Knowledge beings with acceptance and

one's ignorance

To succeed in the search for knowledge, one must begin by admitting one’s ignorance. This is not easy and is tantamount to an act of humility. Many people are so full of themselves that the joy of new knowledge is lost upon them through their own illusion of their all knowing nature.

A story illustrates this well. There was once a great scholar of the Bhagwad Geeta whose lectures were attended by thousands of people. They touched his feet and praised him as the best speaker they had ever heard. As time passed, his admirers were in such awe of him that they feared him. Therefore, none would venture to tell him that over the years, his speeches were becoming monotonous; there was no longer and edge of passion to his words and no new dimension to his thoughts. The crowds started thinning and soon, the audiences began to disappear. At this time, his closest friend and manger took him aside and told him gently that he needed to reinvent his style and knowledge. “What should I do?” said that scholar, “I have put before my listeners the whole of the Geeta. I am considered the best orator by all. What more do they want?” The friend told him that outside the city, in an isolated ashram lived a yogi who knew the secrets of the Geeta like none other. “Why don’t we visit him and get new insights into this wonderful book?” asked the friend. To get the huge audiences back as quickly as possible, the scholar acceded to this suggestion and both men rode in the scholar’s expensive limo to the ashram. Upon entering the presence of the yogi, the scholar said, “Sir, I have come to ask you for your insights on the Geeta. But you must forgive me – I am a busy man and have little time. Can you hurry up and give me some tips?” The yogi smiled and said,” Sir, I have heard so much about you. You are a great man. How can I let you go without some hospitality? I will give you a cup of tea and then we shall talk” The yogi disappeared inside and returned with three cups of tea. The cups were full of brew and the scholar was embarrassed. “Please can I have some milk?” he asked. The yogi replied, “Sir, your mind is exactly like this cup – too full to receive any new knowledge. Leave some room in you soul for new knowledge and your life will change miraculously.” The scholar understood the import of this statement and became a disciple of the yogi with total humility and gained infinite knowledge.

This story illustrates how a knowledge seeker should always be humble and curious. Knowledge has no boundaries. Every piece of information we receive through whatever means is an addition to the pool of learning and experience we collect throughout our lives. The intelligence we gather form our parents, teachers, self education, environment and other sources, when combined with our experience, becomes our wisdom, To be seeker, you need to ask questions, to find answers and to constantly be alert to new ideas, concepts, thoughts and solution to the situations we come across in our lives. A seeker learns from an ordinary blade of grass which bends down and lies prostrate in the face of a storm – only to rise and sparkle afresh the weather is sunny again.