Jnanam or Vijnanam

Jnanam or Vijnanam

These are two terms used in Vedanta. Every one of us have got wisdom, the total knowledge that you know is called the wisdom. The wisdom in every one of you is gathered by each one of you from two sources. Ninety-eight percent of what you know are all secondary experiences. Experiences of others shared from books, from people, who had, had such experiences. You have heard about it, you remember them.This is called Jnanam. Knowledge gained, second hand information. Somebody has experienced and therefore they have recorded it, and I gain it.

Vijnanam means, two percent of what you know is gained by your own direct experience. Experiences and knowledge gathered from others (Jnanam) + directly from your own experiences (Vijnanam) , both of them put together is the total wisdom that you and I have got at this moment.

Examples - Whatever I have learned from Bhagavad Gita, Pathanjali’s 8 limbs of yoga, meditation in 20 years time are more than ninety eight percent from books, talks, discourses, and far less than two percent from my direct experience.

Similarly for a doctor or a scientist, ninety-eight percent of their knowledge is all from others, and two percent on their own. Knowledge gained from others is called Jnanam, Knowledge gained by your own experience is called Vijnanam.

Jnanaam + Vijnanam = Total wisdom

Knowledge got from other sources + Knowledge from own experience = Total wisdom

98% + 2% = 100%