When Knowledge Becomes Realization

-         Mansha Chowdhry

Many times in Sangat, we hear that talking and hearing about God is important, but more important still is the Realisation of God.  There is a great difference between the two.  The realization of God can occur through the Brahm Gyan – it’s when you receive an experience of enlightenment, through an enlightened soul.  I believe that the realization of God is to truly understand what Gyan is and then, to act upon it.

Knowledge is like the opening of the door to the path of worship, and realization is actually taking steps ad walking on that path.  As saints say, if knowledge is a candle, realization is a candle that has been lit.

Let’s look at an example.  Say a new president has been elected for a certain country and I am visiting that country and am planning on living there in future.  Therefore, I try to find out information about the president who governs the country.  I undertake research about the president and form a certain opinion, and an image.  Now, I have knowledge about this president, but it’s just knowledge until I actually meet the president, because after meeting him I’ll realise if the image I created about him matches what he is.

May be after a series of meetings, I’ll come to an understanding about the president a whether he’s capable to govern the country or not.  If we examine this process we’ll find that getting knowledge was just the beginning which led to understanding and finally converted into belief.  This belief or realization changes my decision whether I want to live in this country or not.  Similar is the process of worship, if I think knowledge is the end of the story, than I am wrong because the ingredient of belief will be missing in the process, and belief won’t be converted into actions.

After receiving Brahm Gyan, we need to understand it.  “Understand” doesn’t mean we have to know the literal meaning.  It really means we have to visualize what image we are carrying about us, our lives, and God.  We have to examine these images and have to break our barriers so that this knowledge goes in our minds permanently.  Then only our belief will be stronger and actions will synchronize with the knowledge we received.

No matter what situations we are facing we’ll get the solutions through this knowledge.  It’s like nourishing a small plant.  When we put the seeds in the ground, we need to nourish and look after it so it becomes a tree one day.  We need to water the plant, provide air and sunlight, and protect it from the wind.  Similarly, the Gyan is a divine seed in our mind and soul.  We need to look after this seed through regular congregation, service, Simran and continuous thinking about what we have been told and what we are doing.  No doubt one day, this seed can become a tree, offering shade and fruit to all.

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