07/H.E.A.D

KNOWLEDGE OF THE ABSOLUTE

Whether it’s a holiday destination, the choice of university for further studies, or the restaurant for next week’s party, most things in life require some research. While we value our gut feelings, we simultaneously utilise our intelligence and exercise discrimination. The same goes for spirituality. It is not simply an emotional feeling or practice; it requires intelligent research and information gathering. It is an affair of the head and the heart. Einstein once stated that religious practice without philosophy was simply sentimental, and in more acute situations, downright fanatic. In Chapter Seven, entitled “Knowledge of the Absolute”, we learn key philosophical truths which instil confidence and conviction in the path of devotion to Krishna.

H

If we begin by hearing, studying and understanding God in depth and detail, then the prospect of finding Him becomes a distinct possibility. He may well be closer than we think, but without the necessary information, we’ll be completely oblivious to the fact. For example, if you wanted to identify your father, the most practical way would be to ask your mother. You could subsequently verify by a DNA test. If you wanted to find out what BBC1 was showing tonight, the obvious approach would be to consult a TV guide. You could subsequently verify by actually watching the programmes. It’s childish and irrational to solely depend on our sensory experience. Accepting a ‘higher authority,’ be it the mother or the TV guide, opens up opportunities to experience and understand things directly. Krishna begins this chapter by stressing the absolute necessity of hearing from spiritual sources, higher authorities, to grasp cosmic truths. This is known as the descending path of knowledge.

E

By hearing from authorised spiritual sources one can acquire Absolute knowledge of Divinity. Krishna cites the beautiful analogy of a pearl necklace. The pearls are fixed in perfect pattern, arranged as a beautiful necklace, though the thread, the essential binding factor, remains completely invisible. Similarly, God designs, creates and sustains the complex workings of the universe, yet remains invisible to the immature observer. The extreme intricacy and sophistication of the creation, however, naturally indicates the existence of higher intelligence. Krishna further explains how He is also the essence of everything within creation – the taste of water, the light of the sun and the ability in man. Through the eyes of knowledge, one can learn to see God everywhere – as the source of creation, and also within the creation.

A

If God can be perceived everywhere and His existence is so strikingly obvious, why is there still wholesale denial of Him? Resisting forceful compliance, Krishna endows each individual with the free will to ‘fly their own plane’ and decide where to repose their faith. He describes the four types of people who reject God due to their preoccupation in worldly pursuits, and the four types of people who do accept God, albeit with different motivations. Only a rare soul is able to approach God without any ulterior motive, and thus enter into a selfless relationship of love. That level of spiritual purity, Krishna says, may take thousands of births.

D

Some worship God, while others reject him. In between however, are who worship His representatives (the demigods), and those who connect with His Impersonal feature. Those who worship demigods only derive temporary material benefits. Those who approach the Impersonal feature lose the opportunity of experiencing a direct loving relationship with the Supreme Person. Thus, although all religiosity deserves credit, one must go further and gain an accurate and precise understanding of God’s identity. If you were to be operated on, you would insist the surgeon be well-versed in the details and intricacies of the process. It is, after all, a matter of life and death. Similarly, to simply believe in God is not enough; one must understand the nature, identity and personality of God, since the vibrancy of one’s spirituality depends on it.

“PEOPLE ARE STRANGE. THEY ARE CONSTANTLY ANGERED BY TRIVIAL THINGS, BUT ON MAJOR MATTERS LIKE TOTALLY WASTING THEIR LIVES, THEY HARDLY SEEM TO NOTICE” ~ CHARLES BUKOWSKI