Borrowed Wisdom is No-Wisdom Without Self-realization
Buddhism teachings — The clarity of finding the right path in life
Once upon a time, there was a man who was living close to a mountain, and every day he was thinking about how it would be to climb that mountain and what he would see on the peak.
Finally, the day came, and the man went on the journey, arriving at the foot of the mountain. He met the first traveler.
So he asked, “How did you get up the mountain, and what did you see at the top?”
The traveler shared his route and the view he had from the mountaintop.
However, after hearing the traveler’s description, the man thought to himself, “It sounds very exhausting.” I need to find another way to climb.”
He continued his journey at the foot of the mountain until he encountered the next traveler. Once again, he asked how you climbed that mountain and what you saw at the top.
The other traveler then recounted his own journey. Still undecided about the direction and path to take, the man sought advice from thirty additional individuals and another thirty travelers.
When he finished talking to all of them, he finally made up his mind: “Now that so many people have shared with me their path and especially what they all saw on the top, I don’t need to climb there anymore.”
It was very unfortunate, but this man never went on to complete the journey himself. He returned home.
You see, in life, you have to find the most suitable way for yourself to climb that mountain. The information and life experiences that others provide are useful for understanding, but they don’t provide the same level of clarity as if you were standing on that peak alone.
The right effort in climbing that peak is essential to achieve clarity. Borrowed wisdom is no wisdom, if you do not realize or comprehend it yourself through genuine efforts.
This is essentially what Buddhism teaches. Clarity means that you see more clearly what the proper direction is for you in life and what path you should take. That is what matters the most.
Story Background
This story is inspired from my own experiences & understanding on how many a times we quit too soon. Lack of perseverance and consistent efforts will never allow us to reach our full potential. Our efforts need to be backed up by clear mindset.
Thanks Mil for giving me this opportunity to share this story in this lovely space.
Thanks for reading. Stay blessed.🙂
