KNOWLEDGE IS EXPERIENCE, WISDOM IS EVOLUTION
So, I want some help from my readers this time. Let me kick off with something we relate and connect with very easily. We recently had an amazing experience visiting NASA Visitor Center in Florida. As soon as you enter, you will feel like that place itself is a tiny world. The place has to offer many gateways for kids and adults per your interest. The apex for me was the simulator module. The setup includes an immersive rocket take off experience (like astronauts) and the way it penetrates up in the atmosphere. They have also built much deeper experience zones to view and feel. The buildings, the launch pads, vehicle assembly units, the platforms that carry the rocket to the launch pads, etc. are a treat to watch for space lovers.
I am highlighting here the importance of experience. Specifically, the generation starting ours (as I see) is inclined towards experience than watching things. We are paying and are ready to pay more for experiential content. We are blessed that we do not have survival and societal issues, but have aspirational challenges to deal with. We want to earn more and more money because there are so many things out there to experience and embrace. You may find it irrelevant and disconnected, but experience for me is important so as to express myself and thus help others to decide if an experience is for them or not. If I have experience of something, it is my duty to translate it to somebody’s guidebook. If I can, it’s wisdom for me and others too. One very important life lesson I have learnt is, there are plenty and plenty of people out there carrying tons of knowledge but unfortunately lack wisdom. Vishwanathan Anand is five times world chess champion which is an exemplary achievement. But people respect him for his efforts to nurture the next generation prodigies like Pragg, Vaishali or Gukesh. That’s the difference between knowledge and wisdom. How you use your art, knowledge or trait is what is valued. This understanding is embodied in our history and culture. Let me tell you how.
In Mahabharat, Mother Gandhari (the mother of Duryodhan and all Kauravas) was heartbroken on seeing the dead bodies of her 100 sons. Shri Krishna comes to Mother Gandhari to soothe her despite knowing what is going to happen. Out of extreme grief and anger, Mother Gandhari says these words to Krishna, “My heart is tearing on seeing my sons’ dead bodies. You could have avoided this war, but you did not. I curse you that you will die lonely. My sons sacrificed their lives on the battlefield with respect. No matter if they were right or wrong but they were warriors and hence they had the privilege to die on the battlefield. Unlike them, you will die under a tree with no one around you.” Shri Krishna smiles and accepts this curse saying. “Mother Gandhari, I had anyway chosen to die this way. I know I deserve to die this way this time. I came as Shantidoot (messenger of peace) to avoid this war, but your son wanted only the war. You wasted your Tapasya by giving me this curse. You had Lord Shiva’s boon; you could have asked me to make your dead sons alive, but you cursed me instead”. This is the beauty of having the power Vs using the power. In other words, money is what money does.
The currency of 21st Century is not knowledge, but WISDOM. Anybody can gain any skill or knowledge but using that power, having that attitude is what makes you an asset. Let me now come to my ask. I will do my job first before requesting you to do your part. You know, watching many people achieve global feat boosts my inner ambitious self so much so that the adrenaline rush overpowers my current state of being. I feel like let’s stop everything we are doing, let’s leave behind all the life’s attractions and work towards a single goal. This is not a daydream but a real emotion. But the fact is, I cannot. I have a limited capacity to act on this real emotion because I don’t want to leave behind my people, my life, my very own self to which I am extremely attached. I am okay to not have top recognitions and acclaims because for me, the world is very much concentrated to what I have and what little I can. Then how can I use my knowledge and resources to translate it to wisdom? I do not want to dive into very personal things, but I have my plans, and I am working to pave my way towards that. I have a certain milestone to help others, and my constant effort is to associate my life with that very soon.
Please, please, please, if you think you can help just ONE individual in their life financially, emotionally to whatever extent you can, please do it or plan for it. You can do this at any AGE. We have an ever growing >8 billion people on this planet. The world demands more, but if every one of us can help just one human, the world will turn upside down beautifully. This unaccounted help is much more valuable than any global achievement. Do it for your evolution and not to show that you have, and you can.
The happiest people are not always the most successful people, but the ones who serve their best. Your kids may or may not be your extension, but your KARMA is.
