value of education

satnaam satguru satsangat ji,

dandauth bandhana ji

 

 

Sant Iqbal Singh Ji from Akal Academy made some very interesting points about education.  He said in the West we have emphasis mostly on literacy i.e. learning the subjects, but what it lacks is values.  So it becomes merely intellectual.  And that unfortunately is respected in the West - the level of your education.  However, this is what Guru Nanak Dev ji described "par par gadee ladhiyaa" ..reading and reading one is merely loading up carts and carts of books.  It may boost our reputation and only increases our ego, it doesn't help us spiritually.  Infact, look at the invention of the nuclear bomb by highly intellectual scientists that was then dropped on Hiroshima killing a million people.  Even now many parents pay more for a private education to ensure better grades and hopefully higher paid jobs and more status in society.  None of them ever mentions what kind of person their child will turn out to be.  Egotistical perhaps?  And what happens to parents on seeing their children coming out with certifcates and titles?  Swelling up with pride.  Gathering any kind of knowledge which results in us increasing our ego is of absolutely no spiritual value, infact it is a curse for our soul.

 

Sant Ji then said that we need education backed with values, and that is what Gurbani says "vidia vicharee ta parupkaree"...contemplater of knowledge and selfless in service.

So whatever we learn is only of value if it removes our ego and makes us selfless in service to others.

 

Sant Ji finished off by saying that the highest knowledge was Divine Knowledge (BrahmGian) and that comes direct from God.

 

Dust of your feet

 

Harjit