The concept of “knowing Self” came to us from the earliest recorded history of Hinduism and adapted to Buddhism and Jesus’ teachings. A similar idea comes from The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, which begins with “Yoga is the control of the modifications of the mind.” The practice of keeping the mind even and without a dual (separate) nature.

A critical feature of “knowing the Self” is keeping the mind still, not in its dual nature or separateness. The ego, an untrained mind, or personality creates duality–separateness. Separateness creates right vs wrong, good vs evil and how also seeks identity by saying, “I’m better than you.” it turns into jealousy, envy, hate, doubt, fear, anger and war.

Let’s begin the descent from an untrained mind to Self-Adhyatma-Vidya, or Atma-Vidya, a knowledge of the ultimate Self, which is the only remedy for the malady of suffering.

In the Hindu scriptures of the Upanishads, there’s a conversation between Narada, an educated man and Sanatkumara–a Divine Being. Narada represents humanity coming to God or Divine Beings asking to show the way to nirvana, enlightenment or ascension.

Chandogya Upanishad

Narada, an educated man, comes to his teacher, Sanatkumara, and says: “Great Sir, master, divine sage, here I am at your feet. Teach me.” It was a very simple request. “Teach me.” “What should I teach you? What is your difficulty? You are yourself a very learned person. Let me know what you already know. And if there is anything left, I shall tell you that. What is the education that you have already acquired? Tell me that. Then I will speak to you—Yad-vetta tena mopasida, tatastaurdhvam vaksyamiti.”

Narada says: “Great master, I have studied the Rigveda. I am proficient in it. I have studied Yajurveda. I am a master of it. I am an expert in the Samaveda. I know the Atharvaveda. I am a master of the epics and the Puranas, and I know everything about grammar. Nothing is unknown to me. I know mathematics, prophecy, and the science of treasures and am an expert in logic. I know ethics and politics, I know astrology and astronomy, I know the six auxiliary limbs of the Vedas, I know physical science, and I know music, art and dancing. There is nothing practically through the course of which I have not passed. It is what I have learned, my dear master. So, I have answered your question about what I have already studied.” He has a degree in every science and every art. So here is the list of all the certificates that Narada has.

“All this is only name,” says Sanatkumara. “All this knowledge is nothing. That is why you have no peace.” (Name is information on how things work).

Narada says: “Yes, these are only words. These are only nomenclatures. I have heard from others that someone who knows the Self crosses over sorrow. What is this Self? I am in sorrow. Despite all this learning, I am in a state of grief. I have come to you, great master, with a request to take me beyond the ocean of sorrow. I am in internal suffering, which has not been relieved by my learning and knowledge.

Sanatkumara replies: “There is a great point in whatever you have learned, no doubt, but this knowledge has not helped you for the simple reason that nothing can help you unless it is a part of your Being, unless it is a part of Self. Nothing that is outside you can be of any help to you.

Anything extraneous to yourself is not going to free you from sorrow. The source of your suffering is what is outside you, which is an external self for you. It is not the Primary Self. Thus, the knowledge that you have about these things which you have mentioned just now is not the knowledge of the Self of these things, but the knowledge of the names of these things, the nomenclature of these things, and you have an idea of all these things. It’s what is called theoretical knowledge of the things in the world. But what is the good of it? So, my dear Narada, all this is name only: these are words, all this is language, this is theory, this is information, nothing more than this. What you enumerated just now, Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda, Itihasas, Puranas, this science, that science, this art, that art;—all this is nothing but words and words. They seem to tell you a lot, but they cannot ultimately help you unless you enter into their Being, unless you become their Self.”

Sanatkumara continues: “Now, well, I will tell you once again that this is only theory, and therefore, it is not of much consequence in your life, but it has an importance in that it is the beginning of knowledge. Therefore, meditate on ‘name.’”

Interpretation

Though mere information is not of any ultimate utility in one’s practical life, it is not without some utility because learning begins with information gathering.

The idea of an object precedes the actual knowledge of the object. Unless we have some concept of the object, how can we approach the object at all? The idea by itself is not the substance, but we have to approach the essence through the concept, through the idea. Practice comes after theory. Without theoretical knowledge, we will have no scientific background in art or science. Then we cannot master that thing, the art or science.

The first stage is towards the knowledge of things. When we wish to gain an understanding of any object, the first thing that we do is to gain information about that object. We get a descriptive knowledge of that object. This is what is meant here when Sanatkumara says that all Narada has learned is only ‘name.’

The name of an object includes every kind of information about the thing. Thus, says Sanatkumara to Narada: “You, first of all, assure yourself that you have complete knowledge of objects insofar as their name goes. Though beyond that, you cannot go, at least within that realm, be a master. You must have a correct descriptive knowledge of these things.”

The whole principle of the ascent of the soul to higher stages of realization is that the higher cannot be reached unless that law operating in the lower realm is fully fulfilled.

Whoever meditates on ‘name’ as Brahman (God) has freedom in this manner, to that extent of, and in that particular realm of, the name only.

Narada asks: “Is there not anything more than this?” “Yes, there is something more than this,” replies Sanatkumara. “What is that
something which is more than the name?” asks Narada.

To be continued . . .

excerpt from Swami Krishnananda-Sivananda Ashram, India