Young boy’s interesting and important question

During my chat of few minutes with children of Sri Ramakrishna mission school I happened to listen to a question from a boy of 8th or 9th std.
His question had been in my mind for only few of years recently but his ability to think so young the same issue gave a pleasant surprise.
He asked ‘We are all studying in Sri Ramakrishna mission schools. Yet, why is it that, we have not got another Swami Vivekananda?’

I was surprised only because of his age, but not the question itself. Since I myself have been spending last years of life in trying to find such answers, I immediately told him to read on what Swami Vivekananda himself said about ‘education’ and whether what he mentioned is followed in schools now. I specifically told him the book ‘My Idea of Education’ Published by Advaita Ashram Mayavati for only Rs 32. This book got published only recently shows the world is slowly waking up to what Swami Vivekananda thought 100 years ago. When one reads one would come to see that all what we now have in the name of education will have to be changed completely to a new vision. Though it’s a new vision its not new to India when one looks into the history of கடிகை in Tamil nadu as how education was taught in those ancient கடிகை or kind of gurukula set up which is mentioned in தெய்வத்தின் குரல் .
We are too afraid to talk on our present education system’s failures on moral/ethical or spiritual values, as we ourselves are products of such a wrong system for over 200 years. But if one reads this book and what Swami Vivekananda mentioned then we will have to agree to his thoughts and then we will know why we still have not produced another Vivekananda.

From another point of view, it may not be possible to produce someone like Swami Vivekananda again, and then we may need another Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and all others who shaped and produced Swami Vivekananda. But we all need to agree still the country is to see someone of Swami Vivekananda’s capability to address the issues of society and religion. We should also remember how Narendra’s father stopped him from going to school as he learnt that which is not supposed to be learnt and brought the teacher to home. It was this decision by his wise father which must have had the great influence on the young mind later to be groomed by his spiritual guru Sri Ramakrishna paramahamsa.

However, it could be a point for dedicated Swamijis of Sri Ramakrishna mission schools to think over this question and come up with explanations and answers. Also it could be now the time to analyze the system/syllabus/methods of teaching if it fits what Swamiji mentioned and re-produced under ‘My idea of Education’.