Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam (Study)

by Sadhu Gyanananddas | 2021 | 123,778 words

This page relates ‘Knowledge for Information and Knowledge for Transformation’ of the study on the Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam in Light of Swaminarayan Vachanamrut (Vacanamrita). His 18th-century teachings belong to Vedanta philosophy and were compiled as the Vacanamrita, revolving around the five ontological entities of Jiva, Ishvara, Maya, Aksharabrahman, and Parabrahman. Roughly 200 years later, Bhadreshdas composed a commentary (Bhasya) correlating the principles of Vachanamrut.

3.1. Knowledge for Information and Knowledge for Transformation

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Knowledge of worldly affairs and knowledge of the ultimate reality sound like synonyms, but they are not. Though they all refer to the mind and an accumulation of thoughts and experiences, they have a vast difference in the essence of their meanings and their applications in our life. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts and data that we have acquired through study, research, investigation, observation, or experience, being aware of something and having information. Knowledge is knowing which things, practices, people, and pleasures make us happy. Moreover, those who possess this type of knowledge may not have touched the glory of Parabrahman and the scriptures.^[1]

Knowledge of ultimate spirituality which is sometimes referred to as wisdom, is the ability to discern and judge which aspects of that knowledge are true, right, lasting, and applicable to our life. It’s the ability to apply that knowledge to the greater scheme of life. It’s also deeper; knowing the meaning or reason, knowing why something is, and what it means to our life. Wisdom is knowing that while those things may bring us pleasure, happiness is not derived from things or situations or people. It is an understanding that happiness comes from within. One acquires knowledge of Brahman and Parabrahman in two ways. When an aspirant is in sādhanadaśā (primely spiritual state), whatever he knows or feels is all informative knowledge. Even one who is the master of all Vedic texts and a winner of all philosophical debates still has primary knowledge. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad calls it aparā vidyā.^[2] It is utterly basic and primary knowledge. It helps the aspirant to earn name, fame, bread and butter. It deals with this physical body and the physical world but it has nothing to do with ultimate spirituality. However, it is still significant because for a true aspirant; it paves the way to the ultimate knowledge, which is known as parā vidyā.^[3]

Parāvidyā, as Bhadreśadāsa explains, is the vidyā by which a spiritual aspirant becomes brahmarūpa-attains a state like that of Akṣarabrahman.”^[4] People call it wisdom as well. This knowledge is accomplished through the grace of Parabrahman and the Brahmasvarūpa Guru. In this knowledge, the aspirant experiences oneness with Brahman. It is the siddhadaśā (ultimate spiritual state). In this state, he experiences and enjoys the ultimate knowledge of Brahman and Parabrahman. That is why it is identified as transformative knowledge. Aparā vidyā and parā vidyā have no quarrel between them. Though parā vidyā is ultimate knowledge, both are valuable and both have a place in our lives. The difficulty lies in the fact that many of us are unclear as to their differences, often perceiving the terms and their application to be interchangeable. Being clear and consciously aware of how our minds are engaged may be important to get the most out of them. While acquiring and applying information is valuable in and of itself, we also need to distill and judge that information and ultimately find the deeper meaning and relevance to the whole of our lives.