Gita3
Keshava Swami WebsiteFollow @keshavaswamiBuy the print editionSupport this work
  • Welcome to Gita3 Online!
  • Copyright
  • The Inspiration
  • Gratitude
  • Introduction
  • The Battlefield of Life
  • Part One: Think Different
    • Think Different
    • 1. Leave the Problems | Learn from Problems
      • Hidden Stories
  • 2. Act First, Ask Later | Ask First, Act Later
    • Living or Existing?
  • 3. Spiritualists don't own | Spiritualists aren't owned
    • Spiritualising
  • 4. Know through study | Know through sincerity
    • Digesting Wisdom
  • 5. Be the Best | Try your Best
    • Circles of Life
  • 6. Train your Body | Train your Mind
    • Do Not Disturb
  • 7. See to Believe | Hear to See
    • Locating your Heart
  • 8. Live Before you Die | Die Before you Die
    • Your Memorial
  • 9. Ask God for your Wants | Give God what He Wants
    • Daily Prayers
  • 10. Can't See God Anywhere | Can See God Everywhere
    • Missing the Obvious
  • 11. Believe in Yourself | Believe in Krishna
    • Quietly Confident
  • 12. Make a 'To Do' List | Make a 'To Be' List
    • Practical Saintliness
  • 13. God is Far, Seated in Heaven | God is Near, Seated Within
    • Answer my Prayer
  • 14. The Wealthy Have the Most | The Wealthy Need the Least
    • The Balancing Act
  • 15. Pursue your Dreams | Discover the Reality
    • Frustrated Happiness
  • 16. I, Me, and Mine | We, Us, and Ours
    • Me to We
  • 17. Faith Opposes Knowledge | Faith Builds Knowledge
    • Building Faith
  • 18. Try To Be Happy | Try To Serve
    • From Selfish to Selfless
  • Summary | Think Different
  • PART 2: HOW TO
    • How to...
    • 1. How to Become Determined
      • My Mission
    • 2. How to Make Decisions
      • Decisions Decisions
    • 3. How to Overcome Temptation
      • A Battle Plan
    • 4. How to Find Purpose
      • Finding Purpose
    • 5. How to Become Successful
      • Building Blocks of Success
    • 6. How to Be Present
      • Mantra - Free the Mind
    • 7. How to Avoid Mistakes
      • Learning through Hearing
    • 8. How to Face Death
      • Life’s Change Agent
    • 9. How to Find Love
      • Loving Connections
    • 10. How to Perceive Beauty
      • Enjoy, Ignore or Engage?
    • 11. How to Detect Divinity
      • Connection Points
    • 12. How to Spiritually Progress
      • Spiritual Flow
    • 13. How to Find Freedom
      • Big Questions
    • 14. How to Avoid Burnout
      • Sattva Life
    • 15. How to Become Detached
      • Eternal Assets
  • 16. How to Change Outlook
    • True Lies
  • 17. How to Perfect Your Speech
    • Real Conversations
  • 18. How to Conquer Fear
    • Face your Fears
  • Summary | How To
  • PART 3: WHY NOT
    • Why not?
    • 1. “I don’t have the time.”
      • Killing Time
    • 2. “I already know all of this.”
      • Library for Life
    • 3. “I have so many duties to fulfil.”
      • Work as Worship
    • 4. “I’m not intelligent enough.”
      • Walk the Talk
    • 5. “I’d prefer to practically help the world.”
      • News of the World
    • 6. “I’m too active – I just can’t focus.”
      • The Yoga of Writing
    • 7. “I trust science and fact, not spirituality and faith."
      • Faith Issues
    • 8. “I'll do it in the future.”
      • Enemies of Growth
    • 9. “I don’t follow organised religion."
      • Mechanics of Spirituality
    • 10. “I don’t experience God – I’ve never seen Him”
      • Time for God
  • 11. "I have too many difficulties in my life"
    • Digesting Life
  • 12. “I will lose all my friends.”
    • Best Friends
  • 13. “I’m already happy.”
    • Hierarchy of Needs
  • 14. "I have too many bad habits"
    • Four a Day
  • 15. “I’ll lose my ambition and won’t be successful."
    • Chasing Dreams
  • 16. “I see religion causes more problems.”
    • Spiritual Solutions
  • 17. “I’ve seen too much hypocrisy in religion.”
    • The Truth about Lying
  • 18. “I don’t want to be forced.”
    • 12 months, 12 goals!
  • Summary | Why Not
  • APPENDIX
    • Bhakti: The Yoga of Love
    • The Author
    • Wisdom that Breathes
    • Read the Bhagavad-gita As It Is Online
    • Support this work
Powered by GitBook
On this page
  1. 4. Know through study | Know through sincerity

Digesting Wisdom

Previous4. Know through study | Know through sincerityNext5. Be the Best | Try your Best

Last updated 2 years ago

Food enters the mouth, but only after chewing and digesting it can the nourishment be felt. In the same way, knowledge has its own process of digestion. There are four broad stages in spiritual learning:

  1. Hearing (sravanam) – Receiving insight & inspiration (Is it clear? What stands out? Do I have any questions?)

  2. Reflecting (mananam) – Deep contemplation & reflection (What is my experience? What opportunities and difficulties does this bring?)

  3. Applying (nididhyasanam) – Practical realisation & application (How does this relate to my life now? What changes could I make?)

  4. Praying (vandanam) - Heartfelt desire & supplication (What prayer could I make in this regard?)

Now consider the following passage and apply the four stages above to digest this wisdom in a deeper way:

"One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the self-realised spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding." (Bhagavad-Gita 4.34 Purport)

Sravanam

Mananam

Nididhyasanam

Vandanam