| Questions and Answers:
The Source of All Knowledge |
by Paramhansa Yogananda
Inner Culture, October, 1940
Question: What is the source of all knowledge?—S.T.
Answer: Knowledge is vast, spiritual wisdom is vast,and although this world is vast to us, it is only a speck in the universe. It is impossible in this life to acquire all the wisdom that human beings have gathered from time to time in the school of life. So long as you live on earth, so long as the power in the eye gives you strength to see the stars, so long as you enjoy God's sunshine and breathe His air, so long will you yearn for knowledge. Therefore, you must realize the value of the immortal time which God has given you. Very few of us try to find out what life can give to us.
When you want to accomplish anything, do not depend only on outside sources of knowledge. All knowledge really comes from an inner sourcefrom the soul without limitation. You must tap your inner source, which is omniscient. Go deep and seek the Infinite Source. All methods of business success, inventions, vibrations of music, and inspirational thoughts and writings are recorded in the office-files of God.
You must concentrate upon increasing the receptive quality of your brain cells instead of depending too much on books and college work for your progress. Since God has made us in His image, we cannot have limitations if we probe deeply enough within ourselves. With an awakened brain, myriad mentalities will awaken and all things will be apprehended by you. You will study the vast book of nature and truth with billions of awakened and spiritualized microscopic brains and mentalities. Why be satisfied with half educating only a small part of your brain cells?
By consciously condensing all your experiences by the power of concentration, you can quicken your evolution. By concentration you gather your attention, focusing it to a point. By condensation you use your attention to do quickly a thing which ordinarily would take a long time. If man can quicken evolution in business, then he can also quicken his evolution in all branches of life, including his own inner life.
One thing must be your very concern: you must find your right vocation. By contact with the cosmic vibration in meditation, you will be led to the goalto the thing that you ought to do. You must concentrate upon that work, make yourself proficient in it. You cannot learn everything about all things, but you can learn everything about one thing.
First find out what you want, then ask divine aid in directing you to the right action whereby your want will be fulfilled; then retire within yourself. Act according to the inner direction that you receive; you will then find what you want. When your mind is calm, quickly, smoothly, and beautifully you will perceive everything. Success in all ways will come to pass in a short time, for cosmic power can be proved by the application of the right law.
Increase Your Intuition
Most people start with books and outside methods. You must start with increasing the receptivity of your intuition. In you lies the infinite seat of all knowledge. Calmness, concentration, and condensation of experiences by intuitional perception will make you master of all knowledge. Potentially, all knowledge is within you.
The sun shines equally on the charcoal and the diamond; it is the charcoal which is responsible for not reflecting the sunlight as brilliantly as the diamond. All congenital limitations come through man's own transgression of a law sometime in the past. Through right action now all limitations can be overcome.
