IT IS BETTER TO BE SELFRELIANT IN THE QUEST FOR TRUTH

A person who wants to attain self-knowledge can either follow an established religion or philosophy or search for truth on his/her own. This issue is discussed in the novel Siddhart ha by Herman nH es se and the book The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.

In Siddhartha, two friends, Siddhartha and Govinda, set out to search for truth. Govinda becomes a follower of the Buddha while Siddh art ha tries to search on his own.

He acquires three abilities: He can wait; he can think and he can fast. He gets friendly with a courtesan who teaches him the art of physical love. He also finds employment with a wealthy merchant, but work does not interest him much. K am la and he have as on, who runs away as he is not able to live the simple life of his father.

At the end, Govinda asks Siddhartha to share his thoughts about the quest for truth. He mentions two things: Knowledge can be communicated, but not the highest wisdom. One can find wisdom, live it, rejoice in it, but cannot communicate it. Secondly, every truth that is expressed in words, another side exists. For example, we can not call any man wholly a saint or a sinner.

In The Prophet, Gibran too says that the highest wisdom cannot be taught. Oscar Wilde expressed the same truth in these words: Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.