Mr Smart and Mr Wise

In the beautiful web of human life, we contain two different perspectives on our quest for spiritual enlightenment: Mr Smart and Mr Wise. These characters embody two different approaches to our meditation practice. Let’s explore their distinctive personalities.

Mr Smart possesses a library of sacred texts and scriptures from various spiritual traditions. He diligently pores over these texts, absorbing the knowledge contained within their pages. Mr Smart is the master of trivia. He can quote scriptures and spiritual texts and debate philosophical concepts with ease.

Now meet Mr Wise, sitting in silent meditation, his eyes closed, and his mind attuned to the music of the divine. Through meditation, Mr Wise transcends the limitations of intellectual knowledge. He delves into the depths of his being, exploring his spiritual nature. He meditates every spare minute, remembering the Lord, and showing immense gratitude and love in everything he does.

Mr Smart symbolizes knowledge, which consists of facts and data that builds the basis for intellectual comprehension. He may have memorized scriptures, but his knowledge is superficial, lacking depth and insight. He may know about the path to salvation but has yet to experience the teachings he has studied. Mr Wise, on the other hand, embodies understanding, synthesizing knowledge, faith, and experience to bring meaning to our understanding of reality. He might not be able to recite scriptures word for word; however, his grasp of spiritual principles is rooted in direct experience of the divine.

These two approaches boil down to knowledge versus understanding. Knowledge is similar to acquiring all the puzzle pieces in the world. Every time we learn something new, we find a new piece to add to the puzzle that we’ve worked on since birth. Understanding is an entirely different ball game; it isn’t just about putting the pieces together; it’s about stepping back and seeing the entire picture in a fresh light. It is breaking free from theoretical concepts but connecting to them through experience.

We can’t neatly package reality and pass it on like a textbook; it’s something we have to experience for ourselves. We can talk about it and describe it, but our words can never quite capture its essence. We can’t fully understand the Lord and the path to salvation by reading scriptures; it’s like trying to describe a taste of your favourite food to someone who’s never tried it before – it doesn’t quite translate. As quoted in Basic Principles of Sant Mat, Vol. II, Tulsi Sahib states:

Some speak about the Lord based on knowledge
  but remain unaware of his mystery.
They give discourses from religious texts
  but do not know the secret of realizing the Lord.
Says Tulsi the slave: The ignorant person who believes in them
  squanders his life without realizing the Truth for himself.

Knowledge has its place: it is the scaffolding upon which faith is built, providing the framework for understanding and belief. With knowledge as our guide, we navigate the concepts of spiritual teachings, gradually cultivating trust and conviction in the path to attain God realization. As faith takes root, it sparks the flame of love within our hearts, igniting a desire to connect with the Lord. However, it is only through the deliberate practice and application of Sant Mat that we can experience this love. Through consistent effort and dedication, we nourish and strengthen it, allowing it to permeate every aspect of our being. The synergy of knowledge, faith, and understanding form the essence of spiritual growth, leading us ever closer to the Radiant Form of the divine, the Lord himself.

A Guinean proverb tells us that “Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.” And we can see how this plays out when Mr Smart discovers Mr Wise. He quickly perceives that even with all his knowledge, he feels lost on the path to enlightenment. He looks to Mr Wise to explain how to find true understanding. Mr Wise, by way of example, tells of a traveller who carries a gleaming lantern to light his way. It is only when darkness descends that the traveller realizes the lantern must be lit. Until it is lit, he cannot take the first step into the unknown; until it is lit, he will remain in darkness. Mr Smart realizes it is the lantern of knowledge that he holds, and that it must be lit with the desire to experience the Truth – it is only then that it can illuminate his path. It is with direct experience and inner exploration that Mr Smart will find the true understanding that Mr Wise possesses. Mr Smart now appreciates that his accumulated knowledge was a platform, leading to understanding this true wisdom, self-discovery and spiritual realization.

In the Bible (James 1:22), Christ said, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Therefore, we must actively apply spiritual teachings in our daily lives rather than passively listening to or talking about them. Our actions should be aligned with the values and teachings of the path. Books, satsangs, and seva are aids keeping us connected to the teachings of the path.

The present Master continually reminds us that our real work is experiencing the divine within. He encourages us to sit and meditate. The journey from Mr Smart to Mr Wise is a journey from spiritual knowledge to devotion, from intellect to insight, from analysis to direct experience of the Lord. While books and scriptures are valuable guides on the spiritual journey, true enlightenment will come from experiencing the divine within. Only through meditation can we practice and explore our inner selves.