Introduction Once upon a time, in ancient India, there lived a wise sage named Uddalaka. He had a young son named Svetaketu, a boy full of curiosity but more interested in playing with his friends than studying. Concerned for his son’s future, Uddalaka sent Svetaketu to live and study under a respected guru. Years passed. When Svetaketu returned home, he was filled with pride over the vast knowledge he had acquired. Uddalaka noticed this change. He knew that true wisdom comes with humility and sought to teach his son a deeper truth—one that could not be found in textbooks alone. One day, Uddalaka called Svetaketu and asked, “My son, have you learned that by which we hear the unhearable, think the unthinkable, and know the unknowable?” Svetaketu was puzzled and admitted he had not. Uddalaka then picked up a lump of clay and said, “When a potter makes a pot, it changes shape, but it is still clay. Just like this, everything you see in the world—no matter how different in form—is made fro...
Introduction
Once upon a time, in ancient India, there lived a wise sage named Uddalaka. He had a young son named Svetaketu, a boy full of curiosity but more interested in playing with his friends than studying. Concerned for his son’s future, Uddalaka sent Svetaketu to live and study under a respected guru.
Years passed. When Svetaketu returned home, he was filled with pride over the vast knowledge he had acquired. Uddalaka noticed this change. He knew that true wisdom comes with humility and sought to teach his son a deeper truth—one that could not be found in textbooks alone.
One day, Uddalaka called Svetaketu and asked, “My son, have you learned that by which we hear the unhearable, think the unthinkable, and know the unknowable?”
Svetaketu was puzzled and admitted he had not.
Uddalaka then picked up a lump of clay and said, “When a potter makes a pot, it changes shape, but it is still clay. Just like this, everything you see in the world—no matter how different in form—is made from the same essence. That essence is God. The divine is the substance of all things. As the clay is the basis of every pot, God is the foundation of all creation. You are also a part of this divine essence, Svetaketu—Tat Tvam Asi (You Are That).”
Though intrigued, Svetaketu wanted proof. Uddalaka handed him a small fruit from a banyan tree and said, “Cut it open.”
Svetaketu did so and replied, “It has seeds inside.”
“Now cut a seed.”
“There’s nothing visible inside,” said Svetaketu.
Uddalaka smiled. “What you call ‘nothing’ is the unseen power from which a mighty banyan tree grows. Just because you cannot see it, does not mean it is not there. In the same way, God’s presence is subtle, yet it gives life to everything.”
To further the lesson, Uddalaka asked Svetaketu to mix salt in a pot of water. After it dissolved, he asked, “Do you see the salt?”
“No, Father.”
“But taste the water. Do you taste the salt?”
“Yes, in every drop.”
“In the same way,” said Uddalaka, “God is present in every part of this world—unseen but ever-present, like the taste of salt in water. He is in me, and He is in you.”
Through this series of simple yet profound lessons, Svetaketu finally grasped the truth his father wanted him to understand. Knowledge is not just about learning from books—it is about realizing the divine essence that connects all of life.
As written in the Chandogya Upanishad, "Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma" – Everything is indeed divine.
The Essence of True Knowledge: A Journey from Learning to Wisdom
This story also offers valuable insight for corporate learning: real wisdom goes beyond surface-level expertise. Just as Svetaketu had to go beyond his academic knowledge to understand the deeper essence of life, professionals must look beyond technical skills to embrace values like humility, interconnectedness, and purpose. Effective corporate learning should not only build competencies but also cultivate the kind of reflective awareness that leads to truly inspired leadership and collaborative growth.
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