowledge, emphasizing that any education that does not address the spiritual identity of the living entity is ultimately defective and no better than the knowledge possessed by animals.

True Education is Brahma-vidyā

The ultimate purpose of education, as directed by the Vedānta-sūtra, is athāto brahma jijñāsā: to inquire about the Absolute Truth. True education is therefore spiritual education, or brahma-vidyā, which aims to understand the nature of the living force within the body. When one is advanced in education (vidyā-vinaya-sampanne), they must become gentle and sober. Education means to lead the people gradually to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the ultimate goal of all knowledge.

• Education means brahma-vidyā: to understand what is that living force within this body that is working.
• Education means atyantika-duhkha-nivrtti, the ultimate solution of all unhappiness.
• Education does not mean how to find out a fish expertly.
• So the purpose of education means to know God, to know Kṛṣṇa.
• Education means one becomes gentle, sober, cool-headed.

The Folly of Material and Animal Education

Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly points out that modern education is a colossal waste of energy because it focuses entirely on the temporary bodily platform. If education is simply meant for securing food, shelter, and defense, it is considered "animal education." Furthermore, the current system, often focused on technology and craftsmanship (kalā-vidyā), merely prepares people to become expert servants (śūdras) dependent on others, resulting in widespread unemployment and a "doggish mentality" of begging for service.

• For eating, sleeping, mating and defending, there is no need of education. Education means athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is education. How to know the Supreme Absolute Truth.
• Animal education means when we are too much interested with eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is animal education.
• Modern education means to create dogs.
• At the present moment education means many Indians are coming to America to learn how to polish motorcar parts or how to create technology. This is not education.
• At the present moment there is no education, because education means to understand my identity.

Conclusion

The true measure of learning is one's ability to distinguish between the eternal and the temporary, thereby achieving purification of knowledge. This transcendental education means learning about the Lord's activities and gaining relief from material entanglement. Without this spiritual basis, the so-called advancement of education is simply an increase of illusory propaganda, resulting in people being fully captivated by the temporary material world.

• Education means to purify the knowledge, because we are all born animals.
• So-called advancement of education means māyāyā apahṛta-jñāna.

Dive Deeper into Srila Prabhupada's Vani

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