Those who are filled with the knowledge of names and forms have no capacity for the knowledge of God.
Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Related Material by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Compiled by Wahiduddin Richard Shelquist – wahiduddin.net
Those who are filled with earthly knowledge — and what they call ‘learning’ is often only the knowledge of names and forms — have no capacity for the knowledge of Truth or God. It is the innocent and pure soul who has a capacity for learning. When people come to take a lesson on any subject, and bring their own knowledge with them, the teacher has little to teach, for the doors of their hearts are not open. Their hearts that should be empty in order to receive knowledge are occupied by the knowledge that they already have acquired.
Intellect is the knowledge of names and forms, their character and nature, gathered from the external world. It shows in an infant from birth, when it begins to be curious about all it sees; then, by storing in its mind the various forms and figures it sees, it recognizes them as an addition to its knowledge of variety. We thus gather the knowledge of numberless forms of the whole world in our minds and hold them … and call that ‘learning’. This becomes our world, although it neither gives us a sense of unchanging comfort, nor do we thereby gain an everlasting peace.
Wisdom is contrary to the above-named knowledge. It is the Knowledge which is Illumined by the Light within; it comes with the maturity of the soul, and opens up the sight to the similarity of all things and beings, as well as the Unity in names and forms. The wise penetrate the spirit of all things; they see the human in the male and female [ beyond gender distinctions and differences — Muiz ], and the racial origin which unites nations. They see the human in all people and the Divine Immanence in all things in the Universe, until the vision of the Whole Being becomes to them the vision of the One Alone, the most beautiful and beloved God.
Every soul yearns for Knowledge, that Knowledge which will give exaltation. But the soul cannot be satisfied by the knowledge one gathers from books, by learning, or by the study of outside things. For instance the knowledge of science, the knowledge of art, are outside knowledge. They give one a kind of strength, a kind of satisfaction, but this does not last. It is another Knowledge that the soul is really seeking. The soul cannot be satisfied unless it finds that Knowledge, but that Knowledge does not come by learning names and forms. …
We must enrich ourselves with thought, with that happiness which is spiritual happiness, with that Peace which belongs to our soul, with that liberty, that freedom, for which our soul longs; and attain to that higher Knowledge which breaks all the fetters of life and raises our consciousness to look at life from a different point of view. Once one has realized this opportunity one has fulfilled the purpose of Life.
( from the Sufi Message Series, Volume VI – The Alchemy of Happiness: Life, An Opportunity )
Commentary by Murshid S.A.M. (Sufi Ahmed Murad)
Samuel L. Lewis
Yet one who has found capacity for the Knowledge of God has all capacity for knowledge of names and forms. That is because the Heart is so much greater than the mind and is the very essence of mind. Growth of Heart, awakening of Heart, purifying of true Faith — these are the best means of increasing the capacity of mind. However, the object of life is the attainment of Truth, not the development of mind. Sufis often have acquired great intellects through their spiritual unfoldment, but it is not necessary, it has no merit because this knowledge as such cannot be taken above Malakut.
Suppose one is living the life of the Heart, whether in Djabrut or on earth — and it is really the same thing — how does such a one acquire knowledge? One does not need it at all. One can read it in the minds of others, not only in the human mind, but when the Heart is open, the very trees, hills, flowers, rocks and birds and animals will convey their impressions to one, and there is a silent speech which is vastly larger than any sounds made by the tongue.
Besides that, in the Heart condition there is no need to entangle the mind or carry a large memory. It is always there in the atoms and can be picked up at will. This is the higher Akasha that holds all the knowledge of existence and forms, so to speak, the prakrit or physical manifestation of Djabrut, the Adamic, which becomes the sky of Malakut from another point of view.