It is like someone who falls into the sea
and takes support from the water itself to swim and reach the shore.
(Matthieu Ricard)
Knowledge
Knowledge is information: facts, figures, dates and
names.
It is the ability to arrange,
assess, define, duplicate, label, list, memorise, name, order,
recall, recognise, relate, repeat and reproduce.
Sometimes knowledge can be understanding gained by actual experience.
Knowing
Knowing is not enough.
The human race has a recorded history spanning hundreds of years, yet we are
still at
war with one
another.
There is hunger,
poverty, greed and
cruelty
throughout the world.
For all our knowledge, we are yet to live in
harmony with others.
We are yet to have
respect.
A knowledgeable person may seek to flout their cleverness, but a wise person
remains
quiet.
They prefer to watch, to learn, to observe
natural laws.
Wisdom
Wisdom is not the same as knowledge.
It reaches beyond the information to see
inner
qualities and
relationships that are not
immediately apparent.
It is synonymous with
awareness and care, with insight and
consideration.
Knowledge alone is dangerous.
It must be tempered with good sense, morality and prudence.
Openness
Are you truly open to the
unknown?
Stories and jokes are examples of limited thinking, with the off-told plots
and familiar punch-lines.
Can you cope with uncertainty, doubt and insecurity? Can you step off
(knowingly) into the
abyss?
Understanding
People accept or dismiss information on the basis of their own
ability to comprehend it.
This approach is unsound.
Do we dismiss Einstein, Hawkins or Da Vinci because we do not understand
their theories and insights?
Does our ignorance invalidate their work?
Meaning
Krishnamurti told an amusing story which causes us to question
authority:
The devil and his friend are walking along the street, when they see a man
stoop down and pick something up. The man looks very pleased.
The friend asks the devil, "What has he found?"
The devil replies, "He has found a piece of the
truth."
"Then this is bad business for you?"
asked the friend.
"Not at all," said the devil,
"Now I will tell him what it means."
Page created 13 January 1999