No matter which path you take, the wisom you seek will always be found within the depths of your own consciousness.
Sydney Banks, The Missing Link
How to get wisdom? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but wisdom is not something you get. You’ll understand what I mean by the end.
First, I think it’s important we both get on the same page about what wisdom is, and what wisdom isn’t.
My perspectives on wisdom from here on out are from my studies of The Three Principles, Buddhism, Toltec, Shamanism, and my own inner contemplation.
Wisdom as defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
- : knowledge that is gained by having many experiences in life
- : the natural ability to understand things that most other people cannot understand
- : knowledge of what is proper or reasonable
I’d like to start off by giving my opinion on these three definitions of wisdom.
1.: Knowledge that is gained by having many experiences in life
Knowledge and wisdom are not the same. Therefore, knowledge gained through experiences remains as knowledge. This knowledge doesn’t magically convert to wisdom simply because of how it was attained.
The intelligence that is gained is what we know as knowledge. Intelligence that is innate is lesser-known to most and is what we call wisdom.
2.: The natural ability to understand things that most other people cannot understand
This statement is actually a direct contradiction to the 1st definition of wisdom. It points towards wisdom being an innate ability to understand that doesn’t require past experiences.
Is this wisdom? Possibly. The more I contemplate it the more I tend to see the wisdom in this. This is why children who understand certain things that the average adult does not are said to be ‘wise beyond their years’.
3.: Knowledge of what is proper or reasonable
One can argue that what is proper or reasonable is subjective. One can also argue that love will always point us toward human decency of what is proper or reasonable.
I’m on the side of love. I’ve noticed that when people are in a loving state they tend to breed wise thoughts and wise action. Yet, when they’re in a state of fear (opposite of love), people tend to do unthinkable things.
How To Get Wisdom? My Take
Wisdom isn’t something you get.
It was there before you were born and will be there after you die.
It’s all around us and within us, all the time. It cannot be gained nor lost, it simply is. We have access to it at all times.
Wisdom is the innate intelligence of life that resides within the silent depths of the mind. Not your personal mind, but the Universal mind.
In my studies of The Three Principles, one of the foundations of my work, Universal Mind is the label given to the intelligence behind all life. If you’re religious you may liken this to GOD.
Within the vastness of every seed lay the wisdom of potential. Thus, an Acorn becomes an Oak Tree, this is the Universal Mind at work.
The only thing blocking our access to wisdom at any given time is the noise of our personal minds.
Noise is the barrier to wisdom and silence is the antidote.
Whenever you’re seeking to hear the wisdom within, know that it’s there. It’s always there. Get quiet, turn down that volume of your personal mind, this is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not loud like the chaos we’re used to listening to in our heads. It’s very subtle, a whisper if you will. If you don’t give it space it won’t be heard.
I encourage you to get quiet…
And listen for the whispers of wisdom to come through.
