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SUTRAS
THE KEY TO THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
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an enormous attempt to split up reality into ever smaller parts. We experience this e.g. as our tendency to interpret observations and experiences as 'data' or as the effort to measure quality in terms of quantity.23 According to the leaders of this trend of thought fragmentation 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, - Total Perception - pramana - would certainly be fully capable of providing the desired sovereign orientation. Since we already are quite accustomed to use this ability for grasping the most complex of situations, it would be easy to also apply it for gaining understanding of the structure of reality and knowledge as well. In this process we would easily recognize which part of the present pile of data is irrelevant and proceed onto more significant themes of life. A wide-spread application of this ability would be simple because everyone is well versed in using Total Perception as their main method to get through life.
Yet formal education and the modern media divert our attention from this exquisitely effective ability. Our capacity to instantly comprehend highly complex situations is regarded as so natural, so basic that we never even think of systematically exploring, training and - above all - expanding this fabulous feature of our consciousness.
We nevertheless recognize intuitively that our focus on partial sights does not give us the immediate and comprehensive experience and satisfaction we are familiar with through Total Perception. Though schools and media tell us to only rely on partial sight, in real
23 this means e.g. digitizing as many events and circumstances as possible
as our present computer-oriented society strives to do
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