The Four Sources of Knowledge
Inspiration, revelation,
insight, intuition, ecstasy, divine sight and the supreme, blissful state are
the seven planes of knowledge. There are four sources of knowledge: instinct,
reason, intuition, and direct knowledge of Brahman (God) or Brahma-Jnana
(knowledge of God).
Instinct
When an ant crawls on your right arm, the left hand automatically moves towards
the right arm to drive the ant away. The mind does not reason here. When you
see a scorpion near your leg, you withdraw the leg automatically. This is
called instinctive or automatic movement. As you cross a street, how
instinctively you move your body to save yourself from the cars! There is no
thought during such kind of mechanical movement.
Instinct is found in animals
and birds also. In birds, the ego does not interfere with the free, divine flow
and play. Hence the work done by them through their instinct is more perfect
than that done by human beings. Have you ever noticed the intricate and
exquisite work done by birds in the building of their beautiful nests ?
Reason
Reason is higher than instinct and is found only in human beings. It collects
facts, generalizes, reasons out from cause to effect, from effect to cause,
from premises to conclusions, from propositions to proofs. It concludes,
decides and comes to final judgment. It takes you safely to the door of
intuition and leaves you there.
Belief, reason, knowledge and
faith are the four important psychic processes. First you have belief in a
doctor. You go to him for diagnosis and treatment. The doctor makes a thorough
examination of you and prescribes certain medicines. You take them. You reason
out: "Such and such is the disease. The doctor has given me some iron and
iodide. Iron will improve my blood. The iodide will stimulate the lymphatics
and absorb the exudation and growth in the liver. So I should take it."
Then, by a regular and
systematic course of these drugs, the disease is cured in a month. You then get
knowledge and have perfect faith in the efficacy of the medicine and the
proficiency of the doctor. You recommend this doctor and his drugs to your
friends so that they too might benefit from his treatment.
Intuition
Intuition is personal spiritual experience. The knowledge obtained through the
functioning of the causal body (Karana Sarira) is intuition. Sri Aurobindo
calls it the Supermind or Supramental Consciousness. There is direct perception
of truth, or immediate knowledge through Samadhi or the Superconscious State.
You know things in a flash.
Professor Bergson preached
about intuition in France to make the people understand that there was a higher
source of knowledge than the intellect.
In intuition there is no
reasoning process at all. It is direct perception. Intuition transcends reason
but does not contradict it. Intellect takes a man to the door of intuition and
returns. Intuition is Divya Drishti (divine vision); it is the eye of wisdom.
Spiritual flashes and glimpses of truth, inspiration, revelation and spiritual
insight come through intuition.
The mind has to be pure for
one to know that it is the intuition that is functioning at a particular
moment.
Brahma-Jnana (knowledge of
God) is above intuition. It transcends the causal body and is the highest form
of knowledge. It is the only Reality.
Excerpts from:
The Four Sources of Knowledge – by Swami Sivananda
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