We all keep learning something in life from the time we are born till the day we die. 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 experiences. Throughout our lives, under all circumstances, something is being added to the stock of our previous attainments. Our mind is always at work, in observation and analysis, storing from the time it starts functioning. As conscious beings having sense-organs, also known as five doors of knowledge, we, by virtue of our very nature, cannot remain without having perceptions. Our ears are always open, so we are constantly listening. The words that go through our ears to our brain are like lessons which we receive constantly. Similarly we see the whole world through our eyes which also results in learning good as well as bad things. The electrical impulses which we receive through our skin or taste-buds, reach our brain which is also a kind of learning for us. However, one must understand a fact that all the above mentioned processes of learning takes place by virtue of awareness or consciousness that is present in our brain without which learning is next to impossible.
Majority of us spend bulk of our time in classrooms acquiring new knowledge and ideas. However, 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 and attain highest level of success. But doesn’t this sound too casual and an odd ideaIJ 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 lifeIJ It is said that learning never exhausts the mind, then why do we restrict the process of learning until we are pursuing formal educationIJ Just because you’ve finished your formal education, doesn’t mean that your education is over. It’s quite an erroneous idea but unfortunately majority of us have absorbed it subconsciously.
We must always remember that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in marching forward. 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 it 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 us 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.
In the present day life, nobody is perfect as far as goodness and virtues are concerned. Hence, it cannot be denied that we all need to be enlightened and we urgently need to improve the quality of our thoughts, speech and action. The more we delay, the worse our condition will be and it would be difficult to rectify our ways. The process of learning is ceaseless and continuous and hence someone has rightly said, “We learn everyday and 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.