What they don’t teach you in school

Modern Times
By Abhay Mangaldas

What they don’t teach you in school
Vish, what is your ambition in life?
Why, I don’t think it’s any different from most people…I want to be rich and famous!
And what do you think will happen if you do?
…I will live happily every after!
Really! Do you think Amitabh Bachchan is happier than you because he is a mega-star, so revered that his fans enshrine him? Do you think Sachin Tendulkar is happier than you because he is the idol of every cricket crazy kid on this planet and earns millions in endorsements?
I don’t know pal…I’ll ask the next time I bump into them! But hey, you are not about to start off on your Karma Yoga shpeel about going through life seeking wealth and fame only to realise later that it all means nothing, are you?! Because if you are, I have already heard it many times before and I still want to be rich and famous!
If both you and I have the intelligence to acknowledge the wisdom of this theory, than why do we continue to run like rats on a Ferris wheel? Are we stupid or what?!
Doesn’t it also say that unless you actually run the race, you cannot discover the futility of it? How can I be convinced till I experience it for myself? If you call that stupid, than all Karma Yogis are stupid.
But how will we ever evolve if we keep going through this cycle, generation after generation...? Don’t you think our schools can be more proactive in pushing the next generation to also have a non-material aim, right from childhood? Why do they put so much emphasis on preparing kids to face the ‘challenges of the world outside’ and not the challenges of the world within? Perhaps, if they instill this conviction in kids right from childhood, they will fare better than we have!
What about math and science… or the arts… are you trying to say that these are not important? Aren’t we better off as a result of learning these subjects?
Where has it taken mankind after all these years? Why do we feel we are in the Kalyug? Does science that teaches us about the world around and the intricacies of our bodies tell us anything about how to achieve peace of mind? Is the earth becoming a friendlier planet with advance in technology or economic empowerment?
So what’s your point?
Why, for instance, are pranayam and meditation not part of the mainstream curriculum? Don’t you think that while we have gone way ahead in understanding our body, we still lag far behind in understanding our mind? This may sound abstract but imagine if kids were taught how to slow down instead of hurrying up! If a class was devoted to teaching kids how to enjoy doing nothing without getting bored! Don’t you think they would gain tremendously?
But Bhrahm, this is very difficult even for adults…especially when we are so caught up in the rat race!
That’s exactly why, Vish! Now that I realise that awareness of the breath, what they call prana, and the ability to be still are the two skills I most need to evolve, I wish I were taught them in school! Maybe then, I would have been more dispassionate about the rat race right from start!
So, Bhrahm, what is your ambition in life?
To enjoy every minute of the process… because then I don’t have to wait to be rich and famous.