By: C. S. Dinesh
Sai Baba gave a detailed exposition on Jnana Yoga to Nana Saheb Chandorkar and we read this in Sai Satcharitra.
‘Verily, there is no purifier in this world like knowledge,’ says the Bhagwad Gita, 4:38.
Sai baba says:
“One who concentrates on ME, for him nothing is difficult. But the moment he forgets ME, Maya will attack him.” – Shri Sai Baba (Chapter 3, Ovi 143-148)
While Hath Yoga strengthens the body through systematic physical activity and breathing exercises, Bhakti Yoga purifies the heart by unswerving devotion to God, and Karma Yoga renders nobility to actions, Jnana Yoga illuminates consciousness through self-enquiry, study of scriptures and meditation. Sai Baba says: ‘It is knowledge which knows knowledge through knowing knowledge.’
Jnana Yoga, also called Jnana Marg, path of knowledge, wisdom, Buddhi Yoga, discipline of intelligence, and Brahman Vidya, science of Brahman explains the difference between the Self and non-self, the knower and known, the permanent and transient. Adi Shankaracharya held that since Brahman is eternal, pure, of the nature of knowledge; and free, one should experience it.
Perception, inference, and scriptural testimony have been traditionally described as the sources of knowledge. Knowledge is both para — infinite, and apara — finite. The former relates to the higher dimension of being, the latter to the changing phenomena. Para liberates, apara binds one to the spatiotemporal world.
Jnana Yoga enlightens one about the true nature of existence, identity of Brahman and jivatma, individual soul, the five koshas, layers of the soul — physical, vital, mental, wisdom and bliss — the chakras, whirling energy-centers of the subtle body, and the ultimate purpose of life. He who cultivates the virtues of vivek, discriminative wisdom; vairagya, detachment; and abhyas, practice; can control his senses with reins of the mind. He can perceive the cosmic self in individual self, cosmic mind in individual mind, and cosmic consciousness in individual consciousness.
Yet, Jnana Yoga is not merely an intellectual pursuit, since its goal is to transcend the mind which is ‘limited in its vision’ and ‘rigid in its conceptions’. Intellectual engagement with the Supreme Reality is not enough till one realises oneness with all life-forms and integrates the individual self with divine consciousness.
Jnana Yoga postulates three ways to grow in spirituality: shravana, listening about the ultimate truth from one who knows it; manana, reflecting about the truth heard, and nididhyasana, meditation on the truth. The spiritual practitioner undergoes four stages: seeking, knowing, becoming, and being. He offers his senses and life-energy as oblations ‘in the fire of the yog of self-control, kindled by knowledge’ Gita 4:27. He is then free from vices and liberated while living.
Birth and death relate to the corporeal being on its journey to the Infinite in endless cycles. According to Brihadaranyak Upanishad, when one realizes the Absolute Truth, one sees without seeing, smells without smelling, tastes without tasting, speaks without speaking, hears without hearing, touches without touching, thinks without thinking, and knows without knowing, for there is nothing separate from Him. Knowledge about Brahman in whom all polarities meet, is ‘the highest goal of life’, ‘the highest glory’, ‘the highest world’ and ‘the highest bliss’. As one progresses in knowledge, one moves from external to internal forms of worship, and finds the One Reality shining as the many.
The yogic paths of Jnana Bhakti and Karma are interconnected in a subtle way. Theistic schools, whether Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta, or Smarta, emphasize one path over the other, or synergize them, but their basic purpose is the same – to realize God in whatever form it is perceived.
Leave a Reply