Tuesday, June 21, 2011

How well educated are you?

Or, should I say, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=2&amp;ved=0CCUQFjAB&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-2004479%2FStressed-commuter-goes-nuts-told-voice-down.html&amp;ei=VrMATtPiJcuctwe29YzHCQ&amp;usg=AFQjCNEemg9p3jwwAjpqjEMrGsFLmkVJJg" title="Do you know how well educated I am?">what has education got to do with it</a>?

<blockquote><em>A minute later, there was an announcement asking all passengers to please not use profanity on the train, 'especially those people who went to Harvard or Yale or are from Westport.'</em></blockquote>

The great Saint Kabir once wrote (or said, I don't know which, as I was not around back then):

<blockquote>जात न पूछो साध का,
पूछ लीजिये ग्यान।
मोल करो तलवार का,
पड़ा रहन दो म्यान।।</blockquote>

<em>Quick meaning:</em> Appearances can be deceptive!

<em>Long form of meaning:</em> Don't ask a sadhu/saint/hermit what his antecedents are, i.e., who his parents are, what his caste is, what his lineage/pedigree is; rather, sound him out for the knowledge that he possesses (and seek some for yourself as well). Just as when/if you were in the market for a sword, you ought to check out its worth/attributes (sharpness, length, warranty, etc ;-) rather than that of its scabbard.

However, when Kabir refers to knowledge, I doubt very much that he is talking about how well educated the sadhu is (or you are)! Actions always speak the loudest. Don't forget what Rahim has said:

<blockquote>बड़े बड़ाई ना करें
बड़े न बोलें बोल।
रहिमन हीरा कब कहा
लाख टका मेरा मोल।।</blockquote>

Those who are classy (classier) do not flaunt their classiness, just like (Rahim points out that) the diamond never touts that it is worth a hundred thousand Takas/Rupees/Dollars/Shekels/Yuans/Yens/Drachmas!

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