Indian Knowledge Systems and the Psychology of Values, Discipline and Character Formation

Indian Knowledge Systems provide a vast psychological and educational framework in their understanding of values, discipline and character formation. According to traditional Indian education philosophy, education was not just for acquiring knowledge or skills or for orientation to work, but was a holistic process designed to instill self-control, ethical awareness, emotional balance, social responsibility and refinement in the student. The moral and psychological basis of learning was influenced by the concepts of dharma, satya, ahimsa, seva, brahmacharya, self-discipline and self-knowledge. In this paper, the linkage of Indian Knowledge System with Psychology of values, discipline and character formation is explored. It outlines the contribution of ancient Indian educational traditions such as the Gurukul system, Upanishadic questions, Buddhist and Jain ethical traditions, yoga and community learning to development of moral personality and disciplined conduct. The paper posits the idea that IKS is an integrated model of human development in which cognition, emotion, behaviour, ethics and spirituality are all interconnected. It also examines the implications of this thinking for modern education, in which students are likely to be stressed, confused, overwhelmed with competition, and challenged with inappropriate self-regulation. The study recommends that the principles of IKS can be used to enhance the modern classroom settings by fostering value-based education, reflective discipline, emotional maturity, ethical decision making and promoting holistic character formation.