Explaining the relationship between freedom and education, Gandhi suggests that the criterion for judging the worth of education is its potential for serving humanity. He defines education as follows:
The ancient aphorism, `Education is that which liberates' is as true today as it was before. Education here does not mean mere spiritual knowledge, nor does liberation signify only spiritual liberation after death. Knowledge includes all training that is useful for the service of mankind and liberation means freedom from all manner of servitude even in the present life. Servitude is of two kinds: slavery to domination from outside and to one's own artificial needs. The knowledge acquired in the pursuit of this ideal alone constitutes true study. [7]
The idea that education is a means to a higher End, namely worship of God through service to humanity, is also found explicitly in the Bahá'í writings. We read in the notes to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (the Most Holy Book), that Bahá'u'lláh counsels people to study such sciences and arts as are ``useful'' and would further ``the progress and advancement'' of society. [8] Furthermore, Bahá'u'lláh writes:
Knowledge is as wings to man's life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone. The knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired as can profit the peoples of the earth[9]
While Gandhi genuinely felt that education is ``that which liberates,'' he did not undervalue the knowledge of the sciences taught traditionally, for he writes,
I value education in the different sciences. Our children cannot have too much of chemistry and physics. [10]
It is of interest to note that Gandhi's definition of education
quoted above alludes to the ironic idea that true liberty consists in
becoming
a servant of humanity. `Abdu'l-Bahá, who underwent 40 years of
exile and imprisonment, declared during a visit to London:
``There is no prison but the prison
self''[11]
Accordingly, a primary goal of
education should be to help liberate us from
mental
slavery to outside
pressures and from inner personal limitations, so that we may
become free
to worship God through unfettered service to
humanity. `Abdu'l-Bahá explains:
Freedom is not a matter of place. It is a condition. I was thankful for the prison, and the lack of liberty was very pleasing to me, for those days were passed in the path of service, under the utmost difficulties and trials, bearing fruits and results.
Unless one accepts dire vicissitudes, he will not attain. To me prison is freedom, troubles rest me, death is life, and to be despised is honour. Therefore, I was happy all that time in prison. When one is released from the prison of self, that is indeed release, for that is the greater prison. When this release takes place, then one cannot be outwardly imprisoned. When they put my feet in stocks, I would say to the guard, `You cannot imprison me, for here I have light and air and bread and water. There will come a time when my body will be in the ground, and I shall have neither light nor air nor food nor water, but even then I shall not be imprisoned.' The afflictions which come to humanity sometimes tend to centre the consciousness upon the limitations, and this is a veritable prison. Release comes by making of the will a Door through which the confirmations of the Spirit come. [11]