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Seeking Knowledge of the Self

"MAN, Know Thyself," has been the cry of ages. Every Sage and Savior has tried to impress upon men’s minds that there is a vast difference between Soul-Wisdom and Head-learning. One is eternal and infinite; the other is ever-changing and at best can last but for one incarnation, as it is not woven into the fabric of one’s own being. Soul-Wisdom belongs to one’s immortal nature; Head-learning, to the mortal. Soul-Wisdom leads one from manhood to godhood. If man wishes to cultivate deliberately godlike qualities and divine virtues so as to have inner illumination and radiate that light on others, he must have the vision and the strength and the courage to carry on life after life the task indicated by the great Teachers. Even the poets have distinguished between the two. William Cowper, for instance, states:

Knowledge dwells

In heads replete with thoughts of other men,

Wisdom in minds attentive to their own…

Knowledge is proud that he has learn’d so much;

Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.

What is Soul-Wisdom or Self-Knowledge? It is Wisdom about the one united Spirit of Life Divine in its manifold aspects, acquired by the human ego, the self-conscious thinker. It is not given as a gift or endowed as a favor, nor is it gained through book-learning or university education. It is solely the result of self-effort and self-discipline continued through many incarnations. It is the expansion of the heart and heart-qualities that leads one to the acquisition of Self-Knowledge or Soul-Wisdom. As The Voice of the Silence states: "To reach Nirvana one must reach Self-knowledge, and Self-knowledge is of loving deeds the child." It is only when the heart opens spontaneously to the sorrows and sufferings of others, as the lotus opens itself to absorb the warmth and light of the rising sun, that the Light of the Higher Self can illuminate the path of the aspirant. That Higher Self knows no change, for it is knowledge itself, and only true devotion to the interests of others can bring that knowledge out on the surface. The individual Self has to understand the different vehicles working under its command, their nature and qualities, and how to achieve harmony within and without.

Today the world is in sore need of Soul-Wisdom, of inner illumination which is the result of the awakening of the Buddhic faculty now lying dormant in most individuals because the mind is constantly engaged in lower activities. When the mind is cleared of all dross and the heart is full of love and sympathy through the practice of true morality, then only will the knowledge of the Self, the Wisdom of the Soul, express itself in the living of the Life.

All the devotional books provide us with the teachings that will enable us to unfold Soul-Wisdom; they are the outcome of the heart experiences of the Teachers, and therefore it is important to make of such books our daily companions and seek guidance from them at every turn.

In the Fourth Discourse of the Bhagavad-Gita, Sri Krishna indicated to Arjuna a particular method which would be helpful to every aspirant on the Path of the Higher Life. It is a solemn promise:

Seek this wisdom by doing service, by strong search, by questions, and by humility; the wise who see the truth will communicate it unto thee, and knowing which thou shalt never again fall into error, O son of Bharata.

The encouraging note is struck a little further on: "Even if thou wert the greatest of all sinners, thou shalt be able to cross over all sins in the bark of spiritual knowledge." No one is debarred from entering the Path; even the greatest of sinners can take a turn for the better. So the unique fourfold method indicated in the verse quoted above is to be adopted. Unfortunately, no school or college curriculum recognizes its importance.

Sri Krishna gives the foremost place to service as a qualification for seeking Wisdom. This service is not of an ordinary type rendered in a mechanical way, where the chief motive is money, and where the higher the salary or wages, the better off a man is supposed to be. The service referred to has to be rendered in a different manner. Any work, any duty, apparently high or low; has to be performed with a pure motive, that is, with unselfishness of heart, without the thought of personal benefit to oneself. It is this attitude of mind and of heart that makes drudgery divine. The spirit in which one serves and gives of oneself is more important than the kind of work one does. There is no thought of competing with others or rising above others, by honest or dishonest means; all that matters is co-operation with others, the helping of other, the sharing of our possessions with others, in terms of the needs of each, in a spirit of true friendliness and brotherliness. This enables the server to commune with the Divine because each of his actions is dedicated to the Divine. It is the Soul within that is serving, making the person more perfect through the performance of his own duties in a detached manner. It comes in closer contact with the Divine Parent, receives its light and strength, and unfolds Wisdom from within.

The next qualification is strong search. Unless and until one undertakes a strong search of his own being, of the Nature around him, of the scriptures of the Soul, he cannot gain Wisdom. He must be a lover of Truth if he hopes to find out the meaning and purpose and goal of existence. He has to search his own mind and find out the obstacles in the way of the unfolding Wisdom. The search of the scriptures will enable him to understand the common source of all that the great Teachers have taught. So a comparative study of religions, philosophies and sciences in terms of the second object of the Theosophical Movement has to be undertaken, for a true student does not belong to a particular cult or sect but belongs to each and all. In making this search, one needs to understand the ideas behind the words, to grasp the spirit and not the letter of the law. As Madame Blavatsky has well stated:

There never was, nor can there be more than one universal religion; for there can be but one truth concerning God. Like an immense chain whose upper end, the alpha, remains invisibly emanating from a Deity––in statu abscondito with every primitive theology – it encircles our globe in every direction; it leaves not even the darkest corner unvisited, before the other end, the omega, turns back on its way to be again received where it first emanated. On this divine chain was strung the exoteric symbology of every people.

(Isis Unveiled, I, 560).

When this is realized and assimilated to some extent at least, further research at higher levels can be made so as to nourish the world spiritually with right concepts and right teachings.

The asking of question is the third necessary step in the fourfold method put forward by Sri Krishna. Questions on what, and asked of whom? It is the teachings that have to be questioned until they satisfy the mind and the heart. Each one has to be a lamp unto himself. Nothing is to be taken on blind belief, because then it will only remain head-learning, and not become Soul-Wisdom or Self-Knowledge. To question the why and the wherefore of every event and experience is a necessary discipline to understand life, the Self of all beings. The Scripture of the Soul, the Bhagavad-Gita, is a dialog between Sri Krishna and Arjuna. It is because of Arjuna’s constant questionings and inquiries to the Teacher and the latter’s illuminating answers that we have the privilege of receiving such priceless instructions. So also Lord Zoroaster questioned Ahura Mazda on all points. This can only be understood when taken in the sense of the questioner being the human soul, Manas, the thinker, and the answerer the Divine Parent. Each experience, each event, fortunate or unfortunate, each problem in life, however trivial or difficult, should always be questioned and a reasonable answer sought.

The last and the fourth qualification for the gaining of Wisdom is humility, an essential virtue to cultivate in our civilization. The voice of the Silence emphasizes its importance: "Be humble, if thou would’st attain to Wisdom. Be humbler still, when Wisdom thou hast mastered." An attitude of humility must be cultivated, for pride may mar the work accomplished at any moment and may bring about a fall on the spiritual path. Arrogance obstructs progress. One must realize that what he has gained is nothing in comparison with the achievements of a perfected being, and that he has to go a long way yet. It is important to keep constantly in mind the injunction of Light on the Path: "And that power which the disciple shall covet is that which shall make him appear as nothing in the eyes of men." To show oneself off, or to harbor a sense of superiority, is a characteristic of head-learning. He who is preparing himself for the service of his fellow men needs to remain humble at all stages of life.

From this it can be noted not only that Head-learning and Soul-Wisdom are different, but that the method of acquiring them is also not the same. The first and the fourth qualifications, service and humility, open up the heart; the second and the third, strong search and questioning, illuminate the mind; and together they enable Wisdom to spring up spontaneously from within.

Then only can the promise made by Sri Krishna be fulfilled: "The wise who see the truth will communicate it unto thee, and knowing which thou shalt never again fall into error, O son of Bharata." What is that error? The error of regarding the mortal and the perishable as the real and the true; the error of strife and disunity; the error of attachment to self-inclinations; the error of ignorance, leading to a thousand and one errors of all kinds. It is very encouraging to remember that help is always given when one deserves it, and that the Great Ones never fail to do so at the proper time, when the aspirant has put forth his best effort.

True Knowledge is of the Spirit and can be acquired through the higher mind alone. In other words, it is in the Hall of Wisdom only that the Truth can be communicated, the Hall wherein all shadows are unknown, and where the Light of Truth shines with unfading glory.

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