Humility and Learning in the Face of Earth's Vast Complexity

Can you imagine this?
What could be the total number of animals on Earth?
It is estimated that the number of animal species on Earth is nearly 8.7 million. That means there are many, many hundreds of trillions of animals living on Earth now. Similarly, there are trillions of plants, trees, insects, and microorganisms. Trillions and trillions of living beings.

According to our scriptures, nearly 1.85 billion years have passed since creation. Modern science says that life originated on Earth nearly 3.5 billion years ago. Assuming an average longevity of 10 years, 18.5 billion generations have already lived and died. And maybe another 2 billion generations will be born and live until the end of the world.

That means the world we experience in, say, 50 years of our lives is only 0.000002% of the Earth's entire lifespan. And yet, we think we know a lot. It is as if we have read 2 pages of a 1-million-page encyclopedia and pretend that we have known a lot. We haven't read the remaining 999,998 pages—scientifically, philosophically, and spiritually.

We think we know a lot, but we are like a frog born inside a well, having lived its whole life there, thinking the world is just what it can see around inside the well. We are unaware of the vastness and complexity beyond our immediate surroundings.

That's why Vasishta says in the third sarga of the Mumukshu Vyavahara Prakarana of Yoga Vasishta:

परमार्क प्रकाशान्तस्त्रिजगत्रसरेणवः ।
उत्पत्योत्पत्य लीना ये न संख्यामुपयान्ति ते ॥
वर्तमानाञ्च याः सन्ति त्रैलोक्यगणकोटयः ।
शक्यन्ते ताश्च संख्यातुं नैव काश्चन केनचित् ॥
भविष्यन्ति पराम्भोधौ जगत्सर्गतरङ्गकाः ।
तां वै परिसंख्यातुं सा कथैव न विद्यते ॥

This is just about our Earth. There are millions of universes in addition to ours. Just imagine how minuscule our knowledge might be. Scientists spend decades studying one strain of bacteria, and by the time they finish studying, it would have changed its nature. So when we call someone knowledgeable or a scholar, it's an overstatement considering the vastness of what is unknown.

Considering this, we need to have humility when considering our place in this grand scheme of life. We represent an infinitesimally small fraction of the Earth's total lifespan. This should remind us of our limited understanding and experience, and also how irrelevant we are.

Instead of assuming that we know a lot, we should approach knowledge with humility, acknowledging that there is always more to learn and discover. Embrace diverse perspectives, cultures, and disciplines to gain a richer understanding of the world and its complexities. Adopt a mindset of lifelong learning, recognizing that knowledge is an ongoing journey rather than a destination. Stay curious, open-minded, and willing to explore new ideas and perspectives throughout your life.

Appreciate the privilege of existence and the interconnectedness of all life forms on Earth. Cultivate gratitude for the opportunity to learn and grow, while also acknowledging the responsibility to contribute positively to the world. Recognize that no single individual has all the answers. Foster collaboration and exchange of ideas with others, drawing upon diverse expertise and perspectives to address complex challenges and pursue collective understanding.

While specialization in a particular field is valuable, strive for a balance between depth of knowledge in one area and a broad understanding across multiple domains. This interdisciplinary approach can lead to more holistic insights and solutions.

Developing this perspective will make people feel like they're all part of one big team and will foster mutual understanding. When we realize that everyone belongs to a bigger picture, we're more likely to be kind and work together, even if we're from different backgrounds. Working together in this way can help us think up new ideas and solve tough problems more effectively.

If we see how many different living things there are on Earth and how they all depend on each other, we might start caring more about nature. Then, we'd want to take better care of the environment and do things that won't harm it, so that it stays healthy for the future.

When we know that we don't know everything and that everyone's voice matters, we can create a fairer society. By listening to people who might not always be heard, we can ensure everyone feels included and treated right.

When we value all kinds of knowledge and believe that everyone should get a chance to learn, we help each person be the best they can be, which makes our communities better.

If we're humble and understand that nobody knows everything, we're more likely to understand each other and not fight as much. Instead of thinking we're always right, we can be curious about why people are different and talk about it in a respectful way to find common ground.