WISDOM AGE

The age old belief that wisdom comes to them who have come of age may sound cliched in the present scenario as we see more and more successful young billionaires today than ever before. It can be argued that the success of the young Turks can solely be attributed to their wisdom quotient or several other factors like role of luck, time, place and people in their endeavors and pursuits.

As Shakespeare wrote in King Lear “Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise ” holds true for most even today despite convincing arguments and glowing examples proving otherwise. The critics, cynics and naysayers cite Zen Master who could barely walk straight with his frail body but could surely think straight with his strong and clear mind. The natural phenomenon of the wisdom tooth growing only after a certain age also endorses the belief that wisdom comes with age. People usually describe young achievers as intelligent, smart or bright but never use the word wise because it is universally believed that maturity begets wisdom.

However, we have a glowing example of King Solomon, the epitome of wisdom, who was blessed with the gift of wisdom by the Lord Almighty Himself at the advent of his reign. We also learn that he had the dubious distinction of having over five hundred wives corroborating the fact that he must have been young when God granted him the favor. In lighter vein, how wise was this decision of Solomon to have those many wives is subject to scrutiny and debate.

A young friend once explained the difference between intelligence, knowledge and wisdom. A farmer found it cumbersome and tedious to pluck fruits from the tall trees. He would hang precariously on not so strong branches risking life and limb. With intelligence and knowledge he made a ladder to pluck the fruits conveniently and safely but unfortunately the ladder was not sturdy enough and the farmer came crashing down. He emerged wiser after the accident and made his ladder with stronger wood and ensured that the ladder was always well grounded and stable before use. The Mantra being that intelligence helps to invent. The knowledge makes one to put the invention to use but it is only the outcome of the use of intelligence and knowledge that brings wisdom.

The legendary tycoons Warren Buffet, David Thomson and Rupert Murdoch with age and wisdom on their side created monumental empires worth emulating by aspiring entrepreneurs but on the other hand we have the likes of  Mark Zuckerberg, Garrett Camp and Bill Gates who are also symbols of success and idols for millions despite being relatively young. One wonders if wisdom and age truly go hand in hand.

Free Will Predestination

One wonders that if all things are predestined then what purpose could free will, granted by the Lord Almighty to the humankind serve. Most major religions profess both predestination by God as well as exercising of free will by man. In this scenario God wins hands down as no mortal man can withstand or alter the will of God (predestination) with his not so powerful or significant free will faculty.

One also wonders what can praying, fasting and penance achieve when God has already predestined all things. Any pragmatic mind would find it difficult to believe that such acts or rituals can coerce God to alter his plan. Almost all religions are unanimous in the belief of predestination by God but still have their own unique rituals, doctrines, creeds and other dos and don’ts to please God. One finds the phenomenon quite paradoxical. Is it not possible that even our free will choice is prdestined?  It will be wise not to quote any religion to avoid show of inclination or bias. However, almost all religions expect a devout follower to conduct one’s life as per the dictates of his religion, without questioning neither the veracity nor the fact whether the dictates are truly from God or are man made.

The same argument may even apply to all the sacred scriptures, texts and scrolls as all of them have been scripted by mortal men but are believed to be dictated by God or His Angels. Most religious gurus, monks and clergy have a penchant of quoting from scriptures and any dissent is met with contempt, condescending looks or even reprimand to aggression in the worst scenario. The other fact which forces one to ponder is the contradiction in the various religious books and practices. Some practices and beliefs are diagonally opposite and could they be from the same God, presuming that God is one. Any pragmatic and logically thinking mind would more often than not be baffled by such inconsistencies.

If we factor in the concept of Heaven and Hell, we see that this philisophy has acceptability across religious lines. One finds it hard to believe that a loving God could consign any of his children to Hell by predestination. The concept of Heaven is welcome by most, as all believe they are headed there without an iota of doubt. It’s another matter that majority may be surprised on reaching the final destination with a thud.

Some sections of the society don’t subscribe to the concept of Heaven and Hell as they do not believe in the existence of God. As far as they are concerned they believe that their thoughts, speech and deeds decide and determine their destiny and not any predestination. This is manifestation of free will in it’s purest form. However the deprivation, abject poverty and squalor around them makes one wonder that who in his right mind would have used his free will to choose such adverse and inhospitable conditions culminating into such plight of pitiable destiny?

The other aspect that influences the destiny is descent and pedigree. Does one get to choose one’s parents, place, time or era of one’s birth? These are major factors that decide and influence our destiny. On one hand we have billionaires by virtue of their inheritance and on the other hand we have the likes of Bill Gates, Garrett Camp and Mark Zuckerberg who despite their humble beginnings achieved exceptional material success. However, can material success usher in happiness and bliss in life is another story altogether.

The philosophy that could perhaps pacify a questioning mind would essentially need to factor in and embrace both predestination and the role of free will in the right measure. The recipe, needless to say would vary from person to person. Predestination by God perhaps brings in challenges, tying times and adversities along with fortune, good tidings and blissful prosperity in one’s life but it is how we respond to all situations by exercising our free will that decides the eventual result of all that is put forth by our destiny. The choices made could elevate a person from rags to riches and vice versa.

There is yet another school of thought which albeit is ancient but has gained currency and large following in the last few decades is the philosophy of Karma (deeds/acts) where the belief is that as you sow so shall you reap. This is accepted as “The Law of Karma” just like “The Law of Gravity”, which was always there but discovered very late in time. It is also believed that one gets many lifetimes through reincarnation and the Karmas of past lives create ‘Sanskaras’ (soul traits) which manifest situations, conjectures or providence in one’s present life. Our response to the given situations of providence by exercising our choice through the faculty of free will decides our present and future in this lifetime as well as the life hereafter. This inexplicable combination of providence and free will can make Garrett Camp, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates out of commoners while mighty Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein die like rodents.

In conclusion it seems that “Live and Let Live” is the best policy as the religious philosophies are so myriad and varied. Sometimes in consonance but mostly at loggerheads, hence to each his own.