More on Wisdom, I Hope

I`m back. Well, I`m still in Montreal at my Mother-in-Law`s home, but I am back on-line again. It is just before 8 am and everyone else is still asleep, except for the dog and me. The dog is really sweet, but getting old. Her name is Frimous, which I am sure I am spelling wrong, but everyone calls her Toutoun, which I am also probably spelling wrong. Me? I call her Two-ton, the world`s heaviest dog.

Oh, and now that I have said the above, Lise, my Mom-in-Law, has awoken. Let`s see what thoughts I can get down before she is done with her morning stuff.

What is it about wisdom that it is placed so highly in the Writings? (Note to self: the ?  is still shift-6, and not the key in the lower right corner of the keyboard.)

We often find various attributes of God, or different virtues, personified in the Writings, and they each seem to have their own distinctive role. We also find various places personified, as in the Tablet of Carmel to name but one. And amidst all of this anthropomorphism, Wisdom still stands out  above the rest. Why? (Shift-6, remember?)

As usual, I am not sure, so I will see what I can figure out. And this is, of course, just  my own personal musings, nothing official.

To start, I have to wonder what is wisdom. It is that quality of knowing what is right and true, coupled to just judgement of action. It is also defined as the ability to think and act according to knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight. (Thank you Mr Dictionary.)

Interesting.

I was unaware of the action component of the word.

Wisdom, I think, is knowing what to do and then doing it. This differentiates it from knowledge in that it requires the action upon that knowledge.

Which, in turn, reminds me of that first quote in all of the Ruhi Books: The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct. As I love to say when tutoring: It is all about action.

Ok. Now it  makes a bit more sense as to why wisdom is placed so highly.

Let`s look at that quote again, bit by bit, with this new insight. (And yes, I really am. This is actually new to me, and I have the quote open in another window, so I really am going back and forth, phrase by phrase until  I am called t o breakfast. Or until it seems she is ready for conversation. At which time I will leave this to you, dear Reader, to finish.)

This ability to know what is true, and to then act upon it is our greatest gift and most wondrous blessing. That makes sense. Merely knowing what is true but then not acting upon it is sort of useless. It is like knowing how to read, but then choosing not to. What good does it do, either you or the world? (Shift-6. Shift-6.) And yet, when we do act upon what is  true and correct, then miracles seem to occur. So much good happens in the world. Everyone is blessed by those actions.

This ability to know what is true and to act upon it is our unfailing protector.

When I first read that line in the original quote (see yesterday`s article), I thought it referred to my own wisdom protecting me, but now I have to wonder. Wisdom is a universal quality, an attribute that all of us have to some degree or another. And while my own actions of wisdom may protect me, I think it is the wisdom of others that may have the greater impact. Imagine if I am brought to court on some context or another. While I may have acted with wisdom in my life and done nothing wrong, such as those dear Bahaì friends in Iran, it will require the wisdom of the judge to protect me from an injustice. Wisdom, in this context, will be my unfailing protector.

And again, in this context, it aids me, which in turn gives me strength. In the example of the friends in Iran, it would give them the strength to continue teaching, knowing that they would not be persecuted for it, for Wisdom would protect them. But when Wisdom is absent, it is more difficult. Much of the strength of the individual is spent trying to protect themselves.

But for now, I must go, again, for all are up and around, and I am holed up here with the computer.

Thanks for understanding again, dear Reader. I`ll be thinking of you as we all see more of Montreal today.