| Discourses On Gita By Acharya Vinoba Bhave |
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| Discourses On Gita |
| THE SELF AND THE NON-SELF |
| 7. Instead of this, we impress on
the child's mind the idea that he is the body. There is an important
principle in the art of teaching that we should recognize. The teacher
should have the bhavana, the attitude, that the child is beautiful in
every way. If the pupil gives a wrong answer, he is slapped. What is the connection between the slap
and the error? If he comes late to school, a blow descends on him.
The blood rushes up to his face, but will that make him come earlier to school? Can this swifter flow of blood tell him what the time is? To tell the truth, by such treatment, we only strengthen the animal in him. We confirm the bhavana that he is the body. We build his life on the foundation of fear. If we really want him to improve, we cannot do so by the use of force, which only heightens the body sense. One improves only when one realizes, "I am different from the body." 8. There is no harm in being aware of one's defects either of the body or of the mind. The awareness helps one to remove these defects. But one must understand clearly, that one is not the body. 'I' am altogether distinct from the body, separate, entirely beautiful, bright, holy, free of imperfection. When a man examines himself to remove his imperfection, he makes a distinction between himself and the body. So when others draw his attention to the imperfections in him, he does not lose his temper. |
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