Which Symbol of Wisdom to Gain Knowledges?
The idea of wisdom seems more and more distant these days.
In fact, there are always fewer people trying to reach it or even simply trying to understand what this term means.
Some will see wisdom as an accumulation of knowledge, others as the fruit of expertise.
In reality, none of this is true.
In an era dominated by science and technology, the concept of wisdom as imagined by the ancients is necessarily more difficult for us to understand.
Contents :
The owl, animal of the goddess Athena
The outer circle of the mandala pattern
1st symbol of wisdom: the owl, animal of the goddess Athena
The owl is a symbol of wisdom shared by many cultures.
For some, it's his big eyes that make him look curious, intelligent and alert.
Seeing them flying at night (because yes, owls are nocturnal animals) with their eyes open, similar to two saucers, humans undoubtedly associated this animal with a sort of glimmer of lucidity in the darkness.
Whatever the case, it was Greek civilization which gave the most important place to the owl. For the priests of Athena in particular, this large bird was seen as the sacred expression of their dear goddess.
However, Athena was once considered the goddess of wisdom... What a funny coincidence, isn't it?
Beyond intellectual knowledge, the figure of the owl is therefore linked to the wisdom of the soul, to the understanding of hidden things.
A mysterious and secretive species, it was associated with certain forms of magic and witchcraft which, according to many sources, are still practiced today.
With this in mind, the owl is sometimes worn in the form of jewelry or a lucky charm.
2nd symbol of wisdom: the outer circle of the mandala pattern
When we hear the word “mandala”, we think of the circular coloring pages that we give children to do.
This concept has actually been misused…
At its core, the mandala is a symbol of the leading wisdom and knowledge of the Hindu religion.
Far from being just a vulgar set of symmetrical lines, each curve and line of the mandala is carefully thought out and carries a deep meaning.
It is here its outer ring that will interest us.
Known as the Ring of Fire, it is described as "serving as a boundary with the outside world, a boundary between chaos and harmony."
Concretely, a kind of fire burns outside the drawing.
However, a fire, whatever the size of the flames, always ends up being extinguished... Just like life.
For the Indians, wisdom would therefore reside in the ability to become aware of this state of permanent change (the chaos outside the mandala) while maintaining calm and order (the drawing inside).
It is clear: the mandala is indeed a symbol of wisdom which teaches us a profound message.
To have access to more knowledge and secrets from this mysterious religion, here is a collection entirely dedicated to Hinduism which should please you.
3rd symbol of wisdom: the oak, sacred tree of the Celtic Druids
Oaks are trees known for their size, longevity and resistance. .. and their link with the divine plan!
In the history of Europe, millions of people have elevated the oak to the rank of symbol of wisdom.
Since old age is associated with wisdom, there is actually nothing surprising about this.
So imagine how a thousand-year-old cosmic being, who has seen men and civilizations succeed one another, can have become wise...
Well, that’s a bit where the oak is located!
People from all over Europe, from the Bretons to the Greeks, including of course the famous Celts, gathered around oak trees to celebrate them during major religious ceremonies.
In short, we can see through this tree some particular characteristics associated with the idea of wisdom, such as age and experience.
4th symbol of wisdom: the eyes of Buddha
The Buddha is known throughout the world to be a great symbol of peace, harmony and… wisdom.
The figure of the Buddha is undoubtedly one of the most appreciated among people who seek more serenity in their lives.
If you are one of them, you will undoubtedly appreciate the Buddhist objects and symbols that we have collected here.
Anyway, in some areas of the Himalayas, altars (known as stupas) are decorated with pairs of gigantic eyes looking in all directions (North, East, West and South).
These eyes, you must suspect, are supposed to belong to him.
Far from being trivial, this symbol carries an interesting message: through his great wisdom, the Buddha can see everything, everywhere and all the time.
However, this is not the only teaching from the eyes of Buddha...
According to this symbolism, if we also succeed in using the eyes of wisdom, we will be there (and only there) able to see the world in its reality.
This symbol of wisdom therefore teaches us that, unless we have reached a certain level of spiritual elevation, our senses inevitably deceive us.
5th symbol of wisdom: the lotus flower
The lotus flower is the last lucky symbol that we will focus on here.
In most Asian religions (Buddhism, Hinduism or Taoism, to name a few), it is used to represent purity, wisdom and peace. Seeing it in a Hindu temple is a sign of spiritual awakening specific to the place, while its place in European legends makes it a symbol of immortality.
Its particular way of blossoming into great delicacy is sometimes used to describe the spiritual path to enlightenment, the process of learning and change necessary to achieve wisdom.
Just as the lotus knows how to grow in dirty dark waters and rise up to offer the world a flower of unparalleled beauty, we too must learn to overcome ignorance, pride, laziness and mediocrity if we want to find the way.
This last message that the lotus flower offers us is far from being one of the least important that we have seen in this article...
Conclusion
Providing a precise definition of wisdom is actually something very complicated.
It was moreover one of the tasks that philosophy has tackled (literally the love of wisdom) for millennia. We could tell you about Aristotle's thought or Kant's point of view.
Religions have also looked into the question. The gods of Greek mythology speak to us of wisdom, while Christian parables teach us virtue. Muslim tales speak of the mysteries of the world. And Jewish myths express a very fine vision of the world.
In the end, this can all be very complicated. If you want to explore the issue further, here is an article from the La-Philo website which will present to you the vision of great thinkers on the issue).
Our approach is actually very different: to help you understand what it is, we are going to look at some symbols of wisdom that have appeared across time and cultures.
You will thus have bricks which will allow you to build your own image of what wisdom is.
