Knowledge is far more priceless than Silence, and precedes it.

>
> i have provided hundreds of pages of irrefutable evidence and
> knowledge of the Devi. i have also strongly cautioned against the
> avidya that the devotees of Her incarnation, Shri Mataji Nirmala
> Devi, are indulging in, and encouraging/enforcing others to do the
> same. Seeking such knowledge of the Devi-while strictly avoiding/
> rejecting such avidya at all times-alone makes life worthwhile, and
> the attainment of knowledge completely fulfills the ultimate purpose
> of existence. Such knowledge is far more priceless than Silence, and
> precedes it. Without such knowledge you cannot comprehend, far
> less learn how to maintain, Silence on Self. The Devi insists that
> liberating knowledge can be attained here in this world. There is
> nothing to surrender to Her except our ignorance and arrogance.
>

YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE (jnana-yoga): the path to realization of pure consciousness and of the essential unity between the soul or Self and Brahman. It is one of the three major traditional yogas, requiring a number of preliminary mental and moral qualifications for the aspirant. These include tranquility, restraint, patience, dispassion and virtue. Knowledge is said to be the supreme end of devotion. While the path of devotion leads, ultimately, to the Jeweled Island paradise of the Goddess, but no further without knowledge, the path of knowledge can lead to the ultimate realization of pure consciousness even here on Earth. The path of knowledge consists of three main stages: 1) listening to the teachings of scripture that demonstrate the unity of the soul and Brahman; 2) reflecting on the meaning of such texts and 3) intensive meditation thereon.

The Song of the Goddess
The Devi Gita: Spiritual Counsel Of The Great Goddess
(C. Mackenzie Brown, State University of N.Y. Press, 2002, pg. 145)

GURU: spiritual teacher qualified by extensive knowledge of the Vedas and endowed with experiential knowledge of Brahman. Such a teacher is prerequisite for the pursuit of spiritual disciplines, for only from the mouth of a qualified teacher, not from books, can one receive the necessary guidance. The disciple must submit him- or herself with total dedication of body and mind to serving such a teacher, for the gift of the guru, eternal knowledge of Brahman which constitutes spiritual rebirth, is far greater than the gift of birth from one's biological father, which perishes.

The Song of the Goddess
The Devi Gita: Spiritual Counsel Of The Great Goddess
(C. Mackenzie Brown, State University of N.Y. Press, 2002, pg. 132)

Main Entry: ex•pe•ri•en•tial
: relating to, derived from, or providing experience

Merriam Webster's Online Dictionary

Main entry: ex•pe•ri•en•tial
Definition: based on experience: derived from or relating to experience as opposed to other methods of acquiring knowledge

MSN Encarta

KNOWLEDGE OF BRAHMAN (brahma-vidya): in general, the liberating knowledge of the ultimate identity of the individual soul and the absolute, or Brahman. Attainment of such is the spiritual goal of the ancient Upanishads. In the Kena Upanishads, Brahman is made known by the Goddess Uma Haimavati, who comes to be identified with brahma- vidya, the knowledge revealing Brahman. In the Devi Gita, the Goddess, identified with Haimavati, is regarded not just as the knowledge revealing Brahman, but also as that which is revealed, namely Brahman itself.

The Song of the Goddess
The Devi Gita: Spiritual Counsel Of The Great Goddess
(C. Mackenzie Brown, State University of N.Y. Press, 2002, pg. 134)

SELF (Atman): the true nature of the Goddess consisting of pure consciousness, identical with Brahman. The individual soul is a refraction or fragmented reflection of the Self in the obscuring medium of nescience (avidya). The identity of the individual soul and the Self is indicated by the great saying in the Upanishads, `You are That' (tat twam asi). As the Goddess explains, `That' is She Herself, whose essence as pure consciousness is identical with the essence of the "You," the individual soul. The Self is eternal, ever unchanging, and thus nonacting. Its nature is bliss. The desire for immortality on the part of the individual soul is ultimately rooted in love of the Self.

The Song of the Goddess
The Devi Gita: Spiritual Counsel Of The Great Goddess
(C. Mackenzie Brown, State University of N.Y. Press, 2002, pg. 139)

SHAKTI: power, energy; the absolute power of the universe, identical with rather than an attribute of the Goddess. Shakti as a name of the Goddess represents the supreme cosmic energy, creating, maintaining, and ultimately destroying the universe, only to recreate worlds anew. In the Devi Gita, Shakti is not the possession of a male deity, as She is the consort of none, but the energy of all.

The Song of the Goddess
The Devi Gita: Spiritual Counsel Of The Great Goddess
(C. Mackenzie Brown, State University of N.Y. Press, 2002, pg. 140)

COILED SERPENT (kundalini): the manifestation of the Goddess within one's own body, according to the Serpentine Yoga. The Coiled Serpent normally lies sleeping in the lowest psychoenergectic center at the base of the spine. In the practice of the Serpentine Yoga, the Coiled Serpent is aroused through breath control and concentration, and caused to ascend through the central mystic channel to the crown of the head, where She unites with Shiva. She is then led back down to Her resting place in the base center, infusing the body of the yoga practitioner with Her spiritual, mental, and material energies, thereby transforming the physical body into a fully divine being identical with the Goddess Herself.

The Song of the Goddess
The Devi Gita: Spiritual Counsel Of The Great Goddess
(C. Mackenzie Brown, State University of N.Y. Press, 2002, pg. 129)

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