The different kinds of understanding

Wisdom Card

There are three kinds of understanding: intellectual understanding, experiential understanding and existential realization.

Intellectual understanding says yes, agrees. Experiential understanding feels, is obvious. Existential realization is irrefutable. It becomes your very nature.

All you hear will simply remain a jumble of words if there is no experiential understanding, which is more on the feeling level. You can know intellectually you are hollow and empty but sitting and feeling you are hollow and empty is totally different.

When one gets an experience, one wants to understand more about it and becomes a seeker. If you have only intellectual understanding, you will think you know it all. Most theologians are in this category.

Existential realization contains within it both experiential and intellectual understanding. But it is beyond both of these.

Question: How do we get there?

Sri Sri: There is no way. When the fruit becomes ripe, it falls.

Question: What is doubt?

Sri Sri: It is one part of the mind challenging the other part of the mind.

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