In the Know There are some things that you know, then there are some things that you really know. Think of your closest friend. If you don't have a close friend, then think of a parent or a favourite pet. Does your friend like you? How do you know? You just know it. You don't have to recall the nice things that your friend has done for you and deduce it logically. You have a deep down gut level of knowing that it is true.

There are other levels of knowing. For example, you know that the Earth is a member of the solar system. This system has the Sun at its centre and the other planets orbiting around it. We learnt this in school from text books written by astronomers who studied these things. I bet that few of us have actually seen all the planets through a telescope. We know these facts not through direct experience, but through the wisdom of others.

Here is an analogy which I really like. A new restaurant has just opened up in town. A friend of yours, whose opinion you trust, has eaten there and tells you how good the food is. You have no reason to doubt her, so now you know that it is a good restaurant. This is the first level of knowing, that which is gained from a reliable source, such as a friend, teacher or a book.

You decide to go to the restaurant in person. You sit down at the table and look through the menu. The choice certainly looks good and the other patrons have happy faces and seem to be enjoying the food. You logically deduce from what you observe that the restaurant is a good one. This the second level of knowing, that which is gained through application of one's intellectual faculty on the data at hand.

You order a dish from the menu. You wait in anticipation for the food to arrive. When it comes, the waiter puts it in front of you. You take your fork, break off a piece and put it into your mouth. Ahhh, it's delicious! Now you really know that it is a good restaurant. This is the last level of knowing, that which is gained through direct experience of phenomena.

These three levels of knowing are described in the Buddhist texts as sutamaya-panna, cintamaya-panna and bhavanamaya-panna respectively. These words come from the ancient language of Pali which is used to record the Buddha's teachings. Buddhist monks today still chant services in Pali.

How can we apply this to our OCD lives? Well, here is an exercise for us to do. The next time we have an OCD thought, try to classify it under one of the three levels of knowing. When we "know" that our hands are dirty or that we have harmed somebody, is it sutamaya-panna, cintamaya-panna or bhavanamaya-panna? Try to do this with as many of your thoughts, both OCD and non-OCD, as possible. Let us discuss next time why this categorisation will be important in the search for a respite from OCD.

John  ¶ 9:06 PM