TRUE KNOWLEDGE
Human life is an admixture of dualities of pleasure and pain , happiness and sorrow, rise and fall in fortunes, fraught with trials and tribulations landing in mixed results. Where is the respite ? In such situations of groping wilderness, one must not lose heart but seek out for the beacon lights flashed with benevolence by learned sages.. They gave us the knowledge to steer through the Bhava Sagara (the ocean of worldly existence) and reach the other shore safely - attain the ultimate goal of salvation without being drowned in the deep waters. Any knowledge proficiently mastered is of no avail in realising the Ultimate, except the spiritual path.
Once a pandit (scholar) entered into a boat sailing towards a far off town on the other side of the river. He was quite boastful about his scholarly knowledge of various scriptures. He picked up conversation with a passenger sitting by his side.
Pandit : Do you know 'Vedanta' ?
Pass. : No, I don't know sir !
Pandit : So, a quarter of your life is wasted. Did you study 'Sankhya Yoga Darshana' and 'Patanjali Yoga Sutras' ?
Pass. : No sir, I didn't hear those names in my life time.
Pandit : Oh my God ! Half of your life is wasted. So, you didn't study any of the scriptures.
Pass. : No, sir !
Pandit : Three quarters of your life is wasted. I feel sorry for you , man !
Meanwhile, unexpectedly the sky turned dark, tempest set in and the boat capsized in the high waves and was about to sink. The passenger who was engaged in conversation with the pandit till then turned towards the latter and asked,
Pass. : Panditji ! Did you learn the subject of Swimming ?
Pandit : No man, I didn't hear about the scripture you are talking about. I didn't learn it.
Pass. : Panditji ! I don't know any scriptures you are conversant with. But I know 'how to swim' by which I can jump now and save my life by swimming to other shore. Whereas, your life is going to be 'totally' wasted - by drowning in the river as you don't know how to 'swim' !
Om Shanti !
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