Reshaping the future of Design Education: Takeaways from the accounts of the ancient Indian Rishis

Abstract

Design Education today is being imparted across the globe by varied institutions. We frequently witness new academic approaches, teaching methods, and pedagogies being discussed, and presented at various Design symposiums, and conferences, in the attempt of improving Design Education. While some investigate new strategies via experimentation and imaginative lenses, others investigate past wisdom to identify its relevance in the present context. The paper explores the latter through the teaching methods of ancient Indian teachers (also called Rishis) and seeks to determine its significance in the modern context.

Ancient India had a long and illustrious history of learning and education. There are several examples that stand out and have valuable lessons for educators of today and future. The paper incorporates instances from Pt. Sriram Sharma Acharya's ‘Pragya Purana: Devsanskriti Khand (fourth volume)’, which contains references to Indian culture, gurukuls, and the old Indian educational system. The paper discusses three instances of which one presents an intriguing relationship between diet and education as explained by Maharishi Uddalaka. Another instance is Maharishi Uddalaka's description of how he teaches in the absence of any physical infrastructure, while the last instance is from Takshashila, where Acharya Brahaspati employs a novel method of assessing his Ayurvedic pupil before he graduates. The paper goes into additional detail about the instances cited above from the ‘Pragya Purana’, that demonstrate significant takeaways for the Design education.