In plain words
Good qualities, good sense, devotion to Satya, Bhakti, discipline and the doing of duty: that alone is education which teaches these; this is what the student must learn.
The very one who teaches such education is Gaṇapati. He is not one who teaches bad learning. He is not one who teaches bad habits. That is why the one who is lord of all is Gaṇapati. How should we pray to such a Gaṇapati every day? Not by saying, “O God, I want this work done, I want that work done.” I want no work; it is You alone I want. If Gaṇapati is within our grasp, we become lord of all. If we have gold in our hand, we can have jewels made every month. We can have as many ornaments made as we like. So Gaṇapati is like gold. Our feelings and desires: all these are like so many ornaments. We, to Gaṇapati: I want some education or other, I want a pass, I must get a job. We must not ask for desires like these. “Vighneśvara! See to it that no obstacles of any kind come to my work. For this I worship You”: this is how we must pray. Today no one understands the principle of Gaṇapati rightly. They understand merely the worldly form alone and teach the meaning of worldly words alone, and so waste their time; but those who recognise the inner feeling, teach the inner meaning and gain real Śānti are very few. We celebrate Rāma's birthday as a festival and enjoy Ānanda. Who is Rāma? He is not only a figure. It is His sacred qualities alone that are our support. If we want to be devotees of Rāma, we must take on Rāma's qualities. If you wish to be Kṛṣṇa's devotee, you must always be smiling with joy. If you want to be devotees of Swami, you must always be full of Prema. You must love everyone. You must hate no one. But at times it looks as though there is no loving. That is only to the outward, worldly eye. In truth, Prema is within. Pots born of clay, however many shapes you make them in, are only clay. Jewels made of gold, wherever you look at them, are only gold.