Talks And Events, 1999-2005

Knowledge and Wisdom

If there is no wisdom in knowledge, then knowledge may eventually end only with the notion of supremacy – the notion of how much more I know than you. But wisdom does not do that. Wisdom tells us, “Whatever capacity God gave me, I have got. Whatever capacity God gave you, you have got.” Wisdom is always a uniting factor. How can I expect my little brother to know as much as I know? Again, he is my brother. The big brother is claiming the little brother. The little brother is also claiming the big brother. This is wisdom. This is the wisdom of one-ness. Otherwise, starting only with knowledge, it can end with a divisive sense of supremacy.

Another example is like a father buying a car. The father buys a family car, and his child says to others, “It is my car.” The father does not come and say, “You do not have any money. How can you say it is your car?” No, rather the father is proud and happy that the little child is claiming his father’s car as his own.

First, the child claimed his father’s car as his own, and his father was so happy. Then afterwards when the child grows up, as an adolescent he wants to have his own car. He may beg his father to give him a large amount of money to buy the car, and then he tells the whole world, “This is my car.” If at that time he says his father has only an old car and his own car is much better, then it is similar to how knowledge starts dividing and dividing. When the little child was in his heart, it was all oneness, and wisdom could prevail. He claimed his father at every second. Then afterwards when the child grows up, if the ‘me’ starts in, then with our mind we may go to separation and competition. Ego comes in, and we sacrifice the wisdom of oneness.

We start with wisdom. Then with our mind we go to separation. The son is competing with the father, telling the whole world that the father’s car is old, ancient, useless, and his car is so good. But God gave us the wisdom in the beginning. Knowledge without wisdom will not save us, will not save the world.

Again, there will be some people who will take up the spiritual life. Then they will be very grateful to their parents or other members of the family. Our family was so grateful to our eldest brother. Had he not joined the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, who knows what would have been our fate. Our eldest brother, Hriday, brought all of us to the spiritual community that he was in. There we sincerely studied. Here also, some people came first on the Path, and they were able to bring their dear ones. Unfortunately, not all disciples could bring their dear ones, or they brought, but their dear ones disappeared.

In my case, I came to America to spread the message of the Divine. I got the divine adesh and obeyed that inner command of the Supreme to be of service to the Western world. Everybody else in the family stayed at that Ashram. Of course, my case was different. But I am grateful to my eldest brother and my family. My family came to the Ashram. Other-wise, perhaps my fate would have been different.

29 March 1999, Sri Chinmoy’s Home