Intellectual Knowledge and Spiritual Wisdom

There is a huge difference between intellectual knowledge and the spiritual truth that is conducive to salvation and enlightenment. Intellectual and conceptual knowledge, for all its utility in the world, does not always profit the spiritual seeker, and too much of it may even impede higher realization. There is a gulf between Athens and Jerusalem—between the conceptual systems of secular philosophy and the scriptural truth of religion. Scriptures call us to check our priorities, as we live in an age that pushes secular learning.

A second topic of this section concerns ways of knowing. While intellectual knowledge is gained through empirical perception of sense data and rational formulation of theories, spiritually minded people employ intuition and sensitivity to the inner dimensions of reality. Reliance upon reason can be an impediment to the spiritual path; hence much religious practice, such as Zen Buddhism, is aimed at blocking the intellect. For instance the Zen koan, “Has a dog the Buddha nature?” only leads the questioner into a welter of mental confusion until he realizes that the way out is beyond any conceptual understanding whatsoever. Nevertheless, Father Moon regards both the paths of rationality and spirituality as having their place in the Kingdom, and seeks for a balance.

The final texts return to the opposition between secular knowledge and divine knowledge, focusing particularly on the damage caused by science and technology when it is not restrained or directed by spiritual wisdom. Ultimately science and all secular knowledge needs to be guided by what Father Moon calls “absolute values,”—the true love of God that seeks to benefit humanity and the whole creation.