Ego is the biggest obstacle towards the path of happiness

“Whenever you read books and understand them intellectually only, and think that you know everything. You secure certificates by appearing in tests and justifying your arguments intellectually without having experiential knowledge. You may develop an ego. Ego is one of the biggest hurdles in the path of our happiness & success.”
There is a story about a scientist who was travelling in a ship. One day an old sailor came to his cabin to convey a message. In the cabin he saw lots of books and research instruments. He wanted to know what those books were all about. There were different sections. He pointed out to one section and asked, “What are those books all about?” Then the scientist replied, “You don’t know about those books”? “No”, the sailor replied, “I am not educated to read them”. Then the scientist replied “It’s about Geology, about our earth where we live! If you don’t know Geology, then one fourth of your life is a waste”. Again the sailor pointed out to another section and asked what those books were all about. Again the scientist replied “Do you know Meteorology? It’s about the phenomenon of wind, rain and weather on this earth where we live. If you don’t know about Meteorology, half of your life is a waste”. Again the sailor pointed out to another section and asked what those books were all about. Then again the scientist replied “you don’t know about oceanography! It’s about the phenomenon of ocean where you spend most of your life. If you don’t know about Oceanography then 3/4th of your life is a waste. You are ignorant about everything”. Suddenly the ship stuck to a rock and water started pouring in. Now the sailor asked the scientist. “Sir, do you know ‘swimology (swimming)”. Then the scientist asked, “What is swimology?” The sailor replied; “Sir, your life is a total waste if you don’t know swimology”.
We can’t learn swimming by reading hundreds of books or listening to lecture unless we take the step of jumping in the swimming pool or any water body.
Suppose if you want to improve your public speaking and presentation skills, you need to practise in front of gatherings or a mirror. To be a good leader and manager it’s essential to articulate your ideas in front of a big gathering such as meetings, seminars and training groups of co-workers. Through practise we can develop this skill. For this special purpose, we have a course on “Public Speaking” with all the necessary infrastructure and facilities but very few come forward to hone their skills.
Today we have public speaking at 5pm. You can register
at http://www.meraevents.com/event/psld-meet