Notes from reading in Fall 2020
The trickery of wisdom lies in its nature: wisdom cannot be taught—it must be lived.
- Siddhartha’s journey culminates in this realization. Every well-intentioned person aiming to teach others from their experiences must understand the difference between knowledge (learnable secondhand) and wisdom (impossible to simulate).
Siddhartha begins as a Brahmin, raised with the supposed answers of the Vedas about material illusion, spiritual promise, and the virtue of renunciation or philanthropy.
- Yet, he could never truly understand “why” without experiencing these realizations firsthand.
- His journey had to be unique, distinct from the paths of ancient ascetics, warriors, or other historical roles.
You cannot renounce what you have not earned or experienced.
- Similarly, you cannot fully understand what you have only observed.
- From ascetic obscurity to urban poverty, grom indulgent, self-aware tycoon full of lust and desire to asceticism again, to becoming realized but failing to pass down this to his own son.
- A lifetime of realization, his life’s purpose, cannot be transmitted to save another from the same pain or mistakes.
Wisdom cannot be taught. It can only be experienced.
- Why do we do things we know are wrong, frivolous, or empty—even as we enter them?
- Because the lived experience is what confirms and affirms the reality. Without it, you are just as deluded talking about life as those who are actually living it.
- Secondhand knowledge, even at the extremes, can never be as powerful as lived experience.
Beyond self-discovery – skin in the game is spiritually profound
- Asceticism is a teaching experience for ascetics, not for observers.
- Luxury should be shrugged off only after it has been earned—beforehand, it’s just giving up.
- Don’t ever feel too good for anything while living in this physical world
Was Gautama wrong to teach peace, self-awareness, and wisdom, knowing full well his wisdom could never emancipate his disciples?
- Similar to Vivekananda’s idea: “Great people getting followed” does not equal God being followed.