Ways to Wisdom

The beginning of all wisdom, according to me, is the humility to learn from the last and the least, the friend and the foe, the rain and the shine, the good and the bad! On the one hand, when a person thinks that s/he has learned enough in life, that is the sign that s/he is gripped by the claws of pride, and that opens the floodgates of wisdom, if at all s/he has gained something from life, to let it flow in wastelands. Humility, on the other hand, is the gateway to all wisdom; one cannot bewitch to the goddess of wisdom and knowledge without first befriending humility. For, wisdom often resides in the most unexpected of places, and those who find her dwelling, find it easy to befriend her.

I have felt that some of the wisest men and women garner knowledge even as they fight a ferocious battle with death. I remember many years ago, a great mathematician and teacher, Father Goreaux going through Bengali primer, learning to read and write in Bengali, when he was on the verge of death bed. Someone would have asked him, what use it would be to learn a language when you know for sure, you would not have years to practice it! The utility is secondary; what matters first is to equip oneself with necessary knowledge to face situations, which may or may not require a set of knowledge. Truly wise men and women were ever ready to welcome wisdom in their midst at any time of their life’s journey.

As I venture into a new field or two, I find it necessary to learn the ‘tricks of the trade’. Sometimes there are no ready-made, handy guidebooks, like the hundreds of self-help books and guides you find on any topic imaginable. There is no better guide in life to learn something new than experience itself; however a friend or foe who has already gained knowledge would be in a much better place to open the gates of the new palace, to show which is where, so that I need not walk through all the corridors and rooms to find what is where. If I am ready to be rebuked and reprimanded in the process of gaining knowledge, then I know I am ready to take yet another lesson for life.

There was something mysterious in Christian Life Community (CLC in short) movement, which had attracted me, when I was attending a short course in the Holy City a year ago, and I am enthused to explore what I can learn from the many groups who practice the Ignatian spirituality, served in a way which is not only palatable, but also useful for their daily Christian living. There are young boys and girls, and there are adults, all of them translating the Ignatian vision into reality, through a spirituality which is so practical and pliable that all can feel the divine coming down from heaven to the earth. But ahead of me is the opportunity to learn from these men and women who had tasted God, and be enriched by their experiences.

I am prepared to learn from anyone who would be able to accept me as a disciple; I am also aware that at times my ego pops up and resists the lowly and the least sitting in the chairs of authority and teach me things I have not known in life. Sometimes these experiences may also make me realize how ignorant I am, and when I know what I do not know, then I will know that the doors of knowledge are wide open for me. This experiences are nothing less than spiritual experiences, where I can encounter God in the midst of His people, and I can be well on the way to bridge the gap between God and human beings; that is the role of every priest of God, to play the bridge between heaven and earth, and here is a golden opportunity I can jump and grab!