“Better than any ritual is the worship achieved through wisdom; wisdom is the final goal of every action, Arjuna.” – Bhagavad Gita 4.33

Wisdom is the pinnacle of existence, in my opinion. This is not intelligence, nor is it hard study or simple recall, but a general and overarching wherewithal of existence and reality. 

The word itself, in English, remains relatively unchanged over the past millennium. Stretching further back in time, “wisdom” derives from an ancestral root meaning “to see.” In my own system of belief, this vastness of meaning is captured in the word “wit,” which also is a member of this etymologic family. 

Wisdom is a true, pure, raw understanding of what it means to exist, not just to be alive, but to live. Consciousness is a truly awe-inspiring force, and one I do not believe will ever be fully explained by science. Even more wonderful than consciousness is the interaction between their multitude. 

We will certainly revisit this concept in the future, but I wish to expand on one specific idea in this segment. To be wise, to see and understand, necessitates an innate propensity for curiosity and, more importantly, questioning. 

Thus we arrive at one of several major departures from my prior beliefs: that worship is not, in fact, the purpose of our existence. If anything, worship may be called antithetical to purpose. 

The word itself is descendant of the suggestion that worth may only be attained through such an action – that is, discarding the self as worthless and attributing all good things to another being. While this makes perfect sense in the Christian framework, the time is nigh to challenge it. 

There is an argument that religion came about simply as a means of control. I disagree with this notion, but it is impossible to disagree with the fact that many throughout history have wielded religion in such a manner. And in this has mass devastation been effected. 

In prior years, I would have dismissed this notion with the idea that God is worthy of worship and blind, undying devotion. But I cannot in good conscience preach that today with the knowledge I have of religion. It is not that there is simply a lack of evidence for the Christian framework – that alone can be covered by faith. But there is evidence against the Christian framework that cannot be ignored. 

I do believe in God, but not as portrayed in the Bible, or in any other text. God by definition must be so utterly transcendent that his entirety cannot be grasped. Even my own writings and ideas can only amount to an approximation of my concept of the divine. 

Such an awe-inspiring thing is worthy of veneration, yes, but not worship. Wisdom, then, may be the ability to admit one’s limits, but stand firm in what is known to be true. 

If that is not the ultimate act of respect and veneration of the ultimate source of consciousness, then nothing is.