Dharmics Only: Is Brahman really all-knowing?

[The Crimson Universe]

A question has been floating in my mind for quite some time now. And there's no better place to ask than on RF :=)

If we are nothing but Brahman, the saakshi (witness) and most importantly, an omniscient (all-knowing) being, then why can't we know what's taking place on the other side of the universe?

Being an all-knowing entity i should be able to know what's going on in my neighbour's house (without evesdropping ofcourse lol) or the events that are taking place in other cities, countries and various planets. And yet we are completely submerged in an ocean of ignorance and totally rely on TVs, newspapers and the internet for our daily dose of information. Is this the play of maya? Does Brahman upon ITs own will chooses to become ignorant once IT manifests as these subtle and physical worlds?

This question was actually asked 3 or 4 years ago, by one of the guys who attended Swami Sarvapriyananda's lectures in USA. A very good question if you ask me. But what dissapointed me most, was that the swami didn't give a direct answer. He sidestepped the question by saying "You will get to know everything later on".

Does this mean that upon attaining Brahma-Gyana (knowledge of Brahman) all the mysteries and secrets of the cosmos will be revealed to a self realized person?

 

[Martin]

I don't think satcitananda implies omniscience.

Atma Bodha, verse 65:
"That all-pervading, eternal blissful consciousness is seen within when one observes it through the eye of knowledge.
From the ignorant eye it is not seen, just as a blind person does not see the shining sun."

 

[SalixIncendium]

When you're dreaming, do you know what's going on everywhere that's in your dream, or only that which your dream self is perceiving? In other words, if you are dreaming in India, does your dream self know what's happening in Canada?

When you awaken from the dream, what happens to the dream? Is there an other side of the universe in the dream that your waking self is aware of?

Once you have awakened from the unreal to the real, from vyavaharika to Paramartika, what is there to be omniscient of?

 

[ajay0]

Brahman is impersonal. There is no one there to be all-knowing and wanting to snoop on the neighbor.

An enlightened one who has realized his oneness with Brahman is omniscient and can gain knowledge on events in space and time. However, content with his bliss he had no need to do the same except when he has to foster faith in a disciple as a master or to help him .

I am saying this based on personal experiences relatives and friends of mine has had with enlightened masters. Also based on stories of such masters in the past.

However this ability is present in everyone upon enlightenment.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Well, many fellow Hindus have this kind of belief. And I do not fault them. Freedom of belief is guaranteed in Hinduism. Of course, my belief, as you know, is different. Satchidananda does not implie either all-knowing or all-powerful. It means that Brahman exists (sat) as 'eternal (chit) bliss (ananda)'.

Where will Brahman use its power if all that exists is it only? If all that exists is it only then what more does it need to know?
Brahman is 'nirlipta', not attached, not involved, in the happenings of an imaginary universe. Its existence alone creates all 'maya'.

Greg Levensky, according to my belief, you and I are just imaginary entities. Some may realize the truth, most will not - that we are none other than Brahman (Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma - All things here are Brahman).

Once you have awakened from the unreal to the real, from vyavaharika to Paramartika, what is there to be omniscient of?

That is why they prayed, "Asato mam sad gamaya" (From untruth, lead me to truth).

 

[SalixIncendium]

An enlightened one who has realized his oneness with Brahman is omniscient and can gain knowledge on events in space and time. However, content with his bliss he had no need to do the same except when he has to foster faith in a disciple as a master or to help him .

However this ability is present in everyone upon enlightenment.

Actually, there is a shift in perception where concepts like "omniscience" become irrelevant. There is only existence/consciousness/bliss. Omniscience doesn't fit anywhere into this.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

A question has been floating in my mind for quite some time now. And there's no better place to ask than on RF :=)

If we are nothing but Brahman, the saakshi (witness) and most importantly, an omniscient (all-knowing) being, then why can't we know what's taking place on the other side of the universe?

Being an all-knowing entity i should be able to know what's going on in my neighbour's house (without evesdropping ofcourse lol) or the events that are taking place in other cities, countries and various planets. And yet we are completely submerged in an ocean of ignorance and totally rely on TVs, newspapers and the internet for our daily dose of information. Is this the play of maya? Does Brahman upon ITs own will chooses to become ignorant once IT manifests as these subtle and physical worlds?

This question was actually asked 3 or 4 years ago, by one of the guys who attended Swami Sarvapriyananda's lectures in USA. A very good question if you ask me. But what dissapointed me most, was that the swami didn't give a direct answer. He sidestepped the question by saying "You will get to know everything later on".

Does this mean that upon attaining Brahma-Gyana (knowledge of Brahman) all the mysteries and secrets of the cosmos will be revealed to a self realized person?

But you can't be omniscient until you are Brahman. At the moment you believe Brahman is separate from you, that is normal for anyone and everyone who has not yet realized Brahman. Besides which, there is only Brahman.

 

[Martin]

What scriptures support the idea that Brahman is omniscient?

 

[Ben Dhyan]

What scriptures support the idea that Brahman is omniscient?

Hmmm, which author of scripture is sufficiently omniscient to determine if Brahman is omniscient?

 

[Martin]

Hmmm, which author of scripture is sufficiently omniscient to determine if Brahman is omniscient?

Is the rishis didn't know, then there's not much hope for us, is there?
Anyway, perhaps somebody else can answer my question. I would like to know where this idea of Brahman being omniscient actually comes from.

 

[stvdv]

If we are nothing but Brahman, the saakshi (witness) and most importantly, an omniscient (all-knowing) being, then why can't we know what's taking place on the other side of the universe?

We are a drop, Brahman is the ocean. You can taste the drop of water

My Master, a Poorna Avatar ("full avatar"), says that he has all 16 attributes, including omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. And that those 3 attributes you can't get by doing sadhana, while on earth. So, you can taste the water, the essence, but your created Tsunami is just 1 drop, hence no omnipotence either

 

[stvdv]

And yet we are completely submerged in an ocean of ignorance and totally rely on TVs, newspapers and the internet for our daily dose of information.

My Master told me "innernet ... not internet". Internet is the easy way, innernet takes lots of effort, but is more rewarding

 

[The Crimson Universe]

Is the rishis didn't know, then there's not much hope for us, is there?
Anyway, perhaps somebody else can answer my question. I would like to know where this idea of Brahman being omniscient actually comes from.

I didn't find any verse in the scriptures that says Brahman is omniscient but instead found a commentary of Shankara under the verse 1.1.17 of Katha Upanishad, where Shankara says the following -

Doing the threefold karma, i.e., performing sacrifices, reciting the vedas, and making gifts. Whoso does these, crosses or travels beyond birth and death; again Brahmajagnam: Brahmaja means born of Brahma, i.e., Hiranyagarbha; he who is born of Brahma and is omniscient is Brahmajagnah.
Devam, so called because shining, i.e., having the qualities of knowledge, etç. Idyam, worthy of praise. Knowing such fire, from the Sastras (scriptures) and having realised him as his own atman, one attains this absolute renunciation which is realized in his intellect.

 

[The Crimson Universe]

We are a drop, Brahman is the ocean. You can taste the drop of water.

And when the drop becomes one with ocean, there remains nothing more to seek or know, since there's nothing left other than Brahman. Am i right?

My Master, a Poorna Avatar ("full avatar"), says that he has all 16 attributes, including omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. And that those 3 attributes you can't get by doing sadhana, while on earth. So, you can taste the water, the essence, but your created Tsunami is just 1 drop, hence no omnipotence either

So, by doing sadhana or deep meditation one cannot attain attributes like omnipotence, omniscience etc.?
Then could you please tell me how did your guru attain them in the first place. Thanks.

 

[sayak83]

A question has been floating in my mind for quite some time now. And there's no better place to ask than on RF :=)

If we are nothing but Brahman, the saakshi (witness) and most importantly, an omniscient (all-knowing) being, then why can't we know what's taking place on the other side of the universe?

Being an all-knowing entity i should be able to know what's going on in my neighbour's house (without evesdropping ofcourse lol) or the events that are taking place in other cities, countries and various planets. And yet we are completely submerged in an ocean of ignorance and totally rely on TVs, newspapers and the internet for our daily dose of information. Is this the play of maya? Does Brahman upon ITs own will chooses to become ignorant once IT manifests as these subtle and physical worlds?

This question was actually asked 3 or 4 years ago, by one of the guys who attended Swami Sarvapriyananda's lectures in USA. A very good question if you ask me. But what dissapointed me most, was that the swami didn't give a direct answer. He sidestepped the question by saying "You will get to know everything later on".

Does this mean that upon attaining Brahma-Gyana (knowledge of Brahman) all the mysteries and secrets of the cosmos will be revealed to a self realized person?

Yes, but you can take in only upto the capacity that your brain and cultural concepts allow. This is because if you are in the domain of "knowledge" and "knowing" you are still in the dual realm. Brahman is what it is and there the distinction required for "Knowledge of X" to exist is gone. So though you become everything, you cannot bring back the knowledge of everything back into this world. Just the taste remains, like you just emerged back into the beach after bathing in a sea and the saltiness of the sea still clings to you.

 

[The Crimson Universe]

Well, many fellow Hindus have this kind of belief. And I do not fault them. Freedom of belief is guaranteed in Hinduism.
Where will Brahman use its power if all that exists is it only? If all that exists is it only then what more does it need to know?

What you and Salix are saying makes sense. But isn't it possible for the infinite ocean of Brahman to know or witness its own waves, which are its manifestations or matter (i.e. the physical and subtle things)?

...if you are in the domain of "knowledge" and "knowing" you are still in the dual realm. Brahman is what it is and there the distinction required for "Knowledge of X" to exist is gone. So though you become everything, you cannot bring back the knowledge of everything back into this world. Just the taste remains, like you just emerged back into the beach after bathing in a sea and the saltiness of the sea still clings to you.

This reminds me of an article i read a few years back. Don't remember the exact words but there Ramakrishna said something like this ... once we are united with Brahman (during a trance while still living in the body), all sorts of duality (like knower and the known) vanishes. Then again when we come out of trance and into the world of duality, we can no longer explain what we experienced while we were in trance.

I guess this means there's no way of knowing everything, not only in the realm of duality (vyavaharika satya) but also in the paramarthika state. Am i right?

 

[SalixIncendium]

What you and Salix are saying makes sense. But isn't it possible for the infinite ocean of Brahman to know or witness its own waves, which are its manifestations or matter (i.e. the physical and subtle things)?

Water (Brahman) understands it's not waves or ocean. It only knows itself as water and that waves and ocean are merely an appearance of itself.

 

[Martin]

We are a drop, Brahman is the ocean. You can taste the drop of water

My Master, a Poorna Avatar ("full avatar"), says that he has all 16 attributes, including omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. And that those 3 attributes you can't get by doing sadhana, while on earth. So, you can taste the water, the essence, but your created Tsunami is just 1 drop, hence no omnipotence either

A drop of water could "know" the nature of the ocean, but not it's extent.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Water (Brahman) understands it's not waves or ocean. It only knows itself as water and that waves and ocean are merely an appearance of itself.

If there is just water and nothing else, then it has no need to know itself or differentiate itself from anything. Kabir said:

"Jal mein kumbh hai, kumbh mein jal hai, bahar bhitar pani,
phoota kumbha, jal jal hi samaya, is bidhi kah gaye gyani."

There is water in the pitcher, the pitcher is in the water, there is water inside and out;
pitcher breaks, water mixes with water, so said the knowledgeables.

Kabir, 15th Century, unlettered, orphan, raised by a Muslim weaver, and a great influencer in Hinduism and Sikhism.

 

[SalixIncendium]

If there is just water and nothing else, then it has no need to know itself or differentiate itself from anything.

It is Maya that makes water think it's a lake...

...and ego that makes it think it's better than all the other lakes. ​