Don’t ever underestimate people. The most benign and easy-going individual can teach us to take things lightly and live purposefully such that worries are forgotten and the fruit of your hard work is reaped.
This morning, I read a scripture that reinforced my mindset about learning and teaching. It is not always that a professional teacher learns and teaches; a rag picker can approach you and smile at you, telling you indirectly to calm down, as he is smiling at you despite several adversities he is facing every day.
And so the following scripture emphasizes that an austerity- or bold assertion-filled minimalist mindset is imbibed when you make sure that you are indulging in learning and teaching. Your influence can be very limited, but wherever it is or maybe only unto yourself, your life should involve learning and teaching.
Taittirya Upanishad:
I-ix-1: Righteousness and learning and teaching (are to be practised). Truth and learning and teaching (are to be practised). Austerity and learning and teaching (are to be resorted to). Control of the outer senses and learning and teaching (are to be practised). Control of the inner organs and learning and teaching (are to be resorted to). The fires (are to be lighted up), and learning and teaching (are to be followed). The Agnihotra (is to be performed), and learning and teaching (are to be carried on). Guests (are to be entertained), and learning and teaching (are to be practised). Social good conduct (is to be adhered to), and learning and teaching (are to be practised). Children (are to be begotten), and learning and teaching (are to carried on). Procreation and learning and teaching (are to carried on). A grandson (is to be raised), and learning and teaching (are to be practised). Truth (is the thing) – this is what Satyavacha, of the line of Rathitara, thinks. Austerity (is the thing) – this is what Taponitya, son of Purusisti, thinks. Learning and teaching alone (are the things) – this is what Naka, son of Mudgala, thinks. For that indeed is the austerity; for that indeed is the austerity.
If your goal is to learn and teach in life, then it is the highest level of living. You don’t let your days pass by without meaningful work. You are highly evolved by the fact that you follow people and learn from them.
Austerity and all other good things are enablers of a life spent on learning and teaching, begetting peace and success as a consequence. To achieve good virtues and values we need learning and teaching too. It is bidirectional.
Everyone contains matter, so be receptive to their teachings. Many teach only by their presence; they don’t have to preach anything. Their being in itself teaches through cues extracted by the outside world about their substance, something that is good for them and might benefit you too.
Offer yourself for the good of humanity, which begins at your small little cabin at your workplace. You needn’t talk about your offerings; just keep doing something good every day, and see the difference.
You will achieve austerity, strength, and substance in your work, and success will be yours. Remove the obstacles in the form of ungrateful and uncooperative people. You know you are right, so why fear?
You never caused harm; neither did they. It is an exchange of ideas, work, and thoughts only. Harm is an intervention that is followed by your perspective which you attribute as harm.
Many changes that occurred in your lifetime seemed harmful but were blessings in disguise. You can learn and teach about it.
The Upanishad emphasizes a life-cycle approach in leading your life always through learning and teaching. If you ponder, this is the only way to live and is the only purpose of our senses that create a mindset by reflecting upon every sensory input.
In conclusion, never abstain from or fear learning. Expose yourself to intellectual adventures and experience the legacy that gets created because of your learning and teaching. And that nothing is harmful if you learn something out of it.
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