Knowledge is what moves towards unity, and when it reaches the supramental level, it grasps the oneness, essence, and self-law of existence, and views and handles the many things from that light and fullness, somewhat like the Divine does from the highest point from which He embraces the world.
concept
Knowledge
Across world spiritual traditions, knowledge refers to understanding and insight. Traditions converge on the importance of knowledge for spiritual growth. They diverge in the sources and methods of acquiring knowledge.
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Ignorance is the lack of the divine ability to see the supramental Truth; it is the part of our consciousness that does not perceive, as opposed to the part that sees and knows the truth.
The distinction between knowledge and ignorance starts with the hymns of the RigVeda, where knowledge means being conscious of the Truth and what is right, and ignorance is being unconscious of the Truth and what is right, opposing it and creating false or negative effects.
'I' and 'mine' represent ignorance, while 'Thou' and 'Thine' represent knowledge.
One cannot attain knowledge unless one is free from egotism.
Brahman is beyond knowledge and ignorance, virtue and vice, merit and demerit, cleanliness and uncleanliness.
One attains Perfect Knowledge when one sees God in man.
We have been given this human life to understand the all-pervading, omnipresent God. This knowledge can only be given by someone who has themselves realized God. Life becomes truly happy only after meeting such a God-realized person.
The eternal among the eternal, the conscious among the conscious, the one who fulfills the desires of the many — knowing him, that cause, attainable through Sāṅkhya and Yoga, one is freed from all bonds.
नित्यो नित्यानां चेतनश्चेतनाना- मेको बहूनां यो विदधाति कामान् । तत्कारणं साङ्ख्ययोगाधिगम्यं ज्ञात्वा देवं मुच्यते सर्वपाशैः ॥ १३॥
By the grace of Vyasa I have heard this supreme secret, this yoga, directly from Krishna, the Lord of yoga, as he himself declared it.
व्यासप्रसादाच्छ्रुतवानेतद्गुह्यमहं परम् | योगं योगेश्वरात्कृष्णात्साक्षात्कथयतः स्वयम् ||१८-७५||
Sanjaya said: Thus I have heard this marvelous dialogue between Vasudeva and the great-souled Partha, one that makes the hair stand on end.
सञ्जय उवाच | इत्यहं वासुदेवस्य पार्थस्य च महात्मनः | संवादमिममश्रौषमद्भुतं रोमहर्षणम् ||१८-७४||
The Blessed Lord said: Many births have passed for me, and for you as well, Arjuna. I know them all, but you do not, scorcher of the foe.
श्रीभगवानुवाच | बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन | तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ||४-५||
It is that same ancient yoga that I have taught you today, for you are my devotee and my friend; and this is the supreme secret.
स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः | भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ||४-३||
The Blessed Lord said: I taught this imperishable yoga to Vivasvan; Vivasvan told it to Manu, and Manu related it to Ikshvaku.
श्रीभगवानुवाच | इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् | विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ||४-१||
The Blessed Lord said: In this world a twofold path was taught by Me long ago, O sinless one: the path of knowledge for the followers of Sankhya, and the path of action for the yogis.
श्रीभगवानुवाच | लोकेऽस्मिन् द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ | ज्ञानयोगेन साङ्ख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ||३-३||
This wisdom has been declared to you according to Sankhya; now hear it as it applies to yoga. Endowed with this wisdom, Partha, you will cast off the bondage of action.
एषा तेऽभिहिता साङ्ख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां शृणु | बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि ||२-३९||
One sees the self as a wonder; another speaks of it as a wonder; another hears of it as a wonder; yet even after hearing, no one truly knows it.
आश्चर्यवत्पश्यति कश्चिदेन- माश्चर्यवद्वदति तथैव चान्यः | आश्चर्यवच्चैनमन्यः शृणोति श्रुत्वाप्येनं वेद न चैव कश्चित् ||२-२९||
One who knows this self to be indestructible, eternal, unborn, and imperishable, how can that person, Partha, kill anyone or cause anyone to be killed?
वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् | कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम् ||२-२१||
One who thinks this self a slayer, and one who thinks it slain, neither understands. It neither slays nor is slain.
य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम् | उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते ||२-१९||
Having examined the worlds won by works, a Brahmin should reach detachment: the uncreated is not gained by what is created. To know that, he should approach a teacher, fuel in hand, one learned in scripture and established in Brahman.
परीक्ष्य लोकान् कर्मचितान् ब्राह्मणो निर्वेदमायान्नास्त्यकृतः कृतेन । तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत् समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् ॥ १२॥