Notion of Growth

Author(s): Hermann Kuhn
Publisher: Crosswind Publishing Germany

Page 96

THE NOTION OF GROWTH
solves. Indirect knowledge always needs an external factor to make us aware of the new range of insight that opened up.
79
The prime cause for the rising of indirect knowledge is always and only the dissolution of karma that blocked this type of insight, never the perception of particular objects or
events.
The dissolution of karma opens our consciousness for a new range of experience. Yet we may not become immediately conscious of this opening. Only sense-impressions we receive after the karmic blocks are removed can make us aware of the newly opened access.
Since our mind38 is also able to make us aware of new insights, indirect knowledge also includes all intellectual methods for the systematic exploration of knowledge (deduction, comparison, induction etc.).
Knowledge gained through the senses is obtained by the senses and the mind; knowledge received from external sources is gained only through the mind 39.
38 by familiarization with the mechanics of the expansion of con
sciousness
39 The Jains regard the mind (manas) as a sense-organ. It is an instrument of perception that exists outside of our consciousness, but is not consciousness itself.
Since the West is not aware of the mechanisms of direct knowledge, we regard our mind as the true carrier or expression of consciousness. Yet this concept leads to a dead end. It unnecessarily restricts the possibilities of our consciousness to the rather limited range accessible to the mind. This limitation hinders us to search for insights beyond what the mind is able to perceive.