Keynote address:
It is nice to see you present here in order to discuss and explore the possibility of making the Foundation Courses more relevant and meaningful. For any mission the context is very important – We are very much affected today by globalization and privatization. More than these we are very much hurt today by communalism and religious fundamentalism. In this context we have taken upon ourselves the task of forming our students who could not only face the challenges but also become the catalysts of change in our society.
Jesuit educational Institutions: As the General Congregation 34 of the Jesuits would put it, “A Jesuit University must be outstanding in its human, social, spiritual and moral formation” (GC 34 414). And our teachers are the formators of our students. The characteristics of Jesuits are the pioneering spirit as well as magis (that is, ever to excel). And today the Jesuit educational institutions are like beacons enlightening the society at large teaching them not only how to live but why to live a meaningful life.
Jesuit Education: In an age of information-explosion the Jesuit education is not just to impart knowledge or information. Our students, who could operate Computer even at the age of 10 and who could surf the website before they reach teenage, do not need teachers and class rooms just to impart or to import information. They need formation – In fact, they need integral formation.
Integral Formation: For a long time education has been understood as growth in intellectual quotient. In the recent years one is paying attention to emotional quotient. It has been found that people who are very intelligent need not necessary lead successful or happy life. Hence now attention is paid to the emotional formation and integrity of the students’ growth as well. This is very essential since our thoughts are controlled, very often, by how we feel about something or about somebody – Negative attitude breeds negative thoughts and positive attitude brings forth positive thoughts and actions. There is yet one more factor that is latest along the corridor of education and that is spiritual quotient. Spiritual quotient is not mere religiosity but values – Values that are of utmost importance for one’s meaningful life. When a student grows in knowledge and wisdom finding favour with others and with God then he/she can be said to have integral formation. We should know what are our basic values – For Gandhi it is truth, for Jesus Christ it was compassion, for Abraham Lincoln it was honesty etc. The purpose of education is to form inner positive values.
This formation is to form our students as men and women for others. They are there for others as the voice of the voiceless and they are with others for human dignity and equality of the marginalized. And they are there to uplift and empower the broken in the society. Thus they are formed as leaders of service who would function as catalyst in the society for its betterment. Thus the Jesuit education is for the orienting the youth in the right direction.
Social Dimension: This orientation has the important dimension, namely, the social dimension. As the Corporate Policies of Jesuit Higher Education indicates:
“A person is born of others and grows through others. This growth from raw nature to a perfected person which education promotes is growth in socialization. The individual cannot be subservient to a group or be a mere cog in the social machine. Authentic learning implies a growth in self-awareness both of the person and the society, which needs to be civilized and reformed. Growth in freedom supposes a capacity to assume the ongoing development of society and at the same time to stand apart from it to judge and change it. There is no status quo. Change, even radical change, is part and parcel of all evolutions and experience of the human person and preparing for such change is intrinsic to education” (p. 11f).
Transformation of the Society: Thus education gets into a third phase, after information-imparting and formation of individual, transformation of the society. In the process of transformation, especially in our culture, religions are intermingled with culture. If we look back in history we could see how more than half the wars in the world were fought in the name of religions. And it has not died down – Even in our own land and even in recent times we have witnessed how people lose their heads when it comes to religion. In this context the General Congregation of the Jesuits indicates: “A Jesuit University can and must discover in its own proper institutional forms and authentic purposes a specific and appropriate arena for the encounter with the faith which does justice” (GC 34 410). Thus human justice, that is, respecting others as our equals and respecting their faith are very much expected as the transformation process in the society.
Values in Life: For this transformation one needs values of life, especially values one finds in cultures and religions. A cursory look at religions in the world would indicate that all the teachings of the religions eventually boil down to this: Be good and do good. All religions worry about and work on what we are and what we do. All religions teach us – now through stories, now through riddles, now through parables, now with allegories – the fatherhood/motherhood of God and the brotherhood/sisterhood of our fellow human beings. It is upto us to find the harmony among the religions. Newton demonstrated how when the ray of sun is passed through a prism there emerges colours of the rainbow. We should be able to appreciate the best in others, in other cultures and in our religions. In a world which is torn due to communalism we are called to establish a counter-culture, namely, love of others as our brother and sisters.
Only then our life would become other-centred. Then we would be able to understand and accept others as they are – It might be easier to see and evaluate others from our view points but understanding them from their perspectives and accepting them as they are needs maturity of heart and mind. God once appeared to Solomon and told him: Ask whatever you want and I shall give it to you. Solomon did not ask for immense wealth – He did not ask for infinity in life. But he asked God: discerning mind and understanding heart. He asked God the maturity to differentiate the good from the evil and he asked the maturity to love all. Is this not the sum and substance of most of the religious teaching? But it makes us appreciate to know about other religions. One may be rooted in his/her religion but one could broaden one’s knowledge about other religions. This paves the way for religious harmony.
Peace and Joy of All: These factors are introduced to us through the foundation courses. These courses are real foundation for our life and for our society and for our religions. These courses pave the way for accepting ourselves as we are and accepting others as they are but at the same time give impulse to reform the society and religions wherever needed. Through foundation courses values are imparted and at the same time the essence of all the world religions are transmitted to us. Finally converges to what Thayumanavar said: “ellorum inbutrika ninaipathuve allamal yathondrum aryen parapame” (other than the joy and happiness of all, I do not know anything, O God!).
During the seminar we would be listening to what is needed in the society and what are the best in religions. Let us understand them and work towards communal as well as religious harmony. Let us make this world a bit better place to live. Wish the seminar all success.
Francis P. Xavier, SJ
Provincial