Jyana: The Three Faces of Knowledge

From Hearing to Thinking to Feeling – The Journey into the Heart of Truth

There are many ways we human beings encounter truth.
Some hear it, some think about it, and a few rare ones—very few—feel it.

This is the essence of Jyada—knowledge in its three unfolding forms:

1. Shrotra Jyana – Knowledge heard through the ears.

2. Chintamaya Jyana – Knowledge processed through the mind.

3. Bhawnamaya Jyana – Knowledge lived and felt in the heart.

The first two are steps.
The last is the arrival.

1. Shrotra Jyana – The Echo of the Outer World

The journey often begins with Shrotra—what we hear.
It may be the words of a teacher, a sacred verse, or even a passing sentence from a stranger that catches our attention.

This knowledge is like the moonlight—it lights the path but comes from a source far away.
It touches our mind but not yet our essence.
We carry it in memory, perhaps even recite it to others, but it remains external—something we have, not yet something we are.

2. Chintamaya Jyana – The Fire of the Inner Mind

Hearing alone is not enough.
If knowledge stops at the ears, it becomes nothing more than a collection of sounds.

In Chintamaya, the mind awakens to investigate:
What does this mean?
Is it true?
How does it fit with what I know, feel, and see?

This is the stage of inner dialogue—questioning, reflecting, cross-examining truth from every angle.
The mind here becomes a chisel, shaping raw stone into a form.

But even here, something is missing.
The sculpture is beautiful, yet lifeless.

3. Bhawnamaya Jyana – The Heart That Knows

There comes a moment—often unexpected—when knowledge breaks free from the cage of thoughts and sinks into the silent chambers of the heart.

This is Bhawnamaya Jyana—knowledge that is felt.
Not because someone told you.
Not because you reasoned it out.
But because it bloomed within you as your own living truth.

It is the difference between reading about fire, studying the chemistry of fire, and finally standing near the flames, feeling its heat on your skin.

In this stage, knowledge is no longer something you carry—it carries you.
It transforms from an idea into an experience.

A Simple Story of the Three

A disciple once heard from his master:

“You are not the body; you are the witness.”

At first, he simply remembered the words (Shrotra).

Later, he sat alone and asked himself:

“If I am not the body, then who am I?”
He debated with friends, studied scriptures, and reflected deeply (Chintamaya).

Years later, during meditation, something happened.
He was sitting quietly when a deep stillness came over him.
In that moment, he saw his thoughts and body as something separate—like clouds drifting in the sky.
And there, beyond all doubt, he felt the truth:

“I am the witness.” (Bhawnamaya).

Why Bhawnamaya is the Highest

Because only felt knowledge changes the way you live.

Hearing is useful.
Thinking is powerful.
But feeling turns truth into your nature.

The first two are about knowing.
The last is about being.

An Invitation to Experience It

Let’s walk through it right now.

1. Hear this: You are not the body; you are the witness.

2. Think about it: If my body changes daily, yet “I” remain, then perhaps the “I” is not the body.

3. Feel it: Close your eyes.
   Watch your breath.
   Watch your thoughts come and go.
   Who is watching?
   Stay there.
   Just watching.

That watcher…
That silent presence…
That is you.
You didn’t just hear it—you felt it.

A Living Symbol

Imagine three concentric circles:

• Outer Circle – Shrotra Jyana: light from outside, touching you.

• Middle Circle – Chintamaya Jyana: light reflected and analyzed within.

• Inner Circle – Bhawnamaya Jyana: the core radiance, your own light.

This is the sacred geometry of knowledge.
And your life’s journey is a movement from the outer circle into the center.

Final Reflection

So I leave you with a question—not to answer right now, but to carry:

In your life so far… have you only heard truth?
Have you only thought about it?
Or have you ever truly felt it?

Because only when truth is felt does it set you free.