Knowledge is Power
Some famous quotes
There is no doubt that knowledge is power. This is what Lord Bacon, the famous English essayist said about four hundred years ago.
In this connection, Tennyson says in his celebrated poem “Ulysses” that even life piled on life is not enough to learn all knowledge. It is rightly said that learning is so vast and human life so short that it is impossible for man to learn everything of all kinds, even if he is intelligent and brilliant and works most assiduously and sincerely to do so.
Accordingly, says Alexander Pope: “A little learning is a dangerous thing.” It is rightly said that a jack of all trades remains a master of none.
Lust for knowledge
The most dangerous aspect for the lust of knowledge is man’s changing into automation or dehumanization and a ruthlessness of temperament. Just as we say, “The path to hell is paved with (or strewn with) bad intentions, we can say that unappeasable desire for more and more knowledge leads one to ruin in the long run.
“Excess of everything is bad” likewise excess of knowledge or lust for knowledge is bad.
Renaissance
Renaissance with all its merits brought this spirit of restlessness to man and since then he has known again the significance of peace within. In the modern world, the endless scientific research has given us deadly weapons like nuclear bombs, missiles, etc., and brought mankind to the brink of ruin.
According to scriptures, there are innumerable ways which lead to realization of God. The most prominent among them are:
- Gyan Marg
- Karam Marg or Yog Marg
- Bhakti Marg
Thus “Gyan” (Knowledge) can be a path leading to God. In other words, one can realize God even through knowledge. This is how Swami Shankaracharya, Swami Dayananda, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Ram Tirth, and other Vedantists realized God. Swami Ram Tirth’s “In the Woods of God-Realization” is basically a work saturated with the power of eternal knowledge leading to realization of God.
According to Buddha
The Buddha called ignorance the greatest of all sins. In other words, if ignorance is the greatest sin, knowledge must philosophers and saints imply positive and constructive knowledge. Destructive knowledge cannot be called real knowledge. Often knowledge, such as knowledge of the uses of nuclear energy, is a double-edged weapon. It should be used for positive, peaceful, and socially useful purposes only. The Buddha called intrinsic knowledge which some may prefer to say ‘divine knowledge’, “Enlightenment.” But, we must remember, the Buddha was an agnostic who said nothing about God. We must conclude that true and positive knowledge is a great boon.