59. 87. Don't know.

# 87. Don't know

In Seattle meditation camp, an American parent brought their son to me.

The parents said, 'This boy does not listen to us at all. Furthermore, if some relative gives him some advice, he laughs at them sarcastically and winks at us with meaning. We do not understand his thinking or his actions. What is the solution for this problem?'

When I spoke to that boy separately, the reply he gave surprised me. 'Why should I listen to them? My mom and dad are not peaceful; not happy. Those relatives, who advise me once in a way, are also struggling like my parents. If I listen to the advice of these persons and adopt them, will I not also suffer in the future like these persons? No, no, no! I don't want to listen to this useless advice. I am happier than these persons. Why should I spoil my happiness by listening to them?' said the boy.

What is stated above is only a small portion of life known to us. Like this couple, 'unknown portions' of the life known to you, may be there in plenty.

To us beyond what is known in the nearness of what is not known though known to us but not understood by us, bliss is present in all its fullness.
'I know', whenever this thought arises in whatever action you do, then, from that day itself, the progress and growth of that action will begin to decrease.
'I know every thing'

When such a thought is born in the mind, the very next second, the progress of that action will completely cease. Reason: You already know every thing! Instead of becoming mature, he will begin to get slackened.

'I do not know' When this clarity arises, from that very moment itself, a new speed will catch up with the man's growth process. He will bloom like a flower automatically.

I will begin with a sensational statement.

A very proud and egoistic pundit (a man of learning) had come to see Thathuvachariar, who was delivering a discourse.

From the very look, and the looks of the pundit, Thathuvachariar instantly understood that the pundit was coming with the thought in his mind, 'What do these people know? Poor ones! This Thathuvachariar is making a big fuss capitalizing on the innocence of these people.'

'What do you know? Just because you know some scriptural principles, you are deceiving these people, as if you know every thing! What do you know about Shastras?' – As the pundit was thinking in this manner, he was about to ask him this angrily.

As he was about to open his mouth, Thathuvachariar simply asked him, 'Wherefrom does this anger come to you?'

The pundit got rather confused as this question came like an arrow from an altogether different plane.

He broke down, not being able to know the answer for this simple ordinary question of Thathuvachariar.

After thinking for a long time, as he just completed saying, 'I don't know.'

Thathuvachariar asked him, 'Why you are unable to remain joyful at all times?'

Surpassing his scholarship, the pundit felt as though the question of Thathuvachariar was pricking him sharply somewhere within himself. It appeared to the pundit as if the ground below him was giving way as he was standing itself.

Slowly as he returned to his normal state and as he finished saying, 'I don't know', Thathuvachariar asked him, 'Why is it that even your own wife has not understood you completely? Are all the people in this world fools? Or, is it that only you and you alone are the only one intelligent here?'

When the pundit was asked such basic questions about himself in the presence of so many people the pundit was perplexed and shaken.

The pundit thought to himself, 'I came here thinking that Thathuvachariar does not know anything but I am now unable to answer even one of his questions.' The moment the pundit thought like this, he became tensed.

Still, as there was the compulsion for him to give a reply, he finished saying in a very low voice, 'Don't know'.

Thathuvachariar asked, 'When you came here, you came like a majestic and sturdy bull, but why are you now standing like a sheep, which is about to die? Why have you changed like this?'

Frustration caught hold of the pundit.

His legs began shaking.

With his voice stammering, he said, 'Master, I don't know any thing at all. Truly I am telling. I do not know any thing.' So saying he fell on the feet of Thathuvachariar and began to cry.

Thathuvachariar, with a graceful smile, raised the pundit up and with a warm embrace, said, 'Now you see, are all those sitting here innocent?'

The pundit said, 'Master, please excuse me! I had very little knowledge and it pertained only to scriptures. Though this was the case the pride that I 'know all things' was gripping me tightly. This pride prevented me from knowing the truth and the reality.'

As he completed saying this, Thathuvachariar asked, 'Which truth?'

The pundit said, 'I just now came to know the truth that 'I don't know'. I also understood now that those present here also have understood this truth before me. Master, only now I got the reply for my big doubt.'

Thathuvachariar again asked, 'Which doubt?'

'In the world, as compared to the stupid persons, who know that they do not know only the fools, who think that they know, are more in number. I have come out of that foolishness. Further, I understand as to why there is only less number of people around the living Masters like you. Only fools who say, 'I know this, I know that' are more in number in the world. That is why the

number of people who want to know the truth is less', the pundit laughingly finished saying.

An interesting competition to the readers of this article...

Let us examine in a thorough manner as to what we know. If you know the answer, put a tick mark in the box. One, who knows the answer, is really a person who knows every thing.

While sleeping where are you inside your body? How are you then?
We say that the mind is the main reason for all problems. We clearly know that we do have a mind. Where and how is it?
Before you were born where were you?
Where is the God or the natural energy which makes us all move about?
Why did this universe get formed?

Add to this all the questions which were asked of the pundit.

By keeping in the mind only the philosophic ideas read in some books, do not come to the conclusion, 'I know this; I know that!' All subjects such as science, medicine, language, art, business and politics are all small parts of life only. Even if a person has mastered a particular subject, he will not know about life fully.

Even in case you have known any thing about life...

Unless you have felt and realized the truths consciously at the being level, there is no big difference between what you know and the undigested ideas that others know which have not been personally experienced by them.

Lastly I would like to mention one truth and end this essay.

Unless and until we do not know that we do not know, we will never come to know about the fact that we do not know. If we know that we do not know, at least one thing will be known that 'we do not know'.

Begin to know...

A meaningful incident.

When Einstein touched the peak of science, he told the world, 'Further than this, I do not know...'

Next he said, 'Here science ends and spirituality starts...'

Further he said, 'Science without the addition of spirituality is lame.'

Continue consciously to reach the target of 'don't know'.

Meditation Chisels. Chisel No. 42.