Art of inquiry

In our schools, workplaces and public conversations, critical thinking has become our most celebrated tool. We prize those who question boldly, challenge fearlessly, and dismantle flawed arguments with precision. Indic civilisation nurtured a profound culture of inquiry. A young boy named Nachiketa stood before Yama, Lord of Death. He pursued a single question fearlessly: what is eternal? An inquiry arising from an earnest desire to understand.

Philosopher Gargi stood before the finest scholars of the Upanishadic age. Her questions tested the limits of wisdom even for the wisest. The Buddha offered another lesson. He urged his disciples not to accept his teachings merely because he gave them. Like a goldsmith testing the purity of gold in fire, seekers were advised to examine, reflect and verify through their own experience. Discernment and responsibility were at the core.

In Gita, Krishn invites Arjun to listen deeply, reflect carefully, and then choose according to his own understanding. Wisdom unfolds through a progression - from receptivity, to contemplation, to action. Understanding fulfils itself when it flows into responsible action. Critical thinking is a discipline of examining our understanding with honesty and courage. It asks us to question, observe, reflect and discern, but not to stop here. The true destination of the sacred art of inquiry is wise action.


The purpose of critical thinking is the wisdom to see clearly enough, choose wisely, act compassionately, and leave the world a little better than we found it.