Is Education Necessary for Dharma?
Once, during a conversation, Haripad Babu said to Swami Vivekananda,
“Swamiji, I feel one needs to be highly educated to truly understand Dharma.”
Swamiji gently smiled and replied,
“To understand religion well enough to practice it, one does not need higher education. But if one wishes to teach it to others, to explain its nuances, then education can be helpful.”
He then offered a powerful example:
“Take my Guru, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa — he couldn’t even write his own name properly. He often signed it as ‘Ramakeshto.’ But tell me, has anyone ever realized the core of Dharma as deeply as he did?”
Swamiji concluded with a deep truth:
“Dharma is not something grasped by words or logic alone. It is known through direct experience — like tasting sugar to know its sweetness. No amount of talk can give you that taste.”