The following speech, which was given by my friend Diane Rousseau at Dr. S. L. Gandhi’s Second International International Open University (IOU) Conference on “Towards a Global Silk Road: Re-thinking Education,” Jaipur, India (Feb. 11-12, 2006), is included in this website as Food for Thought.


Innovative Education and Sustained Living

by Diane M. Rousseau

© 2006 by Diane M. Rousseau. All Rights Reserved


Diane Rousseau keynote speaker
Second International IOU Conference Jaipur, India, Feb. 11-12, 2006
Keynote Speaker: Diane M. Rousseau, Fourth Technical Session, Feb. 12

The world is changing; education no longer must be confined to studying the many fields of conventional knowledge. Time now demands a global sharing of the wealth of knowledge along with other Universities to create an integrated system of formal education that also assists in daily living. Further expansion demands incorporating time honored academic programs along with practical means of sustaining human life, as well as acknowledging the unlimited potential of the human mind. In “rethinking education”, the source of the mind or that which “thinks” must be considered. Education must prepare an individual not only with higher education and a means for a productive life; but a way to live as an integrated being, one who is self sufficient, self sustaining and sees life as totality from the experience of unity from within. Innovative education gives a new perspective to knowledge, expanding upon traditional practices into an unlimited field of possibilities for growth potential; totality focused education allows the individual to take their place in society and prepare for a life lived where they are self reliant and whole within their own being.

New Advanced Education Systems should include the following as fundamental studies for a complete curriculum: Meditation; Health Management; Spiritual Sciences and Spirituality.

MEDITATION

Meditation opens the student to full brain coherence; this practice brings integration of both hemispheres of the brain. The left or logical linear side communicates with the right abstract creative intelligence side. The educator takes into consideration the thought process of the student that surpasses traditional student capabilities due to meditation.

By dealing with the entire brain’s potential, and understanding that the power of the mind is energy, conservation and focus become critical to advancement. Acceleration in studies and superior cognition of any subject can be taken into consideration in terms of the student’s advancement due to the benefits of daily meditation. This enhances the traditional methods of education in an innovative and dynamic way, speeding up the process of learning that also includes new levels of achievement. The daily practice of meditation gives one greater concentration and cognitive ability in daily life, enhancing all endeavors by helping to eliminate thoughts that are not constructive and are distracting to the thinker.

This data has been scientifically proven with hundreds of studies from over 200 universities worldwide since the late 1960s. This knowledge is being constantly updated, proving the vast capabilities of the human mind. Older systems of education do not enhance or include the student’s ability to go past the traditional means of gaining new knowledge. With a meditation program, today’s educational systems can now stimulate the students own ability due to advanced creative thought, which cognizes an even greater understanding of the subject. Innovative education, which includes the student as a meditator, gives an unlimited approach and greater potential for expanding the avenues of teaching.

The way a person pays attention to any thought, feeling, or action, directly affects the minds psychological and emotional well-being, and the body’s state of wellness. The brain’s potential, thought of in terms of energy, can be seen as having more purely focused energy on any given subject due to meditation.

In a study done by The Attention Foundation of Health and Well-Being in the years between 1975 and 1980, brain wave patterns show that the most prevalent, most habitual, and most general “reinforced thoughts” or “attention” mode in society is narrow focused attention. In other words, most people have narrowly focused views and do not know how to break the old crystallization patterns set up by the mind. Concentration is hampered and the mind becomes easily distracted. Meditation breaks up these old thought patterns and frees the mind for greater energy and enhanced function by taking one to the source of thought; the pure peaceful awareness of infinite energy and happiness.

Recent studies show that a program of daily meditation creates a broader view of thinking, and a greater sense of well being with practical positive thought processes. Viewing the student in terms of a wholistic approach takes into consideration the value that self-awareness can have on the learning potential. “Rethinking Education” as an innovative and dynamic means to greater achievement and success needs to utilize the minds capacity and energy, taking the students and bringing them to higher way of thinking and living. Meditation, as taught by the Ancient Rishis, should be a prerequisite for admission into expanded higher education. This ancient form of meditation does not conflict with any faith, religion, or belief system. Meditation transcends all boundaries and expands the person with the awareness of their own inner nature, capturing and harnessing the infinite energy potential of the mind.

In the late 1950s, while establishing the Spiritual Regeneration Movement (SRM) worldwide for the benefit of humanity, and raising consciousness through TM Meditation, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi gave lectures in India where he gave an example of the power of the energy that is held by the human mind. Using the illustration of an average of a hundred thoughts per hour passing through an average person’s consciousness, Maharishi spoke of how a new meditator would have ten thoughts per hour with the power of a hundred thoughts behind them as energy. Expanding further, Maharishi said an advanced meditator would have one thought in an hour, with the power of a hundred thoughts behind it as mental energy for one pointed attention on any given subject.

Looking at this beautiful example given by Maharishi, we can see that the mind must harness the energy of the thoughts. This format of meditation must be the new basis for advanced education that includes the expansion of consciousness. The mind has unlimited potential due to the daily practice of meditation, and combining tailored academic studies for higher education will enhance the individual’s acceleration in advanced studies. The Educators, through meditation, unfold their own unlimited access to knowledge; expanding their own conscious awareness, and bring forward a creative and dynamic means in the educating process and further into the discovery of their own unlimited inner nature. Through their own expansion of consciousness, Educators will develop and use advanced creative thought to change the current parameters of education and student testing.

This awareness enhances all aspects of life and deepens the personal belief system or faith as the individual’s conscious understanding expands to take in a greater and unlimited view of ones potential and spirituality. Introducing formal classes on meditation with advanced classes on understanding the use of the mind, and combining knowledge for a mind, body, and energy connection, would change traditional education. In terms of knowledge of the self, an individual’s chosen subject and potential would be understood as being unlimited due to the expansion of consciousness. The “self or that which thinks” uses the mind as a biological computer to interface with the outside world. Meditation is the “key” which unlocks the infinite potential that resides within each individual. The mind is a tool to be used with the understanding that knowledge should contribute to the welfare of the individual on all levels.

In the comparisons below, two alternatives are shown; the one on the top illustrates the thought process of a daily meditator, and the one below it shows a non-meditator who does not have the advantage that meditation gives for greater growth, concentration and unlimited potential.

Comparisons of Meditation and Consciousness:

MEDITATION

Mind Infusion
(Clarity, energy, peacefulness)

Wisdom
(One Pointed attention)

UNITY
(Coherence)

=TRANSFORMATION


CONTEMPLATION

Mind
(Surface thinking, limited energy)

Random Thoughts and Actions
(Discordance)

Lack of Integration
(Left or right brain dominance)

=STAGNATION

The symbol above showing Transformation, uses a circle in the center to represents the Soul (Divine Spirit) or Self, the diamond, the integrated consciousness of the higher mind balanced in the human consciousness of right and left brain coherence, and the square, the foundation of a balanced life lived in unity. Looking closer, we see an illustration of the many (shown by the outer points) and the one (the center or source); symbolic of a life lived in inner and outer unity. Stagnation results from an uncultivated mind, unable to transcend and infuse superior energy, which results in crystallized thoughts, lack of attention, and either right or left-brain dominance resulting in lack of balance.

Consciousness and evolution is the destiny of all beings, all beings grow and evolve, and subtle energies transform ones nature. The essence of this energy is consciousness, and by conscious intent, one can live life in a way that supports nature and is also productive on spiritual, physical, and evolutionary levels, which includes respect for all of nature while appreciating the diversity of all the many forms of life.

HEALTH MANAGEMENT

In addition to Meditation and advanced Meditation studies, education should also include personal health management, including the basic studies of Allopathic, Osteopathic, Ayur-Veda and Naturopathic disciplines. This would give the student an overall view of current and expanded systems of health care and also contribute to current academic studies of these subjects. Basic Allopathic studies would give an insight into current health care, past influences and possible future trends. Osteopathic studies relate knowledge of the bone structure with nerve pathways, adding greater value to the necessary refinement of the nervous system due to the expanding consciousness. This study takes in the effects of meditation on nerve energy pathways, bone growth, healing, brain functioning, and incorporates the health of the bone structure for stabilizing and protecting the nervous system. Incorporating Naturopathic study would further expand current medical practices with time proven self-management methods.

In Vedic Sciences, Ayur-Veda includes herbs, energy healing, sound and vibration therapy, the Science of Meditation, advanced Spiritual Sciences, the Sciences of Architecture and Agriculture, with an expanded understanding of energy, and also the knowledge of energies present in organic food, nutritional values and planting. One learns through meditation and advanced education to harness their own thought processes, while taking responsibility for their health, and contributing to the welfare of all life on the planet due to personal integration, and living life in a wholistic way.

In the study of Medicine by utilizing the Spiritual Sciences, the consciousness, health, and energy systems of the body are taken into consideration, and the individual is understood as a totality. This advanced educational gives the means for the individual to contribute to their own health care, while being able to aid the Doctor in their own treatment. The individual helps the Physician, and both participate understanding that as consciousness continues to expand, the mind and body are able to heal one from within. The enlightened Physicians of today and in the future will be co-participants in the finer levels of human consciousness and physiology. Maharishi has said, body follows mind, the quality and energy of the thoughts also contribute to ones health and well-being.

SPIRITUAL SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY

Within any structure, be it air, water, mineral, plant, aquatic life forms, animals, humans and even space (Akasha) there is order; from the moment of life within the first cell. The memory of order is within the structure or archetype of the form. The Earth seen as a whole is teeming with life. Each form has an internal structure within that holds the energy for growth of the form; this energy also exists in space. Each form has its own unique energy pattern and has encoded within it the structure of its potential. Looking at the limitless diversity of nature, seeing its natural flow shows the integrity of the inner structure that is sustained and held within while expanding with the natural flow of life. All forms, while diverse in their nature, co-exist and make up the totality balancing, sustaining, and continuously evolving for the greater evolution. For human beings, the same principal in nature applies. While diverse in consciousness, experiencing oneness and unity within gives one a totality experience with respect and reverence for all life.

Any thing or form that grows has a degree of consciousness. Consciousness has awareness, and that awareness is encoded within the form. When stimulated from a level from what is best, most pleasing, and natural, it will grow automatically to its potential. Governments, Religions, Organizations, Foundations, groups, and families, all exist as diversity in totality. The reason there are so many different structures, is because of the diversity in consciousness of each individual. People will naturally gravitate to their personal understanding and comfort level. It takes wisdom to effectively transform by understanding God is totality, and all life dwells in God's creative diversity.

Wisdom is a product of integration of the mind and heart with full balance of the emotions. Energy will automatically follow its course if the attention on the goal or thought is held along with the inner passion. Incorporating knowledge of the Self gives one the basis for all knowledge, a foundation for all experience and education, and an unlimited vision of the future. This is due to understanding and comprehension cognized within one’s own Self! A human Being can maintain and improve the goal and vision most beneficial for all due to the experience of their own divinity.


Copyright 2006 by Diane M. Rousseau. All rights reserved. No part of this Document may be re-produced without permission of the Author.

Diane M. Rousseau has been practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique since 1972. She represents The Holy Tradition and Vedic Teachings of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati JagadGuru of Jyotirmath who, in 1953, passed down the Teachings brought forward by His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Diane is a professional Designer and Artist. She facilitated Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Jyotish Program through her corporation, Diana Designs, Inc. Diane is also a contributing writer for an International Newsletter and several Web Sites. Diane also writes Children’s Stories.

Institute of Spiritual Science works to create unity, promote understanding, and inspire humanity for the welfare of all life and create and sustain global peace.

CONTACT:
Diane M. Rousseau, President, ISS
INSTITUTE OF SPIRITUAL SCIENCE
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