This is an old burmese story and I thought I share it with you guys. You will see why.
A young professor was once on a long sea journey. He was a highly educated man, with a long tail of letters after his name. In the ship crew was also an illiterate old sailor. Every evening the sailor would visit the cabin of the young professor, listen to him and ask him for advice about various different subjects. He was very impressed with the learning and knowledge of the young man.
On one evening the professor asked: "Old man, have you studied geology?"
He replied: "No sir, what is that?"
"The science of the earth."
"No sir, I have never been to any school or college. I have never studied anything and never heard of that"
"Old man, you have wasted a quarter of your life."
With a long face, the old sailor went away.
The next evening, the professor asked: "Old man have you studied oceanography?"
"What is that, sir ?"
"The science of the sea."
"No sir, I have never studied anything"
"Old man you have wasted half your life!"
With an even longer face, the sailor went away.
Next evening once again, the young professor questioned the old sailor: "Old man, have you studied meterology?" "What is that, sir? I have never even heard of it!"
"It is the science of the wind, the rain and the weather."
"No, sir. As I told you, I have never been to any school and never studied anything."
"You have not studied the science of the earth on which you live. You have not studied the science of the sea on which you earn your living. You have not studied the science of the weather which you encounter everyday. Old man, you have wasted three quarter of your life!"
The next day, it was the turn of the sailor. He came running and shouted: "Professor, have you studied swimology?!" "Swimology? What do you mean?"
"Can you swim, sir?"
"No, I dont know how to swim."
"Professor, you have waisted all of your life! The ship has struck a rock and is sinking. Those who can swim may reach the nearby shore but those who cannot swim will drown. I am so sorry sir, you have surely lost your life!"
You may study all the "ologies" of the world, but if you do not learn swimology,
all your studies are useless. You may read and write books on swimming, but
how will it help you if you refuse to jump in the ice-cold water yourself?
You must learn how to swim. And take action.
*As told in the teachings of the great S.N. Goenka.
A young professor was once on a long sea journey. He was a highly educated man, with a long tail of letters after his name. In the ship crew was also an illiterate old sailor. Every evening the sailor would visit the cabin of the young professor, listen to him and ask him for advice about various different subjects. He was very impressed with the learning and knowledge of the young man.
On one evening the professor asked: "Old man, have you studied geology?"
He replied: "No sir, what is that?"
"The science of the earth."
"No sir, I have never been to any school or college. I have never studied anything and never heard of that"
"Old man, you have wasted a quarter of your life."
With a long face, the old sailor went away.
The next evening, the professor asked: "Old man have you studied oceanography?"
"What is that, sir ?"
"The science of the sea."
"No sir, I have never studied anything"
"Old man you have wasted half your life!"
With an even longer face, the sailor went away.
Next evening once again, the young professor questioned the old sailor: "Old man, have you studied meterology?" "What is that, sir? I have never even heard of it!"
"It is the science of the wind, the rain and the weather."
"No, sir. As I told you, I have never been to any school and never studied anything."
"You have not studied the science of the earth on which you live. You have not studied the science of the sea on which you earn your living. You have not studied the science of the weather which you encounter everyday. Old man, you have wasted three quarter of your life!"
The next day, it was the turn of the sailor. He came running and shouted: "Professor, have you studied swimology?!" "Swimology? What do you mean?"
"Can you swim, sir?"
"No, I dont know how to swim."
"Professor, you have waisted all of your life! The ship has struck a rock and is sinking. Those who can swim may reach the nearby shore but those who cannot swim will drown. I am so sorry sir, you have surely lost your life!"
You may study all the "ologies" of the world, but if you do not learn swimology,
all your studies are useless. You may read and write books on swimming, but
how will it help you if you refuse to jump in the ice-cold water yourself?
You must learn how to swim. And take action.
*As told in the teachings of the great S.N. Goenka.
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