| Why
should the poor sleeping lad feel it is his foe through seven births
that wakes him up? First whisper, then speak a little louder, but
never be rough or rude. If he does not wake up, try again after ten
minutes. If he does not get up in time today, be sure he will do so
tomorrow. Sing to him songs of sunrise, songs of praise. You may
think that waking up a sleeper is an ordinary job, but we can fill
even that with poetry, with feeling and beauty. We should wake him
up as if he were God asleep. Yes, we should be gentle in rousing the
image of God. Waking up a sleeper is also an art.
28. Inform all your actions with this
idea. Indeed, this idea is essential to teaching. What are children
but images of God? The teacher should be filled with the bhavana
that he is rendering service to these gods. If he did, he would
never bawl out at them, "Get out! Stand up for an hour! Hold
out your hand! How dirty your clothes are! Go and clean your
nose!" He would, instead, gently wipe the child's nose, he
would wash and mend his clothes. If the teacher does so, what a
change there will be! Whoever heard of any good coming out of
beating and cruelty? Students too should regard their teachers with
the same divine bhavana. Teachers should look on their pupils as
gods, and so too should the pupils regard their teachers. If
this mutual bhavana is established, how brightly would knowledge
shine! Indeed, the boys are the Lord, and so is the teacher! If only
the pupils feel, "This is not just a school master, this is
Lord Shiva Himself, we are drinking in the nectar of His teaching,
let us enlighten our understanding up as a service to Him," we
can well imagine how they would behave towards him. |
