Self Transformation through Knowlerience

Self Transformation is self liberation followed by self development followed by self expression.

An individual may have many aims. He gets joy and satisfaction only after achieving his aim. However, he is unaware that hidden behind every aim, is the chief aim of self transformation. This can be termed as ‘Aim Beyond Aim’. Self transformation refers to realizing one’s potential and then expressing it. In this article Sirshree presents the perspective with which one should approach this aim.

“Self Transformation is self liberation followed by self development followed by self expression. Self Liberation refers to freedom from negativities such as fear, worry, anger, etc. Self Development refers to improving positive qualities, working on every level of life. Once you are liberated from negativities and have developed your qualities, the demonstrable results in your life and their impact on those around you become your Self expression. In other words,

Self Transformation = Self Liberation (from problems) + Self Development (in all 5 areas of life *) + Self Expression (the impact on your life and others)

Self Transformation is akin to blossoming. A photograph is of no use if it remains confined within the camera itself. For a photograph to be expressed to the world, it first needs to be washed and then developed.

The one who is in the path of self transformation is a warrior. A warrior takes everything in life to be a challenge, responding fully to what happens without complaint or regret. What usually matters most to people is affirmation or certainty in the eyes of others; what matters most to a warrior is commitment to transformation. This warrior is one who has clarity of body, mind and intellect. Clarity with respect to the body refers to being aware of postures, the breath, the interplay of the physical elements, becoming sensitive to just how much food and sleep is actually needed. Clarity with respect to the mind refers to clarity of emotions, thoughts and different mental states. Not getting caught up in the whirlings of the mind, retaining the balance in their flow of thoughts. Clarity of intellect refers to not being muddled or confused about what is happening. And he does not have this clarity at merely an intellectual level, but at an experiential level. He is a warrior with knowlerience.

Knowlerience

Knowlerience is a word that you will not find in the dictionary. Knowlerience refers to knowledge and experience. Knowledge could be mere expression in words. Experiential knowledge is what is more important, not just intellectual knowledge.

You have understood that Self Transformation is needed across the three layers of the body, mind and intellect and in the five levels of life. But mere understanding is not enough.

For the transformation of the body, you have to practice a proper diet (pure diet), practice breath control (pranayama), exercise, and take timely rest. Also, you should seek the benefits of all the gifts of nature such as air, water, sunlight, natural herbs, etc. Many have a ‘body of knowledge’ about the body. Only when they practice what is mentioned therein, they have knowlerience of body transformation.

For the transformation of the mind, you should practice cultivating optimistic thoughts (Happy Thoughts) and a strong aim. Be deeply watchful of your thoughts and you will be liberated from vices such as fear, worry, anger etc. Many have a mindful load of information about the mind. Only when they practice a few things from that truck load of information, they have knowlerience of mind transformation.

For the transformation of the intellect, you should practice farsightedness, originality, practicality and act as per what the situation needs. Many intellectually understand the intellect. Only when they practice what they intellectually understand, they have knowlerience of intellectual transformation.

Even if you are told the deepest secret of the universe, it would appear as just empty words until there was enough practice.”

You will find more information about this topic in the book by the same name. In it you’ll also find an action plan for each aspect showing how you could plan your actions and work your plan. Imbibe them and you will have knowlerience of self transformation. Then you would have learnt to convert problems into opportunities.

Note : * 5 areas of life are : physical, mental, financial, social and spiritual

Spiritual Transformation and beyond 12 steps

The road to spiritual transformation is a 12 step path and there are 12 states that are progressively experienced. We will learn 12 steps in this article and 12 states in the next one.

The 12 steps

Illustration: "Stairway to Heaven" by Jim Warren

The mind of the seeker can aid or can abort his spiritual progress. There are 12 steps that a seeker progresses through. The mind can get stuck at any 1 step. The mind ought to be given the understanding that it has to keep progressing up the steps.

Step 1 : What?

As a child grows, the child starts asking the question, What?. What is this? What is that? It wants to explore everything. So, the first step is the question that the child poses to the world what?

Step 2 : How?

As the child starts to learn new words and starts to make meaning, then the word what slowly starts losing significance. The second step enfolds. The child starts to ask the question, How?. How does this work? How does that work? He asks everyone the question how. Children nowadays know the answer to the question how fairly early. They can operate computers and mobile phones at a very early age.

Step 3 : Why?

The third question is a critical junction. The child starts asking, why? Parents are now in a fix. The child asks, why did someone die? Parents can at most explain that he died out of sickness. The child then asks, but why do human beings die at all? Parents may be dumbstruck. They tell the child not to ask a why for everything. The child asks why shouldn’t I?

Step 4 : I know

When the answer to why is suppressed, many children erroneously form conclusions and stop at Step 4. They have got a few readymade answers to the question why. They have received some basic kindergarten answers to the most profound questions of life. The child, now a youth, starts to imagine that he knows it all.

Step 5 : I dont know

At this step, the youth listens to a discourse. Maybe reads a book. And then it hits him (or her) that I don’t know. However, many do not even progress to this step. Now at least he knows that he doesn’t know. This is very fortunate that he has received the first gem of wisdom that he is not wise at all.

Step 6 : I am in KG

The youth then starts understanding various concepts of spirituality. He starts understanding about concepts such as karma, heaven and hell, liberation, etc. He assimilates all answers, but there is a vacuum somewhere. He wants to know more. He wants the final answer. He realizes that all that he knows is either GK or KG. General Knowledge or mere knowledge of KinderGarten spirituality. Now he is a bit wiser. The answers he has received are not wrong. They have their own place. But they are still correct to the extent of Kindergarten spirituality only. The thirst for the final answer begins to arise.

Step 7 : I want to know.

In this step, he has become a seeker. Now the thirst to know the final answer deepens. He yearns to know the truth. A thought occurs that I want to be liberated from all thoughts. This is a happy thought. He has now progressed through steps such as, I don’t know, I may not know and is now at I must know.

Step 8 : I have knowledge

At this step, he now understands the truth intellectually. He intellectually knows what is the meaning of duality, non duality, Self at Rest, Self in Action, etc. At this transformational step, he derives happiness by intellectually knowing and understanding the truth.

Step 9 : I am knowledge

At this step, the seeker understands that what he is, is nothing but knowledge itself. Now he has progressed from intellectually knowing and saying that I have knowledge to I am knowledge. He understands that there is no one else to know. There is no individual who will be left to know the knowledge. Knowledge is. Experience is. Experience is experiencing experience through experience in experience. At this step in the transformation of the seeker, the seeker and the sought are no longer separate. The knowledge seeker and the knowledge sought are no longer different.

Step 10 : I am is knowledge.

At step 10, he transcends even further. Now even I am knowledge is transcended. Only I am remains. This is the bright wisdom (Tejgyan) that is brought forth. However isness continues to exist. With the experience and existence of I am, the knowledge is complete.

Step 11: Am is.

At Step 11, the I also does not exist. There is no knowledge either. What remains is just amamness. isness. Beingness in truest sense begins. Just being. Just presence.

Step 12 : Bright silence

At this step, there are no words. Just bright silence (tranquillity). After the 12th step, the expression (demonstration) of the bright silence occurs. Only after all 12 steps have been ascended, does life in its truest sense begin.