Living Wisdom, Not Erudition, Matters

In the pursuit of spiritual wisdom, it’s easy for seekers to become entangled in intellectual disputes between factions that were once the guardians of sacred traditions. Unfortunately, these conflicts often strip away the essence of the teachings, leaving behind dry intellectualism and a struggle for dominance. This begs the question: Who is right? And how can you know if you’re on the right path? Spiritual teachers have left us with profound insights to guide us.

Sri Ramakrishna on Realizing God

Sri Ramakrishna once shared with his disciples, “With sincerity and earnestness, one can realize God through all religions. Some people indulge in quarrels, saying, ‘One cannot attain anything unless one worships our Krishna,’ or, ‘Nothing can be gained without the worship of Kali, our Divine Mother,’ or, ‘One cannot be saved without accepting the Christian religion.’ This is pure dogmatism. ‘My religion alone is true, and the religions of others are false.’” He likened such individuals to blind men who have touched only one part of an elephant, each convinced that the elephant is just that part (a pillar, a fan, a rope) and nothing else.

Buddha on the Finger Pointing at the Moon

In Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Old Path White Clouds, there is a conversation between Buddha and the ascetic Dighanakha that addresses the futility of disputing doctrines. Buddha cautioned against the dangers of dogma, saying, “I must state clearly that my teaching is a method to experience reality, not reality itself—just as a finger pointing at the moon is not the moon itself. An intelligent person uses the finger to see the moon. My teaching is like a raft used to cross the river. Only a fool would carry the raft around after reaching the other shore—the shore of liberation.”

The Common Refrain

The common message echoed by these great teachers over millennia is clear: What value is there in erudition, scholarship, intellectual mastery, quarrels, debates, recriminations, and dogma if they don’t lead to understanding and action? If they don’t make your life better? If they don’t help you see the divine in yourself and others? If they don’t contribute to making the world a better place?