Unfolding The Canvas of Learning: Learning Step 01

“What one has learned is but a handful of sand; what remains unlearned is as vast as the world.”

This is the wisdom of Avvai, the Tamil poetess. Yet, many hearts sigh in frustration: "It’s easy for them to say that... but is it actually achievable?" A father grumbles, "I’ve gone broke paying for your tuition. You might as well quit studying and go herd cattle." The son retorts cheekily, "So, doesn't herding cattle require brains?" A mother quips, "My son is bound to be just like you; after all, only what is in the pot ends up in the ladle." A teacher, exasperated, exclaims, "I’d rather bang my head against this tree than try to teach you this lesson"—voicing a drastic action they have no real intention of carrying out. Amidst all this stands the student—a curious enigma. Students ask wearily, "I’ve tried so hard, but it just won't sink in, Sir... Whoever invented all this—how did *their* brain work?"

What exactly is this brain? Is it a gift from God? Is it the same for everyone? Is it subject to the biases of caste and religion? Is there a difference between the brain of the rich and the poor? Are the brains of men and women the same? Do their thought patterns differ? Why does a student who has studied well forget everything the moment they sit for an exam? When does the process of learning actually begin?

A thousand questions...!!

Where do the answers lie? What research has been conducted on these matters? The aim of this series is to seek out and discover the answers to these questions.

Learning is a power... when does it begin? Once, a mother went to see a Zen master. "Master," she asked, "I want to start teaching my child. When should I begin?"

The master asked her, "How old is your child?"

"Master, my child is only five months old."

"Is that so? You are already fourteen months late," he replied.

Does this mean a child begins to learn while still in the womb? What does scientific research say about this?

Are the stories of Abhimanyu and Prahlada found in our ancient scriptures merely myths? Could there be even a grain of truth in them? Such questions arise.

It is said that the former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill once remarked in his youth, "I love to learn, but I hate being taught."

How many of our students echo Churchill's sentiment? Can they succeed in life just as Churchill did? How do they learn?

Does education simply mean enabling a student to pass an exam? Is knowledge merely what is found in books? Do those who succeed in an exam necessarily possess a corresponding level of knowledge? How did our ancestors, who never attended school, excel in both knowledge and skills?

Such questions often arise in our minds. What answers do reason and science offer to them?

Is education merely about helping a student pass an exam? Is knowledge simply what is found in books? Do those who pass an exam necessarily possess a corresponding level of knowledge? How did our ancestors, who never attended school, excel in both knowledge and skills?

Many such questions often cross our minds. What answers do reason and science offer to these questions?