To be in a learning community that provides an open and harmonious environment amidst nature to help a child achieve its absolute potential and discover sustainable ways of living to serve mankind.
Our values are those pillars in our life that we use to derive meaning and fulfillment. They form the foundation of our identity and destiny. They are not idealistic concepts but are a skillful means to manage our day-to-day life.
The values of Manava Bharati resonate with the five elements or ‘Panchbhuta’, which are the building blocks of the universe. The Five Elements encompass all that is needed to survive in this Creation. Without any one of the five, the universe would cease to exist. The Five Elements are basic, but the knowledge surrounding them runs deep. When the Five Elements are in balance, we can function at our highest level as human beings. Similarly, our values are the building blocks of our school, which are:
Sachetanta (Mindfulness): To experience spiritual, emotional, and intellectual oneness with one’s self, nature, work, and relationships. Mindfulness involves a conscious direction of our awareness. Being mindful of our mental state brings us into the area of self-observation.
By watching and registering the changing states of mind we come to see ourselves. It helps us recognise and step away from habitual, often unconscious emotional and physiological reactions to everyday events. It provides us with a scientifically researched approach to cultivating clarity, insight, and understanding. In Manava Bharati, mindfulness is an integral part of every interaction and action as it allows us to be fully present in our life and work, leading to a better quality of life.
Nishtha (Trust): To trust the human goodness in one’s own and the other’s intentions such that it enables us to foster meaningful relationships while respecting diverse perspectives and ensuring a collaborative learning space/environment.
Manava Bharati aspires to create a model of education that would be deeply rooted in the community and inspire its members to realize the interconnectedness with nature. This would require everyone, who comes from different walks of life, to work in harmony with each other. Trust will be an important value that will play a role in binding everyone together. There might be instances when there will be a difference of opinion or conflicts within the members of this community. To turn these moments of conflicts and disagreements into constructive spaces of learning and deepening relationships, it will be critical to trust the common vision of the members involved in the situation and their intention that each one wants the welfare of the institution and the community.
Shraddha (Respect): To have unconditional respect for nature and all its manifestation in various forms through responsible behaviour and action.
In our day-to-day activities, we often forget that we are an integral part of nature. This failure to see our relationship with nature has led us to make choices that have not only further distanced us from nature but have also led to the depletion of natural resources. Nature however has continued to play its vital role in providing for us fresh air, food, and everything else that is needed for survival. In Manava Bharati, since we aspire to be a community that understands this interconnect between nature and human beings hence we feel that it is important to respect nature in all its form and interact with it responsibly so that there is less wastage and enough for future generations. Since human beings are also a manifestation of nature it is of utmost importance that we respect this form in our day-to-day interaction and extend a behaviour that ensures mutual growth.
Paricharya (Service): To serve mankind and nature with a deep sense of humility and commitment for self-realization and growth.
No understanding is complete unless transformed from thoughts to action. Thus the element of service ensures that learning is not restricted merely to concepts but also takes the shape of concrete action that only deepens one’s understanding. In Manava Bharati, service is not viewed as an extension of philanthropy but a means of practicing humility and commitment to ensure that knowledge does not lead to self-obsession but self-realization.
Unmuktata (Freedom): To celebrate life in all its forms with a sense of awe and wonder (sense of joy) while engaging in the process of learning and unlearning, to be able to make choices that are in harmony with the entire environment.
Learning is a lifelong process. To ensure meaningful learning sometimes we have to unlearn a lot of things that we already know. This is an uncomfortable process but it is these uncomfortable situations in life that we learn the most. However, there should be a motivating factor that will encourage us to go on this journey. We need to feel the spirit of inquiry, the desire to know more, and stand in awe at the beauty with which life functions and are important for a meaningful learning process. It is this combination of learning and wonderment that makes the learning process fun.