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54
Hermann Kuhn
In the Western hemisphere of the world we concentrate mainly on partial sights (naya). Our entire idea of knowledge, - i.e. our tendency to interpret observations and experiences as 'data' and also the enormous attempt to grasp quality in terms of quantity25, - are essentially attempts to split up reality into ever smaller parts. According to the leaders of this direction of thought this is supposed to make the world easier to understand and to handle.
But unfortunately this shattering of reality produces the exact opposite effect. In the overabundance of details that flood us at present, we lack all orientation.
Now, - pramana would certainly be fully capable to provide the required sovereign orientation. By consciously employing our ability to grasp the most complex of situations, we would easily recognize the major part of the present pile of data as irrelevant and proceed onto more significant themes of life. After all the majority of the people is well versed in using pramana since it is the major factor that guides them through life.
Yet formal education and the modern media purposely divert our focus and our attention from this exquisitely effective ability. Our capacity to instantly comprehend highly complex situation is regarded as so natural, so self-understood that we would never even consider to systematically explore, train and expand this feature of our consciousness.
We however recognize intuitively that the emphasis on partial sights (i.e. what schools and media impart to us) does not give us the immediate and comprehensive experience and satisfaction we are familiar with through pra
25 this means e.g. the effort to digitize as many events and circum
stances of the world as possible as our computer-oriented society strives to do
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