Читать книгу Making Your Wisdom Come Alive - Michael PhD Gluckman - Страница 9

Most spiritual practices in the United States, where I live, are based on the path of devotion, sometimes called the path of the heart. Devotion is based on faith. It is a perfectly valid practice for transcending death or for finding the place of life and happiness. However, there is another way that although less known is just as valid. It is a way for those who prefer reason and knowledge to faith; a way for those who ask lots of questions; for those who find that belief is accompanied by an equal portion of doubt.

This way is the path of knowledge, or the path of wisdom. In Sanskrit it is called Jnana and in Christianity it is called Gnosticism. In the path of knowledge the tools used are reason, knowledge, and questioning. Maybe this is why Saint Thomas was called “doubting Thomas.”

For Gnostics, those on the path of knowledge, reason and questioning are the fuel that powers them beyond the usual bounds of body and mind. For a Gnostic it is easier to step beyond these boundaries when their doubts get answered.

Gnostics use words as pointers. Their focus is on finding where the words point and not on the words themselves. If I told you that the crescent moon was particularly beautiful today and you asked me, “Where is the moon?” I could point to a tree and say, “See where two trees grow out of one trunk. Look between these two trees towards the hill and follow the hill to the very top. Then continue looking up and just above the peak of the hill you will see the moon.”

If, however, you look at my finger or continue to look at the trees or the hill, you will miss the beauty of the moon. Similarly, if you just look at these words and beautiful logical syllogisms, and forget to look at where they point, you will miss the mysterious beauty that exists right at your own center.

However, even as I was, I think you will be amazed at how detailed the path of knowledge is and how reason can point so clearly to the experience of infinity. Yes, that’s right, infinity, for when you see a path that can propel you to infinity, you can clearly see if there are any limitations to other paths.

You can even follow other paths, or use other techniques, but you will see clearly where these paths will take you and where they won’t. You won’t step on a crocodile to cross a river, or attempt to drink water from a mirage, or attempt to take a hot shower by turning on the cold water. This is the beauty of setting a benchmark of infinity for your meditation practice.

If you set your sights on that which is free from limitation and suffering, you will not stop short. You will continue your climb until you reach the summit. The sign of the summit is in the freedom that you feel.

But how can you ever get to infinity? In the next chapter, “How can I ever get to infinity?” we will show you the surprising answer to this question.