Do you know what is “to know”?
I had a talk with a close friend of mine and I was learning new things about the significance of knowing, which i decided to share.
“Knowledge-full” or “erudite” or “wise” or some other similar word denote a “good thing” to achieve by many. Those words express knowing something that someone else doesn’t.
If you go to school, you are acquiring information. Second hand information, data. Perhaps that information could be transformed into something else. That transformation is similar to what I feel knowledge or “to know is,” transformation, creativity. Knowing is not “book knowledge” by any means.
To know means to experience. First hand experience. This blog for instance is based on experience. However, there is more than experience. Those experiences need to be deeply understood so our vision changes.
Many of us have experiences, thus have knowledge; but that hasn’t done a thing to our own growth unless it is capable of changing our vision. When we change our vision, we “change the world, “ (pardon the pun) for our vision is our world.
That vision is usually buried in duality: This is “good” or “bad” following a “good” or “bad” experience. This is the “normal” way of looking at an experience.
This is why a higher knowledge, known as spirituality is necessary; otherwise, we merely react according to our society’s traditions and expectations. That means to be constrained in a box.
A “normal” individual will be constrained by that “box.”
Spirituality has its laws according to the primary knowledge that we are eternal souls.
This is something to experience before our vision changes. Then we can see others (vision) as souls, because there is the understanding of that experience. See? 🙂
Without change in vision, we become simple parrots and we can only recite mechanical things. This is what in several school systems in the world is known as “education.”
We are content when we repeat words, when we write those words down, we feel we know.
Someone who is an “erudite” is sort of like a computer. The hard drive (mind) is full of data and the central processing unit (intellect) is stuck with known algorithms: adding, subtracting,etc. Comparing that data meaning, analyzing it is all the computer can do. Creativity is not possible, because a computer works with certain parameters; as extraordinary as it may seem, it is just repetition of known parameters in “x” ways with great speed.
Our society values people with just information in their heads to solve problems. 🙂
However, that is not to know. There is no understanding, for if there was understanding; to gather data like a computer wouldn’t be rewarded. The TV. program “Jeopardy” comes to mind. Lots of data gathered. Why not use google instead of the precious life of a human existence to memorize useless “trivia”? Yes, there is $$ as an incentive. “ The monkey dances for money.”
Once our vision has been changed due to sheer understanding, then we can “learn.”
To know is to learn.
That learning deals with applying “forms or ways” to situations according to that understanding. Those “forms” are different from what we had before; Thus, there is learning.
This is the cycle of “self transformation.” There has to be “new” learning to know.
A “wise” person will change his “forms” or ways according to his understanding of a particular individual or circumstance. Those things cannot be written down as laws or “must do’s” or commandments for everyone to follow.
That understanding has a particular vision which in turn has an experience in the background. Thus, Knowledge and learning are necessary points in the cycle of knowing.
To know means to apply experience, vision and form. That is creativity.
Exploring the Depth of Living 