Just as those who did not know where to walk across the hidden treasure gold each time but did not find it, so all these creatures go day after day to the Brahman’s residence, but do not find it; because, in fact, they are misled by what is wrong (Chh. Up., VIII. 3. 2). Those who live in the realm of thought cannot understand the depth of the existence of Reality.
Because slavery consists only of ignorance of the facts, liberation consists of Pure Knowledge of Truth. This knowledge is not apara-vidya or lower knowledge related to the thought process, but para-vidya, the higher knowledge “with which the Unreached is achieved”, which is a direct closeness to Self-Identity Awareness. Pure Knowledge is not vritti from manas, but svarupa-atman. He doesn’t really know about existence; it does not become. One cannot eliminate wrong knowledge by admiring or loving wrong knowledge, even by contemplating wrong knowledge. Misconceptions about ropes as snakes cannot be underestimated by meditating on snakes or worshiping snakes. Knowledge is what eliminates ignorance, fear, and pain.
Knowledge without purpose, free from all kinds of activities, is what is meant by the knowledge that brings momentary liberation, sadyo-mukti. Brahman cannot be known in a way that serves its purpose. Pure Knowledge is not a means to an end but an end in itself. This is not “knowing something”, but just “Knowledge”.
When Pure Knowledge is realized, there is an illusion of simultaneous and sudden existence and the loss of nescience and slavery.
“By knowing Him alone, one reaches Eternity; there is no other way to go there” – Svet. Up., III. 8)
“He who knows that the Supreme Brahman becomes the Brahman itself” –Mun. Up., III. 2. 9.
If someone wants to achieve himself, there is no process of walking to himself or approaching him through a relational function. To reach himself means knowing himself. Knowing here is not a means to reach oneself, but knowing it is reaching yourself.
It is like a person who is sleeping, waking up and knowing himself, who is also himself at the same time.
Meaning and ending are identical in terms of knowledge about something that is itself trying to find out. This knowledge does not depend on the subject of changing knowledge, but the nature of the Object, the Brahman that is real forever. Ignorance cannot eliminate ignorance, even because darkness cannot eliminate darkness.
The Pure Knowledge Method is an absolute way to realize the Absolute.
Here, the path and destination are the same. Consciousness, even when it is in a state of real limitations, is controlled by the absolute law of the higher real nature which is not within the scope of individual needs. All thoughts are forced to be based on the principle of Conscious Consciousness of Existence.
Pure Knowledge only enlightens us, but does not require us to do anything after that enlightenment. Pure Knowledge is not an action, because it is inseparable from what must be known. Even here, the path and purpose are the same. Consciousness, even when it is in a state of real limitations, is controlled by the absolute law of the higher real nature which is not within the scope of individual needs.
Even Shravana, Manana and Nididhyasana are not actions in the truest sense, because they presuppose knowledge of what is their goal. Determination of the nature of Reality itself is the beginning of the truth-realization process. Reason and intuition are not contradictory but differ only in the level and nature of their understanding of the Truth.
Direct knowledge of Reality is the culmination of experience which has a starting point in the refinement of purer intelligence. However, that does not mean that intellectual appreciation of Reality is a philosophical goal, because the search for Truth does not end here. But it cannot be denied that our perception of Reality has somehow influenced directly how far we have managed to free ourselves from the belief that the world of appearance is real.
Reason is lifted up and not canceled in intuition. Viveka is not the Truth of intuition but intellectual discrimination, but it is this clarified perception that paves the way to the highest experience in intuition.
Viveka will join in jnana. Intellectual knowledge about Reality is a fundamental requirement for the dissolution of thought in the wisdom of the Truth intuition. Even the intelligent understanding that determines the nature of Truth changes the spirit of human life, and his feelings grow deeper, wider, and finer every time.
Intellect is the gateway to intuition. The reason is needed to justify faith in the Truth. Metaphysical acumen is the foundation upon which the Absolute Transcendental Experience is built. A true philosopher is not a creature of intellect, but a wise man in its manufacture. The methods can be classified in order of succession, the fourth state is the highest realization itself:
- Integral Understanding of the Nature of Reality;
- Repeated statements about Integral Understanding;
- Progressive Dissolution of Integral Thought in Integral Consciousness;
- An absolute experience that transcends all relationships.
These stages relate to shravana, manana, nididhyasana and sakshatkara in Vedanta terminology. Every successful stage here is the effect of deepening and expanding the previous stage. Even the integral thought or unlimited psychosis (brahmakara-vritti) is only the third stage, the step that destroys all ignorance and ultimately destroys itself, also in what is outside of existence and does not exist beyond knowledge and ignorance, beyond joy and sadness, beyond substance, quality and relationships, beyond space, time, cause, effect; beyond everything.
