Quit ego and start learning

Learning process starts with taking birth on earth. As we grow up, the learning process also extends. Soon, we learn to get up, sit, speak and walk. With this process of growing up, sometimes our ego becomes bigger than us and then we start making mistakes and quit learning. This ego blocks our development path. Talking about this thing, I am remembering an incident which would be good to discuss here. Once upon a time, A man who was a great thinker, went to a saint. Various topics started to be discussed between both of them. That man said to the saint, I have acquired enough knowledge through deep study and experience but I want to know more.

Can you help me a little? The saint knew that he has a great knowledge of his subjects, which he has some pride, so doing nothing will not work, so he took a blank paper after thinking for a while and gave it to that man and said. It is a good thing to say that you want to learn something, but how can I explain that what you have learned till now and what have not you learned? So saint said, whatever you know and whatever you do not know, write about both of them on this paper. It is useless to discuss, what you already know and it will be right to talk about what you do not know.

The thing was simple but something difficult for that man. His pride of being knowledgeable has become shattered. That man knew a lot about the subject of soul and divine, but he did not know anything about the other things. He listened to the saint's words and got into thinking. Even after thinking a lot of time, when he did not understand anything, he gave that blank paper to saint and said, sir, I do not know anything. Today you opened my eyes. The saint was very impressed with the words of that man and said, well, now you have learned the first thing to know that you do not know anything. This is the first step of knowledge. Now you are able to learn something because empty vessel can be filled, but it is not possible to fill even one drop of knowledge in the heart filled with ego.