In childhood, we are trained to be separate from others. In school, we are taught to be somebody. As adults, we are taught to compete with others. If the ultimate truth is that we are all one, that we are all bliss, then why can’t mass consciousness also reflect this joy, peace and love? This is a beautiful question. I shall answer this step by step. This question has a lot of potential meaning.

The people who created today’s educational system are not enlightened. The ancient education system called the gurukul was created by the rishis. Unfortunately, it is no longer alive. Let me say a few things about the education system that was initiated by these enlightened masters. In this system, any child who belongs to the country belongs to the master! The master takes care of him. The parents hand over the child to the master a few years after his or her birth. In this system of education, children were not compelled to wear clothes until a certain age. By not wearing clothes, the children did not develop the idea that they were individual bodies! They were straightaway allowed to relate with Existence, with ether. They were allowed to relate with flowers, forests, trees, earth. They were not given an idea that they were somebody. Also, they were not given the idea that they were male or female.

Actually, males are 51 percent male and 49 percent female. Females are 51 percent female and 49 percent male. But their lesser half is suppressed by society and they are made to think that they are purely male or purely female. This causes many repercussions in their consciousness. These are some basic things you should follow while bringing up children. If you have to put clothes on them, put on single piece clothing covering both the upper and lower body, instead of putting on two piece clothing that separates the upper and lower body at the hip. Also, don’t give them the continuous idea that they are somebody. Of course, it might be a bit difficult for you, as you need to send them to school, but at least try with your best effort.

In the gurukul system, children were first given a meditation technique. Even if they got the idea that they were male or female, they could use this meditation technique and dilute that imbibed feeling. This meditation technique helped them flush the feeling out, and again and again helped them tune to the collective consciousness. That technique is what we call the Gayatri mantra. From seven to fourteen years of age, children practiced the Gayatri, through which they continuously tried to connect to the collective consciousness. By the age of fourteen, they would have had a glimpse of the collective consciousness. They would have had a glimpse of the blueprint of the collective consciousness.

After they had a glimpse of the blueprint, depending on the intensity of it, they were given deeper techniques. By the age of 21, they became enlightened! I tell you honestly, there was a time when 70 percent of the people were enlightened. The other 30 percent were working towards enlightenment. The social structure created by the enlightened masters was such that people were either already enlightened or working towards it. There was no other category. There were only enlightened people and seekers. Unfortunately, we have lost the system today. That is why we have to conduct these meditation programs every week all around the world. We have a gurukul system in our ashram in India. We are reviving the vedic system without disturbing the modern education, so that children can once again grow up connecting with the collective consciousness.

Question: We are all part of collective consciousness. Then how does god come into this?

The collective consciousness is what I call god. The Whole is what I call god. When you are Whole, you are holy.

source: Living Enlightenment