The Limitations of the Reasoning Intelligence and the Need to Maintain It During the Spiritual Practice

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The mental knowledge we acquire
is mostly a form of ignorance,

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reaching out to try to acquire
knowledge in the life Divine

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Triorobindo describes the
various forms of knowledge with

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one exception.
They are set up in the paradigm

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of subject object and the
process of knowing and treats

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the object as something separate
and external to oneself.

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We acquire facts, make
inferences and draw logical

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conclusions to try to ascertain
the truth of whatever we are

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trying to know.
This implies that we cannot

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really ever know everything
about the separated object using

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these methods, and in fact we
find that knowledge in this

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world is never stable as we are
always finding out new aspects

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and expanding our knowledge and
experiencing the unintended

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consequences when we try to act
on that partial knowledge that

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we have obtained.
The one form of knowledge which

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goes beyond this ignorant
seeking for knowledge is what

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shriorobindo terms knowledge by
identity.

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This form of knowledge is gained
through unification of the

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consciousness between subject
and object.

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Many who take up spiritual
practices conclude that since

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external knowledge is flawed and
the reason is limited instrument

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of knowing, that, the correct
method is to abandon it and move

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on to something else.
This idea, however, has its

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flaws and drawbacks,
particularly with respect to the

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control of the vital nature,
which is one of the essential

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functions of the reasoning
intelligence when it is awake

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and active, the mother notes
quote.

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As for the knowledge of which
Sriorobindo speaks here, it is

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ordinary knowledge.
It is not knowledge by identity.

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It is knowledge that can be
acquired by the intellect

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through thought through ordinary
means.

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But once again, and in any case,
we shall have occasion to return

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to this when we study the next
aphorism.

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Do not be in a hurry to abandon
reason in the conviction that

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you will immediately attain to
wisdom, because you must be

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ready for wisdom.
Otherwise, by abandoning reason,

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you run a great risk of falling
into unreason, which is rather

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dangerous.
Many times in his writings,

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particularly in the synthesis of
Yoga, Sriorobindo warns us

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against the imaginings of those
who believe they can do sadhna

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without rigorous selfcontrol and
who heed all sorts of

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inspirations which lead them to
a dangerous imbalance where all

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their repressed hidden secret
desires come out into the open

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under the pretense of liberation
from ordinary conventions and

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ordinary reason.
End Quote Reference Srioro Bindu

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and the Mother Our Many Selves,
Practical Yogic Psychology,

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Chapter 2 Plains and Parts of
the Being, page 44.