The Four Sources of Knowledge

[Guest guest]

Inspiration, revelation, insight, intuition, ecstasy, divine sight

and the supreme, blissful state are the seven planes of knowledge.

There are four sources of knowledge: instinct, reason, intuition, and

direct knowledge of Brahman (God) or Brahma-Jnana (knowledge of God).

 

Instinct

 

When an ant crawls on your right arm, the left hand automatically

moves towards the right arm to drive the ant away. The mind does not

reason here. When you see a scorpion near your leg, you withdraw the

leg automatically. This is called instinctive or automatic movement.

As you cross a street, how instinctively you move your body to save

yourself from the cars! There is no thought during such kind of

mechanical movement.

 

Instinct is found in animals and birds also. In birds, the ego does

not interfere with the free, divine flow and play. Hence the work

done by them through their instinct is more perfect than that done by

human beings. Have you ever noticed the intricate and exquisite work

done by birds in the building of their beautiful nests ?

 

Reason

 

Reason is higher than instinct and is found only in human beings. It

collects facts, generalizes, reasons out from cause to effect, from

effect to cause, from premises to conclusions, from propositions to

proofs. It concludes, decides and comes to final judgment. It takes

you safely to the door of intuition and leaves you there.

 

Belief, reason, knowledge and faith are the four important psychic

processes. First you have belief in a doctor. You go to him for

diagnosis and treatment. The doctor makes a thorough examination of

you and prescribes certain medicines. You take them. You reason

out: " Such and such is the disease. The doctor has given me some iron

and iodide. Iron will improve my blood. The iodide will stimulate the

lymphatics and absorb the exudation and growth in the liver. So I

should take it. "

 

Then, by a regular and systematic course of these drugs, the disease

is cured in a month. You then get knowledge and have perfect faith in

the efficacy of the medicine and the proficiency of the doctor. You

recommend this doctor and his drugs to your friends so that they too

might benefit from his treatment.

 

Intuition

 

Intuition is personal spiritual experience. The knowledge obtained

through the functioning of the causal body (Karana Sarira) is

intuition. Sri Aurobindo calls it the Supermind or Supramental

Consciousness. There is direct perception of truth, or immediate

knowledge through Samadhi or the Superconscious State. You know

things in a flash.

 

In intuition there is no reasoning process at all. It is direct

perception. Intuition transcends reason but does not contradict it.

Intellect takes a man to the door of intuition and returns. Intuition

is Divya Drishti (divine vision); it is the eye of wisdom. Spiritual

flashes and glimpses of truth, inspiration, revelation and spiritual

insight come through intuition.

 

The mind has to be pure for one to know that it is the intuition that

is functioning at a particular moment.

 

Brahma-Jnana (knowledge of God) is above intuition. It transcends the

causal body and is the highest form of knowledge. It is the only

 

Baba Said....

 

" His physical or finite form has, no doubt, disappeared from our view, but the

infinite or spiritual form of Baba ever lives " .

 

Baba is every where just feel him and keep on saying ‘Om Sai Ram’ to whom so

ever you meet.

 

OM SAI SRI SAI JAI JAI SAI!!! Let us pray at the lotus feet of Bhagwan Baba who

is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and

increase our devotion towards him

 

Jai Sai Ram

Swamy Mahadevan

Bow to Shri Sai-Peace be to all

Baba Bless you ever!!!