SIDDHARTHA

SIDDHARTHA

“The oneness of the world cannot be expressed in language because language cannot properly describe experience as you actually experience it, which is why it cannot be taught, which echoes what Siddhartha said in his encounter with the Buddha earlier:”

“I’m not kidding. I’m telling you what I’ve found. Knowledge can be conveyed, but not wisdom. It can be found, it can be lived, it is possible to be carried by it, miracles can be performed with it, but it cannot be expressed in words and taught. This is what I as a young man, sometimes suspected, what has driven me away from the teachers.”

What this passage seeks to explain is the difference between “wisdom” and “knowledge.” It tells us that while knowledge is communicable, something that can be taught and we can learn from another person, wisdom is not so. Wisdom is a characteristic which can only be acquired through personal experiences we encounter daily as we live. No one can teach us wisdom or how to achieve wisdom. With wisdom comes a better understanding of life and the ability to choose wisely and take advantage of the things in life that are good for us.

            I choose this passage because it speaks to me on a personal level. I grew up with a familiar quote ringing in my ears every time I did something that resulted in a negative consequence, my grandmother would say “experience teaches wisdom, you’ll learn!” I learned from an early age that this was indeed so and that in order for this to really occur everyone has to experience life for themselves. Of special note is the fact that even though several persons may be exposed to the same situation the way each person experiences it can be different and hence wisdom and what is the end result is different for each individual.