Worldly Knowledge Quotes & Sayings

In the current era, to take adjustments in worldly interactions is knowledge (Gnan). One is to adjust to 'disadjustments'. — Dada Bhagwan

Knowledge of self ought to be the great project of our lives. Knowing ourselves we will know others. Only by knowing ourselves can we begin to undo the madness we unleash on the world in our wars, our destruction of the environment, our divisions, our desire to dominate others, the poverty we create and exploit. Only through self-knowledge can we reverse the damage we do with all the worldly knowledge we have, which has been only a higher ignorance. — Ben Okri

We might laugh at the notion of plastic tea sets in the jungle, but it is a time-honored ritual for Western travelers to collect preindustrial artifacts to use as home decorations...Possession of primitive artifacts suggests worldly knowledge, just as in the highland communities of Borneo an electronic wristwatch that plays "Happy Birthday" is the mark of a great traveler. Funny thing how travel can narrow the mind. — Eric Hansen

When one gathers all the books of all worldly religions, when one beholds (dharan) them, then the phenomenon of religious upholding (dharma dharan) occurs. When that religious upholding becomes 100% strong, then the essence [marma] begins to manifest. When the essence becomes 100% strong, then the extract of the Knowledge [gnanark] begins to manifest. Here, we make you 'drink' (absorb) directly, the 'Extract of the Knowledge'. — Dada Bhagwan

The rishis of old attained the Knowledge of Brahman. One cannot have this so long as there is the slightest trace of worldliness. How hard the rishis laboured ! Early in the morning they would go away from the hermitage, and would spend the whole day in solitude, meditating on Brahman. At night they would return to the hermitage and eat a little fruit or roots. They kept their mind aloof from the objects of sight, hearing, touch, and other things of a worldly nature. Only thus did they realize Brahman as their own inner conciousness. — Ramakrishna

Worldly knowledge (laukik gnan) is called illusion (bhranti). — Dada Bhagwan

The common Christian practice compartmentalizing knowledge into sacred and secular is unbiblical and leads to the dangerous notion that secular knowledge is somehow less important, worldly, and hence unfit for the spiritual Christian. — Ronald H. Nash

Yet the Narrator's quest is not only for his own identity and vocation. He seeks an understanding of art, sexuality and worldly and political affairs: he is a snoop and a voyeur; he comments and classifies; his taxonomic impulse makes the novel appear to be a vast compendium, replete with burrowing wasps and bedsteads, military strategies, stereoscopes, asparagus and aeroplanes. — Adam A. Watt

The first step in conforming our intellect to God's truth is to die to our vanity, pride, and craving for respect from colleagues and the public. We must let go of the worldly motivations that drive us, praying to be motivated solely by a genuine desire to submit our minds to God's Word - and then to use that knowledge in service to others. — Nancy Pearcey

That discipline which corrects the eagerness of worldly passions, which fortifies the heart with virtuous principles, which enlightens the mind with useful knowledge, and furnishes to it matter of enjoyment from within itself, is of more consequence to real felicity than all the provisions which we can make of the goods of fortune. — Robert Blair

Circumstances can change through worldly knowledge (ignorance of the self, the Soul) and also through (true) knowledge (realization of the self). With ignorance, circumstances will bring entanglements and with (true) knowledge, circumstances will bring solutions. (True) Knowledge itself changes circumstances. Is God likely to come down and do so? — Dada Bhagwan

... With the 'death' of God worldly values proliferate, separate out and are drawn into endless conflict with one another. This process leads to the formation of a world torn by an infinite number of value-conflicts, for 'rational' (scientific) knowledge, which, for Weber, is limited to questions of fact rather than value, is unable to resolve the crisis of values that it itself inaugurated. — Nicholas Gane

Worldly things (laukik) are perceived through the senses (indriya-gamya). That, which is beyond the world (alaukik), is perceived [through the knowledge which is] beyond the senses (atindriya-gamya). — Dada Bhagwan

There is worldly life where there is competition and where there is no competition, there is 'Gnan', (true) Knowledge. — Dada Bhagwan

Worldly ambition inhibits true learning. Ask me. I know. A young man in a hurry is nearly uneducable: He knows what he wants and where he's headed; when it comes to looking back or entertaining heretical thoughts, he has neither the time nor the inclination. All that counts is that he is going somewhere. Only as ambition wanes does education become a possibility. — Andrew J. Bacevich

Worldly knowledge (laukik gnan) is understood through the intellect (buddhi). Knowledge of that which is beyond the world (alaukik gnan) cannot be understood through the intellect. That is understood through 'Gnan' [Knowledge of the Real Self]. — Dada Bhagwan

Too many read a chapter or two in the Bible, then for lack of interest put it down for weeks at a time and never look at it. Bernard compares the study of the Word and the mere reading of it to the difference between a close friendship and a casual acquaintance. If you want genuine knowledge, he says, you will have to do more than greet the Word politely on Sundays or nod reverently when you chance to meet it on the street. You must walk with it and talk with it every day of the week. You must invite it into your private chambers, and forego other pleasures and worldly duties to spent time in its company. — William Gurnall

One enjoyed the mental pleasures through ignorance (of the Self), and that is cause of the worldly life. Only the bliss of the 'Knowledge' [of the Soul, one's True Self] is to be enjoyed. — Dada Bhagwan

Nothing can touch the one who is oodasin (one unperturbed by worldly life). After attaining Knowledge of the Self, if one applies awareness of the Self, one can remain unperturbed (oodasin). — Dada Bhagwan

Motive is also important in our quest for knowledge and in the questioning that accompanies it. In commenting on our duty to educate for eternity, Eugene England writes: Teaching or learning - with the Spirit of God simply means (though it is not simple) that we are doing so with an eye single to eternal, not worldly, values, with an eye single to lasting development of the mind and spirit and to useful service to others, especially to aid in their lasting development of mind and spirit. — Dallin H. Oaks

Where there is lack of 'Gnan' (Knowledge and experience of the Self; real Knowledge) there is worldly existence and where there is 'Gnan' (Real Knowledge), there is no worldly existence. — Dada Bhagwan

No price is too great to pay for inner peace. Peace is the harmonious control of life. It is vibrant with life-energy. It is a power that easily transcends all our worldly knowledge. Yet it is not separate from our earthly existence. If we open the right avenues within, this peace can be felt here and now. — Sri Chinmoy

As long as one is the doer of the actions, there is agnan [all other knowledge other than one's own true self, wordly knowledge]. Agnan is the cause for the worldly life. — Dada Bhagwan

This worldly knowledge is not called (Real) Knowledge. It is worldly knowledge. The scriptural knowledge is known as the instrumental knowledge. The knowledge about the goal [to attain Pure Soul] is Real 'Knowledge'. Scriptures themselves are the instruments and the knowledge within the scriptures is also an instrument; whereas, the 'knowledge' of the Self is the goal [to attain Pure Soul]! — Dada Bhagwan

Attachment-abhorrence is the foundation for the worldly life and the foundation for 'Knowledge' is a state free of all attachments (vitragta). — Dada Bhagwan

The knowledge, which makes you 'emotional', is worldly awareness. True awareness does not make you 'emotional'. — Dada Bhagwan

Once the egoism has gone (stopped), all the worldly 'matter' of the body-complex [pudgal] are renounced! Where there is egoism, there is my-ness and where there is my-ness, there is a hidden egoism. When 'Knowledge of the Self' is attained, egoism and my-ness goes away. Only the dramatic (discharge) 'egoism' and 'my-ness' will remain. — Dada Bhagwan

When a man sought knowledge, it would not be long before it could be seen in his humbleness, his sight, upon his tongue and his hands, in his prayer, in his speech and in his disinterest (zuhd) in worldly allurements. And a man would acquire a portion of knowledge and put it into practice, and it would be better for him than the world and all it contains - if he owned it he would give it in exchange for the hereafter. — Hasan Of Basra

... Protestantism, in its quest for 'rational knowledge' of God's purpose and for an understanding of this world, engendered its own demise, for it lent legitimacy to a secular science that in turn rejected and devalued all religious values. And in this respect, Protestantism effectively devalued or disenchanted itself, for in its attempt to prove its own intrinsic rationality through non-religious means it affirmed the value of science, and with this laid itself open to the charge of irrationalism and to attack from the outside from 'rational', secular forms of this-worldly legitimation. — Nicholas Gane

Knowledge, which is power, knows no limits, either in its enslavement of creation or in its deference to worldly masters. — Theodor Adorno

A seeming ignorance is very often a most necessary part of worldly knowledge. It is, for instance, commonly advisable to seem ignorant of what people offer to tell you; and, when they say, Have you not heard of such a thing? to answer, No, and to let them go on, though you know it already. — Lord Chesterfield

He was again showing recklessness in giving voice to these spasmodic outbursts of worldly knowledge. The champagne perhaps caused this intermittent pulling aside of the curtain that concealed some, apparently considerable, volume of practical information about unlikely people: a little storehouse, the existence of which he was normally unwilling to admit, yet preserved safely at the back of his mind in case of need. — Anthony Powell

So long as one does not become simple like a child, one does not get divine illumination. Forget all the worldly knowledge that thou hast acquired and become as a child, and then will thou get the divine wisdom. — Ramakrishna

Education can so easily unseat one's confidence about the truth of the world, Mal noted privately. — Trish Mercer

Military officers destitute of military knowledge; naval officers with no idea of a ship; civil officers without a notion of affairs; brazen ecclesiastics, of the worst world worldly, with sensual eyes, loose tongues, and looser lives; all totally unfit for their several callings, all lying horribly in pretending to belong to them, but all nearly or remotely of the order of Monseigneur, and therefore foisted on all public employments from which anything was to be got; these were to be told off by the score and the score. — Charles Dickens

Knowledge is power, as some say. But on some days it is just as much pain and confusion as it is power; and any wise man worth his salt as a wise man at least understands this. One may be able to comprehend all the human perspectives in the universe, but this gives more to decipher regarding what is actually true; and even after discovering the truth, the challenge is in maintaining a patience for the infinite number of opinions that do not reflect that truth. Its consistency in man is challenge. A worldly knowledge ends at the former challenge of confusion, but the knowledge of Christ ends at the latter challenge of patience. — Criss Jami

Education has two aspects; the first is related to external and worldly education, which is nothing but acquiring bookish knowledge. In the modern world, we find many well versed and highly qualified in this aspect. The second aspect known as Educare is related to human values. The word Educare means to bring out that which is within. Human values are latent in every human being; one cannot acquire them from outside. They have to be elicited from within. Educare means to bring out human values. 'To bring out' means to translate them into action. — Sathya Sai Baba

I am speaking of people of our educational level who are sincere with themselves, and not of those who make the profession of faith a means of attaining worldly aims. (Such people are the most fundamental infidels, for if faith is for them a means of attaining any worldly aims, then certainly it is not faith.) these people of our education are so placed that the light of knowledge and life has caused an artificial erection to melt away, and they have either already noticed this and swept its place clear, or they have not yet noticed it. — Leo Tolstoy

Our generation is witness to a development of physical knowledge such as has not been seen since the days of Kepler, Galileo and Newton, and mathematics has scarcely ever experienced such a stormy epoch. Mathematical thought removes the spirit from its worldly haunts to solitude and renounces the unveiling of the secrets of Nature. But as recompense, mathematics is less bound to the course of worldly events than physics. — Hermann Weyl

By day, or on a cloudless night, a pilot may drink the wine of the gods, but it has an earthly taste; he's a god of the earth, like one of the Grecian deities who lives on worldly mountains and descended for intercourse with men. But at night, over a stratus layer, all sense of the planet may disappear. You know that down below, beneath that heavenly blanket is the earth, factual and hard. But it's an intellectual knowledge; it's a knowledge tucked away in the mind; not a feeling that penetrates the body. — Charles Lindbergh

It may be said that myths give to the transcendent reality an immanent, this-worldly objectivity. Myths speak about gods and demons as powers on which man knows himself to be dependent, powers whose favors he needs, powers whose wrath he fears. Myths express the knowledge that man is not master of the world and his life, that the world within which he lives is full of riddles and mysteries and that human life also is full of riddles and mysteries. — Rudolf Bultmann

Burn worldly love,
rub the ashes and make ink of it,
make the heart the pen,
the intellect the writer,
write that which has no end or limit. — Guru Nanak

It is Vitaraag vignan [the Spiritual Science of the Enlightened Ones] to look at gain, and to see losses is the knowledge of worldly wanderings. — Dada Bhagwan

That which cures all worldly miseries, is called 'Scientific' Knowledge. — Dada Bhagwan

Locke made the case that religious beliefs are, in the words of the scholar Adam Wolfson, "matters of opinion, opinions to which we are all equally entitled, rather than quanta of truth or knowledge."1 In Locke's formulation, protection against persecution is one of the highest responsibilities of any government or ruler. Locke also argued that where there is coercion and persecution to change hearts and minds, it will "work" only at a very high human cost, producing in its wake both cruelty and hypocrisy. For Locke, no one person should "desire to impose" his or her view of salvation on others. Instead, in his vision of a tolerant society, each individual should be free to follow his or her own path in religion, and respect the right of others to follow their own paths: "Nobody, not even commonwealths," Locke wrote, "have any just title to invade the civil rights and worldly goods of each other upon pretense of religion."2 — Ayaan Hirsi Ali