Wisdom is greater and more difficult to attain than intellect, piety or
spirituality.
Bowl of Saki, February 12, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
Intellect is the knowledge of names and forms, their character and nature,
gathered from the external world. ... the intellectual person takes an interest
in their variety and law of change, and as knowledge is the food of the soul, he
at least becomes increasingly interested in the knowledge of names and forms,
and calls that 'learning'. This becomes his world, although it neither gives him
a sense of unchanging comfort, nor does he thereby gain an everlasting peace.
Wisdom is contrary to the above-named knowledge. It is the knowledge which is
illumined by the light within; it comes with the maturity of the soul, and opens
up the sight to the similarity of all things and beings, as well as the unity in
names and forms. The wise man penetrates the spirit of all things; he sees the
human in the male and female, and the racial origin which unites nations. He
sees the human in all people and the divine immanence in all things in the
universe, until the vision of the whole being becomes to him the vision of the
One Alone, the most beautiful and beloved God.
Intellect is the knowledge obtained by experience of names and forms; wisdom is
the knowledge which manifests only from the inner being; to acquire intellect
one must delve into studies, but to obtain wisdom, nothing but the flow of
divine mercy is needed; it is as natural as the instinct of swimming to the
fish, or of flying to the bird. Intellect is the sight which enables one to see
through the external world, but the light of wisdom enables one to see through
the external into the internal world. Wisdom is greater and more difficult to
attain than intellect, piety, or spirituality.
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