The
knower, the known and the knowledge of
filognosy
(1)
Aylen
said: 'I'd like to know everything about the object of
knowledge and the knowledge itself, about the material
world and the person, about the field of knowledge and
the knower of the field, o man of harmony.'
(2) The
fortunate one said: 'O son of Alice, by the ones who
know the reality is this physical body that we have,
called the field, and is the witness within this body
called the knower of the field. (3) O son of the Many
dynasty, you are correct if you consider me the knower
of the field in all the fields; the way I see it is
spiritual knowledge that knowledge which is concerned
with the field as well as with the knower of the
field. (4) Let me now explain in short to you what
that field of action actually is, what forms it
assumed and where they belong to, as also about the
knower within and what his dignity is.
(5) In
many ways is it by the seers in the scriptures
described in the various hymns and in the form of
comments put in verses explicit about the matter of
cause and effect. (6-7) There are the external fields
of 1 - one's material business, 2 - one's private
interest of intelligence, 3 - one's club-interest of
association to the so-called non-apparent, and 4 - the
social interest of the identified ego or
I-awareness19.
Furthermore are there the internal fields, which are
the departments of the brain, of 1 - the active and
receptive functions of the senses, 2 - the cognition
of the cortical versus the emotions one has with the
objects of the senses of like and dislike, happiness
and distress, and 3 - the combination of the lateral
functions of a - the awareness of space and the active
force thereof, as opposed to b - the linear function
of planning things in time with one's determination
and language20.
Thus are the states, or forms the original nature
changed into, summed up. (8-12) The dignity of a human
being in relation to these fields in the sense of
being humble, modest and nonviolent; peaceful, simple
and faithful to the teacher of example; clean,
steadfast, and self-controlled; detached and
unidentified with the sensory in being aware of the
defects and miseries of birth, death, old age and
disease; not fostering any prejudice and the not being
entangled with a child, a wife or a home, as also ones
being constant and equal-minded in the realization of
what and when something is wanted and not wanted;
being of an unalloyed, unbroken devotion unto me, the
integrity of all the fields, as well as of retreat in
secluded places without being attached to people in
general; to be of self-knowledge and stability in the
realization of the truth for the sake of finding
association to the divine - is all declared to be of
filognosy4,
true knowledge, or, as belonging to the internal as
well as the external fields; and that what deviates
from this is nescience.
(13) Let
me tell you about the knowable over which I hold sway:
it is the beginningless supreme of the Absolute
Truth21
which tastes like nectar and which is nor something
that happens, nor something that doesn't exist. (14)
Existing with hands, legs, eyes, heads, faces and ears
extending everywhere, it encompasses everything in the
world. (15) As reflected with all the senses and their
qualities is it yet without all those senses the
unattached maintainer of all; being itself independent
of the qualities is it also the ruler of the
qualities. (16) It is inside as well as outside of the
living entities that move or not move; it is the
reality known which is not known of being so subtle;
it is far away and yet as near as that. (17) Undivided
within all living beings it seems to be divided, and
in the position of the maintainer of all is the
Absolute of God also understood as evolving and
devouring all. (18) As the light in all luminous
objects is it the source of light as well, and as the
knowledge beyond the darkness is it just as well the
filognosy, the love of knowledge, in the heart of
everyone. (19) And thus has the field, the filognosy
as also the known itself been described by me; it is
my devotee who, attaining my nature, understands all
this. (20) The combination of the person and the
material nature22
you must know as being sourceless, and also should you
know the three modes23,
together with their transformations in different forms
and stages of life, as being the time-bound effect
that was produced by that material nature. (21)
Material nature is mentioned as the reason of why we
have cause and effect in the sense of having a doer or
causer - in the form of time, the natural force or the
modes24
-, while the person is said to be the cause of having
experiences of happiness and distress. (22) The person
situated in a material position enjoys the three
qualities produced by material nature, and as a
consequence is the person, who is attached that way,
of either a good or a bad channel of rebirth.
(23) One
speaks of yet another, transcendental person situated
within this body who is the supervisor and permitter,
the master and Supersoul, the Supreme Lord and
enjoyer25.
(24) He who, in this twofold sense, understands how
material nature, the three qualities and the person
are related, will, regardless the situation, never
have to start a new life again. (25) Some see that
Supersoul of the qualities within themselves by means
of meditation, others see it by weighing things in
yogic analysis, and still others arrive at the insight
by means of uniting the consciousness in selfless
service. (26) Other people not that proficient in the
spirituality, try to be of worship by simply listening
to what others say; they also, devoted to the hearing
process, transcend the notion of death. (27) O leader
of the Many dynasty, whatever comes into being you
must see, whether exists animate or inanimate, as a
result of the marriage between the field and the
knower of the field. (28) He who truly sees, is the
one who sees the imperishable Lord in the beyond of
all the perishable living entities. (29) He, sure to
see the Lord as equally situated everywhere, will,
with the soul, never lose his self-respect and will
consequently reach the goal of transcendence. (30)
Anyone realizing that all that is done, in every way
is the result of being conditioned by material nature,
and that one, as the soul, is not the doer at all,
sees it perfectly. (31) When one next sees that life,
the way it expanded everywhere into different
identities, rests in oneness, attains one that very
moment the Absolute of the Spirit. (32) This
inexhaustible self, even though dwelling in the body,
never does anything nor gets entangled ever, because
it is eternal and transcendentally positioned on top
of the modes of nature. (33) This embodied soul is, in
its non-involvement, alike the all-pervading
ether26,
which in its subtlety never mixes with anything. (34)
Like the one sun that illumines all the world, does
this one soul within this body illumine all and
everything, o son of the Many dynasty. (35) Those who,
gifted with the filognostic vision, thus know of the
difference between the field and the knower of the
field, and know about the possibility for the living
being to find liberation from the material world, are
the ones who reach the
supreme.
