18 - The Most Valuable Learning

Once a Professor of a University was crossing a water body in a boat. To pass the time he started talking to the boatman. He told him his several achievements in educational field. The boatman was silently listening to him. Since he was not educated much, he did not understand also what he was saying to him.

When the Professor had told him many things, and the boatman did not speak anything, he got tired of speaking. He asked him - "Now tell me something about yourself. Have you ever studied the science of grammar?" "No, I haven't." "then you have wasted half of your life. How much educated you are?" "I am not educated much. I failed in my 5th grade, and since then I have been sailing the boat." Hearing this the professor got silent.

The boatman was not happy with the rudeness of the Professor, but remained cool outwardly. Soon the black clouds started roaring in the sky, and a storm moved in as they sailed across the water. They were caught in the storm, the boat got out of control. Fearing that the boat would capsize, the boatman yelled at the Professor - "O Professor, Do you know how to swim?"

The professor replied with contempt - "Certainly not, do you expect me to know swimming. I never wasted my time with such a pastime." The boatman cried - "The boat is going to sink in this water. It is you who have wasted your life by not learning swimming, because this boat is going to sink and you are going to drown in this water." And he jumped into the water to save himself.

[It is immaterial how we spend our lives and what we value. Only that education is valuable which is useful on the occasion. The Professor was proud of his knowledge, while crossing the waters, swimming was more valuable. Both had their own fields of specialization. Nobody was superior, and nobody is inferior.]