Understanding vs. knowledge...?

Question

There is an old Incan proverb that says :

Information is knowing that rain is water,
Knowledge is knowing how to make it rain,
and Wisdom is knowing why you made it rain.

What do you understand about this "thing" that we call existence? It's easy to know things about it, but what do you understand about it?

the Incas aren't all gone yet, their ancesters still remain

Answer 1

Well i Do know this! Inca civilization perished, so their proverbs held as pinnacles of wisdom are flawed reasoning.

Answer 2

Not too sure about the Inca proverb .
Knowledge is not the same thing as knowing. You can know about something or have knowledge of it but not understand it.
Knowing is a capabilty for truth.
Understanding is an action. Understanding is knowingness of life in a certain direction, it is knowingness in action.
There are 3 parts to understanding : Affinity, Reality and Communication. All 3 must be present for Understanding to take place.
The understanding is the knowingness in action.

Answer 3

I can know a lot of things by reading about it or experiencing it. I do not always understand what I know. Wisdom is when I live what I know and understand.
When my understanding is weak, I need faith.
As far as existence, other factors come into play. There are the other gifts of the Holy Spirit besides Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge which come into play. There is also fortitude when I am strong in my beliefs; Piety when I realize God is greater than I am; Awe when I recognize the goodness and greatness of God; and Council when I seek advice. These other gifts from God come into play when I need them or need to share them. My existence is for God. When I am open to God's Presence I am fulfilled.

Answer 4

Swami Sukhabodhananda
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A man with eight PhDs - he was proud of his achievement - met a monk. The monk asked him, "Why have you been so foolish in life?" The man said: "But I have eight PhDs!"

"I have understood you; it is foolish to spend the best part of life reading instead of enjoying the birds, stars and the moon", said the monk.

"You may have knowledge but not clarity; you may know a lot and yet understand nothing".

What does one have to understand about life?

You have many centres: Intellectual centre, an emotional centre and a body centre. In each centre, there is a mechanical and magnetic part. The mechanical part acts like a machine while the magnetic part acts with ore awareness.

You have to transform yourself. Your mechanical movements and thinking have to change. Your mechanical emotions like jea- lousy and hatred have to be overcome. You can do this by bringing in more awareness.

Then a complete being will emerge. When you increase awareness, even poison can turn into medicine; and with no awareness, medicine can become poison.

Why are we so mechanical?

A king dreamt that he was a beggar. His guru, in his dreams, told him the truth that he was a king and not a beggar. Now was he to argue with his guru or just wake up?

The question of "why" cannot be answered. When did time begin? You cannot answer such a question. Which came first, egg or hen? There is a logical fallacy in the very question. Realise that we are mechanical. Bring in more awareness and see the life-transformation.

Even inert objects have life. Treat any object with loving awareness and it will guide you mysteriously. Your intuition and purity have to increase to receive this message. When you bathe, lovingly talk to water.

In a relationship, is it not necessary to judge? >>

In a relationship, is it not necessary to judge?

Keep yourself relaxed. Increase your awareness and love. Not to judge should not be a conclusion. Don't make it a demand or compulsion. Let there be a choice. There is a difference between "should' and "choice'.

"Should' creates stress; it limits you to only one option. Choose not to judge. It is not a demand but a wise choice.

The danger of judgment is that you stop seeing the object of judgment and you are more in your judgment.

In life, you have to make judgments, but don't be a victim of your judgments. Suppose a thief enters your house, you have to judge him but then, be open to the possibility that he could change.

Suppose you meet him after 10 years, see if he has changed or not. Do you still judge from the memory that he has been a thief? If you do not have this awareness, you will not see the change in a person even if he has changed.

What should one be really aware of?

Negative emotions poison. Like avoiding poisonous food, avoid negative emotions. Don't identify with them. Don't participate in them. Choose to create a new will, not be driven by negative emotions.

They deplete your energy. They keep you asleep. They are harmful and heavy. They make your life complicated. For example somebody's success should not be your failure. We define our failure by somebody's success.

We feel jealous seeing someone successful. Jealousy is a great poison.

Compete with your potential. Even if you compete with others, enjoy it. See beauty all around. Do not define your success and failure by someone's success and failure.

Answer 5

God is in the process of making a people for Himself. This is the wisdom.

God created us by speaking the Word and it was so. This is the how.

Life is a gift from God, this is information.

Answer 6

Information and knowledge are synonyms and wisdom is seeing knowledge as God sees it, rather than as humans see it.

Answer 7

Not much, that is what makes life interesting, everyday is a new mystery waiting to be solved.

Answer 8

A GOOD PEOPLE,LOVERS OF LIFE,HOLY IN LIFE,LIVING IN WHAT IS TRUE.YOU ARE JUST A GARDEN,A GOOD AND HEALTHY ONE,FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET.WAITING TO BE HARVEST,FROM THE SEED INSIDE YOUR BODY,YOUR SOUL,YOU ARE ARE RELEASED ONTO LIFE OR THE SECOND DEATH IN SPIRIT,THE LIGHT YOU ARE INSIDE YOUR SOUL.MUST REMAIN A GOOD AND HOLY ONE,SHINING IN HAPPINESS AND NOT LOST IN DARKNESS