Wisdom can’t be simply defined as having knowledge, experience or quality of being wise. It is more than the sum of these essential aspects. It takes patience, calmness, and positivity towards the situations happening around you to master wisdom. The question simply arises that how Yoga can lead us towards the path of wisdom.

According to experts, the wisdom is defined as a great sense of understanding for recognizing the truth, and making a decision with intellectual power. It requires common sense, good judging strength, and experience of adapting situations accordingly. Yoga is a great ancient activity and during its sessions, people learn about becoming a wise person in life.

• Defining the word ‘Jnana’

A term called Jnana (wisdom or knowledge) in Yoga is considered the most difficult paths in this ancient activity. It requires great strength for sustaining determination and intellect. In Jnana yoga, a person learns to know the actual strength of his/her own mind by analyzing the thought process, reach of the thinkability and identification with its ego.

The theme behind this word is fundamental to the lessons in most respected and popular book – Bhagavad Gita. The definition of Yoga according to Gita was explained by Lord Krishna. He elaborated the concept of wisdom to his disciple Arjuna that “he will reveal again a supreme wisdom, of all wisdom the highest.” And in the final six chapters, he lays out the makings and characteristics of the path of Jnana yoga.

• Concepts of Wisdom

The concept of wisdom implies that there are things to be wise about. Krishna describes two such “things”: first, an individual’s relationship with a “field,” a living body/mind, and second, that same individual’s relationship with the ultimate knower of all fields, the supreme Spirit.

While explaining Yoga in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna explains the concept of being wise and characterizes it into two main concepts:

1. Individual’s relationship with a living body or mind
2. The same relationship with the Supreme spirit (knower of all living minds and bodies)

Lord Krishna explains that every human is a combined collection of a field (Prakriti) and a field-knower (Purusha) – basically, a body/mind and a consciousness that resides within it. He also summarizes the two as:

1. Prakriti is the cause of activity: the doer, the means of doing and the thing is done.
2. Purusha is the reason for the consciousness in accordance with the experience of being pleasurable and painful.

Here’s how Lord Krishna showed us the path of wisdom by explaining the concepts that lie in it. From the overall conclusion, wisdom is defined by two fundamental concepts of human life – the oppression of Purusha and Prakriti, and the ultimate closure of the purpose of life.

• Making a better living

According to Lord Krishna, a life can be explored by judging our surroundings, knowing the likes and dislikes, making decisions and attitudes of the mind towards the situations. However, a person must respond wisely to live a satisfactory life.

Jnana Yoga is a great way to establish a sense of understanding and determination for the situations occurring in our lives. Lord Krishna embraced the concepts of wisdom several times while explaining the importance of Yoga in Bhagavad Gita.

Knowing the Self

Becoming a wise person in life is not certainly a difficult task. Yoga lessons from the Gita has been a great source of knowing our true self and meditation is one of its best activities to concentrate on our purpose with deep mindsets. We can witness the characteristics of the fields (body and mind) and the relationship with the supreme spirit through meditation.