A Guru once asked his students, "How big is the Earth?"
The students thought for a while.
After sometime, one student said, "The Earth is about 6,000 km across."
"I asked how big the Earth is, not its diameter." said the Guru.
Another student jumped up and said its about 3,000 km across.
"I can say the same again, I asked how big the Earth is, not its diameter or radius or anything such."
Another student then said, "Its a bit bigger than Venus."
"How big is that?" the Guru reflected the student's question.
The Student couldn't say much. The Guru gave the students a day or two to think.
Two days later the students came back still with a blank mind. The Guru said he'd give the students a hint.
"If I gave you just a slice of a mango, would you be able to get an idea of how big the whole mango is?"
The student replied in a chorus, "Yes."
"Then do the same with the question."
The guru gave the students another three days to think.
Within those three days he got all sorts of answers, but none of them were correct.
Some said, that the Earth is as big as God's Palm, some said it was as big as it is, they said anything and everything they could think of. Finally on the fourth day the Guru decided to tell ~ rather show ~ them the answer. As the students were curiously waiting for the answer, the Guru started to tell them probably the most unexpected yet true answer.
"Children, look at the sky. Look how nicely you can see those scattered high altitude clouds against the blue background. Now, lie down on the ground and picture the sky upside down. Observe the curvature of the sky or should I say, the curvature of the Earth, notice how grand and massive it is.
The students did as they were told.
"Now tell me, how big is the Earth?"
One of the students said amused, "It's.... It's HUGE!"
Just the answer the Guru was expecting.
~ This can be observed beautifully on a day when their are cirrus clouds in the sky.
The students thought for a while.
After sometime, one student said, "The Earth is about 6,000 km across."
"I asked how big the Earth is, not its diameter." said the Guru.
Another student jumped up and said its about 3,000 km across.
"I can say the same again, I asked how big the Earth is, not its diameter or radius or anything such."
Another student then said, "Its a bit bigger than Venus."
"How big is that?" the Guru reflected the student's question.
The Student couldn't say much. The Guru gave the students a day or two to think.
Two days later the students came back still with a blank mind. The Guru said he'd give the students a hint.
"If I gave you just a slice of a mango, would you be able to get an idea of how big the whole mango is?"
The student replied in a chorus, "Yes."
"Then do the same with the question."
The guru gave the students another three days to think.
Within those three days he got all sorts of answers, but none of them were correct.
Some said, that the Earth is as big as God's Palm, some said it was as big as it is, they said anything and everything they could think of. Finally on the fourth day the Guru decided to tell ~ rather show ~ them the answer. As the students were curiously waiting for the answer, the Guru started to tell them probably the most unexpected yet true answer.
"Children, look at the sky. Look how nicely you can see those scattered high altitude clouds against the blue background. Now, lie down on the ground and picture the sky upside down. Observe the curvature of the sky or should I say, the curvature of the Earth, notice how grand and massive it is.
The students did as they were told.
"Now tell me, how big is the Earth?"
One of the students said amused, "It's.... It's HUGE!"
Just the answer the Guru was expecting.
~ This can be observed beautifully on a day when their are cirrus clouds in the sky.
