As I started reading the book, ‘The Value of Values’, the direction toward the answers to these two questions emerged..

– What do I need to do to remember what I learn?

– How do I retain and recall what I learn, at the appropriate time?

‘Values’ is also called ‘jnAnA’ in the Bhagavad GitA. The meaning of the word ‘jnAnA’ is Knowledge. In this context, jnAnA (used in the sense of Values) means a collection of qualities of the mind, which enables an individual to gain knowledge of the self. I extrapolated this further to tell myself that these qualities of the mind also enables one to grasp, retain and recall at the right place and at the right time. 

There is a learner who is willing to learn, a teacher who is willing to teach and a means of knowledge. Despite this the learner does not learn. How is that possible? The learning (includes grasping, retaining and recalling, at the right time and the right place) should take place isn’t it, when all these important factors are in place. Well it may not, if the mind of the learner is not attentive on what is being taught. For example, we want to learn driving and we may join a class. The driving school we have joined is considered to be a good driving school. We attend the classes regularly; however the learning does not take place. Why? Our mind is focused on something else when the teaching happens. So beautifully said that ‘the mind is then not on the sense organ which is the means of knowledge, for the learning to happen’. The learning does not happen and even if it does, it happens inadequately. 

The learner, the teacher, the means of knowledge and the attentive mind is there but the learning still does not happen. Why? We may have inadequate coordination between the hands, legs and eye movement as we drive, which means that we do not have the preparedness to learn driving. When the preparedness is not there the learning does not happen the way it needs to.


As an individual, I was always under the impression that when we have the willingness to learn and we are taught by a teacher who can teach the subject, learning will happen automatically. The presence of an attentive mind and the preparedness to learn were aspects that I had taken for granted. Not being aware of these factors, I have felt helplessness which has lead to frustration and anger; this is when I feel that I have spent so much of effort in my attempt to learn, but the learning has actually not taken place. 

There is so much to learning? 

This not only gave me a window to understand why I have learnt inadequately; it also gives me a window to understand the inadequacy of learning of others as well, which has given me frustration too.

The ‘What’ for the learning to take place is clear. The ‘How’ also needs to be clear, as the process that we need to follow to learn is as critical as the ‘What’, if not more.

The ‘How’ is answered by the collection of qualities of the mind called values, that the mind needs to imbibe, for the learning to happen. 

A collection of the qualities of the mind I need to imbibe for a learning to happen? If I have been introspecting on the profundity of the various factors needed for learning to happen, the fact that I need to imbibe a collection of qualities, makes me smile yet makes me go thru an overwhelming feeling.

My first thought when I saw a need for imbibing the collection of qualities of the mind (called Values) was, “I know I have certain values that I am proud of, which has made me what I am today. Why do I need to imbibe more values?”. As I introspected is when I understood, that I may have certain Values but I may not be conscious of a few other Values that are important for learning to take place – Values that need to be imbibed in a structured manner. Any education that we seek is to give us a structure, to what we are already aware of.

Values being a topic that interests me, I thought I knew a lot on this topic. As I read this book, the perspective I got on Values is invaluable and made me aware of how much I am not aware 🙂


The blog that follows will unfold the explanation of Values, as I understand it, with examples from daily living..