Vivekananda was the one who combined spiritual work with social charity. His spiritual guru was Lord Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Many young people joined him as disciples to go on the spiritual path.
One day three of those disciples met Ramakrishna in private and asked for an explanation. I mean, "Guru ... we have a suspicion. Are 'knowledge' and 'wisdom' different? Or are the two the same? You have to explain it to us. ”Ramakrishna told the three disciples to stay there and entered a nearby room and locked the door. After a while he came out of the room and said to his disciples, “Go into the room one by one. Inside the room, milk is placed in three tumblers. You just have to drink one of them and come out. ”
First a disciple went inside. There was milk of three tumblers, the gold tumbler, the silver tumbler and the bronze tumbler. When the disciple saw it, he took the milk from the golden tumbler and drank it. He was very happy to drink the milk that was in the gold tumbler.
When the second student went inside, the milk was only in silver and bronze tumblers. The gold tumbler was empty. Although he was a little upset that he did not get the milk in the gold tumbler, he came out satisfied after sipping the milk from the silver tumbler which was valued at the next level.
Now the third disciple went inside. He cried when he saw the empty gold and silver tumblers and the bronze tumbler with milk. ‘Is it just the bronze tumbler ?. Am I that level? Is my condition so low? ' The man who thought that, drank the milk from the bronze tumbler and came out sad.
Ramakrishna looked at the three disciples and asked, "Did you all drink milk?" He asked. The first disciple said happily, "Yes Guru .. I'm so glad I got the milk in the golden tumbler." The next disciple said, "I'm happy too, Guru. I'm drinking milk in a silver tumbler, even though I do not have a gold tumbler." The third disciple burst into tears. "I just got the milk in the bronze tumbler. ”
Now the Guru told them. "All three of you were given milk mixed with saffron and cardamom. Your mind does not agree to think that its taste and character are the same. Instead, you think about the value of gold, silver, and bronze. You have left the item in the vessel and seen the vessel itself.
Knowledge is the pleasure of looking at a vessel. Wisdom is the enjoyment of what is in it. The sages let go of the utensils and think of the useful commodity that is in it. If you had thought wisely, you too would have reached the same state of mind. ”
First a disciple went inside. There was milk of three tumblers, the gold tumbler, the silver tumbler and the bronze tumbler. When the disciple saw it, he took the milk from the golden tumbler and drank it. He was very happy to drink the milk that was in the gold tumbler.
When the second student went inside, the milk was only in silver and bronze tumblers. The gold tumbler was empty. Although he was a little upset that he did not get the milk in the gold tumbler, he came out satisfied after sipping the milk from the silver tumbler which was valued at the next level.
Now the third disciple went inside. He cried when he saw the empty gold and silver tumblers and the bronze tumbler with milk. ‘Is it just the bronze tumbler ?. Am I that level? Is my condition so low? ' The man who thought that, drank the milk from the bronze tumbler and came out sad.
Ramakrishna looked at the three disciples and asked, "Did you all drink milk?" He asked. The first disciple said happily, "Yes Guru .. I'm so glad I got the milk in the golden tumbler." The next disciple said, "I'm happy too, Guru. I'm drinking milk in a silver tumbler, even though I do not have a gold tumbler." The third disciple burst into tears. "I just got the milk in the bronze tumbler. ”
Now the Guru told them. "All three of you were given milk mixed with saffron and cardamom. Your mind does not agree to think that its taste and character are the same. Instead, you think about the value of gold, silver, and bronze. You have left the item in the vessel and seen the vessel itself.
Knowledge is the pleasure of looking at a vessel. Wisdom is the enjoyment of what is in it. The sages let go of the utensils and think of the useful commodity that is in it. If you had thought wisely, you too would have reached the same state of mind. ”