Day Twenty-Eight: Knowledge

Word of the Day: Knowledge

Image of the Day: Koosh balls

Token of the Day: rose quartz and an extra token! female African carved wooden statuette

Koosh balls, or kooshes as we call them, were named as such because of the sound they make when, having been thrown, they land. I first encountered them, at least knowingly(!), on a Change Learning course. It was used during group sessions when only the person holding it could speak. Once you had spoken you chose who to throw it to. Now i do not like things being thrown at me so it took me more time than the others to get used to the idea and to realise that kooshes are soft, light, playful creatures who can do no harm! Once i had this knowledge i could relax and enjoy the game.

So knowledge is something one gains through experience. Also through research - i have only just found out why koosh balls are called koosh balls. Now i possess that piece of knowledge, or information, too. Further, i brought home a mini-koosh ball key-ring from the training event and Gail was delighted. I learnt that she loves kooshes and have added that knowledge to my being aswell.

The word knowledge comes from Middle English knoulech, knouen which is from Old English cnawen. The Greek word for knowledge is gnosis which has the extra meaning of an esoteric form of knowledge sought by the Gnostics, intuitive apprehension of spiritual truths, usually by saints and other mystics. More broadly knowledge is cogniscience, awareness, information, lore, wisdom, education, erudition and instruction, something that is true, an accurate perception; it is even used to mean having sexual intercourse with someone. How inept i find the English language sometimes! One word to cover such a huge range of ideas...

The more i know, the more i realise i need to know and the more i realise i don't know!

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

How do i gain this knowledge? Through experience, learning, "just" knowing/feeling it in my bones.

Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46)

Yes, let us know (recognize, be acquainted with, and understand) Him; let us be zealous to know the Lord [to appreciate, give heed to, and cherish Him]. (Hosea 6:3, Amplified Version) or, as The Message translates it: We're ready to study God, eager for God-knowledge.

So, God-knowledge includes recognition, acquaintance, comprehension, appreciation, giving heed to and cherishing! We are not called to develop academic understanding, be able to debate theologically - of course, we can choose to do this! But what is more important is to rest in God's presence, still oneself to facilitate grasping the reality that the Divine Spirit is already within, that the true Inner Voice is speaking and that from this place of stillness, God-knowledge increases. Its purpose is to bring us to being fully alive. We get to know a landscape by absorbing ourselves in it, visiting often, resting there, picnicking, taking photographs, sketching, using all of our senses so why not do this to get to know our God better? Of course, God is in the landscape so perhaps it's a good place to begin!

What about gnosis? Is that something we can access? Are we still able to connect with mysticism in the 21st century? Yes, i think so. With intuition, an educated heart and deep empathy we are capable of so much more than we can imagine. As Marianne Williamson wrote:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. (from "A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles" [Chapter 7, Section 3])

I want to recount one of the gnostic experiences i believe i have had. At a worship workshop i began to feel deeply upset. I knew that the emotion was not my own. I looked around to see if i could work out whose it was. Nothing to see but the person's name entered my being and i knew that i was both being prepared to do some healing and that i was holding her emotion until she was ready to take it, accept it and then let it go. Twenty-four hours later we were able spend time together during a healing service, me offering her comfort and healing, she being ready to accept it and feel her own feelings. The day after the distress had left her and she was refreshed, renewed and more fully alive. I cannot call on this gnosis at will and i don't believe that the Spirit would call on me at a time when i wasn't able to assist.

Knowledge should increase both wisdom and humility. Knowledge is power, it can be frightening. It can sometimes feel that all we use knowledge for in the world is to create ways of overpowering others through clever words and smart weapons...

Spiritual truths
intuitively known
by
mystics and saints
masons and Sufis

Facts and figures
learnt from teachers and books
their importance impressed on us
their relevance often lost on us.

Knowledge is power
knowledge is truth
knowledge is sacred.