Though there are many ways
to receive knowledge, basically knowledge comes from three sources: sense
perception, mental conceptualization and intuition, the infinite library that
is far beyond senses, mind, ego and intellect.
When you hear, see, smell,
taste or touch something, you are acquiring knowledge from external sources
through sense perception. The knowledge that comes through sense perception is
not sufficient to be complete knowledge, because the senses are very limited.
When you see things with limitations, you are not seeing them as they are.
With the knowledge you
receive through the senses you conceptualize and come to certain conclusions.
You use this knowledge to function and express yourself in the external world.
But the senses and the mind are not valid sources of knowledge. As long as you
use the senses to collect facts and then ask the mind to know what they are,
you are only in the first stage of knowledge…
There is another type of
knowledge that comes through the buddhi, in which you know something through
information gathered through your senses along with intellectual analysis.
Buddhi is usually interpreted as “intellect” in English. There is however a
difference between these two. Whereas the buddhi gives you the capacity to gain
internal and external knowledge, the intellect is limited to knowing the facts
with the help of the senses. You cannot depend on the intellect because it
gathers data from the external world, which is subject to change. The intellect
is like a small ruler with which the human mind tries to measure the vast
universe.
Information that you
consider to be knowledge [knowledge obtained through mental and intellectual
effort] is superficial and will not help you to transform yourself or lead you
to the inner world of Self-realization. Knowledge received through the mind is
not helpful to fathom the deeper, subtler levels of your being. The purpose of
mind is to function with the senses to understand the external world. Mind is
not helpful to know the Self except when it has been trained to not disturb
you. This is the purpose of sadhana [spiritual practices]…
You depend on the
intellect so much you have forgotten there are other sources of knowledge, such
as instinct. Instinctual knowledge is more apparent in the animal kingdom.
Since nature governs the lives of animals completely, animals are much closer
to nature…[while there remains some capacity for humans to access instinctual
knowledge] for all practical purposes you have lost touch with nature because
of your artificially acquired knowledge and intelligence. In fact, this has
happened to such an extent that now you require external means to see things.
You cannot directly see or perceive things because the cultivation of
instinctual knowledge has not been part of your education. You have gone so far
with artificial knowledge that you cannot understand or feel what nature is any
more. You don’t like to walk barefoot on the ground or touch anything without
gloves…You are disconnected from the finer laws of life and nature because your
mind has become preoccupied with the comforts and means you think you can apply
to help you attain wisdom. You have no motivation to be sensitive toward that knowledge
which will help you to get freedom from misery and pain.
Instinctual knowledge is
definitely higher than intellectual knowledge, but each has its limitations.
When you train your intellect through the acquisition of facts, slowly the
intellect becomes more incisive and wants to understand more: I am not only this body; body is just a part
of me. I also have senses and a mind, but there is another part that is not
known to me. When intellect calms down, awareness takes over.
Awareness is
a vague term, but it is important to understand it. Awareness is entirely
different from knowledge. The difference between intellectual knowledge and
awareness is this: for the knowledge you acquire with the help of the intellect
you have to trust and depend on the world of facts; for awareness you don’t
need any support or help from cognition or the external world…When you say you
are aware of yourself, it doesn’t mean you are aware of higher consciousness.
Similarly, you are not a realized person just because you say you are aware of
the reality. In order to me aware of the reality, you will have to attain the
goal of life. Belief in God is completely different from the experience of the
presence of God at every moment. My master told me that sat, chit and ananda (truth,
consciousness and bliss) are three aspects of the Lord, the absolute truth. It
is not necessary to run here and there to attain that state. A human being is
the greatest of all shrines and the moment he comes to know this truth, he is
free. To believe in God, or truth, is a mere belief; to realize that the Lord
of life is within you is wisdom. Then you have attained something.
It is essential to make
effort to expand your awareness. One way to do this is to study the scriptures
and the experiences of great sages…As your awareness gradually deepens, the
power of the buddhi is also sharpened and you develop the capacity to
discriminate between what is truth and what is not. Discrimination in the realm
of facts is entirely different from discrimination between the eternal and
non-eternal. In order to develop this level of discrimination you have to have
a clear understanding of both avidya [ignorance] and vidya [knowledge]. The
buddhi, when properly trained, can lead you to a level where you understand not
only what is right and not right, what is fact and not fact, but also what is
truth and not truth. If you slowly work with your intellect and with the fire
of discrimination, your intellect will shine like gold and you will attain a
state of wisdom and awareness of the truth within.
Wisdom is not knowledge
that you receive through mind; it is knowledge received through a vision. You
will experience such visions when you have learned to have perfect control over
your mind.
Emotion, which is more
powerful than the thinking process, can also become a right source of
knowledge, if properly directed. Emotion is one of the most powerful resources
you have. All great persons performed great feats during a state of ecstasy,
not through the knowledge of mind. When your whole being spontaneously goes
into a state of tranquility through the experience of music, art or something
else that makes your mind one-pointed, you are receiving knowledge through
emotion…If you direct your emotions toward one particular point, you can attain
the height of ecstasy. Many great sages of the world have attained the highest
knowledge through a state of ecstasy, where mind does not function, intervene
or reason. Mind is not able to comprehend why it is happening.
Among all emotions the
most powerful inborn emotion in humans is sahaja
bhava, the ultimate source of knowledge, intuition. Intuitive knowledge is
the finest of all knowledge and does not need any evidence. The intuitive
library within is beyond sense perceptions and mind. It is very close to the
inner source of light, life and love. To be in touch with the intuitive
library, you have to quiet the mind. As long as your mind continues to
function, and you are disturbed by mental argument, conflict or suppressed
emotions, such mental activity creates a barrier to the intuitive flow and it
is lost. Only when you relax the mind can the fund of knowledge that is hidden
beyond flow forward. The first goal of sadhana [spiritual practices] is not
enlightenment; the first goal is to train the mind so it does not create
obstacles for you. Your initial effort should be to prevent the mind from
creating problems for you.
There is definitely
something divine beyond this phenomenal world. That divinity also dwells within
human beings. You come in touch with the finest of knowledge from that divinity
in you. It is not in the body, breath or mind. It is beyond the mire of
delusion created by your mind, in the silence within. When you experience perfect
silence, the higher knowledge called intuition dawns from beyond all the
superficial fields of consciousness and all the various aspects of the mind.
Intuitive knowledge, like meditation, is beyond time. With the help of the
practice of meditation, you can develop your intuitive capacity so that it becomes
your real guide. Intuitive knowledge doesn’t reveal itself bit by bit. When you
touch the peak of divinity in the state of superconsciousness, intuitive
knowledge spontaneously flows in leaps and bound.
If you receive knowledge
through the mind, you will always continue to doubt and search for evidence;
you will always want someone to reassure you and confirm that you are doing the
right thing. Once you come in touch with intuitive knowledge, there is no need
for confirmation or evidence from any teacher, swami or yogi. You will know and
know that you know.
Intuitive knowledge is
unalloyed knowledge, the highest knowledge of all. The source of intuition is
beyond the knowledge of the senses and the conscious and unconscious minds. It
comes to you when your whole being attains a state of stillness. If you voluntarily
learn to still yourself and attain a state of tranquility, nothing is
impossible during that time. The fund of knowledge that is hidden beyond can
flow forward and help you to solve a problem or to heal yourself or others. The
knowledge that comes through the senses or through the mind is not perfect, but
the knowledge that comes from beyond the mind, the finest of all knowledge, is
pure knowledge. You have to prepare yourself to receive that impersonal
knowledge by doing sadhana, just as you have to put gold in the fire in order
for it to shine. When you go through tapas and the process of purification,
Atman shines forth. You cannot see your face in a mirror if the mirror is
covered with dust. If you clean the mirror, it will show you clearly what your
face looks like. Spiritual practices lead to purity of mind. To truly
understand any object in the world you need a one-pointed mind. Only a pure
mind can attain that level of one-pointedness. You can know the extremely
subtle Atman residing in the cave of the heart only through pure knowledge…
The perfect knowledge that
brings transformation is love. As a human being you have the capacity to
experience pure knowledge because the infinite library of the highest of all
knowledge, along with the source of infinite love, is already within you. Real
transformation comes through awareness of the source of knowledge within.
A human being can be
compared to a lamp that is covered with several shades. Though the light is
there, it is very dim because of the many shades. As long as you remain in body
consciousness, you cannot be aware of the reality that is hidden beneath all
the shades. Intellectually you may know the light of truth is within you, but
you are not aware of it. If you remove all the superimpositions that you have
created one by one and go within to the center of consciousness, you will
finally see the source of light, love and life, shining in all its glory. You
will have to surrender the ego that lives in darkness before that light That
light is self-effulgent; it has not come from any other source nor has it
borrowed light from any lamp or from the sun, moon or stars. The light that is
responsible for understanding, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting or smelling
comes from the Atman within, the source of pure knowledge. The whole universe
is shining through that light. This means all the knowledge you have today,
even that knowledge you have received through your mind, senses and intellect,
has come from that same source of consciousness. Light and knowledge have no
ideology; all religions are supported by the same light and knowledge.
--Swami Rama, Sadhana, the Path to Enlightenment; Yoga the
Sacred Science, Volume Two; pages 52-62
