Acquisition of Absolute knowledge

The ancient Indian education is indicative of ancient culture and civilization. The main motto of our ancient Indian education was to attain Salvation. The Vedic teacher had long ago realized the importance of education. That is why, they passed the remark that ‘human beings without knowledge are like an animal^[1]. With the attainment of proper knowledge a person becomes illuminated. That is why the Ṛgvedic hymn X.71.7 mentions that ‘akṣaṇvantaḥ karṇavantaḥ sakhāyo manojaveṣu asamāyabhūvuḥ’, that means a person is superior to another not because he possesses an extra hand or eye, but because his mind and intellect are sharpened and rendered by proper education^[2]. A person, who does not possess the real light of education, may be described as blind^[3].

The Vedic Ṛṣis imparted proper knowledge or education to their Śisya. Through the Tapas they attained this proper knowledge or Supreme knowledge technically called Parā-Vidyā. In the Ṛgveda, we find that seven Ṛṣis absorbed in Tapas to realize the lowest to the highest knowledge^[4].They know that it is the ultimate reality. From this knowledge a person can attain Salvation or Mokṣa. The Vedas and Upaniṣad, explain the importance of this highest knowledge. They mention that it is distinguished from all other knowledge. Because it is the sarva-vidyā-pratiṣṭha^[5]. Through the Tapas, Yoga or dhyāna a person can attain this highest knowledge.

In the Cāndogya Upaniṣad^[6], we find that Nārada approached Śanat Kumar and stated that–he had mastered the four Vedas, the fifth Veda (i.e. Itihāsa, Puraṇa), Grammar, Mathematics, the Vedāṅgas, Social sciences, Military Sciences, Magic, the Arts, Logic, Ethics, Astronomy, Fine arts, Crafts and many other branches of knowledge. He had become a master of mantra i.e. learned man. Yet he could not know his self. Śanat Kumāra^[7] then replied that his knowledge is not real. His knowledge consisted of some symbols of objects and not complete knowledge.

Like that in the Cāndogya Upaniṣad^[8], we also find that Śvetaketu after twelve years of his education, returned home from the house of his Guru but his father realized that his son’s education was incomplete. He studied all the Vedas, Vedāṅgas without knowing the real meaning. As the education in those days was the acquisition of real meaning but not the acquisition of mere objective of knowledge. One has to go through daily one’s own Veda along with real meaning also. Then his father himself undertook the further education of his son at home. There are many other examples which clearly point out that self realization or self fulfillment is the highest knowledge of mankind. The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad^[9] mentions that, a Brāhmaṇa, after completion of education, wishes to stand with real strength but not with the knowledge of the books only. In the Cāndogya Upaniṣad we find another such case Upakosala Kamalayana, after twelve years of his education was not considered by his teacher for the highest knowledge^[10]. So in ancient period, people believe that without the real knowledge everything is like dry wood or ashes.

Upaniṣad divided all knowledge in to two categories viz., Parā Vidyā and Aparā Vidyā. The Aparā Vidyā is regarded as the knowledge of Veda, Vedāṅgas, Dhanurveda and so on. Whereas Parā Vidyā or Brahma Vidyā is Absolute knowledge. Without the Aparā Vidyā, a man cannot attain Parā Vidyā. For self realization both Parā and Aparā Vidyā are necessary. Through the Tapas a person can attain the highest knowledge. But these Tapas are very long and hard austerities. Any person is not able to receive this highest knowledge. A person who is physically and mentally strong is able to attain this highest knowledge. For this reason, the ancient Ṛṣis divided the life of an individual into four stages. In the first half of the Vedic period we do not find this type of division. But Atharvaveda mentions two stages of life i.e. Brahmacarya and Gārhastya. Later on when the complexity of life is increased the ancient Ṛṣis divided the life of an individual in to four stages^[11]. The first stage is the stage of Brahmacarya or the life of education and preparation. The second stage is the Gārhastya or life of the house holder when he is to perform his social duties and to act as the real member of the community. The third is the stage of Vānaprastha or the life of retirement and meditation, when he gradually withdraws from the role of an active member of society. The fourth stage is Sannyasa when he is entered into a life of renunciation and cuts off all social and family ties in order to attain his salvation. They mention that each stages of life is assigned in such a way that the performance in any stage prepare the individual for next higher stage. So if anyone is unable to receive Absolute knowledge, yet he is able to live happy life because he receives the Aparā Vidyā and performs the three stages of life properly. But Ṛgveda^[12] clearly mentions that ideal learning is the realization of truths and not the mastery of the recitation of text. Pupil who realizes the proper meaning of Ṛk becomes the master of all knowledge.

This tradition continued till the Buddhist period. After getting the admission, every novice tries to pursuit the proper knowledge or Absolute knowledge. In the first half of his student life, he becomes the master of all arts and sciences, but after that he used to live apart from his teacher. He used to live in forests because his ultimate aim was the attainment of ultimate wisdom or Nirvāna. Buddha himself mentions that everyone has the potential to realize the ultimate wisdom. With the wisdom a person can solve all problems of life. According to Mahāyāna teaching person who is on this way to attainment of Absolute knowledge has to go through certain stages. Hence he called upon man to accept some injunction and practice some śilās [śīlas]^[13].

Like he has to live in a lonely place or in forest and thereafter he must try to purify his mind of five hindrances (Pañcaśīla) viz.,

-) To refrain from destroying living creatures.
-) To refrain from taking that which is not given.
-) To refrain from sexual misconduct.
-) To refrain from incorrect speech.
-) To refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which leads to carelessness.

Habitual practice of these śilās would remove the veil and expose the inner spirit. He will able to pursuit proper knowledge and attain Nirvāna, which is the ultimate aim of Buddhist education system^[14].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vidyā vihīnaḥ paśuḥ| Nitiśatakam.16.

[2]:

Ṛgveda X.71.7.

[3]:

Anekasaṃśayocachodi parokṣārthasya darśakam | sarvasya locanaṃ śāstraṃ yasya nāstyandha eva saḥ||Subhāshita Ratna Bhānder.P 30.V.2.

[4]:

devā etasyāmavadanta purve saptaṛṣayastapase ye niṣeduḥ | Ṛgveda 10.109.4.

[5]:

sa brahmavidyāṃ sarvavidyā pratiṣṭāṃ| Muṇḍuka Upaniṣad 1.1.1.

[6]:

adhīhi bhgava iti hopasasāda sanatkumāraṃ nāradastaṃ hovāca yadvethe tena mopasīda tatasta urdvaṃ vakṣyamīti sa hovāca ||Ṛgvedaṃ bhagavohadhyemi yajurvedaṃ sāmavedamārthavaṇaṃ caturthamitihāsapurāṇaṃ pañcamaṃ vedānāṃ vedaṃ pitryaṃ rāśiṃ daivaṃ nidhiṃ vākovākyamekāyanaṃ devavidyāṃ brahmavidyāṃ bhūtavidyāṃ kṣṭravidyāṃ nakṣatravidyāṃ sarpadevajanavidyāmetad bhagavohadhyemi||sohahaṃ bhagavo mantravidevāsmi nātmvicachrat taṃ…………. || Cāndogya Upaniṣad VII.I.1-3.

[7]:

Taṃ hovāca yadvai kiñcaitadadhygiṣṭā nāmaivaitat||ICh.U VII.I.3; sarpadevajanavidyā nāmaivaitannāmopāssveti|| Ibid. VII.I.4.

[8]:

Sa ha dvādaśavarṣa upetya caturviṃśativarṣ aḥ sarvān vedānadhītya mahāmanā anūcānamānī stabdha eyāya…………………….bhagavāṃstheva me tad bravītviti tathā somyeti hovāca ||Ibid.VI.I.

[9]:

Tasmād brāhmaṇah pāṇḍityaṃ nirvidya bālyena tiṣṭāset || Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad III.5.I.

[10]:

Chāndogya Upaniṣad IV.10.

[11]:

Brahmacārī gṛhasthaśca vānaprastho yatistathā ||Manusmṛti VI.87.

[12]:

ṛco akṣare parame vyomanyasmindevā adhi viśve niṣeduḥ | yastanna veda kimṛcā kariṣyati....................||Ṛgveda I.164.39.

[13]:

Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpādani samadiyemi |abinñadāna veramaṇi sikkhāpādan samadiyemi | kemesu micchacera veramanī sikkhāpādan samadiyemi | musāvāda veramanī sikkhāpādan samadiyemi | surāmerayamajjapamādatthāna Veramanī sikkhāpādan samadiyemi |Mahāvagga.I.56.

[14]:

Ārogyaparamā lābhā,nivvānaṃ paramaṃ sukhaṃ|aṭṭhaṅgiko ca maggānaṃ, khemaṃ amatgāminaṃ”ti||Majjhimnikāya 2.201.