Anyone can develop wisdom and intuition through practice and experience. More than a few great scholars have had a sudden flash of realization about an important principle or truth immediately after waking from a deep sleep.
It has been said that Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) came to speculate about the law of gravitation after observing an apple from a tree. And we often hear of popular items or products that were conceived of suddenly, through a flash or “hint” the inventor awakened to as a result of an experience or circumstance. Thus the world of realization is the state in which one’s fundamental wisdom or intuition is drawn out by a circumstance in the environment, leading to the creation of something worthwhile and the joy of discovery or accomplishment.
An artist painting a picture, a musician composing a melody, or a scholar doing research and making a new discovery in his field – all may be called expressions of the world of Realization. The two vehicles of Learning and Realization are conditions in which an aspect of the tremendous potential in the universe is expressed in one’s own life. The two vehicles encompass the satisfaction gained through our own efforts, as well as the joy of exercising our creativity. The world of Learning is the spiritual satisfaction one feels at studying and acquiring various kinds of knowledge or ideas, while the world of Realization Is the joy of discovering or creating something new.
Dr. Hideki Yukawa (1907-1981), a Nobel Prize winning theoretical physicist once said, “Human life force is one expression of the great life force of the universe, human creativity is the highest form of expression of this universal life. When human beings try to channel their creativity in a particular direction, their lives take on meaning and they experience joy in living.”
However, once we experience such satisfaction we may be in danger of falling into a self-centered or arrogant way of thinking, feeling that we excel in areas where we still have much to learn. Once this arrogance comes into the picture it becomes very difficult to elevate our life condition.
