Swami Krishnananda as a student

Baba Times Digest© | 29 June 2013 12:01 EST | New York Edition

RELATED TOPICS >>> New York Times Reports | Student Swami Krishnananda | Higher Education

WASHINGTON D.C — On 27 June 2013 The House passed legislation to hold off a doubling of student loan interest rates effective on July 1, instead it will try the rates to prevailing market trends and ending federal subsidies. The bill, although approved largely along party lines, 221 to 198, leads to what is sure to be the next showdown with the House Republicans, Senate Democrats and President Obama, with a hard deadline looming in little more than a month and putting Students at various levels of difficulties.

Some facts about these issues (according to New York Times): At stake is a subsidized loan rate of 3.4 percent for more than 7.4 million students with federal Stafford loans, which will jump to 6.8 percent if Congress fails to act. Democrats fixed the 3.4-percent rate before Republicans took control of the House in 2011. Last June, Republicans buckled under political pressure and extended the subsidized rate for one year, just two days before its expiration. What ever it is, which ever side of the aisle wins, there is no doubt that innocent students are put in trouble.

At this time of crisis, Baba Times would like to bring in some aspects of Student life in ancient Vedic period and experiences of Great Saints as students, which hopefully help us to take the right decisions and help our next generation and future of our very existence. The education for a student started very early in vedic period and the students were living in the Guru (Teacher) Ashram (House) and the students helped to maintain the ashram, assist Guru's wife in daily chores, bring fire wood. This helped them to go through life experiences and formed a strong practical foundation.  Some of the fundamental concepts that were taught are 'discrimination' (Viveka) which was also considered as 'Illumination' and 'Light', Religion, Spirituality, Science, Logic, Intellectuality, Physical educayion, Personality development and social studies. There were no actual 'fees' for the eductaion, all students paid back by service !There is an interesting circular logic here, when they pay back through service, they also learn and some additional knowledge is being gathered which in turn have to be paid back by more service and that is why we say that the students are ever indebted to the Teachers !

Swami Krishnananda of Divine Life Society is well known for his works and commentries made on Upanishads, Philosophy and Religion. It is interesting to note that some of his early student life actually reflects the becoming of the great Saint and the difficulties he went through his early life. Swamiji physically hails from the South Kanara district on the Western coast of South India. In his Purvashrama, he was the eldest son of a family of six children, four of them being his younger brothers and one a sister. Known by the name Subbaraya, he was born of orthodox Shivaralli Brahmin parents. In the educational field, he surpassed all of his classmates in every class. He had early education at St. Francis Xavier's School at Darbe in Puttur town. But then, his was not a case of "all work and no play" and he was no mere bookworm. As a young student, Subbaraya was fond of playing at Ramayana with his younger brothers and friends. Subbaraya himself took the role of Rama, his brother that of Lakshmana or Sita, and the others were given other suitable roles. Thus they formed a troupe and he used to lead this play during the midday lunch-hour recess or after school hours, with bows and arrows prepared from the branches of trees. He enjoyed this play and so did the others too. Swami Chidananda Maharaj has presented these facts in his 'The Making of a Scholar-Saint – A Mini-Biography of Swami Krishnananda', a Souvenir released on Swami Krishnananda's 75th Birthday.

We pray to our Gurus and Saints that the current crisis on Student Loans will be resolved amicably and enable our students to acheive greater success in their career !

Picture Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Great Dome en.wikipedia.org

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