Katha Upanishad 2.7Famous
intermediate
श्रवणायापि बहुभिर्यो न लभ्यः शृण्वन्तोऽपि बहवो यं न विद्युः। आश्चर्यो वक्ता कुशलोऽस्य लब्धाश्चर्यो ज्ञाता कुशलानुशिष्टः॥
śravaṇāyāpi bahubhiryo na labhyaḥ śṛṇvanto'pi bahavo yaṃ na vidyuḥ | āścaryo vaktā kuśalo'sya labdhāścaryo jñātā kuśalānuśiṣṭaḥ ||
""Many do not even get to hear of the Self; many, hearing, do not understand it. Wonderful is the one who speaks of it; rare is the one who attains it; wonderful is the one who knows it, taught by a skilled teacher.""
What This Means:
The Self is hard to learn about - many never hear of it. Even hearing, most don't understand. A true teacher is rare, and a true knower is even rarer.
Going Deeper:
Four levels of rarity: hearing the teaching, understanding it, finding a qualified teacher, and actually realizing the truth.
How To Apply This:
Value your spiritual opportunities. Not everyone gets to hear these teachings, let alone understand them.
#rarity#teaching#understanding