Source of Knowledge

#. Knowledge is inherent in man; no knowledge comes from outside; it is all inside; What we say a man "knows", should, in strict psychological language, be what he "discovers" or "unveils"; what a man learns is really what he "discovers", by taking the cover off his own soul which is a mine of infinite knowledge. #. All knowledge that the world has ever received comes from the mind; the infinite library of the universe is in your own mind. The external world is simply the suggestion, the occasion, which sets you to study your own mind, but the object of your study is always your own mind. #. All knowledge, secular or spiritual, is in the human mind. In many cases it is not discovered, but remains covered, and when the covering is being slowly taken off we say "we are learning", and the advance of knowledge is made by the advance of this process of uncovering. #. The man from whom this veil is being lifted is the more knowing man; the man upon whom it lies thick is ignorant, and the man from whom it has entirely gone is all-knowing, omniscient. #. You have to grow from inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul. Founding Principles: The Nataraja Foundation has a guiding philosophy and an operating philosophy � as well as three social principles that determine our programmes and our position on various issues as an organization. 1. Guiding Philosophy The Foundation subscribes to Swami Vivekanand�s philosophy of education and his extremely broadminded, sophisticated and inclusive views on religion. We have therefore eagerly adopted his philosophy across the two knowledge verticals of skill development and education. Our Primary and Secondary Education Megaproject for instance is based on the following few lines by Swami Vivekananda. � Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man. Knowledge is inherent in man, no knowledge comes from outside; it is all inside. What we say a man � knows �, should in strict psychological language , be what he � discovers � or � unveils �. What a man � learns � is really what he � discovers � by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge. We say Newton discovered gravitation. Was it sitting anywhere in a corner waiting for him ? It was in his own mind; the time came and he found it out. All knowledge that the world has ever received comes from the mind; the infinite library of the universe is in your own mind. The external world is simply the suggestion, the occasion , which sets you to study your own mind. The falling of an apple gave the suggestion to Newton , and he studied his own mind. He rearranged all the previous links of thought in his mind and discovered a new link among them, which we call the law of gravitation. It was not in the apple nor in anything in the centre of the earth . � Vivekananda Continues � All Knowledge Is Within. All knowledge therefore, secular or spiritual, is in the human mind. In many cases it is not discovered , but remains covered, and when the covering is being slowly taken off, we say � we are learning � , and the advance of knowledge is made by the advance of this process of un-covering . The man from whom this veil is being lifted is the more knowing man; the man upon whom it lies thick is ignorant; and the man from whom it is entirely gone is all-knowing, omniscient. Like fire in a piece of flint, knowledge exists in the mind; suggestion is the friction which brings it out. All knowledge and all power are within. What we call powers , secrets of nature, and force are all within. All knowledge comes from the human soul. Man manifests knowledge, discovers it within himself, which is pre-existing, through eternity. No one was ever really taught by another. Each of us has to teach himself. The external teacher offers only the suggestion which rouses the internal teacher to work to understand things. Then things will be made clearer to us by our own power of perception and thought, and we shall realize them in our own souls. � A Key Question for Thinkers on Education All existing programmes of the Government of India and indeed western education seek to make people literate as a Minimum . Swami Vivekananda gives a totally new perspective and forces us to ask ourselves... "Who are we trying to make literate ?" 2. Operating Philosophy In all Nataraja initiatives, leadership will be based on ideas and on adherence to certain high standards of propriety. At the operating level we believe in empowerment and de-centralized decision making. Those desiring to work with us should expect and be able to take on a lot of responsibility. 3. The Social Principles In addition to the Vivekananda�s expansive philosophy of education the Nataraja foundation has adopted three social principles which we believe will help us contribute to the development of a harmonious society which we wish to see in India. 3 a ) Restoring the position of the Teacher India reached the height of her glory when she had the teacher at the top of the social order. Today we are faced with a society in decay primarily because we have neglected the teaching profession. We now have a situation where a crane operator or a welder with 3 years of experience makes more money than an MA in economics. This has warped the economic choices facing young people and has left only the worst qualified people to take up the most important job of teaching our children. There is therefore an urgent need to restore the teacher to that high position in Indian society that he has lost over the last few decades. By designing the Education Megaproject around the teacher, the Nataraja foundation hopes to achieve a huge awakening in India about the importance of the teacher. We seek to create a way of life around the teaching profession thereby attracting the best minds to join the education profession in Indian schools and colleges through the creation of the finest of places to work. 3 b ) Nurturing the Girl Child and Empowering women If India is to develop we need to protect the girl child and empower our women. The Nataraja Foundation has made a small beginning with a programme wherein we distribute Amar Chitra Katha comics and books about the great women of India to institutions looking after girls. By doing this we hope to put these young children in touch with their history and their own great potential which they must realize for themselves. Our intention therefore is to help enable this huge transition in thinking in the girl child. Once this is done, the girl child will look after herself to a great degree and India�s future will be assured. 3 c ) Wholesome Education The Nataraja foundation does not believe in bookish learning. Education means development. It should not be solely confined to academics. The truly educated is active in mind , agile in limbs, aesthetically inclined and above all sound in character. Students must be trained not only to answer questions but also to question the answers. In addition , Indian society is getting increasingly polarized due to caste related issues and religious intolerance. We cannot allow this to happen. One of the aims of the foundation is therefore to ensure that children of all faiths are taught the essential concepts of all religions so that they understand the essential unity in their message. We do not therefore subscribe to the current thinking within the government to keep religion out of education. We need more religious teaching and more awareness about religion if we are to build a harmonious society.