“Wisdom does not consist in knowing much. It is not attained by accumulating data, quoting theories with agility, or counting books read. It is not attained by memorizing names and dates. Those who reduce knowledge to a memorized repertoire confuse quantity with discernment. Knowing impresses, understanding transforms.
The value of knowledge does not lie in its volume, but in the clarity with which the essential is distinguished from the incidental. Wisdom does not require encompassing everything, but grasping what is decisive. It is the ability to recognize what is important when the trivial competes for attention. It is remaining silent when noise is expected and acting when others hesitate. The wise are not those who multiply words, but those who know when to withdraw them. They are not those who respond to everything, but those who identify the necessary question. Authentic knowledge does not seek to control or dominate; it aspires to coexist without violence. It does not seek to impose itself, but to understand clearly.
There are those who display knowledge as a shield, fearing the insecurity of not knowing. But wisdom is something else: it is depth without arrogance, it is sobriety without rigidity. It does not overwhelm, it guides. It does not dazzle, it illuminates. Knowing how to live requires more than remembering facts: it requires observation, judgment, attention, and humility to review what has been learned. The wise never stop learning because they understand that all knowledge is partial. The search never ends.
It is not a concern to be ignorant of many things. What is crucial is to recognize what is valuable, to think rigorously, and to observe without distraction. Wisdom begins when the desire to appear wise ceases and the desire to see clearly is born.”
Prabhuji
