I am surprised why people get upset when they are about to retire in India. They think as if it is an end of life. In India it is quite disgraceful to retire, so that no body wants to retire from government job. In west people welcome it because it means liberty to do any thing. It means, so far you always worked as per society norms, as per society's pattern and that now you can live your life at your own terms. This can usher a new beginning. But alas life was lived in a such a way that freedom looks like a prison. Retirement means no work in future, no activity, no previous status. It means you will be restricted to your house because people recognize you by your position in the society. But in west they don't feel bad, they don't attach any dignity to position, rather they dignify work. They give importance to performance.
I give many times his example; you leave away your pet dog but within 2 days it will come back. Why ? because it has become your slave. It can't live without you. It has no existence without you. It has never seen himself as it is. He is addicted to a particular way of life. Dog can't imagine that your real life begins outside its comfort zone. Because, so far all decisions and choices were made as per society rules, but now you are free to make your own decisions. Earlier it was not your life, it was just echo of church, echo of school, echo of religion, but after retiring you can live a life close to your heart.
But you see society has made such a hell here that man has lost the original significance of life. The same is true of religion. They have enslaved you over the thousand years that they don't allow you to be different. Instead of making love each other, it has made them hate each other. Means wrong forces are governing us and we ask all of you give BREAK to all this nonsense. Man doesn't know who he is ? He just goes on working as a puppet and never realize life fully. As soon as we are plugged in the systems of society, we go on losing our individuality. The more the education, more will be mental brainwashing. More will we become followers.
In job most of the time teachers are just complying with rules. They never make any decisions of their own. They are just trying to fit in all the time. Therefore gradually they lose the spirit of initiation, spirit to go beyond. They never break any limits and never teach their students how to develop the wings of imagination. They just keep on old rules, they just keep on repeating old pattern, they just keep on repeating history. They never take decisions, they never come out of their comfort zone. The result is this dull and mechanical society. Man is not free like dog or cow. He is stuck in his own web of rules. You see rules are always to give you a start. Breaking rules doesnt mean being iresponsible. No ! It means you have now better option. But to us, job the government is the best job, and now you need to be regular and punctual to keep it safe.
The result is no new experiences are being added to our education because all in repetitive mode, all are promoting rote learning. When decisions are not being made, there for no new data is coming to Higher Education office. So no new patterns are made, so we are caught in a mess. Higher education office has tried it best to bring about improvements but it has failed utterly. Why ? Teachers are not being innovative, they are repetitive. You can never control the system from up. It is that information always is collected from below and then old rules gets revised by the rules. In this way we move ahead. But at lower level nothing is happening. All teachers consider that they are best, so no need to make changes.
Somebody said that we don't want our children to study in government schools. We don't want to use govt. bus, we don't want to take treatment in govt. hospital, but still we all want a govt job. Why ? It is secure and no work. We have created such a system that all private sectors are also not working properly. I never get satisfactory service from a private mechanic, hair dresser, doctor, tailor, etc. Everywhere there is inefficiency. These system are copied from west. Systems only work when they develop automatically. How will system develop when you have a tendency not to make any choices. Therefore we have developed such a system where there are no opportunities, and people feel unsafe expect the government job. In developed countries there are lot of opportunities. You leave one job, next day you can join anyone. Even 10th pass can have there a good earning.
My wife is MA history. I have government job and we have our own house. We have everything but my wife will be always unhappy because she didn't get government job. So education has made her suffer. See how the govt, is distributing degrees but have no jobs. These highly qualified students will never take up low jobs because of the prestige issue. They will spoil their life but will not accept low job. In developed countries most of students get jobs after 12th standard, and there is no prestige issue. Our students are sad just because they have good degrees in their hands. So this kind of education only complicates the problems.
Who will change it ? Only teachers will change it when they break age old rules. When you act differently, lot of new data will be collected and it will reach Higher Education office, and they will revise the rules. But we produce nothing, we merely repeat, hence no motion. There is lot of 'Acton' but no 'motion'. Everybody is working to save his skin. Then how will society change. I wonder there crores of retired people and crores of youths without any work. Why don't they work for society when they are free now. You see if our youth stands up having stick in his hand and says, "I will not allow any thing wrong". Even DC, SHO can't dare to neglect youth. See if the youth gets activated and it gets united, nothing wrong can happen in our society.
The same way if all retired people make a platform and work for society, they can remove all ills because they have now no liability. But no. They are now useless due to this faulty education. They are all incapacitated, they have no courage , no vision, no joy. While in job,they were not working at all, it was system that was working. The moment they are thrown out of system, they become helpless. Osho says the youth of this country is dead. Had the youth been young, nothing wrong could happen. Because youth means energy. An energetic youth will never allow injustice. But he says people are born here old and they die old.
Why you feel restless when you get retired ? Because while being in job you never did justice with your work. Hence the sensibility never developed. Why you cry when someone dies ? Do you love him ? No! It is because you didn't love him fully while he was alive. Your love remained incomplete. So you are crying now.The same way, while in work you never did your best, you always played in fear, your never tried options, hence your being remained incomplete. You didn't develop you own identity, therefore no body knows you you after you get retired. Though there are thousands things you can do, but you don't see them. It is like dog who gets addicted with only one way living, now try for others is impossible. Dog can move about freely but he prefers to go to his owner. There are unlimited problems in the society which can be new opportunities for the retired person. But alas he has lost his soul already..
Regards,
Swami JS Breakanand
