Does spiritual awareness have anything to do with knowledge?

Answer 1

Awareness comes first...everything appears in awareness.

Answer 2

Yes. For instance, the laws of morality, which contribute greatly to spiritual receptivity, are often taught as a set of rules (although some people do arrive at them independently, through their spiritual feelings).

The skills of reading contribute greatly to the ability to ponder and consider various options about the nature of humanity and God... For instance, if one cannot read, one might believe whatever was told by the priest... eg that one will go to hell if one does not believe the priest. Literacy is an important part of self-reliant spirituality.

Another knowledge that I have learned, is how to recognise what the Spirit feels like. Without that knowledge, taught to me by another, I would not be able to recognise or use that Spirit to determine what was true and what was not.... I consider the Holy Spirit to be the basis of spiritual awareness.

On the other hand, knowledge "wrongly grasped" (eg pridefully, fearfully) can prevent spiritual awareness.

2 Nephi 9:28-29

... O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

Answer 3

Depends on the "spiritual tradition" although even the might Jesuit scholars appear to have been inclined to knowledge for its practical purposes in expanding the power of the Church rather for actual spiritual insight.

One thread on Zen Buddhism mentioned how Zen masters were sometimes quite ignorant of simple things taught in many colleges (they had, after all, spent their lives in monasteries in some cases).

So knowledge can be spiritually empty, and spiritual awareness can be quite "empty" of knowledge.

That said, in Zen Buddhism it is considered to be "unlearned", but Zen has a considerable about of talking and teaching about this method which needs "no words". So the answer would seem to be "yes" it does have to do with knowledge.

Answer 4

Spiritual awareness could be said to be the only true knowledge as when we access of our higher self and higher wisdom we are moving beyond the confides of our extremely limited 3D world and moving out towards universal understanding and perceptions.

You will get many who interpret Spiritual awareness as Religious knowledge, not even close to the same thing.

Answer 5

Knowledge of spiritual things, yes. That is, first hand experience makes one aware.

Answer 6

I believe there is this something called "Divine Intelligence"
and if we pray, wish, or hope for it, we receive it via increased spiritual awareness, and it has noting at all to do with IQ or stored cerebral data. If it did then only "smart" people could get enlightened, that would (voice of Ross Perot) "just make God Sad!..and the angels weep.!"
I do believe however you have to eventually find the
path of being a "seeker" aka "spiritual warrior" to even grasp the concept of asking for divine intelligence.
Now to really confuse the issue. I believe we get help all the time, and are often the recipients of God's "love offering" of Divine Intelligence, whether or not we know how to ask for it. There! Did that confuse...uh I mean..answer your question?

Answer 7

It seems that the awareness comes first, in our terms of time. When I was very young, I would read the spiritual books my mom had around the house. I was drawn to them. As I read, I found myself often nodding my head, and thinking, "I knew that", in a sort of recognition. Maybe the knowledge comes from the confirmation of the reading.

Or maybe they are just facets of the same phenomenon. Everything is simultaneous, anyway...

Answer 8

Hi ^^
Love your question. I believe that Knowledge is power-the awareness of one’s own spiritual nature.Depth and presence of mind facilitate and enhance ones ability to have achieved states of enlightenment.

Once we become more enlightened we are able to feel a better and deeper love toward others,we can better understand and start to ascertain the meaning of life. It is in that knowledge we can assist others.

Answer 9

To perceive and accept the perception....I call that knowledge. So yes, if you are speaking of awareness....you have to have knowledge.

However, the spirit moves despite awareness or knowledge. I believe that God will DO no matter what we believe. God hasn't a care if I declare my belief, awareness or knowledge. It doesn't change the action or balance of power in the universe.

It does benefit me if I strive to understand the action and law of God. It would allow me to see the good and bring its reward into my life more easily. However, my Atheist, Baptist, Muslim and Hedonist neighbors are touched by God as equally as I am regardless of knowledge or awareness.

I'm very grateful for that unlimited supply of lovin' goodness.

Answer 10

I found the more I questioned existence the more I found reasoning for a God. Some people claim that with a knowledge of science comes an acceptance of no God.

But there are some out there that believe like i do, that when God created this existence, he created a set of rules to govern and control what happens here, science.