Imbibe The Knowledge

We are not born knowing how to live. Knowledge comes with learning. To make the learning process a source of joy, teachers need to believe that “to teach is to learn twice”. Teaching T’ai Chi, I have come to realise that people are receptive to criticism and advice much more than we believe them to be. The resistance is to force when ‘knowledge’ is thrust on a student. Knowledge has to be imbibed, not imposed. Hearts are like flowers; they remain open to the softly falling dew, but close up in the violent downpour of rain. To impart knowledge to someone, you need to treat a person as he could be, and not as he is. You have to go over to where he is standing, take him by the hand, metaphorically speaking, and then guide him. You must create a state of mind that craves for knowledge, a mind that is full of interest and wonder. By the same token, students who expect their accomplishments to be acknowledged should not get discouraged by the teacher’s lack of verbal reassurance. Rather, they should channel their disappointment into a resolve to build an inner strength that does not require the approval of others. If the art being taught is to continually evolve to higher and higher levels, each generation of students must surpass its teachers. When students are trained, it is essential for the teacher to leave the students alone, for without his absence they cannot develop themselves.

Source: Economic Times, 10/09/2018