Direct Knowledge

Peace is elusive without direct knowledge of the truth of life, for whatever is known will eventually cause pain and discontent. This is demonstrable when emotionally distressed by thinking of something that’s happened or fear of what may come in the future. We are raised in a culture which worships the mind. The mind has its function in attending to the practicalities of living but is unable to process the transmission of reality as direct knowledge. As a consequence, the idea of existence in its pristine state reduces in potency and timeless power. The direct knowledge of life and reality is not memorable since the truth cannot be remembered. Whereas thought and all mental formulations depend on movement of the mind to affirm what is known, direct knowledge is realised when the mind is still.

Everyone at some time or other has experienced direct knowledge. An example is when in love, particularly in the early stages when the attraction to the other is the overriding sensation in the life. What gives this heightened feeling of being alive and fully present in the senses is the transmission of reality consuming the last moment through the delight of the direct knowledge of love. Love operates beyond the speed of light as a state of timeless purity. This power of love would sustain and fulfil the individual throughout the entire living life were it not for the mind’s interpretation of existence through the feeling self. This indirect knowledge attaches the person to the craving for experience, whether good or bad.

Until someone is able to withdraw at will from the identification with the knowing part of self they will remain attached to their knowable problems in the world. Attachment is anything that moves matter as a feeling within the body; this is then interpreted by the mind through conceptual imagery and speculative reasoning. Not able to perceive reality as direct knowledge, the mind converts the timeless energy of consciousness into a past impression compatible with acquired knowledge stored in the memory. Furthermore, the original power is then emotionalised by the person who, depending on the force generated by beliefs and attitudes, becomes a body primed for conflict with anyone or anything in opposition to their inner convictions. This is seen in politics and extremism in some of today’s popular movements and, in particular, religion where opposing factions wage wars and reprisals against others with different faiths and beliefs.

The source of reality is deep within the being of everyone on earth. Consequently many ordinary people are often amazed by their own spontaneous expression of self-knowledge. This can happen when, for example, responding to someone’s question about an aspect of life or truth. However, as a race we’ve become dependent on knowing what we know and we cling to our memorable experience for fear that by letting it go there’d be nothing left to support our existence. People become obsessed with cramming their minds with information, sometimes all their lives, as though such learning would make them more interesting and respected as human beings. The spiritual process shatters such precepts since the more that is known in worldly affairs, the harder it is to receive the simplicity of the direct knowledge of truth.

The reality behind the familiar sensory world never changes or ever will. We tend to lose touch with reality by being identified with the objects and forms created in time. The outer symbol of the timelessness of eternity is represented by the universe of stars and vastness of space. When looking at the night sky, the energetic reality behind the canopy of stars can be intuited so as to actually participate in the cosmic scene. The mind is stilled and the wonder of creation is there in its magnificent splendour. This is direct knowledge as opposed to the indirect knowing from which arises the need to know the distance between the stars and the endless naming complication of the rational mind. Direct knowledge is intuited by intelligence without holding to any position of mind which creates a partial perception of existence. When intelligence is liberated from the attachment to the known, the truth is seen in its original state of purity.