THE CENTRE FOR UNLEARNING
Having taken a university degree in philosophy, TPR was very proud of his capacity to intellectually grasp and understand all technical terms found in the scriptures and in religious literature. His pride of his deep knowledge exhibited itself when Bhagavan was once explaining about consciousness. He barged in and said, “Bhagavan! There is not one but many states of consciousness, like unconsciousness, sub-consciousness, supra-mental consciousness and divine consciousness. Also, the scriptures talk of seven layers of consciousness – three above, three below, and human consciousness!”
Before TPR could harangue any further, Bhagavan raised his voice, and said, “That which IS, is only one consciousness. One should get rooted in it, in one’s own Heart. Let one first get established in it and then see whether other states of consciousness are there or not. One’s inner experience is the basis for all such statements, not mere theoretical or intellectual assertions!”
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TPR said he had received many such knocks from Bhagavan, which in effect plunged him into deep, inward sadhana. Yet, there were moments in his life, even while living so closely with his guru, when doubts assailed him. These doubts were due to imperfect understanding of scriptural tenets. When I asked him whether he could give me an example, he narrated the following, “I was repeatedly confronted with the inbuilt contradiction in the scriptures between knowledge and wisdom. Is all knowledge contained in the scriptures so useless that one can attain wisdom only by going beyond it? This was my constant and deep doubt. Once, I put this doubt before Bhagavan”.
Bhagavan turned towards me and said calmly, ‘This Arunachala is the centre for unlearning. Everything one has learnt has to be given up here as the final culmination to spiritual perfection. Unless one has learnt something, how can one be advised to unlearn? Scriptures equip one with learning. So, does unlearning denote rejecting or removing the scriptures from memory? Never. On the contrary, unlearning means releasing oneself from the mere intellectual knowledge of the scriptures and plunging oneself into the experience of it. That is, making it one’s own and not keeping it outside of oneself’.
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It is similar to a sportsman, initially learning a game and all its nuances, theoretically. When he masters it and matures into a renowned sportsman, everything he learnt theoretically is put into perfect action. Such expression of ease in action is original and exclusive to him.
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Arunachala makes one perfect by giving the cream of all scriptures as one’s own experience wherein, theoretical learning is transcended. This spontaneous transcendence is termed as ‘unlearning’. Learning may give one the Knowledge that is power but ‘unlearning’ culminates in the Knowledge that liberates. Bhagavan never involved devotees in work, for, he said they are already filled with work done. Nor did he give them mental work, but let them unwind in their own way. One unwinds and unlearns. The tangled state that the mind is, gradually loosens up and when the knot is removed, it vanishes. It is true Knowledge – Mukti.
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