These things unite us:  shared and cherished traditions, agreed upon beliefs and well established, provable facts.

These are also sources of disagreement, disunity and even violence. After all, those with competitive and conflicting traditions, differing beliefs and perceptions of reality might see our world in very different ways than do we.

A lot of the misunderstanding and lack of comity in human societies might be rooted in the simple question; How do you know what you know? What do you accept as true? To whom do you give authority to define truth for you? How do we effect peace and understanding between us?

If you are inclined to precise intellectual pursuit of this question check Wikipedia for an article on ‘Epistemology.’ The article presents the history and philosophical tradition of the centuries old effort to define and, perhaps, to understand the reality we think we observe and understand.

I believe there is value to the study of ancient, living sources of knowledge. Folk Traditions, ancient writings and beliefs can still resonate with inspiring harmony. In fact, one can be absolutely awe-struck when comparing the knowledge and intuitive understanding of reality evident in ancient oral and literary traditions.

So, how do you know what you know? What value do you grant to the opinions of those who think they know otherwise? This can be a life-long endeavor. I hold that this might have significant value for those willing to share the journey.