Once a scholar was crossing a river
in a canoe along with the boatman. They spent a while in a conversation.
During
the conversation, the scholar named different Holy books and asked the boatman
if he had read any of them. The boatman said no. The scholar remarked, “You
have wasted half your life, if you have not read these Holy books!”
As their conversation was going on, the canoe sprang a leak and water rapidly
entered the canoe. Seeing this, the boatman urgently asked the scholar, “O
learned man, can you swim?” The scholar replied, “I have read many
books on swimming and know a lot about it, but I have never tried swimming.” The
boatman commented as he prepared to swim, “Then your whole life has gone
waste. The boat is about to sink!” |
