TRUE EDUCATION FOR LIFE MANAGEMENT
By Sri Bimal Mohanty
Everybody now-a-days willy nilly admits that all the education and knowledge that we have gathered in the process of being civilized has not brought us that simple requirement of life- 'happiness'. What is more, we do not even seem to have hit upon a satisfactory solution. People are alarmed about the unchecked destruction of our habitat, our environment, our eco system et all.
All our research, our acquired knowledge, our enterprise have all proved woefully inadequate. Notwithstanding all boasts of technological advances, our rhetorics, the fear of annihilation seems real and we keep on hoping that somehow someday everything miraculously will be set right. Nobody is sure 'how'?
Have we really learnt anything worthwhile?
The reality that is now dawning upon us is that somewhere along our existence we have missed and failed to appreciate the meaning and purpose of knowledge and learning.
Surprisingly, it is not that the human mind did not address itself to this problem ever and did never have an idea of a solution. In the vedic period, the sanAtan philosophy was indeed seized with it to a great extent and our seers have extensively documented them in our scriptures. A return to their findings may even be relevant even today. It may not be too late.
Respect and reconstruction of the natural principles of basic elements of matter, energy, water, air and space, balancing the consumption and regeneration, ethical role of human species as a part of the creation and all related issues still hold the promise of rebuilding if we can still pause and rethink.
The vedic discovery of the first truth about knowledge and learning is that it is not an individual pursuit for the individual sake. It is not exclusive to individual excellence but inclusive to holistic welfare- sarva jana hitAya sarva jana sukhAya. ( jana here is not limited to human kind or any particular specie but everything that is pervaded by Brahman within and without). The ultimate good is only achievable with collective cooperation and participation. parasparam bhAvayantah shreyah param avApsyatha. Did we not know this?
That is the litmus test. If knowledge does not serve that sublime purpose, no knowledge, no learning, no education is worth it.
Definition of Knowledge
As we know, using english words, (for that matter any other but sanskrit) puts great limitations in arriving at the esoteric meaning behind the word knowledge. 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.
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 everyone takes granted 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.
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 for me.
So the sole criteria for 'Knowledge' or jnAna is that it must relate to Brahman.
This is not mere a 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 the vision becomes clear. One discovers 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 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.
The material world is governed by transactory knowledge – the vyavahArika jnAna. Transactory knowledge is about changing objects or changing situations. One moment we see these objects, experience a situation and in the next moment everything has changed. Every transaction brings forth a change. If an object or situation is to our liking, then we are in constant fear that next moment we shall lose it. The fear of loss is always present like that of the gold necklace we talked earlier.
The difference between transactory knowledge and transcedantal knowledge or paramArthika jnAna is firstly the absence of attachment to, and secondly the knowledge of their impermanence and changing character.
Their changing character and fear of loss develops a strong sense of attachment to objects and situations. When you have the fear of losing, you simply tighten your grip. The attachment gets stronger.
But if I knew that what I have or what I am, is something that will never change, will never slip away from me would I have any fear anymore?
That changeless character and permanency is the character of Brahman alone…..
That is why the SanAtan philosophy is obsessed with BrahmajnAna and considers everything else as mere steps and dispensable.
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 an idea or dogma. As Sri Aurobindo put it, he is a sadhak of the infinite – The Brahman. And that infinite Brahman is the only jnAnam, jneyam, jnAnagamyam- the knowledge worth knowing and the source of all knowledge.
Now then we come to the question of how do we acquire this knowledge, this state?
We are aware that every being as they are, is not simply one dimensional but simultaneously is a multidimensional entity. Broadly speaking, none is 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.
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 gathering of information through our sense organs 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 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. Realisation when related or associated with Brahman is 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 shreyas 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.
How is transcedental knowledge superior to transactionalknowledge?. Let us take an example. When you enquire a person about his father, he will give the identity of a particular person. That is transactory knowledge or vyAvahArika jnAna. With that knowledge all ransactions in this life are made. But it is straight way a narrow outlook as it restricts the mind to a myopic vision involving the immediate family, their welfare. Our preoccupation with vyAvahArika jnAna is the cause of this selfish materialistic life.
But the purpose of real knowledge is to address to a larger canvas of entire creation for everybody's good. So the sanAtan transcends beyond this truth and discovers a larger truth recognizing the real father of all the Brahman himself. That is transcendental knowledge when a wider holistic approach is taken.
Transcendental knowledge is the knowledge of the spirit- the Brahman- the root. This is not abstract or abstruse knowledge as many are prone to discard it as. It is the achievement of deep mental and psychic research. A deliberate orientation towards this concept is imperative to a holistic all encompassing attitude towards the creation, our existence within it, our life, our interdependency with all.
Dependency on transactory knowledge is narrow and self destructive . Transcendental knowledge truly addresses to the concept of 'sarva sukhAya' and 'sarva hitAya'.
It is not really important to what extent we can achieve or to what extent we can go. It being the dharma of all creation, the scriptures declare:
Swalpasya api dharmasya trAyate mahato bhayAt.Even a little progress wards off great disasters.
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