Absorbing Fresh Knowledge

Absorbing Fresh Knowledge
[Vinod Anand]

The capacity to absorb fresh knowledge is called udana. This capacity is at its maximum at infancy, and it diminishes gradually as you grow older. In the passage of life this process of absorption helps you gain information, knowledge and intelligence. But the intelligence acquired does not make you think freely, originally, or reason independently.

Udana will not build the intellect. There is no cause and effect relationship between intelligence and intellect. Intelligence per se will not enrich the intellect. Ironically, the entire focus throughout the world is to gain intelligence while the intellect remains poor as ever, undeveloped.

Today it is all intelligence, no intellect. Very few stand out That explains why out of millions of doctors turned out by medical schools only a few have proved to be outstanding — extraordinary in their research and findings, like those who have discovered life-saying drugs or subtle techniques to transplant organs in a human body.

So, too, out of countless engineering graduates, only a few have produced wonders like the Panama Canal, Golden Gate Bridge or Euro Channel Tunnel. In the field of law again there are but a few prodigious lawyers who overshadow even the most reputed ones.

The difference arises in the strength of intellect in the former which the latter, possessing abundant knowledge of law, lacks. To cite an example: In Chennai, over 70 years back, the High Court was deciding a famous case on forgery. The lawyer defending’ the accused made an elaborate presentation covering practically all points of law. And when the opponent lawyer’s turn came up, he requested the judge to merely put up the original document against the light. He beseeched, “Do you see a watermark in the document, my Lord?” The justice cooperated “Yes, I do see an elephant watermark” The lawyer rejoined, “This paper was manufactured in 1932.”

And the original document was dated 1930! Of course, he had earlier obtained the proof of it. Why stockpile knowledge? The above observations demonstrate the power of a developed intellect vis-à-vis intelligence, a mere stockpile of knowledge All the intelligence that people carry without the intellect to apply it in life tantamount to gold bars on a mule’s back. Again, intelligence acts like the horsepower in a car and intellect, the steering wheel which controls and directs it.

You will do well to make sure you have a Power steering! The faculty to think and to reason is a human prerogative All other beings this faculty since they do not possess an intellect. The intellect renders a human being the chief d’oeuvre of creation, but most are unaware of this unique status.

And people do not care to develop this life-saving, life-sustaining and the intellect Practice makes perfect. Also, you fail to realize that thinking and reasoning is skilled work; that you need to learn and practice, like playing the Violin or golf. You believe that thinking is a natural process like seeing, hearing or breathing.

That you can think clearly and precisely without putting in the necessary effort on your part. You must understand that to develop the faculty of thinking, of reasoning, you need to devote as much time and effort to’ it as you would to learning any other art or skill.