REVISITING SRI AUROBINDO’S EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY THROUGH THE LENS OF INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS (IKS)

Abstract

Sri Aurobindo Ghosh's educational philosophy offers a comprehensive and integrated approach targeted at the full development of the human psyche. He vehemently disagreed with the mechanical and materialistic educational system that prioritizes only livelihood and intellectual growth. He believed that education should promote the harmonious development of the body, mind, heart, and soul rather than only imparting academic knowledge. According to him, each person has a hidden divine component, and the real purpose of education is to realize this inherent potential. According to Aurobindo, learning is a dynamic process of self-realization that moves from intellectual to spiritual growth. The training of the senses and the development of mental abilities like memory, reasoning, creativity, and discrimination come after the foundation of education, he stressed, which is physical development and purity. For healthy development, moral and emotional growth as well as the formation of conscience is equally important. Aurobindo believed that achieving divine consciousness and spiritual growth were the ultimate goals of education. For inner development, he emphasized the significance of yoga, meditation, focus, self-control, and brahmacharya. His ideology promotes child-centered education, acknowledging each learner's uniqueness, interests, and skills. He advocated for adaptable and innovative curriculum and placed a strong emphasis on strategies like self-experience, learning by doing, and mother tongue instruction. According to Aurobindo's theory, the instructor serves as a mentor and facilitator, assisting the student in discovering their own knowledge. In order to create a whole human being and a peaceful community founded on truth and spiritual values, his philosophy converts education from materialism to spiritualism.