Knowledge &Wisdom

By God's teachings ( our immeasurable fortune! ), we have all become knowledgeable. One is knowledge-able when one is able to remember points of knowledge - facts and ideas, and also understand the implications . But wisdom is a different matter altogether. We are as wise, as we choose to be, by dint of our efforts. One is wise, when one realizes various points of knowledge.

When we realize any point of knowledge, the experience is beyond anything known to the senses. It is a silent blissful state where all else is forgotten It brings us close to God. We become like him.

Wisdom requires that we apply points of knowledge to daily life. We churn the points in our minds. We think of the benefits and try them out. We make that knowledge ours when we live it out. It gives us new experiences. We become wiser. Points of knowledge when enriched with experience, become points of wisdom. When someone says, "Experience teaches, that this is so....", we immediately feel the magic in the words. They are not the words of a scholar who knows all the scriptures by heart! They are words of wisdom.

Application of ideas in an attempt to solve the basic questions of life is called Philosophy - The Love of Wisdom. Yet, Philosophy is also not wisdom. There are many streams of Philosophy. Each of them contains deep thoughts churned out by intellectuals, sages and seers down the ages. They are attempts to describe truth as experienced and lived out by the authors. They are attempts at solving the Primary Quest. Of knowing, the cause and its effect on this world of ours. Many of these philosophical schools of thought, attempt to describe God, the soul and other metaphysical ideas. Some of them on the other hand, consider these ideas as mere fantasy. One school of thought considers God to be Omnipresent, while another considers him as a point of Light. Yet another stream says that there is no God and it makes good sense to eat, drink and be merry while we can!

Though, some of the principles propounded are universal, the disparities between these different philosophical sects in terms of theories regarding the "Creator and his Creation" show that Philosophy is an attempt at wisdom and does not necessarily imply any wisdom. It does not indicate knowledge, either. Knowledge of the "Creator and the Creation" can be imparted only by the knower. Not by one who is attempting to know. God gives us knowledge of ourselves, of himself and of this game that we play. He also shows us the way to become wise.

Sometimes, life makes us wiser. Different trying situations meet us on the Journey of Life. A half forgotten point of knowledge surfaces and we suddenly we realize what it means. Such realization is the hard way of learning things and becoming wise! It helps to be proactive and use the different gems of knowledge so that we can eliminate problem situations before they occur! Situations will of course be the same, but they cease to be a source of problems for us. Equanimity is the hallmark of a wise man, not of a merely knowledgeable one.