Knowledge v/s Knowing – In Gita Verse 2.26 If, however, you think that the soul [or the symptoms of life] will always be born and die forever, you still have no reason to lament, O mighty-armed.
In the sacred dialogue of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna imparts a timeless teaching to Arjuna: the innate nature of life itself is joyfulness. This joy is not merely an emotion; it is a spiritual state of being where one recognises their essential value and interconnectedness with the universe. Embracing joy is embracing the flow of life, with a heart full of gratitude for this precious human birth, with its myriad of experiences, trials, and gifts. It is a state beyond conditions, beyond the demands we often place on our own happiness.
This joy we speak of is a profound investigation into the very source and essence of our existence. It beckons us to rediscover the innate joy that is our birthright.
Sadly, contemporary education often emphasises information over transformation, leaving knowledge as a pursuit rather than a pathway to knowing. An accumulation of facts without the evolution of the self often leads to disillusionment. Knowledge alone can whisper promises of fulfilment, yet ultimately it may leave us feeling hollow, ensnared in its endless labyrinth.
Consider the myriad circumstances in our lives. When we fixate upon problems, we dredge up every scrap of information, often intensifying our own turmoil. Observe yourself: is this not an indication that sometimes the information we gather takes precedence over our own inner wisdom? Is it not fear that drives this reliance – fear of acceptance, fear of the unknown, fear of failure? And when the burden is solely on external knowledge, we turn away from the immense responsibility that comes with our own thinking.
Yet, in the very same situation, when our gaze shifts from problems to solutions, everything transforms. Solutions demand the engagement of our innermost thoughts, our creativity, our intuition. And here, with this shift from knowledge to knowing, from issues to resolutions, we initiate a metamorphosis from misery to joy, from emptiness to fulfilment.
While many seek silence and bliss in the external world, I urge you to introspect: is such a search necessary? Or is it rather through self-awareness and reorientation of our focus that we discover all we truly need?
Wisdom does not ascend from the annals of knowledge; it is birthed from love. Unlike knowledge, which is a construct of the mind and logic, wisdom is a flowering of the heart. It cannot be merely recited or memorised. It is lived, felt, and emanated. Knowledge can create a facade of understanding, a false pretence of wisdom, through repetition and study. But remember, the enlightened ones – like Jesus – speak from an inexhaustible wellspring of love, while mere knowledge is but a reflection in a stagnant pool.
Wisdom, indeed, is not a commodity to be dispensed but a rare bloom in the garden of the heart, flourishing through love. It is not gathered hastily nor is it commonplace; it requires the cultivation of specific conditions, much like a delicate flower that thrives under just the right amount of sunlight and rain. This wisdom demands a soil rich in love, tended with the hands of compassion and the grace of understanding. It is within such a garden that wisdom unveils itself, petal by petal, in its most authentic and resonant form.
This wisdom is nurtured through the simplest yet profound acts of love; it does not vaunt in loud declarations, but rather whispers truths in the silence of genuine connection. It blooms quietly in the compassionate smile, in kind deeds without expectation of return, and in the empathic listening that connects soul to soul. These are the gentle showers and warm rays that encourage wisdom to take root in the heart, blossoming into a flower with the capacity to change the world.
In the heart’s sacred garden, love is the essential element – the light and sustenance, the very life-force that beckons wisdom to awaken and thrive. It is the unassuming purity of this love that lends the wisdom its depth, making it an invaluable guide to others. Here, love and wisdom merge, revealing the divine interplay between the soul and the universe, between the essence of being and the infinite. In such a place, the heart finds its truest expression, echoing the love that is the source of all wisdom.
When Krishna guides Arjuna, it is a reminder that the maze of knowledge may entangle us away from the precious present. By returning to the now, one reconnects with their divine duty, a calling that transcends logic and argumentation.
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