The core tenets of education in ancient India, inspirations for modern times

Education in ancient India can be a source of inspiration for education in modern times. It was based on a sophisticated theory of knowledge derived from Indian philosophy and unique in that it included an understanding of the subject (the knower) in relation to the object (the known) and the process of knowing. It gave great emphasis on understanding the inner map of the subject/the person (the vehicle for learning), including the mechanics of thinking, the different layers of the mind and of a state beyond the mind, without denigrating the acquisition of objective or worldly/ outer knowledge. By contrast, modern education, at least in the West, has tended to focus on outer knowledge only, neglecting in the process the importance of understanding the inner dimension. This paper offers a point of comparison to refl ect on educational principles for other papers in this volume dealing with Islamic education in different countries.