No Wisdom Without Experience

by Michael Erlewine

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche:

“In Vajrayana we take direct perception as the path and millions of years are not required to achieve enlightenment. Rather, having renounced the world, enlightenment can be achieved in this lifetime.

“In this path the guru introduces us to direct perception, and we simply meditate on the mind to which we have been introduced. Though we have been introduced to direct perception, sometimes it is not stable. When this happens, it is very good to study the presentations that are made on the path of reasoning and inference. This will help us to attain stability in what we have ascertained and bring about good experience and realization.’

End of quote.

The key words for me in the above are “bring about good experience and realization.” Too often the idea that ‘wisdom” can just be imparted or somehow transferred directly from the wise into us is suggested, when that’s not the case. Yes, perhaps some conceptual ‘understanding” comes out of a brush with those who have wisdom takes place.

However, wisdom comes from life experience, an experience we each must first have, and from that experience we may (or may not) realize wisdom. That’s the order of events, how it comes down.

And so, books and teachings filled with ‘wisdom’ are an oxymoron. Yes, there may be wisdom coded in the pages, but not from conceptual understanding alone. That understanding must precipitate in us some in-the-moment experience that we, well, ‘experience.” And, as mentioned, from that living experience we may or may not derive some realization. Realization is what is called “wisdom.”

It all comes down to living and experience.

[Photo of Mahasidda Tilopa rupa by me.]

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As Bodhicitta is so precious,

May those without it now create it,

May those who have it not destroy it,

And may it ever grow and flourish.