Knowledge is power. How often have we heard of this overused statement? The power that is often lucidly described through various literary media reaches fruition only when it is shared. Just imagine a world where people keep everything to themselves. Their conscious volition is not to share the repertoire of knowledge which they possess. Everyone is a master in their own domain or jurisdiction. But no one is willing to gravitate beyond the realms of their self made world. Would such an arrangement or framework ever be progressive?. The answer would never be in the affrimative. Progress happens when there is sharing of knowledge. The world that we live in today is the logical extension of all those sharing which happened between various civilizations that withstood the test of time. We now have the option to take the best out of each practicing reliegion or economy or way of living and use it to our own betterment. Thats the prerogative of the globalised village that we are all part of. And it all happened because people , since begining or inception of mankind, showed the presence of mind to share.
If you have knowledge, let other light their candles in it.
I still remember vividly my first day in the Bank. Straight from college , with a big question mark hanging above my head , i walked into my branch ( which was situated in a semi urban area) dressed in casuals. The branch was headed by a Chief Manager. The moment i stepped into his cabin , i could sense a growing resentment on his face which later transmogrified into deep shock when i produced my appointment letter. He gave me a prefunctory nod and asked me to report to the SB department supervisor. Mr John , a thoroughbred gentleman and a very loyal servant of the bank. He quickly took me under his wings and taught me the basics of branch banking. He never got annoyed with my bombardiing queries or doubts but rather helped me get acclimatised with my new work arena. As i listened to him sharing his valuable experience and knowledge , i knew that that i have found someone to whom i can look upto. My first guru ...and i still miss him in my life. I was lucky to find someone like him during my intial formative years in the bank. But the question is how many "John's" do we come across daily? How many of us take pains to share our knowledge with others and help them gravitate towards excellence in their personal and professional fronts? How many of us really care about the development and well being of others?
We have reached a stage wherein we acquire and garner knowledge to use it to our own advantage. "Sharing" is not the trend now. The apt word would be "flaunting". We want the world and everyone around us to know that we are knowledgeable. We flex our intellectual muscles with a veneer of impiety. When it comes to sharing , we purse our lips and feign ignorance. Our rationale for this demeaning act would be.. "I have learnt everything the hard way. Why should i make it easy for others"?
It takes lot of courage to show our dreams to someone else.....
We are endowed with such a rich heritage. Our culture and tradition speaks volumes about the importance of sharing of knowledge. The ancient "Gurukul" system was a unique concept of education wherein the participants acquired knowledge by residing with his teacher, as part of his family. Along with practical knowledge, these students also received valuable insights into various aspects of life. The "Gurukul" was a comprehensive learning centre. The wonderful practice of a shishya touching the feet of his guru and the guru inturn blessing him by touching his ( shishya's) forehead is still being followed. The positive energy from the guru permeates the mind , body and soul of the shishya and cleanses him of all his evils. The process is cathartic.
The shanthi mantra from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad ,which is one of the older "primary" (mukhya) Upanishads , beautifully explains the importance of acquiring and sharing of knowledge. Aum asatoma sad gamaya. Tamaso ma jyothir gamaya , which translates as "from ignorance lead me to truth ; from darkness lead me to light". The transfer of knowledge even happens when the giver and the acceptor are at the same mental/ spiritual plane. Whey they both resonate with the same energy. The transfer happens at the subconscious level, even without uttering a single syllable. Today we call this phenomenon "Blue tooth" technology. But was it not prevalent since ancient times? This is something to be cogitated on.
The crux is to realise the fact that , since time immemorial, sharing of knowledge has been the predominant leitmotiff in the development and progress of mankind. But , have we all forgotten about it now?
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, one of the co-founders of the social networking website "Facebook", in one of his interviews disclosed that the rationale behind the conceptualisation of such a venture was to create an open information flow to the people. Though such websites comes with their pros and cons, one has to admit the fact that there is an abundance of information waiting to be understood and assimilated. Facebook is the perfect epitome of how one should be when it comes to sharing of knowledge - where every information is processed, analysed, displayed and shared. If we refrain ourselves from divulging vital information , we would all end up becoming "mini blackholes" where everything goes in , but nothing comes out.
The present day world belongs to the Generation Z. Our future lies in the hands of these young minds and we can make it secure only by making them competent enough to be the harbingers of the change that we wish to see. When they have the requisite expertise and knowledge in their kitty, they can confidently face any challenges that life poses. We may have to hand hold them, guide them through troubled waters , and allow them to blossom to their full potential. Their strides of trepidation should be replaced with that of confidence. And we have a major role to play in the shaping their mental attitude and characteristics. Whenever we see a person in distress, be it in the professional or personal front, let us not hesitate to extend our helping hand. If we are confident that we can make a positive intervention and brighten up their lives, then let us not waste anytime in asking them the quintessential question "may i help you"?.
It is rightly said that "whatever we possess becomes of double value when we have the opportunity of sharing it with others"
About Author / Additional Info:
