http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/what-is-jnana-the-knowledge
“There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance” ―
Ali Bin Abi Thalib, the Sufi saint says. What is the knowledge the
saint is referring to.... is it the worldly knowledge or the knowledge of
Self ?????? In the first place what is knowledge?????
A translated word in English to the Sanskrit word “Jnana” is “knowledge.” But the word knowledge does not vibrate the same essence as the word “Jnana” of Sanskrit. Knowing something is usually thought to be knowledge of that particular thing like when I say “I know about a certain book” or “I know what enables my blog to get posted on my blogspot site”.
Suppose a city guy takes his laptop to a remote village and the villager finds that flat instrument as an alien thing. As the city guy explains him of the usage and let him operate it the village guy will understand about the laptop. In this example, there is a subject (villager), an object (laptop), and there is knowledge (its usage).
Knowledge is equated to light. When a small lamp is lighted in a dark room the darkness vanishes in a jiffy. Darkness has no existence on its own it is just the temporary condition of non availability of light. Similarly lack of knowledge is also a temporary condition of non availability of knowledge, once there is knowledge of certain thing the lack of knowledge pertaining to that thing vanishes. Let us consider an oil lamp there is a diya, the terracotta lamp and then oil and wick. The terracotta lamp, oil and wick are like the source of knowledge while the glow from the lamp which dispelled the darkness is knowledge. In this analogy the wick is not light nor is the oil nor is the diya. Likewise the source of knowledge like books, scriptures and sermons are not the knowledge itself.
The knowledge is that light which is glowing in the lamp that is the Self. While the basic difference between knowledge and the self is that knowledge discloses an object for a knowing subject (jivatma) which although illuminates or makes the mind and body conscious, cannot reveal the objects but knows what is revealed to it by knowledge. Knowledge thus belongs to a subject and has a content or reference to an object. While Self (Atma) is itself Jnana and signifies its conscious nature.
To understand the difference better one analogy will help: Suppose I am with a group of friends in a room and then suddenly there is power cut and the brother of one of my friend wants to know if his brother is in the room and he will find a torchlight and flash the beam of light on the others and looks for his brother. Suppose my mother wants to know if I am in the room and calls out my name, I do not need a torch light to verify my existence. I am self-illuminating for my senses, mind and intellect to know about my existence. Such is the Atma tatva. But some debate if Atma is so why does a human reel in hardship???
“Prajnanam Brahmaa” says Rig Veda which means Awareness is Absolute. That awareness is shrouded by many other kinds of knowledge like:
1.Knowledge got by sense organs is termed Ajnana (Ignorance) amazingly ignorance is also one type of knowledge,
2. Knowledge acquired by Nama (Name) and Roopa (Form) is called Sujnana (Intelligence, the faculty of discrimination).
3. Knowledge got through scrutiny or contemplation is called Vijnana (wisdom).
But the Absolute Truth which is one without the second and of which the various other forms of knowledge mentioned above are relative to it is called Prajnana (Consciousness).
Prajnana, the consciousness is experienced when the ignorance, intelligence and wisdom are transcended...…And that knowledge is indeed valuable than anything in this Universe…………am I right????????
A translated word in English to the Sanskrit word “Jnana” is “knowledge.” But the word knowledge does not vibrate the same essence as the word “Jnana” of Sanskrit. Knowing something is usually thought to be knowledge of that particular thing like when I say “I know about a certain book” or “I know what enables my blog to get posted on my blogspot site”.
Suppose a city guy takes his laptop to a remote village and the villager finds that flat instrument as an alien thing. As the city guy explains him of the usage and let him operate it the village guy will understand about the laptop. In this example, there is a subject (villager), an object (laptop), and there is knowledge (its usage).
Knowledge is equated to light. When a small lamp is lighted in a dark room the darkness vanishes in a jiffy. Darkness has no existence on its own it is just the temporary condition of non availability of light. Similarly lack of knowledge is also a temporary condition of non availability of knowledge, once there is knowledge of certain thing the lack of knowledge pertaining to that thing vanishes. Let us consider an oil lamp there is a diya, the terracotta lamp and then oil and wick. The terracotta lamp, oil and wick are like the source of knowledge while the glow from the lamp which dispelled the darkness is knowledge. In this analogy the wick is not light nor is the oil nor is the diya. Likewise the source of knowledge like books, scriptures and sermons are not the knowledge itself.
The knowledge is that light which is glowing in the lamp that is the Self. While the basic difference between knowledge and the self is that knowledge discloses an object for a knowing subject (jivatma) which although illuminates or makes the mind and body conscious, cannot reveal the objects but knows what is revealed to it by knowledge. Knowledge thus belongs to a subject and has a content or reference to an object. While Self (Atma) is itself Jnana and signifies its conscious nature.
To understand the difference better one analogy will help: Suppose I am with a group of friends in a room and then suddenly there is power cut and the brother of one of my friend wants to know if his brother is in the room and he will find a torchlight and flash the beam of light on the others and looks for his brother. Suppose my mother wants to know if I am in the room and calls out my name, I do not need a torch light to verify my existence. I am self-illuminating for my senses, mind and intellect to know about my existence. Such is the Atma tatva. But some debate if Atma is so why does a human reel in hardship???
“Prajnanam Brahmaa” says Rig Veda which means Awareness is Absolute. That awareness is shrouded by many other kinds of knowledge like:
1.Knowledge got by sense organs is termed Ajnana (Ignorance) amazingly ignorance is also one type of knowledge,
2. Knowledge acquired by Nama (Name) and Roopa (Form) is called Sujnana (Intelligence, the faculty of discrimination).
3. Knowledge got through scrutiny or contemplation is called Vijnana (wisdom).
But the Absolute Truth which is one without the second and of which the various other forms of knowledge mentioned above are relative to it is called Prajnana (Consciousness).
Prajnana, the consciousness is experienced when the ignorance, intelligence and wisdom are transcended...…And that knowledge is indeed valuable than anything in this Universe…………am I right????????
knowledge means you know some thing, about something.Knowing.it can be anything.We need to know many things for our comfortable living.But this knowledge is limited only to this mundane world.There is another knowledge by which we know the creation and the Creator.That is called Jnana.One needs knowledge even for that ,like how to know how to understand and how to experience,etc. The Wise say if you know that That only isLight, Energy, Superconscious or Supreme.That is Pragnanam and that is Brahma or the Supreme.!!!1
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