A journey from I to We - Can any University aim to teach this?

Nothing in this Universe is independent. Everything is interdependent. Ancient Gurukulams know this the right way. Indian Education system, The Gurukul system, was disrupted by British Colonial style of education. Is it really something to ponder over? I strongly believe yes.

Because, from a residential style, learning amidst nature , observing the miracles of nature, analysing the space, learning from the different mindset of people from villages around, Indian education system moved towards, a cemented standalone building, four-walled classroom, designated books, uniformly conducted exams and benchmarked results.

What is the teacher's role in ancient gurukul system?

• Teacher enables the students understand the importance of interdependence.
• Build patience through learning
• Understand each one is different from each other
• Making each one confident in their own self.
• Owning up their mistakes and responsibilities
• Constructive learning and hands-on in creating their own products for their needs

Are these important in present day education system still? Well, it might not matter whichever culture's education system, we follow, but the ultimate goal is "By the end of the teenage, is the kid ready to face and think that everything is interdependent and the kid is just a part of this universe?" This valuable lesson is not obtained from books or through marks or through competitive spirit. But from the exposure to failures, estimating emotions, constructive thought process, and finally understanding the logical patterned universe running around flawlessly as if someone is instructing.

If this is not taught in schools and universities, where the spirit to learn and grasping power is so high, when else can there be an opportunity to know the wholistic truth?

Alas! today's learning in schools and universities is revolving around not books, not buildings, but around enjoyment and entertainment. What type of enjoyment? Drugs, Cigars, Drinks. What type of entertainment? Body shaming humour and sexual desire.

The youth who neither learn the interdependence strategy, nor learn being responsible individual, expect, at the age of 20, to be settled in life with huge chunks of money, no peer pressure, 'mystyle' workstyles.

Not just students, parents, teachers, entrepreneurs, employees, everybody, wake up and gear up to be emotionally strong and be interdependent in the fast approaching AI world. Because, its only human's understanding of interdependency attitude keeps them sustainable as machines with AI have only the "I approach". I am fed this, I am doing this, I am instructed. Rather humans can think through the interdependency approach and think in the lines - "I do this for us". "I do this for the betterment of the universe". "I do this for the sustainable economy" "I do this for the culture upliftment" That is the journey from I to We.

Can the newly inaugurated Nalanda University aim to bring civilizational, cultural, ethical, sustainable innovations across India and East Asia Summit Countries? May the university aim to build the real growth in the students holistically with no biases and with no hinderances.

And may they become the products of understanding the reality of the world like Krishna mentions in the Bhagavad Gita

पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया। यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम्।।8.22।।

puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyastvananyayā. yasyāntaḥsthāni bhūtāni yēna sarvamidaṅ tatam৷৷8.22৷৷

Meaning - Partha,to reach that ultimate place, absolute devoted concentration is necessary. That power or force which is present there is also present within every body and element.

The question is whether this type of education bring in economical growth to the world? The answer is , please read our glorious Indian economical history. Read about the confident lives people lived, no matter what work they do. Read about the phenomenal wars that happened along with the economical trade that flourished. In short, India , with such value-based education system, contributed 25% to 35% of the world's GDP, before British invaded India. Now, with values, books, uniformity, nature everything culminated in our education system, can we not aim for more from India?

---Keerthi Peratla