Part 4 - The Corollary

Knowledge is multi-dimensional

When we refer to knowledge or process of reaching truth, we should understand that we do not imply mere mugging of books and memorization of facts. There is a whole science in Vedas on what is meant by knowledge and various forms of acquiring it. But to put things in simple perspective, truth means knowing something the way it is. And knowledge is the process leading towards it. This is a multidimensional approach.

The toolkit with us to acquire knowledge is 6 fold - 5 senses (eyes, ears, nose, skin, tongue) and its controller - the mind. The toolkit for us to experiment with knowledge is again our body (hands, legs, speech etc) and its controller - the mind again. The mind is supported  by the hard disk or the brain cells where we store and retrieve information. All these tools should be used maximally for acquisition of knowledge.

In Vedic parlance, it is supposed to be done through a three-fold approach - Knowledge, Action and Contemplation. Knowledge here means input of information through five senses and mind. Action implies use of our body and mind to implement this knowledge as output. Contemplation means analysis of input and output to derive distilled lessons. All the three should go hand in hand. And simultaneously, the efforts to keep the toolkit well-maintained should also go hand in hand. In fact this effort towards maintenance of the toolkit is another means of expanding knowledge.

Thus we can well understand that this knowledge spans across all our senses and organs and hence is truly multi-dimensional. And unless a multidimensional approach is undertaken, our efforts of knowledge acquisition and hence bliss maximization would remain incomplete. Further, this has to be undertaken in most objective manner. There is no place for blind beliefs and unreasoned assumptions in the Vedic dharma.