In plain words
Today he pushes away these sacred forms, these forms made of three qualities, and scrambles after nothing but higher degrees called M.Sc., M.A. But as he goes after higher knowledge, general knowledge is dying out altogether.
Without general knowledge, however learned a man may be, even he is simply the equal of a weakling. No matter how learned he is, he is simply the equal of a small man. Only the lovers of English education are on the increase, but they do not set about the growth of the knowledge of the Ātma at all. English education with no love for the knowledge of the Ātma gives us nothing but slavery, and not, in the least, the principle of God. Today they are losing altogether the general knowledge to honour the parents who bore them and brought them up. When some elders come to the house, how should we welcome them? That general knowledge is vanishing altogether. When you go somewhere, what dress should you wear, how should you conduct yourself? Today they are losing altogether this general knowledge, which has to be lived moment by moment in daily life. How should you speak in the presence of elders? Today they are losing that sacredness of speech. Whether those who lack general knowledge are to be called students or people without learning, it is shameful to say. Only if you honour elders today, only if today you greet elders with humility, reverence and faith, only if you honour your parents today, will such honour, such courtesies and such high places come to you in the future. If you do not enter that sacred path today, in the future you will have to suffer hardship in a state where you are not fit to receive such greatness at all. This life is the very journey man makes from the place called “I” to the place called “we”. So when each goes his own way like oneway traffic, when we want only ourselves to be honoured, no joy at all is to be had in this humanness. We must give honour, and we must receive honour. We must give joy, and we must receive joy. It is simply give and take; it must not be one way traffic.