Transforming Knowledge into Being?

Transforming Knowledge into Being?

Real knowledge, objective knowledge is knowledge which comes from higher mind. ─ P.D. Ouspensky

I attended an inspiring lecture last evening by Elaine Pagels on the history and message of early Christianity, held in Washington D.C. at the magnificent National Cathedral. Dr. Pagels is a scholar and author of The Gnostic Gospels as well as a newly published book and New York Times Bestseller, Miracles, and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus. Her captivating lecture focused on the life and mystical teachings of Jesus, and she freely – yet sensitively and respectfully – questioned interpretations of Christian doctrine that have been handed down since the church fathers selected and assembled the canonized books of the Bible.

Sitting on a chair directly in front of the illuminated, white stone carvings of the high altar, her petite presence and stature betrayed her personal energy. Dr. Pagels shared bewildering stories of wonder from the old and new testaments, paralleling with mystical wisdom from Buddhist and Hindu texts, and the provocative message from the gnostic Gospel of Thomas, stating that divine light and consciousness is present everywhere in creation and is a bridge between the material and the divine worlds.

Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift the stone, and you will find me there. — The Gospel of Thomas

What struck me most was not her deep esoteric knowledge of early Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu texts – although certainly admirable – nor her unique interpretations of the story of Jesus’ life. But it was her being that was magnetic – the inner world of the person she had become through 50+ years of study which was evident in the way she carried herself and communicated with the audience. She seemed to have been saturated with esoteric knowledge throughout her long 80+ years of life which nurtured her into a self-aware and self-reflective woman.

Despite – and perhaps because of – her knowledge and being, Dr. Pagels acknowledged that she is still on her journey of discovery. She explained that each time she has returned to studying these ancient texts she discovers new things. She discovers new knowledge from the same texts that were there from the very beginning. So, what is it that is new? It is our being that changes and can make new connections, even from texts that we might know by heart. Each time I go back to read an esoteric text or even a Shakespeare sonnet, I – like Elaine Pagels – am a different person: my being has changed and I can make new connections and go deeper into what was there all along.

Man is not bound to remain as he is; he can change. ─ P.D. Ouspensky

It is quite common for our being to be judged by our knowledge. I.Q. tests have been used to screen and assess intellectual potential for success in college or employment. Winning a game on the TV show, Jeopardy, is often touted as a mark of a person with remarkable intelligence. Although that can be true, having knowledge and yet utterly unable to act upon it or change can be the difference between knowledge and being.

This is the bitterest pain among men, to have much knowledge but no power. — Herodotus

The question is: how does man turn knowledge into being? It requires two things: it requires practice and being present to what one is doing. For example, if one has never prepared a soft-boiled egg one would begin by experimenting with the water temperature: when do you first put the egg in the water, when it is cold or when it is boiling? Then you might experiment with the amount of time to boil the egg. Eventually, through practice and attention, you find the right combination. This is how knowledge becomes being.

There are two sides of man that must be developed, that is, there are two lines of possible development that must proceed simultaneously … knowledge and being. ─ P.D. Ouspensky (emphasis added)

If you are with friends who are experimenting in the same way, the knowledge goes into being even faster. If you are learning from a master chef, for example, you still need to make your own cooking efforts, but the guidance is from a much higher level, accelerating the learning process. Herein lies the balance between needing a teacher and making one’s own efforts.

Schools fill higher centers with knowledge that engages the presence of one’s soul. — The Teacher

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Jahangir Preferring a Sufi sheikh to Kings, Bichitr, ca. 1620