The Science of Spiritualism

Part-8: The Mystery of unlimited knowledge

The knowledge is an important role to play in the life of Jiva. It is a difficult subject and thus philosophers project divergent views. Some think that the universe is full of knowledge. It means, every visible thing is all the knowledge. Hence there is no substance left which are not known. When nothing is left for knowable and then the knowledge is also no more and it is dead. The creation of newer and newer things coming up should have stopped. But it is not so, things will continue to come in one form to another. Therefore the knowledge may not die. In fact the modification of matter keeps on changing and knowledge keeps on going. The function of knowledge is to know and a continuous process which will never end. This is always present in full and complete level. Its level neither increases nor ever decreases at any moment. But modification continues to occur in spaces of soul. Additionally, all the substances have got the attribute of objectivity (part-2) and by virtue of this a substance become an object one’s knowledge without which the substance cannot be knowable. Further the six substances except soul have no power of knowing.

It is already explained that the soul substance is cluster of infinite attributes and out of which the main are like knowledge, conception, happiness, power etc. Therefore, the knowing capacity comes from the characteristic of infinite knowledge of soul. What is the limit of this knowledge? Omniscient Gods say, the soul in pure form can possess the knowledge of infinite level and that is also direct. The soul also possesses the infinite power of perception. The knowledge and perception combining together create direct perfect knowledge and knows in one moment all the substances and their movements and changes, past, present, future.

Did you ever think how vast is the universe? The universe consists of infinite-infinite substance and each has infinite attributes and each one has infinite modifications. The pure soul know all of them directly and perfectly. The knowledge of soul is always permanent and infinite. It neither decreases nor increases. This perfect knowledge is called omniscience perception (Kewal gnan/ Sakal direct gnan). Such souls are consciousness-one and can see all like a picture reel. Their happiness are supersensible that can not be defined in words. Such souls are called God, Shiva.

2.0 How knowledge operates: How do the knowing and the knowable govern? Does the knowing travel to knowable or vice-versa? In fact, none travel to each other because all the substances stay at their own spaces and knowing rests at the spaces of soul. Knowing is working and getting knowledge. This way, the practice between the knowing and knowable operates.
All souls possess the power of infinite knowledge. Despite this fact, a common Jiva does not have this level of knowledge and perception. Obviously there is a question what is the cause of limited knowledge? Further, the limited knowledge also varies from one Jiva to another. The subject is very difficult but can be understood through an example. A dense cloud covering the sun rays weakens its intensity of light and the rate at which the intensity of light reduces, is function of density of cloud. Similarly, a barrier film of knowledge obscuring Karmas and perception obscuring karmas accompanies with the soul that restraints the development of natural knowledge and perception. Despite a barrier of film on soul, very low profile type knowledge like dim light of sun rays becomes the medium of knowing. It has different capacity and differs in JIva to Jiva. This light medium knowledge can be divided into four classes:

2.1 Cognitive Knowledge (Mati gnan): The knowledge acquiring process of the soul is through the medium of senses and mind. These help the soul to know the substance existing in present time.
2.2 Scripture knowledge (Shrut gnan): An object is first known through perception knowledge either by seeing, hearing, or reading etc. This knowledge enables one to know another object is called scripture knowledge. Example is to know a word pot and then is to know different type of pots and so on. The scripture knowledge relates to time period of past, present and future.
Cognitive and scripture knowledge are acquired through five senses and mind. Hence it is indirect knowledge. However from the conventional point of view, cognitive knowledge can be called direct perception. All Jivas possess both the kind of knowledge. The phenomena of these knowledge occurs like- when you look/ touch an object for the first time (1st stage), you get the general knowledge of the object. This develops an excitation and then at second time, excitation occurs in the consciousness. Therefore, in the 1st stage of perception, a person is conscious about an object but at the same time one has some kind of hesitation. This knowledge obtained in the 1st stage is known as perception (Avagraha). In the second stage, a desire develops to know whether it is this or that for over coming suspicions and things get clarified. This is called conception (Iha) in cognitive knowledge. Afterwards a 3rd stage starts in which a definite finding of objects occurs. Here the object is examined with assertiveness. This is called judgment (Avay) in the cognitive knowledge. No doubt has left now. After the assertiveness of an object, the 4rth stage begins in which knowledge gained is kept on remembering that is known as retention (Dharna) in cognitive knowledge. The result of all the four stages in the cognitive knowledge is called memory (Smriti). If now you look an item, the memory develops to decide whether it is same or not. This is called recognition knowledge. After recognition of an object through a sign then thinking process takes place in which thoughts developed is known as logic (Terk) knowledge. After logic, the process of causes begins which is known as inference (Anuman). The whole process can be understood better by an example- suppose you look at the mountain where a smoke is seen which is direct perception knowledge. Now the memory starts its functioning that the smoke seen is similar to kitchen’s smoke. Afterwards, logic process in the form of thoughts starts that indicates, wherever there is smoke, the fire would be present. Along with the logic inference also accompanies with it. With the above processes described, intelligent, wise ness, wisdom, quickness, better retention power etc provide additional enhancing properties. These are either in decrease or increase proportions to an individual depending on type of Karmas contaminating the level of soul. All the knowledge mentioned above have several sub-types.
The scripture knowledge enables one to know the different knowledge in the same object other then the known through cognitive perception. In fact cognitive perception tells the subject of period of present time where as the scripture knowledge relates with the period of past, present and future. For example, if you look a book, it is cognitive perception and what is inside the book, it is known as scripture knowledge. The subject of scripture knowledge is much wider because the part of mental thoughts is more in it. Both the knowledge know the subject of substances, visible and invisible and some of their modifications.

2.3 Clairvoyance knowledge (Avadhi gnan): This occurs without the aid of five senses and mind organs and knows all the visible substance directly through soul is called clairvoyance perception. This knowledge knows material words but not soul and other invisible substances. The range of material substances is from atom to skundh, modification of souls, areas, time, thoughts, karmas etc directly but in limited spheres. The infernal and celestial beings possess this kind of knowledge by birth.
2.4 Telepathy knowledge : It develops without the aid of five senses and mind. Through this knowledge one can read the mind of others and ideas prevailing in their mind at a time or every past, present and future. This is also knowledge of material from atom to skundh level. The thoughts in mind provides different-different picture and shapes which are readable. The purity of knowledge is much higher than the three described above. It has also power to know the attributes of atom but the area sphere is very limited.

2.5 Omniscience knowledge (Kewal gnan): This has been described above. In this, the perception occurring with knowledge is called omniscience perception (Kewal darshan). This knowledge can know the total modifications of the substances, visible or invisible in one moment at period of present time. The power is to know directly whether it is past, present, and future. There is nothing knowable which it does not know. This is a perfect knowledge, an ultimate aim. Its length of knowledge is given in table-1

Table-1
The extent of perception of omniscience knowledge
Subject; Quantity knowable in one time
Soul substance Infinite (A)
Matter substance A X infinite (B)
Time of three periods B X infinite (C)
Unit space of space substance C X infinite (D)
Attributes & properties of single substance,D X infinite (E)
Attributes of all the substances E X infinite (F)
Mode of attributes of all the substances F X infinite (G)
Degree of energy level of each mode of attributes of all the substances G X infinite

3.0 Perverse Knowledge : Cognitive, scripture, clairvoyance knowledge’s are also pervasive. This means a wrong knowledge. The reason is that Jiva is enabling to differentiate between the right and wrong knowledge. Here Jiva takes the meaning of things in his own way because he is enabling to infer the reality of things and as a result a suspicion remains that develop perverse knowledge. In fact he does not go to the root of causes and believes in other causes. Due to perception of wrong knowledge, all the three become pervasive. The main root is delusion perception.
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4.0 No. of knowledge in Jiva at a time:
.If jiva possesses one knowledge, that is omniscience knowledge.
•If jiva possesses two knowledge, that are cognitive and scripture knowledge.
•If jiva possesses three knowledge, that are cognitive, scripture and clairvoyance knowledge.
Or
•If jiva possesses three knowledge, that are cognitive, scripture and telepathy knowledge.
•If jiva possesses four knowledge, that are cognitive, scripture, clairvoyance and telepathy knowledge.
•No Jiva can possess five kind of knowledge.

5.0 Conclusions: It can be inferred that soul has assortment attributes of knowledge. It has capacity to percept directly. Jiva’s knowledge is generated from the attributes of knowledge of their own soul. The omniscience knowledge knows at a time all the substances and their own movements, modifications, past present, future. There is nothing knowable which it does not know. To define its greatness in words is most difficult. But the soul of transmigrating Jiva is covered by a barrier film like a dense cloud which resists the appearance of natural knowledge. The rate, at which the density of kerma covers the soul, produces different grade of knowledge. Further more the clairvoyance and telepathy knowledge can be achieved by temperate processes. The omniscience knowledge can be achieved after the destruction of four veiling Karmas In a reality, the aim of human life is get rid of sorrow of birth-death cycles permanently and to attain divine knowledge and supersensible happiness.