A recent article in Livescience deals with a research to identify what wisdom means. (The details are given below.) The intriguing part of it is that man with all his scientific achievements has not yet discovered what makes him wise!
This makes me explore the tenets of astrology to know if astrology gives some clues about it.
In astrology Jupiter is the signifactor of wisdom. Jupiter is identified with ministership and wise counseling. Wisdom is not entirely dependent of expertise or knowledge in a particular subject. The capacity to grasp, think, judge and apply an idea or an issue or even people is associated with this Jovian faculty.
Thinking of bhavas, 2nd, 5th and 9th are associated with Jupiter. In addition we must look at the 4th bhava also.
The 4th of course tells about the kind of interest one has in a particular subject. Sun associated with the 4th gives an interest in political science, administration and astronomy. Moon shows faculty is watery sciences, psychology etc, Mars in criminal law and surgery, Mercury in communication, marketing and business related ones and Venus in technical and soft skills. Jupiter associated with the 4th house is special for a sense of righteousness and law and dharma. Jupiter with 5+ bindus in Ashtakavarga in the 4th is a definite advantage for wisdom. Great philosophers and wise people are made by Jupiter. But the 4th house connection is not enough.
The 5th actually stands for original and free thinking. The Karaka for the 5th is Jupiter. He also rules 2nd (of speech) and 9th which is 5th of 5th. The 9th stands for fortunes that is the result of purva punya. From these we make out that Jovian wisdom comes as a reward for past good karmas. It gets manifest in the tongue (2nd house of speech) and in thoughts (5th). The 5th house significance makes wisdom a naturally occurring faculty in a person.
As such, wisdom can not be developed nor nurtured. It comes inherently in a person.
We have heard of Solomon’s wisdom in the form of a story. The Ring of Solomon present in the palm also confirms Jovian connection. This Ring of Solomon is a small curve circling the index finger in the mount of Jupiter. The presence of this ring shows that the person is wise.
In reality we don’t find a fully developed curve of this ring. In most cases where it is present, it is present at the side of the palm on the mount. But a mere presence of a part of the ring itself ensures that the person is wise.
In reality I find the people with this ring to be more spiritual and have a sharp ability to grasp things quickly. Such people have been ministers, advisors or people who can influence others with wise counseling - wherever they are. The people around them usually can not overrule them. Instead they depend on them for wise counsel.
In the research, experience is given as a factor. Yes, with experience one grows wise. But a Jovian influence is needed to make one become wise with experience. Most wise people of the past (we can identify some in our families in our grannies) have become so with an ability to learn from experiences and mould their judgmental capacity accordingly.
It will not be out of context here to point out an additional faculty. It is formed with a coupling with Saturn. Saturn is the natural kaarak (signifactor) for Justice. When it gets associated with Jupiter, the person gets extra –wise. Such persons have acumen for spiritual brilliance and ability to understand and interpret scriptures. Jupiter stands for Vedic knowledge and Saturn for Dharmic life. They go hand in glove with each other to make a person spiritually wise and knowledgeable.
When Jupiter and Saturn are in own house or exaltation or friendly houses which happen to be quadrant or triangular to the ascendant and the ascendant lord, that is the ultimate combination to have. Such a person will be in his last birth and is not to be born again. He will be liberated from the cycle of birth and death after his life.
This yoga is known as Vrinji yoga. A person born in this yoga has completed most of his baggage of karma. He will be naturally endowed with vedic knowledge and will be an expert in interpreting vedic texts. He will be born with a passion for vedic knowledge.
He must have helped in the protection or conduction of vedic ceremonies, must have helped Vedik pandits, must have helped tirelessly to uphold Vedic religion in his previous birth (according to the astrological text, ‘Brahma Rishi Vaakyam’) The residual karmas which have to be necessarily experienced are experienced by him in this birth after which he attains Moksha.
This yoga gives another dimension to what constitutes wisdom. It is the knowledge of Veda dhrama. The person need not be an expert in Vedas, But the dharmic sense propounded by Vedic order constitutes wisdom. That is the import carried by Jupiter in association with Saturn.
Dharma means what needs to be done in a given situation. Therefore a finer grasp of what is needed to be done in a given situation is the major constituent of wisdom!
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From
http://www.livescience.com/culture/wisdom-definition-100511.html
Wise Researchers Close in on Definition of Wisdom
posted:
You may know wisdom when you see it, but scientists have yet to come of with a concise definition.
A new survey of 30 people who study wisdom reveals wisdom has features that distinguish it from other similar traits, such as intelligence and spirituality.
"There are several major definitions of wisdom, but no single definition that is all-inclusive and embraces every important aspect of wisdom," said study researcher Dilip V. Jeste, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at the
"Intelligence and spirituality share features with wisdom, but they are not the same thing," Jeste explained. "One can be intelligent, yet lack practical knowledge. Spirituality is often associated with age, like wisdom, but most researchers tend to define wisdom in secular terms, not spiritual."
Most of the experts agreed wisdom could be characterized as follows:
- Wisdom is uniquely human.
- Wisdom is a form of advanced cognitive and emotional development that is experience-driven.
- Wisdom is a personal quality, albeit rare.
- Wisdom can be learned, increases with age and can be measured.
- Wisdom is probably not enhanced by taking medication.
Participating experts rated the relevance and importance of six statements on a scale from 1 (definitely not) to 9 (definitely so) with regards to the concepts of wisdom, intelligence and spirituality; for example "the concept can be applied to human beings."
The experts were then asked to rate the importance of 47 components, such as altruism, practical life skills, sense of humor, realism, willingness to forgive others and self-esteem, to the concepts of wisdom, intelligence and spirituality.
"One survey, of course, cannot fully and completely define wisdom," Jeste said. "The value here is that there was considerable agreement among experts that wisdom is indeed a distinct entity with a number of characteristic qualities. The data from our research should help in designing future empirical studies on wisdom."
The results are published online in the June issue of the journal Gerontologist.
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