Information and knowledge

[Guest guest]

Namaste all,

 

Through the development of modern communications, we are now flooded

with information that has been transmitted through machines. And all

too often, this mechanically transmitted information is misleadingly

sold to us as knowledge, both commercially and in our academic

institutions. So it can help to analyse what information is, in

relation to our knowing.

 

As recorded and transmitted mechanically, information is no more

than structured form -- which has been constructed by relating

different parts. Such form occurs in the waking state, where body

perceives an external world of structured space. This bodily aspect

of information is what Bhartrihari called 'vaikharI' or

'elaborated'.

 

But there is something more to information than mere structured

form. For structured form to convey information, it must be

interpreted to have a meaning that somehow expresses knowledge. Such

meaning is interpreted through mind, which mediates between our

living knowing and the outward forms in which it gets mechanically

expressed. This mind works through a process of conception that

takes place in time -- as our mental states keep on replacing each

other, in a succession of conceive appearances. It's in the dream

state that we find our minds predominant -- as they conceive of

their dreamt perceptions, thoughts and feelings, which express an

underlying consciousness. This mental aspect of information is what

Bhartrihari called 'madhyamA' or 'mediating'.

 

What then is the knowing of consciousness, which we thus find

expressed by mind? That knowing carries on through time, as mental

states appear and disappear. It stays present through mind's

changing states, knowing their appearances and disappearances. It is

that common principle of knowing which is shared alike by all

perceptions, thoughts and feelings. No matter what appearances may

be perceived or thought or felt, each one of these appearances are

found illuminated by the knowing light of consciousness. These

changing appearances depend on it. But it is independent of them, as

it stays present on its own, through their appearing and their

disappearing. It is a pure knowing, utterly unmixed with whatever

may appear or disappear. That pure knowing shines by itself in the

state of deep sleep. That alone is truly knowledge, which

Bhartrihari called 'pashyantI' or 'seeing'.

 

In Bhartrihari's treatise on language, the 'vAkyapadIya', only these

three aspects are distinguished. But this threefold analysis is

often elaborated into four. What Bhartrihari called 'pashyantI' is

divided into two. Here, the word 'pashyantI' is used in a slightly

restricted and degraded way, to describe a witnessing consciousness

that illuminates changing appearances. And the word 'parA' or

'beyond' is used to describe a non-dual ground where consciousness

is finally known to be identical with the reality that all

appearances must show. In the Mandukya Upanishad, that non-dual

ground is called 'turIya' or the 'fourth', in the sense that it is

beyond the three states of waking, dream and sleep.

 

I take the view that both the threefold and the fourfold analysis

lead finally to non-dual truth. When the 'witness' is actually

reached, it spontaneously gives itself up to non-duality, without

the need for any further analysis. The fourfold analysis is used to

describe how a non-dual consciousness appears to be expressed in a

dualistic world, and the description can be useful to retrace back

into its non-dual origin.

 

A piece of verse is appended, to try describing these questions a

little more directly, with less reference to Advaitic texts.

 

Ananda

 

 

Form, meaning, consciousness

============================

 

Form in world

_____________

 

What body sees, through sense, is 'form'.

And form is made of different parts,

located in a world of space.

 

Each part is seen in its own place,

alongside other parts that have

been previously perceived elsewhere.

 

It is thus thought that body sees

a structured world made up of objects,

formed from co-existing parts.

 

Meaning in mind

_______________

 

But any form that body sees

is found interpreted by mind,

as it's perceived and understood.

 

Our minds thus mediate between

the show of forms that sense perceives

and knowing what is meant thereby.

 

Where mind interprets what is meant,

there is no structured world of space

with different parts that co-exist.

 

Our minds do not experience space

made up of co-existing points,

enabling structure to be seen.

 

No structured space is ever found

at any moment in our minds.

There is no space, but only time.

 

In the experience of our minds,

no co-existing points of space

are ever found to make a world.

 

In mind, there is no structured space.

There are no co-existing points,

but only moments passing by.

 

No different moments co-exist.

Each moment shows that other moments

are not present at the time.

 

There's only process in the mind,

with difference occurring only

in the course of changing time.

 

The mind is thus a changing process,

which goes on from state to state,

interpreting what sense perceives.

 

It's through this process in the mind

that meaning is interpreted,

so as to know what's been perceived.

 

But how can meaning be revealed,

so as to find what's really true

in what perception makes appear?

 

How can perceived appearances,

be somehow rightly understood,

so as to find what's truly known?

 

How can confusions and mistakes

of sense and mind be cleared away,

so that true knowing may be found?

 

In what we sense and think and feel,

can any knowing be so true

that it finds plain reality?

 

Knowing in consciousness

________________________

 

At first, it seems that sense-perception

knows the forms that it perceives.

This act of sensing seems to know.

 

But, seen more clearly, sense-perceptions

only act to make a show

of sensual forms that pass in mind.

 

This act of showing form in mind

does not know anything itself.

It only acts. It does not know.

 

As senses show their forms in mind,

the mind acts further to conceive

what's meant by these apparent forms.

 

Through thought and feeling, mind acts

further to interpret what is meant

by passing forms perceived by sense.

 

Thus, through these acts of sense and mind,

perceptions, thoughts and feelings show:

as states that pass in changing time.

 

Each moment brings a passing state,

replacing states that went before

and getting in its turn replaced.

 

Perception, thought and feeling act

to make this show of changing states.

What knows the show is consciousness.

 

That consciousness is present always --

common to all the perceptions,

thoughts and feelings known by it.

 

As consciousness, it always knows.

Its very being is to know:

to know itself, as its own light.

 

All acts of body, sense and mind

are lit by its self-knowing light,

in everyone's experience.

 

That is true knowing in itself --

through all perceptions, thoughts and feelings

anyone experiences.

 

Non-duality

___________

 

As consciousness thus carries on,

it is each person's knowing self

and everything that's truly known.

 

For it is always found expressed

in all perceptions, thoughts and feelings

showing anything to us.

 

By coming back from changing show

to changeless knowing in each self,

all world and self are found at one.

[Guest guest]

A very interesting and a timely post. Thank you , Sri Ananda-ji!

 

Anandaji, i read this statement sometime ago ...

 

" Above all, people habituated to perceive, think, and express their

truth in 'vaikhari' will have to learn eloquence in other levels of

speech. Vaikhari spirituality, however beguiling at the outset,

leads ultimately to dead ends, for only those words that are spoken

in madhyama and pashyanti (and para) as well can illuminate both

satyam and ritam. Only such creative words are worthy of being said;

only they can give life. "

 

(Speaking Truth- The Art of Sacred Speech by Robert E. Svoboda)

 

http://www.drsvoboda.com/sacredspeech.htm

 

It is no doubt true that 'Vaikhari is the lowesr form of speech as

it originates from the Tongue alone. Most politicians are guilty of

this type of speech - 'talking with a forked tongue' - and that is

why they are called 'demagogues....

 

However self- realized souls do not indulge in this kind of

ornamental speech or dabbling in words ! What they speak is mostly

in the realm of Paravani only ! ! so, they are speaking from a

platform of knowledge or jnana ! so, when saints like Sri Ramana

speak , they are only speaking the non-dual Truth!

 

This is my understanding.

 

btw, the poem at the end was quite pleasing and captured the essence

of the four levels of speech pretty effectively.

 

 

 

In advaitin , Ananda Wood <awood wrote:

>

> Namaste all,

>

> Through the development of modern communications, we are now

flooded

> with information that has been transmitted through machines. And

all

> too often, this mechanically transmitted information is

misleadingly

> sold to us as knowledge, both commercially and in our academic

> institutions. So it can help to analyse what information is, in

> relation to our knowing.

>

> As recorded and transmitted mechanically, information is no more

> than structured form -- which has been constructed by relating

> different parts. Such form occurs in the waking state, where body

> perceives an external world of structured space. This bodily

aspect

> of information is what Bhartrihari called 'vaikharI' or

> 'elaborated'.

>

>