Formal education—from the ABCs of grade school to the PhDs of academia—builds the framework of knowledge. It equips us with tools to understand the world, navigate professions, and contribute to material progress. Yet, it does not guarantee wisdom, empathy, or moral clarity.
A genuinely humane individual is not solely the product of scholarly credentials. The journey toward inner refinement—toward a life of ethical awareness, compassion, and humility—requires something more fundamental: the reading of the self.
Degrees and distinctions may dazzle on paper, but if one’s expressions are tinged with arrogance, if actions are driven by self-interest, and if apathy clouds one’s view of others’ struggles, then the essence of education remains unfulfilled. The title of “highly educated” becomes hollow when it coexists with moral vacuity.
The 18th-century Sufi mystic and poet Bulleh Shah captured this contradiction with timeless clarity:
“Parh parh alim fazil hoya, kadey apnay aap nun parhya he nai.”
“One reads and reads, becomes a scholar or intellectual, but has never once read the self.”
Bulleh Shah’s verse is a spiritual rebuke, a call to introspection. He urges us to turn the gaze inward—to explore the terrain of our inner lives with the same intensity we apply to mastering books or theories. This is not anti-intellectualism. Rather, it is a deeper intellectualism, one that includes emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and ethical responsibility.
The study of the self is not confined to any curriculum. It begins where formal education often ends—with reflection, mindfulness, and a sincere questioning of our beliefs, biases, and intentions. It means asking: Who am I beneath the layers of profession, caste, culture, and ego? What motivates my actions? Do I live with integrity when no one is watching?
Unlike external learning, this inner inquiry yields no degrees or diplomas. Its rewards are quieter but far more lasting: humility instead of pride, compassion over competition, and a deeper connection to others and to the human condition.
Thus, the full flowering of education lies in the harmony between academic pursuit and inner cultivation. One may conquer knowledge, but without conquering the self, wisdom remains elusive.
Reading the self, then, is the most advanced course of all—ongoing, ungraded, and essential for those seeking a life of meaning and depth.
By Promod Puri
Promod Puri.com 