WHY DOES MY CHILD LEARN SANSCRIT?

AN EXTRACT FROM “ WHY DOES MY CHILD STUDY SANSCRIT”
Irish Daily
Why does my child study Sanskrit?
by Rutger Kortenhorst
Rutger Kortenhorst, a Sanskrit teacher in John Scottus School in
Dublin, Ireland, speaks to parents of his school children on the value
of teaching Sanskrit to children, based on his own experience with the
language.

But Why Sanskrit? To answer that we need to look at the qualities of Sanskrit. Sanskrit stands out above all other languages for its beauty of sound,
precision in pronunciation and reliability as well as thoroughness in
every aspect of its structure. This is why it has never fundamentally
changed unlike all other languages. It has had no need to change being
the most perfect language of Mankind ever.
All languages keep changing beyond recognition. They change because
they are defective. The changes are in fact corruptions. They are born
and die after seven or eight hundred years -about the lifetime of a
Giant Redwood Tree- because after so much corruption they have no life
left in them.

Surprisingly there is one language in the world that does not have
this short lifespan. Sanskrit is the only exception. It is a
never-dying constant. The reason for the constancy in Sanskrit is that
it is completely structured and thought out. There is not a word that
has been left out in its grammar or etymology, which means every word,
can be traced back to where it came from originally. This does not
mean there is no room for new words either.
The precision of Sanskrit stems from the unparalleled detail on how
the actual sounds of the alphabet are structured and defined. The
sounds have a particular place in the mouth, nose and throat that can
be defined and will never change.

This is why in Sanskrit the letters are called the 'Indestructibles'
[aksharáni]. Sanskrit is the only language that has consciously laid
out its sounds from first principles. So the five mouth-positions for
all Indestructibles [letters] are defined and with a few clearly
described mental and physical efforts all are systematically planned:
[point out chart] The qualities of Sanskrit will become the qualities of your child-
that is the mind and heart of your child will become beautiful,
precise and reliable.

What Sanskrit teaches us that there is a language that is ordered,
following laws unfailingly and as they are applied your child gets
uplifted, not only when they grow up, but as they are saying it! This
means they get an unusual but precise, definite and clear insight into
language while they are enjoying themselves.
Now go to a language where everything is following rules. Where
nothing is left to chance from the humble origin of a letter to the
most sophisticated philosophical idea. How will that child meet the
world? Surely with confidence, clarity and the ability to express
itself?
Sanskrit and computers are a perfect fit. The precision play of
Sanskrit with computer tools will awaken the capacity in human beings
to utilize their innate higher mental faculty with a momentum that
would inevitably transform the mind. In fact, the mere learning of
Sanskrit by large numbers of people in itself represents a quantum
leap in consciousness, not to mention the rich endowment it will
provide in the arena of future communication. NASA, California
After many thousands of years, Sanskrit still lives with a vitality
that can breathe life, restore unity and inspire peace on our tired
and troubled planet. It is a sacred gift, an opportunity. The future
could be very bright.
I'll give NASA's Rick Briggs the last word from me:
One thing is certain; Sanskrit will only become the planetary language
when it is taught in a way which is exciting and enjoyable.
Furthermore it must address individual learning inhibitions with
clarity and compassion in a setting which encourages everyone to step
forth, take risks, make mistakes and learn.