How does factual understanding take place? When one speaks about his 'experience' of something, if the other person, who is listening to him, also had the same experience already, and if he understands the 'words' used by the person who explains the 'experience' as well, then this listener would understand the speaker.
So the important two things needed to understand another person's 'experience' are:-
1. Having the same experience.
2. Understanding the 'words' used to describe the experience.
An example:
A - Do you know what is meant by the word 'Hot'?
B - I don't know. Please explain it to me.
A - When you keep a kettle with water on the gas stove and heat it, the kettle
becomes 'Hot' and the water in the kettle also becomes 'Hot'. Now do you
understand this?
B - No, I have never done it. I don't understand what is 'Hot'.
A - Then go to the kitchen and do the same, and when the water vapour comes
out of the kettle, just quickly touch the kettle by your finger and take away
the finger immediately. What you will feel, when you touch the kettle is
'Hot' ness.
Another example:
Mr. Anger - (an English man) I feel angry towards that man who is beating
his child.
Mr. No Anger - (A foreigner who does not know the word 'anger' and who
never experienced anger in his life.) What do you mean by the
word 'Anger'?
Mr. Anger - The feeling you get against someone, when he is doing an
injustice to another or to yourself, where you feel like hitting
him.
Mr. No Anger - Yes, I have seen people hitting other people, saying that they
have done injustice, but I have never felt anything like that, even
when someone hitting me for no reason. Still I can't
understand the word 'Anger'.
Yet another example:
Mr. Anger - (an English man) I feel angry towards that man who is beating
his child.
Mr. F. Anger - (A foreigner who does not know the word 'anger', but have
experiences of anger in his life.) What do you mean by the
word 'Anger'?
Mr. Anger - The feeling you get against someone, when he is doing an
injustice to another or to yourself, where you feel like hitting
him.
Mr. F. Anger - Yes, now I understand the word 'Anger'. Yes, your are correct,
let us go and hit that man who is beating his child.
1. An Hypothetical Discussion with K:
K - There is awareness of the tree. Awareness ends, without thinking, then
everything is OK. No Division.
A - I understand.
B - Yes, it is clear.
K - But if there is a response to the 'Awareness of the tree', then it is 'Me' who is
responding. Is it clear?
A - Yes.
B - Yes, agreed.
K - The response is the 'Thought' which is past.
A - Quite clear.
B - Yes.
K - The Response, that is the 'Thought' is a Division, do you see?
A - Yes, wonderful, I see it.
B - No, I don't see it. I see that, I am the one who is thinking about the tree, so I
don't see a Division between 'I' and 'my thinking'.
K - OK, let us go much deeper. This Division, the thought is 'Not Me'.
A - Yes I experience the same.
B - Not with me, No Division neither 'Not Me'.
K - Division, 'Not Me' brings insecurity and fear. Do you see it?
A- Yes, there is insecurity and fear even when I think about tree, door, flower
etc.
B - (Laughs). How can be there be fear, when one 'thinks' about door, tree and
flower? What is this Division, 'Not Me'? I don't feel any of those. I don't feel
insecure and fearful, just becuse of thinking of a tree or even a
tiger or ghosts. I have lived all alone in jungle security posts, when I was
in the army. I quite loved that utter loneliness, a challenge, only a few of my
colleagues feared.
Hence, it is clear A understands K, Factually, having the same experience of 'Not Me', Division, insecurity and fear.
Do you understand K, as A does? And experience insecurity and fear when you think about a tree?
Or do you not understand K, as B does not?
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