The Absorbent Mind

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THE ABSORBENT MIND

\

THE ABSORBENT

\ |

MIND

by

Maria Montcssori M.D., D.Litt., F.E.I.S

1949

THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSE ADYAfi MADRAS INDIA

INTRODUCTION THE

present volume

is

based upon the lectures given by

Dr. Maria Montessori at

Training Course lasted

up

to the

during the first after her internment in India which

end

of

Ahmedabad,

World War

II.

In

it

she exposes

unique mental powers of the young child which enable him to construct and firmly establish within a few years only, without teachers, without any of the usual

the

education, nay, almost abandoned and often obstructed, all the characteristics of the human per^bnal-

aids

of

This achievement by a being, weak in its physical powers, who is born with great potentialities, but prac-

ity.

without any of the actual factors of mental life, a being who may be called a zero, but who after only

tically

other living beings, is indeed one of the greatest mysteries of life. In the present volume Dr. Montessori not only sheds the light of her

six

years already surpasses

all

penetrating insight, based on close observation appreciation, on the

phenomena

most decisive period of human

of this

life,

and just earliest and yet

but also indicates the

humanity towards it. She, indeed, gives a practical meaning to the now universally accepted " education from birth ". This can be given, necessity of " " and only, when education becomes a help to life responsibility of adult

VI

transcends

the

narrow

limits

of

transmission of knowledge or ideals

One

another.

of

Montessori Method

ment

"

the best known principles of the " is the preparation of the environ-

at this stage of

;

and direct from one mind to

teaching

life,

long before the child enters

a school, this principle provides the key to the realization of an education from birth, to a real cultivation of a

human individual from its very beginning. This is a plea made on scientific foundations, but it is the plea also of one who has witnessed and helped the manifestations of child-nature

and

over the world, manifestations of mental

all

spiritual

grandeur, which form a startling contrast to

shown by mankind which, abandoned during formative period, grows up as the greatest menace to

the picture its its

own

survival.

MARIO M. MONTESSORI Karachi,

May

1949.

CONTENTS CHAPTER

PAGE Introduction

~ I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

The

VI.

VIII.

IX.

X. XI. XII. XIII.

XIV.

XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII.

of

.

Growth

A New Orientation The Miracle Plan,

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

of Creation

One Method

Man's Universality The Psycho-embryonic Life The Conquest of Independence Care to be taken at Life's Beginning .

On

.

.

.

.

.

From Unconscious Creator The New Teacher

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Conscious Worker

to

.

.

Further Elaboration through Culture and Imagination . .

XIX.

XX.

Character and

XXI.

.10 .24 .41

.57 .74 .91 .107 .122 1

.

224

.

235

.247 .261

....

Defects in

Young

Children

38

.157 .169 .184 .198 .212

.

276

Character- building a Conquest, not a Defence

.

288 302

The Sublimation

.315

A

its

Social Contribution of the Child ization.

XXII.

.

1

.

.

Language The Call of Language Obstacles and their Consequences Movement and Total Development Intelligence and the Hand Development and Imitation .

v

.

.

World Reconstruction

Education for Life

The Periods

One VII.

.

Child and

of Possessiveness

:

Normal-

.

Vlll

PAGE

CHAPTER XXIII.

XXIV.

XXV.

325

Social

Development Society by Cohesion Error and its Control

XXVI. The Three

342 363

Degrees of Obedience

XXVII. The Montessori Teacher XXVIII. The Fountain Source of Love

375 393

:

the Child

409

LIST

OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE

Dr. Maria Montessori

The

A

Frontispiece

Multiplication of the Germinal Cell

Chain

of 100

Primitive Ball

Genes

and Walls

of Cells

.

Points of Sensitivity

Types

of Cells

Embryonic Forms

New

.

49

.

60

.

65

.

66

.

68

.

75

Born Child and Adult brought to the same seal

The Cerebellum Diagram.

at the

base of the brain

Tendencies towards Independence

Development

of

Language

Grammar Symbols

.... .... ....

114 .

128

facing

1

36

facing

1

84

facing

]

86

Schematic diagram of the Development of

Language

Development

of

Movement

Normal and deviated Character

196

facing

212

facing

291

facing

360

features of the child's

Circles of attraction towards superior inferior types

facing

and

CHAPTER

I

THE CHILD AND WORLD RECONSTRUCTION THIS book powers torn

is

a

link in

of the Child.

here

apart,

and

our campaign to defend the great To-day while our world is being there one

hears of

One

formulated for future reconstruction.

which

is

envisaged for the purpose

the intensifying

recommended

of

education,

generally.

the

is

plans being of the

Indeed

education.

return to

means

religion

too feel that humanity

I

yet ready to take part in the evolution that

it

is

is

not

desires so

peaceful and harmonious Men are not sufficienty society, the elimination of wars. ardently,

the construction of

educated to control the events, rather they become the victims of them. Although education is recognised as

one

of the

means

for

the uplift of humanity,

ceived as an education of the mind only sort of ordinary education is

still

;

it is

some

con-

superior

envisaged.

Philosophies and religions are said to give a contribution,

it

may be

true,

but

how many

philosophers are

and how many been before and how many more will there be

there in the ultra -civilised world of today

have there I

THE ABSORBENT MIND Noble

have always existed and have always been transmitted, but wars have never ceased. And if education were to be conceived future ?

in

ideas, great sentiments

along the old lines of transmitting knowledge, the problem would remain without solution for ever. Indeed, there

would be no hope of

knowledge that

for the world. is

It is

not transmission

required, the consideration of the

human personality alone can lead us to salvation. And we hold in front of our eyes a psychic entity, a social immense

personality,

in multitude of individuals,

a world

power that must be taken into consideration. If salvation and help are to come, it is through the child for the child is the constructor of man. The child is endowed with an unknown power and this unknown power guides us towards a more luminous Education can no longer be the giving of knowfuture. ;

ledge only

it

;

of

sideration

potentialities

must take a

the

personality,

The condevelopment of human

different path.

must become the centre

When

of education.

to begin such education ?

The

the birth of

and

human

greatness of the

man.

This

is

strikingly mystic at the

speaking,

how can one

an affirmation

same

How

can

we

even know

how

to

He

time.

full

of reality

But, practically

give lessons to a child that

born, or even to children in the life ?

personality begins from

first

is just

or second year of

imagine giving lessons to a babe ? does not understand when we speak, he does not

move

;

so

how can he

learn

?

Is

it

THE ABSORBENT MIND perhaps hygiene merely that is intended when of education of small children > Certainly

modern times the psychic

life

Many

called forth great interest.

have made observations

logists

day from

to the 5th

carefully,

the

two years

first

cation during this

human

individual.

scientists

In

!

has

child

and psycho-

Others, after having studied

birth.

the

to

conclusion that

most important of life. Eduperiod must be intended as a help to are the

of

development

new-born

not

of children from 3 hours

have come

children

the

in the

we speak

powers inherent in the This cannot be attained by teaching the psychic

because the child could not understand what a teacher

would say.

Unexploited Riches Observation,

shown

very

that small children

psychic nature.

A

and wide-spread, has

general are

endowed with a

This shows us a

new way

special

of imparting

itself

form which concerns humanity and which has never been taken into consideration.

The

real

education

men

different

constructive

energy,

remained unknown

children,

as

!

trod

upon

the earth

for first

alive

and dynamic,

thousands of years.

and

cultivated

its

of

Just

surface

without knowing of or caring for the immense riches that lay hidden in the depth, so is man in

later

times,

without knowing buried inside the psychic world of

now-a-days progressing of the riches that

the child

3

lie

and indeed,

in

for

civilisation

thousands of years, from the

THE ABSORBENT MIND very beginning of humanity

man

itself,

has continued

and grinding them into the dust. It is only today that a few have begun to suspect their existence. Humanity has begun to realise the importance of these riches which have never been exploited repressing these energies

something more precious than gold of

man. These

first

two years

of

life

the very soul

;

furnish a

new

light that

shows the laws of psychic construction. These laws were hitherto unknown. It is the outer expression of the It shows a type child that has revealed their existence. of

psychology completely different from that of the adult.

So here begins

the

new

path.

It is

applies psychology to children,

it

not the professor is

who

the children them-

who

teach psychology to the professor. This may seem obscure but it will become immediately clear if we selves

go somewhat more into detail the child has a type of mind that absorbs knowledge and instructs himself. A superficial observation will be sufficient to show this. :

The

two speaks the language

child of

learning of a language

Now who

?

The

a great intellectual acquisition.

is

has taught the child of two

the teacher

of his parents.

this

language

Everyone knows that that

is

?

Is

it

not so, and

yet the child knows to perfection the names of things, he knows the verbs, the adjectives etc. If anyone studies the

phenomenon he

development

will

find

of language.

that the child begins to use

it

All

marvellous to follow the

who have done

words and names

at

so agree

a certain

THE ABSORBENT MIND he had a particular time-table* Indeed, he follows faithfully a severe syllabus which has

period of

It

life.

is

as

if

been imposed by nature and with such exactitude that even the most pains-taking school would suffer in comparison.

And

following this time-table the child learns

and

the irregularities

all

of the

The

different syntactical constructions

language with exacting diligence.

Vital Years

Within a child there

who

a very scrupulous teacher. It achieves these results in every child, no matter

is

he

in

what region he

learns perfectly

when

is

is

found.

The

acquired at no one can teach him. is

only language that

this

man

period of childhood

Not only

that,

but no

matter what help and assistance he will get later in life if he tries to learn a new language, he will not

be able to speak it with the same exactitude as he does the one acquired in childhood. There is a psychic power in

not merely a question two years he is able to recognise all

the child that helps him.

of language.

the things

At

and persons

one thinks about

it

in his

more

The more

environment.

becomes evident that the achieves is immense for all that

the

construction the child

It is

it

:

we

possess has been constructed by the child we once were, and the most important faculties are built in the

two years of recognising what it

first

life.

is

not merely a question of around us or understanding and It

is

dealing with our environment.

It

is

the whole of our

THE ABSORBENT MIND intelligence, our religious sentiment, our special feelings of

and caste that are life when no one can teach nature had safeguarded each

patriotism

human dictates

during this period of the child. It is as though built

child from the influence of

intelligence in order to give the inner teacher that

the

within,

making a complete

of

possibility

psychic construction before the human intelligence can come in contact with the spirit and influence it.

At

three years of age the child has already laid the

foundations

human

the

of

The

special help of education in the school.

he has

made

are

such that

enters school at three that

if

child

it

what a

we compare

is

and needs

personality

we can

the

acquisitions

say the child

who

an old man.

Psychologists say our ability as adults to that of the

would require us 60 years

of

child has achieved in these

hard work to achieve

first

three years.

And

they express themselves by the strange words that I have mentioned above at three a child is already an old man. :

Even then

this strange ability of the child to

the environment children

came

is

not finished.

at three years of

them because they were not

In our

age

;

absorb from

first

schools the

no one could teach

But they gave striking revelations of the greatness of the human mind. Our school is not a real school it is a house of children, receptive.

;

an environment specially prepared for the children where the children absorb whatever culture is spread in In our the environment without any one teaching them. i.e.,

first

school the

children

who attended came from

the

THE ABSORBENT MIND lowest class of people

were quite

the parents

;

illiterate.

Yet these children at 4 years knew how to read and write. Nobody had taught them. Visitors were surprised to see children of so tender an age writing and reading. "

Who

the "

has taught you

to write ?

",

they asked and

would look up in wonder and answer, no one has taught me ". This seemed at

children

Taught

how

?

That children so small could write wonderful, but that they should do so with-

the time a miracle.

was

in

itself

any teaching seemed impossible. The press began to speak about spontaneous acquisition of culture Psychologists thought that these children were out having

received

*

'.

and we shared

special children time. that

It

all

was only

children

this is so,

we

have

this

reasoned,

if

some years that we perceived power of absorbing culture. If

So the

in

without

them

absorbed much more than

children

reading and writing, subjects matics,

can be taken

culture

us put different items of culture for

fatigue then let to absorb.

after

opinion for a long

this

botany, zoology, mathegeography and so on were taken with the same

ease, spontaneously, without

So we found

like

any

fatigue.

that education

is

not what the teacher

a natural process spontaneously It is acquired not carried out by the human individual. by listening to words, but by experiences upon the environgives

:

ment.

education

The

talking, but activity

is

task of the teacher then

one

spread

becomes not one

of preparing a series of

in

of

motives of cultural

a specially prepared environment.

THE ABSORBENT MIND My experiences have

lasted for

the children developed, here

and

there, in different nations,

me to continue and so we found that

asked

parents children

40 years now and as education for older

the

individual activity

is

the

only means of development that this is true for the preschool child as well as for the young people in primary :

and other

schools.

New Man

The

Arises

In front of our eyes arose a

a school or education.

who revealed who showed was

there

his his

to

It

new

It

figure.

was Man

that

rose

true character as he

was ;

not

Man

developed freely no mental oppression greatness when his

restrict

;

And

soul.

so

1

say that any

reform of education must be based upon the development of the human personality. Man himself should

become

the centre of education.

man does

bered that sity

:

birth. first

man

starts his

The years

greatest of

life,

development from

being

birth

univer-

and before

is

If

does not become a burden child not as

must be remem-

achieved during the and therefore it is then that the

development

as the greatest marvel of nature.

by a

it

not develop only at the

greatest care should be taken. child

And

;

this is

he

We

done, then the

will reveal himself

shall

be confronted

he was considered before

a powerless an empty vessel that must be filled with our

wisdom.

His dignity

will

arise in its fullness in front of

our eyes as he reveals himself as the constructor of our

8

THE ABSORBENT MIND as

intelligence,

the

being who,

and happiness works

teacher, in joy

guided by the inner indefatigably, follow-

ing a strict time-table, to the construction of that marvel of nature

MAN. We,

:

help the great work that the master.

who the

will

we the human

of

society.

can only

teachers,

is

soul, to the rising of a

not be the victim of events, but

clarity

human

human

being done, as servants help do so, we shall be witnesses to the

If

unfolding of

the

vision

to direct

and shape

New Man

who

will

have

the future of

CHAPTER

II

EDUCATION FOR LIFE The School and Social

Life

necessary from the very beginning to have an idea of what we intend by an education for life that IT

is

from birth and even before

starts

to

into

go

for the

It is

necessary

question, because recently, time, a leader of the people has formulated

detail

first

about

birth.

this

the necessity not only of extending education to the whole

course of

life,

but also of making

centre of education. to a political

and

I

say

'

*

defence of

for the first

spiritual leader,

time

life

when

I

the refer

because science has not

only expressed the necessity of it, but from the beginning of this century it has given positive contributions which

show

whole

the

the

that

life

conception of extending education to can be done with certainty of success*

Education, as a help and protection to which certainly has not entered the of

any

ministry

North or South

up

to

ities,

today but

it

is

of

education,

nor in Europe. rich in

methods,

neither

life,

field

in

is

an idea

of

action

America

Education as conceived in social

aims and

final-

takes hardly into any consideration whatever

10

THE ABSORBENT MIND There are many

itself.

life

different countries,

adopted by

education considers

life

methods

official

itself

but no

official

is

protection to

that education

life,

you

accompany

system of

or sets out to protect de-

velopment and help the individual from tion

of education

birth.

If

educa-

will realize that

it

life

whole course.

during

its

is

necessary

Education as conceived today prescinds from both bioIf we stop to think about the logical and social life.

we soon

question

realise

that

those

all

who

Students must

going education are isolated from society. follow the rules established

themselves to the syllabus education.

of

If

we

by each institution and adapt recommended by the ministry

think about

these schools no consideration

we

it

find also that in

given to

is

the high school student for instance has not that

is

no concern

of the

are under-

school.

life itself.

If

enough food,

In the recent past

if

were children who were partly deaf, they were marked out by their receiving lower marks because they

there

were unable

to

defects of the

a child

If

was

hear what the

child

teacher said,

were not taken

but the

into consideration.

defective in sight he also received

bad

marks because he could not write as beautifully as other children. Physical defects have not been taken into consideration until very lately it

was from

and when

this

the point of view of hygiene.

was done, Even now,

however, no one worries about the danger there the

mind

methods tl

of the student, of

danger due to defects

education adopted.

What

is

for

in the

school worries

THE ABSORBENT MIND about the kind of live

in ?

the children are forced to

civilisation

The only

thing officialdom

bothered about

is

is

whether or not the syllabus has been followed.

There

are social deficiencies apt to strike the spirit of

young

men but

attending the university

what

the

is

and which do

admonition

official

should not concern yourselves with

?

"

strike

You

them,

students

You must

politics.

attend to your studies and after you have formed yourYes. That is quite so, selves, then go into the world ".

but education today does not form an intelligence capable of visualising the epoch and the problems of the times in

which they

to the social

live. life

mechanisms are

Scholastic

of the

the realm of education.

times

Who

ministry of education that felt

social

is

in

:

foreign

study does not enter has ever heard of any its

called

upon

the country

to solve

any Never has

?

problem acutely such a case occurred because the world of education is a sort of retreat where the individuals, for the whole of remain isolated from the problems of They prepare themselves for life by remain-

scholastic

their

the world.

ing outside of

There

life,

life.

may

be, for instance, a university student

That

dies of tuberculosis.

is

very sad indeed.

who

But as

a university, what can be done > At the most it can provide to be represented at the funeral. There are

many go

individuals

into

the

who

world,

themselves, but will

are extremely nervous

;

when

they

they will be useless not only to be a cause of trouble to their family 12

THE ABSORBENT MIND and

am am

to their friends.

That may be

but

so,

as authority,

I,

1 not concerned with peculiarities of psychology. only concerned with studies and examinations. Who

passes them will receive a diploma or a degree. That is as far as the schools of our times go. Those who study sociology or problems of society have said that the people

who come

from school or university are not prepared for not only that, but most are diminished in their possi-

life,

bilities.

have compiled

Sociologists

found that there are

many

many more who

considered

clude

by saying remedy this. This

is

a

are

criminals,

that the schools

fact.

The

school

It

is

the sociologists

do something, but the school

*

*

strange

:

they con-

must do something is

there are social problems the school

them.

and have many mad and

statistics

a world apart and is

to

if

expected to ignore

who say

that schools

must

has not the possibility of doing so, because the school is a social institution of long standing and its rules cannot be modified unless there

pany

power which enforces this modifiare some of the deficiencies that accomeducation and therefore the life of all who

is

cation.

itself

some These

outside

go to school.

The Pre-School Age What about the child or of the child before

sideration whatever

13

by

its

from birth to the seventh year, birth ? It is taken into no con-

the school.

This age

is

called

THE ABSORBENT MIND and

pre-scholastic

And

of the school.

means

this

falls

it

as to people

could the school do about them

have been created

tions

are controlled

who

who

Wherever

>

what

are just born

institutions

for children of pre-school age, these

are hardly ever governed

They

outside the concern

by

dictate their

the ministry of education.

by

municipalities or private institu-

own

rules

and

Who

regulations.

concerned as a social problem with the protection of the life of the small child ? No one Society says that is

!

belong to the family and not to the

small children

Today of

life.

great importance

But what

is

it

that

given to the

is is

first

state.

years

being recommended

>

A

modification of the family, a modification in the sense that mothers

must be educated.

Now,

the family does

not form a part of school, but of society. how the human personality or the care of the

So we see

human

per-

On

broken into pieces. one side there is a family which is one part of society, but is generally On the other the isolated from society, from social care. sonality

is

school, also kept apart from society, sity.

of

the univer-

no Unitarian conception of the social care There is one piece here, one piece there and

There

life.

and then

is

each one ignores the other. that reveal the

harm

Even those new

sciences

of this isolation such as social psy-

chology and sociology are themselves isolated from the So nowhere is there a reliable system of help for school. When a statesman says that the development of life. education must be a help to

life,

we

realise the

importance 14

THE ABSORBENT MIND mentioned before, nothing new to abstract science, but socially it is something that does not yet It is the next step to be taken by civilisation. exist. It is,

as

Everything

is

of

it.

I

prepared however

existing conditions, others

the errors of the the

to

remedy is

Everything

at

different

may be compared but what

is

has revealed

have shown

stages

The

for the construction.

for the building,

ready

who new

be applied

ready

tions of science

criticism

:

necessary

building necessary for civilisation.

Indian leader

a step that

ance.

It

higher

and

field of

applied science,

The Task

What

is it

of is

is

to

will

and

some one

is

That

life.

contribu-

to the stones cut

takes the stones and puts them together to

resolution of this

of

make

the

why

the

is

of such great import-

is

permit civilisation to

rise

the building of this step, that in the

we

strive

and work.

Education and Society the conception of education that takes

as the centre of

own

life

a conception that alters all previous ideas about education. Education must no longer be based upon a syllabus but upon its

function

?

It

is

knowledge of human life. Now, if this is so and be so the education of the new-born acquires it has to a sudden great importance. It is true that the new-born cannot do anything, cannot be taught in the ordinary

the

sense, to

find

it

can only be observed, out what are the needs

can be studied so as of the new-born life.

it

Observation has been carried out by us with a view of 15

THE ABSORBENT MIND what

discovering to help

life

the

are the laws of

first

laws governing

thing

the

this,

is

we wish know the

if

to

because

if

it

were

we

sought then we would remain of psychology but if we are concerned

merely knowledge that in

because

we must do

Not- only

life.

life,

field

;

with education our action cannot be limited merely to

knowledge. This knowledge must be spread, for all must know what is the psychic development of the child. Education then acquires a new dignity, a new authority, because education the laws of

must act

in this

Indeed tion

it

life.

then

will

You cannot

is

means

society to

disregard

:

These

are

them and you

way." that education

be given from

to

society

society wishes to give compulsory educa-

if

otherwise one cannot call tion

" tell

know what

it

must be given, compulsory

birth,

then

it

;

is

practically,

and

if

educa-

necessary

for

are the laws of the development

Education can no longer remain isolated from society but must acquire authority over society. Social machinery must arrange itself around what is to be of the

child.

done so

that

to collaborate their part

be protected. All must be called upon mothers and fathers must, of course, do

life :

well, but

if

the family has not sufficient means,

then society must give not only knowledge, but enough means to educate the children. If education means care of the

individual

such a thing

and

if

society recognises that such

and

necessary for the child for its development and the family is not capable of providing for it, then is

16

THE ABSORBENT MIND must be society which provides child must not be abandoned by the

it

tion, instead

to

acquire

trol will

state.

over society. control over the

authority

education

if

The

the child.

Thus educaremaining apart from society, is bound

must have

society

but

of

for

is

It

evident that

is

human

considered as a help to

individual,

life,

this

con-

not be one of restraint and oppression, but a

and psychic aid. by these few words that the next step

be

control of physical help

It

alised

for society is

that of allotting a great deal of

will

re-

to education.

money

Step by step the needs of the child during the years of

growth have been studied

and the

scientifically

The educa-

of this study are being given out to society.

conceived as a help to

tion

life

results

takes in every one

not

only the child. That means that social conscience must take over responsibility for education and that education will

spread

step

as

it

it

its

knowledge

to the

whole

of society in every

takes, instead of remaining isolated from society

does today.

not only the child,

Education as protection to life affects but the mothers and fathers as well

as the state and international finance.

It

which moves every part of society, indeed Education as est of social movements.

is

it is it

something the greatis

today

!

Can we imagine anything more immobile, stagnant and indifferent ? Today if economy is to be made in a state, If we ask any great stateseducation is the first victim. " do not know man about education he will tell us I

:

anything about education. Education 17

is

a specialisation.

THE ABSORBENT MIND have even entrusted the education

I

my

wife and she has given

them

of

my

children to

to the school."

In future

be absolutely impossible for any head of the state to answer in this fashion when one speaks about education. will

it

The Child Builder Now,

Man Let us take the

us take another point.

let

made by

statements

of

different

who have What life.

psychologists

studied small children from their

first

year of

conception does one derive from them ? Generally that from now on instead of growing haphazardly, the indiviHe will dual will grow scientifically, with better care. achieve

common

development and growth.

better

idea

"

The

individual

This

the

is

will

grow stronger, the individual will grow more balanced in mind and have a stronger character ". In other words the extreme :

being provided with physical hygiene, the growing child will be provided with mental But this cannot be all. Let us suppose that hygiene. science has made some discoveries about this first period

conception

of

life,

and

is

that besides

this is

not merely a supposition.

.Indeed there

are powers in the small child that are far greater than is

generally realised, because

construction, at

birth,

it is

the building-up of

in this period that the

man

psychically speaking, there

takes is

place,

nothing at

for

all

Indeed not only psychically, for at birth the child is almost paralytic, he cannot do anything, he cannot speak, even though he sees all that happens around him. zero

!

18

THE ABSORBENT MIND And

behold him

after

a while

;

the child, talking, walking

and passing on from conquest to conquest until he has built up man in all his greatness, in all his intelligence. If we consider this we begin to have a glimpse of reality. The child is not an empty being who owes whatever he knows to us who have filled him up with it. No, the There is no man existing child is the builder of man.

who

has not been formed by the child he once was. In order to form a man great powers are necessary and

these powers are possessed only

powers of the and which at

great long,

child last

which

by

the child.

we have

These

described for

have attracted the attention

of

other scientists, were hitherto hidden under the cloak of

who

mother to

forms the child, the mother

walk

talk,

mother

at

things.

What

but

it

is

sense that people said that

in the

motherhood,

It

all.

this

etc.

etc., is

But

I

who

say that

the child himself

it is

the

teaches him it

is

who does

not the all

these

new-born babe, babe who produces the man. Suppose the the mother produces

mother

dies, the

mother

is

is

the

grows just the same. Even if the and even if the mother has not the

child

not there,

milk necessary to feed him, we give other milk to the It is the child and that is how he continues to grow. child

who

carries out the construction

and not the mother. America and entrust

Suppose we take an Indian child to him to some Americans. This child will learn the English language and not an Indian language. By English, we mean American English. So it is not the mother 19

THE ABSORBENT MIND He

that gives the knowledge.

Americans

these

own,

this

takes

it

himself

and

if

treated the child as one of their

really

Indian child would acquire the habits and customs

American people and not those of the Indian people. So none of these things is hereditary. The father and mother cannot claim the credit it is the child who,

of

the

:

making use

of all that he finds

around him, shapes himself

for the future.

needs special aid in order to build man Reproperly and society must give this its attention. cognising the merits of the child does not diminish the

The

child

and the mother

authority of the father

come

to realise that

merely the helpers of

do

able to

a greater child

their

achieve

this construction,

Only

if

;

then they will be

help

is

well given will the

So

a good construction, not otherwise.

loftiness

is

not based upon an inde-

but upon the help that

is

given to the

Parents have no authority other than that.

child.

they

they will help the child with

this

the authority of parenthood

pendent

when

they are not the constructors, but

duty better

vision.

for

us consider another aspect.

Everyone

will

Let

have heard

of

Marx who was the originator of a social reform when he made the workers realise that whatever society enjoys was due to their work and that everything we have in our environment has been made by some man Our daily life is based upon these workers or woman. Karl

and life

they ceased to produce, our social and political would cease. This is part of the theory of Karl Marx. if

20

THE ABSORBENT MIND The workers

on our

of carrying

and provide

lives

;

really give us the possibility

they produce the environment

everything, food, clothing, every people realised this, the working

When

life.

who

are those

bread on

his

employer

Previous to that

ance.

princes, kings

and

workers came to

was

capitalist

the workers

importance was given only to

capitalists,

but later the merits of the

And

the real contribution of the

light.

work

to carry out their

needed

and more accurate was

that the child

is

this

means

greater

problem

means

that

also that the

;

to the

worker, the

his product.

idea into our

the worker

parents furnish the social

for

his real import-

realised as the supplier of the

Let us carry

The

he assumed

were the conditions afforded

better better

all

;

of

man no

who depended

longer appeared as the poor labourer his

means

who

Let us realize

field.

produces man.

The

of construction to the worker.

confronting us

then

is

of

much

because from the children's work, produced, not an object. Childhood

importance,

humanity itself is does not produce one race, one caste, one social group, but it produces the whole of humanity. This is the it is the child that reality that humanity must envisage this worker who society must take into consideration, :

produces really

Karl not

humanity

present

a

itself.

Marx expounded this considered. They had

social questions

resemblance,

striking

told just as the child has to

21

The two

e.g.

before

working men were do whatever they were

idea, the to ;

the workers' needs

and

his

THE ABSORBENT MIND dignity as a

man were

the child, the needs of

life

physical

not considered, and his dignity of

What have

movement

started a of

we

structor,

is

non-existent. ?

They have

order to obtain better conditions

in

more money must

;

who produce

humanity.

also be given to

The workers wish

themselves from restraints and repressions. conditions of this constructor of

man

are

life

great worker from the

this

We

moment he

follow him until he reaches adulthood

;

The

more dramatic

for the constructor of

bring about a betterment in humanity.

must

it.

than those of the constructor of the environment. ing the conditions of

to free

We

childhood from repression that weighs upon

free

are

Also to the child, this conworking man. must give better means of life. Workers ask

more money

those

man

of

for the

life

for

and psychic

and communists done

socialists

work

In the

not considered.

Better-

man

will

must follow at birth,

starts,

and provide him

We

with means necessary for a good construction. must remember that he is going to form that humanity which with

its

is

intelligence

building civilisation.

and it is which guides our hands and produces what we

the builder of our intelligence, telligence

The child is our human in-

call civilisation. If

we

life

shall

itself

know

our hands the

The It

is

is

taken into consideration and studied,

the secret of humanity.

power

of governing

We

shall

have

in

and helping humanity.

Marx brought about a revolution. we are preaching when we speak

social vision of Karl

a revolution that

22

THE ABSORBENT MIND about education.

we know

thing that

consider

It

it

a revolution inasmuch as everytoday will be changed. Indeed I

is

the last revolution.

revolution because

if

It

will

be a non-violent

the slightest violence

is

offered to

then his psychic construction will be faulty. delicate construction of human normality, as it

the child,

This

should be, needs protection it must be carried out without the slightest violence being offered to it. Indeed all ;

our effort has been to remove obstacles from the path of have taken away from him the growth of the child.

We

the dangers

This life

tion

is

and misunderstandings that surrounded him. what is intended by education as a help to

an education from

;

:

birth that brings

about a revolu-

a revolution that eliminates every violence, a re-

volution in which everyone will be attracted towards a

common

centre.

centred

upon respecting and aiding this delicate conwhich is carried on in psychic mystery following

struction

Mothers, fathers, statesmen

all will

be

the guide of an inner teacher.

This not

so

is

the

much a

new

shining hope for humanity.

reconstruction, as

by the human developed in all the immense the new-born child is endowed. tion carried out

23

an aid

It is

to the construc-

meant

to be,

potentialities with

which

soul as

it is

CHAPTER

III

THE PERIODS OF GROWTH ACCORDING

modern

the

to

psychologists

who have

followed children from birth to university age, there are in the course of development different and distinct periods.

This

conception

is

different

from the one

which was held previously and which considered that the

human

individual

when young

then becomes more capable as

it

holds very

little

and

grows, the concep-

something small that developed, i.e., something small which grows, but which holds always the same form. tion of

That was the old conception about the human mind.

Today psychology

recognises

that

there

are

different

types of psyche and different types of mind at different periods of life. These periods are clearly distinct from

one another.

It

curious to

is

say that these periods

correspond to different phases in the development of the physical body.

The changes

are so great, psychically

speaking, that certain psychologists, trying to render them

have exaggerated and they have expressed them" selves in this fashion Growth is a succession of births."

clear,

:

24

THE ABSORBENT MIND At

a certain period of life, a psychic individuality ceases and another is born. These successive births take place during the period of growth.

goes from birth to six years. differences, is

the

first

of these periods

This period shows notable

whole length the type of mind From zero to 6 the period shows two

but during

same.

The

distinct sub-phases.

its

The

a type of mentality which

first

from

to 3 years

shows

unapproachable by the adult, i.e., upon which the adult cannot exert any direct influence and, indeed, there is no school for such children.

Then

is

another sub-phase from 3 to 6 in which the type of mind is the same, but the child begins to become This period is approachable in a special manner. there

is

characterised

by the great transformations

in the individual.

In order to realise

think about the difference there

babe and a

child of 6.

How

is

this

this,

that take place it is

sufficient to

between a new-born transformation takes

place does not concern us for the moment, but the fact is

that at 6 years the individual becomes, according to

the usual expression, intelligent

enough

to

be admitted

to school.

The

is

next period is from 6 to 2 years. This period one of growth, but without transformations. It is a 1

period of calm and serenity. It is also psychically speaking a period of health and strength and security. Now if we

look at the physical body, we see signs that seem to mark The transthe limit between these two psychic periods.

formation that takes place in the body

25

is

very

visible.

I

THE ABSORBENT MIND will cite

and

only one item

starts

there

it

is

reminds us of the

extends from

in

the

12

to

15

first

This

period.

2

last

period

two sub-phases, one that and one from 15 to 18. This into

also distinguished physically

is

1

also a period of such transformation

can also be sub-divided

period

set of teeth

first

the third period which goes from

is

18 years, which

that

the child loses his

growing the second.

Then to

:

body which achieves

by transformations

maturity.

After 18

considered completely developed and there

Man

any considerable transformation.

man

is

no longer merely becomes is

older.

The

curious

thing

that

is

official

education has

It seems to recognised these different psychic types. have had a subconscious intuition of them. The first

period from

to

because

it

education and

it

nised

6 years of age has been clearly recoghas been excluded from compulsory

has been noticed that at

6,

there

is

a

People seem to have reasoned that the child of 6 years is sufficiently intelligent to be admitted

transformation.

to school.

In doing so they have unconsciously admitted

that the child

knows a

many

great

things

;

for

if

he were

completely ignorant, he would not be able to attend school.

If,

for

do not know how

instance, children

orientate themselves,

how

when somebody

and so

talks

to

be unable to attend school.

walk,

forth,

how

even at

to understand 6,

they would

So we might say

has been a practical recognition.

to

that this

But they never thought,

26

THE ABSORBENT MIND these educators, that his

the child can

if

come

to school, find

about and understand the ideas transmitted to

way

him, he must have learned to do so, because at birth he

was unable him then

?

to

do any

Not the

teachers, because, as

period the child

this

Who

of these things.

is

has taught

we saw,

excluded from school.

during It

has

never even entered their minds that there must be a very elaborate procedure to enable the new-born individual

who had no will,

no co-ordinated movement, no and no memory, to understand what we say. intelligence,

An

unconscious recognition was also given to the second period, because in many countries at 2 years of 1

age children generally leave the elementary school and enter high school. Why have they chosen the period

and why do they consider it the proper period in which to give the basic and elementary items of culture ? As this happens in every country of the world, means that it was not done by chance. It means that it from 6 to

1

2

must be a psychic basis common to all children that made this possible. It had been recognised by reasoning based upon experience. It has been found that during

there

this

period,

the

child

can submit

to

the mental

work

He understands what a teacher necessary in schools. says and he has enough patience to listen and to learn. During

this

whole period, he

well as strong in health. teristics

that this period

It is

fitable for imparting culture.

27

is is

constant in his work, as

because of these charac-

considered as the most pro-

THE ABSORBENT MIND After the 12th year of age, usually there is the beginBy this official education ning of a higher sort of school. has recognised that at that year a new type of psychology

begins in the

human

divisions has also

individual.

been

felt.

It

That this type has two is shown by the fact that

they have divided high schools into two parts. have in our country an inferior and a superior high school. The inferior high school lasts three years

We

and the superior sometimes two and sometimes three. Here we have a period which is not as smooth and calm as the preceding one. Psychologists say that a

of such

psychic transformation that it may be compared to the first period from to 6. Usually during this period the character is not steady, there is it

is

period

indiscipline

also

is

and some

sort of rebellion.

Physical health

not as strong and secure as during the second

But the school pays no heed to this. A certain syllabus has been elaborated and children are forced to In this period also follow it, whether they like it or not. period.

the children have to to

obey

implicitly

sit

and

listen to the teachers,

and spend

their

time

have

memorising

things.

Then comes not

the university.

differ essentially

The

university also does

from the types of school that precede

Here also except perhaps by the intensity of study. the professors come, they talk and students listen.

it,

When beards.

I

was

And

young, it

was

men

did

not shave, they had

curious to see in the lecture halls

28

THE ABSORBENT MIND men

bearded, some of them with pointed some had long beards beards, some with square ones all

these

fully

;

and some had them

short, while the

most

moustaches were displayed. Yet and more than mature were as

of

had

to

and

sit

listen

;

all

different varieties

these

little

men

mature

children.

They

they had to submit to the jibes of the

they had to depend for their cigarettes, for their street-car fares on the liberality of their fathers who scolded professors

them adult

if

;

They were

they failed in the examinations.

men

!

These

whose

men,

intelligence,

whose

was going to direct the world, whose instruwork was to be the intelligence and to whom

experience

ment were

of

alloted

doctors,

the

highest

engineers,

professions,

lawyers.

were the

And what good

future is

a

assured on receiving one's degree ? Who goes to a doctor who has only just received And if somebody wants to build a beautiful house, it ?

degree today

?

Is

one's

life

does he go and ask the services of a newly fledged Or if I have a law suit on my hands, am I engineer. going to employ a newly accredited lawyer ? No. And why ? For the simple reason that all these years of study, these years of listening,

work and doctors have

cal

practice

'

do not form man only practido that. Thus we find that young '

all

;

and lawyers have to an established lawyer. The same

to serve in hospitals,

practise in the office of

plan has to be followed for the

This apprenticeship lasts for years and years, before they can have a practice of their own. And in order to be able

29

engineer.

THE ABSORBENT MIND must have an opportunity There have been very strange cases

to find a place to practise, they

and

protection.

resulting from this in

New

place in find

with

this

;

of

information

What

starving.

are

There

even today.

out control, but

employment. " :

we is

some

to the fact that during different periods of

and

to

phase

one took

typical

There was a procession exclusively hundreds of them who had been unable

sort

any

A

York.

of intellectuals to

many countries.

life.

We to

work

are without

do ?" Such

no planning. sort of

bore a banner

They is

;

we

are

the situation,

Education

is

with-

acknowledgement

is

given

growth there are different types at There are different mental types

each mental type has been allotted a different

of education, elementary, high school

The Period

When

I

and

university.

of Creation

was young,

were not taken

the children from 2 to 6 years

into consideration at

Now

all.

there are

There is the pre-school institutions of different kinds. creche for small children and the so-called Montessori school, nursery

and kindergarten schools

for children

from

But today, as then, the most important part of education is considered to be university education, because from the university come the people who have 3 to 6.

best cultivated that part of man's intelligence.

study

and

life,

Now

there

is

mind which we

that the psychologists

call

have come

to

a tendency to go to the other extreme,

there are other people besides

me who

say that the

30

THE ABSORBENT MIND most important part first

it

life

is

not the university, but the

the period that extends from

period

because

of

during this

is

first

to 6 years,

period that intelligence, the

man, is formed and not only intelligence, but the whole of the psychic faculties are congreat instrument of

structed

during this

;

This has

period.

made

a great

who have had any sensibility towards Today many meditate upon the small psychic life. child upon the new-born, and the one year old, who and they feel the same create the personality of man emotion, the same deep impression as those who in olden times used to meditate upon death. What is it that takes place when death comes ? This is what attracted medita-

impression upon

all

;

;

tion

and sentimentality

meditation

in

being carried

is

entered the world.

This

is

Today a similar out upon man who has just a Man, this is the being who the past.

has been created with the highest and

Why

is

animal

he to have such a long and painful infancy ? No has a period of infancy so painful and so

This

long.

"What

loftiest intelligence.

is

what

is

attracts the attention of the thinkers.

that takes place during this period ?" they

it

ask themselves. Certainly

nothing child

it

existed,

knows

little bit

with a

little bit

31

nothing

!

a child were born

It is

not as

if

of intelligence,

with a

little

everything.

with a

is

a period of creation because before and then, a year or so after birth, the

is

which

bit of

memory,

grows. There It is not as Individuality starts from zero of will

after a while

!

THE ABSORBENT MIND though there were a

voice that later developed, as

little

the case, for instance, for the kitten,

mew is

if

The only means

mute.

a

not

question of development. that starts from

creation

able to

is

Man

zero.

That

cannot hope to grow.

It

he

of expression

In the case of the

that of crying.

is

at birth

imperfectly, or for the bird or the calf.

absolutely

has is

even

who

human is

is

being,

it

a question of

you do not exist, you the tremendous step the If

is

child takes, the step that goes from nothing to something.

We

are not capable of

A

is

not capable of

it.

type of mind different from ours, endowed with

different is

Our mind

it.

powers

is

necessary to accomplish

And

this.

not a small creation that the child achieves.

creation of

all.

He

it

the

It is

creates not only the language, but the

make it possible for us to speak. Every physical movement he creates, every side of our intelliHe creates all that the human mind, the human gence. It is a tremendous achieveindividual is endowed with. organs that

ment

!

This conscious thing, child,

is ;

we have

a will and

if

we go about it. There is no no

will.

be created.

We

not done with a conscious mind.

to learn

If

child's

we

type, that of the child

mind

call is

is

will

not the type of

have

to

mind we

our type of mind the conscious

an unconscious mind.

unconscious mind does not

unconscious mind can be

some-

consciousness in the small

For both consciousness and

The

adults possess.

we want

are

mean an

full

inferior

Now

mind.

of intelligence.

One

an

An will

32

THE ABSORBENT MIND type of intelligence in every being and every insect has it. It is not a conscious intelligence even though find

this

were endowed with reason. It an unconscious type and while he is endowed with

sometimes

it

looks as

if it

is

of

it

the child performs his wonderful achievements.

The

one year has already seen all things that are environment and is capable of recognising them.

child of his

How This

we

has he been able to take

due

is

one

to

the

of

have discovered

in

in this

special

the child

:

environment

intense sensitivity that the things which surround

the environment

awaken

him an intense

in

such

of

power

>

that

characteristics a

in

him

interest

in

and

such a great enthusiasm that they seem to penetrate into very life. The child takes with his mind, but with his life.

his

guage that

is

the most evident

all

these impressions not

The

example

the child acquires language

? It is

acquisition of lan-

How

of this.

said that the child

endowed with the sense of hearing, that he voice of the human being and thus he learns is

Let us admit

this.

the millions of different sounds

does he hear child hears,

if it is

to speak. all

and noises that surround him,

voice of

man

true that

he takes only the language

just the

and

hears the

Why, however, amongst

a fact.

It is

is it

?

If it is

true that the

human beings, it means that the human language must have made a great impression on the child. These of

impressions must be so strong, they must cause such an intensity of feeling and such a great enthusiasm as to set in

33

motion

invisible

fibres

within the

body

that begin

THE ABSORBENT MIND to

vibrate

order to

in

We

reproduce those sounds.

can compare it to something similar in ourselves. SomeAfter a while one begins times one goes to a concert. to see

rapt expressions

and hands begin

on the faces

of the public

;

heads

What

has brought them into movement if not the impressions caused by the music > Something similar must happen in the unconscious mind of

to

The

the child.

move.

voice

the impressions aroused

causes such impressions that in us by music seem almost

non-existent in comparison.

One can

movements

thrills,

of the

and

that tremble

tongue that

almost see these

of the minute chords

of the cheeks, everything vibrating

and

becoming tense, preparing in silence to reproduce those sounds that have caused so much emotion in the un-

And how

conscious mind. in

language

its

acquired that sonality,

it is

this

in

natural

from

all

How

set.

He

the words.

is

of If

"

table

it

is

we

the

that

it

his psychic per-

and

it is

as clearly

these

sounds which

meaning suddenly bring

He

>

has taken

4

to his

has not merely taken the sentence, the con-

we do not understand the sentence, we cannot understand

the sentence.'

construction

language.

so exactly and firmly

languages that he may teeth may be distinguished from

the beginning have no

struction of

is

other

mind understanding, ideas in

It

language forms part of

as a set of false

learn,

>

that the child acquires

it

called his mother-tongue,

distinguished

the

exactness

is

If

say, for instance,

the order of the

words

"

the glass

is

on the

that gives the sense.

34

THE ABSORBENT MIND If

one said

difficult

we

"

to them,

to get the idea.

The

understand.

It is

"

on

glass the

table

is

would be

it

words that

the sequence of

child has absorbed the construc-

tions of the language.

The Absorbent Mind

How

does

these things

it

take place

?

It is

in

He would

it.

he remembers

but in order to remember, he has to have

",

memory and he had no memory struct

"

said

have

to

he has

;

have the power

still

to con-

of reasoning

order to realise that the construction of a sentence order

in

necessary

reasoning power.

He

Our mind, such plish

it

understand

to

as

it

is,

child possesses,

it.

could not do

a different type of mind

what the

But he has no

it.

has to construct

is

is

it

to

;

accom-

needed, and that

is

a type of intelligence different

We

might say that we acquire with our The intelligence, the child absorbs with his psychic life. child merely by going on with his life, learns to speak the

from ours.

It belonging to his race. chemistry that takes place in the child.

language

impressions pour our mind, but as water

in,

is

a

like

We

mental

are vessels

and we remember and hold them

we remain

distinct

;

in

from our impressions,

remains distinct from the

glass.

The

child

The

impressions not only penetrate the mind of the child, but form it. They become

undergoes a transformation. incarnate.

The

child

makes

its

own

*

'

mental

using the things that are in his environment.

35

flesh

We

by

have

THE ABSORBENT MIND called his type of for

mind

*

Mind\

Absorbent

It is difficult

us to conceive the powers of the absorbent mind of

the small child, but certainly

mind.

If

only

The

think.

could continue,

it

child

is

born and

a privileged form of

is

it

only

if

it

persisted

some months he

for

!

Just

lies in

After a while he walks, goes around, does

his house.

and he enjoys himself, he is happy he lives from day to day and by doing this he learns movements language comes into his mind with all its constructions things

;

;

;

the

possibility

of

directing

his

and many other things. vironment comes to be part of life

religion.

Think how wonderful

movements Whatever is mind

his it

:

to

suit

his

in

his

en-

habits, customs,

would be

if,

while merely

enjoying ourselves, merely by existing, just because we had such a type of mind, we could become doctors or

lawyers or engineers. Think of it. Children learn the language with all the perfection or imperfection they find in their environment without going to school. How

one could learn German merely by walking with a German. Instead how hard have we Arid how much have we to study when we to work.

wonderful would

have

by

things,

little

if

the

all

unconsciously,

scious

path

to

love,

the

child

becomes conscious

these form his consciousness.

see

and

be

to learn the different subjects. Little

the

it

followed

conscious,

by

the

gradually following

child.

passing

a

path

of all

And so we He acquires from of

unconpleasure

THE ABSORBENT MIND This

To

tion.

consciousness seems to us a great acquisibecome conscious to acquire a human ;

mind But we pay for it. Because as soon as we become conscious, every new acquisition causes hard work and fatigue. !

Movement At birth tions.

another of these wonderful acquisithe child moves very little, then gradually is

body becomes animated. He starts to move. The movements that the child acquires, just as is the case

his

with language, are not formed by chance. They are determined in the sense that they are acquired during a special period. When the child begins to move, his absorbent mind has already taken in the environment. Before he starts to move, an unconscious psychic development has already taken place. As he starts to move,

he begins to become conscious. If you watch a small child of three, he is always playing with something. That means he is elaborating with his hands, putting into his consciousness,

what

taken in before.

by

ment

It

is

his

this

unconscious mind had

experience in the environ-

he goes over the things and the impressions that he has taken into his It is by means of work that he unconscious mind. in

the

guise

of

becomes conscious and

playing

that

constructs

Man.

He

is

directed

by a marvellously grand mysterious power which little by little he incarnates and thus he becomes a Man. He becomes a man by means of his hands, by means of his experience,

37

first

through play, then through work.

The

THE ABSORBENT MIND hands are the instrument

of the

human

intelligence.

And

he becomes a man, he takes

by means

of this experience

a

form and becomes limited because conscious-

definite

ness

always more limited than unconsciousness and

is

sub-consciousness.

He comes

and begins his mysterious work and little by little he becomes the wonderful personality adapted to his time and to his environment. He builds his

mind,

to

until little

by reasoning power until

life

little

by

little

he has constructed

memory

;

he has constructed understanding, until little by little, he has arrived at

little ;

6th year. Then suddenly we educators discover that this individual understands, that he has the patience to his

listen to

what we

In this

And

lived

a study of the psychology

years of his all

He

we had no power

on another plane, different from book we are concerned with this first period.

to reach him. ours.

say, whereas before

life

is

who understand

of the child in the

so marvellous, so it

full

cannot help but

first

of miracles, that

feel

a great emo-

Our work is not to teach, but to help the absorbent mind in its work of development. How marvellous it would be if by our help, if by an intelligent treatment of the child, if by understanding the needs of his physical life and by feeding his intellect, we could prolong the What a period of functioning of the absorbent mind tion.

!

we

we

could help the human individual to absorb knowledge without fatigue, if man could find himself full of knowledge without knowing how service

should render

if

38

THE ABSORBENT MIND he had acquired it, doing it almost by magic. And why should it not be possible ? Is not nature full of magic, full of miracles ?

The

discovery of the fact that the child

is

endowed

with an absorbent mind has brought about a revolution in education. Now it is easy to understand why the first is

the most important amongst the periods of develop-

The

human character takes place within its span and once we have understood this, it also becomes clear that we must help the child in his ment.

creation

of

;

creative work.

more

in

need

evident that

For there

no age

in

which the

child

of intelligent help than in this period.

if

work becomes

is

It is

the child meets with obstacles, his creative less

the child because he

have

is

perfect. is

We

do not any longer help

weak being. No We endowed with great creative

a small and

realised that the child

is

!

powers, that these great powers are delicate in their nature and can be thwarted if obstacles are placed in their path.

It

is

small child, not his weakness.

we

wish to help, not the When we understand that

these powers

these powers belong to an unconscious

mind which must

become conscious by work and experience carried out in the environment, when we realise that the child's mind is different from ours, that we cannot reach it and teach him things, that this

process

we

cannot directly intervene in of passing from the unconscious to the

conscious and of constructing the

human

faculties

the whole conception of education will change

39

then

;

and

will

THE ABSORBENT MIND become

that of a help to the child's

life.

Education

will

take the guise of an aid to the psychic development of man and not of making him memorise ideas and facts.

This this

mind

different

qualities this

is

in

the its

new path

of

different

processes,

education and

how

powers and how to give strength of this mind will be the object

how

to

to help

second the

to the different of our

study in

book.

40

CHAPTER

IV

A NEW ORIENTATION IN

our days there

biological studies.

on

the

adult

were

plants

a

is

new

definitely

Previously

all

orientation

was carried out when animals or it was the adult

study

being.

For

instance,

studied

by

scientists

specimen which came under consideration. also to the studies

adult

that

study of morality,

always the attention

and

this

proceeds

adult.

and

was in

in

the

logical

life

is

we

of

all

in it

the

the

was

which attracted the

field

the

thinkers

adult

headed towards death.

was death

being as he

The study

might say, the study of the conditions

amongst

adults.

such as love

for

It is

true that

one another, the other beings and

these are difficult virtues.

a preparation and an to

e.g.

sociology,

one's self for the welfare of

so forth, but

seem

consideration,

because the

rules of social contact

sacrifice

of

This applied

was always

It

study of

Another

there are moral ideas

41

into

meditation

of morality was,

and

upon humanity.

was taken

in

effort of the will.

have taken the opposite

They require Today scientists

direction.

It

seems as

THE ABSORBENT MIND though they were proceeding backwards.

Both

in the

human

beings and of other types of life, they consider not only the very young beings, but their very study of

So biology

origin. to

the

we

Rather,

it is

might say,

From

this orientation

philosophy has sprung up

not

is

philosophy

attention to embryology,

forth.

new

the origin a

this

its

and so

of the cell

life

towards but

directs

an

of

scientific

nature.

idealistic

because

it

springs

from observation and not from abstract deductions of

The

thinkers.

by

progress of this philosophy proceeds side

side with the progress

discoveries

in the

made

in

the laboratories.

When

one enters the

the

of origins,

field

field of

embryology, one sees things which do not exist in the fields that concern adults, or if they do exist, they are of a very different nature. Scientific observations reveal a type of

which

life

is

the one that

quite different from

humanity was accustomed to consider previously.

by

new

this

of research that the personality of the

field

been thrown

child has

wards

life

struction

of

like

is

no

very banal that the child does not progress

the adult,

the child

progresses to-

because the purpose of the child

man

in

the fullness of his child

A

into the limelight.

show

consideration will

towards death

It is

longer.

the fullness of life.

When

the con-

his strength

the

So the whole

is

adult

life

of

and

arrives,

the child

in

the is

a

progress towards perfection, a progress of ever greater

achievement.

Even from

this

banal observation, one can

42

THE ABSORBENT MIND deduct that the child can find joy

and

task of growth

in the fulfilment of

The

perfection.

a

a type of

child's is

which work, the fulfilment of one's task, brings joy and happiness, whereas in the field of adult, work is something which is usually a rather painful process. in

life

This process of growth,

this

in

proceeding

life

is

for

expands and enlarges, inasmuch becomes, the more intelligent and His work, his activity help the

the child something that

as the older the child stronger he becomes.

child to acquire intelligence

case of adults,

strength,

is

man

that

The

adults

for

found.

field

this

Now child,

birth

In

other

words,

child.

beings,

near the child usually are

So one can see it

is

in

that,

the field of

in

the

the child

deserves to be studied.

life, it

us go

let

for

still

further

back

in

the

life

of the

Already before the child has contact with the adult because as an i.e.

embryo

to

life

the

is

two

cells

period

before

birth.

spent in the body of the mother.

the embryo, there

43

order to construct

a better society can be It is a reality. not a question of an ideal. is different and also as it represents a

is

It

better kind of

of

are

examples and inspiration

that

As

human

of

in this field

him.

who

protectors of the

case

in

he has to construct.

nobody can grow

in the

no competition, because no one

can do the work that the child does the

whereas

Also

rather the contrary.

it is

there

of the child,

and

is

the germinal cell which

which come from

adults.

is

Before

the result

So from

either

THE ABSORBENT MIND when one goes towards the origin of the life of human beings, and when one goes on following the child side

towards the completion of

The

the adult.

child's

generations of adult

and

is

in the

from

adult.

this

life

The

This

is

child's

life

from the

starts

growth, one finds

the line that joins the

is

life

life.

originated,

his task of

which originates

and

adult

way, the path

the

two

of

life,

finishes

and

it

is

that touches the adult so intimately that a

That

great light can be derived.

is

why

its

study

so

is

fascinating.

The Two Lives Nature furnishes special protection to the young. They are born amidst love, the very origin of the child is love.

Once he

is

born,

and mother. generated and that is

his father

he

is

So

it

his

surrounded by the love of is not in strife that he is

protection.

Nature gives to

young and this love is not enforced by reason, such as the

the parents love for their

something artificial, or idea of brotherhood that trying to arouse.

It

is

all

people aspiring to unity are

in the field of the child's life that

can be found the type of love which shows what ought to be the ideal moral attitude of the adult community, because only here can be found love that naturally inspires self-sacrifice.

ego to somebody

inspires the

else, the

service of other beings. all

It

parents give up their

of

an

self to

the

dedication

dedication of one's

In the depth of their sentiment

own

life

in order to dedicate

it

to

44

THE ABSORBENT MIND This sacrifice that the father and mother

children.

their

make

is

something natural that gives

appear as

Nobody

sacrifice.

for

does not

It

joy.

"

instance says

:

Oh,

man has two children etc." But one says How this man is to have a wife and children. What a 4t

this

poor

lucky

must be

it

joy

And

:

her to have such lovely children

for

yet there

is

a real

life

is

It

itself,

on the part of the a sacrifice which gives

self-sacrifice

parents for their children, but joy.

it is

so that the child inspires that which

world represents an ideal renunciation, selfwhich are almost impossible to attain. What

in the adult sacrifice

" !

:

businessman,

if,

on the market, there

is

something rare he

"

Here you take it, do not want it ? But if they are both hungry and there is only a small piece of bread, what father

needs,

tells

another

firm

rival

:

"

I

if

would not say

mother

or it.

am

I

"

not hungry

?

the

to

This

child

" :

You

a very lofty sort of love

is

that can be found only in the world of children.

nature that gives

The one is

a

it.

So

there are

because of the child and

member

of

society.

The

different lives.

loftiest

the

this life

his

sentiments are developed.

Now

it

is

among animals life

in

two

is

of the

because

In

because he

in the other

better

part which concerns the child

of

two

It is

adult has the privilege of taking part in both. life

eat

curious that,

instead of

are also to be found.

if

the study

among men, There

is

these

carried out

two types

are, for instance, the

wild and ferocious animals which seem to change their

45

THE ABSORBENT MIND Everybody knows how tender are tigers and lions for their young and how brave becomes the timid deer. It seems as if there were a reversal of instinct in all animals when they have young

when

instincts

ones

to

they have a family.

is

It

protect.

a sort of imposition of special

over the ordinary ones. Timid animals, even to a greater degree than we, possess an instinct of self-

instincts

preservation, but

when they have young

of self-preservation for

the young.

the protection of

changes into an

So with many to fly

ones, this instinct

instinct of protection

Their instinct for

birds.

as soon as

away

any danger approaches, but when they have young ones, they do not fly away, but some remain frozen upon the nest in cover

life is

whiteness of the eggs. Others feign being wounded, keep themselves just out of reach of the dog's jaws and attract them away from their order

to

young who

the

remain

betraying

in

Ordinarily

hiding.

instead

of

There taking the chance of being caught, they fly away. are many instances of this kind and in every form of there will be found

animal

life

set

self-protection

for

two

and another

sets of instincts

that

owes

it

is

its

H. Fabre

in

One book

of the of the

books French

which he concludes by saying

to this great mother-instinct that the species survival.

This

is

true

because

if

the survival of

the species were due only to the so-called the

one

set of instincts for the

protection of the lives of their young. which most beautifully describes this is a biologist J.

:

struggle for

existence,

how

weapons

for

could the young ones

46

THE ABSORBENT MIND defend themselves

not as yet developed Are not the small tigers toothless and

these weapons. the

birds without feathers

young

Therefore, to survive, for

They have

>

it is

life

if

is

be saved and

to

necessary

?

first

if

the species

of all to provide protection

young who though unarmed are building up

the

is

their

weapons. If

owed

life

would

strong, the species

main

survival only to the struggle of the

its

perish.

So the

factor of the survival of the species,

the adults feel for their young.

that there

is

even

Each one

them.

tective instincts

;

we

is

the love that

study nature, the

see the revelation of intelligence

to

is

fascinating part

If

real reason, the

lowest of the low, as

in the

we

endowed with different kinds of proeach one is endowed with a different is

kind of intelligence and

expended one studies

this intelligence is

all

the protection of the young, whereas if their instincts for self-protection, these do not

for

much

and

intelligence

instinct in

this

field.

made Fabre

that

fill

protective instincts all

different

consider

kinds

there

is

There

is

1

instincts are necessary

same

variety of

not the finesse of detail

6 volumes, treating mainly of the

among of

not the

show so

So studying among one sees that two sets of

insects.

life,

and two types

of

life.

When we

were it for nothing carry this to the field of human life, but for social reasons, the study of the life of the child adult.

47

is

necessary

And

this

for the

study of

consequences it has life must go to the very

in

the

origin.

THE ABSORBENT MIND Embryology There are today consideration the

being from

of the child

and the

One

very beginning.

new

a

which take into life

of the

the study of embryology which

is

ing

its

life

different sciences

is

of the living

most

interest-

also carried out

Thinkers and philosophers in all times have wondered about the marvel of a being who did not exist before and becomes a man or a in

fashion.

woman who

will

have

intelligence,

thoughts,

and who

be able to show the greatness of his soul. How does this come about ? How are the organs made which are so complicated and so marvellous P How will

are

eyes formed and the tongue, that allows us to

the

speak, and the

brain

human organism

of the

of

that there

must be

it

it

was thought in

to

as

disputed this

other infinite details

are they formed

his

be so also to

1th

generating

mammals. Two schools was the man who had

for the

whether

that time there

cell

it

or

the

woman.

" :

I

am

And

they

in the Universities.

was a young man who made use

the microscope, which

himself

In the

century scientists thought the egg-cell a minute ready-made 1

fought carrying on learned discussions

At

?

woman. It was so small that one could not see was there and afterwards it merely grew. This

or

but

in

the

all

How

?

XVI

the

beginning

man

and

had

going to

of

been invented, saying to see what really happens/' He just

started to study the germinal

cell.

vations to the conclusion that there

is

He came by

obser-

nothing pre-existing.

48

THE ABSORBENT MIND He it

said that the being builds

the

The

formed.

is

two divide

the being

formed.

is

(See

men who were

fighting

with each other

became

Who

angry.

is

cell

germinal

into four

this

itself

and by fig.

1.)

and described how

divides

into two,

itself

multiplication of cells,

The

learned university

ig-

who says that nothing exists ? Why, norant person this

is

against

And

the

came

so

religion

situation

bad

for

!

bethis

poor man that he was chased out of his country. He remained an exile

and

died

country.

in

For

a foreign 50 years

Fie.

The

1

multiplication of the

germinal

cell.

though the microscopes were multiplied, nobody dared to look into the secret

But meanwhile what

again.

to penetrate

begun

this first

man had

and people thought

that

it

said

had

might be

Another scientist after 50 years made the same study and found that what the first man had said was He said it to every one arid this time every one true. true.

believed

today

is

and a new branch of science arose which very advanced Embryology. it,

:

Today embryology has developed that

49

it

begins

to

reason

and

says

to

that

the it

point is

true

THE ABSORBENT MIND that there

ready-made woman he becomes a full-grown man

made man grows is

or

until

but there

no readywho grows and

nothing pre-existing, that there

is

surprising,

out

and

build a

or

woman

;

a pre-established plan of construction which

is

seems so well made, so well appears as if somebody had thought

because

reasoned out, that it

is

fixed

it

it

It is

it.

as though

some one wanted

to

house and started by collecting bricks before

And the beginning to build the walls of the house. same happens with this primitive cell first it accumulates a number of cells, by sub-division and multiplication, and :

When

then builds three walls.

been

built,

the

three

second phase begins

the

have

walls

the phase of the

construction of the organs.

Now

the construction of the organs takes place in an

extraordinary way. I

begins by one

It

do not know what happens

there.

I

cell at

one

point.

do not know

if it is

something of a chemical nature or if it is a sort of sensitiveness. I believe no one does. The fact is that around that point an extraordinary activity begins. multiplication

where

it

of

cells

becomes

continues in the

There the

feverish

same calm

rate of

whereas

fashion.

else-

When

this

an organ has been built. There these points and each one of them builds

feverish activity ceases,

are several of

up a

definite organ.

phenomenon

in

this

The

discoverer has interpreted the

fashion

:

there

are

points

of

around which a construction takes place. These It is organs develop independently one from the other.

sensitivity

50

THE ABSORBENT MIND as though the purpose of each of

were

build something for themselves only,

to

the cells

and the

in-

such that in each of these organs become so united, so imbued with what we

the activity,

tensity,

call

might

these cellular points

their

is

ideal that they actually transform them-

and they become So the cells assume a selves

different

from the other

special form

organs that they are constructing.

cells.

according to the

Then when

the dif-

organs are formed independently one of the other,

ferent

something else comes, which puts them into relation and communication. When they are all united, so united and so interconnected that one cannot live without the other, the child

them

is

born.

together.

the circulatory system that joins

is

It

And

after

the circulatory system, the

nervous system is finished, to make more intimate the union. And then one sees the plan of construction.

This plan of construction is based upon a point of enthusiasm from which a creation is achieved. And once the creation of the organs to join

together.

animals and

development

for

is

a fact, they are destined to unite,

This plan

man.

It is

is

the

for all superior

followed by them

all for

the

of each.

The modern

idea

plan of construction

is

therefore

common

that there

is

but one

Embryos are past there was a theory

to all lives.

in fact so similar that in the recent

that

same

evolution had proceeded along a path of different

degrees of animality so that man for instance came from the monkey, that mammals and birds came from ;

51

THE ABSORBENT MIND these from amphibians, the latter from fishes etc.

reptiles,

The embryos stages of

so

all

each were thought to pass through the the preceding ones before achieving birth of

;

that in the

embryos

evolution of the species,

there

that

ction,

has

nature

that

says

Today

synthesis

is

but

one

the facts

method

one plan

only

of

of

the

an abandoned

this is

science looks merely at

Today

theory.

was a

there

and

constru-

of

construction in

nature.

Now

we have

if

facts

are better

ment

of the child,

plan.

mind, then e.g.

the

many

obscure

psychic develop-

because not only the human body, but

from

starts

It

in

understood,

human psyche

also the

this

is

same from what

constructed following the

nothing,

or at least

appears to be nothing, in the same way as the body starts from that primitive cell which appears in no way In the new-born child, also different from other cells. psychically speaking, there seems to be nothing which is already built up, just as there was not a ready-made man in

the

primitive

organs are

built

cell.

And

in

around a point

the psychic field also, of sensitivity.

There

is

accumulation of material, just as we said there was an accumulation of cells by a multiplicaThis is done by what I tion in the case of the body. at

first

the

work

*

absorbent mind/ After that come points These are so intense that we adults cannot

have called the of sensitivity.

of

even imagine anything approaching

example

of this

when we

it.

We

gave an

illustrated the acquisition

of

52

THE ABSORBENT MIND From

language.

these points of sensitivity,

not the

it is

Here

also

developed, but the organs of this psyche. each organ develops independently of the

other,

e.g.,

language, being able to judge distances, or

psyche that

is

being able to orient oneself in the environment, or being able to stand on two legs and other co-ordinations. Each of

develops around

items

these

dependently sensitivity

is

one

the

of

acute

so

towards a certain

set

of

other.

that

an

Now

this

the

attracts

it

actions.

but in-

interest,

None

of

point

individual

of these sen-

occupies the whole period of development. Each long enough to ensure occupies only part of the time After the organ has the construction of a psychic organ.

sitivities

;

been formed, the

but during

sensitivity disappears,

this

we

cannot imagine them and therefore cannot

period there are powers so great that

them, because we have lost even have an idea of what they organs are ready, they unite, call the

When

are.

in order to

the

all

form what

we

psychic unity.

upon different animals them build their adult

Biological studies carried out

have

revealed

by

species

that

means

all

of

of

these

sensitive

periods.

One

cannot understand the construction of the psyche of the child, unless one has an idea of these sensitive periods.

When

one knows

wards childhood

we

are

the child

53

is

them, then the whole attitude tobound to change. As a consequence

better able if

of

to help the psychic

we know when

development

of

these sensitive periods occur.

THE ABSORBENT MIND "

What about the previous generations ? People say How did they develop into healthy and strong beings if " It is true that humanity they did not know about them ? :

did not scientifically

know

the sensitive periods, but in

previous civilizations mothers applied an instinctive treatment of their children which enabled them if not to

second the needs of a sensitive period at least not to disturb it too much. Nature which in its plan has devised the sensitive periods so as to achieve the construction of the psychic organs has also put an instinct in mothers that guides

them

to give

protection.

And when

one

studies the simply living mothers in the treatment of their

then one understands

children,

how

well

mothers of

past generations must have aided the development of their children and how well they seconded the special in the sentiments that nature is It sensitivities.

has to

put in

be

the

found

hearts

for

the

of

parents that the reason

spiritual

strength

of

is

previous

generations.

Today, on account this instinct.

That

is

why

instinct as

ment

it is

Humanity it

life,

is

mothers have

lost

headed towards degeneration.

as important to study the maternal

to study the phases of the natural develop-

of children.

physical

is

of civilization,

In the past the mother not only gave

not only the

first

nourishment, but she also

gave protection to growth as other mothers belonging to animal species give it even today. And if today in humanity the maternal instincts tend to disappear as they

54

THE ABSORBENT MIND do, then a very real danger looms

ahead

of

humanity.

Today, we are face to face with the great practical problem that mothers must co-operate and science must find some way of aiding and protecting the psychic development of the child as it has found a way of development. The artificial of the West has deprived most children of their

protecting life

the

physical

mother's milk and the children would have starved

had not intervened and supplied the

science

some

other sort of physical nourishment.

field,

maternal love

is

a force,

it is

one

if

child with

In the psychic of the forces of

This must receive today the attention of science, science must enlighten the mothers by means of the disnature.

coveries

made

in

the field of the psyche of the children

so that henceforth mothers can help consciously instead Now that circumstances no longer of unconsciously. give free play to instincts in the mother, a consciousness

needs must be given to her. Education must come to the rescue and give mothers this knowledge. Education that starts from birth means to give a conscious of the

child's

protection to the psychic needs of the children.

It is

certain that in this effort to give protection to the psychic

needs

of the children, the

invited

and

become so

interested. artificial

that

mothers must be the

And

if

the

the child

life

of

first

to

be

today has

cannot achieve

its

development, then society must create institutions which will fulfil the needs of the children. When should schools begin

55

?

We

started from 3i, then

we went

to 3, then 2$,

THE ABSORBENT MIND then 2.

Now

the children of one year are brought to

But education meant to give protection to life, must reach further down until it includes the new-born

school.

child.

56

CHAPTER V

THE MIRACLE OF CREATION THIS passing from a cell to a complete organ thing which is incomprehensible, but it is a fact. exist, it

but

and

this

if

is

it

to scientists.

cause though is

felt

it

it

is

is

It

is

books upon

No

word

*

miracle

'.

Be-

this

miracle

matter what animals are ob-

or a rabbit or

sees that

composed

is

the

miraculous and wonder at

served, a bird it

scientific

something that happens continuously,

the same.

just

does

one finds a word used which before was

subject,

nevertheless

It

so marvellous that no one can understand

one reads the modern

anathema

some-

is

any

sort of vertebrate,

of organs

which

in

one

themselves

are extremely complicated

and what causes great wonder

how

these very complicated organs

and

surprise

is

to see

are closely connected one

with the other.

siders the circulatory system,

system so

system of

fine,

in

it

one con-

a drainage

so complicated and so complete that no

by the most advanced type can be compared to it. Also the in-

of drainage invented

civilization

telligence

service

environment, which

57

one sees

If

of is

impressions from the carried out with sense organs, is so collecting

THE ABSORBENT MIND marvellous that no modern instrument can approach it. What can for instance approach the marvel of the eye f or of the ear

And

?

that take place

special

if

one studies the chemical reactions

the body, one

in

chemical laboratories

in

sees that there are

which substances are

evolved, placing and holding together other substances that we in our most modern and most powerful laboratories are

in the

unable to unite.

human

If

we

consider communications

system, the most evolved and perfect com-

munication systems

which include telephone and wire-

telegraphy and telephones and

less,

all

that

we may

imagine which have been evolved and put together they, when compared to the communications that there are in the

body by means

And

of the nervous system, are as nothing.

one studies the best organised army, one will never find the obedience that the muscles have, which carry out the

if

commands

of

one

strategic director

whom

everyone

obeys immediately. These obedient servants exercise themselves in a special work, in a special fashion, so as to be ready to obey whatever commands come to them.

If

we

consider that

all

these complicated organs,

organs of communication, muscles obedient as soldiers, nerves that penetrate each little cell in the body, come

from one

we

cell,

the primitive cell which

is

spherical in

its

wonder of nature. Each living animal, each living mammal, and man, this marvellous being, all of them come from one primitive cell which, when examined, differs in no way from other cells and form,

realise

the

58

THE ABSORBENT MIND looks very very simple. If we, who are accustomed to big things, consider the size of these primitive cells, we

probably receive a shock. It inch, or 1/1 Oth of a millimetre.

shall

means, consider the

and

pencil

size of

is

the l/30th part of an

To

sharp other,

from which

cell

will not

So imagine how microscopic

them.

man

is

And when

comes.

this

one against the

no matter how tiny they are a millimetre of

what

made by a

a point

try to put 10 such dots

realise

the

hold ten cell, this

this cell

de-

develops isolated from the parent because it is protected, it is enclosed in a sort of envelope that keeps This is true it separate from the adult that contains it. velops,

it

The

for all animals.

cell

is

that the adult resulting from

the

work

it

is

of this cell originated

men

actually the product of

by

the adult.

This has

a long time because the in different spheres, such as Napoleon or

been the cause greatest

isolated from the parent so

of meditation for

Alexander or Gandhi, Shakespeare or Dante, etc., as well as the humblest of the humble among the human beings, every one has been constructed by one of these tiny This mystery not only provoked meditation but has also roused the attention of many scientists who have cells.

made

these cells the object of their studies.

tion with a powerful microscope,

each

cell

contains a certain

it

By

observa-

has been found that

number

of points

which as

they can be very easily coloured by chemical means have been called Chromosomes/ Their number differs in the *

different

59

species.

In

the

human

species for instance,

THE ABSORBENT MIND In others there are 15, in

there are 48.

the

number

of

chromosomes

which they belong.

mosomes

some

13 so that

distinguishes the species to

thought that these chrohad something to do with the formation of the Scientists

Recently much more powerful microscopes have been invented. These allow one to see things which it organs.

was

their

They have means people

that each of the

chromosomes

absolutely impossible to see previously.

been called

have been able

was a

and by

ultra -microscopes,

to see

box which contained a sort of chain, composed of about 00 little grains. The chromosomes break up, the grains free themselves and the cell becomes the depositary of some four thousand little grains that sort of

a

little

1

have been termed

'

4

genes

(fig.

PlC.

A chain

of 100

2.)

The word genes

2

genes shown linearly and each contained in one of the

48 chromosomes disposed geometrically on the

left.

60

THE ABSORBENT MIND They have been so called the body are formed by

implies the idea of generation.

because the characteristics combinations.

their

This

what fic

of

is

Yet

really science.

this implies,

one

realises

statement sounds, for

almost invisible, yet

this

little

mystic this dry scienticell is so tiny as to be

a combination

is

the heredity

itself

speck, there

perience, the whole history of the

any apparent change

to think

how

contains within

it

In this

of all times.

one stops

if

the whole ex-

is

human

Before

kind.

visible in the primitive cell,

already

these genes has taken place.

among

They

have already arranged themselves to determine exactly the form of the nose the colour of the eyes etc. of the f

being that will result from

genes are employed

in the formation of

of struggle takes place

Not

this primitive cell.

a body.

between these genes

all

A

made an

is

the famous example of

He

sort

only a few

;

combine and these give the outer characters of the vidual while others remain hidden and obscure. instance, there

the

indi-

For

Mendel who

a plant with red flowers and one of the same kind with white flowers and experiment.

then the seeds of the

new

with red flowers and

1

crossed

plant were sown.

These produce either three plants with white and one with red flowers or the contrary. So out of 40 seeds, 30 will come

and 30 with the

white.

with white flowers or If

with red

the circumstances are good,

superior qualities that

prevail

stances are not favourable, then 61

1

;

it is

but

if

it is

the circum-

the worse qualities

THE ABSORBENT MIND come

that

which the

So according

forth.

cell finds itself,

to the circumstances in

you can have a more

beautiful

individual or a less beautiful individual, a stronger indi-

vidual or a weaker individual.

And

this

is

due

to the

combinations between the genes. The combinations are so many that every human being is different from every

and even

other

children,

one observes families that have many

all

the children are generated

by the some ugly

some are beautiful, others tall, others short and so forth. Today much time is spent in studying what

same are

though

if

parents, yet

circumstances which will forth

a

;

new

make

;

are the

the better characters

come

science has arisen, Eugenics, which shows

how man

has by his intelligence succeeded in acquiring Human intelligence has influence even over heredity. understood that heredity can be influenced only at the stage when the primitive cell is formed and changes can

Thus man becomes a sort of god who takes in hand the powers of life and orients the path it will take. Nothing much has been done in this direction in the field of humanity, but in that of plants and animals, man has

be made.

been able does

it

hand

?

to influence heredity to a great extent.

mean when one has the power of life It means that we can dispose of heredity

What in one's

so as to

transform the species. This is the fascinating part that in our days focusses on this science the interest of

hundreds upon hundreds of people. Today this interest is not academic or philosophical. Today it has invaded

62

THE ABSORBENT MIND Great numbers of plants and ani-

the practical field.

have

mals

been

transformed.

Some

for

ago,

years

two young men carried out certain biologiexperiments and a race of stingless bees was

instance, cal

produced which made a great deal more honey. So man has been able to influence the life of these insects a species that has become harmless and produces more of a nourishing substance that humanity

and

to create

appreciates.

In the

same way

transformed so as to produce

Men

did previously. into

the

much more food than they

have also transformed simple roses

beautiful

many

that

varieties

today gladden

our eyes and delight our sense of smell. of flowers great

his

In the case

achievements have been made.

has captured a secret of life. magician who has embellished of

have been

certain plants

intelligence

;

He

Man

has become a sort of

with the magic because of it, the world is life

wand much

and more pleasant. We begin to see one of the aims of the life of man, one of the reasons which makes him one of the great cosmic forces. He has not been

richer

placed in the world in order to enjoy beautiful things. He has been placed here to make the world better. Man has intelligence because he has to make a better world than that which he has found. the continuator of the

sent to

employ creation more

as though

man were

had been help and make

creation, as though he

his intelligence in order to

perfect.

has been given to him.

63

It is

Intelligence

Man

is

the great

gift

that

has been able to enter a

THE ABSORBENT MIND permits him to have control over

field that

man had So

it.

and

man

life

as

was, but

it

fruitless study.

It

is

control

is

to penetrate certain secrets of

come.

now he can

no longer an abstract a study which has allowed

the study of embryology

to control to

to follow

Hitherto

life.

life

and

be able

to

by means of these secrets the beings that are Now, if by a stretch of imagination we think

development follows a similar procedure, then we can imagine that man, who has penetrated the secrets of physical development, can also control and that psychic

help psychic development.

This chapter about genes and heredity from pure embryology.

way

in

To do

separate

Embryology considers only the

which the primitive this,

is

cell

produces the individual.

the ultra -microscope or special reasoning are

not required.

It

merely a question of observation. two are generated and these remain is

From one cell, Then the two become four, the four eight, eight joined. become sixteen and so on. This continues until hundreds of cells are

produced which are similar

to the bricks that

are used for the construction of a house.

hollow sphere

sort of

Eventually a

is

produced. Curiously enough, in the oceans, there are certain animals which are just volvo like that, a hollow ball, and they are called f

'

because they are always going round. Then these become inflected and form two walls and later a wall

is

formed between the two.

consists

of these

three walls.

So

Up

the to

first

now

balls third

construction all cells

are

64

THE ABSORBENT MIND alike

amongst themselves.

the primitive

cell.

Only they

are smaller than

(Fig. 3.)

o

O O o o o

o Q

0oo

SS

o

oo 080

8

X

8

q

00

(

v

S Q

g

Po

olbo

C od

Fie. 3

Upper wall

left

the primitive ball of cell* (morula) consisting of

(right).

and

Below left the

a

single

introflected double-walled gasttula

to the right the third inner wall is formed.

Recently studies have permitted the discovery of the this

65

way in fact

which these organs are formed.

in the previous chapter.

I

mentioned

This discovery Was

THE ABSORBENT MIND made

very recently, between 1929 and 1930 i.e., after Now this is 1 4 years ago. Before the first world war. a discovery is made and this discovery is made public

and every one knows about say, as yesterday.

Now

4 years are,

we

might the figure reproduced here does

not correspond to a reality.

1

it,

(Fig. 4.)

SENSlTfS/TiONt INCREASED ACTMTV.

CRAOIENTSi

PHYSIOLOGICAL

QftADlEHT$,

Fie. 4

something imaginary made in order to show points of sensitivity. There are these spots in which cells begin It is

and it is in these special points that formed. While one person discovered this in

to multiply very fast

organs are

England independently somebody else was also doing research work and he made the same discovery. The American called these points gradients the Englishman, as he made his discovery upon the

America,

in

f

'

,

nervous system, called them

and

*

'

points

of

sensitisation

'

sanglion

Each set of

'.

of the three walls of the gastrula

organs.

The

external

produces a

one produces the

skin, the

66

THE ABSORBENT MIND sensory organs and nervous system. And this illustrates that the external layer is in relation with the environment,

because the skin gives us protection and the nervous system places us in relation to the environment. The innermost one develops organs used for nourishment such as the intestines, stomach, the glands of digestion, liver, pancreas,

and the

The organs

lungs.

of the nervous

systems are called organs of relation because they allow us to put ourselves in relation with the environment.

The organs

of the digestive

and

respiratory systems are

called vegetative organs because they life

possible.

The

third or

make

the skeleton that sustains the whole

rest,

muscles.

Now

it

is

vegetative

middle wall produces

curious to see

all

the

body and

the

how each one

of

has a special purpose and this purpose remains the same for each kind of animal. As long these

walls

as they are in the stage of walls, the cells are more Is this not intelligent > or less alike, simple. First three

walls

are

not curious that

And is it made, then the organs. the plan of the whole is made while

each of the three layers is After this, each of the

independent of the other ? cells that are going to form still

organs begins to transform itself. They assume the form best suited to perform a function which, however, they do not carry out in the embryo. So that this fine specialization of the cells for

a certain function takes place before the function

begins.

67

which transform themselves

THE ABSORBENT MIND Here

I

have reproduced some

of these cells (Fig. 5.).

MUSCLE CELL.

LIVER CELLS

MUCUS CELLS

FIG. 5

Types

There are the

which are pentagonal in form the muscles which are very long,

liver cells

there are the cells of

and

of cells

the triangular ones are

;

those that

make

the bones.

68

THE ABSORBENT MIND While these bone-cells are very soft, they take carbonate of calcium from the blood and form bones. There are others which

very interesting because they are a sort of little cup and these little cups exude a sort of sticky substance. They also have a sort of fringe of are

fibres called cilia

move

who

up

it

are the cells

of

The

skin.

skin

The

which

outer layer of the skin dies

themselves and underneath there

is

sacrifices

getting ready to sacrifice

Then

nervous system.

;

its cells

is

another layer

its life

for the safety

Those with the long filaments are the

all.

These

for the welfare of others.

life

the

of

whole body.

which

their

then there are the heroes,

the protection of the other organs, covers the

for

sacrifice

And

to the mouth.

sacrifice

itself

mucus and

enter the throat with their gluey

may

that

which vibrate so as to catch any dust

cells of the

there are the red cells of the blood

which go on continuously taking oxygen to the other cells. They take back and throw away the poisonous gases that have formed. The marvellous thing is that though the red corpuscles of the blood are in enormous numbers, yet their number is determined. Before the work of cells. it

has

for

this

Each to

A

themselves. into

a

liver

69

When work, nervous

cell.

themselves as

if

these are

some

of the types

of these cells prepares itself for the

do.

special

starts,

And

work

they have formed themselves they can no longer transform cell

so

can never be transformed

when they have

imbued with a great

ideal

transformed

and dedicated

THE ABSORBENT MIND themselves to the work that

fulfils it, their

task

they have specialized themselves for not the same in our human society ? There are,

because

say, special groups of In

ity.

men who form the

is

fixed, Is

it.

we

it

might

organs of human-

the beginning each individual performs

many

when people are few, one has to know a little of everything. One is a mason, a doctor, a carpenter and everything. But when society tasks.

In the primitive society,

Each man chooses a type of work and his psyche becomes so involved in this work that he can do only that work and nothing else. For example, a doctor cannot be a is

evolved, then there

The

shoemaker.

is

specialization of work.

training for a profession

is

not only

learning a technique, the individual undergoes a psychic

transformation for the task that he

to perform so that

is

one prepares himself not only technically, but, what is more important, one acquires a special psychic personality,

which

suited for that special work.

is

one's ideal realized in

The same seems

When organs,

each

all.

life is

that.

to

in the

comes

that

composed

of

else It is

happen

do not function

for

achieves a union

two complex organs

themselves but function in

order to achieve the unity among all others. the circulatory and nervous systems. The is

a sort of a

river in

are carried to

all.

finds

case of the body. has specialized to form the different

something

among them which

cell

One's

it.

One

They first

are

system

which there are substances and these But it is not only a distributor, it is 70

THE ABSORBENT MIND also

a

The organs produce

collector.

certain things

which are needed by other organs that are far away from them. See what perfection has been achieved by this river

Each organ takes from

!

and throws

Do we

can take

not find the

what

whatever

into the river

that other organs

it

of

it

same

needs

it

for its life

has produced so according to their need. it

in our society to

day

?

Has

All the substances not developed a circulatory system. that are produced are thrown into circulation and each it

one takes from produced that

it

is

it

what

thrown

is

into

becomes available

travelling

salesmen

useful for his

the

stream of

to others.

who go

and what is commerce so

life

The merchants,

the

about everywhere, are they

we

human

society,

we can

better understand the functioning of the

embryo

because

in society also the functioning is

not like red corpuscles

?

If

look at

such that things

produced in Germany are consumed in S. America, things which are produced in England are consumed in India and so forth.

We

can deduce from

this that society

has reached an embryonic stage in which the circulatory system begins to function, but with many defects still.

The

defects of circulation reveal that our society has not

finished

development. The one thing we do not find its

in

human

society

is

something corresponding to the specialized cell of the nervous system. We might almost conclude that this organ of direction has not yet been envolved by society as the the chaotic state of our world very clearly indicates. 71

In

THE ABSORBENT MIND the absence of this specialization, there gives sensibility to

whole

of

instance,

is

that civilization has produced

organization

own

to choose their

all

and can harmoniously direct the What happens in democracy, for the most evolved sort of social

all

society.

which

nothing that

is

leader

by

?

elections.

It

If

permits

we

trans-

"

port this to the field of embryology, one could say

I

:

"

and anothink the liver cell is most suited to govern " " I think that those cells which are inside the ther ;

:

bones

are

structure."

more

suited,

And

another might say

one heroic who

work

at the

because they have a strong

defend

will

of direction

The

us.

".

" I

:

want some

skin cell must

be

such a situation arose in

If

embryology, it would appear absurd, inconceivable, because if there must be specialized cells at all it is surely the cell which directs the functions of the the

of

field

The work

whole.

and

of direction

is

the most difficult task

requires greater specialization than

any

So

other.

It is a question of not a question of election. being fit and prepared for the work. He who has to Thus direct others, must have transformed himself. it

is

there

can

formed

no

be

himself.

specialization

to

leader

But

this

function

unless

principle is

the plan adopted

that

it is

has that

by nature

we

for all

the plan that nature follows

first

goes It

fascinating.

even much more fascinating when is

he

trans-

from

becomes

discover that this

branches of

when

it

life,

creates.

72

THE ABSORBENT MIND we show an

embryology, it is not only because of this plan, and because of the fact that one can acquire control over development, but because it If

interest in

runs parallel step by step to what in the psychic field.

73

we have

discovered

CHAPTER V

ONE PLAN, ONE METHOD NEITHER the discoveries nor the theories that arise from modern discoveries explain fully the mystery of life and of its development. But certainly they do show and illustrate

facts.

These

enable us to see

furnish us with sufficient data to

how growth

Every new detail discovered shows an added realization, but does not explain it. These phenomena can be fully observed and they give an explanation of events of ordinary life.

One

of the things

which

is

takes place.

observed

for instance is that

plan of construction is only one and all types of animal life follow it. Now when I say that it is a plan, I do not mean that we actually see a plan drawn up like

the

a draftsman's.

But what

our eyes, shows us that invisible

plan.

embryo,

it

ren

and

it

we all

see occurring in front of the details follow a certain

The plan can be seen

materially in the

can be followed in the psychology of childcan also be recognized in society. If one

observes the embryos of different animals, one easily sees that the plan of development followed is the

74

THE ABSORBENT MIND same.

This

embryos

of

is

no new discovery.

three

shows the two different

Fig. 6.

animals at

different

FORMS. UATC* 6T A6E.

,

RABBIT

LIZARD

FlC,

stages.

The

earlier

stage

6

is

on the

left

and

the

more

The animals are advanced on the right. Man on top, rabbit below it, and lizard below that. And this is one of the revelations I mentioned. As the :

picture

shows,

in

order

to

realize

vertebrates have to pass through the

lopment and the same forms. 75

themselves,

same

the

stages of deveFor instance you can see

THE ABSORBENT MIND man and

a striking resemblance between

lizard at this

Yet when the embryo has finished developing, the difference is immense. So stage of embryonic development.

there

is

a period

when

all

beings are alike.

We

can also say with the same certainty that, psychically speaking, there is a period in which all the

human beings new born is a all

psychic embryo,

new-born children are

means

but one age,

r'.e.,

but one method.

methods

is

we

say that the must understand that

There can therefore be

alike.

of treating

education

if

And when we

are alike.

or educating children of this

to start

from

birth, there

There can be no question

can be

of special

Indian children or Chinese or Japanese or European children. Here there is an absolute method which is the same for all. There is a period of incarfor

nation in which every fashion,

way

;

i.e.,

all

human

being acts in the same

every human being incarnates

itself in

the

same

have the same psychic needs and follow the

same procedure in order to achieve the construction of man. No matter what type of man results from the work of the child, no matter if it is a genius, or a labourer, a saint or a murderer, each in order to become what he must pass through these stages of growth, What we must take into these phases of incarnation. consideration is this process of incarnation, we must not

is

in the end,

pre-occupy ourselves with what the individual will become We cannot interfere with that. First of all we later on.

do not know

it,

and then we should not have the power 76

THE ABSORBENT MIND to achieve

it if

we knew. What must preoccupy

must take our energies

is

The method which

of education.

methods of eduonly one method

of the

there can be

There must be

what

the assistance to those laws of

growth that are common to all. This brings us to the question cation.

us,

helps the natural laws

growth and of development, alike for all. This is not an idea it is a fact, an evident fact and it shows that it

of

;

cannot be a philosopher or a thinker to dictate this or that method of education. The only one who can dictate the

method

is

nature

itself

which has established certain

laws, which has infused certain needs into the growing the

aim

of satisfying these needs,

seconding these laws, which must dictate the method of education not the more or less brilliant ideas of a philosopher. being.

It

is

;

This true that

but

it

is

specially so in the

is

first

years of

life.

It is

afterwards differences arise in the individuals not

we who

cause these differences

;

we

cannot

even provoke them. There is an inner individuality, an ego which develops spontaneously, independently of us and we cannot do anything about it. We cannot make, We can for instance, a genius, or a general or an artist. only help that individual

who is

to realize his potentialities.

they are leaders or poets or

common men,

they

77

in

No

be a general or a leader matter what they are,

artists or

birth,

if

geniuses, or merely

must pass through these stages

embryonic stages before after birth,

to

:

psycho-embryonic stages

order to realize their mysterious future

self.

THE ABSORBENT MIND What we can do

merely to remove the obstacles so that the mysterious being that each individual is to realize can be achieved, because by removing those obstacles, the

work can be done

We 4

is

call

better.

fundamental

this

effort

of

self-realization

*

incarnation

This

.

the

is

first

practical point

:

there

is

a

process of incarnation, this process of incarnation is the same for all, and our aim in education must be to help this

process of incarnation.

Further

Outcome

The the

of

Embryology

embryos of fig. 6 are very However, when they have

three

other.

similar,

one to

finished

their

development, these beings are very different from one another.

Now

let

us continue to illustrate this question of

the development of embryos of the

most modern

seen

very striking

is

:

by following

thinkers.

the reasoning

What we have

already

the existence of genes, the existence

of points of sensitivity

around which organs are formed

and then the formation of two systems the circulatory system and the nervous system which connect and unite intimately

all

have come

that has

been created.

into relation,

more mysterious.

This

is

there

is

After these organs

something that

the fact that

it is

is

even

not merely

organs that are created and that come to be intimately connected one with the other, but that there come living It is not merely the conbeings free and independent. struction of those organs and putting them in connection

78

THE ABSORBENT MIND with one another, the whole of these organs, the same in every being, form in each case a being different

from the other is

each has

:

its

own

character.

This

is

what

This problem has not yet been solved There is the theory of evolution, but it is a

extraordinary. science.

by

theory and not a

Observation unfolds

fact.

without explaining them. nation a void remains and tant

fact

is

to

Whenever

there

this is important.

recognise that there

is

all is

the facts

no expla-

The impor-

a void.

If

we

accept a theory, e.g., that of evolution which covers all But once the facts, then our intelligence is set at rest. void has been

the

restless

and

noticed,

sets out to find

the

becomes These voids

intelligence

an explanation.

lead people to think, to study facts until a new discovery is made and with each discovery, one more void is filled

and one step forward (this It

in

knowledge

is

made.

There was a discovery first made public in 1930 seems to be an important year for embryology).

was made

in the

laboratories of a biologist of Phila-

These modern laboratories of America are very well staffed and endowed so that each scientist can dedicate himself to the study of one special detail. One of these studied for seven or eight years but one type of animal, a very inferior sort of amphibian and he

delphia.

studied

it

for

such a long time because the facts did not

which were expounded Now to give a full explanation of what at the time. this man has discovered would be boring and not easy correspond to the

79

scientific theories

THE ABSORBENT MIND to understand.

discovered

I

just

mention

it

which were

that the parts

This

in passing. first

scientist

formed were

those parts which directed the functioning of the individual and that the formation of the executive organs comes

Every body knows that we have a nervous system and among other things we have a brain and in our brain are located certain parts each of which deals with an organ. There is a part of the brain which deals afterwards.

Now what with sight and it is called the visual centre. this scientist discovered was that the part of the nervous system which was meant to direct

much

first,

was formed and much before

sight

before the nerve of sight

This was absolutely contrary to the scientific theory of the time. The conclusion* he came to was that in animals the psychic part is formed this

the eye.

:

the being

before

itself

formed

is

i.e.,

the instincts of the

animals are there before the animal has finished building This means that generation concerns itself physically. not only the body, and the different inner organs but also the psyche, also the instincts of each animal, and that the habits of these animals are fixed before the

organ

is

formed.

Behaviourism This is

is

the

new

idea.

The

habits that the animal

going to have are fixed in the nerve centres

before the organ existing,

is built.

what does

it

Now mean

?

if

It

this

psychic part

means

much is

pre-

that the organ

80

THE ABSORBENT MIND finishes

own

its

itself

moulding

construction,

to

the

requirements of the psyche, of the instincts. This method of reasoning brings us to the conclusion that animals have

and the organs

pre-established before birth

their habits

are built in such a fashion

as best to

So according and these instincts. what is important in nature is the of animals.

It

is

fulfil

to this

these habits

new

habits, the

theory,

customs

interesting to see that the organs, of

whatever the animal, are the best suited to carry out the command of its instincts. The new theory has arisen from years and years of study and from observation of This brings us to facts, not from pre-established ideas. the conclusion that the habits of animals are now-a-days

more important than the form

body which was

of the

The term used

the centre of interest in previous times. in 4

generalization of

this

behaviour

'.

It

facts is

includes in

its

what

of

the animals described.

known

in

modern books,

behaviourism/

field

It is

of science.

The

a

new

designated as

meaning the habits and

customs '

is

The new in

especially light that

theory

is

America, as

has come into the

old ideas which held that animals

to their

because they had to adapt themselves environment have gone. The old theory held that

was

the will of the adult which provoked the transfor-

assume

it

their habits

mations necessary so that the body became adapted to the environment, that the efforts which animals made to keep 4

alive,

this

instinct of self-preservation

',

caused a trans-

formation in the successive generations and gradually the

81

THE ABSORBENT MIND species

do

became adapted. The species which could not This was called the survival of the perished. This theory averred that by means of continuous 4

this

fittest

'.

efforts

carried out during generations, a sort of perfection

came about and

this

was then

transmitted to the next

generation.

The new

theory does not do

with

away

all this,

but

places the behaviour of the animal at the centre of its

The

habits.

which

facts

observed are

that

all

the animal

adaptation is successful only if its efforts are expended within its behaviour-pattern. So the animal which successfully carries out its experiences of life upon strives for

the environment does so along the lines of

Let us cows.

illustrate

They

this

by an example.

are powerful animals, strong

its

behaviour.

Let us take the

and well armed.

In the geological history of the earth, the course of their evolution can be traced.

They make their appearance when

already well covered with vegetation. One might ask oneself why this animal has limited itself to feed only on grass which is the most indigestible food the earth

is

be found, so much so that in order to digest it the poor animal has had to develop four stomachs. If, as

that can

was a question of self-preservation of survival, how much easier it would have been to eat something else of which there was an abundance in the

the old theory said,

would have been very simple and very But today after millions and millions of years, we

surroundings. easy. still

it

see

It

cows,

when

in

natural surroundings,

eating

82

THE ABSORBENT MIND They stand

only grass.

and chewing.

with lowered heads, chewing

very seldom that you can make them raise their heads so that one can look into their beautiful It is

eyes. Immediately after they have given

that

head.

their

goes

it

If

you a

you observe the animal, you

crops the grass near the roots, but

the plant.

look,

it

down

will

see

never uproots

seems to know that in order to keep the must be cut near the roots because if the latter

It

grass alive,

it

are cut, the plant dies, whereas

if

they are cut

like this,

they develop under ground. The roots expand and occupy more ground and so the grass travels and spreads instead of dying.

Now

one

that

finds

earth

if

one studies the history

only very late

and one

grass appears

importance that grass has

the

in

of evolution,

of

history

the

also finds the tremendous

for other vegetation

;

because

grass ties together the loose grains of sand which other-

wise would be carried

away by

the wind.

Not only does it

No other render the ground firm, but it fertilizes it also. vegetation could have grown if the grass had not prepared the

way

first.

That

is

upkeep, besides cutting one rolling i.e., putting a heavy weight

things are necessary for is

manure, the other

is

Two

the importance of grass. its

:

upon it. Now, tell me what artificial agricultural machine can be more marvellously fit for these three tasks than So efficient is this machine that bethe cow herself. sides helping the growth of grass

What

a wonderful

it

also produces milk.

agriculturist of nature is the

cow.

Her

behaviour gives us one more reason to be grateful to her.

83

THE ABSORBENT MIND We

thought that she gave us milk and manure and

cow

the

At

else.

nothing

an example

is

we may have

the most

been

something which large, but which has

It is

by the subconscious mind in worshipped. It is the upkeep

felt

cow

is

of

life

But much more

of patience.

does humanity owe to the cow. has been ignored by humanity at

we owe

other plants that

patience she has that we admire.

thought that

is

more than the

It

is

to

India,

where the

of the earth, the

The

cow.

the

superficial patience

the patience of generations

and

generations.

A

Task in

Now

f

if

Life the

cow were

conscious, she

ous merely of the fact that she

is

would be consci-

hungry, that she likes

grass, just as in India the people like chapatis, rice

and other people

and

something else. But certainly the cow will never realize, will never think, will never be conscious of the fact that she is an agriculturist. Yet the curry

behaviour of the

work

is just

such as to help nature

in its

of agriculture.

Now,

who

cow

like

let

us take the example of crows

eat the refuse of nature.

of food there

is

Why,

and

vultures

with the abundance

in the world, should the vultures eat rotten

carcases and the crows excrements and whatever find in the environment >

and do fly long distances would not be difficuft it

They have wings. in search for

them

dirt

They can

of their food.

to

find

they

So

something

84

THE ABSORBENT MIND more appetizing, such as other animals less endowed with strength and the possibility of movement do find. But can you imagine the amount of mortality there would be if this refuse were not removed from the earth ?

What an amount all

and other diseases of were not some instrument

of illness, of plague

kinds would there be,

if

there

whose only task in life is to keep the environment clean ? They have by nature been allotted the task of cleaning the environment. Tell me what is the difference between the mass of workers that in Ahmedabad go back after work, streaming from the mills towards their homes, and the hundreds of crows we see flying back at dusk

their

towards

their

roost,

having done their work of This is their behaviour.

after

cleaning and sweeping

?

These two examples have been given taking them from the choice of food. We might take hundreds and

we

should find that each species has chosen a particular kind of food. might conclude that animals have no

We

free choice

of food.

They do

not eat merely to satisfy

a mission upon the earth, the mission which is prescribed for them by their behaviour. Certain it is that all these animals are benefactors

themselves.

They

eat to

fulfil

and the benefactors of all other living beings. They work to preserve the harmony of creation. They work out creation, because creation is achieved by the collaboration of all the living and non-living beings. And Other these two do their part in it by their behaviour. of nature

animals there are which eat in such tremendous quantity

85

THE ABSORBENT MIND cannot be explained merely on the ground of the upkeep of life. They do not eat in order to keep them-

that

it

They keep alive in order to eat, for instance, the earth-worms. They eat only earth, although there is so much choice of foods. These earthworms eat daily a

selves alive.

quantity of food which

200 times the volume

is

of their

species of

measured by their droppings. This is a being that does not eat in order to keep alive,

especially

when one

food there

is

body.

This

the earth.

without the

is

body

direct

its

disposal.

render the earth

fertile.

So

there are forms

body which go beyond

the

advantage of the individual. the bees.

They come

out in hot weather.

are covered with a sort of fur or a sort of yellow

and black itself

This

velvet.

country, but

bee

at

or details of the

Take

They

of other better

The worm is a worker of It was Darwin himself who first said that worms the earth would be less productive.

The worms of

amount

considers the

it

is

not necessary in a hot

collects the pollen

does not use.

to other flowers to

it is

from flowers which the

This pollen, however,

is

useful

brought by them and which So the work of the bee is not useful

which

are thus fertilized. to itself alone,

fur

it is

useful for the propagation of plants so

one might say that this fur has been developed by the bees for the propagation of plants, not for themselves. Don't

that

you begin

to see in this behaviour that animals sacrifice

themselves for the welfare of other types of life, instead of trying to eat as much as possible merely for their own

86

THE ABSORBENT MIND The more one

existence or

?

of

plants, the

upkeep animals and of

they have a task to perform

There are certain

studies the behaviour

more

clearly

one sees that whole.

for the welfare of the

unicellular animals

which

live in

and drink such an enormous quantity of water that if they were calculated to the proportion of man, they would need to drink a gallon of water per second during

the ocean

their

whole

life.

Certainly one could call this intemper-

ance, for these animals cannot do It

is

not a vice, however,

must work

at high

it is

it

to satisfy their thirst.

rather like a virtue.

speed because

their task is to filter all

the water of the ocean, to eliminate from

which would be a

poison for

terrible

They

it

certain salts

the other in-

all

habitants of the ocean.

The same animals and

if

is

true

of

Corals

corals.

the theory of evolution

were

are

true,

inferior it

would

be incomprehensible that having been among the first animals to appear, they have remained for millions of years always the same.

Why

have they not changed

Because they have a function to fulfil and they fulfil it a perfect manner. This is the same function as that the animals

mentioned above

:

to

ocean the poisonous matter which the flow of rivers.

Their work

is

eliminate is

?

in of

from the

brought into

that of coating

it

by

them-

This has been going on for millions and millions of years and so we can imagine the

selves

with those

salts.

enormous quantity of rock they have accumulated. They accumulate enormous quantities and these animals have 87

THE ABSORBENT MIND been entrusted with the formation of new continents. Look at the innumerable little islands of the Pacific

Ocean

today have come into the lime-light on account of the war which has been fought between the that

Japanese on one side and the Allies on the

made by

are constructions

islands

other.

these

Those

animals,

the

are the tops of mountains that today are If we study the rising out of the water, forming islands.

They

corals.

rocks on dry land,

Even

by animals. is

we

find that

in the

many

of

Himalayas much

We may well say

of coralline origin.

them are formed of the massif

that these corals

are the constructors of our continents.

animals,

the

more one more one

not

for

the

upkeep

that

all

give

So

the

studies the functions

the

these

that these functions are

finds,

of

of

animal's

their contribution

to the

body only, but harmony of the

whole.

Let us say then that these animals are not

merely

inhabitants

structors

This

is

given

of

and workers

the

earth

of this

the past,

light,

we

by studying

they are the con-

earth, they

the vision given by these this

:

new

keep

discoveries.

it

going.

Once

the geological epochs of

find testimony of similar

work

carried out

by animals which are now extinct. There has always been this relation between the animals and the earth, of the animals between themselves and between the animals

and

the vegetation.

which

is

called

A new science has arisen from this

Ecology, a science which

and forms an important part applied today

is

widely

of the study

THE ABSORBENT MIND in

universities.

Ecology

a study of the different

is

behaviours of animals, and

it

reveals that they are not

here to compete with each other, but to carry out an enormous work serving the harmonious upkeep of the

When we

say they are workers, we mean that each one of them has a purpose, a special aim to fulfil earth.

and the

result of these tasks is our beautiful world.

A

of

fundamental study today is to consider the task Behaviour does not merely each upon this earth. the desire to continue to live.

fulfil

It

serves a task which

unknown

and unconscious to the because it does not form part of what one might If animals were to become self-conscious, they remains

evidently being,

wish.

would be conscious of their habits, of the beauty of the places in which they live, but certainly the corals would never realize or understand that they are the builders of the world, nor would the worms which fertilize the

would others the environment and

earth consider themselves agriculturists, nor

consider themselves the purifiers of

so

forth.

The purpose which

relation to the earth their

consciousness.

and Yet

its life

places the

upkeep would never enter and its relation with the

surface of the earth, the purity of the

water

another force which survival, but

us say

that

beautiful, or

89

upon these

are dependent is

because

it

air,

tasks.

the purity of

So

there

is

not the force of the desire for

a force which harmonizes each one

animals in

is

all

the tasks.

important, not because

has succeeded

Let it is

in the struggle for

THE ABSORBENT MIND existence, but because to the

it

whole and the

the place allotted to

why we

That

is

plan,

and

effort

it

which are

carries out tasks

and

of each

to try

the task which

said that there

that the organs

is

was a

were formed

it

useful

and reach is

to

fulfil.

pre-established

to

fulfil

this plan.

This pre-established plan puts the animals in relation with the task that they have to accomplish upon the Nor is the purpose of life to perfect oneself, nor earth.

The purpose

obey the hidden command which ensures harmony among all and We are not created only creates an ever better world. only to

evolve.

to enjoy the world,

we

of

life

is

to

are created in order to evolve the

cosmos.

Today

plan

gradually changing the theory of the linear evo-

is

the influence of the existence of a cosmic

lution of past times.

90

CHAPTER

VI

MAN'S UNIVERSALITY THE how

vision given

by the theory

of behaviourism

shows

each animal species has a task to perform upon the environment and the individuals belonging to that species

faithfully

carry out the task which has been allotted to

them, although they live and function independently from those who have generated them. may have the

We

impression that animals are choice

and

free,

that they

have a

that they struggle with others to

free

have the

upper hand. If we look more closely, we see that their freedom is merely to carry out what is in the behaviour of

each and each one moves according to the dictates of

this

behaviour.

We

see certain animals that proceed

running, other animals

by

skipping, others

by

by walking

slowly and sedately, others by crawling and so forth. If we observe more closely still we find that each species

has a task assigned at a different level in the environment, so that certain animals live upon the plains, others live hills,

others live

upon the mountains, some

in frozen lands

and others

in torrid zones.

upon the

91

live

THE ABSORBENT MIND Now, when we study the human kind and compare it with the animal kind, we find some differences and an important one is that the human kind has not had allotted to it a special kind of movement or a special kind of residence.

Certainly,

task assigned

by

ever, that there

to

adapt

We

earth.

such as

find

is

a

The study

any climate in

deserts.

also

of nature shows,

and

be found.

place.

He

man

the only being

is

how-

as capable as

man

or to

elephants cannot

So we can see

have one's

any place upon this frozen lands where certain animals

the jungle where elephants

man can

facilitation of life to

no animal which

man

tigers or

is

nature.

to

itself

it

that

live.

Yet

tigers are to

Man man

if

you look

in

be found there

can be found even

in

has been allotted no fixed

can adapt himself and can live in any part of the world, for he is destined to invade every part of the world. Let us say then that because of this adaptability, is

upon

is free

to

go wherever he

likes

this earth.

If

this

who

we

look at the behaviour of animals,

behaviour

is

we

find that

expressed in their movements, which

stand in relation to the work that they carry out, whereas man has no special movements. Man is capable of the

movements which he can acquire very Also man can do certain rapidly and very perfectly. things which no animal has ever been able to do or will ever be able to do. Man has done them from his first most

varied

appearance upon the earth he works with his hands. Each animal, for T[here is no limit to man's behaviour. :

92

THE ABSORBENT MIND instance, has

English dog,

America.

one language. it

But

If

we

take for example an

bark in the same fashion as a dog in we take a Tamilian and bring him to

will if

not understand the language there and the Mankind has the most Italians will not understand him. Italy,

he

will

varied languages.

man can walk, man can swim. birds.

The same can be

run,

Not only

said for

jump and crawl

Birds can this,

Man

fly.

man

is

also.

can

movements Like the

fly better

:

fish

than

artificial

move-

movement.

Man

capable of

ments such as dancing.

Each animal has but one

sort of

has a great variety of movements. So his behaviour fixed like certain.

that of the

is

Another thing

In the child none of these abilities

mentioned are present. it

animals.

So we can conclude

true that the abilities of

man

is

is

not also

we have

that though

are infinite, each has to

be acquired by the human individual during childhood. It is by an active conquest, by work, that he acquires

He who is born without movement, who is language. born almost paralysed, by means of exercise can learn to walk, to run and to climb

any animal. But all these Everycapabilities he must acquire by his own effort. him. be Whatever abilities must man conquered by thing possesses, there must have been a child who conquered them. So we might say that the values of man have their beginning in the work of the child. We saw that men are to be found everywhere on like

the earth, in every possible condition and, strange to say,

93

THE ABSORBENT MIND each one

is

contented and glad to live where he

we

consider the Eskimoes,

of

life

consists

in

we

find that to

lives.

If

them happiness

the great wide plains covered with

those lights that break the long darkness with vivid colours, in the noise of the winds that howl and

snow,

in

penetrate not only the body, but are music to the soul. The cold climate and everything that goes with those conditions of

life

give

they be happy except there.

The

others.

for

Nowhere else can The same can be said

them happiness.

men who

live

in

the

tropics

find

and those customs essenand happiness. No matter where

that climate, that special food tial

for

their

we

look,

we

own

always find the same. Man is in There are certain people country.

live in places

which seem to be absolutely unsuited

love with his

who even is

life

will

to the possibility of

life.

In Finland, the country

cold and for long months covered with

rocky,

snow

Yet the recent war between Finland and Russia shows what attachment, what fascination this barren land seems to exercise upon the Finns. If we

and

ice.

take Holland,

we

find that

its

inhabitants are extremely

though we can hardly call it land because it is only by a tremendous amount of work that they wrest the land from the water of the sea and once they have wrested it away, they have to

proud

of

surround

and attached

it

with dykes and they have to

first

And

pump

out the

they have to build a house, the ground upon which the house is to

water continuously. they build

to their land

if

94

THE ABSORBENT MIND because otherwise the house would

stand,

have to sink

trees vertically side

by

side

They

sink.

and

create

an

wooden

platform upon which can be put the foundations of the house. country with most undesirartificial

A

able conditions, yet see with that piece of land It

what

And how

!

ferocity they fought for

beautiful

it

seems

to

has produced some of the greatest painters.

them

!

It is this

attachment, this affection to the place, to the country,

which makes

possible that the whole earth

it

by men.

Because

conditions

of

life,

if

for

peopled each people sought for the best the most fertile of the lands, much

world would be uninhabited.

of the

the whole world inhabited

Now, in

the curious part

adult stage,

his

adaptable beings. live

we

An

anywhere except

by human is

that

see that he

Mediterranean

we

in,

that

makes

is

consider

one

man

of the least

Indian certainly does not like to

in India.

And we who

come back.

attachment,

beings.

when we

If

outside for study or for work, he to

It is this

love for whatever country one lives

this

is

the Indian adult goes is

always hankering are accustomed to the

environment and a temperate climate,

cannot adapt ourselves to the icy North.

Yes,

it is

very nice to go to the desert to see strings of camels It is fascinating and romantic, but not travelling along. pleasant to live there.

We times ago,

95

are attached to our environment, but also to the

we it

live

in.

If

we

consider Europe of

had a much simpler

life

than

it

some years

has now-a-days.

THE ABSORBENT MIND There were no railways or other fast means of communication. Travelling was done by horse carriages, horses had to be changed, people spent days and days to

go from one country

to another.

In order to get

news

would have to wait for months. Suppose a modern man from America came into such conditions. He would find it impossible to live. Or let us take somebody who lived a few centuries back. Everything was calm and peaceful. No trains, no electric light, no of

their

family, they

no underground rumblings of sub-ways, no noise. If a person of those days were taken to New York today with its tremendous traffic, all the bustle and noise that goes on there day and night, where people always hurry,

trams,

where darkness becomes a fantastic display of light advertisements, where no peace, no silence found, he would say So here we see

" I

:

man who

cannot

live in this

a contrast.

place

Previously

electric is

to

be

".

we have

capable of loving and adapting himself to the worst conditions that the earth can present described

and who can

Now we

is

happily no matter in what country. find that men of different centuries could not live

and adapt themselves to the more evolved stage of civilization of more modern times just like we could not

live

adapt ourselves to the slow fashion of living of the previous age. We are happy to live in our age as our forefathers

were happy to

We

see

that

conditions change

live in their ages.

and civilization evolve, men were fixed in their behaviour

as society

and

if

96

THE ABSORBENT MIND animals, they would not be able to adapt themselves the new conditions. Let us consider language.

like

to

No

language

like

born as

is

everything

else.

First

How

more complicated.

when language

time

it

is

is

it is

is

now.

Language evolves Then it becomes simple.

it

that those

who

so complicated, take

pain and without paying any attention to so easily ?

Where does There

tradiction.

the explanation is

a

lie ?

sort of mystery.

live in

it

without learn

it

it

We

face a con-

Man

must adapt

himself to the changing conditions of civilization. older humanity becomes,

a

culture progresses the more.

The So

there must be a continuous adaptation on the part of

man, not only

to geographical

changes as

we

also to the continuous changes of civilization.

as

we

real

saw, adult

enigma

man

is

not very adaptable.

saw, but

And Here

yet is

a

!

The Child Instrument of Adaptation The solution is found in the child, whom we can the instrument of the adaptability of humanity.

The

call

child

whom we saw

born without any special movement, not only acquires all the human faculties, but also adapts the being that it constructs to the conditions in his environment. And this takes place because of the special psychic form of the child, for the child's psychic form is different

show

from that of the adult.

Psychologists today

great interest in the study of this different form of

97 7

THE ABSORBENT MIND psychology. The child stands in a different relationship to the environment. may admire an environment.

We

We it

may remember an

into himself.

sees,

He

He

environment, but the child absorbs

does not remember the things that he

but he forms with these things part of his psyche. incarnates in himself the things which he sees and

hears

us there

in

i.e.,

mations take place.

no change, in the child transformerely remember an environment

is

We

while the child adapts himself to it. This special kind of vital memory, that does not remember consciously, but

absorbs images into the very life of the individual has received from the psychologists a special name they :

have called it Mneme. We have an example

of this in language.

The The

child

does not remember the sounds of language. child incarnates these sounds and he can pronounce them better

than anybody

according to not

all its

He

speaks the language

complicated rules and

all its

he studies and remembers

because

of ordinary

else.

memory, perhaps Yet

it

exceptions,

by means

memory never

his

takes

language forms a part of his psyche, forms a part of him. This is a phenomenon different from mere mnemonic activity. It is a psychic it

consciously.

this

feature that characterizes

an aspect

of the child's psychic

personality.

There whatever

and

is

is

in the child

an absorbent

in his surroundings.

sensitivity

And

absorbing the environment that one

towards

by beholding becomes adapted

it is

THE ABSORBENT MIND This faculty reveals a subconscious power that only found in the child.

to

it.

The

first

period of

life

is

the

is

period of adapta-

We

must be very clear as to what we mean We must distinguish by adaptability in this case. from the adaptability in the adult. The biological it bility.

adaptability of the child

that

is

which makes the only the place where one is

place one really loves to stay in, born. Just as the only language that one speaks well is one's mother tongue. Now an adult person who goes to a country other than his to

it

in the

same

own, never adapts himself

fashion or to the

same

degree.

Let us take the example of those men who go voluntarily to another country in order to spend their life

there,

who by country. "

We

e.g.

the missionaries.

their

own

And

yet

will

if

choose to go and

you speak

sacrifice our lives

Missionaries are people

by

live in

another

to them, they usually

living in this country

".

say This :

denotes the limitations of the adaptability of the adult. Let us now take the child. The child is an individual

who

loves whatever locality he

is

born in to

happy anywhere else, no matter how hard is the life there. So the man who loves the frozen plains of Finland and another who loves the

the point that he could not be

dunes

of

Holland has each received

his adaptation, his

love for his country, from the child he once was. It is

this

99

the child

adaptation.

who The

practically

adult

finds

and

actually realizes

himself

prepared,

THE ABSORBENT MIND adapted, suited to his country, so that he feels the love and special fascination for the place where he lives, so that happiness

and peace

In former times, in

him are only found there. Italy, the people who were born for

a village lived and died there and never moved away from it. Later people who got married sometimes moved elsewhere and gradually the original population

in

were scattered from

their

native places.

By and by

a

malady came about. People became pale, sad, weak, anaemic looking. Many cures were tried but in So at last when it could not be cured in any vain.

strange

" I think way, the doctor said to the relatives you had better send this person to get a breath of his

other

:

native

air ".

And

was sent to his home wherever he was born and after a

the person

town, or the farm, or little while he came back

a breath of the native

People said that was better than any amount

fully cured.

air,

was often much worse than that of the place where one was suffering. What this person really needed was the quiet given to his subconscious by the conditions of the place where he had of medicine, but the air itself

lived as a child.

Now

there

is

nothing more important than

this

absorbent sort of psyche which forms man and adapts him to no matter what social conditions, to no matter

what this 11

J

no matter what country. It is upon that we must concentrate and work. When one says climate, to

:

love

my

country

",

one

does not

say something 100

THE ABSORBENT MIND something

superficial,

forms a part of one's

artificial.

own

how

stand

customs that he finds thus

own life. above we can also

said

the child absorbs

something which

is

of one's

self,

From what we have

It

by

type of psyche, the

this

the land, the habits,

in

who

forms the individual

under-

etc.,

and

typical of his race.

is

'

behaviour of man, i.e., of man suited to the special country in which he lives, is a mysterious con*

This

local

which takes place during childhood.

struction

men

dent that

acquire customs, habits,

mentality, etc.

surroundings because none of them So we have now a fuller picture natural to humanity.

work

of the

not only

the

to

also

of

not

It is

that those people are

respect animal

life,

What

reasoning.

but

place,

India

in

also

to

there

is

life,

right

is

me

cannot

some Indians

feel

:

Oh,

acquired.

and

but with I

"

by saying

that this feeling

respected

the

Here

place.

"

that

to

a respect which leads to veneraThis cannot be acquired by animals.

an adult person.

tion

constructs a behaviour suited

and

time

a great respect for tion

He

of the child.

mentality of the

the

is

evi-

own

peculiar to their is

It is

feel it is

feel

is

for the

that

life

must be

may

I

reason

also

I

must

not a sentiment,

it

the sort of venera-

cow,

for

instance,

whereas people who possess it can never get rid of it. Other people have their religion and even if their mind eventually rejects less. 44

they 101

it,

still

at heart they feel

These things form part

of us as

our

The

are

in

blood

".

uneasy,

we say

in

rest-

Europe

:

things that together

THE ABSORBENT MIND form the personality, sentiments of caste and all sorts of other feelings that make a typical Italian, a typical Englishman, a typical Indian, are constructed during childhood by this mysterious sort of psychic power that psychologists call Mneme. This is true for everything,

even

certain types of characteristic

for

who develop and

that

There are certain people in qualities which are provoked

distinguish different races.

Africa

movement

fix

the need of defence against wild animals. They do certain exercises in order to render their hearing sharper.

by

Sharpness of hearing

is

one

of the special characteristics

of the individual of that special tribe. all

characteristics

the

the child

by

There are certain

individual.

which remain

are absorbed

religious sentiments

in spite of the fact that the

on reason otherwise and

reject

same way and fixed in

In the

mind may

the teachings

later

of this

Something continues in the sub-conscious, because what has been formed by the child can never be totally destroyed. This Mneme, which may be conreligion.

sidered as a superior natural characteristics,

The

memory, not only creates but holds them alive in the individual.

individual changes,

it is

true,

but those things which

the child remain in the personality just as the legs remain, so that each man has this special

are formed

by

character.

One would

we

"

say

Often

:

we

change individual adults. Often This person does not know how to behave ". call such and such a person bad-mannered. like to

102

THE .ABSORBENT MIND He

knows

or she

it,

recognize that they have is

that

feel humiliated,

they *

a bad character

cannot be changed.

it

In the

because they ',

but the fact

same way

in

which

type of psychology leads the child to the wonderful

this

of

acquisitions

civilization,

to

the

modern language,

and

complications

him to fix in his psyche certain things which reason would like to eliminate from the personality, but which cannot be elaborations of

The same phenomenon

changed. tion to,

it

also leads

explains the adapta-

we

might say, different phases of history, because, while an adult of olden times could not adapt him* to

self

level

the in

modern

of level

times, the child adapts himself to the

civilization

of

that

constructing a

which

he

no matter

what

may be and

succeeds

suited to those times

and those

civilization

man

finds,

customs.

So today be,

the child begins to be visualized as

it

should

as the connection, the joining link between different

phases of history and different levels of civilization. Childhood is now considered by psychologists as a very important period because they realize that if we wish to give

new

ideas to the people,

if

we

wish to

alter the habits

and customs of the country, or if we wish to accentuate more vigorously the characteristics belonging to a people,

we must

take as our instrument the child, as very

one has

little

can be done by acting upon

adults.

a vision

of greater enlightenment

for

103

of better conditions,

people,

it

is

If

really

only the child that one can look upon

THE ABSORBENT MIND in

order to bring about the desired results*

there

If

who think that their customs are degenerate, who want to revive old ones, the only individual

are people or others

with

whom

have

they can work

success with the

is

the child.

adults.

If

They

never

will

anybody wants

to

have an influence upon society, he must orientate himself towards chilhood. In past times people tried to influence

Now

adults.

they have understood better and they start

schools for children because in the children the construc-

humanity takes place. They construct with what Let us suppose that a statesman wanted give them.

tion of

we

to try

and change the customs

of his people.

Strange as it may sound, this person must take into great conThis has actually sideration the children of his country.

happened set out to

very

recently

make

among

different

warrior-like people out of those

peaceful, of a loving nature.

grown-ups, but children.

in

the

end he had

He

A

person

who were

tried with the

to take the

young

Mussolini did so in Italy, Hitler followed suit in

Germany. The Youth, Youth '

'.

make

nations.

Fascist

begins with the words the main trend of their policy,

hymn

This was

youth, but soon they had to go towards even younger people and soon the to

use of the creative

hymn

should

taking

children

spirit of

have sounded of

three

*

Infancy,

Infancy

'.

By

years and younger and by

them an atmosphere of enthusiasm, of dignity, of activity, in one generation the character of the whole people was changed. creating around

104

THE ABSORBENT MIND mentality we fight today was neither the original character of the Italian people nor perhaps that of the

The

Germans, but by creating an atmosphere, an enthusiasm based upon our glory around the children, these rooted *

4

so firmly

what

this warrior-spirit in their

may

disaster

not die.

With

psyche that no matter

upon the nation, this spirit will people one can reason, but not

fall

older

with the young ones. They will fight till they are dead. If they are defeated they will continue to fight underground. And you see the different methods and how

even ordinary democracy is not the answer to our needs, for children cannot choose a leader because they do not understand.

We

three years in

idealism or to

cannot hold a meeting of children of order to make them understand political

make them

warriors.

In order to influence

them, you must do so by means of the environment, because the child absorbs the environment, he takes everything

He

from the environment and incarnates

who

really omnipotent,

where-

is

we wish to influence it either if we want to reawaken religion or whatever it is that we may wish to do, we

change a generation, towards good, or evil,

add

is

in himself.

already formed cannot change. So have in front of us a clear vision. If we wish to

as the adult

we

He

can do everything.

it

culture,

must take the

if

child.

The power

of the

psyche

is

something parallel to what

has been discovered in the embryo. By action upon the embryo, you can either make a monster or a more 105

THE ABSORBENT MIND perfect being.

made by and arms have been made to

Indeed, experiments have been

transfering the sanglion

develop on the back. it.

It is

the

But

same here

in

for the

an

adult,

psyche.

man, but you can make him more

one could not do

You cannot

perfect

create

by acting upon power to the

This gives great adults and to education because it confers control over

the

psychic embryo.

psychic growth and psychic development.

immense

if

we compare

it

This power is to the power society has had

when it acted merely upon the adult. The child gives us a new hope and a new vision. Perhaps a great many modifications which

would bring more understanding,

greater welfare, greater spirituality can be brought about in the future humanity.

106

CHAPTER

VII

THE PSYCHO-EMBRYONIC LET us repeat again with psychic

If

life.

have begun then.

embryo

there

know

instead

already psychic

this

If it

is

so, this psychic life

exist,

it

may

endowed

may

not

already have been

how could it be there ? Also in the may be psychic life. When one conceives

is

at

what period

of

embryonic

life

Let us consider certain cases. there are occasions when a child is born at 7

the psychic

who

be

this

one wonders

idea,

We

that the child at birth

otherwise

built,

this

LIFE

life

of at

so

begins.

9 months and at 7 months the child complete that it can live. Therefore

is its

capable of functioning like that of the child born at 9 months. I do not want to insist upon life is

question, but this

example

will suffice

to illustrate

what I mean when I postulate that all life is psychic life, and that even as an embryo the child is endowed with a

As

each type of life has a specific quantity of psychic energy, a specific kind of individual psyche, no matter how primitive the form of psyche.

life

is.

Even

that there

107

is

a matter of

if

we

fact,

we find move away from

consider unicellular beings,

a kind of psyche, they

THE ABSORBENT MIND To

give an example, there is called the little vampire of

danger, towards food, etc.

a unicellular being which is This little being, out of the spirogyra.

do this must have a specific psychic individuality which makes choose this plant. It must, in other words, be endowed

the water, feeds it it

the plants in

all

upon a

special

weed.

In order to

with a specific behaviour.

Each type and has a special

shows

irresistible

way

of conducting its

that their actions are directed

of psyche.

we

especially every animal form of

If

we were

which

special form

to leave the strictly scientific field

might say that there

tributes all the

by a

life

life

is

a psychic director

who

dis-

upon the earth using different In other words today life is contypes of life to do so. sidered as a great energy, one of the energies of cosmic creation.

activities

Therefore,

why

should

it

people state that the new-born child psychic life ? Indeed if it were not

be alive

when is endowed with so, how could it

surprise

us

?

This conclusion

made a

great impression because

had been considered void of psychic Many began to study and meditate upon the fact the child is endowed with a psychic life even be-

previously the child life.

that

fore birth. If

one

is

endowed with psychic

life,

one receives

impressions and at birth a great shock must be felt by the child. This is a new point which makes thinkers

dwell upon the drama of

birth, the fact of

a psychic

life,

108

THE ABSORBENT MIND being thrown all of a sudden from one environment into another vastly different. This sudden change of

a

living

environment

of

more impressive

even

is

considers the condition of the child at birth.

born child

when one The new-

not fully developed and indeed the more

is

people study it, the more they realize how incomplete it is even physically. Everything is unfinished. The legs with which he will walk upon the earth and invade the

whole world are of the

of is

still

cranium that encloses the brain which

a strong defence, but

new-born

in the

Only a few

not yet ossified.

loped.

The same

cartilaginous.

More important

is

still

of

need the head

is

child

true

is

in

bones are deve-

its

the fact that the nerves

themselves are not completed so that there is a lack of central direction and therefore a lack of unification

between the organs, so that not yet developed, the urge to

is

at

whose bones

this being,

the

same time unable

move because every

is

urge

an embryonic as

he

the

This

child

at

Thus we must life

is

life

birth

plunges

into ;

a it

is

new

So

by in

whilst

at once. is

still

in

consider" the child

that

interrupted,

extends before

we

might say,

great event, the great adventure of birth,

in itself is terrific

|09

:

an embryonic

after birth.

by a

new-born walk almost

this

is

stage.

possessing

and

the

obey

transmitted

nerves and they are not yet fully developed. the human new-born, there is no movement

among animals The conclusion

to

are

environment.

by which

The change

as though one went from the earth

THE ABSORBENT MIND moon.

to the

But

this is

great step the child must

not

all

;

in order to

make

make a tremendous

this

physical

Generally the fact that the child goes through so difficult an experience is not considered. When a effort.

child

born, people think only about the mother, and

is

has been

for her.

The

how

however, passes through a greater trial than the mother, especially if one considers that the child is not even complete, but is neverdifficult

it

endowed

theless

remember

that

with a psychic the

developed psychic them,

this

child,

new-born

faculties

life.

Let us therefore

does not possess because he has yet to create child

psychic embryo, which even physically

complete, must create its own faculties. Let us then continue to reason along this

being

which

is

born,

powerless,

line.

is

not

This

motionless, must

be

endowed with a behaviour that leads it towards movement. The formation of those human faculties which do not exist and which must be created, represents a further period of

embryonic

life

:

the psycho -embryonic

life.

This

physically

incomplete

complete the complicated being create man's psychic faculties.

new-born

who

is

child

man

:

must

he must

After birth psychic development takes place following the line dictated by behaviour. In other words, it is the

psychic instincts

development which creates movement. The which in other animals seem to awaken at birth,

as soon as the animal comes into contact with the outer

no

THE ABSORBENT MIND environment, must in

man be

built

the psyche which must construct the

by

the psyche.

human

It is

faculties

and

along with that the movements to correspond to those And while this goes on the physical part of faculties.

embryo finishes its development. The nerves become mielinized and the cranium ossified. It seems as though the human embryo were born incomplete because its final form and its functions must wait until the psyche has the

built itself.

Little chickens,

wait for the hen to

immediately is

start to

so now, this

when they come out of the egg but show them how to pick up food and behave

was so

This

like all other chickens.

and it

in previous generations

be expected that it will always be so. not the case, because man, before he

For

man

starts to

is

this

to is

move,

must develop his psyche. Therefore he is born incapable of movement. The psyche must be constructed according to the evolution of in

which

man

man, according

to the environment

finds himself, according to the conditions

he finds around him, because he must build to his time

The psyche

and conditions. movements are

i.e.,

built

the psyche while

it

man

suited

up together with the

develops

its faculties,

also

develops the movements that express them and thus such behaviour is built that man is adapted to his time and to his conditions.

The

environment must wait faculties

HI

have been

first

active experiences

until the

laid,

upon the

formations of the psychic

THE ABSORBENT MIND Several

consequences follow this fact. that from birth itself the most important side

man

the psychic

is

One of

is

life

in

not movement, because move-

life,

ments must be created following the guide and dictates of the psychic life. Intelligence is what distinguishes man from all animals. The first act of man in this life must be the construction of

therefore

and the nervous system await the construc-

the skeleton

body remains inert. It has to not the body of a being whose the

tion of this intelligence,

because

wait,

behaviour it

While both

intelligence.

is

this

is

Nature has taken

prefixed.

has deprived

man

of the

power

of

its

precautions,

movement and made

body soft-boned, because before starting on his experience upon the environment, he must wait until he has made a great psychic acquisition. It is logical that if

his

life

psychic

the

environment,

it,

construct

intelligence

just like the physical

mulation of

The

first

is

logical

period

may

of

life

its

from

great accu-

special organs.

has been reserved

in order

be collected from the environment.

how

could

man

orient himself in

he started to walk immediately after unless he were endowed with fixed instincts like if

those of the animals

This first

embryo begins with a

because

the environment birth,

of impressions

before starting to build

cells

that impressions

This

by incarnating the must observe and study

itself

must gather a great quantity

it

first,

to

is

is

period

?

the marvellous part. is

one

In the

life

of

man

of the greatest psychic activity.

the It is

112

THE ABSORBENT MIND then that the accumulation of impressions

which

as

Also,

movements in

towards

is

it

of

man

his

made upon

environment that the

and as man

are directed

and

environments

different

in

different

epochs, as he must adapt himself to them, that

is

intelligence builds itself afterwards.

at

great deal

of

tion of this

ment and

psyche

receive

born

historical

imperative

and accumulate a

nourishing matter which lays the founda-

special adaptation to the specific environhistorical

The

born.

the

first

it is

is

epoch

year of

first

which the individual

in

life

is

then appears to us as a

period of the greatest activity leading to the absorption of In the everything that there is in the environment.

second

the

being nears completion, its movement begins to become determined. This shows how clearly nature has planned that the movements of

year

physical

man be

determined by psychic life. This is all the more impressive because people in olden times said that children who cannot move and

were psychically speaking non-existent* What a change Then people thought that the small child had no psychic life whereas now it is known that the main activity during this first year is of the brain. cannot

speak

!

Now born

child,

if

with

this vision,

we seem

we

consider again the

better to understand

why

new-

the size

head of the one year old child is double the size of And at the third year its size that of the new-born child. is already half of that of an adult. And when the child is of the

113

THE ABSORBENT MIND four years of age, the size of

its

head

is

8/10 of that of

the adult. (Fig. 7.)

FIG.

A

7

new-born child and an adult brought

show

How

to the

same

scale

the difference in the proportions of their bodies.

one sees then that the human being grows especially in intelligence, in psychic life, and that all the rest of growth is but that of an instrument of this life

psychic

This, of the

of

first

man

shows

clearly

is

as

if

it

develops

its faculties.

shows anything, shows the importance year for the rest of life and that the child it

characterized

by

his intelligence.

the greatest difference there

is

This also

between man and

the animals. Animals merely have to obey the instincts of

114

THE ABSORBENT MIND Their psychic life is limited to that. In another fact the creation of human intelli-

their behaviour.

man

there

is

:

What man will do in the future we do not know The and we cannot know from the new-born child. gence.

have

intelligence of the child will

a

life

which

thousands

is

of

which goes back hundreds of civilization and which has

in evolution, in

years

stretching in front of

to take in the present of

its

a future of hundreds, of thousands,

it

a present that has no limit either in the past or in the future, and that is never for a of millions of years perhaps

moment

same

the

the others there

For

man

:

:

aspects are infinite whereas for

its

but one aspect which

is

there

is

no

is

Human

limit.

always

intelligence

the centre which must be taken into consideration

man

is

studied.

Certainly this psychic

possibility of going

towards the

life

infinite,

fixed. is

when

which has the

which

is

destined

some mysterious because in the mind of

to go towards the infinite, must begin in fashion.

It

begins before birth

the new-born the to

we

find

powers so strong that they have

possibility of creating

any

any

faculties, of

adapting

man

condition.

The

various impulses of

man have

as their basis this

psychic life. This point must be clearly visualized before we go on and before we can understand the

psychic development of the child. There is something else which must be considered and that is the essence of the

because 115

mind this

of the

mind

is

child

so

and

its

way

very hungry

of

functioning,

in the first

year of

THE ABSORBENT MIND life

that

wants to gather impressions of everything that It does not absorb anything its environment.

it

exists in

with

life

consciously.

It

development

of the

is

its

What

child.

that guides the

powers

nature of this

the

is

We

must understand this if we are to psychic life > understand some of the future actions of the child. How does the child

re -act to external things ?

Birth Terror

and

Reactions

its

Psychologists are today struck 4

adventure of birth

difficult

at birth

one

',

by what they

and conclude

must undergo a great shock

of the scientific terms of

Certainly,

is

it

'

not a conscious

terror,

is

but

the

that the child

Today

of fright.

psychology

call

birth terror \

his conscious

if

psychic faculties were developed, he would express himself

bitter

by

this terrible

words

world

" :

What can

>

to adapt myself to a

own

How am

Why

life

I

have you thrown me into do ? How shall I be able

which

is

so different from

my

going to adapt myself to the terrific amount of sounds, I who had never heard even the ?

slightest

I

whisper before

these very

yourself for

How

shall

I

How

shall

me

?

How

can

I

climate in the world, the

is

who have been

is

in a

not conscious of

suffering

from birth

mother, took

and breathe

>

changes of

terrific

temperature that

same agreeable warmth

child

not say that he

I

my

digest

be able to withstand these

was always of Now, the

take upon myself

I

functions which you,

difficult

upon

?

f*

of your

all this.

terror.

body

He

?

could

There must 116

THE ABSORBENT MIND be a psychic feeling different from the conscious, because " if he were conscious the child would say Why have you

abandoned me ? You have left me who am wounded. You have abandoned me, who have no strength. How " had you the courage to do so > This would be his reasoning if he were conscious, but he

Yet

not conscious.

is

very sensitive, and he must

in his

sub-conscious he

is

feel

very nearly something have expressed above.

corresponding to what we This must be taken into consideration by those

The

who

must be helped in his first adaptation to our environment as his psyche must, through study

life.

birth,

receive a

child

terrific

the child can feel

There

shock.

fright.

Very often we have seen lowered into the bath

children

What to the

that they

help

young

mothers the

is

in

who,

in the first hours of

grasping movement, as one does

That shows

no doubt that

is

felt

if

life,

when one

is

quickly

made a falling.

frightened.

Nature does give help Nature gives adaptation.

there in nature this difficult

?

keeping their child close to their own body and to protect him from light. And the mother herself has been made powerless by nature during this

Not too much energy

period.

quiet

for

child.

It

reasoning I

her is :

must keep

117

instinct of

own

is left

to her.

By keeping

sake she gives the needed quiet to the

as though sub-consciously the mother were " This child has received a terrific shock. it

close to

me

".

THE ABSORBENT MIND She warms from too

many

Human we

with her warmth and she protects

it

it

impressions.

mothers do not do

this

with the enthusiasm

see in mothers of other types of

who

life.

We see

the

some dark hole and they are very jealous if somebody comes near them, whereas human mothers seem to have lost this animal mother-cats

As soon

instinct.

washes of

the

hide their young in

it,

dresses

it,

etc.

eyes,

as the child

puts

it

That

is

born somebody comes,

into the light to see the colour

why

is

the

human

kind

is

in

no longer nature that guides, but human reasoning and the reasoning is faulty because it is not It is a reasoning which enlightened by understanding.

danger.

is

It

considers that the child

not a being

is

endowed with a

psyche. This birth-terror, it has been observed today, leads to something much more terrible than vocal protests, it

leads

as

it

to

wrong characters assumed by

develops.

The consequence

is

the

child

a psychic transfor-

mation, or rather, instead of taking the path which we might say is normal, the child takes a wrong path. The faulty characters are to be found not only in the child,

but remain in the adult. the general term

They have been

included in

*

Instead of psychic regressions*. progressing, instead of going forward along the path of life,

of

individuals suffering from a negative reaction to birth-

terror

seem

to

before birth.

but they

all

remain attached to something which existed

These characters give the

same

of regression are several,

impression.

It is

as though

118

THE ABSORBENT MIND the child were reasoning in this fashion

how

terrible

came

this world,

is

am

I

" :

My

goodness,

going back to where

I

The

long hours of sleep in the new-born are considered normal, but too long sleep is not normal even from**.

and

the new-born

considered as a sort of refuge due to a psychic repulsion from the world and a means to seek oblivion from the earth.

in

And

is

it

sub-conscious

mind,

let

realities,

not sleep the kingdom of the something unpleasant troubles our

not so

?

If

us sleep. in

Is

?

For

sleep there

necessity for struggle.

a

in

life

Sleep fact

new-born

In the

sleep there are dreams, not

in

is

Another

from the world. in sleep.

is

it

which there

is

no

a refuge, a getting-away

is is

the position of the

body

child the natural position

is

to

double up with the hands near the face, and the legs next to the body. This however continues also in some older people, and position.

we

might say, a refuge into the pre-natal Then there is another fact. This is clearly a is,

character of regression. crying as

start

living

if

When

children

they were frightened, as

again through

that terrible

brings one into a difficult world.

nightmares.

wake

These form a part

moment

up, they

they were

if

of birth

Often they

which

suffer

of the terror of

from

life.

tendency is to attach oneself to somebody as though one was afraid of being This attachment is not affection. It is alone. left

Another expression

of

this

something which has fear in it. The child is timid and always wants to remain near someone, the mother 119

THE ABSORBENT MIND preferably. like to

He

is

not

happy

to

go

out, but

would always

remain at home isolated from the world.

Every-

make him happy frightens repugnance from new experiences. The

thing in the world that should

him, he feels

environment instead of proving attractive, as it should to a being in course of development, is repellent. And if a child, from the very first infancy feels repulsion towards this

environment, which ought to be

means

its

of deve-

lopment, certainly this child will not develop normally. He will not be the child who conquers, who is destined to take the

whole

of his

environment and incarnate

it

in

He will do so, but with difficulty and incomHe is the very picture of the saying To live is to To do something is, to him, to go against his own

himself.

4

pletely.

suffer

'.

Even

seems

be hard. People of this sort require much more sleep and rest even digestion seems to be difficult. So you see what sort of life this nature.

respiration

to

;

type of child prepares

for himself in the future, for these

characters are things not only of the present, but also of the future. He is of the type who cries easily. He will

always

somebody sad and depressed.

require

indolent, features.

They remain

when an

adult,

fear to

he

to

help him.

And

He

will

be

these are not passing

as characteristics for

life.

Even

will feel repulsion for the world, will

meet people and be always

timid.

It is

evident

that such beings are inferior to others in the struggle for existence in social life. It will not be the lot of these

people to have joy, courage and happiness. 120

THE ABSORBENT MIND This

the

is

We

terrible

answer

of

the

subconscious

with our conscious memory, but though the subconscious appears not to feel and though does not seem to remember, it does something it

psyche.

worse.

Mneme

The

forget

impressions

made

there, are

made upon

the

they remain engraved as characteristics of the Therein lies the great danger to humanity. individual. The child, not properly cared for, will take revenge on ;

society through the individual that

it

forms.

The treatment

would amongst adults, it forms individuals who are weaker, inferior to what they ought to be it forms characters that will be an obstacle to the life of the individual, and individuals who will be does not foment rebels as

it

;

an obstacle

121

to the progress of civilization.

CHAPTER

VIII

THE CONQUEST OF INDEPENDENCE THE

developed when the

characteristics of regression are

child has

been unable

to achieve the

soon

after birth.

back

to this remain also in the adult.

Modern

first

adaptation

Certain tendencies which can be traced

psychologists describing these characters of

when they

regression say that

are not there, then the

child presents tendencies which are very clearly

strongly set towards independence. is

i.e.,

and very

Then development

a conquest of ever greater independence.

It

as

is

though an arrow had been sent flying from the bow and it goes straight, sure and strong. So does the child

proceed along the path of independence. This is normal an ever growing and more powerful development :

activity

shown along

The conquest commencement fects itself its

way.

leads

it

of

of

the path that leads to independence.

independence begins from the life.

As

the being develops,

vital

towards

force

its

own

is

active

evolution.

per-

on in the individual and This force has been

and overcomes every obstacle

A

it

first

that

it

finds

called Horme.

122

THE ABSORBENT MIND one had

If

Horme

in the conscious

compare

psychic

field,

although there

to the force of will,

it

compare to this one would have to

to find something to

is

very

The force of will is something too small and too much attached to the consciousness of the individual, whereas the Horme is someanalogy between the two.

little

thing which belongs to call

life

a divine force which

in general, to

what we might

the promotor of

is

all

evolution.

expressed in the child by a will to perform certain actions. This will cannot be broken by anything short of death. I call it will/ because

This

vital

force of evolution

is

'

we

It is not will, possess no better word to describe it. however, because will implies consciousness and reason-

a subconscious

ing.

It

is

child

to

do

child

its

and

unhindered activity

*

call

certain things

vital

joy

of

life

'.

The

is

child

force

which urges the

in the

normally growing

manifested in what enthusiastic,

is

we

always

happy.

These beginning

known

of

conquests the

different

independence steps

of

as natural development.

examine natural development

what

are is

generally

In other words,

closely,

we can

the

in

if

we

describe

it

as the conquest of successive degrees of independence. This is true not only of the psychic, but also of the physical field.

The body

also has a

tendency to grow, a

death. tendency so strong that nothing can stop it short of Let us then examine this development. The child at birth frees himself from a prison, the prison of the body

123

THE ABSORBENT MIND At

of the mother.

birth

functions of the mother.

he becomes independent of the

The new-born

child

is

endowed

with an urge, an impulse to face the environment and to absorb it. might say that he is born with the psychology of conquest of the world/ He absorbs it in

We

and

himself

This is

is

in

absorbing

it,

he forms

the characteristic of the

evident that

if

impulse he feels this

'

is

his psychic

body.

period of life. It the child feels this urge, if the first first

the desire to conquer the environment,

environment must exert an attraction on the

we

Therefore

say,

using words

which are

child.

really not

appropriate to describe the fact, that the child feels ' love for the environment.

4

The

first

organs which begin to function

Now

what are sensory organs prehension, instruments by means of which

are the sensory organs.

but organs of

in the child

we

grasp the impressions which, in the case of the child, must be incarnated ?

When we gaze, what do we see ? We see everything there is in the environment. As soon as we start hearing, we also hear every sound there is in the environment.

We

might say that the field of prehension is very wide, This is the way of nature. that it is almost universal.

One does object

by

totality.

not take in sound by sound, noise

we

from noise, sounds from sounds, come tion of this

first

noise,

begin by taking in everything, a distinctions of object from object, sound

object,

The

by

global gathering

later as

an evolu-

in.

124

THE ABSORBENT MIND This

At

the picture of the normal child's psyche. takes in the world and then it analyses it.

first it

Now

is

us suppose another type who does not feel this irresistible attraction for the environment, a type in

whom

let

fondness has suffered damage by fright, evident that the development of the

this great

by

terror.

first

type must be different from that of the second. Let us continue to examine the development of the

It

is

by considering the child at six months of age. Certain phenomena present themselves which are looked upon as sign-posts of normal growth. At the age of 6 months the child undergoes certain child

physical

transformations.

Some

of these

are invisible

and have been discovered only through experiments, the

stomach begins to secrete

e.g.,

acid which

chloric

is

It is also at six months that the necessary for digestion. This is a further tooth makes its appearance. first

perfection of the

body which

develops along a

certain path of growth.

months the

at birth

is

and means

not finished It

also

capable of living without the milk of his mother, or at least of supplementing milk with other substances. This is a further conquest of

that at six

independence.

If

we

child

is

consider that the child up to that

age had been absolutely dependent upon his mother's milk because if he were to take anything else he would not be able to digest it, we realize what a great degree

The 6 independence he acquires at this period. " I do not want to live months* child seems to reason

of

:

125

THE ABSORBENT MIND my

upon

am a human being and can eat An analogous phenomenon takes

mother.

I

everything now." place in adolescents of being

to

live

own

I

who

begin to feel the humiliation

dependent on their family. They do not want on them. They would like to live by their

resources. is

It

also at about this

moment

critical

to utter the

in

first

the

life

syllables.

which

epoch (which seems to be a of the child) that he begins This

is

the

first

stone in the

develop later into language which is another great step, another great conquest of independence. When the child acquires language, he

great building

will

can express himself and does not have

to

depend upon

Instead of

other people to guess his needs.

somebody

having to guess what he, the child, wants, he can express He can tell everybody " Do this. Do that/* himself. :

comes

communication with humanity, because without language how can one communicate ?

Thus

he

into

This conquest of language and this possibility of intelligent communication with others is a tremendous step Before acquiring it the child towards independence. may be compared to a deaf and dumb person, because

cannot express himself and he cannot understand

he

what other people

After the conquest of language

say.

he suddenly acquired ears and the possibility of uttering the speech of the people around him. A long time after that, at one year of age, the child it

is

starts

as

to

if

walk.

This

is

to

become

free of

a second

126

THE ABSORBENT MIND now he can

own two

prison,

because

and

you come near him, he can get away. He can I can run on my two legs, I can express with

say

if

" :

language

my

thoughts to

men

run on his

like

legs

you/'

Thus man develops gradually and by means of these successive steps of independence, he becomes free. It is

not a question of

pendence.

Really,

will,

it is

it

is,

a phenomenon of inde-

nature that

giving to the child

is

the opportunity of growing, gives him independence at the

same time leads him

made age,

'

conquest

especially

complex,

if

it

is

achieved

orientation,

physiological

of

walking

one considers

together with of

to freedom.

'

The

and

all

in

in

that,

the

is

very important,

spite

first

of being

year of

life

very

and

is

the other conquests of langu-

etc.

To walk

conquest of great

is

for

the

importance.

a Animals child

do not need to make it. It is only man who has this In his prolonged and refined type of development. growth he has to make three different achievements, three conquests, before being physically able to walk, or

even

to

stand erect on his two

legs.

Look

at those

Imagine if atone year of age calves just began to stand on their legs. Indeed they do not. They begin to walk as soon as they are born. Yet these animals are inferior to us, even if

majestically looking animals, the oxen.

We are so apparently they are gigantic in construction. powerless because the construction of man is much more refined

127

and takes

therefore

much more

time.

THE ABSORBENT MIND The power one's of

two is

which

is

walking and being able to stand on

legs entails a thorough

different

There

of

items.

a part

One

of the

development composed

them concerns the

of

*

brain called the

situated under

its

It

is

that

at six

just

the

velops

*

cerebellum

(See

larger portion.

brain.

fig. 8).

months

cerebellum de-

and

rapidly

this

rapid development of the

cerebellum continues until the

child

14

is

or

15

months. Then the growth of the cerebellum isslower r but continues nevertheless until the child is Fie.

The

The

8

4j years,

possibility of stand-

cerebellum at the base of the brain

ng Qn twQ J eg8 amj Q f being able to walk erect depends on the development of In the child this development can easily the cerebellum. j

be followed.

We

see the two developments following

each other step by step

:

the child begins to

its

up

at six

months of age, starts to crawl at 9 months, stands at and walks between 12 and 13 months, while at 15 months the child walks with security. The second item of this complex development is 1

the completion

of certain

through which the direct pass, were not completed,

nerves.

command it

If

the spinal nerve,

to the muscles

could not pass and

it is

must only

128

THE ABSORBENT MIND during

How

this

period that the

complex

come

is

nerves become completed*

development and how many things have

harmony before the conquest of walking can be made. This however is not all. There is a third to

into

achievement to be made ton.

The

we have

:

the development of the skele-

legs of the child are not completely ossified, as

seen.

They

they are so soft. the weight of the

are cartilaginous

If this is

body

?

the case,

and

that

is

why

how can

they support Therefore the skeleton has to

be complete before the child can start to walk. Still another thing is that the bones of the cranium were not

and only now they become complete, so the child falls down, he is not in danger of in-

united at birth that,

if

juring his head.

by means of education we wished to teach the child how to walk before this time, we could not do it, because the fact of being able to walk is dependent on a If

developments, which take place simultaone tried one could not achieve any-

series of physical

neously.

If

damaging the child. Here it is nature which directs. Everything depends on her and has At the same time, if you to obey her exact commands. tried to keep the child who has started to walk and run from doing so, you would not be able to do it, because in nature whenever an organ is developed, this must be thing without seriously

put in use. Creation in nature is not to make something, but also to allow it to function. As soon as the organ is complete,

129

it

must immediately be used

in the environment*

THE ABSORBENT MIND modern language these functions have been called experiences upon the environment/ If these experiences do not take place, then the organ does not develop norIn

4

mally because the organ, incomplete at used in order to accomplish its completion.

The upon

child

can only develop by means

the environment,

we

call

them

'

first,

must be

of experiences

work.'

As soon

as

language appears the child begins to chatter and no one can silence him. Indeed one of the most difficult things is

make a

to

child stop talking.

Now

if

the child

were not

he would not be able to develop There would be an arrest in his development.

to talk or to walk, then

normally.

Whereas

and by doing this makes the instruments,

the child walks, runs, jumps

he develops

Nature

his legs.

first

and then develops them by means of functions, through When, therefore, the experiences upon the environment. child has increased his independence by the acquisition

new powers, he can

of

free to function.

ence,

it

develop.

is

When

only develop normally if left the child has acquired independ-

by exercising this independence that he will Development does not come of itself, but, as 4

modern psychologists express it, the behaviour is affirmed in each individual by the experiences this individual If therefore we think carries out upon the environment '.

of

education as a help to the development of the child's

we cannot

but rejoice when a child shows signs of having attained a certain degree of development. " cannot help saying child has today said his first life,

We

:

My

130

THE ABSORBENT MIND word

"

and

about

rejoice

Especially inasmuch as

it.

we

know we cannot do anything to bring about this event. however, we realize that, although the development If, of the child cannot be destroyed (because nature

strong for us, thanks be to God),

incomplete or retarded

too

can however be kept the child is not given an oppor-

if

it

tunity of carrying out experiences

then a problem does arise

The

is

upon

the environment,

The problem

:

of education.

problem of education is to furnish the child with an environment which will permit him to develop This is not the functions that nature has given to him.

an

first

indifferent

is

It

question.

not a question of merely

It pleasing the child, of allowing him to do as he likes. is a question of co-operation with a command of nature,

with one of her laws which decrees that development should take place by

environment.

With

means

his first

experiences upon the step the child enters a higher of

level of experiences. If

we observe

the child

who has reached this level, we

see that he has a tendency to acquire

dence.

He

wants

carry things, himself,

to act in his

own way,

it is

do

things.

has such a strong urge, such a

things. this,

131

it

i.e.,

indepenhe wants to

not by following our suggestions

that the child begins to

efforts

further

to dress and to undress alone, to feed

And

etc.

still

On

the contrary he

impulse that our are usually spent in restraining him from doing It

is

is

not the child that

nature.

It

is

vital

we

fight

not the child's will

when we do that we fight,

THE ABSORBENT MIND he merely collaborates with nature and obeys her laws and step by step, first in one thing, then in others, he acquires ever increasing independence from those

moment comes when he will want mental independence too. Then he will

surround him, to

acquire

show

a

until

the tendency to develop his

And

He

thus

This

it is

this

during

his

own

of other

begins to seek out the reason of things. that the

human

is

individuality

period of childhood.

not an opinion.

is

mind through

and not through the experiences

experiences people.

who

This

These are

is

constructed

not a theory.

clear natural facts,

they are observed facts. When we say that we must render the freedom of the child complete, when we say that his

independence and

normal functioning must be do not speak about a vague ideaL

we speak because we have

assured by society,

We

his

observed

observed nature and nature has reveafed through freedom

only

life,

we have

this fact.

It is

and by experiences upon the

man can develop. Now, when we speak of independence and

environment that

freedom

do not transfer to this field the ideas of independence and freedom that we hold as ideal in the for the

child,

world of adults. selves

and give a

If

the adults were to examine them-

definition

of

independence and

free-

dom, they could not do so with exactness. In reality they have a very miserable idea of what freedom is.

They

have not the

largeness that

nature

has.

child offers the majestic vision of nature that gives

The life

by 132

THE ABSORBENT MIND and independence.

giving freedom

She gives it with determined laws regarding the time, and the needs she makes freedom a law of life either be free or die. 1 :

:

believe

us

nature offers

that

interpretation of our social

and

help It is

life.

for

the

as though the child

and we

offered us the picture of the whole

aid

in our social

took only small details. The child is right in this sense that what he shows leads to reality, to truth. When life

there It

is

a natural truth, there can be no doubt about

interesting therefore to consider the

is

which

child

What

aim

the

is

of this ever increasing conquest of

From where does

?

the individuality that forms

But

itself.

in

tendency towards

So

itself.

nature. of

in

He

freedom of the

achieved through growth.

is

independence

by

it*

nature

this.

itself,

all

it

that

living

Every

living

arise ? is

It

arises in

able to function

beings have

the

being functions by

obeys the plan of achieves that freedom which is the first rule this

the

also

child

in

life

every being. does the child acquire this independence ? He How does acquires it by means of continuous activity.

How

the child realize his freedom effort

;

what

life

cannot do

By means

? is

to arrest

of continuous itself,

to stop.

a continuous conquest. And by means of continuous work, one acquires not only freedom but strength and self-perfection.

Independence

is

not

static.

Let us consider the seeks to act alone,

133

i.e.,

It is

first

instinct

of the child

without help from others.

:

he

His

THE ABSORBENT MIND conscious act of independence is to defend himself from those who try to help him. And in order to act by first

t

he

himself,

of us

many

to

tries

think,

make an

ever greater

effort.

the best idea of well-being

is

If,

as

to

sit

down, do nothing and let other people work for us r then the ideal state would be that of the child before

The

birth.

body

of

because the mother would do everything for If we think so, why should one learn a

the mother,

the

well go back to the

child might as

child.

language in order to communicate with others ? No, nature has other intentions. She forces the child to make

conquest of language so that he can enter Or again, if we into communication with other beings. this difficult

adopted rest as the ideal of life, then the child might say : " I have nice sweet milk from my mother. It is easily digestible. stick to

it.

Why should Why should

I

want any other food

chewing coarser food that

No

!

No "

again

:

!

have

I

I

have

?

I

shall

to take the trouble of

to secure for myself >

am

I

Why

going to stick to mother's milk." Or walk ? Somebody carries me in her arms.

have something like an automobile of my own. See the tremendous effort I must make in order to walk, I have I

to

develop

my

bones,

my

brain

and even

insulation of the nerves in the spinal chord. 1

go to

all this

bad-mannered

trouble

as

?

to

Why insist

should

I

finish

Why

the

should

be so uncouth and

upon knowing

things

for

Why, when there are so many wise people around me, people who have instruction and culture and myself

?

134

THE ABSORBENT MIND who can child

is

"

me

tell

things

The

not so.

But the

>

reality

shown by the

child reveals that nature's teachings

are quite different from the ideals that society has forged for

The

itself.

independence

independence through work body and of mind. The child seems to

child seeks

of

:

"I do not mind how much you know, 1 want to know things for myself. I want to have experience in the world and to perceive it with my own effort you keep

say

:

;

your

own knowledge and

must understand independence

who

is

we

and as

We

is

cannot

live

except by

the form of existence

human being is also living, And if we try to stop it then,

the

this

tendency. a produce degeneration in the individual. in

Everything all

who

This

his activity.

beings,

he also has

acquire mine/'

when we give freedom and we give freedom to a worker

impelled to act and

for living

me

clearly that

to the child,

work and

his

let

the

activity

The

more

so.

creation Life

that perfection

is

is

activity

in life this is

only through can be sought and found.

activity

of

and

and

life

it is

have come to us through the past generations an ideal life of less hours

social aspirations that

experience of

:

of work, of people

working

for us, of idling

as long as

we

what nature shows as the characteristic of a degenerate child. These aspirations are the characteristics of regression of the child who was not helped in the first days of its life to adapt itself and who has acquired a disgust for the environment and for activity. He it is

can,

is

who wants 135

to

be helped by other people,

who wants

to

THE ABSORBENT MIND have servants, wants bulator,

who

to

be carried or driven

sleeps too long,

who

These are the

other people.

in a

peram-

shuns the company of

characteristics that nature

has shown as belonging to degeneration. These are the characteristics which have been recognized, analysed and described as the tendency to go back to embryonic life. He who is born and grows normally goes towards inde-

pendence.

The one who shuns

it

is

degenerate. of another faces us in these education problem Quite How to cure regression ? Regresdegenerate children. The devisions retard or deviate normal development.

ated child has no love

environment presents too the scientific

field

many

difficulties,

too

much

the deviated child holds the centre in

Today

resistance.

environment, because the

for the

psychology which

of

we

could better

'

psycho-pathology/ Pedagogy teaches that the environment must offer the least resistance. It is sought,

call

diminish

to

therefore,

resistance that

and,

if

the

avoidable

environment presents to the

the

possible, to

them

eliminate

and

obstacles

altogether.

child,

Now-

adays we try to give attraction to the environment. The environment must be rendered pleasing, beautiful, because

it is

necessary, especially in the case of one

feels repulsion

for

the environment to arouse it.

made

possible

diffidence

as

attractive

and

disgust.

to the child, because

We

sympathy

The environment must be

and benevolence towards as

who

so as to overcome

must give pleasant

we know

that

it is

activity

through activity

136

THE ABSORBENT MIND The environment must

development takes place.

that

contain plenty of motives for interesting activity which are an invitation for the child to carry out his experiences

These are

the environment.

upon

deviated nature,

child,

and

clear principles for the

which are dictated by life, by bring those who have acquired

principles

which

regressive characteristics from the tendency to idle to the

working, from lethargy and sluggishness to activity, from that state of fright which sometimes trans-

desire

of

attachment to somebody whom they never want to leave, into a freedom of joy, freedom to go lates itself into

towards the conquest of

From just

for

inertia to

as from inertia

nature herself.

137

work That is the path of the cure to work is the path of development

the normal child.

saged, this must be

life.

its

!

If

a

new

basis, for

it

education

is

to

be envi-

has been formulated by

CHAPTER

CARE TO BE TAKEN AT THE

absorbent mind

environment

;

so

of

is

it

IX

LIFE'S

BEGINNING

the child orients

itself

the

in

necessary to prepare the environ-

ment with much care. We must remember

that there are different periods

development in the life of the child. One period soon after birth, and this is so important a period that of

is

impossible to deal with

feel

that

in

specialize in

it

in

a book as short as

be people

this.

who

is it I

the

future there

this

type of study, at present there are only

will

will

very few. If

we

provided

study the animals special

protection

we to

shall see that nature

the

mammals,

has

giving

Nature has arranged that themselves from the rest of their species

special care at this period.

mothers isolate just before

the time

when they

give birth to their

little

ones and they remain isolated for some time before coming back. This is very evident in animals who live in herds or packs. Horses do this, cows do, elephants, wolves, deer, dogs,

all

do

this.

During

this

time the

138

THE ABSORBENT MIND new-born animal has time

little

to

itself

adapt

to the

new

environment, alone, except for its mother's love watchful guidance and care. In this period the babyf

animal gradually expresses the behaviour short period of isolation there

this

During

of

is

kind.

its

a continued

psychological reaction on the part of the little one to the stimuli of the environment, and that reaction

all is

according to the special features of the behaviour of its So that, when the mother returns to the herd with kind. her its

the

baby,

own

special

established.

It

or a

speaking,

one

little

enters

the

community with

preparation for living there

a

either

is

wolf, or a

little

little little

horse,

already

psychically

cow, psychically not

merely physically. The child has no fixed behaviour, but he has to take in the

care

born

necessary to take special which surrounds this new-

environment, therefore of

environment

the

This care

it

is

utmost importance in order to aid the absorption of the environment, so that the child may feel attracted towards it instead of repelled, and child.

is

of

does not develop phenomena

of regression.

The

progress,

growth and development of the child depend on his love for the environment we must therefore take care that he ;

can absorb

it

with interest.

into great consideration. details

we can

Science nowadays takes this

Without entering into too

enunciate certain principles.

should remain as

much

many

The

child

as possible in contact with his

mother and the environment must not present obstacles, 139

THE ABSORBENT MIND such as great differences of temperature from that to which the child has been accustomed before birth. Not too

much

light,

not too

much

noise, for the child

has come

from a place of perfect silence and darkness. Today, in the modern Nursing Homes, the mother and child are placed in a glass-walled room where the temperature is easily controllable, so that it may be gradually assimilated to that of the normal temperature outside.

The

glass

is

blue so that the light entering the room is very subdued, and the air also is regulated. Care should also be taken in the

way how

been customary

the child

is

handled and moved.

to handle the child as

without feelings, and

it

was plunged

if it

into

It

has

were an object a low bath and

and roughly dressed (roughly in the sense that any handling of a new-born child is rough, because it is rapidly

so delicate a thing, psychically as well as physically ), Today science has come to the conclusion that the new-

born child should be touched as

little

as possible, and

should not be dressed, but rather kept in a room the temperature of which is sufficient to keep the baby warm and free from draughts of cold air. The way of transporting the baby is also changed he is carried by means :

of a soft mattress, something like a

hammock, so

that

he

remains in a level and horizontal position, similar to his He is not lifted up or down but pre-natal position. treated as

we

treat

wounded people who need

Sick people today are not cart

and drawn along

;

there

great care.

up and then taken to a a stretcher which is at the

lifted is

140

THE ABSORBENT MIND same

as the bed, and the invalid

level

is

carried very,

very carefully, so that there are no bumps and jumps. This is done for adult people. The tendency today is to give the

same care and

the

baby

even more refined and

This

perfect.

consideration, only

is

more than merely

hygienic care, because hygiene is something else again. Today the nurses of the child have a cloth in front of their

mouth and nose, so

them

that microbes from

may He is

not enter the environment of the new-born child. protected from them.

two organs

child are con-

one body which are in communiThe adaptation to the environment then takes

sidered as cation.

successfully

place

Nowadays mother and

mother and child

of

and naturally for the child, since have a special connection with each

considered as a kind of magnetism. There are certain forces within the mother to which the child is

other.

It

is

accustomed and these forces are a necessary aid child during the

can say that the to the mother.

first

difficult

child has

He

is

whereas before he was

They

are

still

in close

days

changed

now

for the

of adaptation.

his position in relation

outside the mother's

inside,

We

but the rest

communication and

is

this

body

the same.

magnetism

that goes from the mother to the child remains intact.

This

is

how

modern was done

these things are considered in our

times, but only a

few years ago the

first

thing that

was to separate The child was taken away the mother from the child. and bathed and then brought back to his mother. The at birth,

141

even

in the best

Nursing Homes,

THE ABSORBENT MIND treatment

have described above

I

is

the

the scientific treatment of the child. Nature this special care

is

*

word

last

'

in

shows us that

not necessary to the child during the

whole period of childhood. Just as, after a time, the mother cat brings her kittens out and does not hide them any more, so after a little time the human baby and mother can come out of

their isolation into to the social

world. Usually, as soon as a

baby

is

born,

all

the relatives "

How baby. They pat him and say beautiful he is, he looks just like the father (or mother, or both !) ". They kiss it and caress it. This should be

go and see

this

The

stopped.

they often

:

richer

an

heir

baby out on in

It

is

more unhappy

to the throne, the king himself took the

this

The little one was wrapped and shown to the people who

to a balcony.

assembled

Imagine

the

unhappiest of all are perhaps the In olden times, when the queen gave

a bundle of clothes,

were

children

are, the

king's children. birth to

the

in

and how

the it

square

outside

would give

the

palace.

rise to regressions

!

interesting to note that the social questions of

the child are not the

same as

those of the adult.

We might

say also that the economic position has a bearing upon the child which is the reverse of that which it has upon the adult, for

who suffer

we

suffer,

most.

find that while

among the

amongst the children It

is

among

it is

adults

it is

the poor

often the rich

who

the rich that the mother gives

the child to a nurse for care, while the poor mother follows

142

THE ABSORBENT MIND the proper method of keeping her child with her.

The

children of working mothers also usually receive

more

substantial food from their mothers, because the mothers

and produce more milk which

are healthy

substantial quality than

need

to

work and

and poor

in

that of rich mothers,

This

a more

who do

not

and so their milk is scarce one of the main reasons

are often inert

quality.

of

is

is

given to a nurse. The mother does not feed the child owing to unsuitable milk, and in olden times the

why

a child

is

baby was given

woman

peasant

not

therefore in

world

the

a

to

*

wet

nurse,'

who was

with plenty of good milk.

a

question

general

rich

There

is

and poor

;

things and values change

children

of

of

a healthy

altogether.

Once

passed the child adapts himself happily to the environment without feeling any repugnance. Then he begins travelling on the path of this

first

independence that

is

period

we have

described, on which the child,

we

might say, opens its arms to the environment, receives the environment and absorbs it to the extent of making his

own, the customs

environment

of the

in

which he

lives.

The might

first

call

activity

in

a conquest,

Owing

to the lack of

of the

psyche taking

this is

the

development, which activity

of

the

we

senses.

in its

completeness bony tissues, the child is inert, without movement of limbs, so his activity cannot be that of movement. His activity is purely that

143

in the

impressions of the senses.

THE ABSORBENT MIND The

child's

in

clear

eyes are very active, but

our minds that (as science has described in

modern times) the on its eyes. The

child

is

child

not merely struck

he,

in

the environment.

the child,

who

is

This

if

we

all

certainly

an active researchthe

is

new

seeks these impressions

a victim of impressions that are strike him, but he seeks them.

Now,

also

the light

by

He

not passive.

is

receives impressions, but he

worker

we must have very

idea

he

;

;

is

it

is

not

around him and that

look at the animal species,

we

see that

they have a type of apparatus in the eyes similar to that which we have, a sort of photographic machine. But these animals are specialized in their use of

they are attracted towards certain things more than others so that they are not struck by the whole of the environment. They have a guide in them that makes them follow it

:

and through their eyes they follow that guide So they direct themselves towards of their behaviour. From those things for which their behaviour is made. certain lines

the very beginning there

is

a guide

;

the senses perfect

themselves and are then used always following

this guide.

dim

light of the

The eye

of the cat will perfect itself in the

night (as does that of other nocturnal prowlers), but the cat, although interested in the darkness, is attracted by moving things

moves rest of

and not by in the

still

things.

As soon

as something

darkness, the cat pounces upon

the environment

it

pays no attention.

it

;

to the

There

is

not a general awareness of the environment, therefore,

144

THE ABSORBENT MIND but an instinctive

same way,

move towards specialized things.

there are insects

In the

which are attracted by flowers

of special colours, because in the flowers of those colours

they find their food. Now, an insect just emerged from a chrysalis could not have any experience along that line it has a guide which directs it and the eye serves to ;

follow that guide.

realized.

the species

is

victim

his

of

guide the behaviour of individual, therefore, is not the this

Through

The

neither

senses,

the senses are there

is

and work

it

in

dragged by them

;

the service of their

owner, following a guide. The child has a special faculty. His senses are not limited like those of animals, but his senses also are in the service of a guide.

The

cat

move in the environment, it is The child has no such limitation. surroundings

tendency

is

and

is

limited to things that

attracted only

by them.

The child observes experience has shown us that

his

He

does not merely camera-like eye, but a kind

to take in everything.

take them in by means of his

his

psycho-chemical reaction takes place so that these impressions form an integral part of his psyche. We might make this observation which is an impression and not of

a

scientific

statement

that

the

person

who

is

merely

dragged by his senses, who is the victim of his senses, has something wrong within him. His guide may be there, but instead of acting it has become enfeebled in

some way and so senses.

145 10

Therefore

the person it is

of the

becomes the victim

of his

utmost importance that the

THE ABSORBENT MIND guide which

and kept

is

within each child should be taken care of

alive.

To make

what happens in this absorption of the environment, would like to make a comparison. There are certain insects who resemble leaves and others resembling sticks. These insects can be quoted as analogies to what takes place in the psyche of the child. They live on sticks and leaves and resemble them so closely that they have become as one with their environment. clearer I

Something like that happens in the child. He takes the environment in and transforms himself accordingly like leafvery interesting indeed The impressions that the environment gives to them are so great that some biological or psycho -chemical trans-

insects or stick-insects.

This

is

!

formation makes them resemble their environment.

become

like

the thing they love.

They

This power of taking

and transforming accordingly, is now discovered to exist in all types of life, in some physically as in the insects mentioned and in some other animals, in

the environment

but psychically in the child. of the greatest activities of at things as 44

How

we have

we

do. "

beautiful

!

It is life.

to

be considered as one

The

child does not look

We

may look at a house and say and then we see something else and

but a vague

:

memory

of those things afterwards.

But the child constructs himself by means of the profound way in which he gathers them especially in the first period of

life.

It is

in infancy,

by

virtue of the unique

infancy, that the child acquires the

human

powers of

characteristics

146

THE ABSORBENT MIND such as language, religion, racial Thus he constructs the adaptation character, etc. In that environment he is happy to the environment. that distinguish him,

and develops taking does not refuse food in his

own

new

environment.

adaptation

becomes

?

if

word

food

for

differs

from that

constructs an adaptation to each

What does

means

It

the

He

country.

He

in its customs, language, etc.

it

mean

to

build

to transform oneself so that

up one

suited to one's environment, so that this environ-

ment forms a

part of oneself.

We

must therefore observe

these facts as the child absorbs his environment.

The

child

in

is

need

of

an environment

in order to

Having accepted that, the next point what are we to do ? What sort of environment must

develop himself. is,

be prepared to

him

? It is

for the child

so that

it

may

be of assistance

a very embarrassing question.

If

we were

dealing with a child of three years, he might be able to should have to put flowers and beauty in tell us. we should have to provide those the environment

We

;

motives of activity which belong to his path of development. We could easily find out that certain motives of

would have

activity offer

an opportunity

to

be

in the

environment

in

order to

for functional exercise to this child.

But when the baby has to take

in the

environment in

order to build up adaptation, what sort of environment can we prepare for him ? There can be but one answer to this

:

the environment for the baby-child must be the

world, the world that

147

is

around him,

all

of

it

!

It is

THE ABSORBENT MIND evident that

if

the child

be among people be able to do so

who ;

if

is

to acquire language, he

speak,

he

is

otherwise he will not

to acquire

any powers or

who

habitually use

he must be among people

faculties

and

those powers

faculties.

must

If

the child

to take in

is

customs and habits he must be constantly among people who themselves follow them. That is why we find that the child

who

is

among

cultured people

words and many many more words and many more

who

use

many

small refinements of behaviour, acquires little

refinements than

the less fortunate child.

This really is a strikingly revolutionary statement. It is a contradiction of what has happened in the last few years, since, as a consequence of hygienic reasoning,

people have come to the conclusion or misconclusion What has happened that the child should be isolated !

is

that the child has

been placed

in

When it was

a nursery.

discovered that the nursery, hygienically speaking, was not good enough, the hospital was taken as a model and the child

was

as possible progress

left

like

undisturbed and

made

to sleep as

a sick person. Let us realize that exclusively hygienic care

this

it

is

if

much this is

a social

danger. If the child is kept in nurseries, in a sort of prison,, with as his sole companion a nurse who obstructs more or less the

development

of the child,

because no expressions

of truly maternal sentiment or feeling are child, there

development

shown

to the

are serious obstacles to normal growth ;

serious retardation

and

dissatisfaction,

and one 14ft

THE ABSORBENT MIND might say psychic hunger on the part of the child, is bound to result with harmful effect. Instead of staying with his

who

him and with

whom

a special current of communication, the child has a nurse who does mother,

not speak

loves

much

to

there

the child because

How

habit of covering her mouth.

is

of the hygienic

then can he learn the

language ? He must be protected from the sun or cold so a hood is put up over his perambulator and he sees only the face of the nurse or the hood and is shut away from other

all

parts

of

the

children the worse their for

them.

The

environment.

lot,

because

richer

this is life in

the

a prison

Instead of nice beautiful mothers they have

sometimes very experienced, but then old and

nurses,

ugly and the more aristocratic the family, the more formal it

and the parents see

is

still

cause

of the child.

Many

moment once a week

families see their child for a '

less

be-

knows how to deal with the child/ "I do not deal with him ". After that

the nurse

Mother says

:

period, they put the child in a boarding school

The

treatment of the child

is

really

a

!

social question

and today more and more we begin to realize that it must be changed. Once this has been understood people begin to worry very much as in America which is awake

now

to the

need

They study how

for

this

new

sort of aid to the child.

the child should be treated,

and

there

is

a growing conviction that as soon as the child can come out of doors, one should bring him along in the midst of one's

149

work and allow him

to see as

much

as possible.

THE ABSORBENT MIND Then

the perambulator

is

built

very high, because the

The

higher the child the better he can see.

has undergone a transformation.

It

nursery also

conforms as

rigo-

rously to the requirements of hygiene as a hospital

room, of pictures and the child lies on a

but the walls are

full

stand which

high up, so that a view of the whole of the environ-

is slightly

command

he can

ment and not for

the child.

child

sloping

and

of the ceiling only.

The

must be placed

fitted

This

is

the

throne

first

idea has been understood that the in

a position to see everything.

The

absorption of language presents a more difficult problem especially to nurses who themselves belong to a social

environment different from that of the

Here

child.

another side to the question. The child must be brought with us when we converse with our friends. also there

Usually

comes

is

when we go

in

our

on a

is

friend

taken

and can hear the conversation.

He

does not

register

it

he sees the people round him talking, he receives a sub-conscious impression that he

consciously, but eating, etc.,

when a

friend or

away and put back in If we want to aid the child we must put midst so that he can see how we do things

to see us, the child

the nursery.

him

to call

if

takes in and this will help his growth.

Also when

take him for an outing what will he like

?

We

we

cannot

say so definitely, but we can observe him. Here again mothers and rightly prepared nurses, when they see the child interested in something, will stop

examine and inspect

it

and

as long as he likes.

let

the child

The

nurse,

150

THE ABSORBENT MIND instead of dragging along a cart with something in

it

as

she used to do in the old days, considers the child and the little face lights up with interest as he is allowed to

examine what

what

How,

attracts him.

indeed, can

we know

going to be of interest to the child on any particular day ? must be at his service. Our whole conis

We

ception

is

therefore

and

revolutionized,

this revolution

must be brought about among adults. The adult world must realize that the child constructs a vital adaptation to the environment

and must

therefore

contact with the environment, for construct this adaptation, first

order.

due

to

we

if

have

full,

the child

is

complete unable .to

face a social problem of the

All the social problems

we have today

are

a lack of adaptation on the part of somebody, either in the moral field or in others. This is a fundamental

problem, a question of fundamental importance. This conclusion, of course, points to the fact that the education

become

small child will in the future

of the

the most

and important consideration of society. Then how is it possible that we knew nothing of it before ? Our grandparents and great-grandparents knew nothing of these things and yet children grew up and basic

existed.

humanity usually

comes

new

This

into the

is

mind

the

sort

of

of a person

statement that

who

hears some-

"

Humanity is very old and I have grown up myself my people must have lived. children have grown up and yet we had no such theory thing

!

They say

:

;

before.

151

In spite of the lack of such preparation, people

THE ABSORBENT MIND have acquired their language and in many countries certain customs have become so strong that they have has that taken place ? How that without any such preparation I have become

become is

it

one

my

of

How

prejudices.

race

" ?

Let us consider

most

the

of

behaviour of

question for a

this

interesting

studies

human groups

West with our ultra-modern tries

we

One

while.

study of the

the

at different levels of civiliza-

Every one seems more

tion.

is

little

intelligent

ideas

!

than

we

in the

In most other coun-

see that children are not treated as disastrously

as by the rich ultra-modern Westerner.

most countries the

We

see that in

accompanies his mother everyThe mother and child are as one body. Wher-

where.

child

ever the mother goes the child goes with her. In the street she talks and the child listens. The mother has an

some tradesman about prices, Whatever the mother does the child

altercation with

the child

is

sees

present.

hears,

and

for

whole period

how

long does that last

of breast-feeding.

her child and so

and

During the The mother has to feed ?

she goes to work or goes out she cannot leave the child. To her it is not merely a question of feeding the child, it is really a question of attraction between the mother and child. " I do not like to leave the child, because I love him/' she would say. Nature sis

has arranged that milk and love solve the problem of adaptation to the environment on the part of the child.

So

here

is

the picture

:

the mother

and

child are but

one 152

THE ABSORBENT MIND person divided into two.

Where

civilization

has not

destroyed the possibility, the mother loves the child and takes him about with her, everywhere. She says, and " I do not trust anyone with my child." Is this rightly :

mother a gaoler then ? No She goes everywhere and so does the child. The child hears the mother speaking in a normal way to many people. She speaks whatever !

she has to say and the child takes part. People say that mothers are loquacious yes, because they have to aid ;

the development of

environment.

If

the child

and

his adaptation to his

the child were to hear only the

that the mother addresses to himself, he

much. tion.

words, It

is

it

is

its

construc-

not language consisting only of disconnected language taken from the people who speak.

really marvellous that the child

is

would not learn

Instead, the child learns language in It

words

is

able to absorb the

language of the environment in which he can only happen if he lives among people. stress the necessity of the

lives,

but this

Therefore

I

child being brought out into

the world.

Again,

if

we

study the different

human

groups,

races or nations, there are other characteristics to observe the

fashion

of

transporting

the

child

characteristics. Ethnological studies are

is

:

one of these

made and people

go about observing these and other customs and there One of the are many interesting things to be seen. greatest interest

They 153

is

to see

how women

usually lay the child

carry their children.

on a bed or

in

a bag and do

THE ABSORBENT MIND not carry him in their arms. fastened to a piece of the

when

mother,

people

some countries the child is wood and put on the shoulders of In

the mother goes to work.

on

the child on the neck, others

tie

Certain the back,

But each race has found some

others

use a basket.

means

of carrying the child along.

There

always the

is

question of breathing to consider. The child is usually carried with his face against the back of the mother, there is

the danger of suffocation to be considered,

The Japanese put

precautions are taken. in

such a

way

that the

neck

the shoulder of the person first

traveller

who went

and so

their children

comes above carrying it, and the

of the child

who

is

to Japan, called the

Japanese

two-headed people, on account of this habit. In India the child is carried on the hip, and the Red Indian straps it on the back

;

the child

is

in a sort of cradle

and

is

fastened

mother back to back, so that the child sees whatever is behind her. Each country has different to

the

and customs, but the child never leaves the mother. It never enters the head of the mother to leave the child behind any more than she would leave her hair behind. habits

In Africa

among

a certain tribe there

nation ceremony for

a queen.

To

was

to

be a coro-

the surprise of the

who

witnessed the ceremony, the queen had her child along with her. It never entered her head

missionaries

to leave the child at

these people

is

a long period.

home.

Another curious

fact with

that the period of breast-feeding lasts for

In

some

countries

it

lasts

one year,

in

154

THE ABSORBENT MIND others one

and a

half or

up

two

to

not neces-

It is

years.

because the child has the necessary means now to eat anything. In fact he does eat a great many things

sary,

besides drinking his mother's milk, but since the mother continues to feed him, it means that she takes the child

along with her and so involuntarily ensures the proper aid of a full social environment during this important The mother says nothing to the child but he has period.

The mother

eyes and he goes about.

his

carries

him

comes to know people in the street and the He sees all these things withmarket, carts and buses. out anybody telling him anything. And when mothers go to market and fix the price for fruits, if you look at the

and the

child

face of the child she carries, sity

of interest there

is

in

it is

curious to see the inten-

his eyes.

expressive in her face but the child

Another

interesting factor

being carried about never

Sometimes the

Among

the

child

is

is

asleep,

enormous quantity

of

is

un~

intensely expressive.

who

that the small child

cries, unless

falls

The mother

he

is

ill

or

is

wounded.

but he never

cries.

photographs taken

in

The photocourse, to show

these countries, you never see a child crying.

graphs have been taken of the mother, of her customs, but incidentally we notice that one feature of

them

is

that the child does not cry,

whereas what

people complain about in Western countries "

" is

:

My

what do you do when a always crying," and " What can one do ? Crying is the problem child cries ?

child

in

is

Western

155

countries.

Today

the answer of psychologists

THE ABSORBENT MIND is

this

ing

:

and

vation.

the child cries

and

is

agitated, he has

tempers

He

,

because he

suffers

of cry-

from mental

mentally undernourished.

is

He

prison with a restricting guardian over him.

remedy is this him to go into :

to take the child out of prison society.

What

treatment of the child which

many

fits

'

'

races.

is

star-

kept in

The only and allow

nature shows us

is this

unconsciously followed in This treatment has to be understood and

applied consciously by us as

is

we

use our observation

and

intelligence.

156

CHAPTER X

ON LANGUAGE LET

us consider the development of language in the In order to understand language, we must reflect child.

on what language well call

it

the

is.

It is

basis of

men

so fundamental that

normal human

life,

we

might because

form a group. It brings about the transformation of the environment that we

through

it

join together to

call civilization.

There it

is

are.

come

a central point that distinguishes humanity : not guided to do this or that fixed task as animals

We

is

never

know what man

will do,

hence men must

harmony with each other or they will never do anything. In order to come into accord and to take into

intelligent decisions together,

is

not sufficient to think,

were geniuses. What is necessary This underthat we must understand one another.

not even is

it

if

all

of us

standing one another age.

Language

is

is

the

possible only

by means

of langu-

instrument of thinking together.

Language did not not exist on the earth until man made his appearance. Yet after all, what is it ? A mere breath, 157

THE ABSORBENT MIND a

series of

sounds put together not even

logically, just

put

together.

Sounds have no

logic, the collection of

occur

when we say

What

gives sense to these sounds

*

have

'

plate

in

sounds that

themselves no is

logic.

the fact that

have agreed that those special sounds

men

shall represent

Language is the expression of agreement among a group of men, and it is only the group who has agreed on those sounds who can understand them.

this special idea.

Other groups have other sounds to represent the same idea. Language is a sort of wall that encloses a group

men and

from other groups. That is why language has become almost mystical, it is something that unites groups of men even more than the ideas of

of

separates

Men

nationality.

it

are united

by language, and language

become more complicated as man's thought has become more complicated it has grown with man's

has

;

thought.

The

curious thing

is

that the sounds used to

com-

pose words are few, yet they can unite in so many ways to make so many words. How complicated are the combinations of these sounds

!

Sometimes one

is

placed

before another, sometimes after another, sometimes softly,

sometimes with etc.,

etc.

It

force,

with closed

lips,

needs a great memory to

with open

lips,

remember them

and the ideas represented by these words. Then there is the thought itself, as a whole, which must be expressed and this is done by a group of words which we all

158

THE ABSORBENT MIND The words must be placed

a sentence.

call

in

a special

order in that sentence so as to conform to the thought of man and not just to string together a number of things in

There

the environment.

is

therefore a set of rules in

order to guide the hearer as to the intentional thought of If man wishes to express a thought, he the speaker.

must put the name of the object here and an adjective near it and another noun there. The number of words used If

is

not sufficient, their position must be considered.

we want

to test this, let us take a sentence with a clear

meaning, write separate words

make

out,

it

cut the written sentence into

and mix them

;

the sentence will not

sense, yet there are exactly the

here also there must be agreement

same words.

among men.

guage therefore might be called the expression intelligence. is

On

first

after further thought It

consideration

a faculty with which

is

a

we

we

are

we

it

is

So Lan-

of a supra-

feel that

endowed by

realize that

supra-natural creation

its

language

nature, but

above nature.

produced by conscious

Around it there grows a sort of network that extends and increases and there is no limit to the extension and increase, so that there have been languages so complicated, so difficult to remember for ever, that they have died. They extended so far and gradually became so complicated that it was impossible And if one to retain them, and they disintegrated. collective intelligence.

Latin one would study for eight years, ten years, and even then one would not

wished

159

to study Sanskrit or

THE ABSORBENT MIND succeed

in

language completely and in

this

speaking

its

perfection.

There

nothing more mysterious than the under-

is

do anything, men must come together in agreement and to that they must use language, this most abstract instrument. lying reality that to

This problem is always worrying humanity, but it mast be solved, because language has to be given to the

new-born

Attention

child.

to

this

people to consider and realize that

The

in language.

very great

it is

has led

the child who takes

reality of this absorption is

something

and mysterious which men have not sufficiently

considered.

It is

said

" :

This

ment indeed

when one

especially

!

among people who

Children are

speak, so they speak".

plications.

problem

is

a very profound stateconsiders the

Yet people have gone on

years to think of

it

for

com-

thousands of

so superficially.

Another thought has entered men's minds through their

be

study of

difficult

this

problem

of language

and complicated

;

a language might

for us to learn

and yet

it

has

been spoken once by the uncultured people of the country Latin is a difficult language, even to which it belonged. for those who speak the modern languages that have developed from Latin, but the language that the slaves of imperial

Rome

spoke was

this

same complicated and

And what

did the uncultured peasants speak as they laboured in the fields ? This complicated And what did the children of three years speak Latin difficult

Latin

!

!

160

THE ABSORBENT MIND Rome

They expressed themselves in this complicated Latin and understood it as it was spoken to them. It is probably the same in India. Long ago, the in imperial

?

people

who worked

spoke

Sanskrit.

in the fields

To-day

and the

curiosity

result

and roamed

this is

mystery

that

in the jungle

has

aroused

the development of

language in children is receiving attention and, let us remember, it is development, not teaching. The mother does not teach language to her little one. Language develops

what

one

strikes

is

laws and

certain

that

in

whether the language

Even

children

ment

in

difficult

who their

live

are

there

among among them

be simple or com-

some

very

simple the

certain primitive people

There

syllables are

is

spoken

;

same developchildren with a more

attain the

language as the

language do.

when only

epochs that development This is true for all children

of their race

today

languages spoken

language develops following

certain

reaches a certain height.

plicated.

And

a spontaneous creation.

as

naturally

;

a period for all children then words are spoken

and grammar is used in its The differences of masculine and feminine, perfection. of singular and plural, of tenses, of prefixes and suffixes, The language may be com* all are used by children. plicated and with many exceptions to the rules, yet the child who absorbs it learns it all and can use it in the

and

finally

the whole syntax

same time as

the African child learns the few

his primitive language.

161 11

words

of

THE ABSORBENT MIND we

we

look at the production of the different sounds also find it follows laws. All the sounds which comIf

pose words are

made by

putting into use certain

mechan-

Sometimes the nose is employed together with the throat, and sometimes it is necessary to control the muscles of the tongue and cheek, etc. Different parts of the body come together to construct this mechanism. Its construction is perfect in the mother tongue, the language taken by the child. Of a foreign tongue, we

isms.

adults cannot even hear

all

the sounds,

let

alone re-

We

can only use the mechanism of our own language. Only the child can construct the mechanism of language, and he can speak any number of

produce them.

languages perfectly if they are in his environment. This construction is not the result of conscious work, but takes place in the deepest layer of the sub-conscious of the child.

He

begins this work in the darkness of

the sub-conscious and fixes itself as

it

is

there that

it

a permanent acquisition.

develops and It

is

this that

lends interest to the study of language. We, adults, can conceive only a conscious wish to learn a language and must however have set about to learn it consciously.

We

another conception of a natural, or rather supra-natural mechanism that takes place outside of consciousness, and this

mechanism, or

series of

mechanisms,

is

fascinating.

take place in a depth not directly accessible to adult observers. Only the external manifestations can

They

be seen, but these are very

clear in themselves

if

we 162

THE ABSORBENT MIND observe

them properly,

they take place in

since

all

the fact that the sounds

is

humanity.

Especially striking

of

age after age another that complications are taken in as easily as

any language keep

curiosity

is

No

simplicities.

mother tongue,

their purity

*

becomes tired' of learning his mechanism elaborates his language

child his

;

in its totality.

There comes

my mind

a sort of comparison to this absorption of language by the child. My idea has nothing to do with the various factors of the phenomenon, nor with

reality,

we can

that

to

but

it

gives a picture of something similar

experience.

If,

draw something, we take a but

we can

a

also take

for instance,

pencil or colours

we

wish to

and draw

it,

photographic picture of the

and then the mechanism is different. The photograph of a person is taken on a film. This film does not have to do much work, and if there were instead of one a group of ten people to be photographed, the film would have no more work than before the mechanism works It would be just as easy to take a instantaneously. thousand people if the camera were large enough. If we thing

;

photograph the of that

book

effort is the

title

filled

same

of a book, or

we photograph

if

a page

with minute or foreign characters, the for

the film.

So

the

mechanism

of

the film can take in anything, simple or complicated, in

the fraction of a second.

man men 163

it it

we have to draw a we have to draw ten

if

some time, and if take more time. If we copy the

will

will

Whereas,

take

title

of a

book

THE ABSORBENT MIND it

and

minute

of

more

it

come

if

we have

characters

foreign

too, the

darkness

in

then

time,

it

to

copy a page take

will

is

it

fixed,

photograph

is

taken in darkness and

undergoes the process of development, still in darkness, and finally it can

and

to the light

is

So

unalterable.

with the

it is

psychic mechanism for language in the child.

It

deep down

is

oped and it

is

that

darkness of the sub-conscious,

in the

and then it is seen openly. Certain some mechanism does exist, (whether I have

standing of language

or not) so that this under-

may be

Once one has

realized.

mysterious activity, one wants to find out happens so there is today a deep interest in the

envisaged it

begins devel-

fixed there,

made a good comparison

how

much

time.

Then, still

some

also take

will

this

;

investigation of this mysterious feature of the

deep sub-

conscious.

This however tion that adults

is

only part of the activity of observa-

can perform

;

the other part

the external manifestations, because external manifestations that

are engaged in

this.

proof

Nowadays

watch

only of these

is

we can have

must be exact.

observation

it

to

is

;

but this

several people

Observations have been carried out

day by day from the date of birth to two years of age and beyond what happened on each day, how long the development remained at the same level, etc. From these :

observations

They have

certain

things

stand out

like

revealed the fact that there

is

milestones.

a mysterious

164

THE ABSORBENT MIND inner development that

very great, while the corresponding external manifestation is very small, so there is evidently a great disproportion between the activity of the inner

and the

life

that stands out in festations

Another thing these observations of outer mani-

external expression.

all

that there

is

is

is

not a regular linear develop-

ment, but development manifests

itself in jerks.

There

the

conquest of syllables, for instance, at a certain time and then for months the child emits nothing but is

there

syllables

he says a word

is ;

no progress externally. Then suddenly then he remains with one or two words

a long time. Again there seems no progress and one feels almost disheartened to see this slow external

for

It

progress.

seems so

that in the inner

life

sluggish, but the acts reveal to us

there

is

a continuous and great

progress.

After society

?

If

all

is

we

this

not illustrated also in the actions of

look at history,

turies lived at the

same

we

see that

level, primitive, stupid,

but this incapable of progress manifestation seen in history. There

tive,

man

;

for

cen-

conserva-

is

only the outer

is

an inner growth

going on and on, until an explosion suddenly comes And then another period of placidity and little progress externally and then another revelation !

!

So it is with the child and this language of man. There is not merely small steady progress of word by word, but there are also explosive phenomena, as psychologists call

165

them, happening without reason or teaching.

At the

THE ABSORBENT MIND same period cataract three

of

of

life

in

each child comes suddenly

words, and

child

and

prefixes,

all

and

In

com-

the

verbs.

All

end of the second year for every So we must be heartened by this action of the and wait. (And at the sluggish epochs in history

happens

child.

perfectly.

months the children use with ease

plications of nouns, suffixes this

pronounced

all

this

at the

we may hope

same

perhaps humanity is not so stupid as it appears, perhaps wonderful things will happen which will be explosions of internal life.) These explosive phenomena and eruptions of expression confor the

tinue after the

;

age of two years

the

;

use

of simple

and compound sentences, the use of the verb in all its tenses and modes, even in the subjunctive, the use of subordinate and co-ordinate clauses appear in the same sudden explosive way. So is completed the expression of the language of the group (race, social level, etc.,) to

which the child belongs.

This treasure which has been

prepared by the sub-conscious consciousness,

and and

the child, in

is

full

handed over

to the

possession of this

new

talks, and talks, till the adults say power, talks, " " For goodness* sake can't you stop talking After this great landmark at two and a half years, :

!

which seems to indicate a border-line

man

of intelligence

when

formed, language still continues to develop, without explosions, yet with great vivacity and spontaneity. This second period lasts from two and a half to four and

a

is

half or five

years.

This

is

the period

when

the child

166

THE ABSORBENT MIND number

takes in a great

rendering of sentences.

of

words, and perfects the

Certainly

environment of a few words or of those words only, but cultured speech it

and

he

if

*

slang

',

he

is in

will

use

the child will fix

very important, yet

is

an

an environment of

lives in

rich vocabulary,

The environment

all.

the child

if

in

any

vocabulary will come about* Great interest is being taken in this fact. In Belgium scientific observers discovered that the child of only two

an enrichment

case

and a

half years

time of five years

and

all this

acquisition.

child to

of

knew two hundred words, but by the he knew and used thousands of words,

happens without a teacher After he has learnt

come

to school

and say

;

all

this,

" :

it is

I

a spontaneous we allow the

will

"

alphabet

We

teach you the

!

must keep clearly

has been followed

:

in

mind

this

double path that

which

that of the sub-conscious activity

prepares the language, and then that of the consciousness gradually coming to life and taking from the sub-conscious

what

MAN well, all

it

has to give.

And what

the child of five

knows and

uses

all

have

we

who can speak the rules.

He

The

his

is

child has created

end

?

language

does not

the sub-conscious work, but in reality he

has created language.

at the

realize

MAN who it

for

him-

and did not spontaneously acquire language, there would have been no work possible in the world of men and no civilization. self.

We 167

If

the child did not have these powers

see, therefore,

how

important

is

MAN

in this period of

THE ABSORBENT MIND his

life

tion

he constructs

would not

So we him

:

to

all.

exist, for

If it

were not

for

he alone constructs

him, civiliza-

its

foundation.

should give him the help he needs and not leave

wander

alone.

168

CHAPTER

XI

THE CALL OF LANGUAGE WHAT

I

want

sympathy,

little

adults

illustrate

am

I

we

think

is

because

afraid,

interesting

will

arouse

we human and

live

in

however are these wonder-

Mechanisms

mechanisms.

a fact that

above mechanisms

are

How

the abstract. ful

to

are

basical things, they

are material facts.

Material things are not only flesh All know that in the blood, but also mechanisms.

and mechanism

of

the nervous system there are the sense-

organs, the nerves

The

and

nerve-centres,

and the motor organs.

a mechanism concerning language goes somewhat beyond such material facts. It was towards the end of the last century that the brain-centres which deal fact that there

is

with language were discovered.

two

There are

in the cortex

of the

brain

one

the centre for heard language, auditory receptive

is

special centres dealing with language

:

speech, and one the centre for the production of language, If we consider the that is of spoken, motor speech. question from the physiological point of view, there are also

169

two organic centres

:

one

for

hearing the language

THE ABSORBENT MIND and one for speaking the language (the mouth, throat and nose, etc.), and these two centres develop The separately, both psychically and physiologically. (the ear)

receptive or hearing centre

ous side of the psyche

in

is

in relation with that mysteri-

which language

the deepest part of the sub-conscious, the motor centre It

is

is

manifested

is

and

when we

developed

in

the activity of

speak.

evident that this second part, which deals with

movements necessary for the emission of language, is slower to develop, and is manifested after the other. the

Why

?

Because

is

it

the sounds heard

prot)oe those delicate

by the

child that

movements which produce sound.

humanity does not have a pre-established language (which it does not, considering

This

very logical, because

is

if

own), then it is necessary that the child first hears the sounds of his group's created language Therefore the movement before he can reproduce them. that

it

creates

its

reproducing sounds must be based on a sub-stratum of impressions on the psyche, on those sounds, because it for

is

on the sounds which have been

felt

(impressed on the

psyche) that movement depends. This is easy and logical to understand, but

come because

"

first

How

logic,

And what

nature.

one

of

but because of a mechanism in

and

they are

!"

after seeing

and

" then,

directing intelligence behind the facts intelligence

has not

logic is there in nature ? In nature

notices facts

logical

it

which acts

".

them, one says

:

There must be a

The

mysterious

in the creation of things

is

much 170

THE ABSORBENT MIND more

here in the psychic phenomena than it is in flowers even with all their beautiful colours and shapes. visible

t

It

is

two

clear that at birth, these

heard and the spoken language do not is

What does

What

sound and

of all heredity yet capable of taking

Nothing

there.

free of all

exist.

yet at the same time everyexists are these two centres, centres

exist then ?

thing

activities of the

exists,

and of elaborating the movements necessary for its emission. These two points are part of the mechanism for developing language in its totality. Going more deeply into the matter we see that both a sensibility and

in language,

an

exist

ability

it

It is

easy to see

the elaboration of language begins after birth,

also that

since

which are centralized.

depends on the hearing

of

language and before

cannot hear anything. Activity must come afterwards. It is marvellous that all is prepared so that, when the child is born, it can start on its work. birth the child

Now ism.

us study the organs as well as the mechan-

let

Certainly the creation of this

vellous, but all creation

is

mechanism

marvellous. Is

it

is

mar-

not marvellous

to think of the creation of the ear (the organ of heard

language) before the child

born

is

>

There, in that

mysterious environment, this very delicate and complicated instrument has developed spontaneously.

How

marvellously is built

it

171

A

constructed, as

if

some musical genius had

musician, yes, because the central part of

a sort of harp, with the possibility of vibrating sounds according to the length of the different

the ear

with

up.

it

is

THE ABSORBENT MIND 4

strings

The harp

'.

in our ear

has sixty-four

f

'

strings

f

all

placed in gradation and as the size of the ear is so small they have been arranged in the form of a snail's shell.

What

intelligence

up

building

who on

that

is

necessary

for

of

limits

space, yet musical sounds. And

going to play on these strings ? For if no one plays the harp may remain silent against the wall for years.

is

it,

We

all

Respecting the

!

see a

drum

in front of the harp,

and when something

touches that drum, one or more of the harp strings vibrate so the drum plays the harp and we hear the ;

music of speech. Not all the sounds of the universe are taken in by the ear, because there are only sixty-four strings, but quite a complex music can be played on it.

By means

of

it

a language, with

all its

And

complications, can be transmitted.

cated instrument has created pre-natal

life,

why

else

is

his

environment

shall

created,

should

i.e.,

it

itself

be that

delicate

in

if

and

this

the

fine

compli-

mysterious

after birth

something

the language that the child finds in

and

must

create

for

himself

?

We

see.

For the lous she

is,

moment let us look at nature how marveland how quick Even if the child is born at ;

!

seven months, all is complete and ready. Nature is never late How does this instrument transmit the sounds it !

receives through the nervous fibres to the brain,

where the

special centres are located to collect these special sounds

That

The

is

also mysterious,

curious thing

is

?

but these are facts of nature.

that psychologists,

who have

studied

172

THE ABSORBENT MIND new-born develop

is

that of hearing.

the child

is

deaf.

and

child

most sluggish to even seems that

children, say that the sense

there

They say

it

made round

All sorts of noises are

no

is

reaction.

This

is

because these

and

seems powerful mechanism responds and acts the spoken word to these special sounds

centres are centres for language, for words,

as though this

the

it

only in relation so that thus, in time, will be produced the mechanism of

reproduce those same sounds. special isolation of the centres were not pro-

movement, which this

If

will

imagine what would happen to man ? If the centres were free to take anything, then the child who

vided

for,

was born on a farm would be impressed only by the " " sounds of the farm, and would say Moo, Moo and grunt and cackle. The child born near a station would only make the sounds of the whistling and puffing trains. :

It is

because nature has

built

and has

isolated these centres

man

can speak. There have been cases of wolf -children, children who, for one reason

specially for language that

or another,

have been abandoned

in the jungle,

some wonderful means have managed children, although they

have

to live.

and by These

lived in the midst of all

kinds of bird- and animal-sounds, those of water and of

have nevertheless remained entirely dumb. They produced no sound whatever, because they did not hear the sounds of human speech, which alone provoke

falling

the

mechanism

show 173

leaves,

that there

of is

spoken language.

All this

I

relate to

a special mechanism for language. This

THE ABSORBENT MIND distinguishes humanity, to possess language,

it

possesses this mechanism

;

not

but to possess this mechanism for

own

language characterizes humanity. Words are the result of a sort of elaboration performed by the child, but the child himself is not a mechanism, far from it. creating

its

Let us imagine the ego

in this

mysterious period, just

This sleeping ego suddenly

after birth, as a sleeping self.

wakes up and hears a delightful music. If this mysterious " I have entered the world, ego could talk, it would say and they have welcomed me with music, a music, so :

divine, so soul-penetrating, that

my whole being, my very No other sound reached

have begun to vibrate to it. me, because this reached my soul and I heard no other " And if we remember the great sound but this divine call propulsive powers which create and conserve life, we can fibres

!

see

how

lasting.

born

music produces a thing that remains ever-

this

What

child

takes place in the

now,

remains

for

mneme

ever.

of the

new-

Every group of music and its own

humanity loves music, creates its own Each group responds to its music with movelanguage. ments of the body and this music attaches itself to words, but those words have no sense in themselves, it is we

who

give the sense. In India there are but music unites all. The impressions child

have remained.

many languages, on the new-born

There are no animals that make

music and dance, but all humanity does it wherever it is. These sounds of language then are fixed in the sub-conscious.

What

goes on inside

we

cannot see, but 174

THE ABSORBENT MIND the outer manifestations give us a guide. fixed

and

this is

We

might

call

then words,

an

integral part of the

self

an alphabet. Then syllables come, spoken as a child will read sometimes

just

intelligently the child

a

is

little

who make

syllables

and

does

at

!

it

all

means.

But

Inside the child him-

one of the old-fashioned

the child recite the alphabet, then

finally

the

works

like

teacher,

teachers

it

mother tongue.

it

from a primer, without knowing what

how

Sounds are

words.

Only

the

wrong time when the

human

teacher

child

already

possesses his language. The teacher inside the child does things at the right time, so the baby fixes sounds,

then syllables. the language.

It

is

a gradual construction as logical as

Afterwards words come and then

enter the field of grammar.

come

first.

That

is

why

it is

Names

we

of things (nouns)

so illuminating to follow the

teachings of nature, because nature

is

a teacher, and

it

teaches the child the most arid part of language. It is a It teaches nouns and adjecreal school with methods. tives, conjunctions and adverbs, verbs in the infinitive,

then the conjugation of verbs, the declensions of nouns, then prefixes and suffixes and all the exceptions. Then there

is

the examination

;

he shows he can use them.

We

then see what a good teacher there has been and what a diligent pupil, because he uses them all quite correctly in Isn't he clever ? One should applaud the examination.

Much later him, but no one takes any notice of him. when he is at the school we adults have chosen for him, 175

THE ABSORBENT MIND he

he has

miracle :

say

"

What

a clever teacher

".

But

child

we

given a medal and

is

the small

is

it

This

!

a pupil

what

is

who

child

who

is

really

the teacher should

a living

see in the

has learnt in such a fashion that the

teacher herself could not learn better.

two years he

In

This is a deep mysterious fact. has learnt everything Let us then follow the manifestations the child gives in !

two

these

what

years, because thus

we

ness

and

will

be easier to follow

On examining these

the child has done.

tions,

it

manifesta-

and ever-awakening conscioussuddenly, this consciousness becomes

see a gradual then,

predominant and wishes

(some say

and

earlier,

1

to

am

master

all.

At

four

months

inclined to agree with

them)

the child perceives that this mysterious music that sur-

rounds him and touches him so deeply, comes from the human mouth. It is the mouth (the lips that move) which produces a baby

it.

we

seldom noticed, but if we watch see with what intensity he watches the

This

is

already seen taking a hand in the matter, for consciousness takes a propulsive part in the

Consciousness

lips.

work.

Certainly,

pared,

all

is

movement has been unconsciously

the exact co-ordinations of minute fibres

pre-

have

not been achieved consciously, but consciousness gives interest,

enlivens

and makes a

series

of

keen,

alert

researches.

After

two months

the child produces his

of this observation of the

own sounds

(at six

months

mouth, of age).

176

THE ABSORBENT MIND All of a sudden, this baby,

who

has been unable to say

anything except an occasional interjectional noise, one morning wakes up (before you) and you hear him saying :

*'

"

Ma-ma-ma ", etc. It is he who invented He now goes on for so long a time Papa* and Mama with these syllables only that we say he cannot do any Ba-ba-ba

",

*

*

'.

After a great effort he has reached

more.

member,

it

is

discovery and

who

the effort of the ego is

Let us

this.

re-

who has made a

conscious of his powers

;

a

little

man

no longer a mechanism, but an individual using mechanisms. We arrive at the end of the first year of is

but before that, at ten months, the child has

life,

made

that this language from the mouth of another discovery When we It is not merely music. people has a purpose. :

"

say

Dear

:

realizes

" :

how sweet you are meant for me" and so he begins to

little

this is

Baby,

some purpose

in these

there

is

Two

things therefore have

!",

he

realize

sounds addressed to him.

happened by

the

end

of the

in the depths of the unconscious he has underyear on the heights of consciousness he has created stood

first

:

:

language, though at the moment it is only babbling, just repeating sounds and combinations of sounds.

At one year

age the child says his first intentional He babbles just the same, but it is intentional, words. and intention means conscious intelligence. What has of

happened within ? Having studied him we know that he has much more within him than is shown by these unMore and more the child has obtrusive manifestations. 177 12

THE ABSORBENT MIND round

realized that language refers to the environment

him and he goes on to the conscious mastery a great struggle arises within the sciousness against mechanism.

man, this

I

the

is

it

can use

child, It

is

war between the

first

my own

experience.

I

of

Here

it.

a struggle of con-

the

first

struggle of

To illustrate know many things,

parts

!

them to an English-speaking I only know audience, but I do not have the language. a little English and my words would be a useless babI know that my audience is intelligent and we bling. I

want

to

express

could exchange ideas, but, alas, I only babble. epoch when the intelligence has many ideas and

This

knows

people could understand them, but cannot express these ideas through lack of language is a dramatic epoch in the

life

of the child.

It

gives the

first

disappointments

had no translator, what could What can the child do ? He goes to school in conscious, and his desire spurs him to learn. of

life.

If

I

conscious impulse

makes

this

to

hurried

I

do

?

his subIt is

the

be able to express himself that of

language possible. Imagine his attention to language at this time acquisition

!

A

who

so desirous of expressing himself, needs to go to a teacher to give him the words clearly.

being

is

Are we any use as such teachers ? No we don't help him at all we merely repeat to him his own babbling. If he did not have this inner teacher, he would learn nothing It is this inner teacher who makes him go to at all. ;

;

adult people

who

are talking to each other, not to him.

178

THE ABSORBENT MIND The impulse

forces

we do

ness, but

him

to take the language with exact-

not give

Yet

it.

he could indeed go to school

where

after

one year of age

one

of our schools

to

;

people talk to him

intelligent

people have understood

this difficulty of the child

one and two years, and the importance of learning

child the opportunity

days before

wrote

I

from Ceylon

in

this,

now

between

of giving to the

exactly.

a few

Just

received a communication

I

which someone wrote

are that there are

Some

intelligently.

"

How

:

we

glad

schools in our country for our

They have understood the need there. So " What a pity we have no besides those who say " " there are also those who say How glad University

small child

!"

:

!

we

:

are to have these schools for small children

" !

We

knowledge we can talk to him grammatically and help him with the analysis of sentences. The new teachers of children between the ages of one and two years should must

realize

know

the development of language.

it,

as

it

scientific

is

that since the child has grammatical

important,

fashion.

Mothers must know

and teachers should know

Then

it

in

a

need not go about

the child

to find people talking to others, not to himself, in order

We

to receive the aid he needs.

become

the servants of

nature that creates, and of nature that teaches, and a

whole syllabus and method What can I do with something that self-control,

179

I

is

is

my

babbling

very important

may become

for us.

ready ?

I

may

if

1

want

not have

agitated, enraged,

to

tell

much

and begin

THE ABSORBENT MIND what happens to the child of one or two years. He wants to show by one word what he wants ua to know, but he cannot and hence tantrums. Then people That

to cry.

"

say

(What

man's

See

:

man

a

in

!

is

there in this child of for

no reason

for

him,

makes is

we

at

"

innate

coming out The origin of war

perversity

one year !) is one year, who gets angry and violent of

all,

we think. We we do things

as

dress him,

these naughty scenes

all

!

And

yet this poor being

"

We

care

say

:

for

him, yet he

Poor

".

working towards independence

stood

!

little

man who

To be so misunderwho has no language !

and whose only expression is one of rage, has yet the power of making his own language. The rage is merely an expression that comes after the obstructed effort to try to make words, and he Joes make some sort of words. There is another period at about one and a half years

when

the child has recognized another fact

that each object has a it

means

that

among

name. all

the

This

is

namely, marvellous because ;

words he has heard, he has

been able to pick out nouns, especially concrete ones. There was a world of objects, now there are words for these

objects.

Unfortunately,

with nouns alone one

cannot express everything, so he has to use one word to express a whole idea. Psychologists therefore give

words that are meant

special attention to these

sentences,

and they

call

them

to express

*

fusive

words or one-word-

sentences.' Let us suppose porridge is eaten with milk, the " " " Mother child then may call out pa meaning :

Ma

:

180

THE ABSORBENT MIND am

He is expressing hungry, I want some porridge ". one whole sentence in a word. Another feature of this I

fusive speech, this forced language of the child,

there are alterations in the words themselves

instead *

4

*

4

of

paletot *

Spanish baby will use which means overcoat

f

*

*

'

'

that

there are

;

A

abbreviations.

often

is

;

to

and

*

espalda which means shoulder \ This is a modification, an abbreviation of the words We use, and for

palda

sometimes they are so

different that

we

might say that There is a child*

the child uses a foreign language. language ', but very few take the trouble to study it. Teachers of children of this age, should study this in

order to help the child and bring calm to his torment-

ed

soul.

These two child-words

'

'

to

and

manifestation of a mental conflict in

'

'

palda were the a child, and the

was so enraged and agitated that many people did The mother of the child not know what to do with it. was carrying her coat over her arm and the child was screaming, screaming. At last, at my suggestion, the mother put on her coat and immediately the screaming " To ceased, the child was calm and crowed happily " That is right a coat is meant palda ", meaning to say to be worn over the shoulders/* So you see another fact, child

:

:

that this mysterious language of

;

the

child

can reveal

the psychology of the child at this age, his urge and need for order and his distress at disorder. coat was not

A

meant 181

to

be carried carelessly over the arm

;

it

was

the

THE ABSORBENT MIND for

wrong place

it,

and the disorder was more than the

child could bear.

have another instance, an incident that reveals that a child of one and a half years can understand a whole I

conversation and the sense of

Some

it.

five

people were

and demerits of a child's story-book. They had been discussing for some time, and the con" versation ended with the remark It all ends happily." discussing the merits

:

Immediately the to shout

" :

who was in the room, began The people thought it wanted

one,

little

"

Lola, lola

!

and was calling her by her name. But no It became more agitated and cried in distress and rage, not yet self-controlled, and then at last it managed to get hold of the book and turning to the back cover pointed to the picture of the child about whom the story was " " The adults had written, and said again Lola, lola taken the end of the printed story as the end of the book, but for the child the last picture, which was on the back cover, was the end, and in that picture the child was cry" " how could they say it ended happily ? It had ing

its

nurse

!

:

!

:

knew it was about that book, and had understood what was said and that a mistake had been made by these adults. Its understanding was complete and detailed, but its speech was not followed the whole conversation,

sufficient.

for

cries

could not even pronounce the correct word which is llora in Spanish, so it said lola *.

It *

*

The one word 44 You are wrong

'

*

*

lola ;

it

',

was used

'

to

these

tell

does not end happily

:

he

adults

:

cries."

182

THE ABSORBENT MIND This

illustrates '

why

I

say that

it is

necessary to have

'

a special school for children of the age of one and one and a half years. Mothers, and society in general,

must take special care that the children have frequent Let the child come experiences of the best language. with us when we visit our friends and also when we

go

to

meetings,

especially

where

emphasis and clear enunciation.

183

people speak with

CHAPTER

XII

OBSTACLES AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES NOW wish to deal with that we may understand I

child.

We

represent

that

may

the hidden tendencies of the

might compare

this

mind

analysis of the invisible I

certain inner sensitivities, so

a sort of psycho-

to

of the

child.

In Fig. 9.

the language of the child,

by symbols

and

clarify the idea.

For the symbolic representation of the nouns (names of things) that children use, I have used a black triangle

;

for the verbs,

a red

circle

;

and

different

symbols

for other

These symbols are shown in Fig. 10. So if we say that the child uses two to three hundred words at a certain age, represent this by symbols

parts of speech.

I

in

order to give a visual impression of

sufficient to

age and

it

It

it.

is

then

have eyes to see the development of langudoes not matter whether we speak English,

Gujarati, Tamil, Italian or Spanish,

because the symbols

speech are the same. All the nebulous patches at the

for the parts of

diagram represent the first

efforts

of

left

hand

the child

exclamations, interjections, etc.

side of the

to speak, his

Then we

see two

184

THE ABSORBENT MIND sounds come together and syllables are formed, and then three sounds together and the first words are spoken.

A

we

further to the right of the diagram,

little

see a group-

ing of words,

some nouns

word phrases

(a sentence with diffused meaning), just a

few words

mean

to

children

number

to

Then

lot.

there

is

a great

an exact representation of words that psychologists have found This

At one

use.

we

explosion

of

a

quite

explosion into words. the actual

that children use, then two-

is

side

of

this

of

picture

see a patch of words which are nearly

the all

nouns, then next to that, different parts of speech in a

confused combination, but soon stage

is

represented,

and

words

i.e.,

So

explosion of sentences.

the second explosion

after

the

in

first

because the

his thoughts.

As

had

to

integral part of the

life

for this. it

is

It is

hidden,

not a hypothesis,

One can realize the make in order to express

their inability

inner wealth

All the efforts which

not crowned with success, will

if

known fact that the deaf and quarrelsome. The explanation lies in

agitation.

are often

This agitation forms an

of children.

the child will carry out,

185

words

do not always understand what this stage there is the rage and

means, at agitation I mentioned before.

dumb

of

adults

child

produce

is

results indicate efforts.

great efforts the child has

the

secret

is

it

explosion

of thoughts.

is

There must be a preparation a secret, but though

two years the next There is an order.

It

is

a

to express their

and

richness

which

thoughts.

There

tries to find

is

an

expression

;

THE ABSORBENT MIND it

does so

ordinary child, but amidst great

in

the

is

a period of

diffi-

culties.

There

into consideration

and by

the child's

cult period of

difficulties

which

we must

take

caused by the environment limitations. This is the second diffi-

difficulties

;

own

adaptation, the

first

was

that of birth

when

was suddenly called upon to function for himself, We saw whilst his mother had hitherto done it for him. then, that unless great care and understanding were shown, the child

birth

terror

affected the

and caused

child

regressions.

Certain children are stronger than others, certain others

have a more favourable environment, and these go straight to independence, the path of normal development, with-

A

out regressions.

The conquest

of

parallel situation

language

is

is

seen at

this period.

a laborious conquest towards

a greater independence, and

it

ends

in the

freedom

of

language, but there are parallel dangers of regression too. must also remember another characteristic of

We

every impression and the result of has a tendency to remain permanently registered. This Children taking true for the sounds and for grammar.

this creative period, viz., it

is

in

knowledge now

also will

if

there

retain

every epoch of creation.

life,

may

for the rest of their life

are obstacles at

remain permanently.

obstacles,

it

produce

this

This

A

is

so

period their effect the characteristic of

struggle,

effects that

;

fright

remain

or

other

for the rest of

since the reactions to those obstacles are absorbed like

everything else in development. (In the

same way

if

there

186

THE ABSORBENT MIND is

a spot of

above,

light

on the photographic

the prints of that film will

all

In this epoch therefore

the

of

film

character,

we have

but

also

we mentioned

show

that spot.)

not only a development

a development of certain

deviated psychic characteristics which children as they

fest

grow

older.

Knowledge

will

of the

mani-

mother-

tongue and the faculty of walking are acquired at

epoch

of the child's

life,

this

during the creative period which of two and a half years, but

goes beyond the age is then less strong. The acquisition of these two faculties takes place now, but their growth and development continue afterwards. So also it is with any defects and obstacles acquired

so

many

they remain, and grow

;

epoch

difficulties

of their

that

in psycho-analysis,

These

repressions,

refer to this

sions

and

life.

mar normal development

included in the term repression,

used

;

defects that adult people present are attributed

to this distant

The

now

may

but also

(this in

now known

term

is

are

particularly

psychology generally).

to

the general public,

age in childhood. Examples of these represbe given in connection with language itself,

many more having a relationship with other human activities. The mass of words that explodes must have/reecfom of emission. Also when the explosion though there are

of sentences occurs

and a

child gives regular

form to

his

thoughts there must be freedom

emphasis

is

of expression. Great laid on freedom of expression, because it is

not only connected with the immediate present of the 187

THE ABSORBENT MIND developing mechanism, but also with the future life of the There have been certain cases where, at the individual.

when

age

explosion should

the

take place,

nothing half or than and a three three occurred at more years the child still used only the few words of a much earlier ;

age and appeared as a dumb child, although his organs of speech were perfectly normal. This is called psychic *

*

mutism

and

psychic

illness.

it

has a purely psychological cause, it is a This is the epoch of the origin of psychic

and psycho-analysis (which is really a branch of medicine) studies them. Sometimes psychic mutism dis-

illnesses

appears suddenly well

like

a miracle

and completely, with a

;

full

a child speaks suddenly, grasp of grammar, as he

already prepared inwardly, only the expression had have had children been hindered by some obstacle.

is

We

in

our schools of three and four years of age

never spoken and then suddenly spoke.

even spoken the words

dumb and

of

who had

They had never

the two-year old, they were

then

suddenly they spoke. By allowing them free activity and a stimulating environment, they suddenly manifested this power. Why does absolutely

this

happen

?

opposition has forth the

Because

either

impeded the

a great shock or persistent child hitherto

from giving

wealth of his language.

There are adult people also who speaking they have to make a great ;

find difficulty in effort

and they

they were not sure what to say, there is a hesitation. There are different reasons for this hesitation

look as

if

:

188

THE ABSORBENT MIND (a) (b)

they do not have the courage to speak, they do not have the courage to pronounce the words,

(c)

they have a difficulty

in

using sentences,

they speak more slowly than a normal person " " and say er, um, ah etc.

(c/)

find a

They

in

difficulty

and remains throughout

life

;

themselves which represents

it

a

is fatal

state of

permanent inferiority in the person. There are also psychic impediments which prevent an adult speaker from articulating words clearly cases This is a defect that has of stuttering and stammering. ;

had

when

during the period

birth

selves

were

epochs

of acquisition

First

So

being organized.

occur at those epochs period

:

the

mechanisms themthere

are

different

and corresponding regressions may :

Mechanism

of

words

is

acquired,

Corresponding regression

stammer-

ing

Second period

:

Mechanism

of sentence (expression

of thought) is acquired,

Corresponding regression in the

formulation of thoughts.

These regressions are related child

;

as he

so also he for

him.

is

is

The

to the sensitivity of the

sensitive to receive, in order to produce,

sensitive results

remain as a defect 189

hesitation

for

to

obstacles that are too strong

thwarted sensitivity then It is because this the rest of life.

of

this

THE ABSORBENT MIND the child

sensitivity of

is

imagine that these things take place. Let us then study these obstacles.

who

is

we can

greater than anything

It

is

an adult

responsible for these anomalies, an adult

Non-

acts too violently in his dealings with the child.

violence must be exaggerated, because

be violence

We

adult

for the

is

what

who

may

not

often violence for the child.

when we are violent to children, so we must study ourselves. The preparation for education is do not

realize

a study of oneself

who

is

to

life

help

preparation,

it

;

and the preparation of a teacher is more than a mere intellectual

a preparation of character, a spiritual

is

preparation.

The but to

some

sensitivity of the child presents various aspects,

things are

shocks at

this

common

period.

calm but

sensitivity to the

One is a Another common to

cold,

all.

determined

sensitivity

feature

is

effort of the

" You adult to prevent outer manifestations of children " " Those who have It is not done ". mustn't do this :

!

the

good fortune

(!) to

have what

is

called a well-trained

nurse for their children should especially beware of this

she very often has it. That is why this type of impediment is so frequent among aristocrats, they do not lack physical courage, but when they speak

tendency

in her

;

they stutter and stammer.

I

wish to

stress this question

must be understood from the child's point of view, and we must be very delicate in our behaviour. It has happened to me to be violent to children of

violence.

It

190

THE ABSORBENT MIND and

have given an example

I

in

one of

my

books.

A

1

child put his pair of outdoor shoes on the nice silk coverlet of his

on the

bed.

floor

removed them very determinedly, put them and brushed the coverlet vigorously with my I

hand, to demonstrate that For two or three months

saw a

pair of shoes, he

looked round

The answer lesson, was "

say

:

Do

for

some

it

was not

after that,

the place for shoes.

whenever the

their position

changed

child

and then

coverlet or cushion to clean.

silk

my

too vigorous (violent) not a crude, rebellious spirit. He did not of

the

not talk,

child

I

to

will put

my

shoes where

I

like

!

",

but an abnormal development. The child is so often non-violent in his reactions. 1 wish he were not, rebellion

would be

The

better than taking the faulty path to anomalies.

child with tantrums

himself

and may

arrive at

how

has found out

defend

normal development, but when

a child responds by changing his character, whole life. Yet people take no notice of worry about tantrums There is another

to

this affects his

they only

this,

!

4

nervous

'

fact

habits which

:

we

certain senseless fears find in adults

to violence to the child's sensitivity. less fears

remaining

in

can be traced

Some

concern animals, cats and hens

;

and

of the sense;

some concern

a room with the doors closed,

etc.

No

reasoning, no persuasion can help the victims of these once had a colleague, a Professor of Pedagogy I fears. in a University of Italy. 1

191

CL The

Secret of Childhood.

She was

forty-five years old

and

THE ABSORBENT MIND she

came

and

will

me one day and

to

said

" :

You

are a doctor

Every time I see a hen I am have to make an effort not to shriek.

understand.

terribly frightened,

I

nobody they would laugh at me/' Perhaps, as a tiny girl of two and a half years, she went to fondle a fluffy baby-chick and met the sudden agitated frenzy of I

tell

;

the watchful mother-hen.

The

feathered fury of that hen

gave her a shock which remained. These kinds of unreasonable fears are included under the name phobias ;

some

are so

common

that they have special

names such

as claustrophobia (the fear of closed doors, of a confined

examples could be given if we medicine. 1 mention them to illustrate

Many more

space).

entered the

field of

the mental form of children of this age.

Our naughty child.

action child,

is

not reflected merely in a sweet or

but in the adult

Therefore,

I

repeat, this

who

epoch

will result

from

of the child's

this

life is

very important for the rest of his life and for humanity This study is very important, but it it must be studied. ;

It is necessary to embark on this hardly exists as yet. It is necessary to try path, which is a path of discovery.

and penetrate

into the

mind

of the child, as the psycho-

analyst penetrates into the sub-conscious of the adult. It

is

difficult

language, or

they

give

to

because if

we the

do,

we we

often

do not understand

their

don't understand the

words they

use.

meaning Sometimes it is

necessary also to know the rest of the life of the child it is a sort of research work or detective work, but a ;

192

THE ABSORBENT MIND work

research

of

great

because through it we period. We need a translator,

utility

bring peace to this difficult

an

interpreter of the child

state of mind. tried

to

been curious

myself have worked

I

become

his language,

and

this

allow us to understand the child's

will

interpretation

and

in this

the interpreter of the child

to see

how

sense and

and

it

has

the children run to this inter-

because they realize there is someone who can help them. This eagerness of the child is something entirely different from the affection of the child who is preter,

petted or caressed.

The

who

interpreter

is

to the child a great

open to him the path of discovery when the world had already closed its doors.

hope, someone

This helper

is

tionship that

is

will

taken into the closest relationship, a relamore than affection because help is given,

not merely consolation. In a house where to

rise

early

in

the

I

was

living

morning,

and working

before

the

rest

I

of

used the

and work. One day a little child of the family, not more than one and a half years old, came in at I this early hour. thought he had got up because " he was hungry and wanted food, so I said What " " I want worms ". I was would you like ? He said " " said Worms ? Worms ? The child startled and realized I did not understand, but was trying to do so, so he gave me some more help and added " Egg." I " This can't be a breakfast that he wants thought " what does he want ? Then he added another word family,

:

:

:

:

:

;

:

193 13

THE ABSORBENT MIND "

Nena, egg, worms

".

came

Light

my

to

mind.

I

remem-

bered a fact (and that is why I say you must something of the circumstances of the child's life).

day

previous

his

Nena, was

little sister,

up the oval This little one had filling

drawing with coloured pencils. wanted the pencils and the sister had defended

inset,

and

told

child),

him

to

Now,

go away.

he did not oppose

know The

mind

(see the

his sister, but

herself

waited

of the for his

I chance, and with what patience and determination. gave him the pencil and the inset. There was a great

on the face egg \ so I had

light 4

made sister

of the child, but

to

the oval, he

make filled

had used the usual

it it

for

he could not

him.

Then

up with wavy

straight lines, but

make

after lines.

I

the

had His

he thought he '

made wavy lines, worms He had waited till he knew everyone was asleep but his interpreter, then he came to her for he felt she would knew something

help him.

ence that

It

is

better, so

he

'.

not tantrums, violent reactions, but patithe real characteristic of this age in all

is

patience to wait for their opportunity. Violent reactions or tantrums express a state of exasperation, children

;

when he cannot

attain his expression.

This interpreter of words can give penetrate into the

mind

of the child.

given one can see that the the activities followed

by

little

light in

From

order to

the example

child tries to carry out

older children.

If

one

intro-

duces the child of three years to an activity, the child of one and a half also wants to do it. Probably he will be 194

THE ABSORBENT MIND impeded and stopped from doing it, but he will try, A small child in our house wanted to copy his sister of The three, who was learning her first steps in dancing. teacher had wanted to know how to teach so young a child to dance ballet, etc. We said " Never mind, you what does it matter whether she learns or not try it :

;

you

;

receive your salary."

will

Knowing

working to help the child, she agreed to ately the one and a half year old, said

that try.

we were Immedi"

"

Me, too " The teacher said Absolutely impossible ", and when " we said Try it ", she said it was derogatory to her dignity as a teacher of ballet to teach a baby of one and :

!

:

:

a half years. pocket, so at

We

suggested she put her dignity in her last she came to the house, somewhat

disgruntled, threw her hat

on the sofa and began

to play

one was immediately furious, and " shrieked and would not move. The teacher said You

The

a march.

little

:

you

see,

can't teach

one so small

".

But the child was

he was having a disHe did cussion with the hat, addressing it with fury.

not distressed about the dancing

not use the

name

of the hat

itself,

;

nor that of the teacher

;

used two words which he repeated with concen" " " This hat Hat-rack Hall trated fury meaning

he

just

!

:

must not be here on the " hall life,

!

He had

he had

his

sofa, but

on the hat-rack

forgotten the dance

in the

and the pleasures

of

duty to perform of changing disorder into

order before anything hat-rack, his fury

195

:

!

else.

When

the hat

went and he was ready

was on

to dance.

the Till

THE ABSORBENT MIND then the fundamental need for order erased everything

study allows us to penetrate into the mind of the child to a depth where psychologists generally do

So

else.

this

The

not go.

and the passion which

for order

difficult

is

it

a picture

and understand. If together with that which I men-

take these pictures, tioned above of the child

who

and disagreed with

happy ending

second make

in the

example

first

for us to realize

we

versation

my

patience of the child in

to the

understood a whole conthe final opinion of the

we

story,

see that there are not

only the facts represented on figure 9, but a whole mental life, a whole psychic picture usually hidden from us

by our own

blindness.

Every discovery of the mind of the child at this age must be made known, and not as knowledge to be gained for ourselves,

as the knowledge of Sanskrit for instance,

but in order to help the child to adapt himself to the environment around him. must be a help to life all

We

the time, even

as an

if it

interpreter.

means we have The task of

to

spend great energy teacher of small

the

belongs to a science that will develop in the future, and will help mental development children

and it

is

very noble.

It

we must

carry

avoid those defects that

make

the growth of character.

out so that children

may

Above

We

certain individuals inferior to others. if

nothing 1 .

else, that

we must

That education

realize

must remember,

:

in the first

important to the whole

all

two years

of

life is

life.

196

THE ABSORBENT MIND 2,

That the child is endowed with great which we cannot see.

3.

That he has an extreme

sensitivity

intelligence

which

may

(under any violence) bring forth, not re-action only, but defects incorporated in his personality.

197

CHAPTER

XIII

MOVEMENT AND TOTAL DEVELOPMENT necessary to consider movement from a new point of view. Because of some misunderstanding, movement is considered less noble than it is, especially the moveIT

is

ment is

In education as a whole

of the child.

sadly neglected and

movement

importance is given to the Only physical education which up till recently

brain.

all

held a very inferior place considers movement, although disconnected from the intelligence.

Let

us in

system

all

nervous

consider the organization

of

the

First of

all

we have

its

complexity.

the

then the senses which take the images which are to be passed to the brain and thirdly we have brain

the

itself

;

But what

nerves.

where do they go

movement

is

the

aim

of

the nerves

and

Their purpose is to give energy, This complex to the muscles (the flesh). ?

organism, therefore, consists of three parts (1) the brain Move(the centre) (2) the senses and (3) the muscles. :

;

ment

is

and the purpose

the conclusion

system.

speaks of

all.

If

we

we

cannot speak of an think of a great philosopher he

Without movement

individual at

of the nervous

his meditations or writes of

them, and so must

19S

THE ABSORBENT MIND he does nothing with his meditations, of what use are they ? Without the muscles, the exuse his muscles.

If

pression of his thoughts If

we

turn to

would not

exist.

animals, their behaviour

is

only ex-

pressed through movement. Therefore, also if we wish to consider the behaviour of man, we must take man's

movements

into

The muscles

consideration.

are part

of the nervous system.

The nervous system

environment

relationship with his

called the

System

in all its parts puts

of Relation.

It

;

that

puts

why

is

man

man

into

it is

also

into relation-

ship with the inanimate and animate world and therefore

with other individuals

without

his environment.

other organized systems of the selfish

paratively

at

clusively

their

in

aims,

the service of the

would be no

there

it

between an individual and

relationship

The

;

body

are

com-

because they are ex-

body

of the individual

and

They merely allow one to live, or to nothing else. hence they are called the systems vegetate as we say of

;

and

organs of the vegetative

difference

life.

So

there

is

this

:

The

vegetative systems serve only to help the individual in growing

The nervous system relation

and

vegetating,

serves to put the individual in

with other individuals,

it

is

a sort of

Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The

maximum 199

man

enjoy the comfort and purity of body and health hence

vegetative

systems help

to

;

THE ABSORBENT MIND we go

to places with

we

only

to

is

we

If

;

give

us the

most beautiful impressions and

and continuous

uplift to loftier levels.

nice to be pure in this field also, but

lower the nervous system to the

to

vegetative

of

hotels, etc.

good

the

purity of thought It

air,

nervous system from a similar point of shall make a mistake even if we think it is

consider

view,

cool

life.

If

this criterion of

it is

level

a mistake of

merely

mere purity and

uplift

the individual is upheld, the individual is led to spiritual

selfishness.

It

The behaviour

is

the greatest mistake

one can make.

animals does not tend merely to be beautiful and graceful in movement it has a purpose of

;

So has man a purpose which is not Of course, man just to be purer and finer than others. can and should be beautiful and take only the finest things on the loftiest levels, but if that is his only aim, his life would be useless. What would be the use of this mass of brain then, or of these muscles ? There is nothing in this world which does not form and if we have spiritual part of a universal economy deeper than that.

;

richness, is

aesthetic

greatness,

it

is

part of the spiritual, universal

used

for

The

the universe.

but not personal wealth tion for the rest to enjoy

use

of,

and

in this

way

;

;

not for

ourselves,

it

economy and must be

powers are wealth, they must be put into circulathey must be expressed, made spiritual

complete the cycle of relationship.

content myself to become pure so that I may go to I should have left aside the heaven, I might as well die. If

I

200

THE ABSORBENT MIND greatest part of

my 44 I

my

and

life

the greatest part of the aim of

one should believe

life.

If

shall

have a better

life

in reincarnation

next time

if

and say

live well

I

now

:

",

We have reduced the spiritual to the vegetative level. We are always thinking of ourselves, of We are egotists for eternity. The ourselves in eternity.

this is

selfish.

other point of view must be taken into consideration, not

only in the practice of

must be completeness us with functions

life,

Nature has endowed

of function.

therefore

;

There

but also in education.

it is

necessary that they be

exercised.

Let us

make a comparison.

stomach, a heart, order to have the

is

it

health.

nervous system

?

we have

If

lungs, a

necessary that these function in Why not apply the same rule to

If

we have

a brain, senses and

organs of movement, they must function, and if we do not exercise every part we cannot even understand them with certainty. Even if we wish to uplift ourselves, make our brains finer for instance, we cannot do so unless we

Perhaps movement

use

all the parts.

will

complete the cycle.

the last part that

In other words,

through action. This from which to consider movement

spiritual

is

uplift

is ;

we can

obtain

the point of view it

is

part of the

nervous system and cannot be discarded. The nervous system is one, a unity, though it has three parts. Being a unity,

it

must be exercised

One movement 201

in its totality to

of the mistakes of

become

modern times

is

better.

to consider

separately from the higher functions.

People

THE ABSORBENT MIND think that the muscles are merely there

and have

used in order to keep better bodily health.

be

to

In order to

keep fit or as recreation we play tennis. If we do that we can breathe more deeply. What an idea Or we go !

a walk to ensure better digestion and sleep, forsooth This mistake is penetrating education. This is, physiofor

!

speaking, as though a great prince had been This great prince use of to serve a shepherd.

logically

made

the muscular system

has become a handle to turn

order to stimulate the vegetative system. mistake.

It

leads to separation

one side and mental since the child ly,

we must

life

on the

:

This

physical

The

other.

is

in

the great

life is

put on

result is that,

must develop physically as well as mental-

What

include physical exercise, games, etc.

do with physical pastimes ? Nothing. Yet we cannot separate two things that nature has put If we consider physical life on one side and together. mental life on the other, we break the cycle of relation, has mental

life

to

and the actions of man remain separated from the brain. The motor actions of man are used to aid better eating and breathing, whereas the real purpose is that move-

ment be the servant universal

economy

The motor

of the whole

life

and

of the spiritual,

of the world.

actions of

man must

be co-ordinated to

and put in their right place this is fundamental. Mind and activity are two parts of the same cycle and, moreover, movement is the expression of the superior part. Otherwise we make man a mass of

the centre

the brain

;

202

THE ABSORBENT MIND muscles, but without a brain. Something is out of place as with a broken bone and the limb does not serve any

Man

then develops his vegetative life and the relation between the motor part and the brain is left out.

more.

There

is

the brain apart from

a self-determination of

movement and

This

muscles.

is

not

independence

to break something that nature in her together.

"

If

mental development

Movement

>

There

no need

is

about mental growth

talking

is

for

of,

is

people say

movement

When

!

it

wisdom has put

spoken

"

;

they

:

we

are

think

of

;

mental improvement they imagine all are sitting down, moving nothing. But mental development must be connected with

new

movement and

is

dependent on

idea that must enter educational theory

Up

to the present

and

if

physical education only.

movement

What

do with it ? Our new conception

is

is

indulged

It

stresses

the

to

importance of

once

placed in relation to the centre.

is

it is

the individual supposed

as a help

to

in,

remains a part of

movement it

practice.

as a help to breathing, improving

acquire greater muscular strength.

to

This is the

most educationists have considered

movement and muscles the circulation, etc., or,

it.

the development of the brain,

Mental

development and even spiritual development can and must be helped by movement. Without movement there This is no progress and no health (mentally speaking). is

a fundamental fact which must be taken into con-

sideration.

203

THE ABSORBENT MIND might be asked to demonstrate these facts, but they are not ideas, nor even personal experiences. They are I

we

demonstrated whenever

and

observe nature, her

facts,

the precision given to this observation conies from

watching the development of the child. Watching him, one sees that he develops his mind by using his movements.

The development

of

language, for instance,

shows an improvement of understanding accompanied by an ever extending use of the muscles of production. and other examples the child, scientifically observed, shows that he develops his intelligence generalObservations made all over the ly through movement. world have shown that the child demonstrates that Besides

this

movement

helps psychic development, that development

movement and action. So it is a cycle, because both psyche and movement belong to the same unity. The senses also help. expresses

itself

in

its

Without opportunity intelligent.

ment

That

is

turn

by

further

for sensorial activity the child is less

why

of the small child

is

the examination of the developof

such great aid to the whole of

education.

Now by

muscles

(flesh), the activity of

which

the brain, are called voluntary muscles

that they are

moved by the

;

is

directed

means The will

that

will of the individual.

one of the greatest expressions of the psyche. Without that energy psychic life does not exist. Therefore, since

is

the voluntary muscles are the muscles depending on the will, they are a psychic organ.

204

THE ABSORBENT MIND The muscles

main part of the body. Take its flesh, what is left ? Skeleton,

are the

mammal and take off bones. What is their purpose a

so they also belong to

?

To

support the muscles,

Take them away

this section.

Very little. The main part which has been developed by nature has been taken away. And if we look at someone and say how beautiful he

What

then.

is,

left ?

is

or the opposite, the form

which we contemplate

is

given

by muscles attached to the bones. All animals endowed with an inner skeleton owe their form to voluntary muscles and when we see a camel in proud disdain or a lady walking gracefully or a child playing, we see merely form given to each by its own flesh (muscles). These muscles are interesting to study in form and number.

who

study medicine say that students must forget them seven times before they remember them and even then they forget Some

They

are in great quantity.

People

!

are

some

delicate,

have

different

bulky,

A

functions.

muscle functions

in

some

short,

curious fact

one direction, there

functioning in the opposite direction,

ous and refined refined the

one takes

exercise to put is

sition,

205

that

if

one

always another

and the more

vigor-

The exercise more harmonious movement is an resulting therefrom.

more harmony

in the opposition.

So what

not agreement, but opposition in agreement. child or person is not conscious of this oppo-

important

The

attain

is

is

long, they

play of opposite forces, the more

this

movement to

some

is

but nevertheless

it

is

the

way movement

takes

THE ABSORBENT MIND by

movement

In animals the perfection of

place.

The

nature.

of opposition

given

gracefulness of the tiger's pounce or the

down

running up and

is

of the squirrel

is

due

to a

wealth

put into play to attain that harmony,

like

a

complicated piece of machinery working well, like a watch with wheels going in opposite directions when the whole mechanism runs smoothly, we have the correct ;

So the mechanism of movement is very compliIn man cated and more refined then one could imagine.

time.

this

mechanism

is

not pre-established before birth

and so

must be created, achieved through practical experiences on the environment. The number of muscles in man is so great that he can achieve any movement, so we do

it

not speak of exercise of movement, but of co-ordination

movement. This co-ordination is not given, it has to be created and achieved by the psyche. In other words the child creates his own movements and, having done so,

of

them.

The

has a creative part in this work and then achieves a development of what he has

perfects

child

created through a series of exercises. is

It

are

not

them.

really

limited

marvellous that

and

fixed,

man's

movements

but that he can control

Some

or to run

;

animals have a characteristic ability to climb these are not man's characteristic movements,

but he can do both very well. characteristic ability

to

burrow

Certain animals have a in

the earth

;

it is

not a

man, yet he can go deeper than any of characteristic is that he can do all movements

characteristic of

them. So his

206

THE ABSORBENT MIND and extend them further than any animal he can make some of them his own. So we might say that his ;

characteristic

dition

and

is

universal versatility, but there

He

he must construct them himself.

:

create

by

and repeat the

will,

is

one con-

must work

exercises

for

co-

ordination sub-consciously as to their purpose, but volun-

So he can conquer all. As however, no individual conquers all his

as to his initiative.

tarily

a matter of

fact,

muscles, but

Man

are there.

all

is

like

very wealthy people, he is so wealthy that he can only use part of his wealth he chooses which part. If a man is a professional ;

gymnast, to

him

it is

nor

;

is

not that special muscular ability

was given

a dancer born with certain refined muscles

he or she develops them by will. Anyone, no matter what he wants to do, is endowed by nature

for

dancing

;

with such a wealth of muscles that he can find

them what he needs, and

his

create

Nothing

any development.

everything

by

is

among

psyche can direct and is

established,

possible, provided proper direction

is

but

given

the individual psyche.

man

do the same standardized thing as in animals of the same species. Even if the same thing is done by some, it is done in a different manner. We all write, but each has his own handwriting. Each It

has

his

is

not in

own

We

to

path always.

see in

movement

as

it is

developed the work of

the individual, and the work of the individual ing his psychic

207

life

;

it

is

the psychic

is

life itself.

expressIt

has

THE ABSORBENT MIND a great treasure of movements, so move-

at its disposal

ment

life.

psychic

even

in service of the central part,

developed

is

If

man does does

he

of those

not develop

of the

his muscles,

all

some

develop

i.e.

are only

for

rough work. So man's psychic life is limited in as much as his muscles only develop for rough action, not for refined action. that

is

It

limited also

accessible or chosen.

is

who do no work

by

The

life

psychic

We

in great danger.

is

the type of

work

of those

might say that

though all muscles cannot be put in motion, it is dangerous for the psychic life to go below a certain number. If the number of muscles in use is not sufficient, then there is

a weakness of the whole

life.

were introduced

games, etc., muscles were being

The psychic also

shall

have

That in

is

why

education

left aside.

life

must use more muscles or

in

using these muscles

Some forms of modern movement just because there is a things.

write

direct purpose in social

well

another

This

is

we

because he

life

;

activities.

The

not to learn certain

is

*

tain

else

follow the double path of ordinary

to

education alternating physical and mental

purpose

;

gymnastics, too many

*

education develop desire to serve a cere.g.

one child must

going to be a teacher and going to be coalheaver so he must shovel well.

narrow

and

is

direct

training

does not serve the

Our purpose must be that co-ordination of movements necessary to enrich the practical and executive

purpose or aim of movement.

man

develop the

for his psychic

life

;

208

THE ABSORBENT MIND side of psychic

Otherwise the brain develops apart from realization through movement and cannot fulfil its life.

movement and that brings only revolution and disaster in the world. Movement then works by itself, undirected by the psyche, and so brings As movement is so necessary to the human destruction. directive function regarding

of relations with

life

on

is

of

service

and other men,

movement must be developed, be first It is not work to whole. that

level

this

the environment

the

it

in

in

one's art or profession.

The towards the

real

exist

it

;

principle

and idea today

are too

self- perfection, se//-realization.

aim

of

movement

must expand

If

much directed we understand

this self-centralization

cannot

immensity of space. We mind what might be called the

into the

must, in short, keep in

philosophy of movement '. Movement is what distinguishes life from inanimate things. Life, however, does not 4

move

in

a haphazard fashion,

and according

to laws.

it

moves with a purpose

In order to realize this fact

us just imagine what the world would be like quiet, without

movement.

Imagine what

it

if it

let

were

would be

like

stopped living, if the movement within There would be no more fruits, nor the plant ceased. The percentage of poisonous gas in the air flowers. would increase and cause disaster. If all movement if

all

the plants

stopped, if

if

the birds remained motionless on the trees, or

ground and remained still, if the prey did no longer move through the

insects fluttered to the

wild beasts of

209 14

THE ABSORBENT MIND or

jungles,

what a

the

terrible

stopped swimming world it would be is

impossible, the world

movement ceased

if

the oceans,

!

Immobilization

a chaos

in

fish

or

if

would become

living beings

moved

Nature gives a useful purpose to each Each individual has its own characteristic

without purpose. living

being.

movements with world

the

activities

its

own

fixed purpose.

The

creation of

a harmonious co-ordination of

is

all

these

with a set purpose.

And

if it

imagine what a society of men would be like were without movement The movement of humanity !

shows

Think what would happen if all men stopped moving for even one week only. Everyone would die. Work and movement the

intelligence

of

are one, the question of

a personality.

movement

is

a social question.

not a question concerning individual gymnastics. If the whole society of men all over the world did nothing It

is

but performing some physical jerks, humanity would die in a short time. All its energies would be consumed for nothing.

Society

each of his

is

whom

own

formed by a complexity of individuals, moves differently from the other, following

The individual moves purpose. The basis of society

individual purpose.

order to carry out this

in is

formed by movement with a useful aim. When we speak about behaviour ', the behaviour of men and This animals, we refer to their purposeful movements. *

behaviour

is

the centre of their practical

life.

It is

not

210

THE ABSORBENT MIND confined to the practical

life

in

a house, cleaning the

rooms, washing clothes, etc. This is important of course, but everyone in the world must move with a larger pur-

everyone must work not

pose, for

others.

It

is

for himself alone, but also

work must also be this were not so, his

strange that man's

work in the service of others. If work would have no more meaning than gymnastic exerAll work is done for others as well. cise. Dancing is perhaps one of the most individual movements, but even dancing would be pointless without an audience, without

a

The dancers who perfect

social or transcendental aim.

movements with so much

their

for

others.

Tailors

not possibly wear

trouble

who spend

all

and

fatigue,

their lives sewing, could

the clothes they make.

ing, like gymnastics, requires

dance

many

Yet

tailor-

trained movements.

we have

a vision of the cosmic plan in which every form of life in the world is based on purposeful movements, having their purpose not in themselves alone, If

we

shall

work

211

be able

better.

to understand

and

to direct the children's

CHAPTER XIV

INTELLIGENCE AND THE

HAND

THE

study of the mechanical development of movement is considered to be very important, because it is a complicated machine, each part of which is of great value.

That

why

is

the

movement

studied with great attention

but

all

of small children has

and as nothing

manifested outwardly,

is

it

is

been

hidden,

can be very clearly

followed. In figure 12, the development of

movement

is

shown

by the two lines with various triangles standing on it. These lines are guides to different forms of movement, the blue triangles mark every six months and the red-topped ones every twelve-months. The lower

line represents the

development of the hand and the upper line represents the development of equilibrium and of walking, therefore the diagram represents the development of the four limbs,

two by two. animals the four limbs develop in movement together, but in man the one pair of limbs develops differThis clearly shows that their ently from the other pair. In

function

all

is

different.

The

function of the legs

different from the function of the arms.

is

quite

Another thing

212

THE ABSORBENT MIND which stands out equilibrium

is

is

so fixed in

We

biological fact.

development of walking and all men that one might call it a

that the

man

might say that after birth

will

men will do exactly the same thing with feet, but we do not know what the individual man do with his hands. We do not know what parti-

walk and their

will

cular

all

activity

of

possible in the past

hands

is

It

;

is

possible

or has been

So the

their function is not fixed.

movement have a

types of sidering

hands

the

different

meaning when con-

or feet.

certain that the function of the feet

is

biological,

connected with an inner development in the yet brain. At the same time only man walks on two limbs, all is

it

mammals walk on

four.

Once a man achieves

the art of

walking on two legs he continues to walk on two legs only and to keep the difficult state of erect equilibrium This equilibrium is difficult to attain, it is a constantly. real conquest.

on

It

demands

that

man

the ground, whereas most animals

put his whole foot

walk on

tiptoe,

as

a small resting place is sufficient when using four legs. The foot used for walking can be studied from a physiological, biological and anatomical point of view it has ;

connections with If

the

all of

them.

hand does not have this biological guide, because

actions are not fixed, then with

what

is it

connected

?

If

not connected with biology and physiology, it must have a psychological connection. The hand then depends on the

psyche

213

for

development, and not only on the psyche of

THE ABSORBENT MIND an individual ego, but also on the psychic epochs.

We see that the development

of different

life

hand

of the

is

con-

nected with the development of the intelligence in man and r if we look at history, it is connected with the development

We

might say that, when man thinks, he thinks and acts with his hands and almost as soon as of civilization.

man appeared on by

his

hands.

the earth, he

left

In great civilizations of past ages there

are always samples of his handiwork. find it

;

work done

traces of

In India

we can

work so fine that it is almost impossible to imitate and in Ancient Egypt there are also traces of very delicate

fine

work.

If

refined type, then the

the

civilization

was

handiwork remaining

of

a less

also of a

is

rougher type.

The development by

of the

hand

therefore goes side

development of the intelligence. Certhe refined type of handiwork needed the attention

side with the

tainly

and guidance Middle Ages intellectual

of the intelligence to carry

it

out.

In the

Europe there was an epoch of great awakening and at the same time they covered in

with beautiful illuminations the writing that conveyed the

new

Even

thoughts.

the

life

which seems

of the spirit,

so far from the earth and the things of the earth, was nevertheless affected, for we see the result in the temples

where the people worshipped, and wherever there is spiritual life. St.

the

Francis

simplest

of

Assisi

whose

and purest once said

this

is

spirit

" :

to

be found

was perhaps

You

see these

214

THE ABSORBENT MIND mountains

these are our temples

;

and from these we

must seek inspiration." Yet when once asked to build a church he and his spiritual brethren being poor used the rough stones that were available.

They

all

carried

stones to build the chapel and why > Because if there is a free spirit it needs to be materialized in some the

kind of work and the hands must

come into use. Everyhand of man, and in these

where are the traces of the traces we can read the spirit

man and

of

the thought

of his time. If

its

we

talk of Christianity,

may be

it

influence demonstrable, but

difficult to

when we

make

see countries

covered with churches, with works of art and beautiful cloth of all kinds, with hospitals and educational insti-

we can realize its spiritual and cultural effect. And if we look into the dim past, of which not even

tutions,

bones are

left,

what gives us knowledge

and

their times ?

into

these

sort of

works

prehistoric

race

".

of art

of art

How

see there the rougher :

they got there.

and we say do we know

"

:

man

?

tell us.

hand has followed the

Elsewhere

we

see finer

Here was a more refined No man of them is left, So

that

we can

see that

and emotions, us the traces of man.

intelligence, spirit

and touching all these, has left Even if we do not take the psychological 215

look

based on strength the statues and are formed from huge masses of stones and

but the works of the

we

times,

When we

art.

civilization

we wonder how works

Their works of

of the peoples

point of view,

THE ABSORBENT MIND we

still

see that

all

changes

been made by the hand

of

in

man's environment have

man.

that the purpose of having intelligence

hands, because

if

would se$m was almost to have

Really,

the intelligence of

it

man had

built

merely

spoken language in order to communicate with others, nothing would have been left behind when that race of men died out. They would have stated their

up

his

wisdom by mere

breath.

accompanied the

intelligence that civilization

built

It

we can

up, therefore

is

because the hands have has been

and

well say that the h

organ of that immense treasure given to man. The hands therefore are connected with psychic In fact those

who

intuition that the

that

it

is

study the hand show that there

history of

a psychic organ.

man

is

the

is

life.

is

an

printed in the hand,

Therefore the study of the

psychic development of the child must be closely linked up with the study of the development of the hand. The child has clearly shown that his development is connected

with the hand which reveals express

it

this

way

:

this

psychic urge.

We

the intelligence of the child will

reach a certain level without the use of the hand the hands

it

reaches a

can

still

higher level,

and the

;

with

who So we see child

hands has a stronger character. that even the development of character, which seems so

has used

his

completely within the psychic field, remains rudimentary, if it has no opportunity of practising on the environment

(which means through the hand). The child has shown us most clearly that if (through circumstances in the

216

THE ABSORBENT MIND environment) he cannot use his hands, his character remains on a very low level, incapable of obedience, of initiative, lazy and sad, whereas the child who has been

work with

able to

and firmness

hands shows

his

also a

development This reminds us of an inter-

of character.

esting point in the Egyptian civilization

the

hand was present everywhere,

when work

with

in the fields of art, of

we

read the inscriptions on the burial places of that time the highest praise accorded to any man was that he was a person of character. The

construction, of religion

;

if

development of character was important to them and they were people of great works carried out by the hand. This

is

one more instance

of the fact that the

movement

hand follows through history the development character and civilization. It shows how the hand of the

of is

connected with the individuality. And if we examine how all these people walked, we always find of course

walked on two legs, erect and with equilibrium. Probably they danced and ran a little differently, but they always used two legs for ordinary locomotion. It is therefore clear that the development of moveone part is biological and the other, ment is twofold that they

;

though using the muscles, the inner

life.

If

we

two developments from that

is

study the child :

we consequently study

the development of the

hand apart

and walking. In figure 12 we one and a half years any connection

of equilibrium

see that only at

between the two takes place. 217

nevertheless connected with

It is

when

the child wants

THE ABSORBENT MIND heavy things that his legs must help him, otherwise there is no connection. These feet that are able to walk and transport him to various parts of the to transport

him there so that he can work with his hands, man walks and walks and gradually covers the face the earth and through this invasion by walking he lives

earth, take

A of

and

9

but he leaves behind him the trace of his

dies,

passage in the work of his hands.

When we

language we saw that speech is connected especially with hearing, whereas in the development of movement we see this is connected with studied

we must have eyes to see where to put our feet, and when we work with our hands we must see what we do. These are the two senses

sight

;

first

specially sight.

because

of all

connected

with development

In the development of children

:

first

hearing and of all there is

observation of the environment, because he must the environment in which he has to move.

vation

is

carried out before he can

orients himself in

it

;

know

This obser-

move and then he

so the orientation in the environment

and movement are both connected with psychic development. That is why the new-born babe is immobile at first,

when he moves he follows the guide The first development in movement is

of his psyche*

that of grasp-

hand grasps something the consciousness is called to this hand which has been able to do so. Prehension is unconscious at first and then conscious. The hand calls for the attention of

ing or prehension

;

as soon as the

218

THE ABSORBENT MIND consciousness whereas the feet do nothing of the sort. When the consciousness is called to this fact, prehension is developed, so that what was instinctive prehension be-

comes

intentional prehension,

shows

child

the

observation

interest of the

intentional

it is

at six

months that

At ten months development. environment has awakened the

this

the

of

and

child

and he wants

prehension

is

to catch hold of

accompanied by

it

;

and

desire

mere prehension ceases. of the hand,

There

it

After this begins the exercise begins to change the places of objects*

a vision of the environment, there is a desire and the hand begins to do something in the environment. is

Before one year of age the child carries out many actions with his hand that are ever so many types of work. He

opens and closes doors, drawers, puts stoppers in bottles, puts objects on one side and then puts them back, etc*

It

is

through these exercises that the child acquires

ability.

What

has happened to the other pair of limbs > Neither intelligence nor consciousness has been called

There

forth.

is

something anatomical happening how-

rapid development of the cerebellum, the It is as though a bell rang and director of equilibrium.

ever

:

the

up and attain equilibrium. The environment has nothing to do with it the cerebellum orders it and the child, with effort and help, sits called

an

inert

body

to get

;

up and then gets up by gets up in four periods. 219

itself.

Then

Psychologists say, the

baby

turns

man

on

his

THE ABSORBENT MIND tummy and walks on

when he begins crawling, you will make the feet go one in Before

his toes.

and

four limbs,

if,

during this time fingers,

he

front of the other, but

on

give him

two

even with the help of two

this,

fingers,

he would not walk, the cerebellum and not the environ-

ment

is

responsible.

When

he stands by himself, he rests his whole he has attained the normal erect foot on the ground at last

;

man and can walk

position of

(mother's

After a

skirt).

The tendency now two is

and

legs,

attained,

off

for

I

"

go

little

to say

is

if

he holds on to something while he can walk alone. "

:

Goodbye

Another stage

!

of

I

;

have

my

independence

the acquisition of independence

is

the

beginning of doing things by oneself. The philosophy of these steps of development tells us that independence

and development of man is attained by effort. To be able to do without other people's help is independence, it

is

not comfort.

If

independence

progresses very rapidly

very slow. the

way

guide.

always

of

We fall

So

if

;

if

we keep

it is

to

is

mind we know and it is a useful

this picture in

are taught not to

him

the child

not there the progress

dealing with the child,

on

there

is

help

help him, him.

whereas

The

child

we who

capable of walking alone must walk by himself, because all development is strengthened by exercise and all acquisition confirmed by exercise. When a child of is

even three years

development

is

is

carried,

as

I

have often seen,

not helped, but hindered.

his

Immediately

220

THE ABSORBENT MIND the child has acquired independence the adult

who should

continue to help him becomes an obstacle to the child. It

therefore clear that

is

permit

him

we must child

walk, and

to

not carry the child, but

hand wants

his

if

him motives

give

his actions

by

we must

factor at

visible

goes to greater conquests

one and a

the development of the hands

This child

strength. is

now

a strong man.

is

of inde-

a very important

age in both

half years of

and

The

of the feet, this fact

has acquired agility and ability His first urge in doing anything is

maximum effort not merely to exercise, make the maximum effort (so different from

adult).

admonish about,

;

This " :

is

who

to use the to

work,

of intelligent activity.

pendence. It has been noticed that there

and

to

but the

brought about by nature which seems to

is

You have

now become

the possibility

strong or

it is

of

and

agility to

no use."

It is

go

now

that the contact of

hands and equilibrium takes place.

Then what do we

see

?

The

child instead of merely

Man walking, likes to walk far and carry heavy loads. is destined not only to walk, but to shoulder his load. The hand

that has learnt to grasp

must exercise

itself

by sustaining and carrying weight. So we see the one and a half year old with a large jug of water, adjusting his equilibrium and walking slowly. There is the tendency also to break the laws of gravity and overcome also

them.

walk 221

Having ?

No

!

learnt to walk,

He

why

not be satisfied to

must climb and to do so must grasp

THE ABSORBENT MIND something with his hand and pull himself up. This is no longer a grasping to possess, but grasping with a desire to is

go up. whole a period

there his

It is

an exercise

of strength,

Again

man must

exercise

Then what

strength.

there

of this exercise of strength.

the logic of nature here, since

is

and

follows

next

?

The

child,

capable of walking, sure of his strength, seeing the actions of men around him, has a tendency to imitate them. Nature's first task for him is to take in, to absorb the

So

actions of the humanity of his period. imitative period in

because someone

tells

them, but because of an inner urge. only seen if the child is free to act.

1

is

an

which the child imitates the actions of

his surroundings not

logic of nature

there

him

to imitate

This imitation

We

is

then see the

:

To make man stand erect. To make him go around and acquire strength. To make him take in the actions of the people

.

2. 3.

around him.

There action.

a preparation in time that precedes the First he must prepare himself and his instru-

ments,

then he must get strong, then look at others and

doing something.

start tells

him

steps.

things

want

is

While he does

that, nature also

by gymnastics, to climb chairs and Then only comes the stage when he wants to do " I have prepared myself and now I by himself.

to

to prepare

be

"

No psychologist has taken thank you account that the child becomes a great

free,

into sufficient

!

222

THE ABSORBENT MIND walker

who

need

Usually we carry him or put him in a perambulator and so the poor child is

can only walk it

in

in imagination.

He

can't walk,

for

him

inferiority

223

:

of long walks.

we

carry

him

on the threshold

complex.

;

of

he can't work life

we

give

;

we do

him an

CHAPTER XV

DEVELOPMENT AND IMITATION IN the last chapter

and a

half years

terest

and

is

education.

It

;

we

this

one

the child at the age of

left

age has become a centre of

in-

considered of the greatest importance in may seem strange that this period should

seem so important, but we must remember that it is the point where the preparation of the upper and the lower limbs

coincides.

Also

appear natural if we that epoch is on the eve of the

it

consider that the child at

will

disclosure of his fullness of

manhood

for at

two years

he reaches a point of completion with the explosion of On the eve of that event, at i years, he is language. I

already making efforts to express what is

an epoch

of effort

and an epoch

is

within him.

It

of construction.

something has been disHumanity is covered, everybody at once sets to work. generous, but ignorant, so when they learn of some-

Once

the importance of

themselves,

usually

thing

they

much

enthusiasm, and so also in this instance.

precipitate

phers, psychologists, sociologists their interest

on the

child of

1

and

others

with

too

Philoso-

have centred

J to 2 years of age.

This

224

THE ABSORBENT MIND an epoch

which special care must be taken not to destroy the tendencies of life. If nature has given us such clear indications that this is the period of is

maximum

of

development

in

we must

support this effort. This is a general statement, but those who observe become more exact in the details they give. They state that at this epoch effort

show an

the child begins to in

itself,

is

not a

new

instinct of imitation.

discovery, because at

This,

all

times

people have said that children imitate, but hitherto this was a superficial statement. Now it is realized that the

human

must understand before it imitates but it had not occurred to anyone before. child

logical,

old idea

would

;

was

that

we

follow, there

for the adult.

this is

The

only had to act and the children

was

hardly any further responsibility Of course it was also said that we had to

This sets forth the importance of all adults, especially teachers. They must set a good example if there is to be a good humanity. Mothers also

set

a good example.

were specially included. The feeling was that children who have bad examples will grow up badly. The adult therefore stressed that he had set a good example for his children to imitate

on the heads

and the

was thrown surrounding him, it was their

real responsibility

of the children

they did not profit by the good example the adults so generously gave to them. The result was unhappiness fault

if

everywhere,

for

although

ought to become from it. We wanted a

children

were

models

of perfection, they

perfect

humanity and thought humanity was

225 15

far

to

be perfect

THE ABSORBENT MIND by

fusion

!

imperfect

Nature has not reasoned

another in

we were

imitating us, but

;

what a con-

we, she has reasoned she does not bother about perfection

way adults. What ;

is

like

that

is

important

in

order to

do so. It is this preparation that matters and it depends on the efforts of the individual child. The example offers a motive to imitate,

the child has to be prepared to

imitation,

not the aim.

is

it

It is

the effort of imitation

which develops, not the attainment of the examples given. In fact the child once launched on the part of this effort often surpasses in perfection

and exactitude the example,

which served as an incentive.

want my child to be a Some people think "If pianist, let me (or a teacher) be a pianist and the child I

:

But

will imitate ".

of us

know

it

is

not as simple as that and

to gain the necessary agility enabling

him

on the pianoforte. Yet we follow in matters which are on lofty levels.

We

child stories of heroes imitate.

It

One does

may

many

that a child has to prepare his hands in order

His

become

not

do anything

simple reasoning

read or

and think the

saints

not so easy.

is

furnish

and

this

to

spirit

tell

the

child will

must be prepared.

by imitation. An example and interest, the instinct of but even then one must have

great

inspiration

imitation spur the effort,

a preparation to carry this out and, in education, nature has shown that without preparation no imitation is possible.

aims

The

effort

does

not

aim

at creating in oneself the possibility

at imitation,

of

it

imitation, of

226

THE ABSORBENT MIND Hence the transforming oneself into the thing desired. value of indirect preparation in all things. Nature does not merely give the power of imitation, but that of trans-

forming oneself to become what the example demon-

And

we, as educationists, believe in helping we must see which are the things we must help. If one observes a child of this age, one sees that

strates. life,

if

there are certain activities that the child sets out to do.

To He

us they

may seem

absurd, but that does not matter.

must carry them out completely. There is a vital urge to carry out certain things, and if the cycle of this

deviation and lack of purpose. The possibility of carrying out this cycle of activity is considered important now, just as the indirect preparation

urge

is

broken, the result

is

considered important

is

;

it

is

an indirect preparation.

through life we prepare for the future indirectly. In the lives of those who have done something in the world, there has always been a previous period of some-

Even

thing lines

all

worked

for

;

it

may

not have been on the

as the final work, but there

is

same

intense effort on some

which gives a preparation of the spirit, and this effort must be fully expanded, the cycle must be completed. So if we see any intelligent activity in the child, even if it

line

seems

to us

long as

we must

it

is

absurd or not according to our wishes (as not dangerous to life and limb of course !),

not interfere, because the child must complete Children of this age show many his cycle of activity. interesting forms of carrying out this cycle of activity ;

227

THE ABSORBENT MIND one sees children below two years of age carrying big heavy weights far beyond their strength, and for no apparent reason. In a house of a friend of mine were very heavy footstools, and a child of one and a half years carried

them with much

of

all

effort

from one end of the

room to the other. Children will help and carry large loaves of bread in front they cannot even see

doing these

feet.

They

them so

that

continue

will

adult's usual reaction

have

to

is

him and

the child's effort, they go to help

for

sympathy

The

tired.

own

of

carrying things back and forth,

activities,

they are

until

their

to lay the table

weight from him, but psychologists have recognized that such help which is an interruption of the child's own chosen cycle of activity, is one of the greatest

take the

f

*

,

repressions of this age. '

children are traced

cult

of activity.

Another

to climb up a

The

deviations of

back

many

*

diffi-

to this interrupted cycle

effort is to

climb staircases

difficult staircase is

an aim, but not

;

for

us

for the

Having accomplished the climbing he is not satisfied, he must come back to the starting point to complete the cycle and this too they repeat many times.

child.

The wooden playgrounds is

or

concrete slides

offer

not the coming

we

opportunities for

down

that

is

see

in

children's

these activities

important,

it is

;

it

the joy

of going up, the joy of effort.

people who do not interrupt that all the psychologists ask for places where children can work uninterruptedly, and hence the schools for It

is

so

difficult to find

22ft

THE ABSORBENT MIND very important and the most are those for little ones from J years. All

children

little

very

important of

all

are

1

sorts of things are created in those schools

in

trees

house

is

small houses

with ladders to climb up and go down. The not to live in or rest in, but a point to reach so

that you can go is

:

up

there

and come down again

effort

:

the purpose, but the house gives a centre of interest.

We

notice

it

with our

own

material

:

if

the child wants to

always chooses either the brown stairs So too or the cylinder blocks because they are so heavy. the climbing instinct which is so apparent in children is carry something,

merely an

it

pull himself up,

effort to

he looks

for difficult

things in the environment to climb on, like a chair.

a staircase

But

a very great joy, for there is a tendency in I have seen a child who was climbing the child to go up. is

a very steep staircase from one floor of a house to the other the steps were so steep that they reached to ;

the child's middle

and he had

to use both

hands

to pull

up and then put his legs round in a most difficult position, but he had the constancy to reach the top, 45 steps. Then he looked back to see what he had himself

achieved, overbalanced and went head over heels back-

wards down the

They were thickly carpeted and when he had reached the last bump and was at the bottom again, he was facing right round into the room. stairs.

We 44

thought he would cry, but he laughed as if to say How hard to go up and how easy to come down

just

229

what

I

wanted

" !

:

;

THE ABSORBENT MIND Sometimes these fine

are efforts of attention

efforts

not merely efforts of

co-ordination of movement,

One

strength.

to go

child of

knew, who was free a store-room where there

1 years

1

round the house, came

to

and

I

were twelve large napkins, starched and ironed, ready to be put away. The baby took the top one with both hands, happy to see that

came away from the

it

along the corridor and laid

it

on the

pile,

went

floor in the farthest

Having done that he came back for another and put that in the same place he did this for all the twelve napkins and each time he took one, he said "One". Having put them all in the corner, from our As soon as the standpoint the work was finished, but no last one was in the corner, he started from there and brought them all back in exactly the same way, saying : " one ", each time, and left them where he found them. The attention and the tension of the child during the whole time was marvellous to see and his face had a delighted expression as he went away at last on further business of his own. These examples of cycles of activity have no outer

corner.

;

;

!

purpose

in

themselves,

but the child

exercises giving fine co-ordination of his

And

what has he done thereby

himself to

imitate

certain

things.

carrying out

own movements^

He

has prepared There must be an

?

object in these exercises, but the object

they obey an inner urge.

is

is

not the real aim

;

When

he has prepared himself, he can imitate, and the environment affords inspiration,

230

THE ABSORBENT MIND The

dusting of the floor or the making of bread he sees being done, serve him as an inspiration to do likewise.

Walking and Exploring Let us consider the child of two years and

walking which

for

sider.

It

human

walk, he

to

faculties

can walk

for

climb, so

much

is

child

man and

preparing

The

the better.

We

;

is

it

do not

A

different

all

child of

difficult

must

need con-

should show the

a mile or two miles and,

the child

to

the

are being built.

are the interesting ones.

means

psychologists

natural that

is

tendency

most

this

if

essential

two years

he

likes to

points in a walk

realize

what walking

The

from our idea.

idea that he could not walk for any distance came because we expect him to walk at our rate. That is as sensible as

we were

if

when we became

and

to tie ourselves to a horse

if,

keep up with him, he Never mind, you get on my back and we would say The child does not want to get will both get there ". there ', he wants to walk, but his legs are disproportionate tired trying to

"

:

'

and disproportionate to the size of his own body (cf. Fig. 7), so we must not make the child follow The need to follow us, we must follow the child. is clearly demonstrated here, but we must the child in size to ours

'

*

remember

all fields.

in if

that

we want

it

The

is

the rule for

education of children

own laws of growth and, him grow, we must follow him, not

child has his

to help

impose ourselves on him. 231

all

The

child

walks with

his

eyes

THE ABSORBENT MIND as well as his legs, and

the interesting things in the

it is

environment that carry him along. lamb eating, he is interested and ing sits

;

He sits

walks and sees a

down by

watch-

it,

then he gets up and goes further, he sees a flower down by it and sniffs at it then he sees a tree, ;

walks up to

and then

and round and round it down and looks at it.

it

sits

four or five times

In

this

way he

they are walks full of resting periods and at the same time full of interesting information, and if covers miles

there is

is

something

a boulder

difficult like

Water

the height of his happiness.

attraction.

"

;

Water

Sometimes happily and

he

will

sit

in the

way, that

another great

is

down and say

:

you can see is a tiny stream So he has an idea of walking falling drop by drop. different from that of his nurse, who wants to arrive at a ",

all

spot in the quickest possible time. She takes him to a in a perampark for a walk or a so-called airing '

'

hood up, so

bulator, the

that he

cannot see too

many

things.

The

habits of the child are like those of the primitive

tribes of the

Paris

",

earth.

Paris

They

was not

there.

us catch a train to go to their habit

was

to

walk

till

.

.

.",

"

Let us go to " Nor did they say Let

did not say

:

:

there

were no

trains.

they found something interest-

ing that attracted them, a forest that might supply

a place

to

sow

crops,

So

and so

on.

So does the

wood,

child pro-

a natural fashion.

This instinct of moving about in the environment, passing from attraction to ceed,

it

is

232

THE ABSORBENT MIND attraction forms part of nature

itself,

and

of education.

Education must consider the walking man who walks as an explorer. This is the principle of scouting which is

now

a relaxation from education, but should form part of education and come earlier in life also. All children guided by attraction and here that education can give help to the child

should walk it

is

by

giving

in

this fashion,

;

him a preparation

in

school,

e.g.

by

intro-

ducing him to the colours, the shapes and forms of leaves,

and other animals, etc. All these give points of interest to him when he goes out. The more he learns, the more he walks. He should explore and that means to be guided by an intellectual interest which we must give. Intelligent interest leads man to walk and to move about. the habits of insects

Walking

is

a complete exercise

other gymnastic efforts.

and has

body

all

He

the advantages

interesting to pick

up and

wood

a

to fetch for

fire,

is

no need

of

breathes and digests better

we

ask of sports.

formed by walking, and

is

there

;

if

you

classify, or

Beauty of

find something

a trench to

dig, or

then with these actions accom-

panying walking, the stretching

of

arms and bending

of

the body, the exercise is complete. As man studies more he has many interests calling him, and his intellectual

body. If the child is capable of following these interests, he finds other things he did not know, and so his intellectual interest grows

interest

augments

his activity of

.

The path 233

of education has to follow the path of evolution

;

THE ABSORBENT MIND walking about life

of the child

made man

see more things, so should the

expand and expand.

This must form part of education, especially today r when people do not walk, but go in vehicles, and there a tendency towards paralysis and sloth. It is no good to cut life in two and to move limbs by sport and then move the head by reading a book. Life must be one

is

whole, especially at an early age construct

himself

when

the child must

according to the plan and laws of

development.

234

CHAPTER XVI

FROM UNCONSCIOUS CREATOR TO CONSCIOUS WORKER

WE

have been dealing with a part of the development of the child which we have compared to that of the embryo. This type of development continues till 3 years of age. It is full of events because it is a creative period. Yet although it is a period in which the greatest number of events take place,

forgotten period of

dividing line

impossible to begins.

it

may It

life.

is

nevertheless be called the

as

if

nature had traced a

on one side there are events which it is remember on the other side remembrance ;

The

;

forgotten

period

is

the psycho-embryonic

and may be compared to the physioembryonic period before birth which nobody can remember. period of

life,

psycho-embryonic period, there are developments which come separately and independently, such as language, the movement of the arms, the moveIn this

ment

of the legs,

etc.,

and

there are certain sensorial

developments like that of the eye in which the muscles are not needed. Like the physical embryo in the prenatal period, which had organs unfolding one by one,

235

THE ABSORBENT MIND each separate from the

embryo develops

other, so in this period the psychic

and we remember

faculties separately

no unity of the personality. Everything is developing, one after the that can come other, so there cannot be unity as yet This

nothing of either.

is

because there

is

;

only with completed parts.

When it

the

as though

is

age life

years has been reached, began again, for then the life of conthree

of

sciousness begins fully and clearly. These two periods the unconscious psycho-embryonic period and the later

period of conscious development by a very definitely marked line.

seem

The

memory was not developed in only when consciousness comes is there scious

and

sonality

therefore

Psychically construction the

and

pre-natal

development of

be separated

faculty of con-

the

first

before

three

years there

creation (as in the physical

period),

and

after

back

to

its

Certainly

years there The border line

is is

is

it

very

difficult to

of age, tried

still

by

all

to bring the consciousness of the individual

own

history,

individual could ordinarily

back than three years situation,

in

Lethe of Greek mythology, the

river

Forgetfulness,

is

embryo

three

of the faculties created.

means

;

unity of the per-

remember what happened before three years more before two years. Psycho-analysis has sorts of

period

memory.

speaking,

compared with the river

to

because

it

to

and

of age. is

the

beginning,

reliably

This

during this

remember is

but no further

a very dramatic

first

period that

236

THE ABSORBENT MIND is

everything

created, starting from nothing

of the individual

memory

who accomplished even the memory

not recall anything, not man who is the result of this creation.

and yet the all this

can-

of the adult

This sub-conscious and unconscious creation

this

seems to be erased from the memory of man and the child coming to us at three years of age seems to be an incomprehensible being. The communi-

forgotten

child

and us has been taken away by we have to know the period or to know

cation between him nature, so either

nature herself. If

we do

not take into consideration the natural

laws of development and if children take a form of life that departs from its earlier part, the adult must know this a danger that the adult destroys what nature would have made. If therefore, because of former

life

or there

is

development or the way of civilization, man abandons the natural path of life, there is a great danger

social

since the natural provisions are taken in

the development of

civilization

away. As humanity has given protection

only to the physical and not to the psychic part of man, If civilization is not the child finds himself in a prison. given the necessary light regarding the natural laws of

psychic development the child very likely lives in an

environment

full

of obstacles

to

must be remembered that during

normal expression. this

period the child

entirely in the care of

the adult, because

provide for himself, and

we

237

adults,

if

it

It

is

cannot yet

not enlightened by

THE ABSORBENT MIND the

wisdom

of nature or science, will present the greatest

obstacles to the

After

life

of the child.

has acquired certain faculties which allow him to defend himself,

special

this

period the child

because he can speak for himself. If he feels the oppression of the adult, he can run away or have tantrums. Nevertheless, the aim of the child

is

not to defend himself,

but to conquer the environment and in his

development.

by means

the

it

means

for

In this later period he must develop

the environment,

of exercises in

exactly must he develop the previous period.

?

but what

That which he has created

So the period from

in

three to six

years of age is a period of conscious construction when a He has child takes consciously from the environment. forgotten the things and events of the epoch before three years

of

then, he

but,

age,

using

the

can now remember.

faculties

he created

The powers he

created

are brought to the surface carried

out in

experiences are

by the experiences consciously the environment by the child. These not mere play nor are they haphazard,

they are consciously brought about by work. The hand, guided by the intelligence, does a sort of work. If then in the

first

period, the child

was a

sort of

contemplative

psychic being, observing the environment in apparent passivity

and then taking from

construction,

i.e.,

it

what he needed

for his

constructing the elements of his being,

second period he is following the will. At first it was as if a force outside his will led him now it is the in the

;

238

THE ABSORBENT MIND child's

own ego which

now he shows though this child who

guides him, and

the activity of his hands.

It is

as

before received the world through his unconscious intelligence,

There

now

it

takes

by

his

hands, using his hands.

therefore another sort of

is

perfecting

former

acquisitions.

development

The

:

that of

development

of

language for example continues spontaneously to four and a half years, but we have seen that at two and a half years

is

it

already complete in

all its details.

Now

he acquires enrichment and perfection. Yet though this is a period of perfectionment, the child

retains the

still

embryonic power

The absorbent mind

fatigue.

hand and

absorbing without

of

continues, but

now

his

experiences help him to develop and enrich

its

further his acquisitions.

The hand becomes

the direct

organ of prehension to the intelligence so while the child previously absorbed the world and developed his intelli;

gence merely by walking about, now he must develop by working with his hands further psychic development ;

has

life

;

He

merely because he he must have an environment in which to ex-

takes place this way. press his work.

see that he

If

lives not

we watch

the child of this age

we

continuously at work, happy, lighthearted, but always busy with his hands. It is called the blessed Adults have always noticed this, though age of play is

*

'

!

only lately has

it

been

and America, where the trend humanity

239

In

scientifically studied.

of civilization

farther from nature, society offers

Europe

has taken

any number

THE ABSORBENT MIND of toys to correspond to the activity of the child.

means

stead of the

to create the intelligence,

he

is

In-

given

only mostly useless toys. At this age he has the tendency to touch everything, the adults let him touch some

and

things

him touch all

men

is

Where

it,

make

bring

it

there

no sand, compasIf there is no sand

is

to rich children.

be allowed, but not too much because the child gets wet, and water and sand

or only a of

at will

only real thing they let sand, play with sand is stimulated

over the world.

sionate

The

forbid others.

dirt

little,

water

may

which adults have

to

wash.

Toys and Reality

When

the child tires of sand, he*

given small copies

is

and houses, toypianos, etc., but these in a form which render them useless " Children want them ; The adults say to the child. they see us working so they want to do the same ", But the the things they give them to work with are useless copies of fruits are stone fruits, they cannot prepare them of things used

by

adults

toy-kitchens

:

:

;

nor eat them.

It is

a mockery.

The child is lonely, so human figure, the dolL

given a mockery of the These dollies are more real than father and mother,

he

is

all

sorts

of presents are given to

etc.

We

the

child

he can

know perfects

freely

talk

that his

to

up

to

it

four

in clothes, jewels,

and a

yeara

the

only being his dolly, and dolly cannot

language, yet is

half

answer him.

240

THE ABSORBENT MIND The

toy has become so important in the West, that people think it is a help to the intelligence. It is certainly better than nothing, but if we watch the child, we see he

always wants new ones, he breaks them, he develops nervous and moral complaints. People who study the child superficially say that as he breaks the toy, he seems to find delight in taking everything apart

This

due

in destroy-

developed characthe circumstances which deprive the

ing everything. teristic

an

and

to

is

artificially

He

not even quiet with his toys or not for more than a few minutes. It is Nurse who loads the perambulator with toys, and takes them out child of the

right things.

is

When

they arrive at the park, the child is often not interested. Very often the child deliberately takes

for the child.

and then smashes

on the ground. Those psychologists who study phenomena and not their cause, say that the child has an instinct of destruction and another observation that has been made by these superficial a look at

observers

any

it

is

that the child does not fix his attention

are true, but superficial, the cause of this behaviour

The

investigated.

real trouble

real interest in these things,

them.

It

led to this children real

life.

;

the

is

life

this

The

on

Both these criticisms of the child

these toys.

of

it

is

that children

because there

is

no

is

not

have no reality in

misunderstanding by the adult that has of lack of attention

useless

life,

on the part

a mockery of

life

of the

instead of

child cannot exercise the energies that

nature has given him to perfect his individuality, they

241 16

THE ABSORBENT MIND wasted and worse than wasted. So the result is that the child cannot develop normally and the longer he lives in this environment full of toys, the less capable he becomes of adapting himself to the real environment, and are

It is gradually his personality is completely deformed. here and now that he seriously and consciously tries to

perfect himself through imitation of his elders.

His con-

sciousness develops through the experiences of life these are denied to him, so of course he is deformed.

and

which have not developed such a toycivilization for children, you find children greatly different from those of the West. They are much more calm, healthy and cheerful They take their inspiration from the In countries

activities

beings.

they see around them. They are normal human They take the objects of the adults and use

When

mother washes, or makes bread or chappaties the child does it too, if he has suitable things. It

them.

is like

imitation, but

intelligent, selective imitation,

it is

finds real inspiration in those for the

environment

There are

development

The

first

in

around him

which he

clearly

;

he

is

it

preparing

lives.

two periods

in this early

phase of

:

period

:

to 3 years

;

the child absorbs the

environment.

The second period the environment

:

3 to 6 years

by the work of

his

the child realizes

of his hands.

This fact cannot be doubted things for purposes

;

own.

;

the child must handle

When,

as lately in the

242

THE ABSORBENT MIND West, toys are made which are in proportion to the child so that he can be active with them as the adults are active, then the child

calm,

ren do

These

and

serene not

and becomes This shows that child-

his character

changes

attentive.

merely play, but are

active.

intelligently

however, are performed in order to fill a psychic need of the child, not for the need of the environment. This activity has superficially been attributed to an activities,

Instinct

of

Imitativeness

;

but

it is

more than

this.

One

sees that the child does not use objects that are not in his usual environment. is

Why

not

Because the

who

produce an individual

to

?

child's

suited to

is

work

his en-

vironment.

Once

has been understood, one can no longer speak of play with sand and imitation as the essential this

characteristics of the child, as

This imitation

is

if

were a monkey. learning what js in the

the child

but a means of

environment, and nature wishes to give joy

ment

of special things.

The new

to give children toys, but to furnish

trend

in the fulfil-

nowadays

is

not

them with an environ-

which they can perform the same We actions as the adults of their race and community.

ment

full

of things with

provide motives of activity with objects built in proportion to their strength

home have

or

and body

on the land,

their

it

is

own home and

;

and as we usually work

at

necessary that the children their

own

toys for children, but houses for them

land.

Not only

not toys for children, but land for them with tools to carry out work on

243

;

THE ABSORBENT MIND the land social

not dolls for children, but other children and a

;

and has

be

to

acts himself find

all

which the

in

life

child

is

not just seated on a chair

while the teacher acts, but where he

still

an environment where he can

;

the instruments necessary

for

act, talk

intelligent,

and con-

All these today substitute the toys of

structive activities.

the past.

When

public imagination,

Dewey

Prof.

which

this idea,

of

persuaded of

was

is

first

expressed,

this

professor,

taking hold of the it

caused surprise.

America, a famous educationist, was idea and set out to hunt for objects

He

proportionate to children. sity

now

just

went

to

himself, though a Univer-

New-York

the

all

stores to look

brooms, chairs, tables, plates, etc. He found NOTHING not even the idea of manufacturing them There were innumerable toys of all kinds ; existed.

for small

whole furnished houses

minute

of

carriages, nothing for the child.

cation of toys did one thing.

size, little

However, Dolls which

horses

and

the multiplistarted very

small increased until they were almost the size of a child

and as the they became

the objects for the dolls

dolls grew,

larger

a child to use

and

really.

larger,

but never large enough for

child

had spent millions him happy, and had succeeded adults

pensive mockery. little

bigger

We

and the

said

child

;

was now almost on the the door was yet closed. The and millions in order to make

The

threshold of fulfilment, but

grew

;

" :

in giving

Make

all

him an ex-

these things a

can use them as he needs to

244

THE ABSORBENT MIND So the step was taken and the dawn of a new world was realized there were real houses and real

use them."

;

objects for children to use in order to perfect the prepara-

had been made

tion that

the previous period from

in

was seen, these objects were made everywhere, and a new industry and a new source of wealth came into being. Prof. Dewey was so certain that in New- York he would find the things he was searching for that when he " failed to find them anywhere, he said The child has to 3

Once

years.

the result

:

been

forgotten",

But, alas, he

is

forgotten citizen,

thing for desert.

all,

He

and

"What

a

discovery!" forgotten in other ways too, he is the living in a world where there is every-

except

I

for

say,

him

wanders ambling

;

for

him only mockery, a

aimlessly, crying in tantrums,

destroying the mockeries provided, only seeking for the satisfaction of his soul.

And

standing in front of him

the adult could not see the real being of the child.

Once

was broken and the veil of unreality once the child was given real things, we

this barrier

torn asunder,

expected happiness, readiness to act with the objects, but The child this was not the only thing which took place.

showed a

was an

completely different personality.

act

of

independence, as

to be self-sufficient

;

keep your

if

The

he said

aid/' This

first

" :

I

result

want

has been one of

the revelations that the freed child has given.

The

child

has not become a wealthier being with bigger objects than when he played with toys he has become a man ;

245

THE ABSORBENT MIND seeking independence.

him,

wanted

be alone.

to

teachers.

He

all

refused

around

help,

he

ever imagined that

that of refusing assistance,

as he worked, nurses

that,

a surprise to

No one had

would have been

his first act

and

mothers,

nurses,

He was

and mothers would have

be observers only. This environment was not merely proportionately constructed, it was one of which he became master.

to

Social

life

and development It

taneously.

is

in

environment. conscious

life

came spon-

not the happiness of the child that

aim, but that he

pendent

of character

become

function,

This

is

the constructor of

the

man, inde-

worker and master of his

the the

is

light

of the individual

that the

beginning of the

reveals.

246

CHAPTER

XVII

THE NEW TEACHER THE

problems

countries

like

facing

what happened

is

in

very surprising to fortunate

happened but

education,

especially

in

India, the primitive circumstances under

which such work

were

village

started,

might be something similar to

the beginning of all.

I

enough

which was

my work

believe that the facts which to

witness

not have

would

for certain circumstances.

the world has recognized them, because

No one if

we

Prof.

else in

Dewey,

had found the objects he was seeking in the New-York and had been able to organize a children with all these activities, nothing would

for instance,

stores of

house

for

have happened, as nothing happens in so many schools which are richly endowed. Nothing would have

happened as objects

are not enough.

It

not lack of

is

as well objects alone that matters, but certain other things that obscure the real characteristics of children.

happen cannot be

will

what is needed is and not wealth, and that freedom

foreseen, because

freedom for the child we cannot understand unless

247

What

we

experience

it.

No

one

THE ABSORBENT MIND could have seen

it

my

in

experiment but

a chance

for

which gave the necessary conditions. They were 1. Extreme poverty and a social condition treme hardship. people rich I

among whom we

compared with

The

condition.

may

suffer

child

who

extremely poor from lack of food, but he finds himself

development

natural laws, greater

working

worked, those were

the parents of the children

natural conditions.

the

class of

of ex-

This extreme poverty was a favourable

had.

in

was not a

It

:

we

number

Now the

of

is

that

child

we

see that

directed

is

by

who has a conditions has much

see that the child natural

of

greater opportunities to reveal his inner wealth

than one living 2.

in rich, artificial conditions.

The parents of fore

the children

Were

unable to give help to

illiterate,

their

there-

children in

learning. 3.

The

were not teachers.

teachers

If

they

had

do not think these results would have been achieved. In America they been

real teachers,

I

never succeeded so well, because they looked for the best teachers. Who is believed to be a

good teacher studied child

;

>

It

means

usually one

who has

the things which do not help the such teachers are full of prejudices and all

ideas about the child which are not conducive to giving

freedom to the

child.

As

is

the case

248

THE ABSORBENT MIND with a

'

*

good

nurse

who

thinks she

must help

do everything, so these teachers think they must help the child's mind. It is this teaching, this imposition of the teacher on the the

child

child,

to

which hinders him.

Who

would have thought of imposing the three conditions mentioned above in order to have a successful experiment ? One would naturally have thought to give just the contrary.

The

great success which

we

obtained augurs well for similar attempts and experiments in India, because

one

of the complaints is the lack of

good teachers.

must take simple persons and make use

of them.

Indian villages also the parents are probably

much is

recognized

universally

development to give

up

leaders in

If

first

all

and

illiterate,

as to poverty,

In

so it

condition for the difficult to tell all

It is

might not work, but religious countries have renounced the world and

their riches,

for spiritual

as the

of spiritual qualities.

sought poverty. must not frighten assent.

And

the better for the children.

One

it

We us,

need not impose poverty, but it as it is the most favourable condition

development we can

we want

to experiment in

the child, the field of poverty

an easy experiment and sure

is

accepted with giving freedom to

find,

if

the best.

If

one wants

and work among them objects and an

success, go

We offer poor children. environment they do not possess. An object scientifically constructed, offered to a child who has nothing, is

the

249

THE ABSORBENT MIND taken

with

and

concentration

meditation.

caused great

this fact

been recognized basic factor

interest

passionate

in

surprise.

Forty-two years ago Concentration had never

children of three years, yet

because

means

it

of the environment, item of

and awakens mental

by

item,

them and dwelling on each

a

intense hold

take

to

is

it

exploring each one

Under the flits from one

them.

of

usual unsatisfactory conditions, the child

and concentrates on nothing, but that characteristic, it is forced on him by an un-

thing to another is

not his

satisfactory environment.

Also, in a small child of three years that mysterious

which

teacher

within him

;

the child to

urges

and when we speak

inner freedom)

we speak

of

work

is

still

of a free child

active

(i.e.,

with

a child free to follow the

These guides are

powerful guides of nature within him.

extremely wise, and lead the child to seek exactness, precision and the full achievement of what he undertakes.

The

child

details (e.g. to

attention

so that

by nature

led

dust the top, sides,

groves of a table). education.

is

This

What any

is

to

go into bottom and

what we want

all

the

all

the

for success in

teacher requires of his pupils

is

and concentration on what the teacher does, they can carry out exactly any instruction and all

done completely. This is the maximum any teacher can expect in order to have success. The surprising

is

revelation that the children

natural behaviour

when a

have given us child

is free.

is

that this

is

the

Given freedom

250

THE ABSORBENT MIND and no

interruptions

by

the teacher, he

performs

full,

complete, concentrated work. At this age of three years, he does not receive with facility from others, because he is

Too many

constructing himself.

to put so

teachers are inclined

him

things before the child, to interrupt

many

continuously and teach continuously, instead of letting the

own

children have their

age,

therefore,

who

The

experience.

child of this

by spontaneous work,

develops

following the guides of nature, cannot develop in this

who

fashion with a teacher

teaches.

Also the teacher

do what the teacher thinks important, such as obeying her or him) and convinced that she must go from the easy to the difficult, aiming at success

(i.e.,

that the child

from the simple to the complex, by gradual steps, when instead a child goes from the difficult to the easy and with great strides such a teacher is not a help in our work, ;

and most teachers trained so.

Inevitable conflict

child

and such a

have

is

is

are like that, because they have been

would

arise

between the

Another prejudice such teachers If a child is interested in what he

teacher.

that of fatigue.

doing, he goes

on and on.

The

child

is

not fatigued.

When

however the teacher makes him change every few minutes and rest he gets fatigued. As the completed '

',

cycle of physical activity gives little

ones, so

do mental

added

activities

strength to the very

with the older ones.

These prejudices are so impregnated cated rid of

251

in

in teachers

edu-

the usual type of Training Colleges, that to get

them, you would have to

kill

the teacher.

No new

THE ABSORBENT MIND vision of the

mind would

get rid of them.

It is

the

same

with some of the prejudices of society, nothing short of a

bloody revolution can help. Some of the most modern Colleges have this prejudice of the need for rest so badly that they have interruptions

an hour or

of

The

result is

and

rest

every three quarters

an hour on a carefully graduated plan. extreme indifference in the minds of the

half

people educated.

Interest

and enthusiasm only can pro-

duce anything of value and these are automatically killed. Modern pedagogy sees things from a superficial and erroneous point of view, because it takes no notice of the inner life. The guide of the psychic activities is completely ignored. Also the pedagogical world (or is

ruled

by human

logic,

but

human

logic is

it

leaders)

one thing and says we must

the logic of nature another. Human logic distinguish between mental and physical activities, for mental work we must be immobile in a class room and for physical It

the mental faculties are not required.

When

cuts the child in two.

his

he thinks he

may

not use

when he uses his hands his head is not Thus we get men with a head and no body

hands, and

considered. at

work

one time and with a body and no head

Consequently sorts

for

there

the teacher.

at another.

problems and trouble of all Yet nature shows that the child

are

cannot think without his hands and that the hands are the instruments of intelligence.

hands and us that,

interest the

when

mind.

Objects must occupy the Our experience has shown

the child thinks, he

is

continually moving.

252

THE ABSORBENT MIND So indeed

men

great

often give us the thoughts they

gained as they walked about, meditating

What do

pathetic school of philosophy).

philosophize do

They go

?

into convents

the peri-

(cf.

people

who

and walk hours

alone under trees, meditating. In this period between three and six years, it has been clearly revealed that

movement and mind go

yet many think it is impossible to have schools where children study and contogether

;

tinuously walk about.

From (in

we can

this

the usual sense)

The

realize that a well-prepared teacher

the worst teacher for the child.

is

greatest effort in our

method

is

that of trying to free

the teacher from the prejudices he or she

and

the greatest success

herself or himself

they succeed prejudice.

and "

there

So is

the teacher

how

who can

The measure

from them.

seen in

is

is

may

far

they are

best free

how

of

well

cloaked by

still

education of a great number

possess

is

envisaged a scarcity of teachers, what can we say but

Thank God The new

if

:

" It is

!

one

of the best conditions.

teachers found

among simple

folk

must

understand certain fundamental things which, however, are not

difficult.

4

'

teacher

In

my

first

experiment

(who was the daughter

them child

and

and then

alone with them and not to interfere.

as she was, she

was

able to

do

instructed the

of the door-keeper of

the tenements) to take certain objects in a certain fashion to the child

1

to

present

to leave the

Uneducated

this exactly.

A

full-

fledged teacher would probably have been unable to

253

do

THE ABSORBENT MIND that.

In the

place he might have thought

first

his intelligence and,

have done

it

even

he had done

if

He would

so simply.

it,

it

below

he would not

have launched a

verbose attack of explanations on the class, whereas anything beyond the necessary and sufficient causes *

4

and confusion. My uneducated teacher did exactly what she was told and, to her surprise and mine, the children worked and worked with these objects distraction

with wonderful

results.

She was so surprised that she

thought there were angels or some spiritual agencies at work. Then the children exploded into writing when she had taught them nothing of writing and when visitors " came and asked the children Who taught you to " write ? ", they would say No one taught us to write ". She would add in an awed manner " No, I haven't :

:

:

taught him to write frightened, to say

".

" :

She would come

Madame,

the child started to write

" !

at 2

to

me,

half-

o'clock yesterday

She could not understand

how in

he could write at 2 o'clock, and perfect sentences beautiful handwriting too, when he had not written

anything in his

had given them

life

even up to

before,

the

cursive

letters,

they might find reading easier of the print-type, but before the children

need

them.

that these

they occur.

if

1

o'clock.

then

we

thought

we gave them

we had them

We letters

prepared,

were already reading books and did not

Now,

after

forty-two

years,

we know

and can understand why These incidents, however, happend before

explosions occur

254

THE ABSORBENT MIND we knew the

child

the

that

endowed with an absorbent mind which

is

from

takes

Now we know

reason of them.

the

environment without

so that

fatigue,

properly prepared and presented, can be taken as the mother tongue is taken, with the greatest ease.

culture,

The

if

only

thing

necessary

a material,

to construct

is

which can be handled by the children. Then a great many items of culture can be brought

scientifically exact,

down

to the period of three to six years of age.

Experience has shown that the teacher must with-

draw more and more, have

to train

therefore the task of those

these teachers

is

not do anything, but prepare

work."

It

Tell

easy.

them

for the children

Our

task

:

they will

;

brings into actual fact a great truth

renunciation can bring great truths."

who Do

"

is

"Self-

:

to teach

We

where he or she intervened needlessly. call the method of non-intervention*. this part of our work The teacher must measure what is needed and limit her the teacher

'

work

to that, like

a good servant carefully prepares a

drink for his master and then leaves

it

for his

master to

complete the work, i.e., drinking it. He does not force his master to drink, that is not his business. His business is

only to prepare.

children.

It

So must

the teacher act towards the

might be good to send teachers to study

with a good servant so that they might learn to be humble not to impose themselves on the child, but to be ;

and prepare all for the disposal and leave him.

vigilant his

255

child

and then put

it

at

THE ABSORBENT MIND People

who

are in charge of children of this age

have to serve the psychic needs of the children. It is If we say not indispensable to know them scientifically. to a

"

mother

:

Carry the child of one year always with

you, so that he may see the world, and take him where people talk so that he may hear his mother tongue *\

very easily. to carry a child

and the teacher can explain Also the teacher can tell the mother not when he is old enough to walk, not to be

afraid of letting

him carry heavy things

the mother can understand it

if

he wants to do

All these things are easy to understand

so.

the

if

mind

not encumbered with prejudices. It is difficult perhaps to understand the psychological reasons for all this, but the practical things themselves are

is

not

to

difficult

seed

or to understand, just as putting

tell

a

the ground or looking after a plant does not

in

require the effort of studying vegetable biology in the must distinguish between the practice University.

We

of nature,

and the science Practice

practice.

is

that

easy.

man

has built round that

All the marvellous results

always come from the expenditure of the spontaneous energy of the child which is usually impeded in ordinary schools.

Let

he

illiteracy

of

the

parents.

brings about other conditions of ignorance,

Illiteracy

so that

the

consider

us

when

can wash

clever he

his

" is

!

the

child

comes home and shows how

hands, the mother thinks

and the

child

is

uplifted.

" :

How

Also when the

256

THE ABSORBENT MIND whose mother and

child first

adoring admiration again brings

their

word,

father cannot write, writes his uplift to

the child, whereas the richer parents will probably say 44

Oh

and

ah

!

!

yes

the child

!,

is

:

"

but do they teach you art at school ? Or if a child chilled and loses interest.

dusts something the better-class mother

kills

the joy of the

one, because she says it is sweeper's work and she did not send her child to school to learn that. Or if it is

little

mathematics he learns, she is afraid he will get brainfever and wants to stop the work. So either the child gets

an

and

thinks

The

real

and

inferiority-complex it is

a

or

superiority-complex

not necessary for him to

problems are with the

do

literate,

certain things.

cultured parents

they are pedagogues themselves, so worse, because then they think they know education.

A

if

Social

The

much all

the

about

Problem Solved

conditions, therefore, which

experiment, are really good. to the children, 4

experimental

it

we

think

Success will not

will influence the parents.

House

f

of Children

doing exercises of practical

life

when

bad

for

an

limit itself

In

my

first

they had started

and were

interested in

would tell their mothers that they must not have spots on their dress and must not 4< You do it like this", so the mothers began spill water.

the details of them, they

to care for their dress

power 257

and appearance.

This shows the

the child has of transforming the environment.

It

THE ABSORBENT MIND is

the

lead

my

parents in

do

'

how

House

first

to read

and

is

write,

who

the only force

educate

persons to

illiterate

learn

who

child probably

themselves. *

of Children

because

came

to

their children

will

The

me

to

could

In dealing with children of this age one handles

it.

almost a magic wand in social life. First there is the marvel of the transformation of the child himself, secondly there is the touching marvel (it causes emotion) that the

do much more than one had expected,

able to

child

is

and

this

rouses in

reverence for the

the

spirit of

spirit

of

the adult a sort of

childhood, hence

it

achieves a

transformation and an education of the adults.

one envisages a social reform on a large scale and plans according to the old method, one has to make a plan covering many years (the Sargent Scheme covers 40 If

years).

If

one has

to prepare teachers with

judices of psychology

how

long

it

will

all

over the world,

take to train them.

with children of seven

we can

the pre-

calculate

These teachers begin

who have passed

and being faced with

all

the sensitive

dead-weight (the children do not possess the enthusiasm natural to the little ones

stage

this

same things) they force and force and the children become more and more bored. The child who, before, had at least a relative freedom, now finds himself under a teacher who fusses and tells him to do this, that and the other. It will take forty, eighty, a hundred years, two centuries perhaps before the work is completed. If, on for the

the contrary,

we

consider these psychological facts which

258

THE ABSORBENT MIND easy to practise, then things are not so difficult, because we tap and make use of natural energies which

are

necessary to understand the child at different ages, certainly, but then practically all is done. exist.

always

Such

It

is

memory than the when remembered, make

facts as the smaller child's better

older

for

one's,

instance,

things quite simple.

We

see that the child learns better than with the

methods

old

and

that the

whole

of education

is

shifted

downwards, towards birth, from eight to four years. Thus so many years are saved and as the absorbent mind and the sensitive periods are functioning at this age, which means that all things are taken with interest and enthusiasm, the wish to continue is present and education does not have to be imposed. What about the teacher ? She will work long hours with the children since the children do so, but in a very different way. Once a teacher has become a good teacher in this sense, she is happy. A newspaper-man in America once visited his cousin, a Montessori teacher, and found her lying on a deck-chair and thought she had vacation. She told him to be quiet and not to disturb the children.

He

any children, but looking through a window he found them all working quite happily without any noise on the lawn. Children educated could not

in this

she

is

scale

259

is

or hear

always work, also without the teacher if or away. The possibility of a reform on a large

way

late

see.

will

much more

rapid

and easy

to attain in this

way.

THE ABSORBENT MIND In

my

experiment I used to give instructions ta the teachers once a week and after ten months there was first

the explosion into writing.

Today

our observations have

made it plain to us how these miracles happened, but when they happened we did not know the reasons, so it is not indispensable to know them. If we put a plant in the earth, we must know how much soil and water it wants, and then water it regularly. Then, one day, we shall see the flower coming. We do not need to know the anatomy

of the

flower or the acidity of the

etc.

soil,

We

only have to wait in patience and look for the flowers. So with the education of children, all that ia necessary are adults, simple and of good In

all

countries

where children

will.

live

in

a simple r

way, in so-called backward countries, where education seems to present the greatest problems, the natural

great miracles of our early experiments will easily

be

lepeated and a great and urgent problem solved. Simple teachers are perhaps better than others and all these children will lead the rest of the world.

little

work must not be afraid of the what must be kept in mind are not the difficulties

feel the

task

:

Those who

appeal of

of the theories

this

we have

given, but the vision of the

first

experiment before any of these theories were developed.

260

CHAPTER

XVIII

FURTHER ELABORATION THROUGH CULTURE AND IMAGINATION THE ing

;

period between three and six years it

3 years).

follows the period of the spiritual

The passage between

very marked. period from

The

first

these

most

interest-*

embryo (0

two periods

is

to

not

Usually only one period is considered, the 6, but it is really divided into two parts.

part concerns the creation of the psychic

the second part fixation.

is

is

life,

and

a sort of period of perfectionment or

Certain faculties developed in the

are rendered secure.

Also

first

period

in the first period there is

a

prevalence of the unconscious part, whereas in the second period consciousness guides development. It is, therefore, not only a period of fixation, but of greater perfection. no longer have the embryo, but man who is com-

We

The second

period shows a special form of activity, because consciousness falling upon the world grasps the world and handles it, and in this handling the pleting himself.

conquests that were not clear before, become clear and The child not only takes in the environment, perfect.

261

THE ABSORBENT MIND This

but realizes himself.

conscious individuality

is

the period in which the

is

established

and

this

done

is

spontaneously. It is still a period forming part of creation and is still closed to outside influences such as an adult mentality trying to impose or transmit something directly.

The

child,

therefore,

cannot be educated

in the ordinary

sense of the word by a teacher, but education must come through the natural bases. The natural laws of develop-

ment compel

the child of this age to experiment on the

environment by the use of

and other matters.

Only

life.

the

itself

the passage from nothing to

become known, before then the child was buried under the

of

life

of

humanity to him.

Now

who

did not

suddenly known to those It

was

hands, both in cultural

recently this has

whole psychic

indifference

is

It

his

the

it

know

explosion into writing that

of

first

the attention of the public to the child's psychic is

made

has

it.

caught

life.

It

not an explosion of writing only, the writing was like

the

smoke out

human

self

in

of

a pipe, the real explosion

the child.

He

was

of the

might be compared to a

be solid and eternally the same r but contains a hidden fire. One day there is an explosion

mountain which seems

and out comes

the

to

fire

through the outer heaviness.

It

an explosion of fire, smoke and unknown substances, from which those who can see, will be able to tell ua

is

what the earth contained. Our explosion was similar and it happened because of circumstances which, as I explained in the previous chapter, were the least favourable

262

THE ABSORBENT MIND (apparently) for such

came

a revelation.

on bases which 'were

also

These revelations *

The

non-existent/

and ignorance, the lack of proper teachers, We found syllabus and rules were basic nothings nothingness, and because there was nothingness, the soul was able to expand itself. The obstacles had been poverty

4

'.

removed, but no one knew obstacles were. in It is

It

is

time) what the

that

(at

well to understand

this,

because

a great energy a latent cosmic energy. is important for us to know this, because if we know it there and wait for its flashing revelations, we are on the the child

lies

road to success.

was

It

not a

method

of education

which caused these explosions, because the method did

when

not exist

the explosions occurred.

The

following

up of psychology and the building up of the method came as a result of these volcanic revelations of the children. The explosion came as the result of a discovery not of a method. The Press spoke of it from the first as of a discovery of the human soul.' From it sprang *

the

new

science which followed step

by step

the revelation

of the children. I

these

will explain

phenomena a

They

little.

are

they should not be attributed to intuition, but to I have described what I saw. The facts perception.

facts,

seen are the foundation of the

can be found

Two revelations,

263

in

my

one

is

science

;

these facts

previous books. of

groups

new

facts

that

the

are

important

mind

of

the

in

these

child

is

THE ABSORBENT MIND of acquiring culture

capable

at

a period of life when possible, but can only

nobody would have thought it take it by his own activity. Culture cannot be received from another, but only through the work and increased realization of oneself.

of the

powers

from three to

of the

facts

all

from

we know this possibility to take in The other important group early age.

of the character has pre-occupied education

educators have agreed that the age to six years is not the age to influence

times, but

three

character in real

the period

deals with the development of the character.

Development at

aware

are

six years,

culture at a very of

Nowadays, when we absorbent mind during

all

a systematic fashion.

discipline

for

children

discipline

be imposed.

the adult

who had

No one

so young

Also

it

only later can

;

was thought

that

to influence the character of

people and the problem of changing

an eternal problem.

thinks of

We

were wrong

evil into :

this

is

it

was

young

good

is

the time

developing character, but the child must develop his own character according to the laws of growth. We have already seen a great deal of how the mind is

for

formed, but the

it

is

interesting to dwell in

some

detail

on

contents and working of the mind at this period

and we

shall deal with the

formation of character in

another chapter.

The

child

is

especially interested in

and concentrates

on those things he has already in his mind, those that were absorbed during the previous period, for whatever 264

THE ABSORBENT MIND has been conquered has a tendency to remain and the

mind dwells on it. writing was due conquest

of

So, for instance, the explosion into to the special sensitivity for, and

As

language.

the

ceases

sensitivity

at

was clear that writing could be achieved with such joy and enthusiasm only and a

five

half to six

years,

it

before this age, while older children of six or seven were not capable of doing this and did not feel the same

enthusiasm. tion It

of

the

So our method came from children,

was seen

that

from

the

the observa-

observation

had prepared

children

of

the

facts.

organs

necessary for writing previously, so indirect preparation was adopted as an integral part of the method. Thus certain bases of the

method could be

fixed.

that nature prepares indirectly in the

We had seen

embryo

;

she does

not give orders until she knows that the individual has the organs which enable him to obey. That is why the child

cannot do anything by mere imitation and obedience it must be provided with the means to be obedient. ;

Both mind and character were helped by the observation

was thought that all that was needed was good example by the adult and good will from the child, but the adults lacked a wisdom that nature possesses, i.e., that the means must be prepared for the command to be obeyed, and this is not done To receive frequent and successive commands directly.

of these facts.

Earlier

it

does not create obedience directly

265

by

;

inner preparation.

obedience

is

attained in-

Obedience

to arbitrary

THE ABSORBENT MIND commands of The child has

the adult

guide him, that

evident that frequent and ill-founded the adult is not a help, but an obstacle to

interference

cannot achieve development. in himself such a fountain of wisdom to

by

it is

development. The necessity of a prepared and well organized environment for the child and freedom for the

his

child

to

expand now.

clearly

within

soul

its

it

stands out very

we

found, the child again takes up the conquests of the first period in order to elaborate them in the as

If,

second

period, the

method

of

period can furnish us with a guide for the second period which follows the same first

development. Let us take language in the first period we have seen that the child follows a method he successively absorbs which is almost grammatical :

:

and uses sounds,

verbs,

conjunctions, that

we

syllables,

nouns, adjectives, adverbs,

prepositions,

etc.

We

then

know

should help the child in the second period

following

The

same grammatical method.

the

by

first

It seems absurd to our teaching is that of grammar. usual way of thinking, that teaching should begin with

grammar at knows how If

we

three to

years of age, and that before

read or write, he should learn grammar.

stop to think of

it,

construction of a language

(and

the

therefore,

child)

we

he

speak,

give

however, what if

not

grammar

we speak

his

language

the basis of ?

When we

grammatically.

him grammatical help

age when he perfects

is

If,

at four years of

in construction

and

266

THE ABSORBENT MIND enlarges his vocabulary,

we

give a real help.

By

giving

him grammar, we allow him to absorb more perfectly the language spoken around him. Experience has shown us that these children were keenly interested in grammar

and

was

that this

the right time to give

In the

it.

first

period (0 to 3 years) the acquisition was almost unnow it has to be perfected consciously by conscious conscious exercise. Another thing we noticed was that ;

the child of this age acquires a large

was a

there

number

;

and interest in words and any number of new words.

special sensitivity

he spontaneously took in Many experiments were carried out and all

words

of

it

was seen

that

children considerably enriched their vocabulary at this

The words acquired were

age.

used

those

the

in

environment of course, so a cultured environment gave a child the opportunity to learn many words but in ;

any

was

environment the instinct

to absorb the greatest

had a hunger

possible

number

words.

In a cultured environment he can take thousands

and thousands at this age.

of

To

give

many

to

him

is

for

a help

effort

and

the help will consist in reducing the effort

;

detail in the

this

uncultured

words.

the child

;

order.

Another result

words

unaided he takes them with

If

without order

and giving

of

of

*

observation, *

teachers

method was established as a to

we had

give in

many our

words.

first

The

experiment

and they wrote words for the children^ They wrote as many as they knew, but presently they noted

267

this fact

THE ABSORBENT MIND came to a halt and they came to me and said that they had given all the words relating to dress, house, street, names of trees, etc., but the children wanted more words So we thought, why not give to the children at this age the words necessary for culture, e.g. all the names of the !

geometrical

figures

had

they

been handling

in

the

sensorial apparatus, polygons, trapezium, trapezoid, etc. The children took them all in one day So we went to !

scientific instruments,

we gave them 41

Do you

all

teachers complained that

we,

of

knew

course,

insatiable

when

names of do not know. the

and the power

"

?

they asked, and the they took them for a

all

the motor cars which

The

for taking

thirst for

them

while in the period that follows this

words

who had

early, recalled

they found them or even

12 or

words

is

inexhaustible,

not the case.

is

Other things develop then, but there is periods to remember strange words. our children

Then

taken in with enthusiasm.

not have any more

walk, they

etc.

botanical names, sepals, petals, stamens,

They were

etc.

pistil,

thermometer, barometer,

difficulty in later

We

found that

the opportunity of learning these

and remembered them

easily

later in the ordinary schools, at

14 years, while those children

met them for the first time found it them. So the logical conclusion names at this age, of 3 to 6 years.

difficult to is

to

when 8 or 9

who

then

remember

give scientific

They

are not given

mechanically of course, but in connection with specially prepared apparatus, so that they are based on real

268

THE ABSORBENT MIND To

understanding and experience. are long, complicated

and

there

is

many

no difference

names

foreign

remember, yet the name with the utmost ease. In

foreign child says his Italian there are

us

difficult to

strange

names

for foreigners,

but

between these

for the Italian child

and other words like triangle. To help able thirst for words in the children we words of the various classifications in

this

remark-

give

them the

all

subjects,

etc., like the different parts

botany, zoology, geography, of a leaf, of a flower, of geographical features, are

all

easily represented

ment and

therefore

most

suitable.

difficulty was with these words and found was which.

The

In Kodaikanal

I

the teachers

child of this early

difficult

it

who were studying the name of a part

three years said

offer

who

to

no

difficulty.

did not

know

remember which

in the ordinary school,

puzzled

of the flower, a tiny child of

"

:

They

in the environ-

once saw older children of 14 years

of age,

over

and apparent

They

etc.

and ran off age does not take words pistil ",

to play.

The

indifferently as

any ordinary easy thing it is as if a light is lit in the child and he is profoundly interested. We showed to older ;

children of 7 or 8 years the classification of roots accord-

ing to the botany books and a small child came in and asked of an older child what were the new charts on the

He was

and

we

found plants pulled out of the garden, because the tiny ones were so interested that they wanted to see which roots those plants had. wall.

269

told

later

THE ABSORBENT MIND we gave

When we saw

their interest,

them and then

the parents complained that the children

pulled up the plants in their gardens, said they wanted to see roots.

I

this

knowledge

to

washed them and

What is the limit of the words the children will learn ? do not know Does the mind of the child limit itself in !

taking in objects and the facts about the things they can the child has a type of mind that goes beyond see ? No ;

concrete

limits.

has the power of imagining things.

It

This power of visualizing things that are not present to An object I can the eye, reveals a higher type of mind.

know, but when I have to make an image for myself (to imagine) it is more difficult. If the mind of man were restricted only to the things he could see, it would be very limited indeed. Man sees

see

is

an easy thing

without seeing

to

culture

not

made up

of the

knowledge an of things seen. example. If we Geography gives have never seen a lake or snow, we have to imagine ;

is

them, imagination has to be put into activity. Up to what point can children imagine things ? We did not

know, so we began with some experiments

starting with

We saw that they did the opposite we imagined. We had thought they would be

children of 6 years. of

what

but they were interested in the took the globe they knew the world, they

interested in big things, details.

We

had heard which no

of

;

it

so much.

*

The world

*

is

a phrase to

image corresponds, yet the child what it is, which shows that he has a

sensorial

forms an idea of

270

THE ABSORBENT MIND power

of imaginative understanding, of abstraction.

We

prepared special small globes. We covered the earth " " with star dust and the oceans with deep and bright " The children began to say blue. This is land ", :

"

This

is

water

" ",

This

is

America

" ",

This

is

India

".

They loved the globe so much that it became a favourite The mind of the child between object in our classes. 3 and 6 years fixes not only the functions of the in

gence

relation with

objects,

intelli-

but also those of imagi-

This means that the intelligence

nation and intuition.

must have a great and vivid power

at this

age beyond It has a that of merely absorbing through the senses. higher power, that of imagination, which enables the individual to see things he cannot see. This may seem *

'

an exaggeration

in relation to children of this age,

we

it,

think about

we

realize

it is

but

if

not such an exaggera-

psychology has always said that this is a Even the most ignorant people period of imagination. tell their children fairy tales, and they love them imtion,

since

they were anxious to use this great power of imagination. They call a table a house, a chair a

mensely, as

if

Everyone realizes that the child likes to imagine, but he is given tales and toys as the only help. If the child can realize a fairy and visualize fairyland, it

horse,

is

not

etc.

difficult for

him

to visualize

of only hearing vaguely about

general shape of America nation.

271

Imagination

is

is

America,

etc.

Instead

America, a globe with the

a concrete help to his imagi-

endeavouring to find the

truth of

THE ABSORBENT MIND a fact which

things,

often forgotten.

is

environment the word

*

*

America or

4

in the child's

If

f

World had never

been mentioned by anyone, then it might be difficult for him to show interest in it, but since he hears the word so often,

The mind

nation.

the

mind

never

enters his

it

of

still,

When

man

clothes

with imagi-

it

not the passive entity one imagines,

is is

mind and he

a flame, an all-devouring flame,

it is

but always active.

and came in

those children of six years had the globe

were talking about it, a child of three and a half " " " and said Let me see Is this the world ? Yes '\ said the older ones, a little surprised, and the child of " Now I understand, because I three and a half said !

:

:

have an uncle who has gone three times round the world. How was it round ? How did he go > Now I understand/* At the same time he realized this was only a

model taken

for it

We

he knew the world was immense

;

he had

from the conversation round him.

and a half, who also asked to see the older ones* globes and he looked steadily at one. The bigger children were talking of America, taking no notice of him. Presently the tiny one interrupted them : had a

child of four

"

41

The Where is New-York ? showed it to him. Then he said

older ones, surprised, ** "

Where is Holland ? more surprised, they showed it to him. Then, Still " Then this is the sea/* touching the blue part, he said The older ones were interested, so the little one said r :

44

My

father goes to

America twice a year

;

he stays in

272

THE ABSORBENT MIND New-York. After he has started, Mother says, " Papa is on the sea ". For many days she says it then she " Papa is in New- York ". Then after a while she says " " He is on the sea again and then one day she says "He is in Holland, and we go to meet him at says Amsterdam ". He had heard so much about America, that when the older children were talking about it, he was very eager to know about it and felt "I have discovered America ". And what a rest it must have been for him, for he had been trying to find an orientation in the mental environment as he used to do in the ;

:

:

:

:

In order to take the mental world

physical environment.

of his time, he has to take

words from the adults and

cloak them with images. This is the fact. Playing with toys and imagination through fairy

two needs

tales represent

of that special period of

life

:

place oneself in direct relation with the environment, to master the environment, and by this a

the

to

first,

The great mental development is acquired by the child. other reveals the strength of the imagination, so much so that he turns

on

it

his toys.

If

we

then give him real

a help to him and places him in more accurate relation with his environment too. things to imagine about, this

At

age children often want information.

this

know more

ask questions to well

known

questions.

that If all

that the child

273 18

is

is

the

child

of the truth of things. is

these questions

in

need

of

curious,

come

knowledge.

They It is

always asking

together,

The

it

means

questions of

THE ABSORBENT MIND children are also interesting

a

if

one consider them not as

mind seeking

nuisance, but as the expression of a

Children of this age are not able to follow long explanations, so we do not give him a long explanation of the world, but a globe. Usually people give too information.

A

exhaustive explanations.

The

the leaves were green.

why

intelligent his child

asked

child

his father

once

father thought

how

was, so he gave a long explanation

chloroplasm and chlorophyll and of the blue rays of the sun, etc. Presently he heard the child mumbling and of

listened

want

;

to

the child said

know why

" :

Oh, why did

age

understood

Sometimes

like

:

by

all.

Mamma, where

did

has reasoned to come to lady

this is

;

I

I

all this

!

and questions

imagination

?

"

characteristics of this

"

ask Papa

the leaves are green, not

about chlorophyll and the sun Play,

I

known by

the

all

this question.

three

and mis-

questions are

come from

who guessed beforehand

are

difficult

"

but the child

?

An

intellectual

would ask him the truth

that her child

question one day, determined to tell and when the child asked her the question at four years " of age, she said: The child, I made you'*.

this

My

answer was quick and short and the ately quiet.

child

After a year or so she told

now

was immedihim " am :

I

and when she went into the Nursing Home, she said she would come back with the child she had made. When she arrived back, she " Here is your little brother I made him as I said

making another

:

child

",

;

274

THE ABSORBENT MIND made you

By

".

"

this

time the child

was

six years old,

me really how we come into the world ? I'm big now why don't you tell me truth ? When you told me last time you were

so he said

:

Why

don't

you

tell

;

making a

Even

child,

telling

I

watched you, and you did nothing/*

the truth

is

not as easy as

needs a special wisdom on the part parents to

know how

it

seems, so

of teachers

it

and

to help this imagination.

The it

is

teacher requires a special preparation, because In no point on not our logic that solves problems.

which we have touched, does our logic help, we have to know the child's development and to shed our preGreat tact and delicacy is necessary the care of the mind of a child from three to six years,

conceived ideas. for

and an

adult can have very

of

Fortunately the child takes more from the environment than from the

We

little

it.

must know the psychology and serve him where we can.

teacher.

275

of the child

CHAPTER XIX

CHARACTER AND ITS DEFECTS YOUNG CHILDREN THE

was one of it was one

education of character

items in old pedagogy

;

the

IN

most important

of its

main aims.

At the same time no clear definition of what is character was given, nor of the way to educate it. Old pedagogy only said that mental education is not sufficient, praccharacter is needed, but tical education is not sufficient ;

an unknown quantity have some intuition of it, it is

X

.

for

the realization of the value of

These old educationists

what they really mean is man, but when you go to

these values, there also they are not clear. other things in education,

it is

vague.

certain things, such as the virtues

certainty of

one's

what

neighbours.

is

many

given to

courage, constancy, one ought to do, moral relations with In

:

the question of character moral

education plays a part. All over the world

me

Value

Like

we

It

seems to

a

different point of view,

find the

that this question

same vague

must be looked

and instead

ideas.

at

of speaking

from

about

276

THE ABSORBENT MIND we

ought to speak of the

the character, the

development of the

the education of the character of

construction

character in

and through the

demonstration of

A

effort of the individual.

this active creation of the character,

not

was shown by the children in my first school. Let me illustrate some points of this construction, which give a new idea to education. From the point of view of life, we could consider its

education from outside,

everything about character as behaviour in man.

have mentioned

before, the

life

we

deal in this book), 6

period form

12

two sub-phases.

In

last

I

of the individual from

18 years can be divided into three periods

(with which

As

6 years

:

12 years

and the

each again divided into considering each of these groups, 18 years

;

the type of mentality which each represents

is

so different

that they might appear to belong to different people.

As we have creation

it

;

is

seen, the

first

period

is

a period of

here that the roots of character are to

be found, although when the child is born he has no 6 years is therefore the The period from character.

most important part

of

life

regarding character too, since

Everyone has recognized that at this age the child cannot be influenced by outside example and pressure, so it must be nature herself that lays the

here

it

is

formed.

The

age has no understanding of or interest in what is good or bad he This is recognized, lives outside our moral vision of life. foundation of the character.

child

at this

;

because

277

we do

not call the child of this age evil or bad*

THE ABSORBENT MIND but naughty, indicating that this behaviour

We

book because those terms have a

morality in this

meaning

infantile.

not speak of evil and good or of

therefore,

shall,

is

at this age.

mention

I

this,

different

because people ask

kinds of questions as to the use of the good example of forefathers, of patriotism, etc. They are important, but

all

they do not concern (6

2 years)

1

of the

lies

age

in

;

the second period

the beginning in the child's consciousness of

problem

this

good and

evil,

own

not only in his

and among, other people too. The question good and evil comes into the light of consciousness as

actions, but in, of

a special characteristic of this age the moral conscience later it leads to social conscience. begins to form itself :

;

In the third period (12

patriotism, of belonging to

the group.

mention

I

this

not belong to the age of I

mentioned above

each period

is

comes the feeling a group and of the honour

18 years)

now

to

make

clear that

it

of of

does

6 years. that,

although the character of

so different that

it

seems

to belong to

different people,

yet each period lays the foundation for

the next period.

In order to develop normally in the

second period, one must have lived well period.

It

is

like the caterpillar

are so different to look at

and so

and the

in

the

butterfly

first

which

different in their habits

;

yet the fineness of the butterfly is attained by the true life of the caterpillar it was before, and not by imitating the

example

of another butterfly.

future one must attend

In order

to the present.

to

construct the

The more

fully

one

THE ABSORBENT MIND period is lived as regards the next period will be.

its

needs, the

more successful

Life begins at the conception of the individual

If

brought about by two pure beings, not by alcoholics or drug-addicts, etc., then the resulting indi-

conception

is

vidual will be free from certain hereditary taxations on

The

life.

right

For the

the conception.

of the

development

embryo depends on

rest the child

but only by the environment, If the environment mother.

A

i.e.

is

can be influenced,

during gestation, by the

favourable, the result

is

a

worth considering is that this conception and gestation have an influence on the nervous system of the child (that is the reason why, if

strong healthy being.

fact

a shock or accident happens, he may become an idiot), so what happens after birth is due largely to the period of gestation.

conception,

The

important thing in life then birth. gestation,

first

then

mentioned the shock rise

to regressions

serious, illness

;

at

birth

and

is

therefore

We

have

that this might give

these characteristics of regression are

but not so serious as alcoholism or hereditary (as epilepsy, etc.).

This shows us

that, as

we go

on, the danger of the obstacles grows less and less, but the characteristics are always of a psychic kind. They influence the individual either in the direction of regression or in that of independence.

After birth

come

the three important years

which

we

During these two or three years, there are influences that can alter the child and alter

have already studied.

279

THE ABSORBENT MIND character

his

in

some shock

or

cholic child.

The

after-life,

the

if

e.g.

child

has had

met too great obstacles during this time, phobias may develop or we may have a timid or melancharacter, therefore, develops in relation

to obstacles or freedom from obstacles during this period. If

during

conception,

gestation, birth

and

this

period

the child has been treated scientifically, then at the age of three years the child should be

This ideal of perfection

never

a

model

individual.

fully attained as,

amongst other reasons, during these developments the child has met with many accidents. At three years we meet with one or

fifty

or a million children with different characteristics.

We have and

is

so

many

different results of different experiences

these different characteristics are of different import-

ance according to the seriousness of the experience. If the characteristics are due to difficulties after birth, they are less serious than those of the period of gestation,

and

these in their turn are less serious than those of concepIf they are due to the post-natal age, they can be tion.

cured between 3 and 6 years, because then perfection-

ment is attained and defects are adjusted. If, however, the defects are due to shock at birth or earlier, then they are very difficult to correct. So there are certain imperfections that

may

perfectionment of

post-natal

paralysis, etc.,

appear, but there

and life

the is

which

cured by any help

erasure

possible,

may even

we can

give.

an active period

is

of

but

certain idiocy,

of

defects epilepsy,

be hereditary cannot be It is

interesting to

know 280

THE ABSORBENT MIND that if

all

but these organic

these

difficulties

can be cured, but

developed from

defects,

3

years,

are not

now by

treatment at the age of 3 6 years, they will not only remain, but will be increased by the

corrected

wrong treatment during the period from 3 6 years. Then, by the age of 6 years, there may be a child with the defects of the period from

and with from 3 influence

the

newly acquired 6 as well. These

3 years strengthened,

difficulties of the

in their

sub-phase

turn will

have an

over the second period and the development

good and evil. All these defects have a reflection on the mental and on intelligence. Children are less able to learn

of the conscience of

life if

they have not met with good conditions of develop-

ment

in

the previous period.

age, therefore,

child of six years of

an accumulation

of characteristics that

not be really

his,

circumstances.

If

but are acquired under the influence a child has been neglected from

may

not have the moral conscience that

may of

is

A

3 to 6 years, he

develops from 7 to normal intelligence.

1

2 years or he then have

We

moral character and no

may

not have the

a child with no

more troubles a man with scars due to the ability

to learn,

added, and he is difficulties he has gone through. are

In our schools (and in

we keep

many

modern

a record of the biological details of

in order to see

how

to treat the child.

troubles of the different periods,

281

other

we can

If

schools)

each child

we know

the

orient ourselves

THE ABSORBENT MIND how

as to

ask the parents

therefore

we

and how

serious they are

if

there

is

hereditary illness,

enquire after the age of the parents at the birth of the

make

child,

tactful enquiries as to the mother's life during

the period of gestation, whether she if

We

to treat them.

had

Then,

falls, etc.

the birth has been a normal one, whether the

baby was

well or suffered from asphyxia. There are the questions regarding the home life of the child, if parents have been

severe

or

the

if

child

has had shocks.

If

we have

problem-children or naughtly children, we try to find a reason for it in the life the child has led previously to that time. When they come to us at three years, almost all of

them

curable.

show

We

strange

can

characteristics,

consider the

briefly

but they familiar

are

types

of these deviations.

All these manifestations which are faulty

and not

what is usually called character. All children are different and the general idea is that each child must have a different treatment to cure his normal, enter the

defects,

we

but

field of

distinguish

two main groups

of faulty

one belongs to the strong children who and overcome obstacles and the other group to the

characteristics, fight

weaker ones who succumb

to adverse conditions.

Defects of the Strong Children Violent tantrums, anger, acts of rebellion and aggression.

One

of the

and another

is

most common features

destructiveness.

Then

is

disobedience

there

is

the desire

282

THE ABSORBENT MIND for

possessions

we have

so

;

latter

not manifesting

have

what

common

itself

other children

in children)

to co-ordinate the

and envy (the but by trying to

selfishness

passively,

Inconstancy (very

have).

incapability of attention

;

movements

of the

inability

;

hands so that they

drop and break things a disorderly mind and strong imagination. Also they frequently shout, shriek and make ;

loud noises

and

;

they interrupt and they tease and torment

often are cruel to the

weak and

to animals.

These are a few

quently too they are gluttons.

Fre-

of their

troubles.

Defects of the

Weak Children

and have negative defects such as sloth, inertia, crying for things and wanting people to do things for them they want to be amused, are easily bored. They have a fear of everything and

These are

of

a

passive type

;

Then

cling to adults.

too they have the fault of lying (a

passive form of defence) and of stealing (a passive form of grabbing other's possessions,)

There are

and many more.

certain physical characteristics

concomitant with these

difficulties

;

i.e.,

which are

these physical

defects have a psychic origin, but are confused with real

physical illnesses.

and due there

which

283

of appetite

loss

to

One

gluttony

are

;

;

of these

is

the refusal of food

the contrary defect

is

indigestion

both are of a psychic origin.

nightmares,

fear of the dark,

Then

agitated sleep

in their turn affect the physical health

and then

THE ABSORBENT MIND anaemia

forms of anaemia and liver

Certain

results.

trouble are due to psychic facts.

There are neuroses

All these have a psychic origin, as

too.

shown because no

is

medicine can cure them. All

these

what

characteristics enter into

moral problems and behaviour.

Many

is

called

of these children

felt

as a blessing in

the family, the parents try to get rid of

them and hand

(especially the strong type) are not

them over

with their parents

body. ness.

and they become orphans

to nurses or schools

are

They

living.

This leads to the depression of

They to

solve

their

own

life

with a healthy called naughti-

want to know Some ask questions, some try to

are problems

do with them.

what

ill

and

their parents

Some adopt

problems.

severity con-

you stop them at once, they will be cured, these defects checked as soon as they appear will not vinced that

if

means are used slapping, bed to without food, but it is scolding, sending them found that they become more ferocious and bad, or develop the passive equivalent of the same defect. Then the persuasive line is tried, we will reason with them " and their affection is exploited Why do you hurt Mummie," or one washes one's hands of the whole thing, and leaves them alone. Discussions start " My sister's " children do what they like and see what they are develop, they think.

All

:

:

:

!

"

What about your who beats them ". they are

"

children "

>

And

Oh,

are they "

just like their father

"

I

tell

good

?

their father, " "

Oh, no,

!

284

THE ABSORBENT MIND Then

who

there are the people

leave their children

These children usually belong to the passive type, they do nothing, and the mother thinks her boy good and obedient, and when he clings to her, she says

alone.

how much he

much that he will not go to sleep without her. But somehow she finds he is slow and retarded in speech and he is too weak to "

walk.

He

loves her

is

of everything

him

He

want

doesn't

because

I

so sensitive, he

is

have

to

to eat either tell

him

he must be a saint or a poet

eat,

thinks he

is

and the doctor

ill

These psychic

cine.

he loves her so

healthy, but he

!

spiritual child

;

illnesses

is

he

;

stories to " !

afraid is

a

make

Finally she

called to give medi-

is

make

a fortune for the

child's doctor.

All these problems can be understood if

we know

the

of

construction

the

cycles

of

the

of

activity

personality

;

and solved

necessary if

we

for

realize

men and see the actions of own experiences. We know

the children's need to hear

men and that

carry out their these troubles are due to faulty treatment in the

all

they have been startled mentally, their mind is empty because they had no means of constructing This starved mind (of which psychology takes much it. earlier

period

notice

now)

;

another cause

by

285

is

main cause

of

these

defects

and

the lack of spontaneous activity guided

the constructive impulses of the child which

studied.

the

the

is

we have

Hardly any children have been able to find

conditions

necessary for

full

development.

They

THE ABSORBENT MIND have been isolated from people, made time the adults have done everything

to sleep all the

them

for

they have not been able to complete cycles of activity without They have not been able to observe interruption. ;

;

because when they handled them, they were taken away seeing them only and unable to handle

objects,

;

them,

made them want

when they

to possess them, so

did get hold of a flower or an insect they pulled them And the apart, not knowing what to do with them. passive child has developed inertia instead. Fear also is traceable to the early period. the

little

child

If,

when

down all the stairs, the adults had all him and made a fuss (as they usually do) fell

rushed to help he would have felt fear instead of laughing.

Our

actions

are often the cause of fear in children.

One was

of the facts that

made

our schools remarkable

the disappearance of these defects.

It

was due

to

one thing the children could carry out their experiences on the environment, and these exercises were nourish:

ment

to the

mind

disappeared.

;

that

Round

is

why

all

these

common

defects

the interest in their activity they

repeated exercises and passed from one period of conWhen the child has reached this centration to another. stage

and

interest,

orderly,

is

able to concentrate and work round an

defects

disappear

the passive active

;

the

and the

disorderly disturber

become becomes

a helper. This is a marvellous fact and the disappearance of these defects made us understand that they were

286

THE ABSORBENT MIND not

acquired,

real

Children were not

characteristics.

and another was disobedient. All the troubles came from the same cause the children had lacked the necessary means for psychic life.

different in that

one told

lies

:

So what advice can one give to mothers ? To tell them to give their children work and interesting occupanot to help them unnecessarily, and not to tions ;

interrupt

they have started any intelligent action. medicine do not help at all. severity,

them

Sweetness,

if

Children are suffering from mental starvation. is

suffering

stupid

or

from physical starvation, hit

him

would do no good with

this

sentimentalize

or ;

anyone we do not call him

what he needs

question too

;

If

over him is

;

So

to eat.

that it is

neither harshness nor sweetness

problem. Man is by nature an intellectual creature and he needs mental food almost more than will solve the

physical food.

own

Unlike animals, he must construct his

behaviour and

life

is

life

for this

on the road where he can construct which life has been given to him,

need.

So

if

he

is

the behaviour for all

will

be well.

Physical illness disappears, nightmares disappear, digestion is

normal without gluttony.

the psyche

This

is

normal.

is

not a

He becomes

question of

normal, because

moral education, but

Lack of character, regards the development of character. faulty character disappear without the need of preaching or

of

an example by the

promises are necessary, but

287

adult.

Neither threats nor

just conditions of life.

CHAPTER XX

A SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION OF THE CHILD

:

NORMALIZATION ALL when

tracing the

are

children,

we

described in the last chapter behaviour of the strong and weak

the characteristics

not considered evil

by general opinion Those children who ;

some are considered good traits. showed a passive character and were attached Other

mother are considered good.

traits still

to their

are con-

children who are always sidered as signs of superiority bustling about, are extremely healthy and have vivid ;

imaginations are

all

considered superior.

They

usually

pass from one thing to another, but the parents think

they are bright children.

So we might say children 1

:

Those whose

.

traits

need

to

be corrected

;

Those who are good (passive) and serve as

2.

models

the world considers three types of

;

Those who are considered superior. The two latter types are considered desirable and 3.

the parents are proud of such children

;

even when (as

288

THE ABSORBENT MIND with the last type) they feel a certain discomfort they are near, they still speak proudly of them. I

this

have

insisted

classification,

on

this

point

and drawn

when

attention to

as these features have been noticed

during the centuries, and no other characteristics have been noticed but these. Yet what I have seen in my first

and

school,

in others, is that all these characteristics

disappeared at once, as soon as a child became interested in

work

So-called

that attracted his attention.

bad

traits,

good and the so-called superior, all disappeared and only one type of child appeared with none of the traits I have described. This means that the world hitherto has not been able to measure good or bad or what we considered so, was not really so. It superior

the so-called

;

me

of

except you,

O

reminds

"

a mystical saying Lord all the rest

:

is

;

Nothing

is

erroneous."

right

The

children of our schools revealed that the real aim of

children

was constancy

at

work, and

this

all

had never been

Neither had spontaneity in the choice of work, without the guide of a teacher, ever been seen The children, following some inner guide, occubefore.

seen before.

pied themselves in work (different

them calm

serenity

and

joy,

for

each) that gave

and then something

had never yet appeared

else

a group of

appeared that a spontaneous discipline. This struck people children even more than the explosion into writing. This discipline in freedom seemed to solve a problem which had in

:

been

insoluble.

289 19

The

solution

was

:

to obtain discipline,

THE ABSORBENT MIND These children going about seeking

give freedom.

work

for

freedom, each concentrated in a different type of work, yet as a whole group presented the appearance in

We

of perfect discipline.

shall return to this question of

the real nature of the children that finally obtained, but

meanwhile we

will describe the

change which took place

in the children.

All children,

if

show

ordered activity,

an environment allowing

in

placed this

new appearance,

so there

one psychic type common to all humanity, which hitherto had remained hidden under the cloak of other

is

This change that came over them appear as of one uniform

apparent characteristics.

made come gradually,

our children and

type, did not came when the child

so that

if

was

;

we

did not urge him to merely facilitated contact with the means of

there

We

work.

was a

It always but suddenly. concentrated in one activity

lazy child,

development in the prepared environment. As soon as he found work all his trouble disappeared at once. It is not reasoning with the children that will do good

something within themselves that

The human construction)

hand that

is

traits

appear.

when

the

is

I recognized guiding it. the mind and hand are not united, there is no

unity in the individuality ficial

work.

a unity and constructs a unity,

is

it is

individual (especially in the period of

working and the mind

when

sets to

;

of

'

badness

and

it is

then that these super'

4

goodness

*,

This conclusion

is

and

the result of

my

f

4

superiority

observations

290

FIG. 13

Normal and deviated

features of the child's character

THE ABSORBENT MIND of children, is

new

the

it

is

certainly

no a

came

point which

This

idea of mine.

priori

and which

to light

is

per-

haps most difficult to understand, probably because we live in a world of virtues and defects (which are rewarded or punished)

and among

children

who have always shown

had no opportunity not necessary to have an

the traits outlined above, because they to express anything else.

It is

and mentor

adult as a guide

to conduct, but

to give the child opportunities of

it is

essential

work which have been

denied to him heretofore.

The passage from is

the superficial to the normal traits

always through a function, through

hand and mind see

the

all

together.

intelligent activity of

In figure

1

3

on one side we

characteristics of children

different

them, represented by lines raying out. The middle thick perpendicular are innumerable.

They

symbolizes concentration on one point

of normality.

then

we

know

usually

line

as

all

When

the lines

;

it is

the line

the children are able to concentrate,

on the

right of this

middle

line

disappear

and only one type is seen revealing characteristics represented by the lines on the left. The loss of all the superficial characteristics is not achieved by an adult, but by the child passing along the main line of functioning with his whole personality I

in

shall

some

now

give

world to take 291

my

then normality

some examples

schools after the

unusual conditions.

;

first

is

achieved.

what appeared school which had such of

People came from all parts of the Courses and then went back to their

THE ABSORBENT MIND own

countries

and

Most who have more

started schools there.

schools were for rich children,

because they have

much

of these defects,,

chance of normal function-

less

having so many servants. The first letters I received from these students were letters of dismay ; records of tremendous disorder, and they described in ing,

detail all the usual defects, e.g.

One

1 .

child used material as

if it

were a

train or

an

aeroplane, etc. he joked and talked loudly and molested other children (the old superior type).

Another child was snobbish and superior towards the apparatus and was lazy. A little one was attached to his brother, took

2.

3.

exactly

what

his brother took,

and when

his

brother got up, he got up too, etc.

Other children were almost pathological cases, e.g. afraid to touch water, etc., and one about

4.

3^ did not speak

at

all.

A collection of children like these, a confusion

for the

teacher too.

all

One

together,

said that they

threw the material on the ground and danced on teachers

who expected

heaven were

little

made

angels to drop

it.

The

down from

therefore bitterly disappointed.

some months the tone of the letters began to change. The transformation which we call 'normalization had occurred. Teachers who had no connection After '

with each other (some were

Rome,

in France, in

in

New

America, or

in

Zealand, others in England) all wrote

292

THE ABSORBENT MIND "

such and such a child has found some the same thing work and he has changed himself/' The child who :

followed his brother everywhere, one day took the pink

tower by himself and

his attention

When

went

his elder brother

became

on

fixed

into another room, the

it.

little

one did not follow him, so that the big brother had such a shock that he said in an almost offended tone " What is :

this ?

You

are doing the pink tower

when

I

am

"

drawing

room ? The little one had found his own value and no longer needed the moral support of his in

the other

brother.

Another child would not come to school or

stay in school without his mother she would put herself in a corner and say she would stay and if she tried to ;

slip

away, the

child

would immediately

cry.

One day

the child became interested in washing a table the mother thought this was a good opportunity to slip away, ;

but she hesitated to do so without some intimation to the child

lest

he should scream

later

not there. She, therefore, said to him, little

one

" said,

All right,

goodbye

when he found her am going ". The

"

I

Mummie ", and

never

needed her any more either to stay in school or to accompany him to school The children who had been attached

and

had not had freedom for independence, so they were unable to do anything alone. Someone always had to function for them. As soon as both became interested in work and the mind guided the hand, they found their own independence and functioned to their mother

for themselves.

293

brother,

THE ABSORBENT MIND The romping child who used the and aeroplanes became interested in insets fitted

material as trains the

geometrical

he went round the shapes and the frames and them in with his eyes shut. At once his wild fancies ;

"

"This is an engine Instead of saying disappeared. 44 This is an aeroplane/' etc., he said: "This is a :

trapezium to reality

"

an octagon," etc. He was attached now, not to fantasy and his hands which had ",

This

is

;

previously dropped everything, finite,

f

precise

and

now became

careful in their

calm and serious with

all

He became

work.

the material.

these things, one might say that this

very de-

If

one examines

little

fellow, living

a world of fantasy, had had nothing of real value to occupy his attention, so he occupied himself with what

in

he found around him

;

neither

had

his

hands had any

opportunity to hold anything for any real purpose. When the mind, which had been running about in fantasy apart from the hands which had nothing to do, became a guide for

the hands which were doing something real, there

suddenly came a united individuality and the in its turn was now nourishing the mind.

The

child

who had a

fear of water,

real

work

especially of

pouring water (and had probably been scolded with some violence for playing with water) became interested in the baric sense tablets at last.

She was very happy and she did some other work;

when she had finished that, Then she suddenly realized that she was no longer afraid of pouring water and she was so happy that seeing ;

294

THE ABSORBENT MIND some to

children using water colours, she immediately their

all

fill

little

task as a special

One

We

tired.

though

her

in

earlier

for herself.

had a

child

trait

not sitting down,

of

to find out

tried

to

life

with fresh water and took that

jars

one

went

account

for

what had happened

The down

this peculiarity.

mother said she had never scolded her

and then the

even

for sitting

remembered an incident which happened when the child was about one and a half years of age. She had a new dress and she went to sit on a newly painted stool, and the mother said suddenly "Be careful don't sit on that there now " This was the cause of the you have made a mess fear of sitting, and the question was how to cure her. " I said Take no notice of her let her find her own at

any

time,

:

father

!

!

!

:

interest ".

;

After a time she

work and repeated to continue she

became

the activity

full

"

"

unconsciously

interested in

of interest.

drew a

some

Wanting

chair to herself

From that moment she lost her fear of The child of 3 years who did not talk, was sitting down. examined by a doctor there was nothing organically wrong which would prevent her from talking. She was and

sat

down.

;

given electric treatment, but that did not help. She spent some time in school wandering about, doing nothing and

At last she became interested saying nothing of course. in some work and we could see her face light up. When she had finished, she ran to the teacher and said

and see what 295

I

have done

!

",

her

first

words.

" :

Come

THE ABSORBENT MIND Also digestive trouble, nightmares and other things

home

disappeared and at

One

child

work

in

always afraid

at school,

became calmer. became interested

too the children of the dark,

and one evening

at

home, when her

mother needed something from a dark outhouse, she said "Til go and fetch it Mummie ". She was no :

longer afraid of the dark.

So too

the over-obedient, passive children changed,

and the over-obedience disappeared through

the passivity

concentrated spontaneous activity.

We menon. so

we

must repeat that It

was not a sporadic pheno-

in our schools all over the world,

realized that this type of calm, serene, unafraid

was

child

happened

this

the real, normal child

and showed the

behaviour and character of childhood.

wards

I

fully

that the child

viz.,

been the

that

pears,

are

do

was only

this actually

after-

meant,

must construct himself, as we have in

expounding conditions

understood what

It

real

this

not

and

our other books.

allow

this,

If

normality disap-

but once the conditions for building the psyche

there,

the

normal type

appears.

We

therefore

called the type that developed in our schools

4

normal-

and the others deviated children. One oi and most interesting factors was the extra-

ized' children the greatest

ordinary discipline of normalized children, each occupiec in the work of his choice. The newspapers said " II :

is

marvellous

who

visited

if it

is true,

but

it

is

incredible

".

these schools tried to find out

Everyone

what

tricl

29(

THE ABSORBENT MIND I

used, they were sure

was my I

said

must be a

Some

trick.

said

it

personal hypnotism that produced the result, but "

This happened in New York and I was in Others thought that the children had been pre-

:

;

ff

Rome

it

.

pared before by the teacher or that she used her eyes

some way

to express approval or disapproval, but

would have gone through all this trouble thing that had not been seen before ?

A

to prove

in

who

some-

occasion which also demonstrated the

public

genuineness of these phenomena was at the World Fair in San Francisco, at the time of the opening of the

Panama been

Among

Canal.

built

the

educational exhibits had

a small Montessori classroom with glass walls

so that the public could watch from outside without Helen Parkhurst, the disturbing the children at work. *

was then the teacher. The door was locked at night and the key left with a caretaker. One day the caretaker had an later

of

orginator

the

Dalton Plan

',

accident and did not turn up, so the people were outside waiting and also the children with their teacher. The " teacher said can't get in today to work ", but one

We

:

4
Basically society is not founded upon liking, but on a combination of which

activities

must harmonize

children's experience

This

patience.

another social virtue is

patience

is

these

By

together.

developed

:

a sort of abnegation of

Thus the features of the character we call come by themselves. One cannot teach this type

impulses. virtues

of morality to children of three years, but experience can.

As in

other

the outside world children

In

relief.

this

was not achieved by environments, this was thrown

normalization

the children into

were snatching

this

sort

at

"

How People said of discipline in such small

age, but our children waited.

could you obtain

greater

:

"

was a question of a prepared environment and freedom within it, and thus certain qualities came

children ?

It

out which usually do not appear in children from three to

six

years,

30 years

The social

neither

direction

adults

of

25 to

!

interference of the adult in this adjustment of

almost always wrong. E.g., two walk on the line, one mistakes the

behaviour

children

much between

may and

it

is

looks

like

an unavoidable head-on 328

THE ABSORBENT MIND The

collision.

one

of the children

own

would have the impulse

adult

round, but the children solve their

problem and they solve

same way, but always

the

it

every time, not always in

and

arise continuously

many They

the children find great pleasure in

solving these problems.

If

the adults

children get nervous, but

them

solve

There are

satisfactorily.

of a similar kind in other fields of activity.

problems

the

to turn

This

peacefully.

experience and

if

is

step in to adjust,

they are

also

left

alone they

an exercise

of social

these problems are solved peacefully,

if

continuous experience of social situations which could not be given by the teacher. Generally if a teacher interferes, she has an idea quite different from that of there

the

is

and

children

class.

there

If

disturbs

own

leave

the

children

Through

all

these

construction takes place.

patience in

the

and

first

resist this

interferes.

days

of

impulse,

several people did of doing that

I

it

had a

impulse to interfere

329

of

the

should, but for

we

and mind are

able

problems and the behaviour of childhood, solve

these

which the adult does not know

of the real behaviour all.

we

the children alone

observe a manifestation of

at

harmony

because in so doing

business,

how

see

to

social

such a problem,

is

exceptional cases,

our

the

daily

experiences

a social

Generally the teacher has no In fact, this is so instinctive that

my

work, as the teachers could not said "Tie yourself to a post'* and :

materially.

Other teachers instead

and every time they had an and someone (or they themselves) rosary,

THE ABSORBENT MIND checked

moved a bead.

they

it,

They always found it and they could count how many

wiser not to .interfere

times they refrained from doing so.

Ordinary educators do not understand our work social for

life

the

of

subjects

They say

"

social

lems, behave of social

life

curriculum, but not for social

But what

life ?

someone

else but this

in

ordinary

life

social

or

to

is

but to solve prob-

life

suit all ?

They

a teacher

listening to

not social

life

at

think

In fact

all.

experiences are limited to the occasional excursions, whilst our

social

*

interval

is

life.

work by themselves where

and make plans to as sitting together and

or

*

Montessori schools cater

that

the children

If

:

" is

think

they

;

for

the

and work

a community all the time. Differences of character are revealed and different

children live

in

when

experiences are possible of children in a class.

the children are few. of children

there

They do

is

a great

number

not take place

when

Indeed the greatest perfectionment

takes place through these social experiences.

now

some consideration to the constituIt was brought about by tion of this society of children. chance, but by a wise chance. Those children who Let us

give

found themselves together

in

a closed environment were

of different ages (from 3 to 6 years).

Usually

this is

not

found in schools, unless the older children are mentally dull.

Children

a few schools

The

are

we

usually classified

by

age, only in

find this vertical grouping in

children themselves,

however,

made

one

us

class.

see

the

330

THE ABSORBENT MIND trying to give culture to children of the

difficulty of

A

mother age and capacity. her household runs smoothly.

may have some

If

same

six children,

but

of those children

are twins, triplets or quadruplets, then difficulties begin,

because

it

children

all

needing the same

six children

mother

of

with

different

only

The

difficult.

mother

to deal with four

thing.

The mother

fatiguing for the

is

real

ages

one

One

children.

Families

child, but

not with later children

often

find

greater experience, but

child

not that he

no society and he

that he has

their

better off too than the

is

child.

difficulty is

suffers

is

always

is

petted, but

more than other

difficulty

it is

with

with the

first

they think it is due to really because the child ;

has society. is

Society that is

compose

it.

interesting because of the different types

An

Old Men's

the most deadly thing.

It

cruel thing to put people of the

one

of the

most cruel things

the thread of social

life,

is

is

Home

Old Women's

a most unnatural and

same age

we do

there

In most schools there

life.

or

together.

to children

;

no nourishment

is first

it

It is

breaks

for social

the separation of the

sexes and then that of the ages, separated into classes. This is a fundamental error leading to all sorts of mis-

takes the

;

it

social

is

an

which cannot develop generally have co-education

artificial isolation

sense.

We

Really co-education is not so important, boys and girls could have different schools, but there should be children of different ages in the classes. for

331

small children.

THE ABSORBENT MIND Our

shown

schools have

that children of different ages

help each other, the small one sees what the elder one

does and asks about planation. This

it,

and the older one

gives an ex-

really teaching, but the explanation

is

teaching of a child of five years

is

and

so near to the under-

standing of the child of three years that the little one understands easily, whereas we should not reach his

a sort of harmony and interchange of ideas between them which is not possible between an

intelligence.

adult

and a

There

is

We can see

child so small.

pare it with adult society. a talk to illiterates and the anything, so

work with

if

we com-

A university professor gives cannot understand

latter

ask them to help in the

not wise to

is

it

this

They do

not easily find the means, the level should not be so far distant. That is why adult

education sity

in

fessors

illiterates.

is

so

difficult.

Rome was wanted

When

founded,

to help.

the

all

One

first

Popular Univer-

the big University pro-

of

them

tried

hygiene to these poor ill-educated people. was plague and he showed pictures of the

audience asked

" :

What

"

are bacilli

The

subject

bacilli.

He

?

teach

to

The

answered

:

44

You see them on this slide." Then he was asked " What is a slide ? and he answered " It is a slip of The next glass which you put under a microscope ". " " What is a microscope ? etc., etc. So question was :

41

:

:

the professor gave up the chair in the Popular University. In the problem of educating the masses one should not

go

to

the great professors, but to people of goodwill

332

THE ABSORBENT MIND and basic knowledge who can transmit

in

it

simple

language.

We

teachers are incapable of making a child of three

years understand

many things,

make him understand

;

there

but a child of is

years can

five

a natural mental osmosis

between them. Also the child of 3 years can become interested in what the child of 5 years does because it is not so very different from the possibilities of the child of 3 years. All the older children become heroes and teachers

The

and

all

the smaller ones are great

admirers.

small ones go to the older ones for inspiration and

then work by themselves. there are children of the

In

ordinary schools where

same age

it is

true that those

with more ability could teach the others, but the teacher does not usually allow it. They merely ask to give the correct answers when others cannot and so envy arises.

With younger children there is no envy, they are not humiliated by being taught by an older one, because they know they are smaller and feel that when they are big they can do the same. There is love and admiration, real

In the old schools the only

brotherhood.

way

to

reach a higher level is by competition, which means envy, hate, humiliation and all things depressive to life and anti-social.

gathers

The

intelligent

power over

others,

child

becomes

whereas the child

the child of three feels himself a protector.

vain

and

of five with

It is difficult

to

imagine how much this atmosphere of protection and the class admiration increases and deepens in its action :

333

THE ABSORBENT MIND becomes a group cemented by affection. The children come to know each others character and appreciate each In ordinary schools they merely

other.

fellow got the

first

prize,

that other fellow

Brotherhood cannot develop this

is

know

got

in these conditions

the age of construction for social

"That

:

and

zero/'

and yet

anti-social

according to the environment it starts at this age. People become worried whether the five years old

qualities,

;

will acquire sufficient

ones.

younger

In

knowledge the

first

if

he

place,

teaching, he has his freedom and from that, in teaching he fixes

it is

is

always teaching

he

not

always

respected.

Apart

his

is

own knowledge,

because he has to analyse and re-handle it in order to to teach, so he sees it with greater clarity. The older child also

is

The

benefited

by

this

exchange.

class of children from three to six years of age

not rigidly separated from that of the seven to nine year old ones either, so the six year old gets his inspiration from the next class. All our walls are only half is

walls

and

another as class.

If

always easy access from one class to the children are free to move from class to

there all

is

the three years old goes to the class of the

seven to nine years old ones he does not stay long, because he sees he cannot get anything that is useful to him.

There are

limitations therefore, but

no separation

and all the groups are in communication. The groups have their own environment, but they are not isolated. There

is

the possibility of an intellectual walk,

A three 334

THE ABSORBENT MIND years old can see a nine years old extracting the square If the answer root, he asks him what he is doing. gives

him no

inspiration he goes

back

own

where there are objects of inspiration, but the six year old would be interested and would find inspiration there. With this freedom one can see the limits of the intelligence of each age.

That

is

to his

how we found

class

that the children of

and nine years understood the extraction of the square root being done (at that time) by children of twelve and fourteen years. Thus he also understood that the child was interested in and capable of algebra at

eight

It is

eight years.

therefore not only the age

to progress, but also the It

is

intellectual

which leads

freedom to move about. height

which

is

important.

In

you find people of all ages, in all history we do not find any instance of a society divided into age

society

groups. there

is

In the ordinary schools divided in age groups

nothing which

is

social despite

all

its

claims.

This intercourse between children of different ages brings harmony and happiness, because the older children find they are real teachers even though they have not been to Teachers' Training Colleges and are not B.T.s. These children Jo teach, whereas, judging by examination apparently qualified teachers do not teach There is animation everywhere and there is no

results,

!

The

smaller

in-

animated, because he Joes understand what the older one does, and

feriority-complex.

the older one

335

is

child

is

animated, because he can teach what he

THE ABSORBENT MIND knows

so there

;

an enhancement

is

of forces, of psychic

forces.

These and other facts show that all these phenomena which seemed so extraordinary were not really so

They were merely

extraordinary.

the result of natural

laws being obeyed. All these energies are thrown cation.

away

in ordinary

edu-

henceforth they are no longer wasted, there

If

It psychic wealth for the new generations. comes without much expenditure few teachers and by tying those few to poles

new

be

will

:

!

and

by studying the behaviour

is

It

their re-actions

freedom that the are

fine

and

each other

to

of these children

atmosphere of

in this

real secret of society is revealed.

delicate facts

that

have

to

They

be examined

with a spiritual microscope, but they are of the utmost interest

nature as

of it

they reveal facts inherent in the very

since of

man.

laboratories

It is this

psychological research, although

observation which

There are great,

we

one

for

schools, therefore, are thought

not really research, but observation that

is

out.

If

These

facts

the

is

is

carried

important.

importance of which

that the children solve their

is

very

own

problems. observe the children without intervening, we notice great fact, w'z., that children do not help each e.g.,

same way as we do. ing heavy objects and no other other in the

or they put

all

the apparatus

We

see children carry-

child goes to help them,

away

after

a complicated

336

THE ABSORBENT MIND exercise

and nobody

They

helps.

and only help when help

is

respect each other

a real necessity.

This

enlightens us greatly, because they evidently have an intuition of,

of

the

child

once a child

on the

floor

and show respect not to

be helped

who had with

all

for,

spread

the

all

He all

need

There was

uselessly.

the geometrical cards

the geometrical insets.

was

music, a procession passing, ran to look except the little fellow with there

essential

all

Suddenly the children

all

the material.

did not go, because he would not dream of leaving the material about like that. It should be put away

and normally nobody would help him, but tears in his eyes, because he too wanted

were

there

to see the

The others realized the emergency and all came back and helped him. Adults do not possess this fine discrimination in determining when to help. They help each A gentleman other frequently when it is not necessary. procession.

will

often (as a matter of

good manners) adjust a

chair

a table to help a young lady to sit down when she is quite capable of sitting down unaided, or take her arm in going downstairs although she is quite capable of walking without his support, but when someone loses at

then nobody helps. When help is needed, nobody helps, when help is not needed all help So here is a point where the adult cannot teach the children, his fortune

!

because he himself does not as

the

children

do.

conscious of the child

337 22

I

know

think still

the right

that

way

as well

probably the sub-

retains the

memory

of his

THE ABSORBENT MIND make

desire

and

need

that

why

instinctively

is

to

maximum

the

and

effort

he does not help others where

help would be a hindrance.

Another

interesting feature

is

the

way

children deal

with a disturber, perhaps a child newly admitted to the He school and not accustomed to the behaviour there. a real problem for the teacher and the " That is very The teacher generally says " You are a This is not nice ", sometimes

and

disturbs children.

is

:

naughty.

:

bad boy

but the reaction of the children

",

is

interesting.

One child approached such a newcomer and said " You are naughty, but don't worry about it, when we came we were as naughty as you ". The naughtiness :

was recognized to console the

and the child was trying naughty one and bring out the real boy. as a misfortune

He

had compassion would be in society

and

we made an

mean compassion a

illness

for

due

to

What

him.

a change there

evoked compassion It would console him.

the evil doer

if

effort

to

him as we have when he has

a psychic unfavourable environment or the

Wrong doing

illness.

physical

for

an

is

often

some such misfortune. It ought to evoke compassion and help, not merely punishment. This would change our social structure for the better.

condition of birth or

With our

children

that falls

down, the

desperate, because it

if

an accident happens, child

who

they do not

e.g.,

has dropped

a vase

it is

like destruction

often

and

also

suggests inferiority, they are incapable of carrying

it

338

THE ABSORBENT MIND The

instinctive reaction of the adult

broken

;

why do you

is

to

touch these things

"

say

:

when

I

See

it is

have

told

"

Or at least they would tell him to you not to do so ? pick up the pieces, because they think the child will take the lesson more seriously if he has to clear up the results But what do the children do ? They all of the accident. run around to help

;

with the the sound of help in their "

little

voices,

they say

and another over the floor. So

pieces

one who

help

consolation

Never mind

And some

another glass."

to

:

and

of

them

We

!

will

can get

pick up the

wipe up the water that has run there is an instinct that attracts them will

weak with encouragement and

is

this

is

an

of social evolution.

instinct

Indeed a great part of our social evolution has come about when society went out to help the weak. All our medical sciences developed on this principle, so that from this instinct has come help not only for those who were the object of compassion, but for the It

not an error to encourage those

is

who

whole

who

of humanity.

are

weak and

and it carries forward the whole of society. Children show these sentiments as soon as they become normalized, not only those

for

are inferior,

each other, but

for

it is

the correct thing

animals too.

Everyone thinks that respect

to animals

has to be

taught, as they think that children tend to cruelty towards

not so, they have an instinct to protect them. had in our school at Kodaikanal a baby-goat. I used

them. This

We

to feed

339

it

is

daily

and held

the food high so that the

little

one

THE ABSORBENT MIND used to

up

rise

to

it

on

its

hind

legs.

I

was

interested

watching the baby-animal do this and it seemed to enjoy it. But one day a little child with a look of anxiety on his face came and held the goat with his two hands in

body, because he thought the baby-animal should not have to depend on only his two hind legs.

under

its

This was a very delicate sentiment. Another manifestation in our schools tion for those

are

who do

is

better than oneself.

not only not envious at

all,

the admira-

The

children

but the achievements of

an enthusiastic admiration and joy. This was what happened in the famous incident of the It was the first written word and explosion into writing. it caused a great joy and laughter and they looked at the writer with admiration and then it suddenly inspired them " " I can do this too The good work of one to write brought the uplift of the whole group. It was the same other children evoke

:

!

with the enthusiasm for the alphabet, so that it happened once that the whole class formed a procession with the

and

as flags,

letters

in glee that

on the

there

was

so

much

joy

and shouting

people came up from downstairs (we were " to see

what

the joy was about. They " are enthusiastic over the alphabet said the teacher. roof)

There

children based in the

there

group. a sort

is

sentiment

an

is

all

evident communication

among

the

on a high sentiment and so there is unity From these instances one realizes that of attraction in an atmosphere of high

when

the children are

normalized.

As

the

340

THE ABSORBENT MIND older ones are attracted to the

little

ones and the

little

ones attracted to the older ones, so the normalized are attracted to the non-normalized (new) children and vice versa.

34!

CHAPTER XXIV

SOCIETY BY COHESION I

WOULD

like

to

relate

another episode out of

memorable experience. One day give a lesson on a subject which attractive.

I

taught the children

thought

I

in

how

itself

to

blow

I

my

would

was hardly their

noses

and they evidently were greatly interested in my lively I demonstrations. showed them how different people blow their noses, some ostentatiously unfolding their handkerchief and making a lot of noise, and on the other hand the well-educated person who does so almost hiding the necessary movements and even with the least What struck me was the serious way perceptible noise. Not one began to in which the children followed me. When I had finished, to my immense surprise, laugh. audience of infants burst out into loud applause. Never had I witnessed such manifestation. Never, as

the

world history had a gathering of small children applauded a speech.

far

as

I

know,

Yet, not at the

in

two or

three children only, but all of

same time clapped with

them

great enthusiasm their

342

THE ABSORBENT MIND small hands which until then had only " worked ". I went out as usual and after having walked along the footpath for a

amazement

little

while

I

saw

turned round and

that all the children

had been

to

my

following me.

They really looked like a swarm of bees, only they moved so silently that had not been aware of them. I

What

a curious situation

!

What would

the passers-by

they had seen a lady walking in the street, followed at some distance by this solid group of forty-

have said five 11

if

turned to them and said calmly run back to school, all of you, but on tiptoe and

tiny children

Now

>

I

:

I gave take care not to knock against the door-post ". this instruction, because I knew that exactitude in actions

has great interest for such young children. they all turned their back on me and ran

As by magic

on tiptoe. When they reached the door they made a wide curve and avoided the corner, Centering through the centre of the door-opening. "

Why

off

Thus they disappeared.

such enthusiasm

"

Perhaps I had happened to touch a social question to which they were very sensitive. In fact all children are generally humiliated

on

account of

I

their

vulgar people call the child

him a

?

"

thought.

dirty

noses. "

a snotty one

In

Italy

instead of

Small children have always dirty noses and the mothers of the people sometimes attach a

calling

child.

handkerchief to the child's dress with a safety-pin, right This evidently they feel as a in front of their body. humiliating

343

sign

of

inferiority.

Perhaps that was the

THE ABSORBENT MIND had given them a lesson instead of showing contempt. Now they had acquired knowledge which redeemed them and raised their personal dignity. My action had somehow been

my

reason of the success of

lesson.

I

similar to that of a popular leader, of tries to raise

the masses

and defends

a revolutionary their

human

who

dignity.

This miniature episode was really surprising, but the main fact was that these children felt and acted as a

They

group.

really

formed a

society of children, united

by a mysterious bond, and acted as one body. This bond was formed by a common sentiment felt by each individual.

Although they were

"

independent individuals ", although they did not depend on one another, they were all moved by the same impulse. to

Such a society seems to be more closely connected the absorbent mind than to consciousness.

The seem

to

lines of construction

be analogous to those

through the microscope cells

has in

building

an its

we have observed which we can follow

which

when we observe

up an organism.

the

work

of the

Evidently also society which can be observed

embryological phase formation among children in course of

initial

development. very interesting to see how, slowly, they seem to become conscious of forming a community which acts It

is

as such.

They seem

to

become aware

of belonging to a

group and of contributing to the activity of that group. They not only begin to be interested in it, but I would

344

THE ABSORBENT MIND almost say that they delve into it with their spirit. When they reach this stage they do not act mechanically any

aim

longer, they tion to the

honour

those primitive

to

call

I

human

"

first

"

comparing wherein the in-

and appreciate the value

group as an aim of each individual's

The us also, influence

step towards

clan spirit

societies

dividuals already love, defend of their

This

of the group.

social consciousness

full it

at success, they give special considera-

activity.

phenomenon amazed because they appeared independently of any of ours. They came forth as facts successively first

manifestations of this

expressing development, just as at a certain age the teeth This association brought are seen to pierce the gums.

about by natural urges, directed by a power within animated by a social spirit, I call Cohesive itself, *

Society

'.

conception by some spontaneous manifestations of children which amazed us very much. I

Let

came

me

to

this

give an example of

them

:

I

knew

that

some come

important visitors from the United States were to and see the school the next day. I, however, could not Before going away I possibly be there to receive them. told the children as a matter of confidence

some people I would be

are

coming to see the school.

" :

To-morrow

How

happy

"

This is the school with the they said I uttered this sentence nicest children in the world/' if

:

without any afterthought, almost involuntarily, and did not think it would have the slightest consequence.

345

THE ABSORBENT MIND When

came back

I

to the school another

the teacher quite excited, she " to

You

me.

one

was

full

politely.

I

found

she spoke

should have seen these children

They greeted the visitors very moved to see how each of them them

when

in tears

them worked and they were

of

day

Every

!

of enthusiasm. I

did his best.

was really Whoever

must have been the holy Angels They evidently felt the honour of their clan and acted in a way even more impressive than directed

themselves

when

?

It

"

!

they only obeyed their vital urges.

been capable

of feeling

something beyond

They had their

indi-

vidual needs. Similar experiences were often repeated. When the Ambassador of the Argentine wished to see this famous

school where children of only four

and

five

years old

worked on their own, read and wrote spontaneously and behaved with discipline not imposed by the authority of

was

the teacher, he

really very incredulous.

Instead of

he wished to pay a surprise-call. Unfortunately he came just on a holiday and the school was closed. This school was the Casa dei Bambini

announcing

his visit

*

*

established in the block of flats

A

with their families. court-yard

when

his expressions of

that he

was a

that the school

are

all

at

the

small child happened to be in the

Ambassador came along and heard

The

disappointment.

visitor is

where the children lived

and

told

him

" :

It

child understood

does not matter

closed, the janitor has the keys

home/*

The door was opened and

and we all

the

346

THE ABSORBENT MIND came

children

to

their

class

and began to work. They to do well for the honour of

a kind of responsibility their clan. Nobody received any personal benefit from felt

it,

nobody wished

for their

day

to distinguish himself, all co-operated

community. The teacher heard about

it

only the

after.

This social feeling that had not been instilled by any teaching and was completely different from a competitive sentiment or a personal interest, Yet,

it

children

was

like

a

gift of

nature.

was definitely an achievement which these had reached through their own efforts. As "

Coghill says

:

Nature determines behaviour, but

it

is

developed only by means of experiences in the environment." Nature evidently gives a design for the construction of the personality is

In

when

doing

of society, but this design

only through the obedient activity of the he is in a position of bringing it to actuality.

realized

child

and

so

development.

he

illustrates

This

the

clan -spirit

successive

which

phases of

pervades

the

cohesive society corresponds closely to what the modern

American psychologist and '

social integration

to social

whole

of

'.

He

educationist,

maintains that

reform and should education.

Washburne, this is the

calls

key

constitute the basis of the

Social integration

is

realized

when

the individual identifies himself with a group to which he

A

person possessing it thinks of the success of Washburne the group rather than of personal credit. tries to explain his conception by means of a comparison belongs.

347

THE ABSORBENT MIND Oxford and Cambridge boat-races.

to the

dividual there

honour of

his

makes team,

"

Each

in-

greatest possible effort for the

the fully

aware

of

the

fact

that he

personally will not derive any benefit nor any credit from If this were the case in every social enterprise, from it.

nation-wide enterprises to those in industry, etc., and if all let themselves be spurred by the desire of success for the whole of which each forms society

lopment

would be regenerated.

part, the entire

human

In the schools the deve-

of this feeling of integration

of the individual

"

with society should be fostered, because," he adds, this is what is lacking everywhere and leads society to failure

and

ruin."

The example

of

a society where social integration it is the cohesive society of young

can be given children, achieved by the magic powers of nature. We must consider it and treasure it where it is actually exists

:

being created, because neither character nor sentiments can

be given through teaching they are the product of life. Cohesive society, however, is not the same as the :

organized society that rules the destiny of man. merely the last phase in the evolution of the child, the almost divine social

and mysterious

It is it is

creation of a kind of

embryo.

Organized Society At once after six years another phase of

age when the child enters development which marks the transition of

348

THE ABSORBENT MIND of

the

social

embryo

to the social

spontaneous form of social

life

They seek a

himself.

conscious of

fully

children then look for principles

by man

another

appears very clearly.

shows an organized association,

The

new -born,

It

itself.

and laws

established

who

directs the

leader

Evidently obedience to the rules and the leader forms the connective tissue of this society. This obedience has, as we know, been prepared in the

community.

embryonic stage which precedes

this

period of develop-

MacDougall describes this type of society which children of six and seven years of age already begin to form. They submit to other, older children as if urged by an instinct which he calls the gregarious instinct '. Often neglected and abandoned children now organize ment.

gangs

groups associated especially in revolt against the

principles

and

the authority of adults.

urges, however,

which often lead to a

have been sublimated

The

instilled in the '

very nature of children and youths. *

societies

different

Life in

human

all

which continue

require

society therefore

nature as such.

from the force

of the society of infants.

they reach the society of adults are

organized societies, they a leader to direct them.

349

is

which was the basis

These successive

to

Boy Scouts movement.

the

gregarious instinct

of cohesion

until

rebellious attitude

answers a real social need of development,

latter

This

in

These natural

is It

all

to

consciously

man-made

an innate

develop

fact,

rules

and

belonging

develops as an organism,

THE ABSORBENT MIND having different characteristics during its natural evolution. would compare it to the manufacture of cloth, to

We

weaving and spinning in the manufacture of home-spun cloth which is such an important part of Indian cottage Without doubt

industry.

beginning and consider

we

first

then have to begin at the that small white fluffy tuft

which the cotton plant produces around its seed. So when we wish to consider the construction of human

we must

begin with the child and look at him in the surroundings of the family which has given birth to him. The first thing that is done with cotton, which is

society

work

Gandhi's village schools, is to purify The black bits the cotton harvested from the plants. also the

left

first

behind

in

in the cotton

have to be cut

out.

by

The

the shell of the cotton seeds first

activity corresponds to

what we do when we gather the children from amongst their homes and purify them of their deviations and help them to concentrate and normalize themselves. Then comes the spinning. Gandhi who has indicated spinning as a means to achieve the liberation and re-birth of India Indian people. our simile, to the formation of

has placed a great symbol Spinning corresponds,

in

in front of the

the child's personality accomplished through work and This is the basis of all the developsocial experiences. :

ment

of the personality.

strong, the cloth

If

woven from

the thread it

is

well spun

will equally

be

so.

and

The

depends upon it. In this symbolic "I have Mahatma's emphatic assertion

quality of the cloth

sense

the

:

350

THE ABSORBENT MIND consideration only for those

indeed

the

who

spin ",

is

very

It is

right.

principal thing to be considered, because

woven from threads without resistance has no value. Then comes the stage when the threads are put on a loom, on a limited frame. The threads are taken up and all stretched in the same direction and then fixed to The threads are all the staffs at both ends of the loom.

cloth

equal length, separate and they do not touch each other. They form the woof of a piece of cloth, but are not cloth. However, without this woof cloth could

parallel,

of

not be woven.

the threads break or go astray with-

If

same

out being fixed in the

shoot

woof corresponds

This

through them.

direction, the spool

cannot to

the

human children who

cohesive society. In the embryonic preparation of society act

it

depends on the

upon the urges

of

activity of the

nature in a limited environment,

corresponding to the loom.

In the

end they associate

themselves, everyone tending to the same aim. The actual weaving then takes place by passing the

spool through these threads and thus uniting them

keeping each one firmly versal

threads closely

in place

by means

all,

of the trans-

pressed together on the

woof.

This stage corresponds to the real organized society of men which is fixed by rules under the direction of an

acknowledged leader have a real piece of

when taken of the

351

off the

whom

obey. Then only we cloth which remains intact even

loom.

It

all

has an existence independent

loom and once taken

off

it

can be

utilized.

An

THE ABSORBENT MIND unlimited

Men do

amount can be produced.

not form

a society because each individual has turned towards some aim in the environment and has concentrated himself

upon

on

it

own

his

account,

as happens in the

cohesive society of small children, but the final form of

human society The two

rests

however, are interlinked. Society only on organization, but also on

things,

does not depend

The

cohesion.

on organization.

in fact is the

latter

more fundamental

of

two and serves as a basis for the construction of the Good laws and a good leader cannot keep the former. masses together and make them act, unless the indivi-

the

duals themselves be already oriented towards something The that fixes them, and makes a group out of them.

masses

their turn

in

are

more

or less strong

and

active

according to the degree of development of the personality of the individuals

of society

and

depends

events, but

viduals

and

The

who make them

The

up.

therefore not only

first

of

all

organization

on circumstances

on the formation

of the indi-

their inner orientation.

Greeks,

constitution

the

e.g.,

had as the

formation

of

the

basis of their social personality.

Their

Alexander the Great, conquered Let the whole of present day Persia.

leader, in later times,

with but few

men

us also look at the Muslims union, not so

much

they represent a formidable on account of their laws and leaders, :

but because they are united in cohesion by a common ideal. Periodically they take to the road in masses and

352

THE ABSORBENT MIND go as pilgrims to Mecca. These pilgrims do not know each other, they have no private interests nor ambition :

they are

individually directed towards the

all

goal.

nobody commands them, and immense sacrifices to achieve

Nobody pushes them

on,

yet they are capable of These pilgrimages are their aims.

by

same

accomplished only

cohesion.

In the

we

Europe during the Middle Ages

history of

something that the leaders of our war-torn times vain to achieve then there were really the United

see

try in

:

Nations of

Europe.

And how

did

happen

it

secret of this success lay in the fact that

all

The

?

the indi-

and European empires had been conquered by one and the same religious faith which

viduals of the nations

formed a formidable force

saw

kings and emperors each

according to

his

own

Then we

of cohesion.

laws, but

ruling

all

own

his

subject to

dent on the force of Christianity. does not suffice to construct a

really

people

and depen-

Cohesion, however, society

which acts

upon the world creating civilizations by means In our own times, we intelligence and labour.

practically

of

observe the Jews who are united by a millenarian force of but they are not organized and do not exist cohesion :

as

a

national

power.

are

They

only the woof of

a people. It

is

noteworthy that

had a new example Hitler were the first 353 23

in

the most recent times

of this in history. to realize

we

Mussolini and

that in order to achieve

THE ABSORBENT MIND success in conquest the individuals should be prepared " from their very infancy. The Figli della Lupa" (sons of

wolf

the

and the

children)

name

the

"

the organization of Fascist

of

Balilla italiani"

(name

zation of older children) just as the

"

of the organi"

Hitler Jugend

(Hitler Youth, as the Nazi youth organization

were

was

called)

two leaders began to step countries in view of war.

years before these

up up the armament set

of

their

and the youths during the years of schooling and imposed upon them from the This was a new, outside an ideal that would unite them. the children

They prepared

logical

and

may have have a

"

procedure whatever its moral value These leaders understood the need to

scientific

been.

cohesive society

and prepared

it

"

as the basis of their plans

from infancy.

The cohesive

society,

however,

is

a natural fact and

must be constructed spontaneously on the creative urges of nature. Nobody can substitute himself for God and

whoever the

adult

creative

tries

do so

to

who

in

energies

in society

his pride of

the

force of cohesion in adults

becomes a

crushes by repression the

Also the

child-personality. is

devil like

something which

is

attached

mechanism be two societies,

to cosmic directives, to ideals superior to the

There

ought to interwoven among themselves, one of them, we might say, has its roots in the subconscious and creative

of

organization.

unconscious mind, the other depends upon men who could also express it as follows : act consciously.

We

354

THE ABSORBENT MIND one begins

upon

in childhood

the

by

it

and the other

the beginning of this volume, of

the

the

which

child

race.

almost as

Which if

the

superimposed have seen in

the absorbent

is

it

incarnates

are

we

as

because,

adult,

is

the

characteristics

characteristics

it

of

incarnates

realized another form of heredity

it

mind

found

a heredity which does not depend upon only in man the hidden genes of the germinative cell, but comes from the other creative centre, the child ? The characteristics ;

which the child incarnates when he embryo are not the discoveries

human

lives

as a spiritual

the intellect, nor of

of

labour, but those characters

which are found

in

cohesive part of society. He, the child, gathers them and incarnates them. By means of these characthe

teristics

man

he builds

with

his personality

:

thus he

becomes a

a particular language, a particular religion,

a particular set of customs. mental, what

'

is

basic

an everchanging society

When we

leave

',

fixed,

and fundaterm, in

cohesive part.

child

to

leave him to build up the adult roots of creation, then

is

to use a fashionable

is its

the

What

we can

develop,

man

when we

from the invisible

learn the secrets

upon

which depends our individual and social strength. and we have only to look about to Instead of this see

it

'nowadays men only judge and act and regulate

themselves by the conscious and organizatory part of They wish to strengthen and assure the organisociety. zation as

355

if

they alone were

its

creators.

They have no

THE ABSORBENT MIND They

organization.

and

their

bases

the

for

consideration

allow

only

human

for

that

to

indispensable

direction

goes towards the discovery of a

aspiration

leader.

How many

hope for a new Messiah, for a genius of conquering and organizing power After the first world-war it was proposed to found schools for the preparation of leaders, because it was seen that those there !

were had

insufficient training

world events. find out

There were

by means

of

and were

really

mental

attempts to try and

which were the supertheir school years were

tests

normal persons, youths who in the most intelligent, in order to train them But

who

could train them

if

unfit to direct

for leadership.

precisely there are

no good

leaders, teacher-leaders ? It

is

question

much

not the leaders is

are lacking, or rather the

not limited to this detail.

and

vaster

it

is

completely unprepared civilization.

who

The

question

the masses themselves for the

The problem,

social

therefore,

masses, to re-constitute the character of

life

is

all

develop

No leader may be.

their values.

however great

his genius

Just as a great literary genius

are

of our actual

to

train

the

the individuals,

to harvest the treasures hidden in everyone of to

who

is

them and

can achieve

would not be

this,

sufficient

make literates out of millions of illiterates, even if he had unlimited powers, because it would be necessary to

for those

millions to learn

how

to read

and

to write r

356

THE ABSORBENT MIND each one individually, (and

this

can be done by children

only), so also in this far greater question.

This critical

the most practical

is

The

times.

fact

is

and urgent task

that the

of our

human masses

are

what they could be. We saw it in the diagram of the two forces of attraction, one coming from the The great task centre and the other from the periphery. inferior to

*

must consist directly in trying to save normality which on its own strength tends towards a centre of perfection. Now, instead, all that is done is to of

education

prepare

weak and abnormal men, predisposed

artificially

unceasing care and small virtue so that they may not fall towards the

to mental diseases, in

exercises in

need

of

periphery where, once fallen, they

become

extra-social

This which actually happens now is really a crime of lese-humanity which has a repercussion on everyone of us and which may yet destroy us. The beings.

mass

which covers

of illiterates

earth does not really weigh

weigh upon

the creation of

deposited by

being

aware

intellectual

man,

that

we

society

;

what does

are ignorant regarding

we

trample upon the treasures himself in every child without even

God of

upon

the fact that

is

it

half of the surface of the

it,

because here

is

the source of the

and moral values which can

raise the

whole

world upon a higher plane. We weep in front of the dead and we aspire towards saving humanity from destruction, but

it is

the elevation that

357

is

not the salvation from dangers, it is the destiny of everyone of us which

THE ABSORBENT MIND should stand before our mind's eye. the lost paradise that should

The

It is

afflict us.

greatest danger lies in our

ignorance of us

who

not death, but

ignorance, in the

look for pearls in oyster

shells, for

gold in rocks, for coal in the very entrails of the earth, but ignore the spiritual germs, the nebulae of creation, which the child hides within himself when he comes into our world to renew mankind.

spontaneous organization and the possibility to move easily and at will from one class to another were If

this

allowed

for

in

ordinary schools,

it

would bring a great

betterment, because in the ordinary schools people start from the opposite point of view. They believe children are

not active in learning and so they urge or encourage,

punish or give prizes to foster activity. Competition also they use as an encouragement to give animation

People generally seem to be animated by a search for the evil in whatever there is in order to fight

to

effort.

against

it.

The

attitude

of the

adult

is

to seek evil to

and judge malevolently is a But the correction of an error is a humiliation necessity. and discouragement and as this is the basis of education generally, the whole of it is based on a lowering of the level of life. No copying allowed, so no union, it is a sin in the school to help an inferior pupil the pupil who helps one who does not know his work is considered as guilty as the one who accepts the help, so a morality is imposed which lowers the level. Again we

suppress

it,

then to

criticize

;

358

THE ABSORBENT MIND " " the time Don't fidget ", Don't prompt ", " " " Don't answer when not asked All Don't help

hear 44

all

!

!

!

DON'Ts, situation

all

negations.

What must we do

with this

Even if the average teacher did try to uplift he would do it in a way opposite to that of the The maximum he would say is probably

>

his class,

children. 44

!

:

Don't be envious

if

one

is

better than

"

or

you

"

Don't

seek revenge if someone has upset you ". Ordinary education apparently cannot be understood without

The

general idea

that everyone

wrong and we must help them to become less wrong than they are. But children do things that do not occur to the teacher they would admire the one who was better

negation.

is

is

;

One not envious'. merely be just cannot however command admiration of a rival, so the

than

teacher

the

(as

it

What can she do ? Certain attitudes cannot be commanded if they do not exist.

limited.

is

of the spirit If

*

not

they,

existence is)

then

however

how

is

important it the same with the law

there is

and

to hold

is

instinctive

and encourage

"

Don't seek revenge.'* The child frequently makes one who hurts him or takes his place in the lime-light his friend, but one cannot

it.

It

is

command those

that.

who do

One must command

:

One must have sympathy and evil,

but

it is

not possible to

love for

command

that.

give help to the incapable, but one cannot

that.

So

there are sentiments in the soul of

which cannot be commanded, but are there naturally and should be upheld. Unfortunately they are the child

359

THE ABSORBENT MIND and

generally stifled

zone

white

of

the

all

work in schools with

14,

figure

its

is

in the inferior

towards the

pull

periphery of the anti-social and the extra-social. The teacher first thinks that the child is incapable and must

be made capable, then he proceeds to do so by saying " " " " Don't slide to the periphery Don't do this or that :

;

An

effort

from sliding and that

is all.

in other words.

is

made

But

all

keep the

to

sliders

the time normalized

showing us an exaggeration of good instead emphasis on avoiding evil. The interruption of

children are of this

work by of rest

the hours fixed

is

by a "

also negative.

thing or you will be tired clearly the desire for the

and

time-table

the periods

Don't work too hard at one

whereas the

",

maximum

The

effort.

shows

child

ordinary

schools could never help the creative instincts of children,

an exaggeration

because there

is

of the child.

The exaggerated

deal, to find

and help

all

the

work

weak

on the part work a great

of activity

activity, to

beautiful, to console the afflicted

are

instincts

these

of

young school between the ordinary comparison of the Old Testachildren reminds me and normalized

children.

ment

A

of the

old religion all

and

Bible

Commandments steal ",

all

of the

the

New

Old Testament

;

the

Don't

book "

of the

Don't

these are for inferior people

and are

necessary for those

who

are

Testament shows Christ as says positive things

"

The Ten

kill",

are mostly negative

don'ts

Testament.

:

confused,

but the

New

similar to the children

an exaggeration

of

;

it

what one would 360

\tf. f

Circles of attraction towards superior and inferior types

THE ABSORBENT MIND "

"

do

usually

:

e.g.,

;

tion of positiveness.

who seemed

Love your enemy an exaggeraSo also when there came people

many, who followed the laws and wanted approbation for that, Christ said " I have superior to

:

come

"

for the sinners

(the inferior).

nature corresponds. tion

is

an exposition

children's

of the exaggera-

good. What, however, are the consequences ? not sufficient to teach these principles to man nor

of

It

is

is

it

f

sufficient for

"

repeat in

It

To this the

:

have them

to

Love your enemy

church,

opposite

man

is

" ;

even

if it

is

useless to

is

it

;

said,

but not on the battlefield, there

done.

The people who say

" :

is

said

just

the "

it

Don't

kill

are merely drawing attention to the evil in order to protect

themselves,

because the good to them

is

Loving your enemy seems unpractical so mains an empty ideal.

Why does not

does exist

it

mostly

re-

Because the root of good the heart of man it may have been

this

in

unpractical.

happen

?

;

has disappeared. If during the whole period of eduation hate, rivalry, competition

there once, but

it is

dead,

it

have been encouraged, how can we expect people grown in this atmosphere to be good at twenty or thirty, because

somebody preaches goodness

?

I

sensorial organ in the spirit has this

preaching or

if it

ed, so the preaching

it is

impossible.

been prepared to

No

collect

be prepared, it was destroyaway on the wings of the wind.

began flies

say,

to

Creative instincts, not preaching are the important things, because they reveal a reality, young children act

361

THE ABSORBENT MIND as nature urges them to act and not because the teacher

Good

come about by reciprocal aid, by union brought about by spiritual cohesion. This society by cohesion which has been revealed by the

tells

them

children

is

to

do

so.

the basis of

maintain that

it is

not

all

should

organization

we who can

;

that

is

why

I

teach children between

and six years. We can observe in a refined manner and see how development is achieved by every daily and hourly exercise. That which nature gives is developed by constant exercise. Nature provides a guide but it is also revealed that to develop anything in any field, If I have continuous experience and effort is necessary. the ages of three

not had the opportunity for

preaching is useless. Growth comes from activity, not from intellectual understanding, hence the education of small children is imthis,

between the ages of three and six years, because this is the embryonic period for the formation of character and for the formation of society portant,

(just

and

especially

as the period from

embryonic period

for

birth

to

three

years

is

the formation of the psyche

;

the

and

the prenatal period, the embryonic period for the formation

of physical

life.)

The

things that the children carry

out between the ages of three and six do not depend on doctrine, but on a divine directive given by God to the

undergoing construction. They are germs of behaviour and can develop only with the right environment of freedom and order.

spirit

362

CHAPTER XXV

ERROR AND

ITS

CONTROL

WHEN we

say that the children are free in our schools, organization is necessary, an organization more detailed than in other schools, so that the children Work.

The

child,

may be

by carrying out experiments

free to

in

a

prepared environment, perfects himself, but a certain amount of apparatus is then necessary and space is Once the child has achieved concentration, necessary. he continues to be concentrated through many activities, and as he becomes more and more active, the teacher

becomes

We in

freedom the children

and it

and less so, till she is almost put aside. have mentioned that through exercises repeated

less

this

society

inspires

should be

the

is

so

join together in a special society

much more

refined than ours that

wish and conviction that the children

left free

and not

interfered with.

It is

a pheno-

menon of life, a phenomenon as delicate as the phenomena of embryonic life and it should not be touched. If these conditions are present

our materials.

363

it

can happen with any of

THE ABSORBENT MIND In

environment there

this

a definite relation

is

between the teacher and the child. The teacher's task, which is determined in detail, shall be outlined in another

do

chapter, but one of the things she must not interfere,

is

to

This

to praise, to punish or to correct errors.

seems a wrong principle to most educationists and when we find them opposed to our method, it is always on this " How can we improve the children's point. They say " work if we do not correct the errors ? In ordinary :

education the fundamental task

moral and intellectual

field, else

she has done her job.

is

to correct both in the

the teacher does not feel

Education walks on the two

feet

and of giving punishments but if a child is given prizes and punishments it means that he does not have the energy to guide himself and that the teacher is hovering over the child and directing him. In

of the giving of prizes

;

our schools they automatically disappeared because there

was no need

for

from outside, so

them.

when they

of spirit disappears neity,

This

it

;

and as

makes no sense so

is

Prizes

difficult

and punishments come

are given the spontaneity this is

a method of sponta-

to give prizes or punishments.

to understand that

even

in so-called

how often have I Montessori schools they are given Montessori been invited to a prize-giving in such ;

'

*

schools

!

Whereas

if

the children are

given freedom,

they are absolutely indifferent to prizes. In

my

first

experiment, the teacher

have mentioned, the

who

was, as

caretaker's daughter, also

had

I

this

364

THE ABSORBENT MIND idea

of

prizes

common

home

the

in

and punishments.

After

all

as well as in the school, that

almost incarnated in the soul of man.

I

was

so

is

it

it

is

against

it

had no method as yet, and I tolerated it because the poor teacher had to have something to do. She

then, but

made

'

*

big

military

crosses in gold or silver paper as

rewards and pinned them to the breasts of the children rewarded, with a silk ribbon. 1 did not think much of but

the idea,

left

I

it

One day

alone.

school and found a child seated chair in the middle "

cross.

asked

I

The

teacher said

why

he

is

went

to the

by himself on a

room and wearing a

of the

Have you

:

all

I

large

given a prize to this one

" ?

"

:

sitting

No, he was being punished that is alone/* The cross had actually been ;

given to another child, but it was in his way as he worked, so he gave it to the child in the middle who had nothing to do and with whom it would not interfere And the child in the middle was indifferent both to the !

punishment We found also that sweets and such rewards were not appreciated.

cross

and

The trouble,

to the

!

because

after

Only a few get them the

But

year.

matter, they '

*

corrections

correction, in

putting a

365

have aroused much would mean an economy.

abolition of prizes might not

in

all

it

any

case,

punishments

!

and those at the end of That was a different

happen every day throughout the year and are still more frequent. What does this copy-books

mark A,

B, or

for

C

example,

mean

or 10 or 0.

?

It

means

How can

the

THE ABSORBENT MIND marking

a zero be a correction

of

?

Then

the teacher

"

says

:

listen

You always make the same errors you don't when speak you will fail in the examination ". ;

I

;

All these corrections in books and these accusations of the teacher result in a lowering of energy and interest. " " To say : " You are bad or " You are a dunce is

humiliating correction,

become is

is

it

;

because

an in

an offence, but

insult,

it is

not a

order to correct oneself one must

and how can a child become better if he already and then we humiliate him further ?

better,

below

level

olden times teachers used to put donkey's ears to children when they were stupid, and beat the tips of the In

fingers of those

who

could not write.

If

they had used

making donkey's ears and beaten the fingers to pulp, they would have corrected nothing. Experience and exercise alone correct errors, and the acquisition of faculties demands long exercise. If all

the paper in the world

a child lacks discipline he becomes disciplined through work and association with others in a society of cohesion, not by telling him that he is undisciplined. If you tell a child he cannot do something, he could quite easily tell

you That

"

:

You

is

Correction

can

are

not

me

correction,

and

exercise

telling

perfection

himself

in

that

?

I

know

I

but a presentation

come only when freedom

for

a

of

can't." facts.

the child sufficiently

long time. Errors can

be made and the children

see them, but teachers

may not always also can make errors and not know 366

THE ABSORBENT MIND they are errors. Unfortunately the teacher usually starts as if she were a perfect being and an example, so if she makes a mistake she certainly does not tell the child

Her

based on always being right. In the ordinary school she must be infallible, so the whole of education there is on a false basis. about

it.

dignity

is

Let us consider error

we

that

make

all

admission in

errors

itself is

itself. it

;

is

necessary to admit a reality of life so that It is

a great step in our progress.

are to walk on the path of truth

admit that perfect.

So

we

make

all

reality

mistakes or else

the best thing

error

and then

be a

friendly person living

task,

because

is

to

become

we

we

we must

should be

friendly with the

will not frighten us

it

it

and

If

any more, but will among us and will perform its

has one.

Many

errors

are corrected

A

child of one year walking spontaneously through life. on the line, walks unsteadily, rolls, falls, but finally it

walks

and

correctly.

experiences.

He

We

corrects his errors through growth

we are walking towards perfection, we are all the

have an

illusion that

along the path of life time making errors and do not correct them.

We

do

not recognize them, so we are out of reality altogether and in illusion. The teacher who poses as perfect and

does not recognize that she makes errors, is not a good No matter where we look, we always find teacher. If we set out on the path towards Gentleman Error !

perfection,

we must

perfection will

367

look carefully

come by

correcting

it.

at

error,

We

because

should use a

THE ABSORBENT MIND show

light

to

there

is life

the error.

it is

;

We

must know there

is

error as

as real as that.

The

exact sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry, have called attention to errors, because these

etc.)

sciences purposely

make them stand

out.

The

scientific

study of error has begun with the positive sciences, those which are considered to be without error, because they

measure exactly and can appreciate error. There are therefore two things in life (i) to reach a certain exact:

ness

:

to appreciate

(ii)

science gives, she gives absolute,

and

this

Whatever as an approximation, not as an exactness.

error in

approximation

is

considered with the

For example, an anti-microbe injection is certain in 95% of the cases, but it is important to know that there is 5% uncertainty. Also in taking a measurement it is stated

result.

correct to so

many

thousandths of an inch.

In science

no data are given or accepted unless with the indication of probable error and what gives importance to the data is

the

calculation

seriously,

and

No

of the error.

unless the

amount

attached to the result,

of

it is

data are considered

probable error

is

given as important as the result

So if it is so important for the exact sciences, how much more important it is for our work. Then error becomes something interesting and important, and the

itself.

necessary for correcting or controlling. then reach a scientific principle, which is also a

knowledge

We

of

it

principle of truth, is

done

in

is

i.e.,

school

the

'

control of error/

by teacher

In whatever

or children or

by

others,

368

THE ABSORBENT MIND must be

there

that there

life

and this must so enter into the schoolno outside correction, but an individual,

error is

independent control of error, that right or not.

must know whether

I

or not, therefore error

before

it

I

it,

If

!

have

than

have worked

interesting to

are

rightly

me whereas

In the usual school

superficial.

conscious of errors.

dom

becomes

I

we

us whether

one makes

without knowing it, unconscious and indifferent for it is not I, but the teacher who makes me

errors

to

was

tells

1

to

do not have the go to someone

Instead,

I.

How

far off

from the

field of free-

my

ability of controlling

error,

who may know no better how important one becomes, when one else

making mistakes and can control them One of the greatest realizations of psychic freedom is to realize that we may make a mistake and can control One to recognize and control error without help. it

knows one

is

!

;

thing that

makes

for

indecision of character

is

are unable to control anything without the help of

There

else.

and a lack

is

a sense of

of confidence,

inferiority, of

when one has

that

we

someone

discouragement to rely

on others

one where one is wrong. So the control of error becomes the guide which tells us whether we are proceedWe have an instinct to go ing on the right path or not. to

tell

towards perfection we want to be able to know for ourselves whether we are on the right path. Supposing I want to go somewhere and I can drive ;

a

car,

in

life.

but

I

do not know

the road

In order to be sure that

369 24

I

go

;

this often

right,

I

happens

take a

map

;

THE ABSORBENT MIND also

see several signs which

I

may have been

I

seeing signs which said

Ahmedabad," but "

says

50 miles to

there

If

2 miles to

have helped me should have had to ask and be the signs

no guide or control

is

am.

I

;

things probably contradictory in their advice.

many

told

I

"

suddenly see a sign that I know I have gone wrong

I

Bombay ",

had had no map

I

if

then

if

The map and

somewhere.

me where

tell

it is

impossible to go on.

necessary therefore in positive science and in practical life must also be included in education from

What

is

the very beginning

So

the

with

control of

:

the possibility of a control of error.

teaching and the material must go the

error.

The way

to

go forward

have

to

is

freedom and a sure way, with the means of telling ourselves when we make a mistake. When this principle realized in the school

is

and

in practical

life, it

matter whether the teacher or the mother

become

is

does not

perfect or

and the It becomes somechildren have sympathy with them. It becomes thing interesting, but completely detached. an inherent fact in nature, and how much affection it Errors in older people

not.

provokes mistakes.

in

takes the If

the hearts of children that

Another

mother and

child.

is *

perfect

The

fact that

friendly.

we can

all

all

make

between

make

mis-

Brotherhood comes along

not along the path of perfection. perfect one cannot change any more, two people together usually fight, because there is

path of

one

we can

factor enters the relationship

makes us more

*

interesting

errors,

370

THE ABSORBENT MIND no

possibility of

change and

of understanding

each other.

one has grown up without error, there is no progress and no help possible, because one cannot help the If

perfect.

If,

we

therefore,

in the field of truth

think

one

;

is

we

are perfect,

misled

we

are not

the illusion of

by

perfection one puts before one's eyes, but never achieves.

we can geometrical comparison superimpose squares one on the other, as is done in one make a

Let us

:

of our children's exercises with inscribed

we last

this

gradually reduce the difference between the

one and that immediately before as

squares,

yet

we

we

gradually

the

reducing

If

it. *

error

we

think of

between the

never reach the complete elimination of

children

do.

earliest

practical

error.

exercises

We

but differing

height,

*

we find that, however small it eventually becomes,

Let us look at one of the the

As

a further and further

continue inscribing squares to

degree,

squares.

have cylinders all of the same in diameter which fit into corres-

ponding sockets.

Recognizing that they differ is first perfectionment, holding them with three fingers is another

The child but when he has

perfectionment.

begins to place them in their

sockets,

finished he sees that he has

made

a mistake for a thick one

a thin hole

371

whilst there

is

only

fill, and some of the others are loose so he looks at them again and observes them

for

it

to

and rattle, more carefully than before. make a mistake and that cannot be

is left

fitted.

If

there

The if

child

he does

were not

knows he can so,

one cylinder

this

possibility of

THE ABSORBENT MIND mistake there would not be the same

interest.

makes him repeat the exercise again and the material has two requirements to meet that

:

the senses of the child,

(ii)

It is

again. (i)

this

So

to refine

to provide a

possibility of

material has

a control of

control of error.

The above mentioned

very material and visible, so a little child of two years can use it and with it acquire the knowledge

which

error

is

With

of control of error on the path to perfection.

practice in such exercises the child gains error

and becomes sure

does not

mean

To

of himself.

but

perfection,

power

to control

be sure of oneself

means

it

daily

to

know

one's

and, therefore, to be able to do something. " I am not perfect I am not omnipotent say :

possibilities

He may

;

know this can make

and my strength and I also know mistakes and control them, so I am sure that I of my path." There is prudence, certainty and experience. These lead towards perfection, not that some one says, one is this, that or the other. In other words to arrive at to be on this sureness is not so simple as one supposes but

I

thing

;

the path towards perfection

is

not so simple either.

To

anyone he is silly, stupid, brave, good or bad is a betrayal of humanity one must be sure for oneself and it is necessary to give the means of development and the

tell

;

control of error for this.

Let us look a

There

are

sums.

With

little

mathematical the

sum

later

at

a child thus trained.

exercises,

there

is

e.g.,

multiplication

a table of multiplication^

372

THE ABSORBENT MIND which serves as a control

of error.

possibility of being sure

whether one

Without is

there

it

right

;

is

no

so instead

we let the child get into the own errors. This control of error

of the teacher correcting, habit of controlling his is

more

attractive

The

reading.

than the exercise

an exercise

child has

So with

itself.

of written cards to

put with the specimens of those names, and then there are cards with the names written underneath to control

The

his work.

was

attraction

is

in

finding

out whether he

right or not. If

the

in

practice

of school-life

comes

there

this

opportunity for constant control of error, this leads to perfection. The interest in the progress to perfection and the

control

progress

is

of

error

is

ensured.

so important to the child that

By

nature the child leans to exact-

ness and so this control interests him very much. In one of our schools a child had a reading command " which said Go out, close the door and come back ". :

The child studied it and started came to the teacher and said like this ?

the door

It

cannot be done. "

is

closed

>

So

mistake/* and rewrote it, " smile, Yes, now I can do

the

to carry

out

it

;

then she

"

Why did you write How can come back " teacher said Yes, my

it

:

and the

if

I

:

child

said with a

it."

Fraternity arises from this interest in the control of error.

Error divides men, but control of error

373

no

a means

becomes a universal interest to overcome matter where it is found. The error itself

of fraternity. error

is

It

THE ABSORBENT MIND becomes

interesting.

becomes a means especially

It

becomes a

link

and

of cohesion

between the

child

among all and the adult.

certainly

it

beings, but

Finding a

small error in the adult does not lead to lack of respect

a lowering of dignity. Error is detached from the person and made a thing apart which can be controlled.

or

Thus simple

steps lead to great things.

374

CHAPTER XXVI

THE THREE DEGREES OF OBEDIENCE THE main

preoccupations in ordinary character education

concern the

will

and obedience, and generally the two

ideas are opposed in the minds of those preoccupied with

One

them.

of the

child, to substitute

main aims for

demand obedience from I

would

it

is

to curb the will of the

the will of the adult

and

to

him.

like to clarify these ideas,

on any opinion of my own, but on of all we must admit that there

my

basing myself not experience.

First

a great confusion in Some biological studies tell us that the will these topics. of man is part of a universal power (horme), and that is

not physical, but a force of life along the path of evolution. All life is urged irresistibly

this universal force

towards

evolution,

and

this

urge

is

called

horme*

governed by laws and is not haphazard or These laws of life show us that the will of man

Evolution casual.

is

is

and shapes his behaviour. In childhood this force becomes partly conscious as soon as the child carries out a certain self-determined action and

is

an expression

375

of that force

THE ABSORBENT MIND then

developed in children, but only through So let us begin by saying that the will is

this force is

experience.

something which must develop and, being natural,

obeys natural laws. Confusion in the

that

thought

this

is

subject

actions

voluntary

and sometimes

naturally disorderly

also

it

shown by

the

children

are

of

violent.

This

is

so

admitted because people see these sorts of

generally

and think they express his will. It is these actions do not belong to the field of the

actions in the child

not so,

Let us consider the behaviour

universal force or horme. of adults

suppose

;

we

mistook convulsions in a

manifestations,

voluntary

or

actions

frenzy of anger to be directed

We

performed

his will, that

for

a

in

would

we think of a will primarily as someone who carries out If we consider purposive and difficult.

be absurd.

clearly

by

man

person of

something

do not

think so

;

voluntary actions to be mainly disorderly movement in adult or child, then of course we feel we must curb the will,

and

'

or if

course,

means

'

break

we we

necessary to break must substitute our will

find

of his

The

as the older generation used to say

it

*

it

;

'

will

this

',

then, of

the child's

for

by

'

obedience

real fact

is

to us.

that the will of

lead to disorder or violence

;

man

(child)

does not

mark

of devia-

these are a

and suffering. The will in its natural field is a force which compels us to carry out actions considered to

tion

benefit our

life.

The

task given

by nature

to the child is

376

THE ABSORBENT MIND growth, so the child's will

is

a force urging to growth

and

development.

A

what the individual does enters upon a road of conscious development. Our children choose their own work spontaneously and, repeating this will that wills

exercise

of

develop a consciousness of their at first was a hormic impulse urging the

choice,

What child to act now becomes an he acted instinctively, now

actions.

voluntarily

The

:

this is

effort of the will.

At

first

he acts consciously and

an awakening

of the spirit.

and ever be a precious remem-

child himself has understood this difference

expressed it in a way that will brance of our experience. society lady once visited the school and, having the old frame of mind, said to a

A

"

child

:

So, this "

is

not

it

?

not do what felt

The

is

child

answered

" :

like,

Madam, we do do."

The

child

between doing what one

likes

and

what one does.

One

thing ought to be clear

:

the conscious will

power which is developed by means Our aim is definitely to cultivate the

The

No,

we want, we want what we

the difference

liking

a place where you do what you

of exercise, of will,

is

a

work.

not to break

it.

can be broken almost instantaneously, the development of the will is a slow process unfolding itself by will

means

of continuous activity carried out in

environment.

relation to

easy enough to destroy the devastation of a building can be accomplished in a few seconds by a bomb or an earthquake. How difficult

the

377

It

is

;

THE ABSORBENT MIND instead

the

is

construction

of a building

!

It

requires

accurate knowledge of the laws of equilibrium, of tension,, even art is necessary in order to achieve a harmonious construction. If all this is

needed

how much more

to achieve a lifeless construction,

for the construction of the

human

soul

I

takes place from within. The constructor, therefore^ can be neither the mother nor the teacher. They are not It

the architects, they are not almighty to say, like " the Bible Let there be light, and the light was :

They can only the

child

their

in

made/*

help the creative work that comes from

himself.

aim, but

God

it is

That should be equally in their

their

power

function

to destroy

and it,

to

This point, darkened by so many prejudices, deserves to be made clear. The prejudice prevailing in ordinary education

break

it

by

repression.

suggests that everything can be achieved by mere teaching (that

by

is

by upholding

directly addressing the child's hearing) or

oneself as

an example

to

be imitated (whick

a kind of visual education). The personality instead can only develop by means of individual exercise,

is

through activity.

The

child is

commonly considered as

a receptive being instead of as an active individual. This every field. Even the development of the imagination is considered in this fashion. Children are told fairy tales, enchanting scenes of princes and lovely

happens

fairies

The

in

and thus one

child,

tries

to

develop the imagination.

however, then only receives impressions and

37S

THE ABSORBENT MIND does not

really

the highest of will

develop

his imaginative

human

intelligence.

more

powers which are

In the case of the

because ordinary education does not only deny the will a chance to this

develop,

error

it

is

still

actually

serious,

obstructs

this

development and

directly inhibits the expression of the will.

at resistance

on the part

form of rebellion against

of the child

this pretension.

really tries to destroy the child's

principle

of

by example does not lead the a phantastic world of princes and

here the teacher goes as far as to uphold himself

as a model. their

inert,

tells stories

We

And

and who

who

acts.

of these illusions

and

In traditional education the teacher reasons in a

way

which :

(this

must deliver ourselves

in itself

"In order means that

know what is,

reality.

may seem

Father Christmas

It

so both imagination and will remain

activity is confined to follow the teacher

courageously face

this

will.

The educator The educative

teaching

teacher to picture fairies,

is

Every attempt repressed as a

to educate I

enough. It runs like must be good and perfect

logical I

must disguise myself as a kind of

who

offers

gifts

to the children).

I

should be done and what should not be done.

therefore, sufficient that the children imitate

me and

obey me." Obedience is the secret basis of teaching. I do not remember which renowned educationist "

All the virtues of the child pronounced the maxim can be resumed in one obedience/' but there it is. :

:

379

THE ABSORBENT MIND The exalting

!

task of the teacher then becomes easy and He says " In front of me there is an empty :

or a being

being

full

of naughtiness

form him creating him almost to

my

1

shall

now

image and

trans-

likeness/*

He repeats to himself the words of the Bible God created man to His own image and likeness."

"

:

The

of

adult,

himself in

course,

unconscious of thus putting

is

He

God's place.

forgets

part of the biblical story where

became such

precisely

and

it

on account

is

above told

all

the other

how

the devil

of his pride urging

him

to take the place of God.

The poor self

the

work

child

of

!

this

a Creator

who

being

much

bears within him-

greater than the teacher,

the father or the mother whose likeness he acquire. this

aim

is

forced to

In other times teachers used the stick to achieve

and

even

recently

civilized nation teachers

in

declared

:

an otherwise highly "If we must renounce

we must also renounce education." Besides, in the Bible we find among the proverbs of Solomon the famous one declaring that if we do not use the stick we are bad parents because we condemn our children to the stick,

enforced by threats and fear. This leads to the conclusion that the child who does not obey hell.

is

Discipline

bad, the child

is

who obeys

is

good.

In this era of the theories of

when we ponder over

this

democracy and

attitude,

we

liberty,

are inclined to

judge the old type of teacher as that of a tyrant. This, however, would not be true, that kind of teacher is not a

380

THE ABSORBENT MIND

A

tyrant.

much more intelligent. Tyrants will-power, some originality and a certain is

tyrant

have a certain

dose of imagination.

Teachers

fashioned teacher

in this

of the old

type instead have only illusions and prejudices and uphold unreasonable rules. The difference between a tyrant and an old

means

the tyrant uses violent

:

to achieve the success of his aims, the teacher

uses violent is

lies

means

to reach the failure of his aims.

a fundamental error to think that the

will of the in-

dividual must be destroyed in order that he i.e.,

he

that

may

obey,

may accept and execute the decision

somebody

else's will.

intellectual

education

we

If

we

ought to say that

To

it is

necessary

their

own

free

own

will,

choice,

may

mind.

obtain the obedience of individuals

well developed their

by

own

of

applied this reasoning to

to destroy the child's intelligence in order that he

receive our culture in his

It

who have

but decide to follow ours

is

very different indeed.

type of obedience is an act of homage, an acknowledgment of a superiority in the teacher, which could make him feel proud and satisfied of

This

latter

himself.

Will and obedience are connected in as

much

as the

foundation and obedience marks a second phase in a process of development. Obedience has thus a higher

will is the

meaning than

may

be

dual

will.

38!

is

generally

considered

as

a

realized

in

sublimation

education.

It

of the indivi-

THE ABSORBENT MIND Also obedience must be interpreted places

among

it

the

phenomena

of

life

in

a

way which

and can then be

considered as one of the characteristics of nature.

our children,

In

ment

of obedience

we

in fact,

witness the develop-

as a kind of evolution.

spontaneously, as a surprise.

It

It

appears

represents the destina-

tion of a long process of perfectionment. If

there

were not

this

quality in the

human

soul,

if

men by

could not reach the point of being able to obey an evolutional process, society could not exist. If

we

throw but a superficial glance at the affairs of the world we easily discover up to what extent people obey. This kind of obedience is exactly the reason that causes

whole groups

of

humanity

to fall into a

chasm

of des-

An

obedience without control, an obedience There is no lack of leading whole nations to disaster. Obedience as a obedience in the world, far from it truction.

!

natural consequence of the development of the soul is

is

human

very evident indeed, but the control of obedience

sadly lacking. Our observation of children in a environment pre-

pared

to

shown us

help their

the growth of

characteristic coefficients

great deal of light

We

have

upon

development has clearly obedience as one of its most

natural

and

this

observation throws a

the subject.

clearly seen in the course of our experience

that obedience in children

is

developed

as the other qualities of the character

;

in the it

same way

follows hormic

382

THE ABSORBENT MIND urges at

further

it is

then passes on to a conscious level where

first,

developed along several degrees.

Let us

mean by

first

specify

obedience.

what we is

It

and practically what has always

really

after all

been meant by it a teacher commanding the children what to do and the children obeying the command by :

it.

realizing

The

natural development of obedience in the child

can be divided according

to three degrees.

In the first degree the child obeys only occasionally,

not always. This fact which could be attributed to whimsical behaviour, should be analysed. Obedience is not connected only with what is usually "

called

A

depends on facts of formation. and a certain measure of maturity are

willingness

certain

ability

",

it

necessary in order to be able to perform the commanded action. Obedience, therefore, should be judged in relation to development and vital conditions. " walk on your nose ", to command physiologically

command write.

It

" is

impossible.

write

necessary,

That

is

is

therefore,

obey

it

why

impossible this

is

to

possible

who cannot

to establish

in relation to the

a child of

is

because

a letter" to a person

material possibility to

reached.

Neither

It

first

the

development

to 3 years of

age

is

not an obedient child, he has not yet constructed himself. He is taken up by the unconscious elaboration of the

mechanisms of his personality and has yet the point where he can establish them so 383

to

reach

that they

THE ABSORBENT MIND own

purpose in order to then dominate them consciously. This represents a progress in serve his

may

development. In fact, the customs and the ways in which adult and child live together have led the adult not

At

to expect obedience from a child of 2 years of age. this

stage the adult can only inhibit

the

actions

of

more

or less violently

such an undeveloped child, should he

reprove them.

Obedience, however, does not consist of inhibition consists of the performance of actions corres-

It

only.

ponding to the

will of

another person, not to that of the

an older child

is

not

taken up by the same primitive preparation which

we

child himself.

mentioned

where this

Although the

for the

child

life

of

between

and 3 years

takes place in the secrecy of his

it

later stage

we

find analogous facts.

life,

of age,

even

at

Also the older

must have developed certain abilities in order that he may obey, i.e., that he may act according to the will of another, and abilities are not developed over night. child

are

They

the

result

of

it

may

interior

formation passing

As

through several stages. tion lasts

an

long as this period of formahappen that now and then the child

succeeds in performing an action which corresponds to an acquisition just made, but only when the acquisition has

become a permanent This

is

also seen

asset

when

can the

will dispose

the child labours to

make

of

it.

those

primitive mechanical acquisitions of the motor functions,

when he

acts under the compulsion of the hormic urges

384

THE ABSORBENT MIND of

A

life.

first

steps,

child of about

but then he

year of age can

1

falls

make

down and perhaps he

his will

not be able to repeat them for a long time. It is only when the mechanism of walking is completely established that the child can

walk whenever he

very important point.

The obedience

stage depends above

likes.

This

is

a

of the child at this

on the stage of development of his capacities. It may therefore happen that he can obey the teacher once, but not after that. This later

repeat the act of obedience is then attributed unwillingness ". If so, the teacher with her insistence to

inability

to

"

all

and

criticism

may become

an obstacle

to the inner

deve-

lopment that is taking place. In the history of Pestalozzi, the famous Swiss educationist, who had such a great influence on education in schools all over the world, we find a very

noteworthy point.

Pestalozzi

introduce a so-called paternal gentleness of pupils.

in the

the

first

to

treatment

He was

always ready to show sympathy and One thing, however, was not included in his

to forgive.

forgiveness

was

;

whimsical behaviour, a child

now obeying

Who

had once executed a command was capable of it and if at another time he did not obey the same command, Pestalozzi would That was the only time not admit any excuse.

then

disobeying.

when he showed If

happened

this

often

will

mistake

385 25

!

not

himself in

the

ordinary

severe instead of indulgent.

case teachers

of

Pestalozzi,

how

commit the same

THE ABSORBENT MIND On

the other

hand nothing

is

more harmful than

discouragement at the very time when a facet of developbeing constructed. When the child is not yet really master of his own actions, when they do not yet obey his own will, he is even less able to correspond to

ment

is

That

of another person.

the will

is

why

it

may happen

that he obeys once,

being unable to repeat this act of This does not even happen in childhood

obedience.

How

alone. cal

often will a beginner

instrument play a piece

quite

who

nicely

The day

unable to do

it

a second time

asked to do

it

again, but he cannot

The

did the day before. fault,

is

?

do

willingness to

whilst he

after it

he

is

be

will

as well as he

do so

is

not at

we face an imperfectly established ability. What we call the first degree of obedience, therefore, but

when a

the period

able to

do

so.

It is

can obey, but is not always a period when obedience and disobe-

dience exist together. The second degree

always

obey,

i.e.

His

development.

child

is

there

reached when the child can

no obstacles concerning firmly acquired can be called

are

abilities

upon and directed not only by

by

plays a musi-

the will

great

gift.

of

We

another person. could compare

it

his

own

will,

but also

This possibility

is

a

to the ability to translate

from one language into another. The child can absorb the will of another person and act accordingly. This is the highest level which generally education tries to reach.

The

ordinary teacher does not aspire after a

386

THE ABSORBENT MIND beyond that when the child obeys all the time. The young child, however, goes far beyond our expectations,

stage

when he is The nature.

as always

laws of

on towards the

given the opportunity to follow the child does not stop here, but goes

of obedience. Here obedience surpasses the relation to an acquired ability which brings Here obedience is directed it within reach of the child. :

third degree

towards a superior personality, towards the teacher who has served and helped the child. It is as if the child

became conscious

of the fact that the teacher

is

capable

which he could do by himself. " This person who is greater himself

of things higher than those

as

It is

he said to

if

:

am

can penetrate into my intelligence by her power, she can make me as great as she is herself. She " This thought seems to give the^child a acts in me

than

I

!

great

and deep

from

this

To be

joy.

causes a

life

superior

able to receive directions

new form

The

and joy. It is quite a sudden discovery. becomes anxious and impatient to obey.

we compare haps to the obey." to

the

this

marvellous natural

spirit of

the Saint

who

Or we might compare instinct

of

the

it,

of enthusiasm child then

To what

phenomenon

said

" :

I

could

?

Per-

am leaping

to

on quite another plane,

dog who loves

his

master and

through his obedience executes the will of a man. When his master shows him a ball, the dog looks at it intensely

and when the master throws triumphantly returns

The dog 387

is

it

craving for

it

away, he jumps and

waiting for the next

commands, he

is

command.

excited

and

THE ABSORBENT MIND waves

his tail full of joy.

He

runs to obey.

degree

of obedience of the

similar,

but the child shows his desire to

young

child

is

The

somewhat obey in a

any case, he obeys with a ing promptitude, and seems impatient to do so. manner.

different

The

third

In

surpris-

a teacher with ten years* teaching experience gives an interesting illustration. She had a class of children which she directed very well, but she findings of

could not abstain from advising them. One day she " Put everything away, before going home tosaid :

The

children did not wait for her to end her " Put everything sentence, but as soon as they had heard night/'

they started immediately to put everything care-

away

,

fully,

but quickly in

.

."

" surprise,

its

place.

when you go home

Then they

heard, to their

to-night/' Their obedience

had become so instantaneous that the teacher felt that she had to be very careful in the wording of her requests. This time she ought to have expressed herself like this :

"

Before you

go home

to-night,

put everything in

its

happened whenever she expressed herself without due care and she felt very responsible whenever she spoke on account of the It was a strange experichildren's immediate reaction. ence for her, because orders seem the natural attribute

place/'

of

She said

authority.

she

keenly

similar things

Instead of feeling the weight she carried, felt the tremendous responsibility of her

position of authority. that

it

She could obtain

was only necessary

silence so easily

to write the

word

silence

388

THE ABSORBENT MIND on

the

and even

blackboard,

started to form the letter finished the word,

then,

the

moment she

and long before she had

s

the children were silent.

all

The Silence Lesson My own experience, the

f

'

too,

which led

me

to introduce

'

silence -lesson

which

in

obedience.

attitude of obedience

was a phenomenon

case

this

this

proves

',

of

collective

proved a marvellous and unexpected correspondence by a whole group of children who almost identified themselves with me. at

Once work ;

It

I

came

into a class that

the children

was already

had already developed

seriously their will

entered this class of forty-five children with a baby of four months in my arms. It was an old Italian custom I

to place a baby's legs together

and wrap them

tightly

round and round with cloth so that the legs and feet were perforce quite still and fixed. Showing the baby to the children

I

how

is

he

said

" I

:

am

have brought you a

visitor

;

see

you could not keep so still ". I meant it as a joke and thought they would laugh, but all became serious and put their legs and feet together and were still without movement. I thought they had still

not understood feel

how

I

;

my

sure

joke so

gently he breathes

I

;

said

" :

If

only you could

you could not breathe as ff

gently as that because your chests are bigger Now, I thought, they will laugh, but no, they remained with their .

feet together

389

and

also controlling their breath so that

it

THE ABSORBENT MIND make no

should I

then said

will

I

:

and they looked seriously at me, walk out very quietly, but the baby

noise

"

be quieter than I he will not move or make any noise ". I took the child back to its mother and came will

;

back

they were

;

their faces

but

we

had and

as

say

See you made a

:

as quiet as that

are

same

the

to

if

all

will,

was a

the result

and with a look on

there motionless "

still

baby

".

were urged

to

little

noise

So all the children do the same thing,

class of forty-five children perfectly

immobile and silent. People would have thought, " what a wonderful discipline/* and would have wondered

how

was

it

The much so

the children laugh

very

striking,

and

the

and

I

so

children

!

began

result

by an attempt to make was a silence which was

that

said

seemed

and remained

silence

How

obtained.

to hear

to

quite

?

I

"

What

"

a silence

understand and

still,

sounds that

!

feel the

controlling their breath, I

had not heard

before,

the ticking of the clock, the drip from a leaking tap outside,

Adults generally do not know this even in church they get up and kneel down and

the buzzing of silence

move

;

flies.

about, put coins in the collection-box, etc. etc.

their idea of silence is

very superficial.

This silence

;

so

was

a cause of great joy to the children, and the silence lesson which is a feature of our schools now, developed from

this experience.

From

this

exercise of silence could be

measured the

and with the exercise became greater and greater and

strength of will of these children,

the strength of

this

will

390

THE ABSORBENT MIND So we added to this each child, and as each

the period of silence lengthened.

name of name he came quietly

the whispering of the

heard his

while the others re-

mained immobile, and, since each child came carefully and slowly so as not to make a noise, how long the last child to be called had to wait They therefore had !

developed to a great degree their strength we say we must teach children to inhibit

of will. this or

When that, we

must remember that children are capable of much greater inhibition than we are capable of, and after all will and inhibition give obedience. Inhibition of impulses is one of the

great results of this exercise as well as the control

Hence

one's actions.

of

method active,

:

on one

side,

it

came

the will to

and on the other

be a part of our choose and be freely

to

side inhibition.

thus developed into people of great will

;

The

children

in that environ-

ment they could do what they willed~act or refrain from action, and they formed a group wonderful to see.

To have

absolute silence

we must

all

agree

;

if

one

person does not agree, the silence is broken therefore a consciousness comes that we must act together and ;

produce a

Thus a conscious

result.

comes about. had unintentionally stimulated I bringing the

depend on again "

?

I

baby that,

found the

Would you

391

like to

this first silence I

how was best way was by I

make

by

could not always to arouse this interest

into the room, but

so

social relationship

"

silence ?

saying simply

:

Immediately there

THE ABSORBENT MIND was I

command

could

The

and

great enthusiasm

adult gave a

;

so

in

found to

and the

silence

command which

ence had developed elements were there.

obeyed

1

in

the

my

surprise that

obeyed me. obeyed. Obedi-

children all

children,

because

all

the

merely said something and they developing the will, unseen and unI

expected obedience had come.

Obedience

is

the last phase of the development of

so the development of the will makes obedience With our children it leads to a phase when the possible.

the

will,

whatever he commands, is promptly obeyed. he then feels is that he should be careful not to

teacher,

What

take advantage of

this

type of obedience of the children.

He

becomes aware of the real nature of the character which a leader should have. A leader should feel a great responsibility for the orders he issues. therefore, is not

but

somebody with a sense

somebody with a sense

A

leader,

of great authority,

of great responsibility.

392

CHAPTER XXVII

THE MONTESSORI TEACHER FROM

that

all

we have mentioned

may

it

be understood

a Montessori teacher has to be quite different from a teacher in an ordinary school, and one must be careful that

not to consider this too superficially, because there are certain Montessori teachers who take things too literally. " The children must be active and the They say :

teacher must not interfere

and they do In

the

",

so they abandon the children

nothing.

presentation of the

means

the teacher has a very active task

;

of

development

also the fashion in

which they must be presented and their details indicate a very active teacher therefore, the part the teacher ;

is

plays

teacher active,

are

a

a complex one. is

inactive

but

all

" inactivity

not that the Montessori

the teacher of the ordinary school

the activities our teacher has to perform

a guidance, and the subsequent of the teacher is a sign of success. Complete

inactivity

of

the

successfully accomplished,

393

is

preparation,

41

outer

and

It

teacher

we

represents

might say

it

is

a

task

an ideal

THE ABSORBENT MIND and blessed

aim,

are

the teachers

who have

where they can say

brought

"

Whether I am present or not, the class functions/* Each child through his activity has achieved independence and now the group has achieved independence. That is the mark to the stage

their class

of success,

but to arrive at this there

is

:

a path to follow

;

the teacher too must develop.

One

we must have

that the Montessori teacher

i.e.,

are

thing

on

different levels.

clearly before our eyes,

and

One cannot

teacher into a Montessori teacher

;

the ordinary teacher

transform an ordinary

one must create anew.

To

begin with, we might say that thte first step for the teacher is self -preparation. She has to prepare her imagination, because in the ordinary school the teacher

knows what

her children are like as far as their immediate

behaviour shows and she knows she has to care for them

and bring them up, whereas

who

the Montessori teacher sees

not there yet, materially speaking. This is the main difference. Our teachers are on a superior level,

a child

is

not on the material level.

Teachers

who come

to our

schools must have a sort of faith in the child who will reveal

detached the

who

The teacher becomes through work. from any idea regarding the level on which

himself

children are

all

may

be.

deviated,

The

different types of children r

do not

affect

her,

she sees a

type of child who lives in a spiritual field. The teacher has faith that the children she has actually before

different

her will

show

their real

self

when they

find

any work

394

THE ABSORBENT MIND which is

What does

attracts them.

her expectation

?

To

wait

till

she look for

one or two

?

What

of the children

become concentrated.

On in this

the

work

path of the teacher's

there are three stages

First Stage.

The

own

spiritual evolution

:

teacher becomes the guardian

custodian of the environment

on the environment instead

and

she therefore concentrates

;

caught up by all these deviated children. She concentrates on the environ-

ment because from

of being

there the cure will come.

vironment holds the attraction that of the

The

en-

will polarize the will

As in our countries where each bride own home and makes it as attractive as possible

children.

has her

attention

and her husband, instead of paying over-much to her husband she pays attention first to the

house

order to

herself

for

in

make

it

into

an environment

in

which

normal and constructive relationship can be formed. She tries to make it a peaceful, comfortable house, full of a

interesting is

stimuli.

cleanliness

shining the

and

In such a

and order

bright.

school also the

house, the essential part

everything in its place, clean, This is the first care of the wife. In first

:

care of the teacher should be

and care of the material so that it be always beautiful, shining and in repair and nothing missing, so that everything looks new to the children and is complete and ready for use at any time. This also means that She should the person of the teacher must be attractive.

this

:

order

be young,

395

beautiful,

with flowers in her hair, scented

THE ABSORBENT MIND with cleanliness, happy and

Everyone can

ideal.

translate

must remember that when of

we must

children,

The

as they

it

we

This

of dignity.

like,

is

the

but

we

present ourselves in front

they are great people. the teacher is the first step to

of

appearance

full

realize

understanding and real respect for the children. She should study her movements and make them as real

gentle

and

The

graceful as possible.

child of this age

has a great ideal of his mother we don't know of what type the mother is, but very often we hear a child say ;

when he just like

sees a beautiful lady

my

mother

so beautiful at

whom this

care

How

beautiful she

is,

Actually the mother may not be but to the child she is and everyone

!

all,

he admires

" :

"

"

as beautiful as

is

my

mother

So

".

appearance ought also to form part of the environment of the child the most living

for one's

the order in

;

part of the environment

is

the teacher.

This care of the environment then, of the teacher

work.

is

and must precede everything Unless

the

first

else

;

work

it is

an

completely attended to, there will never be any worthwhile and continuous results in any other field physical, mental or spiritual. indirect

Second Stage. having

these children

still

ing minds which >

appreciated

is

Now we come

ordered the environment.

first

on work

it

I

:

to

What

to

children,

do with

disorderly with these aimlessly wander-

we

wish to attract

in order to fix

sometimes use a term which the

the

is

them

not always

teacher must be seductive, she must

396

THE ABSORBENT MIND seduce the children at

Imagine a child entering a black dirty environment with a dirty teacher and being given an object to which he is supposed to be attracted Surely the teacher must be attractive first, in this stage.

!

appearance and

and

in

manner.

In this respect our teachers

the teachers in ordinary schools

may be

alike,

but

period of concentration. concentration sets in the teacher can do

this is all before the

Before

what she

likes

more

or less, because she upsets nothing

She can intervene have read of I necessary.

important. if

in the children's activities

a

who

Saint

to

tried

abandoned boys of the streets of a town who were learning bad habits. What did he do ? He That is what the tried every means to amuse them. the

attract

teacher must do at this stage. singing,

stories,

drama,

The

stick.

the children attracts

them and

is

use of poetry, rhymes,

anything is good teacher who fascinates

clowning

enough except the which

The

this

not very important but

;

leads to

it

some

exercise,

A

Joes attract them.

vivacious teacher can attract more easily, then why not " Now what about make use of it ? To say brightly :

"

and then work with them, carrying things carefully and suggest-

changing the furniture today the teacher herself ing

how

to carry, doing

about polishing

we

397

this beautiful brass

go into the garden and

the teacher

is

Or

all this brightly.

bowl

collect

attractive the action will

" :

" ?

or

" :

some flowers be

attractive.

How Shall " >

If

THE ABSORBENT MIND This teacher.

is

the second period in the development of the

If

there

is

some

child

who

persists in molesting

others at this stage, the practical thing

is

we have

Whilst

actions.

so prevent his is

the

full

and

not,

when a

child

under any circum-

interrupt his cycle of activity,

and

expression, obviously here the contrary

technique

right

to interrupt his

said so often that

concentrated in work one must

stances, intervene

is

thread of disturbing

:

to interrupt

The

activities.

and so

to break his

interruption

can be

an exclamation merely, or it can be getting interested in him multiplying your attention to him is like a lot of electric shocks to him and will bring a reaction in time. ;

If

a child

is

bothering others, one might say ?

you, Johnnie

do

thing to

"

you say let's go

:

Come

"

here,

I

Probably he

!

So you

don't

want will

want

" :

How

are

you somenot want to do that, so to

to give

do

that ) All right,

garden then," and go with him or let your helper take him and then his naughtiness comes under your care and the children are not troubled. into the

Third Stage. children cise

Now

comes

are interested in something, usually

because one cannot give any other one has been able to present it properly

of practical

material until

when the some exer-

the third stage

life,

and that we cannot do while they are not concentrated on anything. When the child becomes interested in an object, the teacher must not interrupt, because this actiand if it is vity obeys natural laws and has a cycle touched, it disappears like a soap-bubble and all its ;

398

THE ABSORBENT MIND beauty with

it.

non-interference

The

teacher must be very careful now,

means non-interference,

Often mistakes are

made by

has been a nuisance, at

work 44

the

;

last

in

teachers here.

any form.

A child who

does a piece of concentrated

and sees him and says

teacher passes

:

"

enough, the damage is done. The child will probably not look at work for another two or Also if a child has a difficulty and the three weeks.

Good

that

!

is

show how to deal with it, the child The will leave the teacher with the work and go away. interest of the child was not in the mere task, but in

teacher interferes to

conquering that difficulty.

" If

the teacher

going to

is

conquer it instead, well let her, my interest is gone. Also if the child is lifting heavy things, the teacher will

go

and frequently the child will then and walk off. Praise, help or even

to help

the things child are

just

dump

noticing a

often sufficient interruption to destroy activity.

Indeed, even the child's seeing one looking at him will do After all if we are concentrated in something and it.

someone comes and looks over our shoulder or looks at us from somewhere nearby, our concentration disappears. The great principle which leads to the success of the teacher is

as soon as concentration appears, pay no attencan note what he as if the child did not exist.

this

tion,

does

:

We

in

a single glance, without paying any attention that

makes him aware choose his class

399

own

of us.

actions.

Now This

the

may

child will begin to

cause problems

where more than one may want the same

in

a

material.

THE ABSORBENT MIND In

the

of

solution

we

interfere unless

them. child

Our duty

is

we must

these problems also, are asked

;

not

the children will solve

only to present

new

objects

when

the

exhausts the activities possible with the old ones. This ability of the teacher to refrain from interfering

comes with practice, just as all the other abilities. must act as if she were there to serve the children ;

She if

she

wants a good example, she can study a good servant. He prepares everything that pleases his master, but he does not tell him what to do. He keeps the master's hair -brushes in order, but

must tidy

his hair

;

he does not

he prepares

does not order him to

He

eat.

tell

him when he

food carefully, but he presents it well and with

his

exactness and unobtrusiveness and then disappears. So must we act to this master of ours the growing spirit of

This

the child.

When

is

the master

we

serve, the child-spirit.

we

are ready to satisfy it. The servant does not intrude on the master if he is alone, but

when

he shows a wish,

the master

calls,

the servant

is

immediately there

" do what he wants and he answers Yes, " do so and says How admires if asked to

to

:

:

if

that

is

expected of him, even

He

sir ".

'*

beautiful

he does not see any So with the child who has done some

beauty himself. concentrated work.

We

if

must not

intrude,

but

if

he

shows us what he has accomplished and wants our approbation, we give it generously. This is the plan and the technique

serve well

;

to serve the spirit.

This

is

:

to serve,

and

something new,

400

THE ABSORBENT MIND especially in the realm of education.

true

we would

serve children, but does the ordinary teacher

to

like

all

It is

know how

what wash him

to serve or

do

to

?

She

will see

he

is

and she will that his clothes are in disorder and she will dress him. This is the idea of the ordinary teacher, viz., that if one is to serve children, one must do everything for them, wash, dress and feed them.

dirty

But

;

we

of the

are not this type of teacher

We

body.

know

must do these things is

that the child

child

must

sufficient

that

himself.

shall not

acquire

a child

if

The

are not servants is

to develop,

he

basis of our teaching

be served

physical

unto himself.

we

;

in this sense.

The

independence by being

Independence of

will

by choosing alone and freely, independence of thought by working alone and uninterrupted. The consciousness we have that

development

give us the clue. himself,

is

a straight path to independence must

We

must help the

child

This

will for himself, think for himself.

of the servant of the spirit,

an

art

to is

act

by

the art

which can be expressed

only then that we can see the development of those marvellous characteristics in children, that we have talked about. perfectly in the field of childhood.

It

is

These qualities of a social being are wonderful to behold, and the joy of the teacher is to be able to see the manifestations of the privilege

since

usually

spirit of

the child.

they are hidden,

It is

a great

and as they

appear, the teacher who knew of them by the inspiration Here is the child as he of her faith, welcomes them.

401 26

THE ABSORBENT MIND who never tires, the calm child, the child who seeks the maximum effort and who tries to help the weak, who knows how to respect others and shows us characteristics which make us know him as the should be

the worker

:

true child.

So the teacher gradually begins to say "I know " " I have seen and by saying that she says children :

my

:

the reality of these facts.

I

have seen the

child as

he

should be, a child even superior to what I had supposed/* This is to have knowledge of childhood. The ordinary "

I know my children this is Johnnie, say his father is a carpenter, his mother is a very clever " I have been to this little manager in the home/' girl's

teacher

may

:

;

" I have have eaten with her family ", etc. I know them/' given much time and thought to them But with our teachers it is not these superficial facts that

home

;

1

;

they know, but the secret of childhood. They have penetrated into this secret and have a knowledge far superior to ordinary

knowledge,

just

as their love

far superior to that of the ordinary teacher. sori

and care was

The Monies-

teacher has a deep love because she loves the deep

knowledge

of the secret

of the

children.

Perhaps

time one understands what love really " these occasions when the child manifests his spirit.

the

first

is

for

on

They

are very touching, they touch me so deeply that they change me as does any love worthy of the name. I have been so touched that I cannot help talking about it

And what have

1

loved

?

These manifestations

of the human

402

THE ABSORBENT MIND is

It

spirit.

these revelations, this spirit which has trans-

formed me.

may

possibly the highest form of love, for

is

human

spirit

moved me,

has deeply

I

am

I

in love

it."

Ordinary teachers say that they love 4i

I

not remember the child's name, but the manifestation

of the

with

It

When

they pass me,

enquire after them

I

their pupils

rub their hair or

when they

are

ill

".

I

kiss

But

:

them. this

is

So there are two different levels. and on this the whole conception of the

personal love, only.

One

is

material,

founded.

Children are material beings if you think of spiritual things in connection with children, you think of the prayers or rituals you can teach them.

old education

But our

is

;

our love not material.

level is spiritual,

children have brought us to

it

;

so

when

The

the teacher says

she knows her children she refers to something superior which the children have revealed. And when she says :

44

I

serve

my

children

man which must know

the spirit of

",

she

liberate

means itself.

" :

I

I

serve the

know

spirit of

them,

i.e.

I

man/'

This difference of level has really been brought about It is the teacher not by the teacher, but by the children.

who not

finds herself brought

know

existed.

The

up

to this level

child has

made

which she did

the teacher

grow she is and happy. Her up to his level now she is there happiness before was perhaps to have as little to do as possible and to draw as high a salary as possible and what other satisfaction ? Perhaps her authority over the ;

403

THE ABSORBENT MIND and her feeling that she is the ideal which the She may be satischildren follow and whom they obey. fied by a sense of power and vanity. Perhaps also she children

thinks of going a step higher in her material career, to

become a headmistress

But there

or inspector.

is

no

real

happiness in this. The spiritual happiness that one may derive from the spiritual manifestations of the children, teachers

these

have never

would be ready

to leave

many headmasters and

felt

;

yet to have this

How

the lesser happiness.

teachers in

one

high schools have

and salaries and gone to little children^ to find this joy > I do know of two doctors of medicine in Paris who left their profession to do this work in order to see for themselves these phenomena, and they found that what they actually did was to pass from a lower

resigned their posts

level to a higher one.

What is the greatest height of a Montessori teacher's " Now the children work as success ? To be able to say :

if

did not exist

I

have become

children "

say

I

:

She has become nothing and the

".

all.

have brought

my

The

ordinary teacher

children

up

to

this

may

level

;

have taught this I have developed their intellectual ." But what have they powers I have .... I have done > Nothing. They have not developed they have

I

;

.

;

.

.

;

imposed themselves and crushed and impeded. the

crime

of

the

schools,

is

:

I

have helped

is

especially at the period of

development before six years. " say

This

All

this life to

we

should be able to

achieve

its

creation

"

404

THE ABSORBENT MIND The Montessori teacher of children up to six years knows she has helped humanity in an essential period of development. She may not know

and

that

is

real satisfaction.

anything of the material facts of the children, though actually some she will be bound to know because the children will talk to

her freely.

She need not mind what happens

afterwards to these children, whether they go to secondary schools and colleges or cease their schooling earlier ;

satisfied to know that in this formative period they " I have achieved what they had to achieve. She says

she

is

:

have served the

spirit of

these children so that they have

have accompanied them in She does not care what the

achieved development and their

all

experiences

".

I

ordinary inspector says, it is of no importance, it is a The teacher who has to ridiculous remnant of old times.

wait on inspectors* reports is a person in a miserable position and out of the reality of spiritual life, even if she

prays five times a day. Spiritual life from one morning to the next morning. spiritual level, not

The

is

perpetual

It is

life

to live orx

a

merely to say prayers.

ordinary teacher says

" :

How

humble these

teachers seem, they are not interested even in their own " " can your method and some say authority succeed, when you pretend that these teachers renounce :

How

"

But they have not renounced they have simply entered another life where the values are all

the usual things

different

;

where there are the

to the former

405

?

life.

;

real values of life

unknown

All the principles are different, take the

THE ABSORBENT MIND In the old schools justice

principle of justice.

"

tant.

The

teacher has power, dignity and justice/*

What was this justice

used to be said. "

was impor-

>

all

Treating

alike

it :

f

don t mind if the children are rich ment is necessary, all are punished ". I

or poor

;

if

any child made some cases even

If

mistakes he got a zero for his work, in if he was deaf all had to be treated alike.

Human

;

countries

one law

man.

justice for

all

and

I

:

caress a child because

be

just.

This

lowest level taller

justice

(i.e.,

the police

;

a

is

as

if,

if

is

so she must caress

justice

which

spiritually,

we

I

have

and the

careful not to all

levels all

she must

down

to the

cut off the heads of the

ones to bring them to the same level as the others.

On really

are called the Palace of

In schools also the teacher

courts.)

prisons,

trials,

am an honest man means

do with

to

*.

"

"

to say

had nothing law

justice

The Law Courts

sentences. Justice,

this

usually connected with

is

Justice

*

Even in democratic frequently only means that there is the rich and powerful and the starving

based on

is

society

punish-

the higher level of educational work, justice

spiritual,

it

seeks

is

that every child achieve the

maximum of its individual abilities. Justice is to give to any human being all help that will enable him to reach his full spiritual stature, and those who serve the spirit in must give help to these energies. This will perhaps be the organization of the future society. Socalled justice at present is ridiculous, it is the freedom where one man has no chance and others have all the all

ages,

406

THE ABSORBENT MIND chances and take no advantage of them. Nothing need be lost of these spiritual treasures and compared to them

economic treasures

Whether

lose their value.

or poor does not matter

can reach

if I

I

am

rich

expression, the

full

When problem will then adjust itself. humanity can achieve its spiritual self to the full, it will be more productive and economic things will lose their economic

;

Men do

exclusive value. their

not produce with their feet or

but with their

bodies,

spirit

and

All

intelligence.

insoluble problems will be solved.

The

develop an ordered society unaided.

children

We

adults

The

children solve their

need

lathis,

police,

soldiers,

own problems

have shown us that freedom and sides of

same

the

because

coin,

machine-guns.

in

peace.

They

discipline are the

scientific

two

freedom leads

fully

Usually coins have two sides, one beautiengraved with a face or figure, the other flatter and

with

lettering.

to discipline.

fully

we

The

flat

side

is

freedom and the beautiThis is so true that when

engraved side discipline. find a class of undisciplined children

control of error for the teacher, for she says 44

have made a mistake against

I

and so she is

corrects

a humiliation

education.

it

is

not*

this class

we go

to

:

ordinary teacher thinks this It is

a technique of the

In serving the children,

helping nature

we

serve

life.

new By

the next level of super-nature,

go higher continuously. And it the children who have built this beautiful structure to

since a is

;

The

it.

as a on seeing it " somewhere

this serves

407

law of nature

is

to

THE ABSORBENT MIND another level.

The laws

nature are order, so

when

comes spontaneously we know we have reached

order

the cosmic order.

draw

of

One

of the missions of children

adult humanity to a higher level.

this point

here, important as

draw

it is,

is

to

cannot develop but it is a fact. The I

and solve the problems of the material level. Let me quote some phrases which have helped us to keep in mind all these things we have mentioned. It is not a prayer, but a memorandum and so for Montessori teachers an invocation, a kind of

children

us to a spiritual level

syllabus, our only syllabus "

:

HELP US, O LORD, TO PENETRATE INTO THE SECRET OF THE CHILD SO THAT WE MAY KNOW HIM, LOVE HIM AND SERVE HIM, ACCORDING TO YOUR LAWS OF JUSTICE AND FOLLOWING YOUR DIVINE WILL."

408

CHAPTER

XXVIII

THE FOUNTAIN SOURCE OF LOVE THE CHILD IN our Courses are

typically

people,

we always

see a gathering of workers that Montessorian. There are babies, young

older

people,

professional

people,

non-pro-

fessional people, cultured and illiterate people and there is no leader among us. Our Courses are apparently hetero-

geneous unlike most other courses of culture. Students following our courses have to have some degree of culture, but that is the only limit, within it we can have matriculates

and

professors side

by

side,

lawyers and doctors,

and those who would be their patients. In Europe we used to have people from all countries and in America we once had an anarchist among us With all these differences of people there have never been any conflicts !

between the students. How is this ? It is because we have all been linked by a common ideal. In Belgium, such a small country that it might be fitted in one of the tips

of

India,

there

are nevertheless

two languages:

French and Flemish. The people are divided

409

politically

THE ABSORBENT MIND as a result.

Seldom has

people together

in

happened.

It

it

was

been possible

it

was so " :

unusual, that in newspapers

For

many

years

trying unsuccessfully to get these parties

power

of

whatever

the

child

are

all

:

This

familiar

is

the

with children,

or political feeling,

their religious

it

we have been together, now we

to study the child/'

in this course

it

these

all

a conference, but in a Montessori Course

commented

have

draw

to

and

all

love

hence the uniting influence of the child. Adults have formed some strong and ferocious convictions and children,

them

these convictions divide

When

into groups.

they

begin to speak of these convictions, their religious and political ideals,

they begin to

But on one point that

why

is

fight.

the child

socially the

child

they

is

all

feel alike

so important.

It

;

is

a point from which one can start in order to put the world into harmony. It is one point on which all have a delicate sensitivity. When we speak evident that this

the

of

is

all

child,

are touched,

The whole

all

feel

are

all

love,

held by this deepest emotion which kindles friendly sentiments. It is a form of love. When one touches the child, one touches

sensitive.

One does

love. feel

it,

love

;

know it.

humanity

know how

but cannot describe it

".

senses, so

by

not

of

but

we have

We feel

to define this love

We may say

" :

I

;

all

feel this

and its vastness I do not as we are aware of things through our

exists,

Just

it.

is

it is

its

root

this feeling of love

there,

;

we

are impressed

even though, when

we

consider

410

THE ABSORBENT MIND much

in

the

When

it.

life

of the adult,

an adult thinks

of defence

arise,

it

is

if

we had

forgotten

of another adult, usually forces

when we

but

as

think of the child the

and hard accretions soften and disappear, we become sweet and gentle because now we are dealing strong

with the basis of

life.

This

is

so not only for humans,

comes when the young appear. There are then these two aspects of adult life that of defence and that of love, but the fundamental one

but for

all

living

It

beings.

:

is

that of love as one feels

it

for the child,

out the child the adult would not

because with-

exist.

more consciously. Let us consider what prophets and poets have said about it, for they have been able to give form and expression to this great energy which we call love. Certainly there is nothing more beautiful or uplifting than the words of poets who have given this form to love so that man can Let us try to understand

visualize at the

it

to

some

base of

all

extent

;

existence.

men when they read gious men may say

:

this love

this love

Even

which

is

the energy

the most ferocious of

these statements of poets and reli" " beautiful That means

How

that this love has remained in

!

them and keeps vibrating

them, despite the manner of their life. Were it not so, they would call such things, nonsense, stupidity,

in

vapidity

and so on.

entered

their

means

it.

it

yet they are

that they are thirsty for

knowing 411

lives,

Although

does not seem to have influenced

by

it.

It

love even without their

THE ABSORBENT MIND It

war

is

is

curious that even in times such as these

most destructive and has reached

when one would

of the world,

would be most

when

the corners

all

think that to talk of love

people Jo talk of it. They are planning for unity, which is love. This means that it is

a basic

ironic,

So now,

force.

men

that everything might lead this thing called love

;

when

at this time,

let

to

would seem

it

"

say

Away

:

with

us have reality which has been

proved to be destruction, for are not cities, forests, women, children, animals all destroyed ? ", still there is talk of

and

reconstruction

people talk of

it.

love

we

If

even

;

while

they

look and listen to

all

destroy,

around

us,

common talk, we hear the Pope, Truman, Churchill, the directors of the churches, those

the wireless, newspapers,

against the churches, the cultured rich

and

there could be the force

it

all

no stronger proof than

and impressiveness

there

is

of this love) then >

of ?

And why

not see

has not been studied before so that

combine the other forces put so

much

of his

other natural facts.

of

which

it

to

day

of

why should

Why Why

should

its

energy

be only spoken of when hate is raging ? not be studied and analysed always, so that

can be made use

the

"

not humanity study this great fact of love it

illiterate,

" the followers of all the isms " love ". And if this is so, (and saying

and the poor and theologies, all

and the

why

should

this

energy could be used to

we know

?

Man

has

mental energies into the study of In those fields he has worked labori-

ously and long and discovered

many

things.

Why

not

412

THE ABSORBENT MIND put a

of this energy into the study of this force

little

which should unite humanity > I feel that all contributions that give an illustration of love should be taken in with energy and avidity and great prominence should be given 1 to them. mentioned that poets and prophets have of

spoken it

often as

it,

were an

if it

has always been there and

We

must

realize

Even

in school.

if

it is

;

but

it is

real,

eternal.

too that

love at the present time, it

is

ideal

if

we

feel this reality of

not because

we were

we were

taught

taught the beautiful des-

words were few and they would have disappeared, the memory of them would have vanished in the multitudinous events that have followed

criptions of love, the

When

since then. for

love,

is

it

or read of

people appeal with so much energy not because they heard of it in their youth

it

in poetry or in religion

of something not learnt to

by

;

the expression

it is

heart, but of

something given

us as part of the great heritage of our

life.

Life

It is

which speaks, not poets and prophets. Love can be considered from another side, besides that of religion

and

poetry.

that

we

fruit of

from the point of view of Life itself then love is not merely the must consider it is

;

imagination or aspiration, but a reality which

eternal energy I

It

would

and cannot be like

and about those have said

also.

cosmic energy.

413

to

is

an

extinguished.

say a few words about

things which the poets

we call love Even when we use such This energy

this reality

and prophets is

the greatest

terms

we

still

THE ABSORBENT MIND speak of energy

it

God

phrase

Now like

to

but

I

creation

is

it

"

disparagingly,

is

to

itself

because

and

it

more than an

is

better expressed in the

is

Love/'

come

to

more concrete

be able to quote from

would

poets and prophets,

all

do not know them nor do

I

things.

1

know

their

language.

know all have wonderful verses. Let me quote from one I know who showed great vehemence in his expresIt is the best-known of all sion when speaking of love. But

I

Christendom, and says

religious or poetic descriptions in

" If

speak with the tongues

I

and have not

charity,

or a tinkling cymbal.

and should know if

I

should have

tains,

all

and have not

should distribute 1

all

all

my profiteth me

should deliver

charity,

it

We

men, and

of

am become a And if should I

I

mysteries, faith,

and

so that

charity,

I

am

I

sounding brass

have prophecy,

knowledge, and could remove mounnothing.

And

if

I

my

goods to feed the poor, and if body to be burned, and have not nothing." (St. Paul in " :

tell

of angels,

all

could say to such a person what love is since you feel it so strongly, thing formidable,

:

us about

it

I.

Cor. XIII)

You must know

it

in detail/'

must be someBut when the

mighty sentiment is given, it is so The illustrations he has used might be found in simple. our present civilization which can move mountains and description

of

work even

greater miracles than that, for

this

we can speak

a whisper from one corner of a continent to a corner in another continent where we are heard. But all this is in

414

THE ABSORBENT MIND there

if

nothing,

We

not love.

is

have organized

also

and clothe them, but playing a drum which gives

great institutions to feed the poor if

we have

sound St.

not love

because

is

it

who gave

Paul

it is

like

What

empty.

then

us a description of

is

love

this

its lofty

?

grandeur,

as quoted above, continues, but he does not furnish a philosophical theory, he writes "

:

Charity is patient, is kind charity envieth not, is not puffed up. Is not ambidealeth not perversely tious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, :

:

thinketh no

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth

evil.

with the truth

beareth

:

all

things,

believeth

all

things,

hopeth all things, endureth all things/' It is a long enumeration of facts, a long description of features, but all these features remind us strangely of the

of

qualities

the

powers

of

receives

all,

react.

It

They seem to describe the absorbent mind. The absorbent mind children.

does not judge,

it

absorbs

all

it

never repels,

and incarnates

it

in

it

does not

The

man.

child achieves incarnation in order to adapt himself to life

men and become

with other

child suffers

all

:

if

equal to them. The he comes into the world in a cold and

frozen environment there he forms himself to live in

If

and

only be happy in that he enters the world in a torrid region,

the adult he will be one

environment.

it

day

will

there he will construct himself so that he could not live

and be happy

in another climate.

receives him, be

415

it

Be

it

the desert which

the plains fringing the ocean, be

it

the

THE ABSORBENT MIND slopes in the high mountain ranges, he enjoys

it all

and

there alone he reaches the highest well-being.

The

receives poverty as

as

believes

receives wealth,

it

receives the prejudices

it

ment

:

incarnates

it

This

is

And

if it

stability it

mind

absorbent

in

it all

the child

and customs

within

like this,

most

of the

would not achieve

receives

it

It

all.

all faiths

of his environ-

itself.

!

were not

any

hopes

all,

its

mankind would not reach

different parts of the world,

continuous progress in civilization

without ever having to start afresh. The absorbent mind forms the basis of the miraculous

by man and appears to us in the guise of the small and delicate child who solves the mysterious difficulties of human destiny by the virtues of love.

society created

If

therefore

we have done analysed.

It

we

study the child a

hitherto, is

we

find love in

little

all its

better than

aspects

and

not analysed by the poet or the prophet

but by what the child shows

by

If

reality.

we

consider

the description given by St. Paul and then look at the " Here it is that all these are found so child, we say, ;

here

is

the great treasure

itself/'

The treasure then is to be found not merely near those who study poetry and religion, but within every human being. This miracle is sent to all the represen;

tative of this

Man this

tremendous force

makes a rain. So

desert of it

is

strife

be found everywhere. and God continues to send is

to

easy to understand that

all

the

416

THE ABSORBENT MIND achievements as they are, without love lead nowhere, to nothing. But if this love present in the child is taken among us, if its values and

creations

of

potentialities

adults,

are

great

and developed, our achieve-

realized

The

ments, already great, will be tremendous.

adult

and the child must come together the adult must be humble and learn from the child to be great. It is curious that among all the miracles which humanity has performed, there is only one miracle that he has not taken ;

into consideration

the beginning

:

Supposing

and

subject

:

the miracle that

we

tell

a

put a little

An

lady of his choice. this

is

has sent from

the Child. little

levity into this

story.

wished to marry and recounted

and

God

A all

elder guide

what happened

:

the

young man

certain

the praises of the

responded

in writing

The young man praises her The young man a zero.

guide writes finding beauty is not enough, states that she

beauty

;

weighty

is

rich

;

the guide writes zero.

The young man says, she is learned, but the guide " All this again writes zero. The young man says means nothing, well, she is athletic, she rides, swimg, plays tennis." Again the guide writes zero. The young :

man

goes on describing

all

sorts of qualities

which

his

and

the guide continues to write zero Then the young man says " She is of against them. " That is somegood character ", and the guide says

lady-love possesses

:

:

thing ",

417 27

and

writes a figure one in front of

all

the zeros.

THE ABSORBENT MIND acquire their value from this one

All the other merits

and with

quality

all

in front of all the zeros her

the achievements are

truction, but

if

love

So it is with civilinaught and lead to des-

a thousandfold.

total value increases

zation,

one

that

there they

is

all

acquire a great value.

This teaching of the child as a power of love is not as the teaching of St. Paul, it is not an understanding of It is not that man has taught this love with the mind. Since he

love to children. cribing

and

it,

is

how can he

in the child.

It

not even capable of des-

is

teach

means

it ?

a force of nature

It is

that there

is this

force that

nature has placed in the very constitution of man,

it is

more important than anything else and must be put before all the creations of man. This brings us to another field, to that of love not as a phantasy of man,

therefore

but as a force in Natura Creatrix.

forms and aspects that

That which we ness.

It

is

Let us analyse the love can assume.

this

call

love

we have

in our conscious-

the part of the universal energy that

But one

we

feel

say that universal energy has Let us analyse it it is nothing to do with humanity.

consciously.

may

:

an

attraction,

and what

is

attraction but a universal force.

What keeps the and makes them move along the

Let us consider the universe.

stars

where they are

fixed

path they follow the ground

the

atoms

Attraction.

?

If

Attraction.

Why

What

do bodies

fall

to

works among matter* so that they construct wholes ? this attraction did not exist there would

By of

?

attraction.

is it

that

418

THE ABSORBENT MIND be chaos, nothing would be in existence. There would be no heaven and no stars without attraction. And if

were no

there

to the earth,

attraction

when we jump

we would else

remain up in the air and so would everything Chemical affinity which brings certain elements

!

together could not manifest attraction I

made

without attraction.

And "

love.

is

itself

the stars

love or attraction,

So we could say with St. Paul, If and everything on earth, but I had no nothing would exist." Love is not

merely sympathy, but the very essence of existence. If we consider conscious love, we can analyse further. All animals have at certain moments the instinct of reproduction,

a

which

command

a form

is

of nature

is

tion

nothing would continue. is

for

a

moment and

measured

and

may

then

it

this attrac-

So a little atom of this them for a little moment in

lent to

order that the species

This form of

because without

love

universal energy

of love.

be continued.

disappears.

economical

nature

is

They

feel

This shows in

it

how

lending love

;

and no more, given in small doses and based on command. When the young come, the parents feel a special love for them which leads them

just

sufficiently

to protect the species,

and

all

the

young ones are kept

But as soon as the young are sufficiently grown, love disappears suddenly from one moment to another. It is not a sentiment as we think,

near the mother.

but an energy given very carefully and economically, just a small ray to penetrate the darkness of consciousness,

419

THE ABSORBENT MIND but as soon

work

as the

us

That

?

sentiment.

animals, but

true

is

convey not merely a

is

lasts longer in

it

it

man

than in

not a sentiment really (apart from

is

it

that

So,

disappears.

supposed sentiment

this

It

it

and then what does

love can take this aspect to

done,

is

encouragement or discouragement).

Cosmically

it is

its

an

energy lent to every living being and withdrawn as soon as the immediate purpose is fulfilled.

So

man

because

is

carries

it

him

it is

measured

can sublimate

to social

and

to

any other force, It must be organization.

force lent to

this

limits

greater than

and developed and expanded

treasured

vaster

within

given

but even so

also,

Man

force

this

maximum. him and make it

to the

To

vaster to reach abstraction.

bring

into

it

and to treasure it, this is the work Let us take it and bring it into the field of of man. Let us treasure it imagination and make it general. the field of abstraction

because

this

is

the force that holds the universe together.

we

This part, that

and

this

if

born,

it

together

force

is

renewed

must be treasured. all

given to us, every time a child is

possess consciously, in

man

By

things that he can

is

this force

do with

his

man can

hold

hand and

his

intelligence.

Love

is

a

gift

of

the

Universal Consciousness

aim and purpose, as is everything lent If the aim is to man by the Cosmic Consciousness. not fulfilled, then nothing can sustain itself and all for

a special

crumbles

away.

We

can understand the words of

420

THE ABSORBENT MIND the saint that

all

nothing unless love

is

is

there.

More

which gives light in the darkness, more than the etheric waves which allow our voices to travel than

electricity

over wide distances, more than any energy that man has discovered and exploited is this love above all things ;

it

is

the most important.

All that

forces of electricity or of etheric

who

consciousness of him is

comes and

it

we must

study

it

it,

and use

we

when a Even if later

it

it is

as other forces are, but

it

springs

that

421

its utilization

and

man must

that

is

follow.

fan.

it

a yearning for it. So more than any other force in

the environment, because

love and

the

uses them. This energy of love

opens out as a

circumstances destroy

with the

waves depends on

given to us so that each one of us contains

child

it

man can do

is

feel

not lent to the environment

The study

lent to us.

will lead us to the fountain

the Child.

This

is

the

of

whence

new path

Printed by C. Subbarayudu, at the Vasanta Press,

The Theosophical

Society, Adyar,

Madras

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