Gaining knowledge is a dynamic process.  As we gain new knowledge, our explanations of events, or our “truths”, change.  The biggest obstacle in gaining new knowledge is the belief that we fully know something, which then veils the mind and prevents us from being curious.  It is very important that we openly seek knowledge and always be open to new possibilities and explanations.  Our energy in this life needs to be spent in seeking knowledge and truth rather than defending what we know.

In the context of Tending to Your Garden Within, it is important to question and challenge the assumptions and knowledge we have regarding our garden within.  We need to be open to new and different gardening approaches that may be better than (less suffering & struggle) our current knowledge.

It is also necessary to be always questioning our knowledge and assumptions in our spiritual path.  It is very important to be open to other possibilities that may challenge what we know or are comfortable with today.  The poem below illustrates how knowledge may act as a veil when seeking the truth.

Knowing

Many people love learning and acquiring new knowledge.

Can knowledge be a veil in discovering the truths that we are seeking?

Knowledge can be obstacle

if it is considered an absolute.

When we consider something as an absolute

it blinds us to seeing other facets of reality.

The absolute knowledge that the earth was flat many centuries ago

 was an obstacle to seeing the truth.

A majority of new knowledge is obtained by questioning

the accepted old knowledge of the time.

When we no longer consider ourselves as a student

we will stop learning new knowledge.

When we think that we “know it”

we will not seek any more.

When we think that we “know it”

we are no longer curious.

When we stop saying:

“I do not know”

“Perhaps there is another explanation”

“This does not make sense”

“I wonder  ...”

We become frozen in our quest for truth.

 We might as well believe that the earth is flat.

What spiritual knowledge do we have that

we consider as absolute and

dread someone questioning it?

What aspects of our knowledge do we not

desire to delve into?

What knowledge and assumptions are stopping us

from seeking?

Copyright . 2010 by Shervin Hojat