In university, I noticed that the majority of students would often just study the class material and books excessively and learn it by heart. And then in the exam, if a situation came up that hadn’t been discussed in the class or a book they didn’t know how to handle it or answer it.
I recently attended my first Satsang with Mooji* in Rishikesh, India and the situation reminded me of this. It seemed like a lot of people follow what he says and writes but don’t necessarily apply the knowledge to experience their own truth. They listen and understand his path but then follow his path and truth instead of finding and experiencing their own.
*(Mooji is a well-known spiritual teacher and his Satsangs (sessions of questions and answers) are an invitation to step into the fire of Self-discovery)
“It is all about experiential truth. The greatest knowledge you get is through intuitive knowing.”
(Mooji)
It seems that a lot of people struggle with their minds. Their monkey mind racing and thinking about what Mooji says. And not being able to find silence to reflect and integrate Mooji’s words in their lives.
No matter where or what you hear or read – in university, in a Satsang with a guru or anything you read – don’t conclude anything your mind tells you about what you heard or read. Go into your heart! Only because things have been said, done or written does not mean they are right nor make sense.
And it is not just Mooji suggesting this – which for me is quite logical as I always question everything I hear or read to find my own truth. But also in a book on Buddhism I read recently, it says the same in different words. “… it’s not just a matter of you believing something. Through experimentation comes experience; through experience comes realization. We don’t call mere intellectual understanding realization; without experience, knowledge is dry. If we don’t actualize the teachings and don’t gain experience we’ll remain dry until the day we die…”.
Knowledge without experience is merely philosophy; experience without knowledge is ignorance.
Dr. Joe Dispenza
Your gurus and teachers in life are your milestones. You meet them along the way and learn from them. And then you take that learning and develop yourself further. You keep on going on your path. You move past the milestone and move further along your path. You are not supposed to carry the milestones with you. That would become too heavy.
I hope this little post encourages you to question things you hear and read and don’t just blindly follow others or try to live on intellectual understanding only. Find your own truth through your own experiences and acquired knowledge. Not through borrowed knowledge.
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