Another story

[Guest guest]

I love this storu which Shri Ramakrishna used to

tell and I decided to share it with all.<br><br>One

day several men were crossing the river on a ferry

boat. One of them was a learned Pandit. The Pandit

decided to discuss the Hindu scriptures with a fellow

passenger in order to pass the time and show off his

knowledge.<br>So he turned to one of them and began, “I presume

you have read the Upanishad?<br>The passenger humbly

replied, “No Sir, I have not!”<br>“You didn’t!” said the

Pandit in surprise. “A quarter of your life has been

wasted!”<br>“But then you must have read Shashtras!” the Pandit

continued.<br>“No, Sir, I can’t say that I have!” the passenger

replied, feeling quite distressed.<br>“Well then half of

your life is wasted!” said the Pandit

arrogantly.<br>“What about the six systems of Hindu philosophy?” asked

the Pandit in a final effort to begin an intellectual

discourse.<br>“I am afraid I haven’t even heard of them, Sir!” the

passenger replied.<br>“Not heard of them? Then, my friend,

three-fourths of your life is wasted.”<br>Just as the Pandit

said this, he found the boat suddenly began to pitch

in increasing violent waves.<br> “There is a storm

and I cannot control the boat!” the boatman shouted.

It is going to capsize! Jump overboard and swim to

the shore!”<br>The Pandit looked terrified. “Don’t

you know how to swim?” the fellow passenger

asked.<br>“No, I never learnt swimming!” the Pandit

moaned.<br>“You never learnt swimming! Then your whole life is

gone, Panditji” the passenger replied smugly as he

jumped out of the sinking boat.<br><br>So, knowledge

derived from books is not enough.<br>One must acquire

practical learning too.

[Guest guest]

Thanks a lot for sharing a story with us, specially of Saint

Ramkrishna.<br><br>Sanatan