Life is a continuous education, every experience shapes our understanding

From the time we are born till the day we die; we keep on learning something in life. Irrespective of whether we want it or not, we can’t stop learning because there is no existence of life without the process of learning. Our whole life is a bundle of experience and in turn, an education, where we all are in ever learning mode, every moment and everywhere. As conscious beings, having sense organs, also known as the five doors of knowledge, we, by our very nature, cannot remain without creating perception.

Our ears are always open, so we are constantly listening. The words that go through our ears to our brains are like lessons that we receive constantly. Similarly, we see the whole world through our eyes which also results in learning good things as well as bad things. The electrical impulses that we receive through our skin or taste buds, reach our brain which is also a kind of learning for us. However, one must understand the fact that all the above mentioned processes of learning take place by awareness or consciousness that is present in our brain without which learning is next to impossible. Once we finish our studies, we feel that the education phase of our life is finally over and now it’s time for us to go out in the world & attain the highest level of success. But doesn't this sound too casual & an odd idea? That only a quarter of our lives should be devoted to learning, and then we should simply rest on our laurels for the remaining part of our lives? Well!! It is said that learning never exhausts the mind, so why do we restrict the process of learning until we are pursuing formal education? Just because you’ve finished your formal education, doesn’t mean that your education is over! It’s quite an erroneous idea, but unfortunately, the majority of us have absorbed it subconsciously. ? Remember !! It is only a dead body that ceases to participate in the process of learning & not the ones who resonate with life. Our life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us enlightened, even though many times it is hard to realize this.

We must always remember that the setbacks and grieves that we endure help us in our marching onward. Hence, we must always make it a point to learn something about everything and everything about something. Throughout our journey of life, we constantly learn some such lessons that result in the formation of sanskaras according to our karma. Hence, if we know clearly that learning is unavoidable and that we are always learning good or bad things, resulting in good or bad sanskaras that lead to happiness or sorrow, then we will never say that we have no time or no interest in learning. Likewise, if we know that our sanskaras go along with our life after life, then we will be more careful in learning good things and in giving up bad things because education seems to be an elixir that can bring us a healthy mind & body along with a lasting fruitful life. 

We all need to be enlightened & we urgently need to improve the quality of our thoughts, speech and actions. Since we cannot avoid learning, even if we wish, why don't we then learn to inculcate, in us, moral values, virtues or good qualities so that we may make progress towards perfection?  What do we gain by making lame excuses, saying that we have no time or that we are not interested? What is it that we are interested in? Are we interested in our downfall, decay or doom? In sinking and drowning deep down in the quagmire of vices, evils and mud? Remember !! The more we delay, the worse will be our condition and the more difficult it be to rectify our ways.

The process of learning, as was said earlier, is ceaseless and continuous and hence someone has rightly said "we learn everyday & shed the ego and the perception that I know everything". Hence we cannot stop it even if we try our best, putting all our might into it. So why not remain alert & follow the right path that saves us from tragedies, traumas, tensions and turmoil of life? The answer lies within us.

(The writer is a spiritual educator & popular columnist, views are personal)