Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c19.2

c19.2

**Ancient Indian Education Individual and not Collective.** We have seen that the vital principle of Ancient Indian Education was that of individual and intimate relationship between pupils and their teachers as members of the same family, living in a common home, the home of the teacher functioning as the school in those days. Such a principle did not favour the growth of large educational institutions which, ignoring the vital differences between individuals, teach them collectively by "classes", and aim at mass-production in education. But education is a delicate biological process, a process of mental and moral growth which cannot be achieved by mechanical processes, the external apparatus and machinery of an organization. As in education, so in a more marked degree in the sphere of religion and spiritual life, India did not believe in the external and mechanical methods of organization and did not develop any ecclesiastical institutions like the churches. The interests of religious life and spiritual growth were not handed over to any institutions and their regimented life of routine, but were left to be dealt with between the guru and his pupil in their personal relationship from which the whole world was excluded. A man's inner religious life was thus treated as his supremely individual concern in which the collective life of the community should have no part. Spiritual growth, as we have seen, depends on one fundamental factor described as *Chitta-vṛitti-nirodha* and, therefore, all avenues of influences from the external world which might disturb or distract the mind should be closed, so that spiritual life may grow freely in the atmosphere of inner peace and quiet.