I have been reading works of Confucius since a few years and frankly speaking,I find myself connected to his ideas. Whenever I read the 'Doctrine of the mean' or the 'Analects',I don't find these ideas to be coming from the mind of someone sitting in China 2500 years ago,but instead it feels like a good teacher who is very close and is trying to help me understand myself. The ways in which he portrays the problems and then the solutions we can find to our day to day problems,by cultivating our character often amazes me.
Today,I was going through 'The analects' and this line suddenly caught my attention. I immediately went into the contemplating mode! Here it is:
“In ancient times,men learned with a view to their own improvement. Nowadays,men learn with a view to the approbation of others.”
-Confucius Analects book XIV
Now,as I think I am grown enough to think on these issues,it is something very close to my heart. I have graduated an year go,and still am in the process of building a career for myself. Setting apart my career for a moment,what is the basic motivation what got me into learning?Of course,like every other child I was forced into the education system(nobody asked my for my opinions then!).Back in the school days learning was more or less a routine whether we liked it or not. We had to study in order to obtain good marks and become the 'good boys' our parents expected us to be. Nobody cared about the motives back then.
But those days are gone and so is the 'routine' learning. Nobody forces us now,we all are on our own. There is no scolding for poor marks and yes we can choose whether to study further or not. So,then having the motives for study during the childhood days settled out, we can very much think over the motives of study during later years. Immediately after school we join a college,for the graduate degree. We have a freedom of choice and we exercise it too by finding a suitable degree course for ourselves. But what is it that pushes us towards the graduate course?
Is it not that we look for a good job,having obtained a suitable degree?
If someone were to tell us there was no 'scope' in that degree would we still pursue it?
The answer to the first question is a definite yes. Only a lunatic could say no,but is the scope of our study limited to a good job?Once we find a good job should we stop studying further?If yes,it means the sole purpose of the study was to find a job. Now coming to the second question,I think most of the people will reply in the negative. Who'd like to pursue a course which promises no job?After all, a job is all we seek isn't it?
So if Confucius says,in ancient times men learned with a view to their own improvement what meaning does it convey?In today's times with money taking a supreme position and financial security being the most sought after thing how much room does it leave for self cultivation?Men with values will surely be rejected in favor of men with strong business sense who can earn huge profits. The balance slides in the favor of profit if pitted against morality. In today's world profit seems to be the only moral,so how valid is this idea of self improvement?
This is the most interesting part. And now we have to introduce morality in here. People who are morally bankrupt,people with no spine and people with little or no shame for their actions run the world today. Every other day we find people at the very top levels being prosecuted for crimes like bribery,sexual exploitations and misuse of power. Why so?Because they are moral bankrupts. Having amassed huge amounts of money,they think they have gained everything they need to control things around them and yet when the realization occurs they are not able to face themselves in the mirror!This is all because they are moral bankrupts.
Right then we understand the need for self cultivation. People are so worried about the state of the society,how this is wrong....how this should not be like this......etc but how many times we find them spending some time on self cultivation?Each one of us is so assured of our perfection that we can find faults within the whole universe but not within ourselves. But there are moments when we do and then the regret is so bad that we can find horrible cases of suicides or even drug abuse..
And it is a valid case for all of us. Whether we are educated or not,whether we are rich or poor,whether we are celebrities or common folks all of us need to improve our characters. Self cultivation is a simple easy way to eliminate some very common problems of the society.
So,if there is a need for self cultivation,why not make it a part of our daily lives?
If we study why not contemplate the motive behind studying?
If it is a job,fine but it should not be limited to it,otherwise moral bankruptcy awaits us. Morals have to be given the top priority over any other issue otherwise the person can very well be spineless. Having a contemplative mind always helps. This way we can learn valuable things at often unexpected places. Moreover,contemplation helps us in understanding our inner selves,which is helpful in the short run and necessary in the long run. After all,after several losses and gains,a lots of highs and lows and traveling through this roller coaster called life,we are only and only answerable to our inner selves.....
Today,I was going through 'The analects' and this line suddenly caught my attention. I immediately went into the contemplating mode! Here it is:
“In ancient times,men learned with a view to their own improvement. Nowadays,men learn with a view to the approbation of others.”
-Confucius Analects book XIV
Now,as I think I am grown enough to think on these issues,it is something very close to my heart. I have graduated an year go,and still am in the process of building a career for myself. Setting apart my career for a moment,what is the basic motivation what got me into learning?Of course,like every other child I was forced into the education system(nobody asked my for my opinions then!).Back in the school days learning was more or less a routine whether we liked it or not. We had to study in order to obtain good marks and become the 'good boys' our parents expected us to be. Nobody cared about the motives back then.
But those days are gone and so is the 'routine' learning. Nobody forces us now,we all are on our own. There is no scolding for poor marks and yes we can choose whether to study further or not. So,then having the motives for study during the childhood days settled out, we can very much think over the motives of study during later years. Immediately after school we join a college,for the graduate degree. We have a freedom of choice and we exercise it too by finding a suitable degree course for ourselves. But what is it that pushes us towards the graduate course?
Is it not that we look for a good job,having obtained a suitable degree?
If someone were to tell us there was no 'scope' in that degree would we still pursue it?
The answer to the first question is a definite yes. Only a lunatic could say no,but is the scope of our study limited to a good job?Once we find a good job should we stop studying further?If yes,it means the sole purpose of the study was to find a job. Now coming to the second question,I think most of the people will reply in the negative. Who'd like to pursue a course which promises no job?After all, a job is all we seek isn't it?
So if Confucius says,in ancient times men learned with a view to their own improvement what meaning does it convey?In today's times with money taking a supreme position and financial security being the most sought after thing how much room does it leave for self cultivation?Men with values will surely be rejected in favor of men with strong business sense who can earn huge profits. The balance slides in the favor of profit if pitted against morality. In today's world profit seems to be the only moral,so how valid is this idea of self improvement?
This is the most interesting part. And now we have to introduce morality in here. People who are morally bankrupt,people with no spine and people with little or no shame for their actions run the world today. Every other day we find people at the very top levels being prosecuted for crimes like bribery,sexual exploitations and misuse of power. Why so?Because they are moral bankrupts. Having amassed huge amounts of money,they think they have gained everything they need to control things around them and yet when the realization occurs they are not able to face themselves in the mirror!This is all because they are moral bankrupts.
Right then we understand the need for self cultivation. People are so worried about the state of the society,how this is wrong....how this should not be like this......etc but how many times we find them spending some time on self cultivation?Each one of us is so assured of our perfection that we can find faults within the whole universe but not within ourselves. But there are moments when we do and then the regret is so bad that we can find horrible cases of suicides or even drug abuse..
And it is a valid case for all of us. Whether we are educated or not,whether we are rich or poor,whether we are celebrities or common folks all of us need to improve our characters. Self cultivation is a simple easy way to eliminate some very common problems of the society.
So,if there is a need for self cultivation,why not make it a part of our daily lives?
If we study why not contemplate the motive behind studying?
If it is a job,fine but it should not be limited to it,otherwise moral bankruptcy awaits us. Morals have to be given the top priority over any other issue otherwise the person can very well be spineless. Having a contemplative mind always helps. This way we can learn valuable things at often unexpected places. Moreover,contemplation helps us in understanding our inner selves,which is helpful in the short run and necessary in the long run. After all,after several losses and gains,a lots of highs and lows and traveling through this roller coaster called life,we are only and only answerable to our inner selves.....
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