Perhaps the most clearly developed traditions of spiritual knowledge are the yogic systems. In these we find a deeper presentation of an eternal wisdom tradition, a science of cosmic and Self-knowledge. If we don't first know ourselves and the workings of our own minds we cannot know anything else. Such Self-knowledge is the knowledge of our eternal being, not merely knowledge of our outer personality which is constantly changing. 

Our true Self transcends the fluctuating and conditioned body-mind complex. The mind-body complex, being a product of circumstances, can never be universal or eternal. Only consciousness, being formless, is beyond such time-space limitations. In this regard we must discriminate a tradition of occult knowledge from one of Self-knowledge. The former deals with knowledge of the subtle worlds and hidden powers of nature. The latter alone deals with the highest Truth of consciousness. 

The two traditions can be integrated and each has its place, but the highest knowledge belongs only to the tradition of Self-knowledge which goes to the heart of who we really are. Such a universal tradition cannot be created. If we look deeply we see that it must always exist, just as the universe always exists. A universal teaching need not be invented, nor can it ever be the product of human thought, which is inherently limited. We must attune ourselves with the self-existent reality of the Universal Truth. Should we try to make it up we will remain caught in the preconceived pattern of our own minds.

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