Knowledge of an object?

[Guest guest]

Dear Steve,

 

In message #36474 (Jul 13) you say:

 

" I think that there can be a lot of confusion on this point,

especially because of the use of the word 'knowledge,' which usually

implies knowledge of an object. ...maybe a better term in English

might be awareness? "

 

It might help here to ask what mistake is causing this confusion.

Does the fault lie with the word 'knowledge' itself? Or does the

fault lie with the usual implication?

 

I'd say that it is the usual implication which is mistaken.

 

If we examine what is meant by the 'knowledge of an object', it

turns out that this phrase refers to a personal activity of

perception, thought and feeling -- in body, sense and mind. This

personal activity produces the perceived and thought and felt

appearances which come and go in our minds.

 

Such a production of appearances is clearly not true knowledge. The

production is inherently personal and partial, where true knowledge

is inherently impersonal and impartial. What's truly knowing stays

on present through the coming and the going of produced appearances.

That true knowing is also called 'consciousness'.

 

There is nothing wrong with the word 'knowledge' in itself. Nor with

the word 'consciousness' in itself. Used rightly, each of these

words points to an uncompromised truth.

 

By force of blind habit, these words do get misused and thus cause

confusion. But what then is the remedy? I'd say that it isn't to

retreat in fear, and thus look for weaker words like 'awareness'

(which tends to suggest the body's waking state).

 

Instead, it is better to confront the misuse, so as to try

correcting it -- on the way to a clearer understanding of the words

'knowledge' and 'consciousness'.

 

Ananda

[Guest guest]

Such a production of appearances is clearly not true

knowledge. The

production is inherently personal and partial, where

true knowledge

is inherently impersonal and impartial. What's truly

knowing stays

on present through the coming and the going of

produced appearances.

That true knowing is also called 'consciousness' .

 

" The production of appearances " is the " knowledge " I

was speaking of. That was what I meant when I said

that " knowledge " might be a poor term in relation to

knowing the Self, that common sort of knowledge. Then

what you say about the " true knowing is also called

consciousness " is of a different order than " the

production of appearances " . You've made the

distinction I was trying to find, but couldn't. Just

that some other sort of knowing is necessary to know

th Self other than " the production of appearances " .

Best wishes, Steve.

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Don't get soaked. Take a quick peak at the forecast

with the Search weather shortcut.

http://tools.search./shortcuts/#loc_weather