Nov 25, 2024
Nov 25, 2024
by T. A. Ramesh
1. Power of Knowledge:
As animals man has lived under the control of fear long! Love of knowledge has opened the door to civilization…; making advances by knowledge he lives in modern world.
Whatever be the thing, seeing true meaning is knowledge; following good aspects of knowledge after scrutiny is virtue; knowledge is needed to know Self, world, Nature and God!.
Knowledge only says what duty one has to do in the world; how life has to be lived and what ambition one should have to achieve total freedom and happiness in life and after life!
Ignorance makes man a slave of fear in the world life forever; due to fear and urgency, man makes mistakes, crimes and sin; to overcome fear, best way is to love knowledge to know truth.
Knowledge is virtue and gives power to deal matters better ever; by virtue and power of knowledge one is free, frank and fearless! Force of fear is animal in nature and force of love is divine in nature!
Of all powers, love is the greatest power in the human world! With true knowledge and unifying love man achieves perfection that gives freedom to enjoy life with satisfaction in peace and bliss.
Advancing by knowledge truth behind life, Nature and God is known; by senses, thinking mind man gets knowledge to rule all living beings and by the power to activate everything everywhere God is greatest!
2. Awareness of Gods due to Fear:
Fear of darkness, disease, death, natural disaster and animals made man surrender and worship them for mercy and survival! Fear is the beginning point leading to the realization of God….!
Objects of fear turned into Gods and temples are products of fear! To safeguard all from spirits of dead and natural disasters in life, ancestral and Nature worships have came into vogue since long!
Animal, human, natural and supernatural aspects are combined to create suitable idols of Gods to worship in temples later on...! Creative and inventive works turned man into knowledgeable one!
Limitations of senses and incomprehensibility of mind to know secrets of life, Nature, universe and God gave him the knowledge that he is incomplete and imperfect and spirit is higher than mind!
Finally he concluded by means of spirit only all secrets of Space and life problems can be realized and solved to free himself of fear! But being finite death can’t be overcome and immortality achieved!
Due to his limitations, eternity and absoluteness can’t be achieved and by realization got the knowledge that only by the communion of one’s spirit with the Universal Spirit one can be free and happy ever!
The result is the birth of his first encyclopaedia of knowledge called religion came into existence mainly for the attainment in toto of freedom for body, mind and spirit and redemption from bondages!
3. Branches of Knowledge
Philosophy is the field for the study of knowledge, wisdom and truth; next to religion all subjects covered under one roof was philosophy; but increase of knowledge has developed each to philosophic level!
Art pictures, painting, songs, music, religious literature and so on depict experience based knowledge besides mathematics, medicine, astrology, astronomy, etc. though are specific in nature and use…!
Of all subjective knowledge, since the dawn of civilization in the world religion, philosophy, literature and science are very important... and,,,
vital because on which only human life and activities go on forever…!
Religion is a system of faith to attain peace, bliss and moksha! Religion says that life is existence, knowledge, bliss and absolute and reveals all about the up gradation of human life to divine level!
Giving peace, education and knowledge, religion teaches all a moral code of conduct and a culture to follow in the world to achieve fulfillment in life and guides all for total salvation!
Philosophy is no man's land where synthetic interpretation is possible, when other subjects have failed to do anything on some matters of life! So, in philosophy significant intellectual construction of anything is possible!
By experiments, observation and inference Science analyses to know truth; but scientific experiment of matter is possible in parts and not by experience!
There’s vast growth of knowledge in science not possible for all to understand!
Modern world developments and civilization depend on scientific advances;
scientific researches on minute things at the cost of whole make it necessary
to decide by wisdom what scientific pursuits are really essential or irrelevant!
In Art from inheritance and Nature, it is possible to express including metaphysical ones modifying known things using one's skill something lively, forceful and beautiful effacing one's personality to escape into the world of one's own creation so as to transcend one's limitation!
In poetic literature, religion, philosophy, science, arts and intellect are combined together in an unique way to express truths discovered through experience and exploration of unknown, higher and supernatural ones!
That is, in poetry only from the known matters it is possible forever to express unknown matters by exploring deeply and beyond all means intensively and extensively immanent and transcendental things of life!
4. Religion, the First Encyclopaedia of Knowledge:
Universal God called by many names is the same for all world religions! Without the knowledge of God by teachings and self realization in life. There is no chance for one to reach God relinquishing all finally ever!
As in physical evolution, by spiritual evolution through many births and deaths, tt is possible to reach the saturation point called moksha to attain nirvana or serenity of soul or redemption or salvation or total liberation from life!
Though imperfect and incomplete, man is born for a noble cause in the world! Yes, noble, because man is born from and of the image of God, superior to all represented by extra terrestrials who have changed evolution to create man!
Being noble, man has to be noble in thoughts, words and deeds forever in life; as man’s beginning is in God, man’s end should also be in God, which is why he has to be noble in heart, mind and soul, noble in life and reach God also so!
Nothing is imperishable, permanent and real in world, Nature and Universe!
Body, youth, beauty, strength are not permanent, give peace and joy forever;
both Bhagavad Gita and Buddhism say to have love and joy forever in life
Nonattachment is the best route to follow as attachment to land, ladies, gold, fame and power born of desire is the cause for all distresses in the world and mind should be purified by keeping it free from desire, jealousy, anger, fear!
Meditating in Nature with non-attached love and wisdom towards all, man can live happy and free life overcoming all woes of the world forever says Lord Buddha advocating eight fold paths like right understanding, aim, intention,
Speech, action, life, efforts, awareness and concentration to be followed in life!
This is the way to overcome illusion, know reality and reach Ultimate Reality!
This is the simple, general rule for all to follow, but Gita says Dharma is must!
Bhagavad Gita says non-attachment must be followed in life doing one’s duty according to one’s Dharma i.e. natural order, justice and righteousness so that likes and dislikes, profit and loss, etc. can be met with the same state of mind.
This keeps human life stable; and is called life of yoga according to Lord Krishna, who advocates mainly four types of yoga to be followed according to one’s nature like Yoga of Knowledge or Devotion or Duty or Concentration!
Next, real knowledge should be gained by intellectual thoughts that is as steady as Sun for proper guidance in life; then enjoyment of pleasures in life should be based on real knowledge and non-attachment; then only it is possible to relinquish all the earned best things for the posterity to enjoy and spiritually commune with the Universal God to become one and absolute at the end…..! That’s how life phases - existence, knowledge, bliss, absolute have to be lived.
5. Philosophy to know Truth from Knowledge, gain Wisdom:
Philosophy building anything to significant conclusion is weltanschauung;
whatever kind of matter is, knowing true meaning is real knowledge….and
whatever matter is heard from various men, knowing truth is real knowledge!
How does man come to know of truth, gain knowledge and wisdom in life?
Human knowledge comes of sense experience of matter, says John Locke in Human Understanding and not purely of mind as it is a clean slate formerly! But Bishop George Berkeley refutes Locke’s analysis of knowledge and says that matter doesn’t exist except as a form of mind and establishes that all matter is mental condition and the only matter that we know directly is mind!
David Hume who has come next as per a wit “no matter never mind” has destroyed both the views of Locke and Berkeley in his Treatise on Human Nature and has said that human knowledge is perceived merely by ideas!
Next, philosopher Kant says that knowledge is gained through pure reason! Father of modern philosophy Spinoza says that intuitive knowledge is most important as this knowledge is real power, freedom and happiness in life!
So, knowledge is got through sense experience, mind, ideas, reason, intuition! Wisdom is the product of knowledge, observation, reflection and experience, which means that wisdom comes of maturity of mind or human perfection!
Bertrand Russell says that wisdom is necessary in his essay on Knowledge and Wisdom to judge what scientific pursuits are necessary and which ones are irrelevant before doing scientific research; philosophy is reverent even now!
To make philosophy relevant in the modern world he says that old approach should be replaced by his new approach of scientific philosophy based on common sense, mathematical reasoning, scientific analysis, logical inference!
Adi Sankara says that without knowledge it is impossible even to know God!
Swami Vivekananda says that with the intellect of Sankara and loving heart of Buddha it is surely possible to introduce Advaita philosophy for all world men!
Advaita philosophy says about oneness of all Gods or one Universal God though called by many names by world religions i.e. as believed by Spinoza or expressed by Hinduism all activating God is imminent and transcendental!
6. Knowledge of All Subjects under One Roof of Literature:
Main purpose of good and great literature is to entertain and instruct people and make the world a better place to live if we see Iliad or Mahabharata epics! These are long, descriptive, dramatic, philosophic, poetic, classic literatures…!
Then romantic literature has prevailed for sometime in the form of poetry, novels and now forms of literature remaining in practice are novels, prose and criticism including journalism are called as modern literature we all know…!
Classic literature was formal, social and intellectual in nature dealing with various types of character in general, moral principles and Universal truth reflecting civilization, culture, life and activities of the people of that time!
But romantic literature was informal, individual and emotional in works questioning the very basis of conventional or moral ideas and striving for ultimate truth as it dealt with the internal problems of heart in particular!
Modern literature is full of ideas, incidences, episodes and actions dealing with superficial and social aspects of human life having no concern for life like characters, human touch, human culture or values but thrills and fascinates!
Literature is not there just to amuse and entertain only but also covers all subjects like history, philosophy, psychology, Nature, etc. under one roof! It protests against wrongs of govt., criticizes ills of society, unravels Nature!
Only literature enlightens mind, enlarges horizon of human thoughts, fulfils
wishes of heart, satisfies human spirit and makes all better and perfect in life!
In short, literature is the best expression of human life, culture and world…!
What is important here is surely not animalism nor even spiritualism or divinity but only humanism or human culture which is the mark of greatest value for human beings and is the message of literature for mankind…..!
Knowledge, wealth, power are needed for world life but knowledge is must; with high knowledge, power may be gained but not human perfection as according to Robert Browning only by love and knowledge it is truly possible!
Man’s thoughts, knowledge, love and life are bound by space and time of world and if he escapes he will reach a timeless and formless pure state of perfection in the other world, which W B Yeats symbolizes as a spiraling cone!
He says in his Byzantium poems that this world is not for the old but for young ones like fish, flesh or fowl who sing songs in praise of mortal sensual Pleasure sans caring for immortal intellect or wisdom treated as monuments!
But he realizes that all monument-like things teach him the magnificence of soul and so, he simply says that the animate nature is devoid of spirit and temporary only but the inanimate art or poetry is full of spirit and immortal!
The knowledge Wordsworth gained from Nature by his eyes, ears, through sense perception and thought conception has helped him to develop his inner Self in Nature can be seen in his smaller poems like Tintern Abbey and so on!
By trial and error method man learns and to satisfy his needs and curiosity he tries in all possible ways to explore mysteries of life to get experience and knowledge of truth which he shares with everyone by his artistic works ever!
Though he gets home, wife and hundred relations the peace he longs for, the freedom he seeks and the immortality he dreams he hardly achieves in life; so, the physically and visibility reaming things left to explore is Nature only!
The beauty of Nature absorbs all and gives the blessed mood that cannot be forgotten ever as Nature is the living scientific art that enlightens, energizes, inspires and gives ideas both creative and mystical to compensate all losses!
There are esemplastic writings, poetry like novels, psychological, novel of blood consciousness, stream of consciousness, dream like writings, scientific adventures and Utopian dreams in literature to read, enjoy and wonder!
Many discoveries and inventions have been achieved after such writings and one such thing is creation of One World which too will be achieved one day as yesterday’s dream is today’s reality and today’s dream…tomorrow’s reality!
7. Knowledge of Science to Control Nature:
Nature is the source and inspiration to poets, philosophers, scientists and artists to do best in their respective fields forever in the world of mankind!
Nature is the source of inspiration for me too to write everything so far….!
Man was under the control of Nature at first, but now scientifically he tries
for the control of Nature to harness its power in various fields of his venture!
Inventing machines he reduces burdens and increases comforts to live better!
With the aid of science man does all things except bringing life to the dead….., a great dream since the time of Egyptian civilization in the world……long! Indeed scientific advancement has solved many problems but created many!
Machines controlled by man earlier are monitoring now man’s affairs turning his natural life into a mechanical one in the world of pollution and diseases….! by scientific knowledge he tries to conquer Universe unknowing ocean secrets!
Advancement of knowledge after helping in industry, agriculture, electronic and Nuclear fields has made inroads into Space field too to the exploration of Star gates and Time travels mastered by ancient aliens long, long ago here…..!
Researches in solids, liquids, gases and ions of things and elements of Nature - fire, wind, water, land and Space are trying for one final theory for forces of Nature by unifying gravitation, electromagnetism and nuclear forces laws!
8. Continuation of Fear:
Fear of forces of Nature, formidable animals, giants, diseases and death
man has conquered by knowledge of the Self, world, Nature and God and
also, learnt ways and means to harness forces of Nature for beneficial works.
Man has found out medicines to cure diseases, understood death is natural and spirit in body is immortal gaining confidence, courage, endurance and boldness by knowledge and briefly almost overcame woes of world and fear.
But truly fear of man has not ended despite developments by knowledge;
along with developments problems and diseases too man has created…….;
all crises keep man under the control of fear forever without an end……….!
Knowledge of science and technology used not only for constructive purposes
but also destructive purposes such as weapons of war did not end with World
Wars I and II as cold war thereafter triggered arms race between US & Russia!
Realizing that stock piling of Nuclear Weapons is a biggest threat to world peace as that will destroy not only possessors but also neighbours and rivals both ideologically contradictory powers have agreed for nuke arms freeze!
But second line nations have developed Nuclear weapons due to enmities between neighbours under the aegis of super powers continuing threats to world peace leading to restrictions by framing of international laws………! However, such laws cannot control terrorists fostered by rival super powers! So, due to fear of dirty nuclear bombs being used by them at any time there’s no difference between developed, developing and undeveloped world nations!
Some stateless players create fear in many by terrorism conquering a nation
just as abducting innocent women, children, men, bomb blasting crowed
market places or railway stations, to form a Terrorist State is farce intolerable!
Expansion of cities, deforestation for cultivation of commercial crops or…… fuel yielding plants and destruction of natural resources for food, fuel and raw materials disturb ecological balance leading to flash floods by heavy rain! Due to these disturbances in Nature, climate changes do great havoc in places high and low causing endless droughts driving forest animals to seek towns for food or water creating nightmares to residents and plantation employees!
Above all pollution caused by smokes of vehicles, industries and CO and CFC gases deplete ozone layers in the atmosphere leading to direct flow of Sun’s ultraviolet rays causing eye diseases, cancer, etc. and endless fear of more ills!
9. One World Solution:
Nuclear proliferation for weapons or power generation, pollution of all kinds,
deforestation and terrorism are all international problems to deal with only
with the cooperation, coordination of international community under UNO!
Exploitation of natural resources for food, raw materials and fuels are drying
all wet lands of the world leading to the destruction of beloved Earth with all
living beings and humans too sooner or later whether we shit to Mars or not!
After cold war now war on terrorism is on like endless Vietnam War of past
not only in Afghanistan and Iraq but also in Middle East and North Africa as
conflicts between Israel and Palestine, civilians and militants due to madness!
In quest of knowledge human craving is for truth and unity of mankind only!
Religion talks of unity, love and universal brotherhood whatever religion is;
philosophy reveals whole truth is synthesis of everything about life and world!
Literature says that human perfection is achieved by love and knowledge;
Science infers that all matters are interdependent in the vast Universe….!
Due to this old proverb says that united we stand and divided we all fall sure!
Unity in diversity is best policy to follow in order to bring about world union;
all civil wars of the world are for democratic rule against dictatorship of all
kinds whether it is Nazism or communism or socialism or wahabism, etc….!
World industrial civilization controlled by totalitarian authority none loves;
world free industrial society devoted to full development of men is desirable;
but if world turns to agrarian state fed up with mechanical life it is the BEST!
26-Jul-2014
More by : T. A. Ramesh
To answer the title question: 'Where does Knowledge Lead the World to?' - knowledge is inherently flawed, unless it is recognised for what it is, something with an end that is in the source that makes it possible. |