This is an introspective analysis to examine the substantiality of the proclamation that Being is Knowing.

The term “being” denotes both pure existence per se as well as existence as an entity. In both cases existence is validated by the associated consciousness. The famous axiomatic statement “I think; Therefore I am” points to this fact that a conscious state is a clear proof of the existence as an entity or otherwise. Total unconsciousness is a state where existence can neither be asserted nor denied. It should be understood that apart from the pedestrian meaning of consciousness as a state which gets turned on and off, consciousness in spiritual circle has another connotation as the underlying absolute principle in relation to which an individualized consciousness may be in a state of off or on.  The absolute aspect of existence/consciousness transcends our intellectual and cognitive faculties, so the only analysis one can do is on the relative conscious existence in order to see whether being is equivalent to knowing.

Consciousness is the substratum of all cognitions. Any perceptual or conceptual activity is rooted in consciousness. Without being conscious cognition is impossible. But the other way round is very much possible. One can be conscious of the absence of any cognitive processes as well.

Our individualized existence is an add-on to the pure existence-consciousness scenario. Name, form, vitality, senses, intellect, ego etc. are added on to produce “ME” the individual. The individual becomes the focal point of cognitive processes to identify and interact with a world existing around and within him.  Looking from the individual perspective, he is born into this world and evolved with it. It may be said that he inherited this pure existence-consciousness along with the birth of the body/mind organism. But the fact remains that pure existence-consciousness is fundamental, eternal and non-evolving and is shared by each and everyone.  What evolve is only the add-ons packaged in to objects sentient or insentient. Why this is mentioned here is to emphasis dependency of the individual entity on pure existence-consciousness.

With the entitification (individualization) there is a tendency to entitify the existence and consciousness as “MY” existence and “MY” consciousness there by limiting and binding the unlimited and unbound to the body/mind organism as a distinct entity. Everything is seen through “MY” eyes and everything becomes “MY” experience and “MY” concepts. The cognized becomes more real than the cogniser. Perceptions through extroverted sense organs are taken as the proof of reality. Whatever cognized is taken as really existing. In other words, existence or beingness is considered identical to the totality of all cognitive processes.

Let us analyse the individualized process of cognition to see how existential reality is asserted by cognition. Since the visible forms add maximum reality to our perceived world, let’s consider the process of seeing as an example. The complex process of seeing, as described by the scientific world, involves multiple stages.  First, an inverted image of the object is fallen on the retina of the eyes. Then the optic nerves carry the visual impulses to the optic center in the brain.  The optic center processes the impulses and translates them as “visual information” regarding the object. Then the subtle intellect assimilates them as knowledge and now the object is known to be existing. (In this context, a distinction is to be noted on “information” and “knowledge”. Information is ideation – conceptual. Knowledge is the “isness” of the concept.)

This is the case with all other sense perceptions as well. Through multiple stages, the perceptions are assimilated into subtler and subtler aspects and finally are “known” to be existing. As a matter of fact, even the thought process follow the same pattern bereft of  the initial sensory activity. An objective existence is thus pulverized to knowledge by step by step reduction in grossness. What one can conclude from this is that the totality of all cognitive processes is ultimately reducible to knowledge.  Since we have already defined existence as the totality of cognitive processes, it amounts to say that the ultimate nature of beingness is knowingness.

If being is knowing, then can knowing be being?

This is one of the most fundamental questions in spirituality. What is the truth of the world? Is it real? Is it non-substantial like a dream? Just an illusion? Maya?

Let’s analyse the same example of seeing further. The entire process can be seen as a sequence of observations. The tree was an object for the eye. The image in retina was an object for the optic center. The impulses at the optic center was an object for the intellect. The information was an object for the consciousness.  Even though seeing is a unitary process, the object was converted from gross to subtle then to subtler and to subtlest in stages.

During the process, one will see that the heterogeneous world with a wide variety of attributes when perceived will be first converted to image, then to impulses, then to information, and to knowledge. From the second stage onwards, the heterogeneous nature of the objects is lost. An image is an image. An image of a rose is same in essence to an image of a bull. Then the images are converted into neural impulses which are uniform in essence though carrying variety of information. In other words, at this stage the essence of a tree or water or light or color or sweetness or pain or concept- they all become similar in constitution. Just neuro-electric signals.  The varied experiences and objects take the form of a unified substance. Going further on, finally they all take the form of simple, subtle knowledge with only the feel of “isness” of the impulses. If we can go a step further, it can be very easily inferred how inseparable consciousness and knowledge are and knowing is just a subtle movement of “isness” within consciousness.

Now take a U turn and begin where the cognitive process begins. Suppose you are observing a tree. The image of the tree falls on the retina of the eye through the lens which in turn proceeds further to have the vision of the object – the tree. Assume that you have developed a technique by which you can project an image directly on the retina using a miniature projector implanted inside the eye ball. If this projector can project the exact image of the tree, as it looked when the tree was being observed, will it not produce the vision of the tree?  The brain will process the image and impulses and there after translate the information into the knowledge of a “tree out there”. Is it not as good as observing the real tree even though actually there is no tree?

Assume that technology improves further to be able to simulate impulses directly on the brain centers so as to produce same neuro-electric impulses generated while observing the tree. This will again be experienced as real tree by the further assimilations by brain-intellect. By the same token, it is not very hard to conclude that if the knowledge of a tree arises in consciousness it can be experienced by the organism as a real tree out in the real world.

What is attempted here is to reason out the possibility by a sort of reverse engineering that the whole objective world can be equated to knowledge arising in pure consciousness being projected as information then to impulses then to images and at last as a physical existence. When this projection happens through a subtle body, a dream world is cognized. When the projection happens through a physical body, a physical world appears. In this scenario, the only self-existing reality is the consciousness and everything else is just appearance (movement) of knowledge within it which gets projected in stages of grossness. Any objective existence is directly related to objective knowledge operating in relation to self knowledge. When no knowledge operates, pure consciousness is pure existence. So conditioned existence is knowingness in motion and pure existence is knowingness at rest.

Simply put – Knowing is Being.