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Panchadashi Lesson - F0552: Role of Knowledge

Panchadashi
Module - F
Unit - F05
Lesson F0552: Role of Right Knowledge
By Raja Subramaniyan

One can explore the Right Knowledge from different perspectives by asking any of the following three questions.

Who am I?

Who is God?

What is this Universe?

Any of these questions will lead one to the Right Knowledge. It is not possible to get a complete answer for any of these questions unless the other two are also completely understood.

People in general do not ask these questions.

Everyone thinks that they know the answer to the question 'Who am I' without any doubt. They invariably hold on to the wrong answer.

They believe in god or do not believe in god as guided by the group they belong to.

They will expect the scientists to give the answers to all the questions on the universe eventually.

As a result, they hold on to a lower level of the right knowledge.

Only when they progress on the path of Inquiry, Introspection and Inner Transformation, the Right Knowledge is gained.

There are two different stages one will have to cross before gaining the Right Knowledge.

They are called Direct and Indirect Knowledge

Complete Right Knowledge:

It is possible to reach this level without gaining the Complete Dispassion and Complete Equanimity. Although one cannot start to acquire the Right Knowledge without adequate dispassion and equanimity, one can gain complete Right Knowledge without having completed the other two components.

At this level one will know the true meaning of the word 'I' as surely as an ignorant person knows it to mean the body/mind complex.

Everyone who has reached this level will have the very same identical truth. However, their behavior may not be identical. It depends on their personal preferences.

Once the Right Knowledge is gained, it is permanent. There is no chance that one will slip from the knowledge and start thinking that the world is real etc. However, in case of Dispassion and Equanimity, unless continuous practice is done till one achieves Complete Dispassion and Equanimity, one might slip back. Especially if one attempts these two without the Right Knowledge, the risk of falling back is very high.

Thus, it is recommended that one starts with gaining atleast second or third degree of Dispassion and Equanimity and then proceed on getting the Right Knowledge. After completing or while progressing on the Right Knowledge one should work on the other two to complete them.

If one gains the complete Right Knowledge without gaining the complete Dispassion and Equanimity, the result will be as follows:

Joyful Living is limited to the level of Equanimity achieved. (Since the mind will be keep oscillating between the truth and illusion and not steady on the Right Knowledge)

Although the knowledge that the world is an illusion is very clear, the objects, events and persons may affect the mind for a brief moment. Soon afterwards, the intelligence will remind the mind that the world is an illusion and there is no cause to worry. Then the mind will return to peacefulness. How soon this happens depends on the ability to maintain the Equanimity.

Due to years of practice, the mind will run after the worldly pleasures. It will take a while to realize that there is no original happiness in the worldly pleasures. How soon such realization comes depends on the degree of dispassion achieved.

Thus, one should work for dispassion, Equanimity and the knowledge simultaneously since the completeness of all the three determines the quality of Joyful Living.

Statement 102: Right knowledge is the easiest of the three blocks and it supports the development of other two.

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