by Eshana (Elizabeth
Bragg, PhD) from Selected
writings by Eshana
First published in The
Trumpeter, 11:1, Winter 1994 p.37
Knowledge of "facts" and theories is a poor substitute
for true
Wisdom, a sagacious understanding of the world and our human
place in it. Yet, in our culture, little distinction is made
between knowledge of information and Wisdom.
Universities, as centres of research and education, are offered
as primary sources of information, expertise and learned
knowledge. Some of us who are drawn on a search for Wisdom
mistakenly look towards these universities... places which
discourage our true search, do not acknowledge our own innate
Wisdom, and prevent us from listening to the Wisdom of the
Earth, of God and Goddess.
We are expected to listen wide-eyed to the grand knowledge which
is offered to us through the mouths of lecturers, in the words of
books. When are we encouraged to listen to our own hearts? When
are we encouraged to move with our own bodies?... to experience
ourselves as a part of this Earth, as living flesh and spirit?
We are seen to be naive, tabula rasa, and encouraged to see
knowledge as being outside of ourselves.. as something to
worship, and strive to acquire. Yet Wisdom does not often reside
within walls and corridors and ivory towers... in lecture halls
and theses. Thus, the more we "study", the further away
we are
driven, taken, ripped from our own true Wisdom. The more needy
we become... the hungrier, starving... the more we search, and
the longer we stay.
University is like a drug, our search for Wisdom an addiction.
We are satisfied momentarily by a false substitute, knowledge,..
and we continue to be taken further away from our true goal.
And all along, She waits patiently for us.. in the sound of our
own breathing, in the sap of the trees, in the Earth beneath our
feet.
[Return to Selected writings by Eshana]