Implementing the Method of Upbringing from an Early Age – Continued

In our last conversation, you said that we raise children in a false reality.

That is because the world is becoming global and integral, while we are still individualist egoists. With such inclinations, we will destroy ourselves under the new conditions of society's existence. We will bring ourselves to war and perish. Therefore, parents must make sure that their child is connected to a center of virtual integral upbringing through television and the Internet. Today every home has such a connection, so there is no problem in connecting to such a center and including one's child in this kind of upbringing. In explaining the perception of integral reality, I rely on the research of scientists and psychologists. Ideas such as the need to change the concept of society and social ties, unity and mutual guarantee, interaction and consideration of everyone. This is why we must speak about integral upbringing.

Integral upbringing speaks about the importance of connection?

About the general connection between the human being and Nature. A person who is properly connected with Nature reveals it in a perfect way. He also gains a relationship to phenomena and sensations that we do not feel. That is why in previous programs we spoke about relating to the child as to a person who absorbs everything and looks at us from within himself, like an adult. The body grows according to its own program of development, but the soul has no age. Therefore we must consider what exactly we want to raise and correct. The body needs care and support; it should be given everything it requires. But in essence a person lives for a higher need, and so he must be provided with the means of inner development. That is why, from the moment of birth onward, we relate to him as to a being that consists of two layers — an inner/social one and an outer/bodily one. Both layers need to be developed.

So it turns out that modern upbringing, even the seemingly best kind by our understanding, does not deal with the inner layer at all?

Absolutely. If, parallel to the physical development we give the child, we begin to develop him integrally, we will feel how differently he develops. Of course, it is not a matter of knowledge. Proper upbringing changes the inner essence of a person, creating new connections within him. And then a person begins to look at the world differently. For example, our teenage girls complained to me that it is hard for them to communicate with their classmates; they cannot keep up conversations about trivial topics, or enter into relationships where everyone plays a role seen in a movie. And everything is filled with this game. Of course, they do not demand that their classmates change, and they do not judge them. But they ask what they should do, because if they behave differently, they might be seen as proud and arrogant.

Not sociable enough?

Yes. I gave them a few pieces of advice, but the situation is rather unusual. On the other hand, it is pleasant to talk with them — they are mature and understanding.

You said this strengthens them…

Yes, it strengthens them and forms a mature attitude toward life, the world, and people's behavior.

And it raises their level of awareness?

Absolutely. The young people who are now growing up among us understand everything: the perception of reality, the structure of the world and society, the functioning of our world, our Nature.

From what age do they learn this?

At six years old they already demand to study the general rules of the integral world. This is their world. They understand it better than adults — in a natural way. When an infant is born, he has no approach to this world at all!

He studies it.

In exactly the same way, he will study the new world too.

For him, perceiving the integral world is like moving from "mono" to "stereo"…

Especially when a six-year-old child receives a lesson from an eight-year-old friend! I envy the way they look at their young teachers — if only they would look at me that way!

I see that they simply believe them. We conducted such an experiment and got an astonishing result: six-year-old children sit in complete silence and, with enormous interest, listen to the explanation of an eight- or nine-year-old teacher. All the educators have to do is watch from the side and guide the group. The children like this kind of learning very much, and the educators suddenly understood what upbringing is. A truly boundless perspective opened up before them.

And in this way we are raising a generation of educators.

Even if a child does not become a professional educator, he knows what it means to explain something unclear. He will think about the material differently. My friend's son studies at a university, and he said that in order to prepare for an exam and understand the material better, he needs to find someone whom he can teach the subject to. And you are saying that children who are only slightly older can already teach such complex things?

Yes, because they themselves have already gone through these topics.

I was present at a lesson for children aged six or seven, and I saw that they can explain concepts of the world and society that I cannot explain. They understand the material very deeply — something beyond many adults. And they speak about it naturally, simply, and freely.

They also convey everything in their own words, and it is received very naturally.

And can children teach other children about connections with people? Do they develop to such a degree that they understand all the levels of connection and the cases where another person might be offended?

We see that under the influence of this upbringing, not only their behavior and relationships with each other change, but also their approach to life. It is amazing how even now they plan their future: I will grow up, start a family, study, work — that is, they look at life as the realization of a program.

Does this not limit them?

No, no. They see in it a path of development, of flourishing, a wonderful perspective.

Even if a child does not yet understand concepts such as bestowal and love of one's neighbor, is it useful to talk with him about this and to explain it many times?

Of course, because such learning has a special addition — the influence of the developing upper force. Moreover, these words, like any words of this world, gradually penetrate the child's consciousness and bind various impressions together. He hears how others speak, he speaks himself, and suddenly all of this becomes part of a certain system. Although it is not felt in his sense organs, it complements our system subconsciously and on the level of the mind. And then the child begins to connect things that were not connected before. When he discovers these connections, the world becomes global and integral for him. Then he sees that this science allows him to perceive the world as close, rather than distant, enormous, disjointed, and confusing. His attitude toward the world becomes systematic: every phenomenon has its place. The main thing here is the general approach — it greatly helps and simplifies the child's mastery of the world.

You mean understanding?

Rather order: the child acquires the ability to put all phenomena in order.

Children really do want to know the order of what is happening. But this form of thinking is fundamentally different from the one that exists today. It broadens the platform of observation.

Of course. If we speak about the states before the creation of this world, and about how this world came to be, how we were formed over the course of evolution — and how we must now undergo integral development — then the child looks at these stages and at our world as at a single process.

And what should be done if a child does not perceive this content, or cannot connect it with what he sees in an ordinary school? Children's moods change often: one moment they like it, the next they do not; one moment they want to, the next they do not.

The same thing happens with adults…

I want to give an example. After playing several games and having discussions, and watching a television program, the children were pleased. They laughed and talked about unity, love, and connection among themselves. It was clear that they felt good and at ease with one another. Then a meal began. And suddenly a six-year-old boy stands up and says that he does not feel the connection.

Wonderful!

That impressed us too. We said that this is difficult and requires time and effort. And then, as if by a chain reaction, one child after another began to admit that they do not feel the unity.

This is already a revelation and awareness of their own nature. But we have no other way out; we are destined to become similar to Nature, and we reveal our interdependence.

The question is: to what extent can we allow them to express this feeling? Can it be present at every meeting?

And why not? In the process of becoming aware of his life, a child absorbs various material: clashes, contradictions, misunderstandings — regarding behavior at home, with parents, at school, and in society as a whole. We want to bring all these impressions into one system, and within it we show the phenomena that do not work because of our egoism. This helps him build a good attitude toward the entire world except for egoism — he sees that it is precisely egoism that causes harm. Because of it, he does not feel a connection with others, because egoism stops him.

So what should we answer him?

Answer that he does not feel the connection because he himself is not connected. Let him try to connect; let him consider what it is that he lacks for connection. He needs to go through a series of actions in order to become aware of the problem, but this is already the path of recognizing egoism as evil.

Besides, you place a certain responsibility on him, so that he cannot simply say: I do not feel the unity and nothing can be done about it.

All of this ties in beautifully with upbringing. After all, educators usually try to "train" children like animals: don't do that, don't go there, this is forbidden, you did something bad — you get a punishment, a shout. The child is kept within restrictive limits, as if in prison — everything around is forbidden. But here he himself begins to understand whether or not it is worth acting a certain way: not because of a prohibition, but because of benefit, according to the values received from the environment in which he develops. This is a completely different kind of analysis. The child is not subjected to a police regime and restrictions he does not understand. It is explained to him why it is not worth acting a certain way, because we too are going through this process — we are his partners. In order to survive, we need to become friendly toward one another.

So can we say that we ourselves do not always feel the unity, and that is why we are working on it?

We learn this together — and if it is the older children who tell him so, that is the key to successful upbringing. He sees that everyone is occupied with mastering connection. And he sees nothing else. This approach to life becomes life itself for him.

Because he wants to be like the older children?

For a younger child, the words of an older one are law. And the words of adults they perceive as a moralizing lecture.

So it turns out that it is worth giving teenagers the opportunity to explain the integral attitude toward others to the little ones?

Of course. In essence, we structure our educational program so that only children raise children. And the instructors will guide this process from the side, until the children themselves develop the programs, games, and activities. The time will come when the adults will give up their place as educators to the children.

We receive many questions about the extent to which a child can be limited by prohibitions. Parents feel that they are losing their authority.

Children test our reaction to what is allowed and what is not. If a child does something forbidden, he is measuring what we permit and trying to expand the boundaries of what is allowed.

And how should one react if he acts out of spite?

Show him how you begin to do things out of spite toward one another and where this leads — your egoism rejoices as you fight. And show what mutual gain you can arrive at by removing the rivalry. Competition is good, provided that you compete together — in order to achieve a better result — and it does not matter who wins; what matters is the result achieved through a competitive process. That is the gain from competition.

For the sake of achieving something?

All actions must take this form. Demonstrating your displeasure is a poor practice, since it is no proof that he acted wrongly. On the contrary, he will see in you a ruler who acts by force rather than by justice. Do you really want him to think that way? I watch the child's reaction and, depending on it, decide how I should respond to his actions. After all, I want to leave a good impression of myself in him, so that he considers me kind, upright, and just.

But surely you do not do everything he wants?

No, but I also cannot do what I myself want. I must lead him to understanding.

So it turns out that the children raise the adults?

That too.

So, today we spoke about how upbringing must, from the earliest age, connect the child (the little human being) with Nature. About teaching the integral perception of the world, which opens up for the child a broad perspective on his life — something children greatly lack today, and which resolves a multitude of problems. We spoke about a generation of educators, when the children themselves will do the educating, and about how much better children perceive older children than they do teachers. And about how a child must not be raised through training like an animal, but must be helped to build a proper attitude toward life from the earliest age. And that a parent must rise above his natural, egoistic reaction to the child and respond differently.

And the main solution is that the older children should raise the younger ones.