cherish in your hearts an impressive habitual sense of His constant presence and of your accountableness to Him, by steady attention to the means of religion, and, in a particular manner, by private prayer. -REV. DR. CARPENTER. What nobler employment or more advantageous to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation? -CICERO. There is nothing which spreads more contagiously from teacher to pupil than elevation of sentiment; often and often have students caught from the living influence of a professor, a contempt for mean and selfish objects, and a noble ambition to leave the world better than they found it, which they have carried with them throughout life. In these respects, teachers of every kind have natural and peculiar means of doing with effect, what every one who mixes with his fellow-beings or addresses himself to them in any character, should feel bound to do to the extent of his capacities and opportunities. -JOHN STUART MILL. THE PLACE OF RELIGION IN THE LIFE OF A STUDENT. A boy's life at school and college is so mapped out into necessary tasks and necessary play, that the question sometimes arises in his mind: "what time is there in my life for Religion; had I not better leave it alone until I am older?" Let us ask what is meant by the word Religion Religion is the expression of the seeking of God by man, of the One Self by the apparently separated self. This is its essence. This expression has three divisions; one intellectual, doctrines, dealing with God and man and their relations; one emotional, worship, which has many diverse forms and rites and ceremonies; one practical, living the life of love. Looking at religion under these three heads, it will be easier to see its place in the student's life, than if we take it more vaguely and generally. Doctrines of Religion: the broad outlines of these resemble each other in all religions, and a boy should be taught them according to the faith of his parents. There is no knowledge more necessary for a boy than the knowledge of the fundamental doctrines of his religion. This knowledge should therefore be imparted to him in a simple elementary form in school, and in fuller detail in college. No controversial points should be raised, no philosophical disquisitions should be imposed; clear definite statement of the main doctrines is all that is needed. Half an hour a day throughout school-life would be time sufficient to equip the lad with this knowledge, and to enable him to answer intelligently any questions addressed to him about his religion. Worship: every boy should worship, recognising with gratitude the source of life and strength and joy. The Hindu boy should daily perform his Sandhyâ after bathing, according to the custom of his caste and family; and if he does this, with concentrated attention and devotional feeling, he has fulfilled the duty of worship suitable to his state. He may also, if he likes, read and think over a Shloka of the Bhagavad-Gîtâ. The duty of meditation belongs to later life, and he will gain such training of the mind in steadiness as is fitted for his youth, by the careful and attentive performance of his Sandhyâ. The Life of Love: this is the religious duty which the boy must discharge all day long and it is this which makes a life a truly religious life, whatever may be its occupations. Let us see how a boy should lead the life of love in school and college, the Dharma of the student. He must show his love to his parents and his teachers by diligent study and by prompt obedience. Youth is the time for study, and a youth wasted in idleness cannot later be made good. A man's usefulness to others depends largely on his education; the ignorant man cannot be a good and wise husband, father, or citizen. A diligent industrious boy is showing a religious spirit by his diligence and industry; if he practises these qualities from love, and from a sense of duty, he is performing the Dharma of his state. And he must be obedient, with the obedience of love, which is as complete out of sight as under the eyes of authority, which is prompt, cheerful and ungrudging, not slothful, carping and unwilling. He must show his love to those around him by helping them in every way he can; if he is clever, he should help the dull boys with their lessons; if he is strong, he should protect the little lads, and never tyrannise over them. He should be brave, gentle, truthful, courteous; these qualities are all fruits of the fair tree of love. He must be chaste and must always be clean in his own speech and actions; and he must strongly protest against any coarseness of speech or actions in his fellow students, and should especially be careful to protect the younger boys from bad talk and bad ways. A boy who lives in this way during his school and college life will, when he goes out into the wider world of men, practise there the virtues that in his school and college days he learned as part of his Religion. For there is no division between true Religion and noble living a religion that does not express itself in nobility of living is an empty shell; a noble life without religion is shorn of its fairest grace. * -ANNIE BESANT. Limited as your experience may have been, you can hardly have failed to learn the important truth, that nothing is to be obtained, no comfort procured, no luxury or convenience possessed, without being previously purchased by exertion. Young as you are, you will have noticed that your parents do not get money wherewith to purchase the necessaries of life, without giving something in return. Your father has fed and clothed you from infancy, he has given you an education suited to his means, he has bestowed upon you an infinite degree of attention in order to fit you for the busy scenes of life; and when he has done all this, at a great expense both of his substance and his feelings, he cannot be expected to do more, farther than to give his best advice for your welfare. Being now nurtured upto that point at which you are able to endure to a certain extent the withdrawal of parental support, you must not think it hard to be obliged to begin to do something for yourself. You only find yourself placed in the condition of every living creature. By a universal law of nature, the young of all animals are thrust forth from the parental nest on attaining sufficient strength to glean their own livelihood. But we frequently see the young endeavouring to avoid incurring the responsibility of self-dependence, and inhumanely leaning for support on those parents whose means have already been in a great measure ex * From The Central Hindu College Magazine, February 1903. hausted both by misfortunes, and the unavoidable expense incurred in feeding, educating, and clothing their children. It must always be considered an exceedingly mean thing for a young man to continue exacting support from parents, after he was fully able to think and act for himself. There is, besides, an unfeeling cruelty in such conduct, for it is working on the benevolent affections of those who gave him birth, and committing a robbery, with the knowledge that its perpetration will not be visited either by rebuke or punishment.* A MORNING PRAYER FOR A YOUNG COMMON USE OF A SCHOOL. Father of all! we return the most humble and hearty thanks for thy protection of us in the night, and for the refreshment of our souls and bodies, in the sweet repose of sleep. Accept also our unfeigned gratitude for all thy mercies during the helpless age of infancy. Continue, we beseech thee, to guard us under the shadow of thy wing. Our age is tender, and our nature frail; and, without the influence of thy grace, we shall surely fall. Let that influence descend into our hearts, and teach us to love thee, and truth above all things; O guard us from temptations to deceit, and grant that we may abhor a lie, both as a sin and as a disgrace. Inspire us with an abhorrence of the loaths omeness of vice, and the pollutions of sensual pleasure. Grant, at the same time, that we may early feel the delight of conscious purity, and wash our hands in innocency, from the united motives of inclination and of duty. • From Chambers's Miscellany. |