Dharma and the Montessori Method
There are many similarities between Dharma and the Montessori Method. Dharma is not merely a religion. It is a culture that helps human beings to live harmonious life. Similarly, the Montessori Method is not merely an educational method. It is a way to cultivate the personality of the child so that he lives a harmonious life.
We cannot define Dharma in one word. There is no equivalent word that precisely defines Dharma in English. The Sanskrit word Dharma is vaguely translated as “Religion” in English. This translation is like calling “Roti” a “Bread” or “Bread” a “Roti”. As bread and roti are parts of two different cultures, it is difficult to translate them precisely. In a similar way, Dharma is very special to “Hindu” culture. If that is so, then who are these “Hindus”, when and how did the word “Hindu” originate?
Long, long ago people lived on the earth in groups. There were groups of people living on the banks of the river Nile; there were people living between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, and there were people living on the banks of a river which was called Sindhu by the local people. The Persians who traded with them did not have the sound “s” in their language so pronounced Sindhu as “Indu” or “Hindu” and called the people who lived near to it “Indoos” or Hindoos. But the Rishis and Yogis who lived there at and before that time did not call themselves Hindus. They simply spoke of the truth and a righteous way of living. They had no need to define Dharma as it was an open tradition. They just lived ‘Dharma’.
In order to define Dharma, we need to go to its root. The word Dharma[1] is a Sanskrit word that is derived from the root word “Dhr” which means to hold. Thus etymologically Dharma is the one that holds this world or the people of the world or the whole creation from microcosm to macrocosm. It is the Divine Eternal Law of the lord. Thus the practice of Dharma is adhering to the Law of the Lord.
Dr Maria Montessori talks about the Natural Laws of Development and says that each and everything, animate and inanimate, obeys this law. Even human beings adhere to these Laws of Development.[2] We have to provide help to the human being according to the Laws of Development, which means following Dharma.
In the Mahabharata, Bhishma says to Yudhistira that whatever creates conflict is Adharma, and whatever puts an end to conflict and brings harmony is Dharma. Thus Dharma fosters social life. Dharma is a philosophy in practice. It is an art of living through right action, leading our daily life in harmony within ourselves and with others which leads to a life of peace and happiness.
Dr Maria Montessori lived through two world wars. In her later life, she contemplated peace. When everyone spoke about how to stop the war and bring peace in the adult world, she stressed bringing and fostering peace from the roots, the childhood, the point where the foundations of hatred were laid. She spoke about positive non-violence. It is not just restraining from violence but an attitude of life and the manifestation of life[3]. Dr Montessori said that non-violence should become an integral part of our personality and worked on bringing harmony inside the child and outside of the child.
Dharma is not just a philosophical study. It is needed for every man. Not only for those who retire to the Himalayas or who live in temples or churches, nor only for the aged and infirm. For a Westerner mind is only “a view of life” but for Indians, it is “a way of life”[4]. The Rishis, who were the scientists[5] of Dharma, not only expounded but also lived their philosophy. They did not only interpret but revealed Dharma through their life. Dharma teaches how to live our daily life in a practical manner. The Dharma that is right at one point of time is not right in another situation.
Similarly, Montessori is not merely a theoretical study. It refers very much to our practical life. It tells us how to behave, work and interact with others. It mends our movements and our attitude. It instils respect for the animate and inanimate things.
According to T. B. Pahlajani, we need Dharma for Happiness, Knowledge and Evolution. Every person has an urge for knowledge. When one gets that knowledge he goes through serene happiness which makes him evolve in his spiritual ladder.
Let us consider the child in the Montessori environment. He has an urge which drives him to work with the activities in the Montessori environment. He repeats the activity so many times that he totally involves himself in the activity and forgets his surroundings. This leads to concentration. When the child is concentrating, one can see the divine satisfaction on his face. It is not because of the outer beauty of the material. It is because the inner child was satisfied, which resulted out of the perfection he achieved in his consciousness. This sat or the perfection, in his chit, or consciousness creates ananda the bliss. This sat-chi-ananda leads him to the evolution of his life, the serenity of life.
According to Hindu Dharma Man is made up of Body and Atman. The body consists of Body, mind and intellect. The Atman is Consciousness. The body is the vehicle of consciousness. If we have to reach consciousness it is only through the body. The body is made up of five Jnyanedriyas and five Karmendriyas, which include the hands and senses. We can reach consciousness only through the hands and senses.
Mind: The mind is the focal point of all indriyas, the sensory and motor activities. All stimuli from the outer world can reach the mind only through these indriyas and the mind registers the impressions. Without the mind the eye cannot see, ears cannot hear, skin cannot feel. The mind faces outward and receives the stimuli through and passes it to the intellect for orders of action.
Intellect: Again Intellect has two parts-objective mind and subjective mind. The objective mind receives the stimuli from the senses and passes them to the intellect (subjective mind) for orders of action. The intelligence depending on past experiences (vasanas) decides what action is to be taken and passes it on to the Mind. If the data provided by the mind at first is good, if the past experiences are good, the intellect will undertake good decisions.
Mind is the instrument for acquiring knowledge and the intellect assimilates, understands and discriminates. To gain equilibrium in mind, body and soul all these three have to work in cooperation. This cooperation creates inspiration and results in inspired work.
Atman: Atman is the spirit that provides energy and consciousness to the body. It energizes the intellect to assimilate the experiences, stimulates the mind to think and provides energy to the body to act. It illuminates the things, and happenings, thoughts and ideas for the mind and intellect to see, to perceive, to experience.
Dharma’s job is to help the Atman to get rid of its association with body, mind and intellect.
This corresponds to the two streams of energy that Dr. Maria Montessori talks about. The two energies are physical and psychical. The physical energies are the voluntary movements and psychical energies are the will and the intelligence. These two streams of energy have to work in unison.[6] When a child is engaged in work he inhibits all other movements which are not conducive for the accomplishment of the activity and makes only the movements that are needed for the activity. His movements are not impulsive but intelligent. This choice has been made by the intelligence whose characteristic is to distinguish[7]. This equilibrium between all three powers leads to higher consciousness and this consciousness is the key to reach normality.
Dharma says that the world is the training ground for getting rid of the five vices: desire, anger, greed, attachment and ego. On the other hand, the Montessori classroom is the training ground for the child to get rid of the vices and become normalized. A normal child understands the need of other children and keeps his need after others, thus he overcomes desire, doesn’t exhibit his anger; he will not be attached to the adult or the materials and helps only when needed and not just to satisfy his ego. Living in the Montessori environment he develops virtues like forgiveness, tolerance, universal love generosity, nobility, courage, magnanimity and patience.
Dr Maria Montessori understood the law of nature, practised the Sanatana Dharma in her own manner and showed the way of life to the child, without being a Hindu or a Guru. So we can conclude that Montessori is for the child what Dharma is for the Man.
[1] Swami Chidatman Jee Maharaj, Symbolism and Hindu Worship pg 33
[2] Dr Maria Montessori, What you should know about your child pg 16
[3] Dr Maria Montessori, Non-violence
[4] T.B. Pahlajani, What is Religion?
[5] As above
[6] E.M.Standing, Dr Maria Montessori: her life and work
[7] Dr Maria Montessori, Spontaneous Activity in Education