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252 CHAPTER – V SUMMARY AND DISCUSSIONS 5.1 Introduction This chapter presents significance of the study, meaning of key words, objectives and research questions followed by the design of the study. It also presents major findings of the study followed by discussion, implications, delimitations and suggestions of areas wherein further research may be conducted. 5.1.1 Holistic Education Holistic education is a philosophy of education based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace (Miller, 1997). It is based on the philosophy of ‘holism’. It involves the integration of multiple layers of meaning and experience through direct engagement with the environment. Holistic education is more concerned with drawing forth the latent capacities and sensitivities of the soul than with stuffing passive young minds full of predigested information. It recognizes the innate potential of EVERY student for intelligent, creative, and, systemic thinking. It is child-honoring education, because it respects the creative impulses at work within the unfolding child as much as, if not more than, the cultural imperatives that conventional schooling seeks to overlay onto the growing personality. Holistic education is essentially a democratic education, concerned with both individual freedom and social responsibility. Holistic education is an education of balance, inclusion, and connection. It attempts to bring education into alignment with the fundamental realities of nature. Holistic education cannot be reduced to an educational methodology or a theory of education. It is a realm of inquiry into teaching and learning, based on principles relating to human consciousness and the relationship between human beings and their universe.

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CHAPTER – V

SUMMARY AND DISCUSSIONS

5.1 Introduction

This chapter presents significance of the study, meaning of key words, objectives

and research questions followed by the design of the study. It also presents major

findings of the study followed by discussion, implications, delimitations and suggestions

of areas wherein further research may be conducted.

5.1.1 Holistic Education

Holistic education is a philosophy of education based on the premise that each

person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the

community, to the natural world, and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace

(Miller, 1997).

It is based on the philosophy of ‘holism’. It involves the integration of multiple

layers of meaning and experience through direct engagement with the environment.

Holistic education is more concerned with drawing forth the latent capacities and

sensitivities of the soul than with stuffing passive young minds full of predigested

information. It recognizes the innate potential of EVERY student for intelligent, creative,

and, systemic thinking. It is child-honoring education, because it respects the creative

impulses at work within the unfolding child as much as, if not more than, the cultural

imperatives that conventional schooling seeks to overlay onto the growing personality.

Holistic education is essentially a democratic education, concerned with both individual

freedom and social responsibility.

Holistic education is an education of balance, inclusion, and connection. It

attempts to bring education into alignment with the fundamental realities of nature.

Holistic education cannot be reduced to an educational methodology or a theory of

education. It is a realm of inquiry into teaching and learning, based on principles relating

to human consciousness and the relationship between human beings and their universe.

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253

Its purpose is to nurture human potential. Holistic education makes the transition from

self-knowledge to the knowledge of the world and from spirituality to society.

Holistic education is a quest for meaning, connection, and wholeness. Education

celebrates learning, achievement, diversity, and a higher vision of humanity. Holistic

education is not a methodology but a comprehensive world view. It is an attitude towards

teaching and learning, as well as toward culture and human development. It is a set of

guiding values, which, to be implemented with integrity, call for much reflection and

self-awareness on the part of the educator. Holistic education poses a persistent question

as to what does it need to make a human being with fullest possible realization of

inherent potentials (Miller, 1991).

Holistic education is education for a culture of peace, for sustainability and

ecological literacy, and for the development of humanity’s inherent morality and

spirituality. It takes us to the Latin root meaning of the word ‘education’ – to lead forth

what is naturally within the human being. It is the kind of education being practiced in

schools like Waldorf Schools and Krishnamurthy Foundation in India. Holistic education

opens up a new and comprehensive perspective on the problems and fragmented reforms

of educational practice and bridges differences of culture, race, ethnicity, socio-economic

class, age, and gender.

Education when understood holistically enables the unfolding of a more inclusive

and sophisticated knowledge of the world, an expansion of possibilities, a deepening of

experience and wisdom. Holistic education focuses on creating a learning community

which will stimulate the growing person’s creative and inquisitive engagement with the

world (Vengopal and Kumari, 2010). It focuses on nurturing healthy, whole, curious

persons who can learn whatever they need to know in any new content. It exhorts us to

look at how we have defined humanness; our untapped potentials; our relationship as

individuals with the larger community, nation, planet, and the universe.

Though Holistic education has emerged in the latter part of the 20th century, some

of its advocates claim that views central to it are not new, but, in fact, timeless and found

in the sense of wholeness in humanity’s religious impetus and spiritual quest which may

be termed as the ‘perennial philosophy’. These timeless and perennially re-seen insights

find their source in various scriptures. Nakagawa (2000) explores a philosophical

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foundation for holistic education from diverse perspectives of Eastern philosophy. The

essential structure of eastern philosophy lies in the multidimensional understandings of

reality. He explores the practical aspects of the multidimensional holistic education in the

light of Eastern ways of contemplation and art, and the Eastern ways of action and

compassion.

5.1.2 The Bhagwad Gita

Aurobindo (2006), explains that only those scriptures, religions, and philosophies

which can be constantly renewed, relived, being constantly reshaped and developed in the

inner thought and spiritual experience of a developing humanity, continue to be of living

importance to mankind. Bhagwad Gita is one among them.

The language of Bhagwad Gita, the structure of thought, the combination and

balancing of ideas belong neither to the temper of a sectarian teacher, nor to the spirit of a

rigorous analytical dialectics. It is rather, a wide undulating, encircling movement of

ideas which is the manifestation of a vast synthetic mind and a rich holistic experience.

Interpretations of Bhagwad Gita differ as its metaphysical connotation was understood by

men at different times. This is because, the human intellect modifies itself always;

continually dividing and putting together, it is obliged to shift its divisions continually

and to rearrange its synthesis. It is always leaving old expression and symbols for new. If

it uses the old, it so changes its connotations or at least its exact content and association,

that, we can never be quite sure of understanding an ancient text of this kind precisely in

the sense and spirit of it bore to its contemporaries. What is of entirely permanent value

is, that, which besides being universal has been experienced and lived at a higher plane

than intellectual vision.

Bhagwad Gita has contributed to different fields. Bhagwad Gita also has its

relevance to the philosophy of education (Charlu, 1971; Kumari, 2009). According to

Bhagwad Gita, education should lead to an all round development of the individual and

the curriculum should have a variety of subjects to achieve this aim Pandey (1985). Work

has been done in the field of psychology and Bhagwad Gita, especially in areas of

emotional intelligence, guidance and counseling Rama (1996). Studies have been done in

the area of Bhagwad Gita and personality. Samkhya and Bhagwad Gita recognize

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heredity and environment as factors in the constitution and development of personality.

They mainly stress on the training of the will or intellect so as to function according to

the principle of reason and to avoid the forces of restlessness and ignorance (Das, 1975).

5.2 Significance of the Study

If we desire a dynamic, progressive culture and not one that is rigidly fixated

upon the past, then, educational process must take into account the impulses that arise

within the dynamically evolving life of every individual. Curriculum decisions and

learning environments need to meet and accommodate vital energies, not suppress them.

Children need to develop academic capabilities, as they are required to live in a

competitive world. But, much more is the need to face life’s greatest challenges

successfully. Children need to learn about themselves. The value of ‘knowing thyself’ is

so undisputed as to be a cliché, but conveying to children that they are worth knowing

about, seems fundamental to healthy self respect and self esteem. Children also need to

learn about relationships. They also need to learn resilience. Finally, they must learn that

seeing beauty, having awe, experiencing transcendence, and appreciating those timeless

‘truths’ which have inspired and sustained individuals and cultures are a part of natural

life.

It doesn’t appear that we will learn such things from learning more mathematics,

literature, or history. Parents, in increasing numbers are seeking alternatives to

mainstream education. They realize that just learning academics is not enough. Learning

has become a necessary chore, driven by rewards and punishments. It is too often devoid

of direct meaning to the lives of children Parents generally do not come to holistic

education from philosophical musings, but from a perceived need for their children that

they feel is not currently met.

Strains of holistic education are found in the philosophy of Indian educators like

Krishnamurty and Aurobindo (Forbes, 1996; Vengopal and Kumari, 2010) and also in

national documents for education (NPE, 1986; NCF, 2000; NCF, 2005). Some advocates

of holistic education like David Purpel, Forbes, claim that views central to holistic

education are not new, but are, in fact, found in the sense of wholeness in humanity’s

religious impetus. The extended seeing of wholes within wholes, brought many to a

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religiosity that seemed inherent in the approach, and something that most holistic

educators feel is fundamental to what they do. The largest whole which has relationships

to everything; the ultimate ‘more’ from which all the ‘less’ derives, was described as the

‘absolute’, the sacred or some form of ‘ultimate order’.

For many holistic educators, those perennial truths expressed in their general form

rather than a particular form was the key to spirituality that they felt must be a part of

every education. While a few holistic educators refer to the soul or ‘atman’ of traditional

religions, most speak in terms of some universal order, or of common threads running

through all religions, or archetype mythologies, or what Aldous Huxley called the

perennial philosophy. These timeless and perennially re-seen insights find their source in

various scriptures.

Only those scriptures, religions, and philosophies which can be constantly

renewed, relived, being constantly reshaped and developed in the inner thought and

spiritual experience of a developing humanity, continue to be of living importance to

mankind. Bhagwad Gita is one among them. Language of the Bhagwad Gita, the

structure of thought, the combination and balancing of ideas belong neither to the temper

of a sectarian teacher, nor to the spirit of a rigorous analytical dialectics. It is rather, a

wide undulating, encircling movement of ideas which is the manifestation of a vast

synthetic mind and a rich holistic experience.

The uniqueness of Bhagwad Gita among great works of the world is that, it does

not stand apart as a work by itself, nor is it the fruit of the life of spiritual masters. It is

given as an episode in an epic history of nations and their wars, men and their deeds. It

arises out of a critical moment in the soul of one of its leading personage face to face with

the crowning action of his life, a work violent and sanguinary, at the point when he must

either recoil from it altogether or carry it through to its inexorable completion. Therefore

Bhagwad Gita must not be regarded merely in the light of a general spiritual philosophy

or ethical doctrine, but as learning upon a practical crisis in the application of ethics and

spirituality to human life.

As seen in the conceptual framework, Bhagwad Gita has contributed to different

fields. It has contributed to the field of psychology. Bhagwad Gita has contributed

immensely to education and has direct bearing on learning. Bhagwad Gita also has its

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relevance to the philosophy of education (Charlu 1971; Kumari, 2009). It can be thus

seen that Bhagwad Gita contains many ideas which have become the basis for a sound

educational philosophy. The educational philosophy of Bhagwad Gita is quite significant

for various aspects of the educational system in India.

Thus, the investigator is prompted to make an endeavour to study Bhagwad Gita

in the light of Holistic education.

5.3 The Present Study

A Study of Bhagwad Gita in the perspective of Holistic Education. The text of

Bhagwad Gita is studied in the light of the concept of holistic education as generated for

this study, from the available literature on holistic education.

5.4 Meaning of Key Words

• Holistic Education: Holistic education is a philosophy of education based on the

premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through

connections to the community, to the natural world, and to spiritual values such as

compassion and peace (Miller, 1997).

• Bhagwad Gita: Bhagwad Gita is a part of the epic Mahabharata comprising of 18

chapters and 700 shlokas. It is a discourse rendered by Krishna to Arjuna.

5.5 Objectives of the Study

• to generate the concept of holistic education

• to explore the content of Bhagwad Gita for strands of holistic education

• to compare the concepts of holistic education derived from Bhagwad Gita with

those that emerge from concept analysis of holistic education

5.6 Research Questions

1. What are the concepts of holistic education?

2. What are the strands of holistic education in Bhagwad Gita?

3. What are the similarities/differences between the concepts of holistic

education derived from Bhagwad Gita with those that emerge from concept

analysis of holistic education?

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5.7 Design of the Study

Design followed comprised of two phases. In the first phase, grounded theory was

used to analyze the concept of holistic education. Later, in the second phase, Bhagwad

Gita was analyzed in perspective of the concepts of holistic education using content

analysis. (Figure 5.1)

Figure 5.1: Design of the study

5.8 Tools

• Literature on Holistic Education.

• Bhagwad Gita text

• Treatises on Bhagwad Gita

(In context of this study, sources of data are considered as tools.)

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5.9 Sample

From the available literature on holistic education, the investigator has selected

books written by renowned authors like Ron Miller, Jack Miller, Forbes, Nakagawa,

Gallegos, and Clark. Books authored by Ron Miller like Caring for New Life, New

Directions in Education, Renewal of Meaning in Education, Educational Freedom for a

democratic Society and Self Organizing Revolution; Education for Awakening by

Nakagawa, The Holistic Curriculum by John Miller, Nurturing our Wholeness by John

Miller & Nakagawa; Designing and Implementing an Integrated Curriculum by Clark,

Holistic Education: A Pedagogy of Universal Love by Ramon Gallegos and Holistic

Education: An Analysis of its Intellectual Precedents by Forbes.

Treatises on the Bhagwad Gita have been selected keeping in mind authors from

different walks of life. The authors include philosophers like Vivekananda, Al Drucker;

educators like S. Radhakrishnan, Aurobindo, Venkatraman and spiritual leaders like

Turiyananda, Ranganathananda, Sathya Sai Baba. Bhagwad Gita for today by Al

Drucker, Thoughts on the Gita by Swami Vivekananda, Vivekachudamani of

Sri Shankarachaarya- Swami Turiyananda, Bhagwad Gita (Part I&II) – Discourses of

Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Essays on the Gita by Aurobindo, Universal Message of the Gita

(Vol. I, II, & III) by Swami Ranganathananda, Message of the Lord as a practical

philosophy by Dr. Venkataraman, Bhagwad Gita – Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, and Geeta

Vahini by Sri Sathya Sai Baba were treatises on the Bhagwad Gita analysed by the

investigator. The investigator also selected The Bhagwad Gita published by the Gita

Press, Gorakhpur.

5.10 Analysis

Grounded theory was used to generate the concept of holistic education. Later

with the framework of holistic education, Bhagwad Gita was analysed through content

analysis.

5.10.1 Analysis of Holistic Education

Grounded theory was used to generate the concept of holistic education. Books on

holistic education were read by the investigator and data was collected until there was

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enough data to describe the different points which the investigator came upon. Once, data

became repetitive, it showed that theoretical saturation had been reached, and hence, the

investigator went onto code the data gathered. Refer figure 5.2.

Figure 5.2: Design of Phase I of the study

5.10.1.1 Coding

During coding, the data gathered by the investigator was explored using open

coding to identify analysis to code for meanings. Later, axial coding was used to integrate

the codes of holistic education derived from open coding and central categories were

obtained. This was done along with constant comparison of various codes of holistic

education which had been derived.

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5.10.1.2 Constant comparison

The investigator constantly compared the data to analyze which datum could be

coded together until no variation occurred. In the first stage, data on holistic education

gathered was compared with the previously gathered data under different categories in

order to place them in appropriate categories.

In the second stage, the data on holistic education which had been categorized

were compared with the properties of the category under which they had been coded.

Here, each datum was further compared within the category so as to see whether it fits

into the category.

In the third stage, all the data which had uniform properties were clubbed under

the same categories. The above three stages were followed until theoretical saturation

was reached, i.e. till the data begin repeating while coding and categorizing.

The stage of writing was the fourth and final stage wherein the investigator wrote

down the coded data and memoed them under categories which were the generated

concepts of holistic education.

5.10.2 Analysis of Bhagwad Gita

The investigator translated ‘The Bhagwad Gita’ published by the Gita Press,

Gorakhpur. The translation was done for all shlokas for every chapter and validated

against the treatises on Bhagwad Gita written by different authors comprising of spiritual

leaders, philosophers, and, educators. Bhagwad Gita was analysed using the framework

of concept of holistic education using content analysis. Refer figure 5.3.

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Figure 5.3: Design of Phase II of the study

5.10.2.1 Steps of Content Analysis

Step 1: Define the research questions to be addressed by the content analysis.

This includes what one wants from the texts to be content analyzed. The research

questions will be informed by, indeed may be derived from, the theory to be tested. The

investigator analyzed Bhagwad Gita within the framework of the concepts of holistic

education.

Step 2: Define the population from which units of texts are to be sampled.

The population here refers not only to people but also, and mainly, to text – the

domains of the analysis. The investigator used the text of Bhagwad Gita for analysis. The

treatises on Bhagwad Gita were used to support arguments of analysis.

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Step 3: Define the sample to be included.

The key issues of sampling apply to the sampling of texts: representativeness,

access, size of the sample, and generalizability of the results. The treatises on the

Bhagwad Gita were selected by the investigator keeping in mind authors from different

walks of life. Authors included philosophers like Vivekananda, Al Drucker; educators

like S. Radhakrishnan, Aurobindo, Venkatraman and spiritual leaders like Turiyananda,

Ranganathananda, Sathya Sai Baba.

Step 4: Define the context of the generation of the document.

This will examine, for example: how the material was generated; who was

involved; who was present; where the document comes from; how the material was

recorded and/or edited; whether the person was willing to, able to, and did tell the truth;

whether the data are accurately reported; whether the data are corroborated; the

authenticity and credibility of the documents; the context of the generation of the

documents; the selection and evaluation of the evidence contained in the document.

Bhagwad Gita was written as a part of the epic Mahabharata and it contains the

wisdom imparted by Sri Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield when he was shirking from

his responsibilities in the name of non-violence.

Step 5: Define the unit of analysis.

The investigator used the sampling units which fell within the framework of the

concepts of holistic education. Recording units are units of description which are

subsumed by the sampling units. These units were used to delineate the concepts of

Bhagwad Gita being analyzed.

Step 6: Decide the codes to be used in the analysis.

The investigator coded the information in the text. This was done repeatedly until

all the data fell into discrete codes.

Step 7: Construct the categories for analysis.

The investigator formed categories which contained the codes. These categories

subsumed more specific categories thereby exhibiting a logical relationship among

them.

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Step 8: Data analysis - Conduct the coding and categorization of data

The investigator took care that coding and categorizing bore resemblance to the

data. Having performed the first coding, the investigator detected patterns, and themes

which helped in making generalizations.

The investigator analyzed Bhagwad Gita in the light of holistic education using

initially 4-5 shlokas. This was then extended to the entire chapter. There was constant

comparison between the codes and categories being formed while this analysis took place

so that the analysis is reliable. Later, gradually the other chapters of the text were

analyzed.

Step 9: Summarizing

By this stage, the investigator was in a position to write a summary of the main

features of the texts, situations researched so far. The investigator summarized the

findings of the analysis which in turn helped to identify the concepts which reflect

holistic education.

Step 10: Making speculative inferences

At this stage, the investigator will be able to draw inferences as to what concepts

of Bhagwad Gita are ‘holistic’ in nature. This led to concepts present in the Bhagwad

Gita which are holistic in nature, but, do not find a place as holistic concepts when

holistic education was being analyzed using grounded theory.

5.11 Findings and Discussion

This section has been divided into four parts. The first part delineates the concepts

of holistic education. The second part highlights the categories of Bhagwad Gita.

The third part delineates concepts which are holistic in nature and find a place in

Bhagwad Gita. The fourth part highlights concepts which are holistic and are found in the

Bhagwad Gita but are not explicitly expounded in the literature of holistic education.

5.11.1 Categories of Holistic Education

Following categories emerged as a result of analysis of literature on holistic

education. Dimensions of Reality, Ultimacy, Perennial Philosophy, Spirituality,

Knowledge of the self, Connection, Wholeness, Relation, Control, Freedom, Holism,

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Knowledge, Meaning, Intelligence, Learning, Education, Holistic Student, Holistic

Educator, Values, and Holistic education. Refer figure 5.4.

Holistic Education

Intelligence

Spirituality

A Pedagogical Revolution

Holism

Connection

Balance of Spiritual, Cultural, & Social Contexts

Dimensions

Control Meaning

Goals

Students

Values

Education

Principles

Freedom

An Epistemological Revolution

Knowledge

Curriculum

Transdisciplinarity

Learning

Rationale for Holistic Education

Curriculum & Contemplation

Sagacious Competence

Relation

Wholeness

Knowledge of self

Educators

Perennial Philosophy

Ultimacy

Figure 5.4: Categories of Holistic Education

5.11.2 Following categories and codes were drawn through content analysis of text

and treatises on Bhagwad Gita.

Sankhya yoga or Yoga of Discrimination, Virtue, Desires, Anger, Lust & greed,

Effect of grief, Discipline, Education, Teacher, Qualities of an individual, Qualities of a

devotee, Wisdom, Jnaana or knowledge coupled with wisdom, Yoga, , Yogi, Freedom,

Transcendence, Spirituality, Samaadhi, Reality, Human nature, Tapas or penance, Sense

Control, Mind, Equanimity, Self-effort, and Action. Refer Figure 5.5.

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Bhagwad Gita

Freedom

Spirituality

Wisdom- Intellect, Inner inquiry

Education

Equimindedness- Result of equimindedness

Action- Performing action , Duty, Actions performed by a yogi, Performing Action& Perfection

Desire, anger, lust, greed

Yogi

Reality- Self & Nature of self, Soul

Yoga of Discrimination

Yoga- Yoga & Knowledge

Tapas or Penance

Samaadhi- Salvation & Immortality

Virtue- Truth and Righteousness, Peace, Fortitude or titeekshaa, Fearlessness, Detachment, Unity

Desires, Anger, Lust & greed

Effect of grief

Discipline

Teacher

Qualities of a devoteeQualities of an individual

Mind

Sense control

Transcendence

Human Nature

Jnaana

Figure 5.5: Categories & Codes of the Bhagwad Gita

5.11.3 Concepts in Bhagwad Gita, which are holistic in nature and reflected in

holistic education

On analysis of Bhagwad Gita through the framework of concepts derived from

holistic education, the investigator found the following concepts to be common in both

holistic education as well as Bhagwad Gita. Spirituality & Perennial philosophy,

Universal Reality & Ultimacy, Meditation, Knowledge of one self, Interdependence,

Connectedness, Knowledge, Intelligence, Learning, Functional literacy & Way of

performing actions, Desirable qualities of an individual, Student, and Teacher. Refer

Figure 5.6.

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267

Holistic Education

& Bhagwad

Gita

Spirituality & Perennial philosophy

Universal Reality & Ultimacy

Knowledge of one self•Self Actualisation & Transcendence

Interdependence

Connectedness

Knowledge•How to Attain Knowledge?

Intelligence

Functional literacy & Way of performing actions•Self Effort & Duty

Learning•Observation as a method of learning•Condition(s) for Learning

Meditation

Desirable qualities of an individual

Student

Teacher•Qualities of a teacher•Guiding & motivating students•Way to teach

Figure 5.6: Concepts common to Holistic Education & Bhagwad Gita

5.11.4 Concepts in Bhagwad Gita, which are holistic in nature but are not explicitly

expounded in the literature of holistic education studied by the investigator

On analysis of Bhagwad Gita through the framework of concepts derived from

holistic education, the investigator found the following concepts of Bhagwad Gita which

are holistic but are not explicitly expounded in the literature of holistic education

reviewed by the investigator. Nature of Self, Tapas or Penance, Control of Senses,

Equimindedness, Peace, Yoga, Yogi, Desirable qualities of an individual, Controlling

Lust, Wrath, & Desires, Action, Kinds of persons, Knowledge, Kinds of intellect, Kinds

of determination, and Kinds of happiness. Refer figure 5.7.

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In Bhagwad

Gitanot Holistic Education

Kinds of determination

Controlling lust, wrath, desires

Kinds of persons

Equimindedness•Result of equimindedness

Knowledge•Kinds of knowledge•Who can acquire knowledge

Desirable qualities of an individual

Equimindedness•Result of equimindedness

Action•Three types of action•What causes action?•Way to perform action

Kinds of happiness

Peace•Peace- A result of self control

Yoga

Nature of self•Result of awareness of one’s self•Disciplining of self & inner strength•Transcendence of gunaas

Kinds of intellect

Yogi

Tapas or Penance

Sense Control•One pointedness

Figure 5.7: Concepts in Bhagwad Gita, which are holistic in nature but are explicitly

expounded in the literature of holistic education

According to holistic education, true knowledge involves a mutual relationship

between person and world — a relationship which calls upon us as individuals, and as a

culture, to approach our experience with humility, reverence, imagination, and feeling.

Holistic knowing is deep self-knowledge that engages the person morally and spiritually

with the life around oneself.

Though holistic education has emerged in the latter part of the 20th century, some

of its advocates claim that views central to it are not new, but, in fact, timeless and found

in the sense of wholeness in humanity’s religious impetus and spiritual quest which may

be termed as the ‘perennial philosophy’. These timeless and perennially re-seen insights

find their source in various scriptures. In this study, the investigator has found that

holistic education has its roots in one of the texts of perennial philosophy Bhagwad Gita.

The above findings clearly show that concepts of holistic education are reflected in

Bhagwad Gita.

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5.12 Implications

• Concepts which are holistic in nature in Bhagwad Gita and not explicitly

expounded in the literature of holistic education add on to the body of knowledge

of holistic education. In this light, the study has its bearing on the philosophy of

holistic education.

• The study has its bearing on the curriculum of holistic education. The investigator

has found concepts like detachment, righteousness, virtue, sense control,

equimindedness, wisdom and knowledge of self which appear in Bhagwad Gita

have a direct bearing on the student. Knowledge of nature of reality and inner self

helps one to relate with oneself and other animate and inanimate material around

thus in turn building a harmonious and peaceful relation within and without. In

this light, the curriculum of holistic education needs to incorporate these into its

framework.

• School education curriculum could be revisited in the light of the concept of

holistic education thus generated.

• The aims of education could be relooked keeping in mind concepts like saatvik

jnaana, saatvik dhrti, saatvik individual, self-actualisation, awareness,

transcendence, and ultimacy so as to help create a holistic system of education.

• The study also has implication for teacher education. The teacher education

curriculum needs to incorporate ways by which it prepares teachers in the country

to enable to provide for holistic classroom practices and develop in students the

said holistic values.

5.13 Delimitation of the Study

• The study is limited to one scripture of the perennial philosophy, Bhagwad Gita.

5.14 Suggestion for Further Research

Further research could be conducted on

• Analysis of holistic education in other scriptures of perennial philosophy

• Curriculum of holistic education

• Teaching practices in holistic education

• Aims of education in the perspective of holistic education

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5.15 Conclusion

As claimed by experts in holistic education that it has its roots in the perennial

philosophy, the investigator through the study has found strands of holistic education

present in one of the scriptures of perennial philosophy, Bhagwad Gita. In course of the

study, the investigator found that there were some concepts in Bhagwad Gita which were

holistic in nature but not expounded explicitly in the literature of holistic education

analysed.