Recently, I needed help.
Urgently.
I picked up my phone and called a few people.
Some couldn’t help.
Some tried.
One person arranged what he could.
Another quietly solved the problem within minutes.
The money arrived.
The situation passed.
But a question remained.
A few days later, that same question appeared somewhere unexpected.
I found myself looking at my car.
Like many people, I had begun thinking about upgrades.
A new accessory.
A new device.
A new feature.
Then I stopped.
I realized I did not fully understand the technology already present in the vehicle.
The sensors.
The alerts.
The systems quietly working in the background.
I wanted more before understanding what I already had.
The same pattern appears everywhere.
We buy books before finishing the ones on our shelf.
We seek new teachers before listening to the lessons already received.
We chase new opportunities before understanding the value of our current skills.
We search for new relationships before appreciating the people already standing beside us.
Sometimes growth requires expansion.
But sometimes growth requires attention.
A temple taught me something similar.
The structure was old.
The pond was damaged.
The guest house was fading.
The well had seen better days.
Yet the temple remained.
It did not ask me for anything.
It simply stood there.
Present.
Perhaps wisdom is not always found in acquiring.
Perhaps wisdom is found in noticing.
The relationships we already have.
The body we already inhabit.
The skills we already possess.
The technology we already own.
The life we are already living.
Before looking for more, it may be worth asking:
Have I truly understood what is already here?
Sometimes the next step is not acquiring.
It is paying attention.
Reading is enough.
Photo: Aniruddha Singh
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