THE CHALLENGE OF COMMUNICATING THE INEFFABLE
Ever since I received the gift of Self-Knowledge from Prem Rawat in 1971, I have been trying, in various ways, to communicate something about the experience he reveals, how the practice of what he teaches benefits a person's life, and what his ongoing role is in the grand adventure of "knowing thyself."
As a poet and writer, I have a high regard for the power of language to convey and evoke that which is difficult to translate. But beyond that, I know deep down inside myself that, ultimately, it is not really possible -- not unlike the way my Zen friends describe the phenomenon of trying to speak truth into existence.
"It's like a finger pointing at the moon."
Prem Rawat has spoken of this phenomenon, as well.
"It's like trying to describe the taste of a mango to someone who's never experienced it."
Bottom line, words are finite, no matter how they are strung together or how impassioned the writer or speaker may be at any given moment in time. The menu is not the food. The finger is not the moon.
When it comes right down to it, I take my cue from the Chinese sage, Lao Tzu who once said: "Those who know don't speak. Those who speak don't know.
Hmm... a most provocative quote, indeed. And yet... drum roll please... Lao Tzu SPOKE this unspeakable truth. So... we can either conclude that the illustrious Mr. Tzu didn't know anything about the truth (because he spoke) OR he spoke, anyway, because there was something deep inside of him that needed to be said, no matter how paradoxical or imperfect his expression was.
Inspired by his choice and the undeniable fact that a finger pointing to the moon is better than no finger at all, I am going to take one more whack at this impossible task.
In other words, I am going to take a few leaps, using words as springboards, catalysts, and approximations.
What does enjoying the gift of Self-Knowledge that Prem Rawat reveals feel like?
Like coming home... like being on home base in a game of tag... like landing on Free Parking in Monopoly... like the bridge over troubled waters... like the trail of rice Hansel and Gretel left behind to find their way out of the forest... like Christmas morning... like an unexpected snow day... like finally finding love after looking for it in all the wrong places... like a sanctuary city for all of the refugees inside you... like realizing the promised land is (and has always been) beneath your feet... like being happy for no reason... like falling in love with life itself.
Catch my drift? I hope so.
Of course, each of the above figures of speech are imperfect. Every one of them is flawed.
For the moment, look at it this way: there is no perfect perfume or cologne in the world, but a really evocative scent will move you across the room to connect with the person who is wearing it -- or, at least, LOOK their way.
If any of the preceding has piqued your interest, I invite you to follow the scent wherever it may lead you. Towards that end, I have included links, below, to some Prem-related websites.
Sniff around if you'd like.
Hear Yourself: Prem's New York Times bestselling book
Prem's Official YouTube Channel
PremRawat.com
TimelessToday
TPRF.org
Photo: Courtesy of TimelessToday
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)
