Be Your Own Light: Lessons in Learning, Courage & Curiosity for Today’s Youth
Being a student and being a learner are two very different things. A student attends classes, studies books, and prepares for exams. But a learner, or a “shodharthi”, seeks knowledge, asks questions, and explores beyond what is taught. Newton wasn't the first to see an apple fall, but he was the first to ask why — and refused to stop thinking about it until he found the answer. That’s what makes him a learner.
Books, Google, ChatGPT — these are just tools. The real learning lies within your ability to question, reflect, and apply. These tools have limitations. But you don’t — unless you stop using your own mind.
Strength Through Struggle
You're not weak just because life hasn’t gone your way yet. True strength comes from enduring and overcoming. Life’s challenges — struggling with responsibilities, facing rejection, or being pushed out of your comfort zone — are necessary. Only those who have faced and endured hardship become truly strong.
Sometimes, it’s about accepting discomfort and continuing anyway. Just because you're not in the army doesn’t mean you don’t need discipline. Carry yourself with grace, strength, and readiness — because your journey is no less demanding.
Respect in Action
How you sit, how you greet someone, how you behave in a classroom — all of these reflect your values. Sitting with your legs stretched out or slouching in front of a teacher doesn’t show confidence — it shows a lack of respect and training. And remember, being well-trained is different from just being educated.
Education without discipline is like potential without power. In a good institute, you learn more than facts — you learn how to walk, talk, behave, and think like a responsible human being.
Training and Temperament
In top institutions like IIM, students work from 8 AM to midnight — attending classes, preparing presentations, solving case studies, and working in teams. It’s tough. But that’s what builds temperament. And this temperament is what sets achievers apart.
At CIMAGE, if your classes start at 10 AM and go till 6 PM, don’t complain about being tired. If your teachers are ready to teach till 10 PM, you should be ready to learn.
Your Potential is Untested
Most students don’t know what they are capable of simply because they’ve never had the chance to test themselves. Are you a single-shot rifle or an AK-47? You won’t know until you try. Like the monkeys in the Vanar Sena, who had forgotten their power until Hanuman reminded them — you too have greatness inside you. You’ve just forgotten.
The Monkey Experiment: A Metaphor for Conformity
A psychological experiment once involved monkeys in a cage, bananas at the top, and a ladder. Every time a monkey climbed the ladder to get the banana, cold water was sprayed on all of them. Eventually, they stopped climbing. Even when new monkeys were added — who had never experienced the water spray — they were beaten up by others the moment they tried to climb, without knowing why.
This story is a metaphor. In classrooms, when a student tries to ask a question, their peers discourage them: “Don’t ask. We’ll all get dragged into it.” Over time, curiosity dies. People stop asking questions not because they don’t have them — but because they’ve been conditioned to remain silent.
The Power of Asking Questions
Most of the world’s progress began with a simple question. But today, students are afraid to ask. They’re afraid of being judged, laughed at, or ignored. But no question is ever foolish. Only our mindset can be.
Great discoveries were made when someone dared to ask why. The earth once looked flat to everyone — until someone questioned it. The sun rising and setting seemed obvious — until someone asked what really was happening.
A Final Thought
If you stop asking questions, you stop growing. What’s already written in books is old knowledge. The future lies in your questions, your curiosity, and your willingness to step beyond what others expect.
Remember, the greatest light you’ll ever find won’t come from outside — it’ll come from within. So stop waiting for someone to show you the way. Be your own light.
These were the powerful words in an address meant not just to welcome, but to awaken. The message was clear: Do not wait for someone else to light your path — be your own light. Gautam Buddha’s final teaching, “"Appo deepo bhava"” — become your own light — urges us to become self-reliant, independent, and conscious of our inner potential.
