By DR BHUSHAN KUMAR UPADHYAYA:
Life is just not the length
and breadth of years. It is
a journey done with
meaning and purpose. Human
efforts are just not required for
only bread and butter, but for
higher faculty enhancement
like love, truth, empathy, inclusiveness, non violence,
humanism, freedom etc.
Stuffing the mind with varied
information and ideologies
whether secular or religious is
not the real education.
Training the hands for food
and protection, nurturing the
heart for love and empathy
and grooving the brain for
intellect and wisdom is the real
education.
According to neuroscience
reptilian brain is the most
primitive brain. It is associated
with survival instincts. Food,
sleep, self preservation and
procreation are the basics of
the reptilian brain. It is our
brain stem. The mammal brain
followed the reptilian brain.
This brain is the emotional
seat. It is the limbic part of the
brain. The latest brain is the
human brain. It is the rational
and thinking part of the brain.
It is known as the cerebral cortex. Human life is the interplay
of these three types of brains
taken together, survival, emotional and rational.
Indian seers have gone much
ahead and visualised an intuitive brain which is the product
of the highest level of focus
and concentration. This type of
brain starts knowing the deeper and mysterious dimensions
of life. Saints, prophets,
philosophers and scientists are
gifted with the intuitive brain.
Indian philosophy has visualised the fourth dimension of
the human consciousness
which is called Turiya Avastha
or Unmani Avastha, the nonmind state of the consciousness. This is a mysterious concept. The other three states of
the consciousness are Jagrata
or awake, swapna or dream and
sushupt or sleep. The fourth
dimension of the consciousness is the state of pure consciousness without any taint
or thoughts.
Yoga aims at elevating our
consciousness from lower to
higher levels of existence.
According to the Yogic
Philosophy, the purpose of
human life is to realise consciousness in its pure form.
This is the highest seat of bliss
and ecstasy.
When our consciousness is established in this
state, all worldly boundaries
collapse and a unified sense of
limitless and infinite vision
unfolds. This state of consciousness is found in the lives
of spiritual and highly evolved
persons of the world across the
ages.
The Indian tradition of the
education system was based
upon this comprehensive concept of evolved consciousness.
Teachings of the sage Vashista
to Lord Ram in the celebrated
text Yoga Vasistha are the epitome of treasure. In the
Ashtavakra Geeta the sage
Ashtavakra has revealed these
secrets to King Janaka.The
counselling of Lord Krishna to
Arjuna in the Geeta has covered all the aspects of the journey of human consciousness.
Upanishads, Yoga Sutras,
Tantra, etc, are all directed
towards the realisation of this
ultimate dimension of human
existence.
The Buddhist literature is the
superfine example of the revelation of the secrets of the trajectory of human consciousness. The Jain texts are full of
materials on the subject. The
entire saint literature from the
north to the south and from
the west to the east exemplifies
the essence of the journey of
human consciousness. Thus
the Indian tradition has been
in the search of the fourth type
of the brain , other than reptilian, mammal and human.
(The writer is Former DG
Police & CG, Homeguards,
Maharashtra) ■