Seeing with new eyes

[Tariki]

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes"

(Marcel Proust)

Is "wisdom" gained by the accumulation and assimilation of facts? If not, how is "wisdom"................the seeing with new eyes............."gained"?

I think that there is a sense in which we "live and learn" (well, hopefully!) A sense in which we do progress in knowledge. Yet also a sense in which such "progress" can be likened to a hamster running in its wheel (no offence to hamsters, I love our own little Tico!!)

[earl]

It seems that the first part of most spiritual journies is the notion we are learning, gaining something, accumulating. Then it appears a "tipping point" in realization is reached and we realize we have much to lose. So our journies seem to then be about how much unnecessary or even "unreal" baggage we can shed. To me that is certainly typified by the 10th picture of the famous 10 ox-herding pictures in Chan/Zen-always portrays that fully enlightened one as wandering "homeless" with only a staff and a simple bag from which he pours out blessings not into which he accumulates anything. Have a good one, earl

[Snoopy]

Wisdom means understanding; but not just intellectual understanding as in "I understand how to fix a broken engine." I would say it means understanding into the true nature of reality. This, ultimately, cannot come from a simple accumulation of factual knowledge.

Snoopy.






The king said: 'Venerable Nagasena, where does wisdom dwell?'
'Nowhere, O king.'
'Then, Sir, there is no such thing as wisdom.'
'Where does the wind dwell, O king?'
'Not anywhere, Sir.'
'So there is no such thing as wind.'
'Well answered, Nagasena!'

- Milindapanha

[Virtual_Cliff]

I think we have to have the faith to be aware without using our senses. Our senses can only take us so far. If we say to ourselves "seeing is believing" then that will blind us to what may not to known in this way.

It is interesting that prophesies have often come to people in dreams, when they are not seeing or hearing anything. Similarly those who would approach the divine have gone to lonely places.

If we are to be open to such things as telepathy for example, we must be prepared to relinquish our reliance on sense-derived information for verification of all our knowledge.