Let us all thank the gurus in our lives, for without them we would have achieved nothing, says RAMESH RAJARAMAN
Gurus or teachers play an important role in our lives from birth. They not only impart subject knowledge, but also play a crucial role in shaping our lives. When a child is born, she/he observes the incidents happening around. The parents who are around the child are the key people in creating the incidents.
Hence, the parents are the first gurus for any child and play a key role in building the foundation for the child, which includes behavioural patterns and character development. It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that the child grows on a strong foundation, based on core values of positivity, ethics and truth. Any tendency towards negativity and belligerence should be contained by the parents.
Parents always lead by example and their actions are observed by the child all the time. The actions of the parents impact the child more than their words. Parents teach the children knowingly or unknowingly throughout their life. Parents should be fully aware of this reality.
If this awareness exists, it is easy for them to prepare for building a healthy foundation for the child. If the child is brought up in a joint family, all members should cooperate with the parents to lay a strong, healthy foundation for the child. This enables the child to align with a positive path in life.
After the home, the teachers in school are the next important gurus and they play a vital role in shaping children. Children spend a considerable amount of time in school, which serves as the next level of learning and training for them.
Here, too, teachers must be aware that their actions have a direct impact on the behaviour and character of children, who observe them very closely. Teachers should not think that their role is limited only to teaching academic subjects. They must realise that they play a very key role in strengthening the foundation of the child, which was laid down by the parents at a younger age.
The approach of the school management is to focus on incorporating different methodologies, considering that the teachers are key people in shaping children for their future. Hence teachers are critical and important gurus for children.
The initial foundation laid by respective parents for different children need not necessarily be the same. For the children, where the initial foundation laid by parents seems inadequate, teachers should able to identify such children and help them in fixing the gaps. Teachers need to be inventive and cannot apply the same benchmark for all the children.
When the child grows, based on the foundation set in the initial days both at home and in the school, an understanding is created within. With this understanding, they try to learn various subjects as per their preferences or the guidance given by teachers, parents and well-wishers after evaluating their strengths and weaknesses.
At a later stage either in a job or when doing higher studies, the framework built by parents and the teachers would play a key role in all their actions. Even at a later date, when the child grows into a youth, his capability to do research or further studies will depend to a large extent on the foundation set by gurus in the early stages of life.
Let us all thank the gurus in our lives, for without them we would have achieved nothing. We should also thank the people whom we have learnt from their example in our various stages of life, whether good or bad. Even bad experiences help in our learning, and, in fact, correct the weaknesses in us and guide us to understand the ground realities of this world in a better way.
Gururbrahma, GururVishnu, Guru devo Maheshwaraha, Guru Saakshaat ParaBrahma Tasmai Sri Guruve Namaha
Ramesh Rajaraman with 40 years’ experience in Information Technology worked in leadership roles in top IT companies, and as CIO in a multi-speciality hospital in Chennai. A blogger and trainer, he loves music, trekking, travel and reading.
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