Archives - June 2005 Vivekam/objetive/subjective etc debate
" I have often been amazed at the reluctance / inability of the gen-next to have any feelings of regret let alone offer even a perfunctory "sorry" when confronted with a wrong, very smilar to children's obstinate refusals when admonished by the parents. This led to the obvious need for some cogitative attempts to try and understand this phenomenon.
The easiest solution was to relate this to "ego", which was just too simplistic to be satisfactory. This had to be more fundamental.... this chain of thought led me to two basic queries :-
1. Is there a factor which differentiates this genre of people, from the ones for whom owning of mistakes/saying sorry comes easily, and automatically
2. Does the age we are living in has any bearing.
The answer to the first is best answered by a simple samskrit word "vivekam". Translated this means "right judgement" and the faculty of distinguishing /classifying things according to their real properties. In other words the factor that differentiates the two is the fact that in addition to the knowledge which the former group possesses in abundance and is just stuck there, the latter set has an additional attribute of "vivekam" which makes them attain "pragyanam" meaning wisdom which perhaps makes them more sensitive. "Pragyanam brahma" is a mahavakya of one of the vedas; where the word wisdom is elevated to the status of ultimate brahman. ( note : A more profound meaning of pragyanam is consciousness - which I realised later, much after I wrote this piece)
To answer the second question, we need scriptures as a reference point; there are 3 ages preceding the current age, referred to as "yugas". These are
1. Kruta yuga - when almost every one had attained wisdom 2. Threta - knowledge part slowly gained entry- Ravana's knowledge prompted him to shrug off any threat to his life from men/monkeys & hence excluded them from his list from whom he wanted immunity to his life when asking for a boon from Lord Shiva, 3. Thwapara- Knowledge had gained ascendancy in a substantial way, the main protoganist Duryodhan who had so much knowledge that he depended solely on this; starting from a deceitful game of dice, he tried every trick in the book to prevent Pandavas from getting any share of the kingdom.
Which brings us to the current age..... Kalyug. This indeed is an age of knowledge.... The ascendancy over wisdom ( Vivekam) is almost entirely complete. This is the age of science, technology, IT etc.... and as to "wisdom" this can be bought thru cash programs and certificates obtained!!
The conclusions from these? Pursuit of knowledge without the ultimate aim of acquring wisdom can lead to vanity/arrogance. Which reminds me of the chinese proverb "the more you know the less you understand". Here are some thoughts /examples which elaborates on these observations further
1. Knowledge is what you require, to be able to travel to moon and back, but wisdom lies in the ability to cross the street to meet with a neighbour for whom we do not find time.
2. The path to TQM is knowledge, underatnding TQM is wisdom.
3. A moralist says yielding to remorse is only adding to the first act of stupidity, a second is arrogance.
4. "disobedience in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man's original virtue"; this quote is used to bring home the point that some journalists are so fearless that they defy all to get to the truth. Just one error which is brought to their notice, these same journalists find no merit in the wisdom of saying sorry. There is invariably the passive "error is regretted" stuff thru their editors.
5. A computer represents knowledge, the man behind it the wisdom.
Lest one should still doubt "knowledge" is just a subjective noun, where as wisdom is an objective one. Invariably we all tend to lean heavily on the former attribute and give weightage due to the pressures of our times. So much so, that sensitivities like saying sorry, are considered weaknesses for a leadership role. Does wisdom have a chance in these circumstances? Is not then vanity/arrogance inevitable? There is also a favorite term for ignoring /overlooking men of wisdom namely "collective wisdom" In other words context is paramount and not the true feeling. Isn't it a bit of a sham?
Finally, just digressing from the theme; there are some social categories of people, who are just blessed-one can find these in the spiritual, political, and even in mundane corporate contexts- the only difference is that while the first set with Gods grace just radiates wisdom, the latter two without any apparent knowledge/wisdom have everything going for them... where there is a way, the will can be made up surely and convincingly!!. No wonder then that an overwhelming majority regardless of merit feels cheated of their dues by society. Thank God like celibacy, these are not heriditory factors.
Ultimate destiny of this age of kaliyuga?.......Think it over. ALV"
PS Some incident must have rankled, for me to pen the last paragraph, as today I find it slightly awry. Another thing is the realisation today that ultimate wisdom stage of "pragyanam brahma" where the emphasis is consciousness is purely subjective. Once you are able to transcend this mundane material world, there is neither subjective/nor objective kind of dilemma. When realisation dawns, experience ceases, there is no more efforts to become somethng, you just are or "be". Do I make sense?
Love Peace and prosperity
Vichu
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