Tune Into a New Channel
My previous post explored a short aphorism from the Siva Sutras - "Knowledge is Bondage" - which warned that grasping for knowledge obscures true wisdom.
Some of you expressed concern that I was condoning ignorance or apathy - quite the contrary! If you reflect more deeply on the sutra, you will see that it suggests a path toward supreme intelligence. Given the profundity of this message, I thought it worthwhile to explore further...
To start, we should make a subtle distinction between "knowledge" and "wisdom". Gaining knowledge is a process of structuring reality in a particular, defined configuration using the apparatus of the rational mind. "Rationality" comes from the root "ratio" or "ration" which means to portion, meter out, or restrict. Our rational mind uses a short-hand method for metering out reality so we can manage it. While this may seem a useful too for navigating a complex world, if we are not exceptionally careful and highly alert (which most of us are not), our rationing obscures deeper truth.
Wisdom, on the other hand, is a state non-linear intelligence free from rationalization or restriction. This intelligence is infinite. Omniscient. Indeed, enlightenment has been described as the direct apprehension of reality without the intervening gauze of preconception. The enlightened individual is free to use logic, or not, as the situation requires, since his or her experience of reality is free from conceptual restriction.
The rational mind and the omniscient mind work differently. It's something like this: Channel 2, 4, 5, 7 and hundreds of other channels are broadcasting simultaneously, yet the logical mind can only tune into one channel. Depending on our mental capacity, cultural conditioning and various other predispositions, we tune into the channel that matches our current frequency, or level of "knowledge". We resonate with people tuned into the same frequency and squabble with those on different frequencies, continually defending what we "know" to be true.
The Omniscient mind can apprehend all channels at once without any distortion or conflict. There is no separation in time or space. No distinction between cause and effect, or subject and object. There is no duality. Said another way, if you move your consciousness out of the logical mind, you can actually "tune in" to the simultaneous content of all channels. For an advanced yogi, this means direct apprehension of the fullness of reality without the intercession of any mental constructs.
In Patanjali's Yoga Sutra's, he says, "Yoga citta vrtti nirodha." Yoga is stopping the fluctuation of the mind. In his parlance, rational knowledge belongs to "citta" which is the mind. This is counterposed to "Cit" which is the wisdom or superconsciousness belonging to the heart. We are in a balanced state of union (or yoga) only when the mind ceases to fluctuate and comes into alignment with the higher intelligence of the heart.
"Hrdaye citta samghatad, drshe swapa darshanam," declares the Siva Sutras, and similarly Patanjali adds, "Hrdaye citta samvit." The essence of both of these aphorisms can be translated as "when the mind merges with the heart, supreme intelligence or pure consciousness is attained."
The goal is to release the mind from limiting constructs which obscure wisdom, so that you might become liberated in pure consciousness. In this enlightened state, you can wield logic as necessary but not rely upon it as your only tool.
If you choose, instead, to foolishly cling to your tiny bit of knowledge, it will become your bondage.
I'm certainly not proposing replacing knowledge with greater ignorance (in fact, sages and rishis would say we're in a pretty ignorant state already). I would, however, propose replacing knowledge with supreme intelligence...omniscience...the great wisdom of the heart.
Any takers?
Some of you expressed concern that I was condoning ignorance or apathy - quite the contrary! If you reflect more deeply on the sutra, you will see that it suggests a path toward supreme intelligence. Given the profundity of this message, I thought it worthwhile to explore further...
To start, we should make a subtle distinction between "knowledge" and "wisdom". Gaining knowledge is a process of structuring reality in a particular, defined configuration using the apparatus of the rational mind. "Rationality" comes from the root "ratio" or "ration" which means to portion, meter out, or restrict. Our rational mind uses a short-hand method for metering out reality so we can manage it. While this may seem a useful too for navigating a complex world, if we are not exceptionally careful and highly alert (which most of us are not), our rationing obscures deeper truth.
Wisdom, on the other hand, is a state non-linear intelligence free from rationalization or restriction. This intelligence is infinite. Omniscient. Indeed, enlightenment has been described as the direct apprehension of reality without the intervening gauze of preconception. The enlightened individual is free to use logic, or not, as the situation requires, since his or her experience of reality is free from conceptual restriction.
The rational mind and the omniscient mind work differently. It's something like this: Channel 2, 4, 5, 7 and hundreds of other channels are broadcasting simultaneously, yet the logical mind can only tune into one channel. Depending on our mental capacity, cultural conditioning and various other predispositions, we tune into the channel that matches our current frequency, or level of "knowledge". We resonate with people tuned into the same frequency and squabble with those on different frequencies, continually defending what we "know" to be true.
The Omniscient mind can apprehend all channels at once without any distortion or conflict. There is no separation in time or space. No distinction between cause and effect, or subject and object. There is no duality. Said another way, if you move your consciousness out of the logical mind, you can actually "tune in" to the simultaneous content of all channels. For an advanced yogi, this means direct apprehension of the fullness of reality without the intercession of any mental constructs.
In Patanjali's Yoga Sutra's, he says, "Yoga citta vrtti nirodha." Yoga is stopping the fluctuation of the mind. In his parlance, rational knowledge belongs to "citta" which is the mind. This is counterposed to "Cit" which is the wisdom or superconsciousness belonging to the heart. We are in a balanced state of union (or yoga) only when the mind ceases to fluctuate and comes into alignment with the higher intelligence of the heart.
"Hrdaye citta samghatad, drshe swapa darshanam," declares the Siva Sutras, and similarly Patanjali adds, "Hrdaye citta samvit." The essence of both of these aphorisms can be translated as "when the mind merges with the heart, supreme intelligence or pure consciousness is attained."
The goal is to release the mind from limiting constructs which obscure wisdom, so that you might become liberated in pure consciousness. In this enlightened state, you can wield logic as necessary but not rely upon it as your only tool.
If you choose, instead, to foolishly cling to your tiny bit of knowledge, it will become your bondage.
I'm certainly not proposing replacing knowledge with greater ignorance (in fact, sages and rishis would say we're in a pretty ignorant state already). I would, however, propose replacing knowledge with supreme intelligence...omniscience...the great wisdom of the heart.
Any takers?
posted by Stacey Lawson at
8:41 AM
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