Avadhāni can compose poetry, while solving a mathematical puzzle, answering riddles and playing chess – all simultaneously.
A colleague once enlisted my help to get his daughter into a particular pre-school in Delhi, because if she didn’t go there, she wouldn’t get into Harvard. At the time I thought he was being facetious, seeing as the child was only two.
In retrospect, I realise he may have been onto something. Desi parents will leave no stone unturned to facilitate the academic and professional success of their children (mea culpa!) and it can’t start soon enough.
But are we doing it right? Are tuitions and coaching classes the way? Do our kids have to work 14 hours a day, and even if they do, are they working smart?
Study techniques like Vedic Maths and the Japanese teaching method have been hailed as facilitators. Truth be told, we haven’t even scratched the surface of what our ancient tradition can bring to our lives. And that too without the unbelievable stress of coaching classes and tuitions.