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76
Peace Education

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Vol. X, December 1986

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AN APOSI'

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Pt. LALJI RAM SHUKLA

Prof. RAMAPATr SHUKLA,
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Director, Department of Education Kashi Vidyapith, VARANASI

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Pandit Lalji Ram Shukla was an apostle of peace. He was a spiritual saint. e lived his life with the mota of 'Simple living and high thinking." He practised and preached his four principles-self reliance, free thinking, love & service to others... throughout his life. He was essentially a man of peace and health. Professionally he was a teacher in the old Teachers Training College of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. For some time he taught in the four institutions of higher learning situated at Varanasi. He was a teacher of out-of-campus also. He moulded the personality of many youths in the direction of their mental integration and peace. Young men surrounded him for his noble guidance, discource and dialogue This was why he was called Socrates of Kashi Professor Shukla hailed from Bachavani Village of Hosangabad District of Central Province (now Madhya Pradesh) of India. He was born in 1904. He was educated at Hosangabad and Banaras. One of his teacher Professor Yogesh Chattopadhyay inspired him saying, "Mr. Shukla, you have the talent of a great man. You can teach those professors who teach you:' And he passed all his examination in first Division. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and Dr. Kalulal Shrimali were his

class-fellows in Inter, and B. A. & M. A. classes respectively. Bhikshu Ja,gdish Kashyap was also his classmate in M. A. _Leaving his study he joined non-cooperation movement of Mahatma Gandhi' arid worked with Acharya Kripalani. He lived in Sabarrnari Ashram of MahatmaGl;indhi for some time. He was famous for his teaching. One of his disciple professor Atmanand Mishra. Former Dean, Faculty of Education, Saugar . Universitv wrote in his memoir in 1971 about' his teaching, "Pandit Lalji Ram Shukla' was a very popular teacher. He never caredfor his dress. but he remained always ready, for teaching and learning". Poet Harivanshral Bachchan, who was also a student of Pt. Shukla in B. T. class has written ln his Autobiography about his teaching. He writes, "The understanding in the subject which Shuklaji taught, was sound, deep and vast." Prof. Shukla was well known author of books in psychology, education and mental health. He wrote about 30, books and many papers and articles on educational, psycho-, logical, social, emotional problems, and therapyof mental ailments. His spiritual papers w~re published in the weekly of Sanatan

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- The author of this paper was a colleague of Pandit Lalji Ram Shukla & he rega.rded him as elder brother.

Prof. Ramapati Shukla

78

An Apostle (

Dharma of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya. Groundwork of Educational Psychology was his first book. This book was liked much by the students of B. T. class, In the preface of this book he has written "The progress 'of; a vnation idepends on, the system of education, prevalent in the country, and a good educational system requires the services of men who are insterested in different aspects of the life of the child. Hence the 9reater the interest that a nation shows in the study of the behaviour of the child, the better would be its progress"

His last book was on the theme of Spiri. tuaJ Psychology. In this book he writes, "The world is suffering' mainly because of pride of the ego. Some are proud of their Wealth, some of their lineage, some of their intellectual attainments & some of their moral qualities, All these things are bonds to human soul. But persons who lose the ego become God-men, This is the ideal of perfect mental integration",

He di. drapur at ghter Dr. before fO nd two married e

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Due to his deep study and wnnnqs on psychological, spiritual, social and educational problems. he came, in contact' with Dr. Bhaqwan. Das, Sarvapali :Qr, Hadhakrishnan, " H Is-booie''fhe 'Pri'rlefpJes \ of Edu'cati'on ' Pandit Ikbal .Naray:an ,Gurtu andother-qreat was published -in 1947: He' writes' in this personalities book, "There may be peace between two selves, or they.may be at war. wit!J each other. Hindi, Academy of Uttar Pradesh honoured Criminality, mental abnormality. disease Prof. Shukla in 1980 with a casketcontaland all kinds of vice appear as a result of the niog an inscribed copper-plaque and a activities of the repressed lower self or the cheque of Rs. 15,000/for his writings. impulsive nature of man", Further he writes, .v.lt iis the" business of good education to With his tireless efforts he built up Kashi preventthis disinteqratlon, to shape the individualIn strcha waythat he will neither be Manovlqvanshala (Banaras Institute of p$ychology) at Varanasi in India. He was founat "war with 'himself, nor with the outside wOJld. : .. "Because in his opinion "In every der. trustee, director and psycho-spiritual. rtl~'n 'there is an inner urge for peace and therapist of this institute. He was deeply pe,rtection" , committed to serve deviated youths and rehabilitate mental patients. He was famous lnhls book "Mental Integration he has for his spiritual power and ability to treat said, "Pe~ce and harmony which we are mental patients through the practice of seeking in our social and political life are "Maitribhavana" and "Anapansati". He used wanting our mental life. Till a right philoto say, "Our method is spiritualistic, and sophv oflife guides human affairs neither the especially based on the teachings of Upaniindividual nor. society as a whole will be shads, Patanjal Yoga and Lord Buddha. These .. happy." ' ' practises have a sound philosophy behind, them. Our system may.be called "Love TheHis book.NaiMansik Chikitsa describes rapy", provided the word 'love' is understood thecass histories of mental, patients treated in the sense in which all the sages and seers him and explains .the method of treatment of the past have used it. We think that is not of mental disorders followed by him. This by strenqtheriinq the limited ego, but by book still helps the mental patients who are dissolving in the Infinite consciousness that in the state of communication. a man can be truly healthy."

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78

An Apostle of Peace: Pt. Lalji Ram Shukla

79

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He died on 20 January, 1985 at Chandrapur at the residence of his youngest daughter Dr. (Smt.) Suman Shukla. Hi's wife died before four years of his death. He left behind two sons' and four daughters.' All .are married except one son. His approach to bring peace in the individual-and ultimately-in the world was thtough

helping mentally ills in becoming them mentally healthy. He treated thousands of mentally ill people of all parts of India including of Nepal, U.K. and Germany etc. He did, all thisi tfree of cost till a year before of his death at the age of 81 years. Thus he was an apostle of peace in true sense.

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"The true teacher is not he who has built up an Impressive educational. organization, nor he who is an instrument of the .politicians .nor.he, who. is bound to an ideal, a belief or a country. The true teachen.isInwardlj .. rich and therefore-asks nothing for himself; he is not ambitious and seek no power in" any -form: he does not 'use teachfng-asa means -ef-acquirfng : position. or authority, and- therefore he is free from the compulsion ot society' and the control', of -governmentsv Such~e8ohets-'have"fhe''Pririlltfyh place in-an enlightened civilization, for true culture is founded, not'on":th;~ engineers and technicians,:.but on the educators," - J. Krishnamurti

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