The Quest for Wisdom

 

The quest for information, knowledge understanding and wisdom

Yes, we were born without any of these. Shall we remain so, or shall we strive for wisdom – our ultimate quest?

It is said that a fool knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Shall we have all the information there is in this world or even the universe, and remain fools?

It seems to me that most of us do not even get out of the starting blocks and are not interested in information at all. We feed on what was good for yesterday and for our ancestors.

If we take what our ancestors knew, and what we can now know, it is like a ratio of one in a million or even higher. But, still, we cling to conventional wisdom and old-fashioned fables. Shrug it off for time and for ever.

We are presently on the information highway, keeping left or right as we wish, but never crossing the line, even if it is a broken line, signalling we can pass what is slowing us down or hindering us ahead.

If we look at the universe, it is in constant transition and transformation, as it should be, because a perfect thing was never created in one day.

In fact, we are not even on the verge of transitioning from information to knowledge - I mean to really know.

He who knows not and knows that he knows not, is a fool; avoid him
He who know not and knows that he knows not, is a student; teach him
He who knows and knows not that he knows, is asleep; wake him
He who knows and knows that he knows, is a wise man; follow him

The origin of the above is disputed as it was used over and over. Probably taken from Sanskrit.

Wisdom for us, is a bridge too far or maybe a universe too far. I speak for myself too.
But, I shall not remain a cold soul and stand on the crossroads between information and knowledge. Information is cold and lifeless. Knowledge is what gives life and death. Death from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil - and life from the Tree of Life, both from Paradise, though the Tree of Life stands in the middle as the Cross stands in the middle, between Good and Evil.

All it takes is one step from death to life as those two trees stand near to each other.
And yet, knowledge and its ultimate, called wisdom, are light years away from each other, and yet so near to each other.

How will we ever transcend from knowledge to understanding and ultimately from understanding to wisdom?

And yet - wisdom cries out on the streets and nobody heeds it.

I am dreaming that impossible dream and reaching out to that unreachable star.
What I do know for sure, is that understanding and wisdom can be attained on earth, and it is not such an unreachable star.

The fact of the matter, however, is that we will have to join ourselves in the unity of God and His Universe to become one with it.

Let us not miss the opportunity.

The words of this song say it so well:

The Keys to the vaults of heaven
May be buried somewhere in a prayer
The Keys to the vaults of heaven
May be heavy or lighter than air
Open up the vaults
Open up the vaults
We've got to find the keys
The nights have been growing darker
Even darker now than sin
We'll open the vaults of heaven
The treasures are there within
 
The keys to the vaults of heaven
May be seen in a pure child's eyes
The keys to the vaults of heaven
May be heard in our desperate cries
 
Open up the vaults
Open up the vaults
We've got to find the keys
 
The nights have been growing darker
Even darker now than sin
We'll open the vaults of heaven
The glories are there within
 

From Whistle down the wind by Andrew Lloyd Webber.