Ukufuna Ukukhanya

“UKUNGAZI akukaze kube ngcono kunokuba nolwazi,” kusho uLaura Fermi inkosikazi ka-Enrico Fermi, isazi esidumile sesayensi yemvelo. Abanye bangase bangavumelani nalokhu, bathi lokho ongakwazi ngeke neze kukulimaze. Nokho, okwashiwo uFermi kuyiqiniso kwabaningi, hhayi kuphela emkhakheni wezokucwaninga ngesayensi kodwa nakwezinye izici zokuphila. Ukungazi iqiniso ngento ethile kuye kwashiya abantu abaningi bephumputha ebumnyameni ngokwengqondo, ngokokuziphatha nangokomoya amakhulu eminyaka.—Efesu 4:18.

Yingakho abantu abacabangayo befuna ukukhanya. Bafuna ukwazi ukuthi kungani silapha nokuthi ikusasa lisiphatheleni. Ukufuna kwabo kuye kwabaholela ezindleleni eziningi ezihlukahlukene. Ake sicabangele ezinye zazo kafushane.

Kungatholakala Yini Enkolweni?

Ngokwesiko lamaBuddha, uSiddhārtha Gautama, umsunguli wenkolo yobuBuddha, wayekhathazeke kakhulu ngokuhlupheka nangokufa kwabantu. Wacela abafundisi benkolo yobuHindu ukuba bamsize athole “indlela yeqiniso.” Abanye bameluleka ukuba asebenzise i-yoga, okuyinqubo yokuzindla futhi azincishe ngokweqile. Ekugcineni uGautama wakhetha inqubo yokuzindla ngokujulile njengendlela yokuthola ukukhanya kweqiniso.

Lapho befuna ukukhanya, abanye baye basebenzisa izidakamizwa ezidunga ingqondo. Ngokwesibonelo, namuhla iSonto Labomdabu BaseMelika lichaza i-peyote—umdolofiya onesidakamizwa esidunga ingqondo—‘njengomambuli wolwazi olufihliwe.’

Isazi sefilosofi esingumFulentshi sangekhulu le-18, uJean-Jacques Rousseau, sasikholelwa ukuthi noma imuphi umuntu osifuna ngobuqotho isambulo esingokomoya esivela kuNkulunkulu esiqondene naye angasithola. Kanjani? Ngokulalela “lokho okushiwo uNkulunkulu enhliziyweni.” Khona-ke, indlela ozizwa ngayo ngezinto—lokho okutshelwa imizwelo nonembeza wakho—kuzoba “isiqondiso esiqiniseke kakhudlwana kule mibono yabantu eyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu,” kusho uRousseau—History of Western Philosophy.

Kungatholakala Yini Ngamandla Okucabanga?

Abantu abaningi ababephila ngesikhathi sikaRousseau bamelana ngokuqinile nokufuna ukukhanya ngokusebenzisa inkolo. Ngokwesibonelo, umFulentshi wakubo, uVoltaire, wayenomuzwa wokuthi inkolo yayingazange ibakhanyisele abantu. Kunalokho yayibe into eyinhloko eyafaka iYurophu emakhulwini eminyaka okungabi nalwazi, ukukholelwa ezeni nokungabekezelelani phakathi nenkathi ezinye izazi-mlando eziyibiza ngokuthi iNkathi Yobumnyama.

UVoltaire waba ilungu lenhlangano yaseYurophu yabantu abazibheka njengabacabangayo ebizwa ngokuthi ukuKhanyiselwa. Abalandeli bayo babuyela emibonweni yamaGreki asendulo—ewukuthi ukucabanga komuntu nokucubungula kwesayensi kuyizihluthulelo zokukhanya kweqiniso. Elinye ilungu lale nhlangano, uBernard de Fontenelle, laba nomuzwa wokuthi ukucabanga komuntu kukodwa kungaholela isintu “ekhulwini leminyaka eliyoba nokukhanya okwanda ngokwengeziwe usuku nosuku, kangangokuthi wonke amakhulu eminyaka adlule ayoba awobumnyama uma eqhathaniswa nalo.”—Encyclopædia Britannica.

Lena kumane kungeminye yemibono eminingi engqubuzanayo yezindlela zokuthola ukukhanya. Ingabe sikhona ngempela “isiqondiso esiqinisekile” esingaphendukela kuso ukuze sithole iqiniso? Cabanga ngalokho okushiwo isihloko esilandelayo ngomthombo onokwethenjelwa wokukhanya.

[Izithombe ekhasini 3]

UGautama (ongumBuddha), uRousseau noVoltaire basebenzisa izindlela ezingafani zokufuna ukukhanya