When you meet a great master, especially at a certain age, you can rest assured they will not waste time discussing trivial philosophy. Instead, they might engage you in practical activities like a nature walk or studying a butterfly. For example, you might observe how water flows around a rock and learn about the laws of cause and effect. However, the master knows that such knowledge is futile if you cannot relax your mind and achieve a calm, tranquil state.
Knowledge helps build a sane, healthy, happy mind. It enables us to overcome mental obstacles, emotional difficulties, and traumas. Knowledge has value in constructing shelters to protect us from life's elements. But at the final moment, when we must close our eyes, look inside, breathe, and see the light, many people cannot find space because their minds are crowded with activity.
Some soothe their anxiety with addictions, placing barriers that block an open heart and mind. Many obsess and worry about problems everyone encounters, triggering a state of anxiety that disrupts our character and ability to be present. Learning to breathe, particularly in challenging situations like hot yoga, teaches us to overcome physical and mental discomfort.
Knowledge helps us grow strength in our minds, just as physical exercise strengthens our bodies. But love, especially the love a human mother has for her child, transcends knowledge and brings profound peace and understanding.