David Bruce Hughes

Knowledge is always very important and valuable. Without knowledge we cannot accomplish anything. Knowledge of the interactions of cause and effect in time is the foundation for all human endeavor and activity. Knowledge also supports our faith. Therefore, knowledge is required to achieve advancement in spiritual life.

In Western materialistic society, people with advanced education generally attain considerably more income and status than less educated people, who are considered unfortunate and ignorant. Similarly in spiritual society, devotees with deep spiritual knowledge are considered more advanced than those whose knowledge is superficial or incomplete. Devotees who have personally realized the purport of transcendental knowledge are even more advanced. In this context, knowledge is broadly defined as not only intellectual knowledge expressible in words and other symbols, but also cognitive knowledge such as the elevated spiritual moods and states of profound devotional consciousness.

Transcendentalists of other orientations, such as impersonalists, yogis and jnanis, also stress the importance of spiritual knowledge. Although they think themselves far more advanced in knowledge than the simple devotees, this is an illusion. Other transcendentalists often stress learning and stage showy public lectures and debates to advertise their knowledge. However, devotees do not care so much for knowledge in itself, but only as it supports and encourages their engagement in confidential devotional service. They are not inclined to display their knowledge openly unless there is some need to establish or defend the process of devotional service of the Lord. But actually, the pure devotees of the Lord possess far greater opulence in transcendental knowledge than any other transcendentalists.

Therefore, even though we may have nice devotional sentiments toward the Lord, or fortunately be connected with devotional service through good association, we should always endeavor to cultivate and increase our transcendental knowledge. Spiritual knowledge is acquired by hearing from those who have realized it. This is best done by hearing directly in personal association, or by reading a book, or by other media such as recordings.

The Lord says that of all devotees, "the wise one who is in full knowledge in union with Me through pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me." [Bhagavad-gita 7.19] Of course, devotees who are less complete in knowledge are also dear to the Lord. Anyone who comes to the Lord for any purpose, or at any stage of life, is a mahatma or great soul. But a devotee with mature spiritual knowledge is very dear to the Lord, because his only purpose is to serve the Supreme Lord with intense love and devotion. Such a devotee cannot remain without contacting or serving the Supreme Lord at every moment.

In spiritual life there are four kinds of knowledge: public knowledge, confidential knowledge, more confidential knowledge and most confidential knowledge. As the disciple becomes more and more advanced in spiritual life, he or she becomes qualified to hear and realize more and more confidential levels of spiritual knowledge. Finally, the devotee attains complete knowledge by the direct grace of the Lord. This supreme, most confidential knowledge is the perfection of spiritual life.

Ordinary religious knowledge is available to anyone through public sources. For example, everyone knows that God exists. They may or may not have faith; that is a different question. But certainly everyone has heard of God. And most people have some vague idea of God's instructions, that He wants us to love Him, be kind to other people and so on. This is public knowledge.

Confidential knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is originated by Kṛṣṇa Himself, and is passed down to us by realized souls through the chain of disciplic succession. This confidential knowledge is realized through the process of initiation. One must become qualified to receive confidential knowledge. Just as one speaks of personal finances only to a trusted friend or advisor, the great souls of the disciplic lineage reveal confidential knowledge of spiritual life only to their personal disciples and trusted intimate friends.

Confidential knowledge, being absolute like Kṛṣṇa, has its own intelligence. Therefore it is only manifest to those with the requisite qualifications. For example, although Sri Kṛṣṇa is well known throughout the world, only a devotee who is favorably connected with an authentic Vedic disciplic lineage can accept that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Others, though hearing this fact, cannot understand, and concoct various speculative excuses why they cannot accept it. This is their great misfortune.

The Lord explains in the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita that He wants His beloved devotees and friends to have confidential transcendental knowledge of His forms, names, qualities and activities. Both material and spiritual knowledge are included in confidential transcendental knowledge. After all, complete knowledge includes confidential knowledge of the spirit soul, the phenomenal world, the Supreme Spirit behind it, His insuperable potency of time, and their complex inter-relationships. This knowledge gives the devotees great power, and so it can be revealed only to one who has earned the Lord's trust by approaching a Spiritual Master according to His directions.

Such complete confidential knowledge can be achieved only by the devotee of the Lord, situated in disciplic succession directly from the Lord by the ancient process of initiation. When Kṛṣṇa, the cause of all causes, becomes known, then everything knowable becomes known, and nothing remains unknown. Kṛṣṇa explains that "When one is enlightened with the knowledge that destroys nescience, then his knowledge reveals everything, as the sun lights up everything in the daytime." [Bhagavad-gita 5.16]

When the devotee has understood and realized this confidential knowledge, he attains firm faith in the transcendental process of devotional service and begins to render such confidential service unconditionally and uninterruptedly. At this time he becomes eligible for more confidential knowledge, such as the theory of advanced devotional states of consciousness and the methods of devotional service for achieving them, to be revealed unto him. Such knowledge is even more confidential than confidential knowledge of the Supreme Controller and the controlled material and spiritual energies, because it brings Kṛṣṇa under the control of the devotee.

After many years of learning and practice of this more confidential knowledge, the progressive devotee understands his personal inclination in the devotional service of the Lord, and forms a desire for eternal engagement in such service in his original spiritual form. At this time he becomes eligible to receive the most confidential knowledge of the reality of the spiritual world, and to realize and experience Kṛṣṇa's eternal pastimes in the spiritual realm of his choice. This most confidential knowledge can only be revealed to the most advanced devotees, those who are dearer to Kṛṣṇa than His own Self, because they have become completely purified of all material contamination and are saturated with ecstatic devotional love.

At this stage of devotional service, all the symptoms of devotional ecstasy spontaneously manifest in the body of the devotee. Although the devotee does not desire such ecstasies because they interfere with his rendering service to his Lord, they manifest anyway by the sweet will of the Lord, to benedict His beloved devotee with transcendental pleasure. This is ultimate perfection in devotional service, and such a devotee certainly enters the eternal spiritual world, never to be reborn in this material world.

We should carefully distinguish between theoretical or book learning, and actual realized knowledge as revealed within the heart by the mercy of the Lord. Just because a devotee can parrot the scriptures doesn't necessarily indicate a deep state of realized knowledge. Actual confidential knowledge of devotional service or bhakti-yoga consists of a direct personal relationship with Lord Kṛṣṇa. The realized devotee has transcendental consciousness of Kṛṣṇa and understands His frame of mind. He knows what Kṛṣṇa likes, and what He does not like. He knows how to treat Kṛṣṇa when He reveals Himself, and how to please Kṛṣṇa by offering service.

Ultimately, the advanced devotee can anticipate Kṛṣṇa's moods and make arrangements for Kṛṣṇa's ever-increasing pleasure on his own initiative, without any direct instruction. This is the sign of perfection in devotional service, and it is possible only through personal realization of the most confidential knowledge.