Desire for Wisdom and Knowledge

Why is it that knowledge can be taught and wisdom is only learned? It would be just great if there was a book out there somewhere that would tell me all the decisions I need to make in order for me to live a happy, fulfilled life. Too bad, reality happened. I am the one who will screw up my life with a bad decision or succeed in my life with a good decision. There is no formula for wisdom. Wisdom comes with experience, and there is no avoiding it. (Not that anyone would ever want to avoid it!) Knowledge, however, is a completly different concept. We all go to school for nearly half of our lives just to say that we understand at least something about our idealized professions. Now and then, I find that if I take a step back and let life take its oscillating course, most of the time waking up another morning angry and sleep deprived won't be so bad. I don't want to squeeze all of the juice out of my life, becuase I actually like drinking the pulp. If we all just keep on adding miles onto our highways, we will find that happiness comes more naturally when we live our lives to the fullest.

My Truth

How does one obtain the truth? How do we decipher the difference between a lie and a truth? The only truth we can trust is truth that lies within us.

The only way we can become comfortable with ourselves is to embark on a quest in order to find our inner truth. Skeptics may argue that our truths are simply to be happy with our short lives. I disagree however, because not everyone knows how to achieve this. The generic formula for happiness is always: money and love. Keeping things in moderation is the difficult part. I don't even know how much concentration I need in order to get the right amount of both to be happy with my life. That is the other truth, we all seek to equate the happiness formula.

The difference between those easily satisfied and those difficult to please are exemplified by Govinda and Siddartha. Govinda is convinced quickly that Gotama has the answers to all of his suffering, and doesn't need to know anything else. Siddartha, however, needs to know more. His unquenchable longing for knowledge differentiates him from Govinda. All of us fit into one of two categories. Either we are ready to give up our questions, or not.

The Spectrum of Happiness

On the right-most end of the happiness spectrum is happiness, and on the left-most end is suicidal depression. In the middle, the emotion of contentment lies. All of us go through these different feelings multiple times in our lives due to our experiences. I felt like I had more hope and trust when I was younger, before I knew reality.

Siddartha thought that the answers to his unending questions could be simply discovered through expelling himself into another world. This is not the case however, because Siddartha must face himself in order to identify his purpose in life.

Dreams and goals are diminished and trampled upon when we all grow up. The obstacles of reality block us from becoming anything we want to be, which is discouraging.