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by
Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL
No.87
May: 2008
KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, REALISATION AND CONSCIOUSNESS
Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty
In our spiritual practice of studying, (Swadhyayana), listening to satsangs (shravana), mentalisation (manana), and contemplation (nididhyasana), we repeatedly come accross such words like knowledge (jnana), experience (anubhava), realisation (jnanarthadarshana) and consciousness (chetanA). These expressions although complementary to each other have subtle variations in their meaning and purport. In a practical way, understanding them will greatly facilitate our progress if we are pursuing Yoga.
As we know, having discussed earlier, using english words, (for that matter any other but sanskrit) puts great limitations in arriving at the esoteric meaning of spiritual experience. We can only make some efforts even if unsatisfactory.
Knowledge (jnana) ofcourse covers all inputs that get stored in the mind. The viveka or intellect works on them, refines them and in doing so improves the character of the mind. That is how the mind becomes a higher mind, supermind etc.
However in life, although we are constantly bombarded with various kinds of knowledge, the sanatan philosophy makes clear distinction between worthwhile knowledge and unworthy knowledge- often described as vidya and avidya or jnana and a-jnana. Candidly in The Bhagavadgita, Lord Krishna declares:
Adhyatma jnana nitvatam tattva jnarthadarshanam
Etat jnanam idam proktam ajnanam yat atah anyatha.
The essence of all knowledge has to be the knowledge leading to the knowledge of Brahman. All that do not end in Brahmajnana are no- knowledge of consequence at all.
This is a very profound sloka like many such gems the Bhagavad Gita gives us, and is often not clearly understood. In a few words only it describes the very science of knowledge, the objective, the character and practice of the entire jnanayoga itself. If anyone wants to understand what jnana means in sanatan philosophy, this one sloka explains it all.
As we have discussed on number of occasions, the approach of sanatan philosophy towards any subject is never to get blinded by the externals or superficial understanding. It always advises not to be taken by what is apparent or every one takes things for. Do not go by the appearance, not by the husk, not even by the kernel. But always look for the essence that makes up all these taken together. So is the case with knowledge. The sadhaka asks: kasmin nu bhagavo vijnate sarvamidam vijnatam bhavati iti? -what is that when known, all these become known? Give me the essence and not its derivatives. I shall know them all eventually, the disciple always asks his teacher.
So Lord Krishna says: That essence is Adhyatma, the knowledge of the everlasting Brahman. Seeing Brahman as the root of all, is the real jnana. (For more elaboration on this please refer “Attempts to describe Brahman” Part 4. in AHWAN).
Knowledge being essential for our existence, the philosophy is unequivocal and unambiguous about the purpose of our existence and ultimate destination of our spiritual journey. The entire creation exists for no other purpose but to know and attain absolute perfection which is Brahman, and to be one with it. All the inputs of knowledge that we gather in lives after lives, have to have relevance as long as they assist us in achieving our purpose.
In any journey as you travel, you gather thousand items of information. All are knowledge, but all are not knowledge that you can use for the purpose of your journey. The mind or more specifically the viveka, sorts them out and carefully stores the essential aspects which you will use for your purpose. If Brahman is my destination, then all knowledge unless they lead me to the knowledge of Brahman what good are they to me? They could on the other hand be distractions to me.
So the sole criteria for ‘Knowledge’ or jnana is that it must relate to Brahman.
This is not mere theory without any practical implication. With a little practice, whatever knowledge one gathers can be linked to Brahman. When you see the birth of a baby, the bursting of a cloud, a sudden thought striking, an achievement or a failure, pause a little to wonder, why?, how?, who?, what next? For any intelligent person, the thoughts will invariably reach the supreme controller of all activities, the Brahman. When the mind focuses and is enjoined (yoga) with the Lord thus, it sheds its doubts and your vision becomes clearer. You discover a message being conveyed. Things turn better. With a little faith and practice everyone can experience this.
Mere informative knowledge is not considered of high value by Sanatan philosophy. It must- repeat must- lead to the absolute knowledge. Variously referred to as aparA jnana, lower knowledge, as against parAjnana, the higher absolute knowledge, arthika jnana, (or the vyavaharika jnana meaning the worldly knowledge) or the face value knowledge, as against paramarthika jnana, the real value knowledge, or transactional knowledge as against transcendental knowledge, It helps us to arrive at the right understanding. The example of the gold necklace given in our scriptures is very apt. The necklace is aware of its being a necklace, its beautiful design, its luster and its use, and is proud of it. That is transactional knowledge. Since those attributes only verily give it its identity, they also become the reason for its fear and unhappiness. It is constantly worrying about loosing its beauty, getting broken or being compared as being inferior to a better made necklace etc.
But in case it transcends itself from this trap of name form or beauty and recognizes its intrinsic value of being of pure gold and capable of acquiring any shape, name and form, it becomes free from its fear and unhappiness. This means that when the transactional knowledge is transformed into transcendental knowledge it is liberated from its shackles of fear.
That is why the sanatan philosophy is obsessed with Brahmajnana and considers everything else as mere steps and dispensable.
So much is the courage of this conviction of the true seekers of knowledge, that the sanatan dharma, much unlike other faiths and religions, does not refrain from applying this test to its own scriptural bases.
We discussed this while discussing “Attempts to describe Brahman”. At the cost of repetition it is worth recalling it. We have a situation described in Chandogya Upanishad, another of our authoritative sources. When rishi Narada went to acquire higher knowledge from Sanat Kumara, he was asked first to recount what he already knows. So Narada went on to give a long list of vedic scriptures he has studied, starting from The Vedas to mathematics, sciences, logic and all that, saying that “I know all these.’ To this, Sanat Kumara replied ‘All these are mere names’ mere words. Yat vai etat nama eva etat. The purport of this is not to be chained even to scriptures but go for the realization of absolute knowledge by knowing Brahman. Only a highly developed intellect can aspire to transcend even its own base. Because a true sadhak is not a sadhak of a book or a dogma. As Sri Aurobindo put it, he is a sadhak of the infinite – The Brahman. And that infinite Brahman is the only jnanam, jnayam, jnanagamyam.
Now then we come to the question of how do we acquire this knowledge?
We may recall that we understood how every being as not simply one dimensional but simultaneously is a multidimensional entity. Broadly speaking, not merely a physical being but a mental being and a psychic being all the time. This jnana or knowledge of Brahman, although commonly understood as the character of the psychic being, indeed pervades all levels of our existence. The intensity may vary but we are spiritually conscious at all levels.
We may go further and understand through the concept of panchakoshas or the five sheaths of our existence, the annamay (gross body sheath), pranamay (the vital life sheath), the manomay (the mental sheath), the jnanamay (the knowledge sheath) and the final anandamay (the bliss sheath). It is not that seat of knowledge is only in the knowledge sheath or any particular sheath. It is all pervasive and holistic.
So knowledge is gathered at all levels. Our first exposure to knowledge is obviously at the physical level. Our body based sense organs provide the first inputs. Make no mistake about the usefulness of the senses. They are our friends too if we understand their value. Without our sense organs we can never rise from the pit of ignorance.
This is what we know as experience, the first inputs from the phenomenal creation all around us. That is the grand cosmic design. Experience is the first stage of knowing.
We have myriad experiences, in every moment of our life, in every life of ours. All such inputs are then processed by our antahkarana – rightly nomenclated as the internal tool, which is the combination of mind, intellect and our ego-self. This is another wonderful design built in within us.
Once the antahkarana starts processing the inputs brought in via our senses, it starts analyzing: ‘Is this information transcendatory or transactory. The base information is still at the physical level. It is yet to get refined and registered as transcendental. This is mere ‘experience’.
All experiences are physical to begin with. They are the products of the ‘actions’ or ‘karma’s that we are incessantly engaged in.
Most experiences are not only transactory but also transitory. Like the volatile memory of a computer they get lost eventually in the waste bin of amnesia. But for a sadhaka who has developed a refined antahkarana and enlightened viveka through yoga, the message each experience brings is analysed and utilized to enhance his Brahmajnana. The experience turns to knowledge. Originating from our actions, conveyed through our sense organs, all experiences are potentially precursors to knowledge. The viveka or the intellect is the key here. A powerful viveka extracts ‘knowledge’ out of experiences.
For a yogi Sarvam karmAkhilam pArtha jnAne parisamApyate. All experiences born out of actions eventually end in ‘knowledge’
Jnana is the immediate harvest of yoga.
The process through which the experience is metamorphosed into jnana is understood as ‘realization’, is part of the process of sadhana.
In this grand cosmic design of the Lord, no action or happening in the entire creation takes place without a purpose. The hands of a clock apparently move round and round without going anywhere. But the viveka thinks otherwise. It recognizes that in doing so, they also deliver the message of time. The wisdom lies in recognizing all messages that God delivers to us all the time and act upon them.
Through these messages, the message giver – The Brahman himself reveals His true character and his intention towards us and we are endowed with Brahmajnana.
At the level of the base mind, and in the realm of transactory knowledge, it is often difficult to appreciate the supremacy of transcendental knowledge vis-à-vis transactory knowledge. The so-called differentiation between vidya or real value knowledge and avidya or face value knowledge is often quite confusing.
In Kathopanishad some simplification for everyone’s understanding is offered. The wise Yama, explains this to young Nachiketa and thus for the sake every one’s level of understanding.
Anyat shreyah anyat uteiva preyah
Te ubhe nAnArthe purusham sinita.
One is recognized as good and another is recognized as pleasant. Both these have different connotations and thereby entangle the man.
We shall continue next trying to appreciate shreyah jnanam and preyah jnanam and then proceed to consciousness or chetana, the real benefit of jnana to us.
