Spiritual Knowledge

Guru initiating his disciple

UNFOLDING SPIRITUAL SECRETS

Spiritual knowledge changes the whole perception about the world. You will come to realize that nothing is superfluous. There is an inherent divine design in everything. Things, even relationships that appear real are not that way. I will cite one example- a modern day fad line is:  Enjoy to the fullest, there is only one life, you cannot take anything along with you.
 Now the saints or seekers would say, yes live to the fullest, let not even your single breath should go waste. Life is precious and being a human being is all the more precious. God has given us this opportunity, and you may not get another chance, rise above the flimsy pleasure, which are transient, and look for bliss. And you do take your karmas along with you, like a whiff of smell. So it is the sensual pleasure/serenity.  Though I do agree that there is nothing wrong with seeking pleasure, but how much, and without compromising your ethics or morality is very important. There is a very thin line between desire and obsession.

Spiritual knowledge…

SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE refers to the knowledge of our pure self, the knowledge of our being. Furthermore to find answers to these spiritual inquiries…“who I am, and what is my relation to the cosmos and the universe as a whole” is the spiritual knowledge.

     It is generally referred as enlightenment, where one gets the knowledge of one’s self and its relation to the universal consciousness. This awareness is the experience beyond time and space, and it can be identified with the limitless and the eternal consciousness, from where the whole universe emanates. This intuitive experience considers as the valid proof, and confirmation of the divine self- God, and it is like experiencing bliss, something very pure, reminiscent of the divine ecstasy. This experience is hindered by the layers of ignorance that have gathered on soul, due to which one is not able to see one’s true self; all pure, all divine, all shining.

    The Spiritual knowledge can change one’s whole perspective towards self and whole world as such. One is filled with unbounded happiness. Each one of us is capable of this spiritual contemplation, and experiencing its spiritual wisdom, love and the joy.

     The spiritual vision is not obtained by means of physical senses and not through the psychic faculty, but through a subtler faculty arising from the contemplative concentration, usually referred as the ‘spiritual eye’.  This awareness is beyond the mental as well as beyond the worldly perceptions. This knowledge is referred as ‘awakening’ in the Vedas and the Upnishads.

    The Hindu religion presents two kinds of knowledge - praoksh gyan (second hand) and prataksh gyan (direct knowledge).

 The Prakosh gyan is the second hand knowledge obtained from scriptures and books. Whereas praktaksh gyan is gained by the direct experience; knowledge that one discovers or the knowledge that dawns upon us.

Now the imperative questions are:

What is spiritual knowledge and what is the source of this knowledge?

How the spiritual knowledge is different from the worldly knowledge?

Why it is the sole purpose of life?

Generally speaking worldly knowledge can be described as- the understanding of someone or something, which includes gathering of information, facts, and whole description. This can be acquired with the help of the practical or theoretical description gained with the help of education or experience, whereas the spiritual knowledge means knowledge of self, and which dawned upon us, and this is the knowledge of the very core of our being and its relation to the divinity.

     The acquisition of spiritual knowledge is different from the gaining of worldly knowledge, where one needs the help of sense organs, mind and intellect and involves communication, and reasoning, and importantly the capacity of acknowledgement.

     Scientifically speaking, “knowledge” is based on- method of inquiry, collection of data, experimentation and lastly formulation and making of hypothesis, and whereas philosophers define knowledge as the justified true belief, based on the complex cognitive process, perception, and reasoning. 

    Many of us would probably agree that term ‘knowledge’ truly involves: Certainty, evidence, practicality, broad agreement, moreover, it also includes belief, truth, justification and subjective experience. In an attempt to define knowledge, it is helpful to remember that the human mind is believed to be capable of two kinds of knowledge, rational and irrational knowledge.

Here I want to request readers, not judge or doubt it, with your limited cognitive powers. It is all the marvel of Faith and Beliefs, which has made miracles possible for centuries till date, much beyond the realms of the human mind and is universally true or the ultimate truth. It means that you cannot explain it, as it is beyond the power of senses, but can only experience it. 

    The scientists failed to grasp the power of faith and totally dismiss these phenomena as irrational. They want to rationalize everything through intellect, but one need ‘Mind’, the core center of our emotions to fathom it.  

   Generally speaking, there are three main focal points around on which the whole life process rotates: Creation, expression and comprehension, (Sarjan Kendra, Bhav Kendra, Vichar Kendra). They are individually representing the three different main focal points of living beings- reproduction, expression, and comprehension. Now if we start from plants or immobile things, they have only "creation" faculties active, as only reproduction is possible, whereas in animals and birds, they have a more evolved system "expression" faculty is also possible with creation.

But considering human beings, they have all these three faculties active, and highly evolved. With creation, and expression, they have highly developed comprehension faculty. With these three aforesaid highly necessitating life force human beings have the power of Chetna,-consciousness, which happens to control all these three main focal points and keep the crucial balance between them.

    With this power of consciousness, we can comprehend the ULTIMATE TRUTH or GOD; which is experienced as so valuable, so real, that in comparison, all the other things appear false, profane and worthless. 

“To realize GOD is the sole purpose of Life…”









I am thankful to the artist, who has drawn this beautiful painting, and made it available on the net.