{"id":4230,"date":"2013-07-13T01:54:20","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:54:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4230"},"modified":"2013-12-03T15:05:51","modified_gmt":"2013-12-03T23:05:51","slug":"68-18-feb-1973-vol-12-on-education-volume-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/12-on-education-volume-12\/68-18-feb-1973-vol-12-on-education-volume-12","title":{"rendered":"-68_18-Feb-1973.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n


\n18 February 1973<\/font><\/span><\/i><\/b> <\/font><\/span><\/i><\/b> <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

A: Tonight, I am going to read you a
\nletter from X. She gave us a letter about her class. You know that this year
\nshe has started working with the young children.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Oh! <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

A: So this is what she writes: \u201cWe would
\nlike to make it possible for each child to develop integrally and above all we
\nwant his desire to learn to remain spontaneous.\u201d (The letter goes on to
\ndescribe the games suggested to the children, the material prepared for them
\nand various group activities, and continues:) \u201cBut because all the tendencies
\nof the children come into play when they are given enough free scope, several
\ndifficulties arise, especially in controlling the noise and movements they
\nmake. A few days ago, they began to make swords and pistols out of meccano.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Oh! <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

A (<\/span><\/i>continuing to read the letter):
\n\u201cWe have tried giving them a play to act in the hope that it will calm down
\nafter a while. But what should we do with this desire for violence, this
\npreference for war \u2013 or even detective-stories?\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Do you have something to write with? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>A: Yes. <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Violence is necessary so long as men are dominated by their ego<\/span> <\/span>and its desires….Is that all right? <\/span><\/font> <\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 436<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n  A:
\nYes, Mother. <\/span><\/font> <\/i><\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nBut violence should be used only as a means of self-defence if one
\nis attacked. The ideal towards which humanity is moving and which we want to
\nrealise, is a state of luminous understanding in which the needs of each one
\nand of the overall harmony are taken into account. <\/span><\/font> <\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/font><\/p>\n


\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/font> <\/span>A:
\nYes, Mother. <\/font> <\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nThe future will have no need of violence, for it will be ruled by
\nthe divine Consciousness in which everything harmonises with and completes
\neverything else. <\/span><\/font> <\/p>\n

\n\u00a0<\/font><\/span>Is that enough?
\n<\/font><\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/font> <\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>A:
\nYes. I shall read out what you have just said, Mother.\u00a0 <\/span>(<\/i>A reads out. the note)<\/font><\/span> <\/span><\/font> <\/i><\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nIs that all right? <\/span><\/font> <\/p>\n


\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/font> <\/span>
\nA: Yes, Mother.
\nQuite all right.<\/font><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n


\n\u00a0<\/font><\/span>So, in a general way, when these things come
\nup, when the children are engaged in this kind of activity, X was asking:
\n\u201cShould we intervene, or wait until the movement dies down and disappears?\u201d
\n<\/font><\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nYou should…you should question the children and ask them in an
\noff-hand way, \u201cOh, you have enemies? Who are these enemies?\u201d…That is what you
\nshould say….You should make them talk a little….It is because they see
\nthat…There is strength and a beauty in the army which children feel strongly.
\nBut that should be preserved. Only, armies should be used not to attack and
\ncapture but to defend and…<\/span><\/font> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 437<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span>A: Protect. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

…and protect. That’s it. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>First she must understand
\nproperly: for the moment, we are in a condition where weapons are still
\nnecessary. We have to understand that this is a passing condition, not final,
\nbut that we must move towards that. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Peace \u2013 peace, harmony \u2013
\nshould be the natural result of a change of consciousness. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

A: And so, she has a second question,
\nMother. She says <\/span><\/i>\u2013 I remind you that she has children aged
\neight to ten <\/i>\u2013 she says: \u201cAs this is
\nthe age when the mental approach is beginning to appear in several children,
\nhow can we make use of this mental movement and enrich it without hampering the
\ninner spontaneity?\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

That depends so much on the case, and the child! <\/span><\/p>\n

You see, there is this idea of non-violence about <\/span>India<\/span>, which has replaced material violence by moral violence \u2013 but
\nthat is far worse! <\/span><\/p>\n

You should make them understand this….You can say this, explain
\nto the children that to replace physical violence, material violence, by moral
\nviolence, is no better. <\/span><\/p>\n

Lying down in front of a train to prevent it from passing is a
\nmoral violence which can create more disturbances than physical violence.
\nYou…can you hear me? <\/span><\/p>\n

But it depends on the child, it depends on the case. You must not
\ngive any names, say what this or that person has said. We must make them
\nunderstand ideas and reactions. <\/span><\/p>\n

You should…That is a good example: you should make them
\nunderstand that lying down in front of a train to prevent it from passing is as
\ngreat a violence…even greater than attacking it with weapons. You understand,
\nthere are many, many<\/span> <\/span>things that could be said. It depends on the case. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 438<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

I myself encouraged fencing a great deal because it gives a skill,
\na control of one’s movements and a discipline in violence. At one time I
\nencouraged fencing a great deal, and then too, I learned to shoot. I used to
\nshoot with a pistol, I used to shoot with a rifle because that gives you a
\nsteadiness and skill and a sure-sightedness that is excellent, and it obliges
\nyou to stay calm in the midst of danger. I don’t see why all these things…One
\nmust not be hopelessly non-violent \u2013\u00a0
\n<\/span>that makes characters that are…soft! <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>If she sees children…What
\nwas it? They were making swords? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>A: Yes, Mother, they made swords out of
\nmeccano. <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

She should have taken the opportunity to tell them, \u201cOh, you
\nshould learn fencing!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

And a pistol too? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>A:
\nYes, Mother. <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And tell them…teach them to shoot…make it into an art, into an
\nart and into a training of calm and self-controlled skill. One should
\nnever…never raise a hue and cry….That will not do at all, at all, at all. I
\nam not at all in favour of that. The methods of self-defence should be
\nmastered, and for that they must be practised. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

At
\nthis point A mentioned archery as it is practised in <\/span>Flanders<\/span>
\nin the North of France, but for lack of a precise explanation, Mother thought
\nthat he was referring to toy bows and arrows. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

They will start killing birds….<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 439<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\n <\/font><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>A: But we do not
\nhave the facilities here, Mother, for archery, and that is the difficulty. <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

They would start damaging things. I am not very…Of course if
\nthere is…But when they have thoroughly grasped that it should be a means of
\nself-defence, not anything else….<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>No, we would have
\naccidents. I don’t think that it is prudent. You can teach them fencing and
\nshooting if they show that they are interested, that is, like that, like what I
\nam writing to X….If she sees a child doing that, she must not…(Mother raises her arms as if in horror)<\/i>.
\nShe should tell him, she must know how to explain to him, \u201cIt gives you control
\nover your muscles, it obliges you to be strong and calm and self-controlled.\u201d
\nOn the contrary, it is an opportunity to give them a very good lesson. But you
\nmust be able to understand yourself, and above all, above all, make them
\nunderstand…make them understand that moral violence is just as bad as
\nphysical violence. It can even be worse; that is, at least physical violence
\nobliges you to become strong, self-controlled, whereas moral violence…You can
\nbe like this (Mother demonstrates an
\napparent calm<\/i>) and yet have a terrible moral violence.  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 440<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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