Real Yoga

Turn knowledge into action and become knowledge itself…

We have such fun learning — I know I do. But at the end of the day, knowledge or learning can become a distraction from the Self — a distraction from stillness.

When you read or learn, it can pull you away from the moment. The process of learning can seperate the seer and the doer.

Your ego can get in the way and before you know it, you are reading about Bhakti Yoga and thinking how great you are because you have such devotion and kindness in your heart. You then start to feel special and think you must be a great master. When in fact, you are just a regular Joe living and leading a regular boring life.

In many ways, it's better not to know what you know. It's better to be oblivious to knowledge within. It's better just to live — live with love in and for the moment.

But learning has the ability to help us confirm that which we already know to be true. We already know everything we need to know — we just need to wake up!

What's interesting is that you cannot learn anything from that which you agree with — you already know it — that's why you agree. But when there's something or someone you disagree with it, then that's when you have the opportunity to learn something new or maybe realize you are right. At the end of the day, you will realize you are always right even when you are wrong because everything is perfect — even mistakes are perfectly made.

What's more interesting is that, if you pay attention, you only get into arguments or debates with others because it's a process of you needing to confirm what you know is true — not to get the other person to admit you are correct — but rather you are needing to convince yourself that you are correct. But once you are at peace with the knowledge you know, once you have nothing left to prove to yourself, then you will debate no more — there's nothing left to prove to yourself or anyone else.

It's at this point that loving thoughts create loving actions. Let love be the fuel of your thoughts and when you do this, you just live — live with love in and for the moment.

If you can create those loving actions then learning is unimportant because you have become perfection itself — but wait — forget what I just said — just do it, don't think it, just be it. This knowledge about loving thoughts creating loving actions is 100% useless unless you become love itself… and if you become love itself then you've thrown this knowledge away.

We might notice or have seen people leaving church on a Sunday morning. They just listened to a great sermon about respecting thy neighbor or some other topic. But as soon as they leave that church parking lot, they drive dangerously, begin swearing at other drivers and you think to yourself — didn't these people just come from church? WTF.

So it is with us. You can spend your entire life learning everything yet know nothing.

It's not how much you know but how much of that which you know do you use? It's better to know only 1% of the world's knowledge but apply 100% than know 100% but apply only 1%.

It's not how much you know, but how much of that which you know do you apply? Turn knowledge into action and become knowledge itself.

So what's the secret to learning?

The secret is to simply be unattached to that what you know or learn. Instead of knowing it, become it — live it.

Knowledge is like fuel for your car. Put the fuel into the tank and then you drive.

Constantly learning is like always getting fuel but driving nowhere. You are always at the gas station but never actually going anywhere.

Knowledge is good. It can help us understand why we are the way we are. Knowledge can help us explain or provide answers to others. Knowledge helps point us in the right direction. But if you are always learning, if you are attached what you are learning, then you go nowhere fast.

Knowledge has the ability to create awareness. But we must unite with that awareness so the seer and doer become one.

I encourage you to read and learn — and this website is filled with useful information. But do so with an awareness that knowledge itself can be a trap. At some point you must just do, must just be — be knowledge itself.

In many ways, knowledge is like garbage. You've learnt it. Great. Now throw it out. Live with love. Let love fuel your thoughts…

… Turn knowledge into action and become knowledge itself.

Articles by Swami Harinanda and Yogi Karmananda are © 2026 and are licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Most images do not qualify for use under this license. The 9 Planes of Reality image is, however our own image and thus qualifies.

Some images are used under a Creative Commons License and can also be used as long as you follow their license agreement.

Music has been used with permission and may be used if you qualify and abide by the licensing requirements.

The Real Yoga website is designed to be a self–study website. But, feel free to send us a message — but do make sure your email is correct.

Select and match the date shown below so we know you are not a spambot 🤖
January	29
Month January February March April May June July August September October November December	Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Send

No spying. No cookies. No Google. No advertising. No tracking. No joking — well, maybe a few jokes.

Say yes to 100% free! Two thumbs up!