A Series of Lessons in Gnani Yoga

GNANI YOGA

original: "Gnani Yoga" (Sanskrit: Jnana Yoga). The path of knowledge or wisdom, focused on understanding the ultimate reality through intellectual and spiritual discernment.

...is seen as but the manifestation of something even finer. But in losing these things of appearance and manifestation, we find ourselves brought face to face with a "Something Else" that we see must underlie all these varying forms, shapes, and manifestations. And that "Something Else" we call Reality, because it is real, permanent, and enduring. And although people may differ, dispute, wrangle, and quarrel about this Reality, there is still one point upon which they must agree, and that is that Reality is One—that underlying all forms and manifestations, there must be a One Reality from which all things flow. And this inquiry into this One Reality is indeed the "Question of Questions" of the Universe.

The highest reason of humanity—as well as its deepest intuition—has always recognized that this Reality or Underlying Being must be only ONE, of which all Nature is but varying degrees of manifestation, emanation, or expression. All have recognized that Life is a stream flowing from One great fountain original: "fount", the nature and name of which is unknown—some have said unknowable. However much people differ about theories regarding the nature of this "One," they all agree that it can be but One. It is only when people begin to name and analyze this One that confusion results.

Let us see what thinkers have thought and said about this One—it may help us to understand the nature of the problem.

The materialist A philosopher who believes that nothing exists except matter and its movements and modifications. claims that this "One" is something called Matter—self-existent, eternal, infinite, and con—