There was a thunderclap: da da da. Immediately the teacher
explained that these were the essence of good life-dama, dana,
daya. They constitute the essentials of good life. You must
have dama or self-control, restraint, which is the mark of a
human being.
Answers
Explanation:
You are living in an age when there are great opportunities for women in social work, public life and administration. Society requires women of disciplined minds and restrained manners. Whatever line of work you undertake, you should bring to it an honest, disciplined mind. You will then succeed and have the joy of your work.
Actually in our country, education, so far as girls' education is concerned, is not widespread enough. So every institution which contributes to the education of girls is worthy of recognition and encouragement. But I am anxious that the kind of education that is imparted must not only be broad but should also be deep. We are lacking in depth. We may become learned and skilled, but if we do not have some kind of purpose in our life, our lives themselves become blind, blundering and bitter. The Gita says: vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha. For a truly cultured mind, there is a single-mindedness, a dedication to a single purpose. For the uncultured mind, the whole life is scattered in many direction- bahusakha hyanantascta. Therefore it is essential that the education which you acquire in these institutions should give you not merely learning and skill but endow you with a definite purpose in life. What that purpose is you have to define for yourselves. It is said that vidya gives you viveka, vimarsarupini vidya gives you a sense of what is right and helps you to avoid what is wrong. You must try, therefore, to find out what is required of you in this generation. A purpose which held good centuries ago may not hold good today in view of the rapidly changing conditions of our country and of the world. So the purpose which you adopt in your life must be adapted to the relevant needs of the present generation.
Every time we start, we use our hymns and end with saying santih, santih, santih. The teacher and the pupils are expected to avoid hating each other.
Compassion; daya, is the quality which is more characteristic of women than of men. I read recently a book which speaks about the decline of womanhood, and says that this is so because there is a decline in compassion. In other words, the natural quality of woman is compassion. If you do not have compassion, you are not human. It is therefore, essential for every human being to develop the quality of considerateness, kindness and compassion. Without these qualities we are only human animals, nara pasu, not more than that.