भाद्रपद क्रश्ना त्र्योदसि, विक्रम सम्वत २०६८ सनीवार
2. Self Control is Essential | |
 Question: What sort of conduct should a student possess and how should he act? | |
Swamiji: Answer: A man behaves and acts according to his egoism (sense of I-ness). So a student should predominantly think - "I am a student and I have no other primary duty except studies." He should eat and drink for the bare maintenance of the body by remaining absorbed in studies. He should not waste even a single moment without studies. He should stick to studies every time, even while performing the activities of daily routine such as sitting, moving, eating, drinking, sleeping and waking etc. Self-control is very essential for a student. When physicians to gods (Aswinikumaraaras) went to sage Dadhyan to gain knowledge-divine, he ordered them to observe celibacy. As ordered by the sage, they observed celibacy and again went to him and requested him to impart knowledge-divine to them. The sage again sent them back ordering them to observe celibacy and they carried out his order. They again went to him for the third time and again he sent them back to observe celibacy. Thus they observed celibacy for a hundred years. Again when they went to the sage to gain knowledge-divine, he said to them, "when you were gone, Indra the king of gods, came to me and requested me to impart him knowledge-divine. But I told him that he did not deserve it." Hearing this answer he got irritated and said, "If I don't deserve it, then who deserves it? If you impart knowledge to anyone, I'll behead you." Thus the sage showed his inability to impart knowledge-divine and asked them to go to someone else to gain knowledge-divine. They said, "O noble sage, if you order, we can solve this problem. We will keep your head safe by cutting it off and fixing another head to your body. You can impart us knowledge divine with that head. When Indra the king of gods, cuts the head, we will fix the original head to your body, then Indra will have no right to cut off that head. Thus we will gain the knowledge-divine." Thus the head of a horse was attached to Dadhyan, and knowledge was imparted to the Aswinikumaars and after Indra cut it off, the original head was re-attached. Being angry with them, Indra deprived them of their share of the religious sacrifice. However, due to celibacy the Aswinikumaars gained knowledge-divine and also share of the religious sacrifice. It means that celibacy is a must for students, as it helps them to retain / hold knowledge. A student must always be on the alert that he is a student. He who is a student does not waste even a single moment without studies. It is said that knowledge and wealth should be gained in small measures steadily and he who wastes small measure can gain neither knowledge, nor wealth. There is a saying that grammar is learnt by learning the rules by heart, by questioning teachers and reflecting upon the lesson which a learner has learnt. Similarly, it has been said about a student of grammar that he should look at the sky so that he may neither feel drowsy nor may have projections and distractions, because shutting of eyes leads to drowsiness, while opening eyes, leads to thoughts about the world. It is mentioned in the “Caanakyaniti” that a student should totally renounce attachment to pleasure because he who hankers after pleasure can’t gain knowledge and he who wants to gain knowledge cannot engage in pleasures (Caanakyaniti 10:3) From: "Be Good" pg 129-131 by Swami Ramsukhdasji | |
Question: Can you further explain about why a student should not engage in sense pleasures etc.? | |
Swamiji: Study is an austerity that must be totally free from sense pleasures. When a student has not to derive any pleasure, there is no question for him to indulge in fun, display, movies, entertainment from television etc., These are to be totally given up because they besides being time wasters leave an impression which is a great impediment to studies. So a student should stick to studies by remaining totally indifferent to the world, holding the view that the world does not exist for him and he does not exist for the world. Thus he will become learned, as a good student becomes a good scholar. From: "Be Good" pg 132 by Swami Ramsukhdasji |