(higher) education

[Gucky]

haribol
since many years I hear from different sides (even from gurus): "there is no need to send your chidren to university" and when I ask why, I don't become any real arguments or good reasons. most answer I get is: "Prabhupad sayd, universities are like slaughterhouses." something like that.
I think we live now 30 to 40 years later in diferent world - and with no or a bad education, our children will be only unskilled workers, without a chance to keep a family healthy together.
How do you all think about a good education in this society?
Is the statement from srila prabhupada still valid (for eternity?) or was it only valid for a specific time and circumstances in the past?
thx for your answers
Gucky

[rezervatom]

i don't really think that there is something like a specific time... it is surely special for the currenly living people, or rather for their minds, but they felt the same way in different bodies for 30-100-500 years ago too, i guess. still, education, all the things you ever learnt is something that nobody can take from you, as we say it hungary. and because of the technical and medical etc. revolutions and innovations it does makes sense to study. to be a doctor, an ingeneer, an architect. a good doctor and a good ingeneer... i understand that this is a karmic view. it all makes a better quality life. but what for? to live and suffer longer? for the most of the people surely. but some might chant and serve longer...
in that book about the life of prabhupad i read a discussion. he was talking to a chemistry teacher (i think), and the guy asked where does all the oxigen and sodium and whatever come from. prabhupad said: all comes from god. and the guy asked again: but how do all the things come? and prabhupad said: who cares? the source is the question, and you already have the answer. the details are irrelevant.
practically, those details are to be put in the kids' head, that is education. it is a sign of the material world. and/but we are living in here...

i do have a son, and i would send him to study, if he'd like to. but i am a real karmi-like...
well, i don't think i helped you a lot, but still, it is an other view.


by the way there is a vaishnava theology college in hungary.

[Gucky]

haribol
thanks for answer. i understand prabhupad somehow, but still, we are not all sannyasi and without a good education it's difficult to maintain life (more difficult with family, children) and with all the material problems in mind , because of not earning enough money, it is surely a heavy task to keep a peaceful spiritual life- i think.
most of the vaishnavas i know, are connected with this world, have also material needs to fulfill. therefore i think it's not helpful to imitate an pure devotee without material desires. as long as you want something in this world, you have to deal with this world and to have a good education is much better than to be a criminal or an unskilled worker or just jumping on a street to sell paintings, that can you do with 20 or 30 years, but in the age of 50 or 60 you will have more problems to live like this - every day from hand to mouth and if you sick, than no money. such circumstances are not a good basic for a peaceful family and so also not for a steady spiritual life- you don't think?

by the way there is a vaishnava theology college in hungary.

they give similar education like normal university? i mean, the students have after study the same chances in society? that would be good, but still, most places in the world don't have this, right?

[kurtbryd]

haribol
since many years I hear from different sides (even from gurus): "there is no need to send your chidren to university" and when I ask why, I don't become any real arguments or good reasons. most answer I get is: "Prabhupad sayd, universities are like slaughterhouses." something like that.
Gucky

Yeah you are right. Even now a days at villages of 3rd world countries people same. They even think education is totally a useless thing. But i think one day situation would change and people all over the world would understand the necessity of education.

[haidivolume]

Now university'enironment is too relax,student can't learn the truth knowledge.But society is a good school,can teach people a lot of things.

[rezervatom]

haribol,

and sorry for my belated answer.
lately i've been reading the taoteking, and i read analogically contempt for education/science/knowledge/culture.. it goes like this: when shrewdness and sophistry appear, there is big hypocrisy.

otherwise i do understand what you mean. maybe you or we have to find the balance between the spiritual life and the time that costs to study, or to live the material side generally. to have a family makes you face with things you might have never even thought of.
at the end you have to decide on your own, how you make your money. but maybe once you turn the material side into the spiritual side, since you..well.. i can't really end this since i am losing the spiritual path but i do remember, that i read, that prabhupad said, that nowadays you can meditate anywhere, just keep chanting the holy names. anything becomes spiritual this way...

by the way there is a vaishnava theology college in hungary.

they give similar education like normal university? i mean, the students have after study the same chances in society? that would be good, but still, most places in the world don't have this, right?

well it is a theology college. if any theologian has any chance in the society today, then maybe a vaishnava one too.