Ideas, Intelligence and Wisdom
Intelligence, Knowledge and Wisdom need to be harnessed by humans in ample measure to metamorphose our minds and lives in order to become true achievers, writes RAVI VALLURI.
2500 years ago, a prince from the formidable Sakya dynasty, in the quest of reality and truth, discarded his monarchical apparel to adorn ochre robes. He went on to become Gautama, the monk.
His physical body and his mind wandered incessantly till the attainment of truth and insight. After performing arduous tapas Gautama became Buddha the enlightened and compassionate one. The mind of the prince-turned-Bikkhu became hollow and empty to realise the pristine verity.
There is also the story of Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. Once a young evangelist who cast away the traditions and rituals of the catholic order in order to serve the poor and infirm (particularly those afflicted by leprosy); first as sister, then as Mother Teresa. She was canonised as St. Teresa of Calcutta by Pope Francis for the miracles which have taken place by seeking her intercession and by offering fervent prayers to her.
These are two talismanic and iconic figures that mankind should revere with a deep sense of gratitude. These extraordinary individuals altered the trajectory of their lives by charting a path seldom travelled. They possessed robust minds which were willing to take seemingly perilous decisions. Buddha and St. Teresa were not confined to monasteries and convents respectively, to live their lives as ascetics in contemplation, meditation, chastity and poverty.
Both were prototypical individuals who transcended boundaries to carve a niche for themselves by providing an alternative ideology to the suffering multitudes. An idea could emerge from imagination, visualisation or sheer frustration from the established working patterns. A savant, seeker, leader, sportsperson, monarch, scientist or an achiever attempts to execute something radical to break the ho-hum of life. In the process something path breaking or something extraordinary is attained. This separates them from ordinary human beings.
Way back in the year 1943, a young Swedish national Ingvar Kampard set up a company called IKEA. IKEA is an acronym for Ingvar Kampard Elmtaryd (the farm where he was raised) Agunnaryd (his hometown in Sweden). Today it is one of the largest ready to assemble furniture companies in the world. At seventeen, this strapping Swedish youth conceived this riveting idea, thereby garnering a gargantuan pie of the market share. He was blessed with a febrile mind and he honed the skills remarkably to realise his dreams.
Admittedly the jury is still out on Jio – the latest coup in India’s telecom sector – Mukesh Ambani’s intrepid mind has ambushed his competitors and stunned his customers alike. However, the devil lies in the fine print, yet the bewildering idea will in all likelihood change the contours of the telecom sector in the country.
There was a time when Jan Koum and Brian Acton aspired to join Facebook, but ended up raking in 19billion dollars as Marc Zuckerberg acquired their product (WhatsApp). There were no software or hardware glitches in their minds when they struck the deal.
These are individuals who with their mettlesome and audacious moves hold the ordinary traveller’s gaze in askance. What differentiates them from rest of the pack? It is not the opacity of their thought process but looking for out of the box solutions which make them stand out. While IKEA sets up furniture in our households, Jio and WhatsApp provide the necessary seamless connectivity in communication.
In the wired world today, we are girdled with afar superior technology in comparison to a few decades back and are ensconced by a plethora of gizmos at our disposal. In such circumstances, through the proper usage of the faculties of intelligence, accumulating proper knowledge and genuine wisdom will dawn on us in order to reorganise our internal structuring, for us to presage something advantageous for the society.
Intelligence, Knowledge and Wisdom need to be harnessed by humans in ample measure to metamorphose our minds and lives in order to become true achievers. The product and service should necessarily be flexible, adaptable and positively for public good.
Only in such a scenario will the longevity of the article in question be ensured and assured. It is at this
subterranean level an evolved human mind operates. It acts below the surface to achieve the targeted results.
Siddhartha with his superior intelligence grasped that he was encumbered by misery and suffering. He gained knowledge through the various techniques of pranayama and meditation and ultimately wisdom dawned on him in form of enlightenment. He then expatiated on the four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold path to mitigate ceaseless suffering. Today a seeker need not live in a monastic order, but leading the life of a householder can attain and experience bliss and enlightenment by practising the technique of Vipassana.
Similarly, in the Art of Living, through regular practice of the
Sudarshan Kriya a supplicant or an ordinary individual can live in the present moment by banishing antipathetic thoughts. The benefits of both the practices arise through skill and patience.
However, the inquirer should possess the requisite intelligence, knowledge and wisdom to traverse this path in an unwavering manner. St. Teresa of Calcutta too possessed enormous intelligence, knowledge and wisdom which enabled her to establish the congregation of the Missionaries of Charity. The organisation provides succour to people across faiths. This act is itself is a miracle and a kind of canonisation.
The human mind should be developed into a sacred place, which is malleable to embrace positivity and confidence so as to harness the skills of intelligence, knowledge so that the Gods bestow us with bounty of wisdom.
THE HUMAN MIND SHOULD BE DEVELOPED INTO A SACRED PLACE, WHICH IS MALLEABLE TO EMBRACE POSITIVITY AND CONFIDENCE SO AS TO HARNESS THE SKILLS OF INTELLIGENCE, KNOWLEDGE SO THAT THE GODS BESTOW US WITH BOUNTY OF WISDOM.