Everyone has heard the phrase from our elders in Myanmar that says knowledge is a golden urn that no robber can steal. This proverb encourages people to pursue knowledge. This adage couldn’t be more true. The attainment of both secular and religious well-being is contingent upon one’s grasp of current knowledge. Scholars from Myanmar liken knowledge and education to a light that offers direction in life.
It has been claimed that knowledge brings abundant rewards by driving away ignorance and foolishness with its blazing light. The Buddha asserted that the power bestowed by knowledge is distinct and unequaled, outstripping even that of fire, the moon, and the sun. The compiler of Loka Niti says that knowledge is more valuable than wealth or other belongings. Theft cannot take knowledge from someone. In this life, knowledge is your best friend; in the hereafter, it brings delight.
The only thing that is safe from the five types of enemies—fire, flood, ruler, thief, and someone you don’t like or love—is the pearl of knowledge, or Pinna Yadana.
Contrarily, material belongings are susceptible to the five types of adversaries. Therefore, the greatest and most reliable thing is knowledge. According to Loka Niti’s advice, mastering any occupational skill completely should be one’s means of subsistence. At the earliest age possible, verbal and manual abilities should be perfected. One rises in dignity and becomes well-known in society upon discovery.
Knowledge shines with a brightness greater than that of priceless stones. The light of knowledge illuminates the darkness of ignorance and serves as a beacon for a better existence. It can help someone who is headed in the wrong direction get back on track. With knowledge, one can rise from extreme poverty to prosperity and luxurious living. Understanding gives one the ability to reason, which allows them to distinguish between good and wrong. By the light of understanding, even the Buddha was able to reach Nibbana, the state of perfect tranquility where all suffering ends. Thus, for individuals who are determined to succeed in life, knowledge serves as a ladder. Both the ocean and the night are less graceful without the brilliant moon.
Loka Niti’s admonishment advises individuals to attain mastery in a vocational skill for their livelihood. It underscores the significance of honing both verbal and manual skills from a young age, as mastery in these areas leads to recognition and elevated status within society.
Comparably, even if a person is attractive, his life is worthless if he lacks education, much like the fragrant Pauk flower that is just attractive.
Lack of information forces a person to work at menial tasks and endure a very difficult existence. The ignorant will work as someone else’s servant; regardless of one’s wealth, an illiterate individual lacks grace in any formal setting, resembling an egret among Brahmin ducks (Hintha). Sar-tone Sayadaw wrote: “A foolish son of a millionaire in Baranasi who had eighty crores of money was uneducated in youth” in the cautionary poem Puttovada.
Thus, he lacked the ability to reason and distinguish between good and wrong. He is unable to discriminate between morally right and wrong. Wasted every penny he had received from his parents on frivolous activities like drinking, gambling, and other vices until everything was gone. He was discarded onto a trash heap after passing away tragically. One unfavorable outcome of ignorance is illustrated by the tragic tale of such a foolish son. Thus, one should aim for knowledge from an early age.
The moon’s light is not the same as a firefly’s. Similarly, the state of an educated person’s life differs greatly from the state of an uneducated person’s life. It is discovered that those who achieve their greatest ambitions in this world are well knowledgeable and well-educated.
The key to the future lies in knowledge. The only path to wealth and blessings is knowledge. Only with knowledge can one contribute positively to society and their own nation. For the sake of your own interests and the interests of others, you should therefore light the oil lamp of knowledge. Your life won’t be a bed of flowers until then.
