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When the time of creation came, preparations commenced,
currents flowed out, vibrations intensified, formation of knots (granthis)
started, momentum gathered, churning process set in and actions and reactions
began and continued till objects began to assume individual forms. The process
of creation thus came into full swing. Animate and inanimate objects began to
come into existence. In course of time all the objects came to light and the
universe was formed.
The activity, which had started, went on developing till finally the idea of
inactivity, which lay at the bottom of motion, began to surge up. It formed the
basis of all philosophical speculations. Mental aspirations leading to the
search for the higher started from this point and became the foundation of
religion. The activity, which had already sprung up in us, reminded us of its
non-existent state. When we thought of it we hit upon the previous state of
inactivity. In this way activity reminded us of inactivity and the inactivity
explained to us the meaning of activity. Thus the two opposites came to our
view. When the first stage of activity came to view, it seemed to be quite akin
to the state of motionlessness.
But now having been acquainted with momentum and undergone its pleasing effect
to a great extent, the thought of search for peace began to creep up in our mind
by itself. When we started the search, our attention was transfixed upon
calmness, which we understood to be somewhat more pleasant. But so far we knew
not what it actually was nor had we any taste of it. Experience promoted our
understanding and we began to feel that it is undoubtedly something worth
achieving, though we had not experienced it as yet. This is what may be presumed
as the preliminary level of jnana or knowledge. People may, however, call this
understanding as true knowledge but actually it amounts only to recognition that
there is a state known as peace or tranquillity. This is generally the level of
a common man where he gets enlisted as jnani (agnostic) merely for the reason of
knowing so much. That is the only significance of jnana (knowledge) in the eyes
of a common man.
How this came about is not difficult to understand. The connecting link between
the animate and the inanimate is its root. A poison and its antidote are mostly
found adjacent to each other. When we are in the state of inanimation it is but
natural to think of animation because it is at the base of the inanimate and
both states are interrelated. Now the first thought that flashed across the mind
was to proceed towards animation, which constituted our very first step towards
growth. It is a matter of fact that our vision fails to apprehend a thing
situated at a very high or a very low level. But since man occupies the middle
position, the medium state or samavastha came to his lot. What can that middle
point in us be? It is only the heart and it is at this point that the connecting
link between the animate and inanimate is most clearly felt. This is the reason
why meditation on heart is very useful. Now either we ourselves thought of it or
the environments pushed us that way, anyhow we leaned towards animate
consciousness. But so long as the sense of consciousness lingers, the idea of
worldliness exists and this the pseudo seers have called as Jnana or knowledge.
jnana – The word in the ordinary sense means knowledge, which may be of
different kinds, physical, mental, material or spiritual. In the spiritual sense
the term is applied so vaguely that often it becomes very difficult to
understand its true significance. The range it covers extends from the baser
level of common understanding to higher level of inner enlightenment. This gives
rise to a lot of confusion and misunderstanding. A man who has learnt a few
scriptures, another who can argue and assert things on the basis of his book
knowledge, still another who recites every moment set phrases like ‘aham
brahmasmi—I am Brahma’ etc., claims to be a jnani or the enlightened and is
accepted as such by the masses, irrespective of his real inner state. Jnana in
the real sense refers to the inner condition of the mind, which an abhyasi
develops during the course of his pursuit, while passing through different
spiritual states at different knots or granthis. Jnana is in fact the
realisation of the conditions prevailing at each knot. Now since the knots are
innumerable, the knowledge gained is also different according to the level of
approach of the abhyasi. Thus it is almost meaningless to call one a jnani
without defining his level of approach or the limit of knowledge realised by
him. This is the main point, which is meant to be elucidated to the readers
through the contents of this little book. |
