Impact of Knowledge

The journey to such enlightenment is a long and winding one. Wisdom teachers talk about the necessity of bathing one’s mind in spiritual knowledge every single day. In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna uses a number of powerful metaphors to describe the impact of transcendental knowledge (jnana):

Jnana-agni – fire of knowledge. We enter this world with a karmic ‘bank balance.’ Day-to-day experiences are not just random occurrences or token challenges disposed by an insensitive God who wants His subjects to suffer. Rather, the purpose of karma is educational. You could call it cosmic sensitivity training. Experiences and events are meant to teach us a better way to live and interact with the world. If, however, one accrues such understanding by reading books, and imbibes such knowledge within themselves, then such karma is not required. Thus, knowledge is described as the fire that can burn up all of one’s karmic reactions.

Jnana-plava – boat of knowledge. The world we live in is compared to an ocean. We may occasionally go for a dip, but eventually we need to return to our natural habitat – salt water and dangerous aquatics make things a little uncomfortable. Similarly, although there is undoubtedly some pleasure in this world, nobody can escape the harsh realities. There are distresses caused by one’s own body and mind, distresses caused by other living beings, and distresses caused by nature. Spiritual knowledge is the boat which protects one from the sufferings of this oceanic world and simultaneously carries one towards the spiritual realm where unending and ever-increasing happiness is found.

Jnana-dipa – lamp of knowledge. Walking in the dark is dangerous. You struggle to reach your desired destination and in the process you get a few painful knocks. The lamp of knowledge acts to warn us of the possible obstacles and impediments that we may encounter in this dark realm. Amidst so many worldly demands, the lamp of knowledge also keeps our consciousness awake to the ultimate goal of life, ensuring we reach the correct destination at the end of our sojourn in this world.

Jnana-asina – sword of knowledge. Leave your garden unattended for a year and weeds will start taking over. The longer you leave them, the harder they are to uproot. After a while, you may just give up. Similarly, the garden of spirituality will have its fair share of weeds in the form of doubts, dilemmas and fears. Am I missing out on something? Have I made the right decisions? Will I be able to continue on this path for the rest of my life? Leave those doubts unattended and they’ll become more and more deep-rooted. Thus, knowledge is compared to a sword which cuts through the doubts and helps one remain determined and fixed on their spiritual journey