In order to arrive at knowledge of the motions of birds in the

Leonardo da Vinci, the great dreamer of the Renaissance, once declared: “In order to arrive at knowledge of the motions of birds in the air, it is first necessary to acquire knowledge of the winds, which we will prove by the motions of water in itself, and this knowledge will be a step enabling us to arrive at the knowledge of beings that fly between the air and the wind.” These words are not only the musings of a scientist, but the wisdom of a philosopher who saw in nature a sacred order. Leonardo teaches us that understanding is a ladder: before you reach the heights, you must lay your feet on the lower rungs. To study birds, one must first study wind; to study wind, one must first study water. All knowledge is connected, and the patient mind discovers that the small truth opens the way to the greater.

In these lines, we hear the spirit of the ancients, who saw the universe as a harmony of elements. The pre-Socratic philosophers spoke of air, fire, earth, and water as the roots of all being. Leonardo, inheriting both their wisdom and the curiosity of his age, understood that the movement of water upon the earth reveals the secret of the winds above, and the winds above reveal the mystery of flight. Thus, to study one thing in isolation is folly; to see the threads that bind all things together is the path to true knowledge.

Consider how this truth unfolded in the history of human flight. Long after Leonardo’s time, men such as the Wright brothers dared to dream of birds, their effortless mastery of the skies. But before they could soar, they studied the winds, the lift of currents, the drag upon wings. They built small gliders, watched how the air pressed upon cloth and wood, and learned through countless experiments. Their success was not the fruit of sudden genius, but of patient steps—water, then wind, then finally the miracle of flight. Their story is the living embodiment of Leonardo’s wisdom.

Leonardo’s quote is also a parable for the growth of the human mind. Too often, the impatient spirit wishes to leap directly into the highest mysteries without first mastering the foundations. But truth reveals itself only to those who respect the order of learning. Just as a house must be built upon stone and not upon air, so too must knowledge be layered, each discovery resting upon the strength of the one before. To despise the humble lesson is to deny yourself the doorway to the greater vision.

Yet his words are not only about science; they are about life itself. The motions of birds and the flow of water are metaphors for every human pursuit. If one wishes to govern a city, one must first understand a household. If one desires wisdom, one must first learn silence. If one seeks greatness, one must first embrace discipline. Every height begins in humility, and every triumph begins in the patient gathering of small truths.

The strangeness of our age is that people hunger for instant answers, forgetting that the deepest knowledge requires observation, reflection, and time. Leonardo reminds us that nature reveals her secrets slowly, like a wise teacher who tests the patience of her pupil. To rush ahead is to remain ignorant; to follow step by step is to discover the hidden harmonies of the world. The winds are not mastered without watching the water, and the birds cannot be understood without first knowing the winds.

The lesson for us is this: cultivate patience, and honor the process of learning. Do not scorn the small steps, for they are the very stones that lead to the summit. Study the simple before the complex, and trust that each truth prepares you for the next. In practical action, this means beginning where you are: master the basics of your craft, reflect on the patterns of nature, and let curiosity lead you from one mystery to another. Just as Leonardo gazed upon water to learn of wind, and upon wind to dream of birds, so too must we allow each truth to guide us upward toward the greater mysteries of existence.

Thus, let Leonardo’s words be remembered as a torch: knowledge is a path, not a leap. Walk it with humility, and in time you too may rise, like the birds, between the air and the wind.