Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
15th November 2015
Meaning of Knowledge and Wisdom
“where does it come from”
Words have meaning and this is obvious. It is also obvious that words and meanings have evolved in the human mind, because primitive man had neither a word nor its meaning within his mind.
The question is from where does the meaning of the words that reveal wisdom come? It is obvious that words with meanings that reveal knowledge come from memory. So the question is, do words with meanings that reveal wisdom also come from memory? If words that reveal wisdom come from memory, why is man unable to recollect wisdom from his memory as he is able to recollect knowledge from memory with ease?
The reason is, life evolves understanding and more understanding of words leads to knowledge and increases knowledge. Similarly, when life evolves deeper understanding of the same words that deepening leads to wisdom.
Deeper understanding of words that reveal wisdom, however, does not come from memory. The reason being, the understanding of knowledge has reference to the past, present, future and time, which are in memory, while the understanding of wisdom points to the timeless ‘here and now’ in life and not to the past, present, future and time.
The deeper meanings of wisdom do not come from memory; they come spontaneously, uncontrollably and unpredictably from the inherent characteristic of evolved understanding in the mind, just as knowledge does come spontaneously, uncontrollably and unpredictably from memory in the mind.
The meaning of wisdom is a response to words and not a reaction to them, because the meaning does not infer the present, past, future and time. The meaning of knowledge is a reaction to words, because it always infers the present, past, future and time, which is the memory. Therefore, the meaning of knowledge has evolved within memory, while the meaning of wisdom has evolved in the inherent characteristic of understanding in the mind.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar © Copyright V. S. Shankar 2015
Editor’s Note: This is a lovely presentation of the simple levels available within man’s reach. It is very calming to the mind and relieves it of any striving to become. There is no touch of pride possible here, no higher or lower, no superior or inferior. This is no reaction to the article – it is a simple and immediate response, one of deep gratitude. Immediate here meaning that there is nothing in between article and response.
Julian Capper, UK
German Translator’s note: Both, the article “Meaning” and its Editor’s Note, are a beautiful hint that wisdom has nothing to do with learning. So there are no schools for wisdom, only knowledge could be taught. The “Academy of Advaita” presents, once again, a deep understanding through the writings of Dr. Shankar, without a teacher or a student.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany