When many people think of the education of the mind, they probably think of their experiences in schooling. However, it's not just about that. The question is more complex than that. I could start by asking why the effectiveness of school education is declining. Let us now disregard from the socio-economic aspects. A hundred years ago, teaching was done on a blackboard, nowadays it is done using the highest technology, but this has not had a significant impact on the efficiency of education, and has had the opposite effect. Young people today... and then comes the counter-argument: obviously I'm getting old. But that is not what I am talking about. I want to look at the problem from a much broader perspective, looking at the root causes.

By training the mind, I mean disciplining it. This means the ability to direct attention, the ability to concentrate, the ability to shift attention quickly, and the depth of attention. The abilities of today's young people in these areas are below those of previous generations. This means that even though they have more information and their learning time is increasing, they will continue to fall further behind previous generations. They have more knowledge, but they cannot use it. They have dramatically less creative and combinatorial ability, they can only perform routine tasks, and even those are performed imprecisely by them; they are unmotivated and they cannot be motivated. As a result, they will become "slave labour", only able to do low-level jobs, and will fall down the social ladder. If these do not apply to someone or their children, they are the lucky exception. 

When the question of responsibility arises, then, as it is a human custom, everyone blames on the other. But I am looking for solutions, not responsible organizations. Everyone is responsible for their own fate, and if someone is looking for a solution, they will find it. I would like to assure everyone that there is a solution, that we do not have to accept that our children or ourselves are like that; that we are factory defective or genetically stunted. Human was given the human form to try to become more perfect. Every effort in this direction is a success and a step towards the goal. I feel it is my mission to lift the youth out of the modern slavery that awaits them, into which the phalanx of the 21st century seeks to transform human. Unfortunately, the framework of formal education does not currently allow for this. For the time being, my aim is to shape attitudes, because not only students but also teachers are lacking to create a more effective teaching method. 

First, some basic principles need to be clarified. The basis of all human activity is discipline. Self-discipline is best, but if there is none, then discipline is necessary. The first thing a parent should do, is to teach his/her child this. If this is not done by school age, then there is little that school in its present form can do. However, violence in discipline should be avoided, because it involves programming fears, and therefore the personal example of the parent (teacher) could be the appropriate instrument. However, the parent (teacher) cannot set an example because he/she lacks the ability to control the mind. Therefore, adults must be taught first. How? First of all, self-discipline. Before anyone snorts that they are disciplined, answer a few questions for yourself:

- You have to get up an hour earlier than usual; can you do it without frustration (maybe on your own force)?

- You have to do a job you don't like; can you do it quickly and efficiently without complaining?

- You are tired when you get home, you have chores to do; can you complete or distribute tasks without fighting with your family members?

- An unexpected guest drops in, no food at home; can you throw together something from "nothing" to keep everyone happy?

- You have a deadline job; can you work all night without drinking twenty-five cups of coffee?

- Can you perform several parallel activities at the same time, so that each one is perfect?

- How many tasks can you keep in mind at the same time, without an (electronic) notebook; can you change the predefined order of tasks on the fly to save time?

- How long can you sit still and silent, or make the same single mechanical movement, without your attention wandering? 

The list could go on, but maybe that's enough. If someone knows all of these, I will immediately hire them as a teacher candidate for my planned mind-education school (not to be confused with mind control!). If you don't know it and want to learn it, you are welcome to become a disciple. The skills listed here are abilities that are (or will be) essential for someone to get a good job, manage their time, progress in both their work and personal development, provide for their family, and even have a good time in life. 

What are the consequences of not having self-discipline? Chaos. The chaos first appears in one's personal life, then it spreads, it spills out. The accompanying symptoms are constant rush, constant tension, a sense of being left behind. These in turn lead to a pattern of aggressive behaviour. Lack of self-discipline therefore leads both directly and indirectly to an increase in aggression in all areas. If there is nothing to eat, it is taken away from the other, if there is no woman to have sex with, it is followed by violent intercourse, if the victim defends herself, she is killed. Lack of self-discipline leads to total uninhibition. Self-discipline, on the other hand, helps to ward off any attacks that may come from those who do not practice self-discipline. He/she who is disciplined will control the situation. He/she directs. The one who learns self-discipline can pass it on to his/her children, and then he/she will have no problem with them in their old age, because they will not freeload on him/her.

The way to master self-discipline is through training and controlling the mind. In what follows, I will elaborate on this topic and shed light on it from several angles.

So, why should learn to control the mind? Because without it

- aggressive behaviour is on the rise; and the increase of aggression can only be curbed by people who are mentally developed and able to control themselves,

- the percentage of useless, unviable masses who are unmotivated, who can't do anything for themselves and who just feed off the rest of society is increasing,

- not only the prisons are full, but also the asylums, because the phenomena of the physical world are slowly merging with the phenomena of the astral world, which people have not learned to deal with.

To start training the mind, we begin with two exercises. The first I have called Cinderella, the second Snow White.

Margaret Rhasoda-Varga
UCCM head-master
(The art of living life II. excerpt)