Knowledge: Direct Experience

Sri Tandavaraya Swami

Disciple: O Master! granting that actions simply aid the ignorance which gives rise to the world, if knowledge be inimical to ignorance which brings about this diversity, how can such ignorance coexist with stainless Knowledge, like the spot in the moon, and effect these creations?

Master: Consciousness which is itself self-luminous has two aspects: pure Consciousness and modal consciousness. The former manifests as the latter and they are not therefore exclusive of each other. You have known that pure Consciousness is not inimical to ignorance in deep sleep. Modal consciousness burns away ignorance, which rests on pure consciousness.

Disciple: How can maya which expands and contracts like a bellows, remain unaffected by pure consciousness, but be burnt away by modal consciousness?

Master: See how the sun shines over the whole world and sustains it, yet it becomes fire under a lens and burns. So also, in samadhi, modal consciousness can burn away ignorance.

Disciple: Do not actions include all modes of mind, speech and body? Is not modal consciousness a function of the inner faculty? Then should we not say that action destroys ignorance? Why is it marked off with the imposing title of Knowledge? 

Master: Modal consciousness is truly a mode of mind, but we have seen that the sons of the same mother fight among themselves.  Actions pertain to the doer, whereas Knowledge born of enquiry, does not pertain to the individual, but pertains to the thing in itself. The injunctions may be done, may not be done or done differently, but Knowledge, which is paramount cannot be so. Meditation (as I am brahman) is certainly different from Knowledge obtained from enquiry. To formulate one thing as another is forced yoga. Direct knowledge alone can be true. Do not be deceived by fanciful ideas.

Knowledge is the result of direct experience, whereas meditation is mere mental imagery of something heard. That which is heard from others will be wiped off the memory, but not that which is experienced. Therefore that which is experienced is alone real, but not those things that are meditated on. Know that knowledge but not karma is the destroyer of ignorance at sight.

(To be continued)