Jnana ↘↖
What is wisdom or Jnana?
Watched this video about - what is wisdom? Does this clearly explain what wisdom is?
So, what is wisdom or Jnana really? Why do all religions give importance to wisdom in the path to enlightenment? To truely understand what is wisdom, one should know what knowledge is first. One should never mistake knowledge for wisdom. Gaining knowledge helps you make a living; while having wisdom helps you make a life. One can read to gain knowledge, but one has to seek to gain wisdom.
So what is wisdom then according to different beliefs and religions?
Socrates said “Wisdom is the awarness of ones ignorance, but not the acceptance of it.”
Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching) says “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”
Lao Tzu also wrote “Without going out of your door, You can know the ways of the world. Without peeping through your window, You can see the Way of Heaven. The farther you go, The less you know.”
Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita’s venerable wisdom:
The path of Self-knowledge and the path of selfless service both lead to the supreme goal. But, of the two, the path of selfless service is superior to path of Self-knowledge, because it is easier to practice for most people. (5.02)
Truly, there is no purifier in this world like the true knowledge of the Supreme Being. One discovers this knowledge within, naturally, in course of time when one’s mind is cleansed of selfishness by KarmaYoga. (4.38)
The one who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is a wise person. Such a person is a yogi and has accomplished everything. (4.18)
One who is free from all material affection, who upon attaining that which is pleasant or unpleasant, neither praises nor disapproves, stands firm in wisdom. (2.57)
ThiruKural Verse 430, an ancient Tamil language sacred text says this of wisdom:
“Those who possess wisdom possess everything.
Whatever others possess, without wisdom they have nothing.”
Bhagwan Sri Ramana Maharshi, the enlightened master of Advaita Vedanta says:
Desirelessness is wisdom. The two are not different; they are the same. Desirelessness is refraining from turning the mind towards any object. Wisdom means the appearance of no object. In other words, not seeking what is other than the Self is detachment or desirelessness; not leaving the Self is wisdom.
According to Buddhism, the highest wisdom is seeing that in reality all phenomena are incomplete, impermanent, and not self. This understanding is totally freeing and leads to the great security and happiness which is called Nirvana.
Jnana means eternal wisdom or discernment. Jnana focuses on man’s intelligence in the quest of eternal truth. Those who have an open mind for everything, they accept all philosophies and religions. Their unity of intellect and wisdom enables them to surpass boundaries and look beyond ideological controversies, once again showing the timeless unity of all spiritual paths about the ultimate truth. Hinduism has a saying: “Ekam Sataha Vipraha Bahudha Vadanti,” which may be translated as: “The truth is one, but different sages call it by different names”
In the Bible, the world ‘wise’ has not been used for a worldly wise but for him who possesses the wisdom of God. In fact the worldly wisdom is opposite to the wisdom of God and hence a worldly wise person may not be godly wise. Jesus Christ says:
“Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in the world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.” (I-Corinthians 3:18)
Mordern day Answers.com says wisdom is “The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight.”
In modern living, wisdom in the awareness (that arises out of love and compassion through selfless service) and silence within the wise one. Very rare to find an enlightened soul.
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