How do I become wiser in life?

What Gurudev says

You know the moment when you're going over something that's long over – or putting something off because you don't know what's coming? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has a simple rule of thumb for exactly these two traps.

Look at the past as destiny so you will not keep regretting the past and see the future as free will so that you don’t procrastinate or become lethargic and say whatever, ‘god willing it will happen’. So you don’t become lethargic and do nothing if you consider the future as destiny. You should not say let’s leave it to destiny, no! The future is freewill, past is destiny and live in the present. This is wise way of living.

From the official Art of Living website — “Anytime you feel that I am total, I am complete, death can come this moment, I welcome it. Then that completion is Nirvana” (Oct 11 2011)

Gurudev also makes clear that wisdom isn't a question of age, but of the attention you bring to the life around you.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Perception, observation and expression - these three things can bring you maturity. The way you perceive things and observe things all around you. Wisdom doesn’t need time at all. You don’t need to become old to become mature. You simply need observation, of not just yourself but also of the lives of those around you.

From the official Art of Living website — “The Ways Of The Wise - #AskSriSri” (Feb 23 2014)

But sometimes wisdom comes by a less gentle route – through experience you only understand afterward.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Through experience. After getting beaten up many times, wisdom dawns anyway; or through awareness, that this isn’t right.

From the official Art of Living website — “The divine energy (shakti) inside alone can destroy all negative impulses” (Oct 6 2011)

Two paths, then, that complement each other for Gurudev: the attentive gaze that brings wisdom without detours, and experience, which sometimes only shows you afterward what you could have seen all along.

What you can do

1. Sort past and future differently. See the past as what has happened and can't be changed anymore – and the future as something you can actively help shape.
2. Stay consciously in the present. Instead of sinking into rumination or worry, keep bringing your attention back to what's actually happening right now.
3. Observe instead of just reacting. Take moments where you simply notice what's happening around you – in yourself and in others – without judging right away.
4. Take experience seriously as a teacher. When something keeps being hard for you or keeps going wrong, ask what that experience is actually trying to show you, instead of just checking it off.
5. Notice when something's not right. This simple awareness – "that's not right" – can, according to Gurudev, lead to wisdom just as much as years of experience.

Frequently asked questions

How can I strengthen my resilience? Gurudev teaches that a bigger perspective on life, gained through self-knowledge, means feelings, situations and other people's reactions lose their power to throw you off course. With the image of a candle flame that generally points upward no matter how you turn the candle, he encourages you to keep your own spirit and enthusiasm alive even through setbacks.

How can I bring more wisdom into my life every day? Gurudev compares it to brushing your teeth: just as you take care of yourself every day, you should also read or listen to some knowledge daily so your mind and intellect stay clear. He also explains that wisdom only becomes firmly established in you through repeatedly hearing knowledge, the way fabric only takes on its final color after being dipped in dye again and again.

What does non-duality mean in Vedanta? Gurudev traces fear and worry back to their root: they're usually about "the other" – where there's no sense of separateness left, there's no ground left for fear to stand on. Using an example, he shows how the same people and the same place can suddenly feel hostile the moment something inside you has "pushed a button" – and makes clear: no one else is to blame, your reactions arise in your own consciousness, and you carry full responsibility for them.

What is true wisdom? Gurudev describes the so-called sattvic intellect, the goal of human development, as the wisdom that recognizes the one underlying truth behind all visible differences. Through the story of a man who kept laughing despite his injuries, he makes it clear: true wisdom is the strength to smile in any situation, and to see life as a challenge rather than a mere struggle.

Related questions

• What is self-realization?
• How do I achieve self-realization?
• What is the Self in the spiritual sense?
• What is the difference between the ego and the Self?
• What does non-duality mean in Vedanta?
• Wisdom & Vedanta — overview

Sources

The quotes on this page come from:

• Official Art of Living website — “Anytime you feel that I am total, I am complete, death can come this moment, I welcome it. Then that completion is Nirvana” (Oct 11 2011)
• Official Art of Living website — “The Ways Of The Wise - #AskSriSri” (Feb 23 2014)
• Official Art of Living website — “The divine energy (shakti) inside alone can destroy all negative impulses” (Oct 6 2011)