September 2018
When planning for a year- sow corn.
When planning for a decade – plant trees.
When planning for life – train and educate men. As quoted by Kwan-Tsu.
The education of a human being should begin at birth and continue throughout his life. I dedicate this issue to all MOTHERS’ who are the first teachers to the child, for the child and of the child. This month is my special tribute to all the teachers for September 5th (being Dr. Radhakrishna Pillai’s birthday). I feel ‘education begins before Birth’ when the woman is pregnant. To bear a child and construct his body almost subconsciously is not enough. True maternity begins with the conscious creation of a ‘being’, by the power of thought and will, to conceive and create a character capable of manifesting an ideal.
The true domain of a woman is indeed ‘spiritual.’ We forget it but too often. It is extremely interesting to speak to the women of Japan about children. It is their dearest and most sacred subject. Indeed, in no other country in the world have children taken such an important, such a primordial place. They are in Japan, the center of care and attention. On them are concentrated – the hopes of the future.
“Children are the hope of the FUTURE, the builders of tomorrow.”
As a Montessori educator I have interacted with many children and mothers. In one of my interactions with children I had observed a child who always had a smile on her face. There was an aura around her which drew me to her. In one of the conversations with her mother I understood the reason behind this radiant smile. She had devoted the nine months of her pregnancy, aligning to spiritual practices and sitting in silence on a daily basis. This was indeed intriguing as I too, shared my experience with her. When I had conceived, my father had given me a picture of Lord Krishna as a child. Before going to sleep and as soon as I woke up, my first and last glance was at that picture. I had kept it at a place where my glance would unknowingly always go on it. I mentally visualized the child looking like that too; with curly hair and a gleeful smile on the face. So, it happened! Since I had seen this picture throughout my pregnancy, the birth of the child was after the perfect likeness of this picture. In addition to this, the behavior patterns which he exhibited were also quite in alignment to Lord Krishna as a child.
Here, I share this as an example, ‘to be of great utility for other women.’
With this effort, I feel maternity becomes truly precious and sacred. Indeed here, we enter the glorious work of the SPIRIT, and womanhood rises above all ordinary instincts; towards real humanity and its powers. It is the responsibility (to respond with ability) of the mother to first focus on her improvement. Her thoughts have to be always beautiful and pure, her feelings always noble and fine, her material surroundings as harmonious as possible; filled with simplicity and humility.
The second is to focus upon the child she is forming physically. She has an innate ability to form a child according to the highest ideal she can conceive. In conjunction the very best conditions will be realized so that the child can come into the world with his utmost potential. I reiterate here again that the woman can by concentration and will call into a ‘being’ of great noble ideals and potentialities.
This note is my special dedication to all women who are mothers in the true sense for being instrumental in creating such souls through right education, first unto themselves and then unto their children!