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THE PLAN OF GOD
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RAY-DATABASE

AIMS OF EDUCATION

THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION

"The first task of the esotericist is to comprehend the nature of the energies which are seeking to condition him and which work out into expression on the physical plane through the medium of his equipment or his vehicle of manifestation."

ALICE BAILEY
EDUCATION IN THE NEW AGE

In Education in the New Age (1954), Alice Bailey outlines very specific aims for education, seeing it not only as a means of acquiring knowledge but as a spiritual and evolutionary process. Here are the key aims as she presents them, in her own wording or very close paraphrase

AIMS

Unfoldment of the soul:
“The true objective of education is the unfoldment of the human soul and not just the training of the physical brain.”

Integration of the personality:
Education should bring about “a wise coordination of the individual, so that the personality becomes a useful instrument of the soul.”

Cultivation of right human relations:
“The first objective of the coming education must be the inculcation of the spirit of unity, of synthesis and of right human relations.”

Preparation for world citizenship:
She stresses that education must develop “a sense of responsibility for the welfare of humanity as a whole, and not only for one’s own nation or group.”

Development of creative thinking:
Instead of rote memorization, she emphasizes that education should “train the mind to think independently, to analyze, to synthesize, and to discover underlying principles.”

Recognition of spiritual values:
“The new education must lay emphasis upon those values which are eternal, and not upon those which are ephemeral.”

Bridging science and spirituality:
Education should “provide a training which will make the man a balanced mystic, a practical occultist, and a useful citizen of the world.”

The Three (Esoteric) Primary Objectives in Terms of the Antahkarana
“Therefore the primary objectives of the coming education will be:
  1. To produce alignment between mind and brain through a correct understanding of the inner constitution of man, particularly of the etheric body and the force centers.
  2. To build or construct a bridge between the brain-mind-soul, thus producing an integrated personality which is a steady developing expression of the indwelling soul.
  3. To build the bridge between the lower mind, soul, higher mind, so that the illumination of the personality becomes possible.

Here’s a short English summary of Bailey’s three main aims of education in Education in the New Age:

  1. To form wise and useful citizens – education should prepare people to live harmoniously, responsibly, and helpfully with others.
  2. To integrate the personality – education must bridge the different aspects of the mind and bring them into alignment with the soul.
  3. To build the bridge to higher consciousness – by constructing the antahkarana between lower mind, soul, and higher mind, education should open the way for illumination and the expression of the soul.

Education has three major objectives, from the angle of human development:
  1. First, as has been grasped by many, it must make a man an intelligent citizen, a wise parent, and a controlled personality; it must enable him to play his part in the work of the world and fit him for living peaceably and helpfully and in harmony with his neighbours.
  2. Second, it must enable him to bridge the gap between the various aspects of his own mental nature, and herein lies the major emphasis of the instructions which I am now purposing to give you.
  3. Third, the gap between the lower mind and the soul has to be bridged, and curiously enough humanity has always realised this and has talked therefore in terms of ‘achieving unity’ or ‘making the at-one-ment’ or ‘attaining alignment.

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