Essence of Bhagavad-Gita

Getting the Eyes of Knowledge

““I shall now declare I shall now declare unto you in full this unto you in full this knowledge, both knowledge, both phenomenal and phenomenal and numinous. This numinous. This being known, being known, nothing further shall nothing further shall remain for you to remain for you to know.” [BG 7.2]know.” [BG 7.2]

Pratyaksha Praman Pratyaksha Praman (Direct Sensual Perception)(Direct Sensual Perception)

““Seeing is Believing”Seeing is Believing” Pratyaksha praman is the knowledge Pratyaksha praman is the knowledge

obtained by direct sensual perception of obtained by direct sensual perception of form, taste, touch, smell, and sound.form, taste, touch, smell, and sound.

Knowledge achieved through direct sense Knowledge achieved through direct sense perception is limited and unreliable due to perception is limited and unreliable due to four defects of humanfour defects of human

Defect 1: Imperfect SensesDefect 1: Imperfect Senses

Eyes cannot see distant objects or objects Eyes cannot see distant objects or objects closest to them like eyelids!closest to them like eyelids!

We see what we want to see {select and We see what we want to see {select and discard}discard}

We interpret what we see according to We interpret what we see according to contextcontext

We give data of things not actually presentWe give data of things not actually present

More to Seeing Then What Meets the EyesMore to Seeing Then What Meets the EyesPhenomenon of RecognitionPhenomenon of Recognition

What do you see?

Phenomenon: Hearing Effect What We SeePhenomenon: Hearing Effect What We See

How do we recognize the different object that come How do we recognize the different object that come before the eyes?before the eyes?

The power of recognition comes from authorities whom The power of recognition comes from authorities whom we have heard from!we have heard from!

The chemistry teacher tell us this is a chemical formula. The chemistry teacher tell us this is a chemical formula. The theologian tells this book, out of all the books, is a The theologian tells this book, out of all the books, is a holy book.holy book.

Would we have recognized these objects as such without Would we have recognized these objects as such without hearing from a chem. Teacher or theologian respectively.hearing from a chem. Teacher or theologian respectively.

Hypothetico-deductive methodHypothetico-deductive method Observation is theory laden.Observation is theory laden.

Scientist cannot use any direct, step by step, process to Scientist cannot use any direct, step by step, process to derive hypotheses from raw observational data. To deal derive hypotheses from raw observational data. To deal with such data at all, they must already have some with such data at all, they must already have some working hypotheses.working hypotheses.

Ex: "The electron beam was deflected by the magnetic Ex: "The electron beam was deflected by the magnetic field".field".

Observation statements acquire relevance and meaning Observation statements acquire relevance and meaning only when formulated within the context of a particular only when formulated within the context of a particular theory. This is because the concepts they employ are theory. This is because the concepts they employ are only meaningful within the language of that theory. only meaningful within the language of that theory.

““It may be heuristically It may be heuristically useful to keep in mind useful to keep in mind what one has observed. what one has observed. But on principle, it is But on principle, it is quite wrong to try quite wrong to try grounding a theory on grounding a theory on observable magnitudes observable magnitudes alone. In reality the alone. In reality the very opposite happens. very opposite happens. It is the theory which It is the theory which determines what we determines what we can observe.” –Albert can observe.” –Albert EinsteinEinstein

Misconceptions Obscure VisionMisconceptions Obscure Vision

The premise that observation precedes theory is The premise that observation precedes theory is wrong.wrong.

Since observation statements presuppose some Since observation statements presuppose some theory, they are as fallible as the theory. Hence, theory, they are as fallible as the theory. Hence, they do not provide a completely secure basis they do not provide a completely secure basis for scientific knowledge. for scientific knowledge.

Ex: Henrich Hertz testing Maxwell Ex: Henrich Hertz testing Maxwell electromagnetic theory (3)electromagnetic theory (3)

Conclusion: Conditions for SeeingConclusion: Conditions for Seeing

Thus, seeing depends on: Thus, seeing depends on: 1. Where we are putting our attention1. Where we are putting our attention 2. Knowledge {ability to recognize}2. Knowledge {ability to recognize} 3. What we have heard3. What we have heard 4. Consciousness {one’s conceptions 4. Consciousness {one’s conceptions

about life, one’s desires, motivations, etc.}about life, one’s desires, motivations, etc.}

Defect 2: Tendency to Be IllusionDefect 2: Tendency to Be Illusion

Flat Earth Model

Defect 3: Tendency to Commit MistakesDefect 3: Tendency to Commit Mistakes

Defect 4: Tendency to CheatDefect 4: Tendency to CheatMany years, textbooks on evolutionCited the Piltdown man as evidenceThat human beings have descendedFrom an ape-like ancestor. In 1912,Archaeologist excavated a humanlikeSkull and apelike jaw from a gravel pit

at Piltdown, in the British Isles. The bones were deemedPart of the same creature, which was duly reconstructedIn full and placed in the British Museum as an exampleOf a transitional phase between ancient ape and modernMan. In 1953, however, investigators discovered that The jawbone of the Piltdown man was actually of veryRecent origin and had simply been filed to look like a Fossil. In other word, the Piltdown was a fraud.

Anumana PramanAnumana Praman(Hypothesizing Base on Evidence)(Hypothesizing Base on Evidence)

Where the senses fail to find the Where the senses fail to find the beginning, the mind takes overbeginning, the mind takes over..

The mind's attempt to know what is The mind's attempt to know what is beyond the reach of sense perception is beyond the reach of sense perception is called called anumanaanumana, reasoning, reasoning. .

Dr. Frog’s PhilosophyDr. Frog’s Philosophy

Movement of the Speculative MindMovement of the Speculative Mind ReflectiveReflective--the mind the mind

lays out the scope of lays out the scope of the problem the problem

CreativeCreative--the mind the mind creates a number of creates a number of possible causespossible causes

CriticalCritical--the mind the mind critically assesses critically assesses these possibilities in these possibilities in terms of evidence and terms of evidence and logic.logic.

Blind Men and the ElephantBlind Men and the Elephant

The Need of Scripture and GuruThe Need of Scripture and Guru

Critical thinking leaves us uncertain because of the Critical thinking leaves us uncertain because of the inability to go beyond the limit of our senses to see what inability to go beyond the limit of our senses to see what is “objectively” represented.is “objectively” represented.

Only somebody with complete vision can give perfect Only somebody with complete vision can give perfect knowledge.knowledge.

Krishna has perfect perception of reality and leaves Krishna has perfect perception of reality and leaves scriptures to share that perfect perception.scriptures to share that perfect perception.

Sadhus, or those deeply connected to God, speak from Sadhus, or those deeply connected to God, speak from the scriptures and thus allow for a complete picture. the scriptures and thus allow for a complete picture.

DarshanDarshan Hearing the science of Hearing the science of

God from great saintly God from great saintly persons is called persons is called darshan.darshan.

Darshan means “sight” Darshan means “sight” as well as “philosophical as well as “philosophical insight” or “discourse.”insight” or “discourse.”

By hearing from great By hearing from great saintly persons who are saintly persons who are devotees of God, we can devotees of God, we can come to see and realize come to see and realize the truth.the truth.

Shabda PramanShabda Praman

Objects beyond material nature (spiritual) cannot Objects beyond material nature (spiritual) cannot be known experimentally.be known experimentally.

Achintya means inconceivable for material mind Achintya means inconceivable for material mind and senses.and senses.

That which is achintya can be known only by That which is achintya can be known only by shabda, the process of hearing from Vedic shabda, the process of hearing from Vedic literature.literature.

Coming directly from God, Vedic knowledge is Coming directly from God, Vedic knowledge is free of the four defects.free of the four defects.

The Real Goal of EduationThe Real Goal of Eduation

Modern educational system teaches students in Modern educational system teaches students in schools and universities the knowledge obtained schools and universities the knowledge obtained by pratyasha and anuman praman, i.e, changing by pratyasha and anuman praman, i.e, changing relative truths.relative truths.

This knowledge may be good for filling our This knowledge may be good for filling our bellies, but cannot provide solution to the bellies, but cannot provide solution to the ultimate question’s of life: Why I am suffering? ultimate question’s of life: Why I am suffering? What is the ultimate destination of my life? How What is the ultimate destination of my life? How to become truly happy?to become truly happy?

The Boatman and the ScientistThe Boatman and the Scientist

Mundane knowledge of science and philosophy, although attractive to the mind and senses, cannotsave one at the time of death.

““I do not know what may I do not know what may appear to the world, but to appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have myself I seem to have been like a body playing been like a body playing by the seashore, and by the seashore, and diverting myself now and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”-undiscovered before me.”-Sir Isaac NewtonSir Isaac Newton

““The most beautiful and most profound The most beautiful and most profound emotion we can experience is the emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the sensation of the mystical. It is the sower of all true science. He to whom sower of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their primitive comprehend only in their primitive forms-this knowledge, this feeling is at forms-this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religousness.” the center of true religousness.” EiensteinEienstein

Knowledge Free From DefectsKnowledge Free From Defects Only God is free from Only God is free from

defects.defects. Vedas proclaim that the Vedas proclaim that the

truth contained in the Vedic truth contained in the Vedic literature are the words of literature are the words of God.God.

Thus, the knowledge is Thus, the knowledge is pure, absolute and if pure, absolute and if handed down, w/out handed down, w/out addition or substraction, addition or substraction, such unadulterated wisdom such unadulterated wisdom can give one the highest can give one the highest realization.realization.

““This knowledge is the This knowledge is the king of education, the king of education, the most secret of all most secret of all secrets. It is the purest secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and knowledge, and because it gives direct because it gives direct perception of the self perception of the self by realization, it is the by realization, it is the perfection of religion. perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.” is joyfully performed.” BG 9.2BG 9.2