A word to the wise


On the list of virtues one would love to have, wisdom should certainly top the chart. What is more enticing than to be called wise, to be able to dissect issues and find solutions, to anticipate troubles and be proactive and above all to comprehensively understand human psyche.

The path to wisdom is not as attractive as wisdom itself. Even if I am nowhere near it, I can certainly say why I am still a peeping Tom to this phenomenon. Till the time we concentrate on knowing others and search for mere things around us, the most we can be is Intelligent. But that is equally far from wisdom, the trick is probably to know ourselves first. As Carrie Latet mentioned “Wisdom is never on the menu, you have to own the restaurant”.

There is one more truth attached to this whole theory and it is the fact that even if you are wise, you will not be wise all the time. At times you will act like a damn fool; you only have to limit those instances. Even if that’s the case, wisdom outweighs wealth, status and power. So any means required in achieving it wouldn’t be uncalled for. In his Metaphysics, Aristotle defines wisdom as knowledge of causes: why things exist in a particular fashion.

Let’s formulate a strategy to be wise. The first thing is perhaps to know the inflexible truth that no one is wise by chance (read god gifts). It only comes after a series of slip-ups (read experiences). So the first step in the direction is to dare to be a fool and then learn ahead. The second step is to listen frequently and suppressing an urge to talk all the time. Believe me, people around us are smart enough, not dumb as many assume. The third stair is the principle of equanimity. It means to be composed in grief and happiness alike. It emphasizes logical bend of mind than emotional. The perfect balance of mind and the heart is the way forward to be wise. So lets try and sharpen our wisdom teeth, shall we?


4 comments:

Mayank December 14, 2009 at 8:15 PM  

Its really commendable that you can write so much about such abstract topic as 'Wisdom'!! But please write something for us lesser mortals... some stories etc. ;)

Abhishek December 14, 2009 at 8:36 PM  

Here is a story especially for u. Hope u derive the lesson from it:

The Zen Master Hakuin travelled extensively to learn from other masters. When he was 32 years old, he returned to the temple in his home town. Here he devoted himself to teaching a growing number of disciples. Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as a teacher living an exemplary life.

A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. One day without warning, her parents discovered that she was pregnant.

This made her parents angry. The girl would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment, she named Hakuin as the father.

In great anger the parents went to the Zen Master and scolded him in front of all his students. All Hakuin would say was “Is that so?”

After the baby boy was born, it was entrusted to Hakuin's care. By this time he had lost his reputation. His disciples have left him. However Hakuin was not disturbed, and enjoyed taking care of the little boy. He obtained milk and other essentials the boy needed from his neighbors.

A year later, the girl-mother couldn't stand it any longer. She confessed the truth to her parents— that the real father of the boy was not Hakuin but a young man working in the local fishmarket.

The father and mother of the girl went to Hakuin at once. They asked his forgiveness and apologized profusely to get the boy back.

Although Hakuin loved the child as his own, he was willing. In giving up the boy, all he said was: “Is that so?”

Unknown December 17, 2009 at 12:36 PM  

So do u believe that people who express their feelings aren't wise??

Abhishek December 17, 2009 at 9:51 PM  

No, that's not the message. The idea is equanimity, meaning to be calm when in trouble.

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Xpress!ons is all about my experiences in life. It’s the first on account of someone who has just begun cutting his wisdom teeth. A down to earth description of some out of this world phenomenon . My story of biting off more than I can chew ,thus,continues..

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