The ancient Indians were known to excell in every field, whether in maths, astronomy,architecture,ayurvedha or arts ,science...This presentation tells the secret of learning through Gurukulam where students lives with teachers who set a high moral/ethical values themselves for students to follow. Lets bring back the olden glorious Gurukulam back and restore India to its glorious position as it was once.

1. Gurukulam
What is it and do we need it now?

2. Guru - Kulam
• Guru – One who removes darkness or ignorance.
This is done by showing God to us. This can be
done only by those who have already seen and
showing the way which leads to God.
• Kulam – The lineage of teachers.
• Gurukulam – Live with a teacher who has come in
a great lineage and who has seen God and stays
in the path to God, shows the same path and
helps student to see God.

3. Origins
• Earlier days, father was teaching to son at his
own place, all that he knows.
• As there was an attachment as father-son
there was not strict discipline between the
two.
• Idea of a Guru teaching many boys under one
roof came into existance to avoid the leniency
shown by father to son when they were in
same roof.

4. Mata-Pita-Guru-Deiva
• A mother shows who is Father
• A father shows who is Guru
• A Guru shows who is God
• So the father takes the son to a competent
Guru and leaves him at Gurukulam under the
care of Guru and his wife.
• Guru and his wife will now become as father
and mother for the students, besides being
the teacher.

5. Life in a Gurukulam
• Gets up early in the morning.
• Its located off from the town in calm and quite
locality for easy concentration and not to get
disturbed by any surroundings.
• Begs for food in nearby locality and gives to
Guru’s wife who will cook and serve like a loving
mother.
• This is a sathvic food(Bhagavad Gita mentions on
quality of food and mind).
• Idea of begging for food is to crush the students’
ego who then becomes fit to receive instructions.

6. • Student spends 12(from age 8 to 20) years in
Gurukulam learning what is needed to run his
family and society.
• His individual contributions to begins when he
leaves Gurukula and starts his married life
with wife, getting children and being useful to
community by practicing now what he learnt
in Gurukulam.
• In Mahabharatha we see that Krishna himself
was setting an example of learning in
Gurukulam.
• Pancha Pandavas and Gauravas also learnt in
Gurukulam.

7. Swami Vivekananda Quotes
• Our character has disappeared.
Our English education has destroyed
everything and left nothing in its place..
Our children have lost their politeness. To talk
nicely is degrading. To be reverential to one’s
elders is degrading. Irreverence has been the
sign of liberty.
• Its one of the evils of your western civilization
that you are after intellectual education alone,
and take no care of the heart. It only makes
men ten times more selfish, and that will be
your destruction.

8. Swami Vivekananda’s solution
• Open your eyes and see what a piteous cry for
food is rising in the land of Bharata, proverbial
for its wealth. Will your education fulfil this
want? Never. – Swami Vivekananda
• My idea of education is personal contact with
the teacher-gurugriha vasa. Without the
personal life of a teacher there would be no
education.’

9. Does Gukukulam help?
• At home, elders would want to see TV
programmes which may disturb children.
• Home computers could be used by children and
it may not always be useful what is available in
internet.
• Mobile phones when given to children it wastes
the time of children, playing games in it instead
of playing outdoor games and strengthen their
body.
• In a Gurukulam teacher has constant and careful
eyes always upon the children.

10. Kanchi Mahaswamigal
on Guru Kulam

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