The Ideal Student
A thinker once rightly said: “When I come to know, I only knew this much, and till now I know nothing; I simply do not know anything.”
The phrase: “I do not know anything,” is the first and most important condition required in order to know anything. It is only possible to fill a vessel which is empty, because if the vessel is full than nothing can be added to it. People who feel proud of their knowledge thereby thinking that they are highly knowledgeable can never learn anything.
Such an example can be seen in the following story. There was once a music maestro and a number of people would visit him in order to learn music. One day a student came to this maestro and bowed in respect. The maestro asked him what he wished to learn. The student replied: “I wish to learn the tabla.” The maestro asked the student if he had any elementary knowledge of playing the tabla, to which the student replied that he had none at all and that he was a beginner. Thus the maestro requested the student to pay admission fees of 50 rupees and thereafter monthly fees of 100 rupees. Shortly after this incident another student turned up and bowed to the maestro upon which the maestro asked him what he desired to learn. This student said he would like to learn the tabla as well. So once again the maestro asked him if he had any elementary knowledge in playing the tabla. The student replied: “Yes I do,” so the maestro requested he play what he knew. On hearing what the student played, the maestro said that he was willing to teach him and asked him to pay admission fees of 50 rupees and monthly fees of 300 rupees. Upon hearing the structure of the fees, this student reacted with pain and said: “This is most unfair, you ask the student who knows nothing to pay a monthly fee of 100 rupees, whereas I have elementary knowledge and you are charging me 300 rupees?” The maestro replied “The extra 200 rupees of your fees is to make you forget what you have learnt so far inaccurately. In order to make you forget this, I will have to make an extra effort whereas the other student is new in learning hence he will absorb whatever I teach him and learn much faster than you. In your case, I will first have to wipe off your present knowledge from the tape recorder of your mind and you will have to forget whatever you know and start afresh. In order to do this you will have to pay the extra amount.”
From the above example it becomes clear that we cannot ever fill anything in a full vessel. If the vessel is empty then it is easy to fill it. It clearly highlights the point that nothing can be taught to a proud person who thinks that he or she knows a lot. Sometimes people ask questions, not out of their curiosity, but simply to project their own knowledge in order to show that they ‘know’. Whilst at other times people ask questions in order to get their own thoughts and beliefs approved. A typical example is when a person says: “Sir I believe in this way, please give me your consent that it is correct.” A person should never go to spiritual masters in order to seek their approval. On the contrary, a person should go totally empty. They should be completely empty of all their beliefs and concepts before approaching a spiritual master. Therefore the first and most important condition in order to gain knowledge is to truly believe and imbibe the fact that we know ‘nothing’. This is an ideal student.