Knowledge and Experience

 

(adapted from Swami Paramarthananda’s talk)

    Let me clarify at the outset that the knowledge and experience that will be discussed in this blog is in respect of Brahman, the absolute Reality that is called God in popular terms. This means that knowledge refers to Brahma Jnanam and experience refers to Brahma Anubhava.  Brahma Jnanam one attains through the study of scriptures, with shraddah and a subtle mind, under the guidance of a competent spiritual guru.  Now the natural tendency after getting the knowledge, is to look for the experience of Brahman, Brahma Aubhava, of whom he has gained the knowledge.  If he thinks so and seeks to know about a sadhana for this experience, he will be instructed by the guru to continue his studies as he has not grasped the knowledge correctly.  Because the scriptures describe Brahman as the Consciousness which is experienced all the time.  Kenopanishad (2-4) declares; “Prati bodha viditam matam (Brahman is revealed through every cognition of mind)”.

    So Brahman is the Consciousness self-evidently experienced all the time, only one is ignorant of it due to lack of Jnanam.  Normally knowledge precedes experience. We read or hear about a place like Rishikesh.  Then we have the knowledge of Rishikesh and when we visit that place, we have the experience as well.  Here knowledge precedes experience.  There are also instances where experience precedes knowledge.  In a marriage function we may meet a stranger and while talking to him learn about him.  In this case, experience of the person happens first and we later acquire knowledge about the person.  Similarly, in the case of Brahman, one experiences Brahman all the time in all his transactions but is ignorant about it.  This ignorance will get cleared when one acquires and absorbs knowledge about Brahman. 

    So the experience one should aim at after acquiring Brahma Jnanam is Brahma Jnana phala anubhava, which can be experienced in one's mind. Brahma Jnana phala anubhava is described in the sastras as Shanthi, peace of mind; as Trupthi, a sense of fulfilment; as Abhayam, a sense of security and others as presented in the descriptions of Sthithaprajya, Gunathitha and Parabhaktha in Bhagavad Gita.  This Brahma Jnana phala anubhava is not something which is already there but it is something one has to work for. So effort is required to have this anubhava.  Two kinds of efforts are involved in getting this anubhava.  First effort is for getting the Jnanam and the second effort is for getting the phala anubhava.

    Through diligent Sravanam and Mananam, Brahma Jnanam can be intellectually acquired.   Brahma Jnanam which is at the intellectual level has to be transformed into Brahma Jnana phalam in the form of Shanthi, Trupthi etc. at the mind level overcoming obstacles for assimilation of the knowledge.  The obstructions are in the form of one’s entrenched habitual body-mind identification as one’s Self and the residual vasanas.  The removal of obstructions is necessary for assimilation of Brahma Jnanam, which facilitates the constant abidance in Brahma Jnanam that enables one to have the uninterrupted phala anubhava.  Nidhidyasanam, Vedantic meditation, is the process for this.

    In Nidhidyasanam no new knowledge is gained, but the acquired knowledge, Brahma Jnanam is internalised.  In Nidhidyasanam, the mind, freed of thoughts of sense-objects and their enjoyments, is made to concentrate on thoughts of Jiva-Brahma Ikyam.  This is a two stage process.  In the first stage there is the rejection of what is false. One rejects the false identification with the "Sareeras" with the thought “I am not any of the Sareeras; Sthula, Sukshma or Karana”.  The second stage of Nididhyasanam is identifying one’s True Self with Suddha, Buddha, Nithya, Muktha Brahman. By staying continuously in this thought through meditation on one of the Mahavakhyas, namely “Aham Brhamasmi”, one becomes free of one’s habitual notions that hold sway over one’s subconscious mind and enjoys Brahma Jnana phala anubhava.

Brahma Jnana sadhana is scriptural study. Brahma Jnana phala anubhava sadhana is Nidhidhyasanam.  The completion of Brahma Jnana sadhana i.e. the scriptural study, is indicated when one is convinced that one need not work for Brahma Anubhava as it is Nitya Siddha.  Once this conviction comes, one can engage in Brahma Jnana phala anubhava sadhana i.e. Nidhidhyasanam, to enjoy a life of divine bliss.

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