For the Love for Knowledge

My Brief Account on Seeking Knowledge and its Wisdom 

     There’s is so much to gain from life, considering that we all today live on the same world as many generations before us. What words of wisdom, what knowledge does both the past and present have for us to heed by? What wisdom can we pass on from our own experiences? Nearly six years ago I was going through a very difficult moment of heartbreak, and during a late spring night I was outside in a clear opening of the forest, gazing upon the full moon and was reminded of a quote from the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” My father then appeared and made his seat beside me, directing me with an honest remedy, “Remember, you are not the first man under this moon to have gone through this.” Those words could not have been any more impacting upon my life. Therefore, I took it upon myself that I wanted to seek knowledge from folks all over the world, both past and present, in what they had to say about life or any subject which benefits human understanding. 

      What can people do to amplify their perspective on themselves and the world around? Anything can distract us from improving ourselves, and those are problems we face in various forms. For myself, I figured that every breath I take is a blessing; therefore, I made it a delight to read poetry, history, theology, philosophy, studies on cultures or mathematics, astronomy, the list on. One of the first writers I began to study was John Calvin, who was a French lawyer before he became a theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation (1509-1564). In one of his commentaries on the book of Ezekiel, he noted how “Humility is the beginning of true intelligence,” which I believe is true; for without humility, we are only reinforcing pride and ignorance against the soul. Humility is key for the individual’s self-development. Along with Calvin, other great minds and writers such as Thomas Aquinas, Augustine of Hippo, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Khalil Gibran, Joan Didion, Hannah Arendt, Jordan Peterson, Aristotle, Epicurus, King Solomon, Omar Khayyam, Rudaki and many others have encouraged my passion for knowledge, as well as my development for writing, and above all my love for life. 

     As a day turns to night, I often fear how short life can be. The question of vanity pops in my mind as I journey on.  However, I am reminded of a beautiful passage written by a respected Bengali (India) poet, intellect, and Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore: “The butterfly counts not months but moments and has time enough.” such quotes may enhance the perspective to live for the moments, and not for our own delights. Reminding ourselves to give thanks for each day we are blessed with, for we are never guaranteed a tomorrow. My only hope is that by sharing my views on life thus far, will spark a motivation to others as they seek to become a better person; to add rich qualities to their life by seeking knowledge in many healthy aspects, dwelling in the house of wisdom for as long as life grants us all.