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THE NOTION OF GROWTH
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signs meaning to objects and events that is subjected to his constantly changing moods. (32)
A lunatic who sometimes sees things clearly and calls them by their right name, is far from capable to discriminate between right and wrong on a permanent basis. All his knowledge - even if it is right at times - is fundamentally flawed.
All those who focus their energy onto material life are in a similar situation. No matter how comprehensive and refined their knowledge appears, from the perspective of the path to liberation, they have no insight into the nature of their consciousness. All their (materially oriented) knowledge does not support the unfoldment of their inherent potential.
The amount of worldly knowledge or material possessions has no effect on our spiritual development. The orientation towards inner growth is the decisive factor that arranges all our knowledge - how little it may be - in such a way that it leads us to new, more comprehensive levels of understanding and inspires an ever increasing and satisfying spiritual liveliness.
Here ends the description of pramana (total perception) - the type of insight that arises from the comprehensive perception of the features, qualities and variations of the elements as they manifest.
The next Sutra explains partial sights (naya), a systematic method to explore limited areas of reality.
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