606. Knowledge is Intellectual, Wisdom is Divine……..

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/god-and-i/knowledge-is-intellectual-wisdom-is-divine

Man has built places of worship for the convenience of adoring the Absolute, but out of ignorance he has limited the existence of Absolute to the four walls and forgotten about His aspect of Omnipresence.

In Vedanta Philosophy, the highest word used for Absolute is “OM” and word manifested into Brahman. Vedanta says this universe that has manifested is in reality not different from Brahman. All this manifestation of the universe is one single expansion of the infinite Brahman. The modern physicist also view that the universe is the expansion of a primordial atom. The highest exponent of Vedanta philosophy Sri Sri Sankara says that the knowledge of Brahman alone is not sufficient but an equal amount of Viveka (Wisdom) is also necessary.

Viveka is the first among the four virtues (Sadhana Chatustaya) required for a spiritual seeker. It is an important element for the human mind to understand the vastness of Brahman. There is a story in Vedanta, which illustrates requirement of Viveka without which the knowledge of Brahman is of little use. Once in an ashram a disciple had mastered in various texts of Vedanta from his Guru for many years. After getting proficient in the study of philosophy and learning the logic of it, he was immersed in the knowledge of Brahman.

One day his Guru sent him to the city for the first time to face the world. It so happened that an elephant that was intoxicated and a bit angry was running down the street. The mahout sitting on the elephant was trying to control it and was shouting a warning to everybody in the street. “Watch out! Stay away! Watch out” But the disciple who had taken the lesson of Vedanta philosophy and knew all to be Brahman, thought to himself “I am Brahman and so is the elephant” How can a Brahman hurt a Brahman? Thus contemplating he walk his way reciting the sentence “Sarvam Khalvidam Brahmaa” – All this is verily Brahman.

The rushing elephant gave one blow from its trunk and the poor disciple fell on the side of the road. He got up shaken and his Guru who was watching all this stood there and the disciple asked his Guru, “You thought me that all this is Brahman. How could a Brahman hurt a Brahman?

“That is true, my boy. The Guru explained, “A Brahman can never hurt a Brahman. But one who was shouting all the time to watch out and stay away, why didn't you hear to that Brahman”.

Never mistake Knowledge for Wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.