Learning has been an important aspect or the most important aspect of our lives. If we go back in time from the day we are born, the first thing we learn is to suckle the breast of our mothers, from which the chain of learning begins. This chain leads to develop a connection between the baby and the mother which is love. A love that is already there in the souls of the mother and the baby, just expresses itself through two physical forms. But, the love is, one. Slowly, the baby starts to learn that the woman who feeds her is its mother, and increases its attachment, but still it's pure in nature. Babies and children cannot discriminate like adults as their hearts are pure. They just simply reflect the purity of the spirit which is formless, ever new, which never grows old or fades away and this purity is always full of energy, young and lively. That is the reason why we see babies and children so active and restless all the time, wanting to play and be naughty and, aggressive at times. So the first learning starts from the mother, then the mother teaches the baby to speak the first word which is Mama or Ma, a universal word for mother. Most languages in the world call their mother as Ma. And then it learns to call its father as Pa or Papa. The learning has begun already over here, and the soul has already entered the institution of life. As the child grows, it starts observing many new things, and questions about them. If it sees a fruit, it points its finger to it without the ability to speak and says it wants it. Or for that matter, it wants everything it sees, because still the child is in a very early part of the adolescent mind which has not been corrupted by selfishness, greed or jealousy. It's still in the early stage where it identifies itself with the selfless spirit that is infinite, whose nature is, "it is from me the creation has sprung forth, and everything is nothing but a part of me". It is this nature in the child, makes it ask for everything it sees. Most adults carry the ego they are greater and more sensible and learned than children are, and they snub them and ignore their children's positive aspects from which we still have a lot to learn. We still can see how the child loves everybody and doesn't discriminate between relations, it doesn't know who is a blood relation, who is not, who is a friend and who is an enemy. If we look into those innocent eyes, we can see God seeing through them and looking at the world with non-discriminate eyes of equanimity. Children love to be free, run around, play with nature, climb trees, pluck flowers, catch dragon flies, roll on the mud, play with water, play with the sand and snow. They love to play with everything thats associated with nature. Their minds are so engrossed into whatever they do. Their concentration is totally undisturbed. Children don't seem to have any tension in life at all. They are totally stress-free. No worries in their minds, no worries of the future, no worries for tomorrow thats to come which they don't know what would hold. They are just living in the moment enjoying it completely. Now, what forces them away from the moment If we notice, they refuse to go to school, which is not to their liking at all. But some parents try to console them in a nice manner, and some try to even scold them and push them forcefully. The second stage starts where a child has to go and attend a system of learning in a particular institution, and follow certain rules formed by minds with limited knowledge. What a pity! A child who until yesterday, was playing with nature, completely forgetting itself, and living in the moment, experiencing the joy of the spirit which gives it complete satisfaction is being forced to enter an institution where there will be no more climbing of trees, watching the birds, lady bugs, flying kites, catching lizards and frogs. There will be no nature. Now, slowly the mind is drifting away from the bond it had created with nature. The understanding of nature is lost as the mind gets busy within the four walls of an institution, and books and also hours of lecturing of teachers. A competitiveness which didn't exist before starts to set in, as teachers start evaluating children. This competitiveness breeds jealousy, dominance over others and always reminds a child to remain on the edge. The chain of learning which started from love, selflessness, the art of equanimity which comes natural to a child is now leading slowly into competitiveness, jealousy, dominance and pride. Now these qualities are beginning in the immature form till they are through with the academic institution. A child who had no pressure, worries, stress of learning is suddenly put through an institution which suddenly makes everything look so serious. The education council puts pressure on the head of the institution for its performance, the head puts pressure on the teacher, and the teacher in turn puts pressure on the children. Man has cut himself away from nature, and in turn continues to draw nature's children away from it. Instead, if we create learning amidst nature which doesn't look so serious, so stressful maybe, the children would enjoy it more. I would say not maybe, but they will enjoy it. But let us look into how the pure and innocent nature of a child is transformed into greed and other things. At every step, there is a negative input fed into the child's mind. If the child doesn't go to school, the parents react with negativity due to the pressures of society. And after it goes to school, the teacher discriminates students, which creates another impression in the child's mind. As usual, all children are rebels in their early ages, and only some continue to grow as rebels into adults. Just like many children are born with latent tendencies of a good singer, or chess player or with a fascination for cars etc, but their talents are not nurtured and they just get lost in the crowd and only some of them grow to become great personalities some day, so is the case with rebels. In my personal observation, even as a child I have always noticed that I haven't agreed with the system of learning, like other children in the class. I am not saying I am special. But, it did affect my confidence a lot because I never liked the teachers but the rest had no problems at all. If we look into this aspect of one out of hundred rebelling out, and the rest agreeing with the system; doesn't make the system right. A group of individuals create a system, and the rest get brainwashed by the system. Today, the world which is nothing but a brainwashed system is a result of this institution of four walls. The child born with natural tendencies of love and innocence, selfless giving, if it was continued to get educated with the same qualities and enhance them further on without being forced to sit in the four walls of a building where the mind is caught between books and pens and also the time factor, the world would have been a different stage with a different play being enacted upon. A play of humanity, love, selfless giving, instead of war, be it economic war or religious war or racism and everything else that is associated with war. One thing which puzzles me is the earning money factor. It is agreed that we all have to earn money to make a living, but in the process we have forgotten that money is not what we breathe, eat and digest. To earn money, we have to go through an institution, get a degree and get a job. But to go through that institution, you need money to pay which forces man again to stress himself to make his ends meet so he can pay for his children, when there are a hundred million people starving out there on the streets. Man creates an institution for a set of people who are capable of entering it and making a living for themselves when there are a set of people who can't be a part of it, and are waiting for the sympathy of the rich and influential. It is the same child with attributes of God, innocent love, selfless giving and unconditional love for others, which is forced to grow into a greedy, competitive and selfish and violent human being. And this is created by none other than the institution itself. Rather, if we could see a system of learning, where we grow up in nature, play with nature, live in nature, and understand in nature, and make things look not so serious, it would create such a lot of difference. Do we really need to make children know that exams are very serious Do we really need to grade them and give them a Pass or a Fail The words pass and fail creates such a big difference to the psyche. When a child sees the word pass in its progress report, it creates an excitement, but the next minute when it sees another student score a better grade, it feels let down, there is a sinking feeling in the heart. Similarly, when the child sees fail in its report card, it totally feels shattered, looks at the whole class like a world revolving at a speed which it can't understand and catch up with. Instead of creating institutions by destroying trees, and plants and nature all around and stuffing children inside classrooms, wouldn't it be nice to take them for a stroll into nature, and make the learning more relaxed Can't we just teach math and science as a part of nature Children love to be with nature, and if the teacher, also becomes a child, and enjoys with the nature, and speaks through nature's tone, I am sure children will pay more attention than ever. Why not just do away with huge buildings and bring back nature again and make it an essential part of our lives Why not do away with competition and just let each individual grow at his/her own pace and give them the choice of learning. What a ridiculous system it is to create one universal system of learning for every child All over the globe, children go to a school to learn four basic subjects and forty minutes of play which is only twice a week sympathy flowers. Five days in a week, of continuous learning, and sitting with books for six hours a day, just in one place. I just can't imagine how every child studies the same subjects and grows in the uniform system. We, as adults are limiting their choice and freedom. If there could be a world where children could sit on the grass in between trees and bushes, watching the birds, listening to their chirping, smelling the flowers, listening to the rustling wind brushing the leaves and in between all this, there is a teacher who is compassionate and understanding enough to understand what children need, nothing could be more perfect. If I was God and, if I was given a chance to bring a change, I would do away with these institutions and bring nature back again. I would not restrict children from what they want to learn, and set them free to choose what they want to learn. They should be allowed to choose what they love, and let their minds flow in a positive direction, and let them grow naturally. Let them learn basic math, physics, science or whatever, but let them not feel there is any pressure for performance and grades. If you cannot score so what, just learn and move on. What's more important than preparing ourselves as better human beings, the qualities which we all are born with already as children The pure qualities which babies, and children display, these are the qualities which need growth. And these are the qualities which improve intelligence further. Living with nature, abiding nature's laws, and growing and becoming one with nature is the greatest learning humankind could get. This kind of world is certainly a vision in my eyes, which may come true someday. A world, which will have no barriers and no restrictions, where people will have total freedom to learn what they want and teachers who will only teach with compassion. I was watching an interview of the renowned U. G. Krishnamurti. He said, "It is every human being's right to have what is available on the planet. But man is grabbing everything for himself and then he wants to talk about charity, which is nothing but a joke. Who are you to give It is everybody's right to have. " The same question applies here, who are we to restrict children and also in this process it leads to restrict other people in the society and then slowly moving on to restricting other religious faiths, spiritual cults, and finally nations restricting other nations and showing their supremacy. Everything starts from the birth and conditioning of the child. If we have to change the world, we have to change the way we condition our children, and before we condition our children we have to change the way we have been conditioned up to now and go back to the time of our innocence and bring those qualities of purity and selfless attitude which is still dormant in our sub-conscious minds. Only when we learn to connect to the purity of our spirit which is ever conscious, ever existent and ever new bliss, will we be able to connect with the purity of nature, understand the trees and birds and animals and mountains and rivers. Then we won't have to cut trees to build roads, and a new Empire State building or many more like them, which man thinks is a wonderful piece of architecture and development. We won't have to kill animals for their skin to make leather, and eat their flesh. We won't have to kill birds, and we won't have to destroy the whole of nature in the name of urbanization. All of nature can very much exist along with us, because we have enough already. We have enough sources of learning within us; we have enough sources for giving. . . within us, which is, love and compassion. The nature is so selfless in giving us what we need; its high time we gave back something to nature. If we go back to our time of birth, and understand the selfless qualities of our spirit, then we will also be able to understand the collective consciousness. That would be the day we would all do away with institutions and realize there is no institution bigger and wiser than life. . My brothers and sisters, As we shall walk together towards a common goal, We continue to converse in belief of good; That which shall lead us to the knowledge of Self. As we all worship together, Shall we be united in thought, word and deed. As we come together in a community of hearts, The hearts that shall lead us on the path, Laid down by the prophets of the past. If this would be the true education we seek, Which transcend Hebrew, Latin and Greek, Indeed the Language of the heart, True shall it be to deliver us from hell, As we revel in the Light of the Self. Peace, Peace, Peace! Inspired from the Rig Veda!