The Qualities of Sage-ness

What are the ingredients that reflect the art of becoming a sage? Its definition describes a sage as a profound, wise person; a person of wisdom.

Naturally, this begs the questions of what is wisdom and what are its characteristics. A person of wisdom is distinct from one of knowledge, for knowledge without wisdom is soulless. It takes knowledge to develop an atomic bomb. It requires wisdom to know not to ever use it but to see it as a grossly misguided use of resources.

The word “knowledge” never appears in any of the definitions I have ever read regarding “sage-ing.” Therefore, one may experience the insights of a sage, even while uneducated or unsophisticated about modern philosophy, science, etc. Those same fields of study though, if enacted in homage to wisdom, have the potential to result in bountiful outcomes and benefit the world in all of its manifestations.

One of the manifold gifts of becoming old is the one of sage-ing. Not every elder is a sage and there are many old souls in gifted, young bodies. Yet, the ability to marinate a lifetime of experiences and offer those lessons up to younger people is a service that needs to be revitalized in our troubled world.

The other essential ingredient for this art, besides elderhood, is to be on the path of non-attachment. This path is easier for elders, in no small measure, because of the inevitable realization of the physical decline of the body. Whether consciously or subconsciously, elders are more aware of life’s transitory nature on the physical level. This excarnation process assists in opening one up to the critical path of non-attachment and the doors of transcendent perception. It provides a glimpse as to what is real and what is not real.

The union of these two great characteristics, elderhood and non-attachment, may produce sages – a fading method of communication in a lost world.

5 thoughts on “The Qualities of Sage-ness

  1. Are love and compassion the same thing? Are knowledge and wisdom the same thing?
    Are long time habits easy to let go of? If you have no sense or feeling
    For the sacred or divine, eat, drink and be merry does it become an
    All important factor in life? How does detachment enter into family
    Decisions especially around wealth? Does detachment and world problems
    Dissappear? Where is knowledge and wisdom in replying to these questions?

    • Hi David,
      I’ll say a couple of things to your comments. I believe knowledge and wisdom are different. A wise person may or may not have knowledge in the same way true shamans never went to medical school.
      Wisdom’s Genesis is transcendent, knowledge more earthly.
      A second thing is non-attachment is different from detachment. Detachment is a withdrawal from the world, possibly the result of depression or non-caring. Non-attachment is caring, taking action, even passionate, yet surrendering the results (or dedicating) to a higher authority or Truth. Being in the world but not of the world is non-attachment; being withdrawn from the world and disengaged is detachment. Gandhi practiced Karma Yoga, or non-attachment, yet he led the non-violent movement to free India.
      Thanks for your thoughtful commentary.

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