Knowing the Truth

As it has already been seen that word, mind and deed are to be unified at a single point when one wants to transform one’s karmas to nishkama karma. The performance of nishkama karma is bhakthi or devotion. Since devotion is nothing but the performance of nishkama karma and since words, deeds and mind are inseparable in the act of performance of nishkama karma, then it is highly deplorable to say that devotion is inferior when compared to karma (action) and gyana (knowlwdge). But what it really means is that karma, gyana and bhakthi are non-dualistic and are inseparable in the act of performing them. This fact has to be reemphasized in the present day world because the present world thinks in terms of intellectual hierarchy and it believes that a man who contemplates on intellectual concepts are only superior and generally it is perceived that such a person takes the lead over others. But this cannot be admitted as a logical fact or statement woven into advaita system because a man who does something for the benefit of all (For example a farmer who cultivates the land and produces food for the rest of the world) is performing a sort of devotion or bhakthi. Such a man can never be inferior to a person, who discovers a scientific doctrine. But generally it is believed that a person who discovers a scientific doctrine is superior when compared to a farmer. This type of inferiority-superiority distinction can be seen so grave in the present day world. So what I’m telling is that devotion is nothing but performance of karma for the benefit of one and all and a person who attains such a state of devotion must be the most intelligent person because he is a gyani or a person who knows the truth. Gyani in Indian systems of thought especially in Advaita system is one who knows the truth. Truth is not an abstract entity but a concrete reality to be experienced by everybody, in their contextual limitations. Truth can be known by not by the gifted few or intellectually superior persons only but by one and all. Since truth is accessible to all or known to all then nobody can say that I alone am competent to know truth. To know truth means to experience it. Experiencing truth is an act of karma. Therefore, knowledge can never be separated from karma. Again, let me refer Mahatma Gandhi who was totally against the concept of separating knowledge from practical application. He had the opinion that a person who bursts in line with this impractical idea is violating the eternal vows such as ‘aparigraha’. What it says is that the one who concentrates on karma or contemplates on wisdom may be doing the same non-dualistic act of karma.