Last year, I had the opportunity to visit a very special place, somewhere in India. It’s an entire building with three floors full of ancient books. These are very special books, not because they are old, but because of their content.
Even though most of them are written in English, there are publications there perhaps in every possible and imaginable language. Some books are even written in signs and symbols, some of them I wonder if anyone could read today. The most recent of those books are printed on paper, while in others, the words are incised on wood.
Some of them are in a readable state, but sadly the oldest ones are in bad shape. The keeper of the archives told us that many of the original editions, and some books which only existed in one unique copy were destroyed… eaten by insects.
These archives are aimed to maintain a significant part of the knowledge of humanity, thoughts from worldwide Philosophers and recognized Masters of Wisdom. It is our collective legacy, as human beings, and it is sad to discover that it is slowly vanishing… just like the keeper in the photograph that is walking away and will soon vanish from the frame.
I know only one remedy to this situation: to keep philosophy and wisdom alive, to become philosophers, lovers of wisdom. To act in life and to offer our personal example in a that is seen all around us, so that people can “read us” as if we were a living book.
This way, even if books will vanish, love and wisdom will remain.
