What is Wisdom? How is Wisdom Measured? (in Buddhism)
#wisdom #buddhisminenglish #buddha
The Story of Wisdom, Around 160 130 BCE in the region of Bactria, India, there was a king named Milinda, who was exceptionally intelligent and deeply understood many matters of the world, including the principles of major religions. He posed a question to a meditating sage who had attained enlightenment and was known for his wisdom, named Nāgasena.

After a discussion about the function of wisdom—likened to a person holding a bright lamp entering a dark house. Thanks to the lamp's light, the path, exits, and every nook and cranny become visible.
Where there is a chair, a cupboard, a bed, etc. The bright lamp represents wisdom, and the household items represent the events and objects in life, as well as the shifts in human consciousness.
Thanks to the light of the lamp, the darkness vanishes—just as through wisdom, Ignorance itself is eradicated!

But then the king provocatively asked,

"TELL ME, WHERE DOES WISDOM RESIDE?"
Nāgasena replied:
"Wisdom resides nowhere, thus it cannot be pointed out to reside at a specific place!"
The king retorted that perhaps there is no wisdom then.
Monk Nāgasena then countered:

"Then where does the wind reside, Your Majesty?"
"It cannot be pointed out."
"If so, Your Majesty, perhaps there is no wind!"
King Milinda suddenly burst out laughing:
"You are indeed very clever!"

The purpose of Buddhism is to eliminate suffering and bring joy to all beings, but only the wise can discern the path that leads to peace and happiness. The goal of Buddhism is liberation and enlightenment, and wisdom (paññā) alone is the sole means by which humanity can reach the shores of liberation and enlightenment. Therefore, the role of the wise and the role of wisdom occupy a pivotal position in all the teachings of our founder, the Buddha. We can say that Buddhism is the way of the wise, a path of enlightenment, aiming to find a satisfying definition of Buddhism.