Learning is essence of life

Just because formal education is completed doesn’t mean that our education is over. It’s a misconception

By Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji

From the time we are born until the day we die, learning is an unceasing part of life. Whether we desire it or not, we are constantly absorbing new knowledge because life itself is intertwined with the process of learning.

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Our whole existence is a continuous education, where every experience contributes to our understanding. As conscious beings, our five senses — often called the five doors of knowledge — ensure that we are always creating perceptions. We listen, see, touch, taste, and learn, but it is the awareness or consciousness in our brain that makes this learning possible. Without this awareness, learning is impossible.

Many of us spend years in classrooms acquiring knowledge. Yet, when formal education ends, we often mistakenly believe that the learning phase of our life is over and that it’s time to focus solely on achieving success. But doesn’t it seem odd to think that only a small portion of our lives should be devoted to learning, while the rest is spent relying on what we already know? Learning never exhausts the mind, so why limit it to our school years?

Just because formal education is completed doesn’t mean that our education is over. It’s a misconception that many of us subconsciously adopt. Life is a series of experiences, each one offering lessons that make us wiser, even if it’s hard to realise it at times. Setbacks and challenges, though painful, propel us forward. We must strive to learn something about everything and everything about something.

Throughout our journey, we constantly learn lessons that shape our ‘sanskaras’ according to our ‘karma’. Recognising that learning is inevitable and that it shapes our ‘sanskaras’ — leading to either happiness or sorrow — should inspire us to be more mindful in what we learn. If we know that our ‘sanskaras’ accompany us from one life to the next, we will be more careful to learn good things and discard bad ones.

In today’s world, no one is perfect in goodness and virtues, so the need for continuous self-improvement is urgent. Since we cannot avoid learning, why not focus on cultivating moral values and virtues that guide us towards perfection? Why carry the burden of negative traits when we could be advancing toward our goals?

Delaying our progress only makes it harder to correct our path later on. Learning is a ceaseless, continuous process. As someone wisely said, “We learn every day and shed the ego that claims we know everything.” So, why not stay alert and follow the right path that shields us from the tragedies, tensions, and turmoil of life? The answer lies within us.

(nikunjji@gmail.com — www.brahmakumaris.com)
(Writer is a spiritual educator and popular columnist)