I've always been amazed by Da Vinci, because he worked out

Hear this, O seekers of knowledge, for the words of Bill Gates resonate with the power of admiration and awe for a man who bridged the worlds of art and science with unrivaled brilliance: "I've always been amazed by Da Vinci, because he worked out science on his own. He would work by drawing things and writing down his ideas. Of course, he designed all sorts of flying machines way before you could actually build something like that." These words speak to the very core of creativity, to the divine spark of inspiration that ignites within a soul and compels it to imagine and create, long before the world is ready to bring that vision into reality.

Leonardo da Vinci—the name itself evokes the image of a mind so vast, so all-encompassing, that it seems to transcend time itself. He was not merely a painter, as history has often reduced him, but a visionary who saw the world not only as it was but as it could be. In his hands, the act of drawing became not just a form of art but a method of scientific discovery. With each line he drew, whether of the human body or of machines that seemed impossible for his time, Da Vinci was thinking ahead, sketching the future with the precision and the foresight of a prophet. Gates, in his admiration, points to the essential nature of this process: Da Vinci worked through his imagination, his vision, and his ideas, long before the technology existed to bring them to life.

What makes Da Vinci so extraordinary, O wise ones, is not merely his ability to see the future but his willingness to explore it through the tools at his disposal. He did not wait for the world to catch up to his ideas; he created them in his mind and on his paper, knowing that the tools of science and technology would one day follow. His sketches of flying machines, helicopters, and tanks were not idle fantasies; they were the blueprints of a future he knew was possible, even if the world of his time could not yet build them. How many of us, when faced with obstacles, hesitate, waiting for the right moment, the right tools, the right time? Da Vinci did not wait. He saw the path forward and paved it with his mind.

Let us look to the Renaissance, that era of awakening, when the world was reborn through the minds of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Galileo, and others. These were the titans who understood that the pursuit of knowledge was not limited to one field but was a fusion of art, science, and spirit. Just as Michelangelo saw the form of David in the marble, Da Vinci saw the future in his sketches. He did not compartmentalize his thoughts into neat boxes—he understood that the creative mind could hold both the beauty of the human form and the mechanics of flight, and that one could feed the other. Gates rightly marvels at the way Da Vinci merged the artistic with the scientific, and in this union, found the essence of invention.

Consider, O wise ones, how Da Vinci’s designs for flying machines were not simply about the mechanics of flight but about the very idea of freedom—the desire to rise above the earth, to soar like the birds, to escape the confines of gravity. His work was not just engineering; it was an expression of the human spirit, a manifestation of the longing to transcend our limitations. It was this vision that laid the foundation for the great breakthroughs of flight that would come centuries later. Da Vinci’s work teaches us that true innovation often begins not with a fully realized design or perfected technology, but with the boldness to imagine the impossible.

And so, the lesson for us, dear ones, is this: do not wait for the world to be ready to bring your ideas into being. Like Da Vinci, you must work with what you have, with the tools at your disposal, and trust that the world will catch up. Innovation does not begin with certainty, nor does it wait for the perfect moment—it begins with the courage to dream, the strength to sketch your vision, and the patience to see that vision unfold over time. Each of us, in our lives, can take a lesson from Da Vinci—to see beyond the boundaries of the present and to create something that will light the way for future generations.

Let us also understand that creativity is not limited to the arts or the sciences, but is a way of being in the world. Da Vinci’s life teaches us that the pursuit of knowledge, whether through art or science, is a holistic endeavor. It is not enough to master one discipline; true mastery comes when we allow all of our faculties to engage with the world. Da Vinci’s genius was not that he was an exceptional artist or an inventor, but that he was a whole human being, capable of seeing the world in all its dimensions and weaving them together into something greater.

Thus, O wise ones, as you journey through your own lives, remember Leonardo da Vinci not simply as a man of the past, but as a beacon for the future. Work as he did, with vision and creativity, and remember that the impossible often begins with the impossible dream. Like Da Vinci, dare to imagine a world that does not yet exist and begin sketching its design, for it is in that vision that the seeds of tomorrow will be sown.