Some of the most powerful teachings, techniques and resources in all wisdom traditions emphasize the importance of the Knowing level. The Knowing level is the power of Unity which results from true knowing, from perceiving via mind that is clarified and unagitated, and thereby, undistorted. This Unity is the seamless integration of the forms within consciousness with the formless awareness which is the true self; unbound awareness, prior to what we’ve been conditioned to think of as the mind.
There are three fundamental components to consciousness in experience (the three levels of Living Unbound: Living, Knowing and Awareness), which can be viewed as pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
Awareness is singular, and unformed.
Living is diverse, and formed.
Knowing is the bridge, the hybrid, of formed-unformed, actual-potential; the two aspects of the reality that is fulfilled consciousness ever flowing through it; objectivity into subjectivity and subjectivity into objectivity; form into emptiness, emptiness into form.
The piece of the puzzle that represents the Awareness level, and piece which represents the Living level, don’t and can’t fit directly with each other. They need a connecting piece, a bridge. That’s where Knowing comes in; the Unity of Knowing connects Unbound Awareness with the Harmony of Living.
Most of us, prior to Living Unbound are familiar solely with the Living level, which we think of as the Living and the Knowing levels. Simply put: conditioning has us thinking that thoughts, feelings, sense of self, etc. are part of actual subjectivity. These forms are actually just forms in awareness; objects in awareness. This becomes obvious once it is seen that if you can think a thought, or feel a feeling, then you are not that thought or feeling. Seeing and experiencing this becomes much easier once a significant degree of inner silence has been developed (or, more accurately, reveal). The sages of all religions and wisdom traditions teach the importance of establishing this inner silence:
“Be still and know that I am God.”
~Psalms
“Yoga [Unity] is the absence of mind agitation.”
~Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
“The Tao which can be spoken of is not the Tao.”
~Tao Te Ching
“You have imposed non-existent limitations on yourself, or limits on your true nature of pure, infinite being. Now, you are displeased due to believing yourself to be a limited creature or character; and, you have started out doing spiritual practices in order to transcend these non-existent limitations. However, if your mind and practice themselves presuppose the existence of these invented limits, how can you ever transcend them?”
~Sri Ramana Maharshi
Here is an excellent article on Knowing The Unknowable from the Donmeh West website, by Reb Yakov Leib HaKohain, from the standpoint of multiple religions and wisdom traditions (including modern Psychology; Carl Jung is quoted in the article).
In yogic traditions, the level of Knowing is known as Shakti; Power or Ability in Sanskrit.
The Knowing level is unspeakably simple, but not always easy; it involves getting to know the hybrid nature of mind; both form and formless meeting as the knowing of the unity of self and objective experience. Knowing is the clear, unagitated awareness of clarified mind, experiencing the natural harmony of living.
For most of us, prior to experiencing the Unity of the Knowing level, actual knowing is obscured by the figurative cloud-cover of thoughts and feelings occurring in mind, which are mistaken for actuality.
That’s why the Shiva Sutras begin their Awareness level with the following two sutras:
True Self is Liberated Awareness
~Shiva Sutras 1.1
Knowledge is Bondage
~Shiva Sutras 1.2
How can you experience the Unity of Knowing?
Here are a couple of techniques to help get you started:
Techniques:
Resources: