Knowledge vs. Wisdom
--by Author Unknown (Feb 04, 1998)
Living in this world, it becomes very hard to differentiate between knowledge
and wisdom. In a technological society, we start to convince ourselves that
science provides us with all the answers. But does science really lead us to
a better future? If we think of all the progress over the past decades/cent-
uries, we can see that our standard of living has improved, resources are
used efficiently, communication is better, and so on. But what about the more
fundamental problems of dissatisfaction, distress, and unfulfilled desires?
No matter how good the economy is, no matter how much money people are making,
there are no guarantees of happiness and peace. While advances in technology
may improve the material standard of life, only advances in self study can
provide enduring improvements in mental balance. Knowledge, then, explains
why things are, but wisdom explains why you are. Wisdom cannot be acquired
via books and lectures; only consistent and arduous introspection can shed
light upon the subtleties of our existence. Meditation is a tool to
examine ourselves.