Learning by hearing and questioning

The Katha upanishad Nachiketa, a young boy, left for the abode of Yama, the Lord of Death, after his father asked him to do so in jest. He waited at Yama’s abode for three nights and three days. Since the Lord wasn’t there when Nachiketa arrived, he granted the boy three boons for the three days. As one of the boons, Nachiketa asked the Lord searching questions on life and death, which Yama had to answer and which form the crux of the Katha Upanishad.

In Swami Vivekananda’s words, ‘If I get ten or twelve boys with the faith of Nachiketa, I can turn the thoughts and pursuits of this country in a new channel.’

Buddha’s Concept of a guru Buddha asked his disciples to accept his teachings only after examining them like an analyst who buys gold. He implied that one must hear carefully and ask questions instead of accepting things on blind belief.

einstein’s advice on Questioning

Joseph Stalin may have been a dictator known for his tyranny. On the other hand, he was also a bookworm who owned a huge personal library.

Even during the numerous times he was imprisoned and exiled to Siberia, his only request was, ‘Send me some books.’

He claimed to read 500 pages per day. By the time he passed away, he had a collection of 25,000 books covering topics from humanities and social sciences to aesthetics... andyes, even fiction.

us presidents Who Were Voracious readers

It is said that between 6 in the evening and 8.30 next morning, Theodore Roosevelt read two or three books.

John F. Kennedy was often ill in his youth. Visitors to the hospital where he was admitted would often remark that could hardly see the thin child amidst the pile of books around his pillow. While still a child, he read a dense book like The World Crisis by Winston Churchill.

elvis reads about india

Larry Geller was the hairdresser to Elvis Presley but also a spiritual seeker. Elvis was inspired by him to read books on spirituality. One of his favourite books was The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahamsa Yogananda. He gave many copies of this book to friends.

Whenever he could not sleep, he would retire to his reading chair.

recent research

A recent research reveals that adults who spend 30 minutes a week reading are 20 per cent likelier to be happy with their lives.