I have read many books in my life, but I don’t remember most of the information I gained from them. So, what’s the benefit of reading so many books?
One day, a student asked his professor the same question. The professor remained silent and didn’t answer that day. A few days later, the student and professor met by a river. The professor showed the student a pot with holes and said, “Let’s go get water from the river with this pot.” The pot broke on the ground. The student felt confused, thinking it was a useless task, as it was impossible to carry water with a pot full of holes.
However, he couldn’t disobey his professor’s advice, so he picked up the broken pot and ran towards the river. He filled the pot with water and brought it back, but he couldn’t go far. A few steps later, the water leaked out of the holes and fell to the ground. He tried several times but failed and felt frustrated.
Afterward, he returned to his professor and said, “I failed. I couldn’t bring water in this pot. It’s impossible for me; please forgive me.” The professor smiled sweetly and said, “You didn’t fail. Look at the pot; it’s clean now. It looks like a new pot. Whenever the water leaks out of the holes, the dirt inside the pot is washed away. The same thing happens to you. When you read a book, your mind is like the pot with holes, and the information in the book is like the water. When you read a book, you don’t remember everything. But is it necessary to remember all the content? No, because reading books gives you ideas, knowledge, feelings, emotions, and truths that cleanse your mind.
Whenever you read a book, you undergo a spiritual transformation, and you are reborn as a new person. This is the main purpose of reading books.”
