It is not just a quote; what is not cured must be endured; in villages they
say, VANDATHAIK KATTIPPODU VARADHATHAI VIRATTI VIDU(??) . LIFE IS ONLY AN
ENDURANCE WITH A LAUGH. vALLUVAR ALSO HENCE SAID THAT, IDUKKAN VARUNGAL
NAGUKA ....BECAUSE THERE IS NO BETTER OPTION THAN THAT. However vedas must
be accepted and cannot be changed; and sutra household scriptures are
aplenty because, what is not acceptable may be changed and such changes
cannot deny the Vedic way conditioned.
ACCEPTABLE ONLY AND NOT CHANGEABLE
The Vedas speak of a variety of matters. So how are we to accept the view
that their most important teaching is the concept of Self-realisation
expounded in the Upanishads constituting the Vedanta? They mention a number
of sacrifices like agnihotra, somayaga, sattra and isti and other rituals
in addition. Why should it not be maintained that it is these that form
their chief purpose?
What are the rites to be performed at a marriage? Or at a funeral? How best
is a kingdom (or any country) governed? How must we conduct ourselves in an
assembly? You will find answers to many such questions in the Vedas. Which
of these then is the main objective of our scripture?
The Vedas tell you about the conduct of sacrifices, ways of worship,
methods of meditation. How is the body inspired by the Self? What happens
to it (the body) in the end? And how does the self imbue the body again? We
find an answer to such questions in these sacred texts. Also we learn from
methods to keep the body healthy, the rites to protect ourselves from enemy
attacks. What then is the goal of the Vedas?
The Upanisads proclaim that all the Vedas together point to a single Truth
(Kathopanishad, 2. What is that, Truth? "The Vedas speak in one voice of a
Supreme Entity revealing itself as the meaning of Omkara. "
There was a judge called Sadasiva Ayyar. He had a brother, Paramasiva
Ayyar, who lived in Mysore. "The Vedas deal with geology, { KR Mr Ymji
PLEASE NOTE WRT THE THEOSPHERE TOPIC} "so wrote Paramasiva Ayyar. "In
those early times, people in India looked upon the sun and the moon with
wonder, " some Westerners remark. "it was an age when science had not made
much advance. People then regarded natural phenomena according to their
different mental attitudes. Not all are capable of turning their thoughts
into song. But some have the talent for the same. The songs sing by people
in the form of mantras constitute the Vedas. "
Though the Upanisads declare that the Vedas speak of the One reality, there
is an impression that they speak of a variety of entities. There is a
well-known stanza on the Ramayana:
Vedavedye pare pumsi jate Dasarathatmaje
Vedah Pracetasadasitssaksadramayanatmana
"Vedavedye"=one who is to be known by the Vedas. Who is he? "Pare
pumsi"=the Supreme Being. The Supreme being to be known by the Vedas
descended to earth as Rama. When he was born the son of Dasaratha, the
Vedas took the form of Valmiki's child Ramayana. According to this stanza,
the goal of the Vedas is the Supreme Being or Omkara, the One Truth. Just
as the kathopanishad speaks of "sarve Vedah", the lord says in the
Gita:"Vedaisca sarvair ahameva vedyah"(I am indeed to be known by the Vedas)
Considering all this, we realise that, although the Vedas deal with many
matters, all of them together speak of one goal, the One reality. But the
question arises why they concern themselves with different entities also
when their purpose is only the One entity? {KR: Now one may undrstand how
vaishnavism through tiruvai mozhi sent in another email today, is like a
religion claiming their god as the sup\erior one}
It is through the various entities, through knowledge of a multiplicity of
subjects, that we may know of this One Object. Yoga, meditation,
austerities, sacrifices and other rites, ceremonies like marriage, state
affairs, social life, poetry: what is the goal of all these? It is the One
Reality. And that is the goal of the Vedas also. All objects and all
entities other than this true Object are subject to change. They are like
stories remembered and later forgotten. (In our ignorance) we do not
perceive the One object behind the manifoldness of the world. The Vedas
take us to the One Reality through the multifarious objects that we do know.
To attain this One reality we need to discipline our mind in various ways.
Performing sacrifices, practising austerities, doing the duties of one's
own dharma, building gopurams, digging ponds for the public, involving
ourselves in social work, samskaras like marriage, all these go to purify
our consciousness and, finally to still the mind that is always agitated.
(citta vrtti-nirodhah). The purpose of different works is to help us in our
efforts to attain the Brahman.
"Ved"[from"vid"] means to know. The Upanisads proclaim:" The Atman is that
by knowing which all can be known. " The goal of the Vedas is to shed light
on this Atman. The rituals enjoined on us in their first part and the jnana
expounded in the second have the same goal-knowing Iswara, the Brahman or
the Atman. The beginning of the beginning and the end of the end of our
scripture have the same ultimate aim. During the "mantrapuspa" ceremony at
the time of welcoming a great man this mantra is chanted:"Yo Veda dau
svarah prokto Vedante ca prathisthitah. " These words are proof of the
words mentioned above. The mantra means:" What is established in the
beginning of the Vedas as well as their end is the One Truth, the Reality
of Isvara. " The works associated with the beginning and the jnana
associated with the end-there is no difference between the goals of the two.
For the rituals that are divided in a thousand different ways and for the
knowledge(jnana) that is but one, the subject is common. That is the Vedas
have a common subject. The senses are incapable of perceiving the Self.
They are aware only of outward objects and keep chasing them. This is
mentioned in the kathopanisad (4.1). when one's attention is diverted from
the object in hand we say "parakku parppadu"[in Tami] Our object is the
Self. To be diverted from it and to look around-or look away-is to be
"paramukha"-it is the same as "parakku parppadu". It is this idea that is
expressed by the kathopanisad. But the mind does not easily remain fixed on
our goal. So, it is only by performing outward functions that we will gain
the wisdom and maturity to turn our look inward. We will develop such inner
vision only by refusing to be dragged down by the mind and the senses, and
for this we must perform Vedic works.
After learning about, or knowing all other matters by inquiring into them
and by making an assessment of them, we are enabled to grasp that by
knowing which we will know everything. That is the reason why the Vedas
deal with so many branches of learning, so many types of worship, so many
different works and so many arts and so many social duties. By applying the
body in various rites we lose consciousness of that very body. By directing
our thoughts to various branches of learning, by examining various
philosophical systems and by worshipping various deities the mind and the
intellect will in due course be dissolved.
We are more conscious when we are engaged in evil actions than otherwise.
By thinking about evil matters the mind becomes coarser. Instead, if we
perform Vedic sacraments and worship and chant Vedic mantras for the
well-being of the world, the desires of the body and the mind will wilt.
Eventually, we will develop the maturity and the wisdom to gain inner
vision. In this way we will obtain release here itself("ihaiva") Release
from what? From samsara, from the cycle of birth and death. When we realise
that the body and the mind are not"we" and when we become free from them-as
mentioned in the Upanishads- we are liberated from worldly existence.
The purpose of the Vedas is achieving liberation in this world itself. And
that is their glory. Other religions promise a man salvation after his
departure for another world. But we cannot have any idea of that type of
deliverance. Those who have attained will not return to this world to tell
us about it. So, we may have doubts about it or may not believe it at all.
But the Vedas hold out the ideals of liberation here itself if we renounce
all desire and keep meditating on the Self. Moksa then will be within our
grasp at once. There is no room for doubt in this.
Other paths give temporary relief like quinine administered to a person
suffering from malaria. If malarial fever is never to be contracted by the
patient again the root cause of the disease must be found and eradicated.
The Vedic religion goes deep into the root of life and cuts away that which
separates it from the supreme being The freedom realised in this manner is
eternal and not "temporary relief"(from the pains and sorrows of worldly
existence)
The karmakanda of the Vedas deals with matters that give only such
temporary relief. However, it must be realised that a man racked by
difficulties cannot at once be placed in a position where he would all the
time delighting in his Self. Through the " Temporary relief" gained from
performing Vedic rites, his consciousness is freed from impurities and he
becomes "qualified" for everlasting peace. Sacrifices, vows, philanthropic
work, and so on, do not take us to the final goal but they are necessarily
to reduce ourselves physically, to cleanse our consciousness and make our
mind one-pointed in our effort to reach our final goal.
A variety of subjects are spoken in detail in the Vedas but all of them
have the one purpose of leading us to the Vedantic enquiry into Truth and
jnana. The concluding portion of a work, speech, article etc, is usually
the most significant. If we want to find what so-and-so has said in a
speech or in an article, we do not have to read all of it. We glance
through the first para and, skipping through, come to the last. Here we get
the message of the speech or article. We are able to decide on the content
of either by going through the first and concluding passages. The first and
last parts alike of the Vedas speak of the Paramatman; so that can be said
to be the "subject" of the Vedas.
The government enacts many laws. But, later in the course of their
enforcement, doubts arise with regard to their intention. Then another law
is enacted to settle its meaning:it is called the law of interpretation. In
this way Mimamsa has come into being as the law of interpretation for the
Vedas which constitute the eternal law of the Lord. I will speak to you in
detail about Mimamsa which is one of the fourteen branches of the Vedic
lore. But one aspect of it I should like to mention here itself.
According to Mimamsa sastra, there are six ways in which to determine the
meaning of the Vedic pronouncement or "vakhya". They are listed in this
verse:
Upakrama-upasamharau abhyasao purvata phalam
Arthavado pappati lingam tatparya-nirnaye
"Upakrama" and "upasamhara" together form the first method. The other five
are "abhyasa", "apurvata", "phala", "arthavada" and "upapatti". These six
are employed to determine the meaning or intent not only of Vedic passages
but of, say, an article or discourse.
"Upakrama" means the initial part of work, treatise, and "upasamhara" the
conclusion. If the first and concluding parts of a work speak of the same
idea, it is to be taken as its subject. "Abhyasa" is repeating the same
thing, the same idea, again and again. If the same view or the idea is
repeated in a work, it must be understood as its theme. "Apurvata" denotes
an idea not mentioned before or mentioned for the first time. So a view or
idea expressed afresh in the course of work or discourse is to be taken as
the purpose or message intended. "Phala" is fruit, benefit, reward or
result. If, in the course of work or speech, it is said, " If you act in
this manner, you will gain such and such a fruit or benefit", it means that
the purpose of the work or speech is to persuade you to act in the manner
suggested so that you may reap the fruit or "phala" held out.
Suppose a number of points are dealt with in a work or discourse. Now,
based on them, a story is told and, in the course of it, a particular
matter receives special praise. This particular point must be regarded as
the purpose of the work or speech in question. The method employed here is
" arthavada ". If a viewpoint is sought to be established with reasoning it
must be treated as the subject of the work concerned. Here you have "
upapatti ".
A gentleman told me his view of the Vedas based on his reading of the first
and last hymns: "The chief point about the Vedas is fire worship (Agni
upasana). In the upakrama there is 'Agnimile' and in the upasamhara also
there is a hymn to Agni. Both the beginning and the end being so, the
purpose of the Vedas (their 'gist') is fire worship". Agni is the light of
the Atman, the light of the jnana. The light of jnana is nothing but the
spirit of the Self which is the knower, the known and the knowledge: this
is the ultimate message of the Vedas.
However, to understand the hymns in question in a literal sense and claim
that the Vedas mean fire worship is not correct. The greatness of our
scripture consists in the fact that it does not glorify one deity alone. The
Vedas proclaim that the Atman, the Self, must be worshipped, the Atman that
denotes all the deities (Brahadranyaka Upanishad), 4. 5. 6 : "Verily, O
Maitreyi, it is the Self that should be perceived, that should be seen,
heard and reflected upon. It is the Self that must be known. When the Self
is known everything is known". This truth that the Yagnavalkya teaches his
wife Maitreyi is the goal of the Vedas.
What is the implication of the word "goal"? Now we are here at a particular
point. From this point, where we start, we have to go to another point
which is final. Such a meaning is suggested by the word"goal". "Atah" is
what is pointed to at a distance("that") as the goal. "Itah" is where we
are now(here), the starting point. From "here"we have to go "there" to
reach the goal.
But as a matter of fact, is not "that", the goal, here itself(this)? Yes,
when we recognize that everything is the Brahman, we will realise that
"that" and "this " are the Brahman-in other words, "that"and "this" are the
same. What we now think to be "this" becomes the true state denoted by
"that".
Like "atah" the Vedas refer to the Paramatman as "TaT"which means "that".
At the conclusion of any rite or work it is customary to say "Om TaT sat".
It means, "That is the Truth".
We add the suffix "tvam" to some words:"purasatvam", "mahatvam" and so on.
Here "tvam" means the quality or nature of a thing. The quality of "mahat"
is "mahatvam". The nature of "purusa" being a "purusa"is "purusatvam". All
right. What do we mean when we refer to the truth, the Ultimate Truth, as
"tattvam"? "Tattvam"means" being TaT". When we speak of enquiry into tattva
or instruction in tattva it means enquiring into the nature of the Brahman
(or rather Brahmanhood or what is meant by the Brahman.)
If the Vedas proclaim the Paramatman as "Tat", that is a distant entity,
how does it help us? Actually, it is not so. What is far away is also close
by. The Vedas proclaim:"Durat dure antike ca"
Once the parents of a girl arranged her marriage to a boy who happened to
be a relative. But the girl said "I'll marry the greatest man in the world.
"She was stubborn in her decision and the parents in their helpnessness
said to her "Do what you like. "
The girl thought that the king was the greatest of men and that she would
get married to him. One day, as the king was being taken in a palanquin, an
ascetic passed by. The king got down and prostrated himself before the
sanyasin and got into his palanquin again. Witnessing the scene the girl
thought to herself:"I was wrong all these days in thinking that the king
was the greatest of men. The ascetic seems to be greater. I must marry him.
"She then followed the holy man. .
The ascetic stopped on his way to worship an idol of Ganapati installed
under a pipal tree. The girl saw it and came to the conclusion:"This
Ganapati is superior to the sanyasin. I must marry him. " She gave up her
chase of the ascetic and sat by the idol of Ganapati.
It was a lonely place and no devotee came up to worship the god. After some
days a dog came and relieved itself on the idol. The girl now decided that
the dog must be greater than Ganapati. She went chasing the dog and as it
trotted along, with the girl keeping pace with it, a boy threw a stone at
it and it wailed loudly in pain. a young man saw this and reprimanded the
boy for his cruelty. The girl now told herself "I had thought that the boy
was superior to the dog. But here comes a young man to take him to task. So
he must be the greatest of them all. "Eventually it turned out that the
young man was none other then the groom that her parents had chosen for her.
The girl in the story went in pursuit of one she thought was far away but,
in the end, it turned out that what she had sought was indeed closeby.
"You look for God thinking him to be far from you. So long as your ignorant
(that is without jnana) he is indeed far from you. Even if you look for him
all over the world you will not find him. He is in truth with you. ""Durat
dure antike ca, "says the sruti (Farther than the farthest, nearer than the
nearest).
When we look afar at the horizon it seems to be the meeting point of the
earth and the sky. Suppose there is a palm-tree there. We imagine that if
we go upto the tree we will arrive at the point where the earth and the sky
meet. But when we actually arrive at the spot where the tree stands we see
that the horizon has receded further. The further we keep going the further
the horizon too will recede from us. "We are here under the palm tree but
the horizon is still far away. We must also go further to overtake it. "Is
it ever possible to overtake the horizon? When we are at a distance from
the palm the horizon seems to be near it. But when we came to it the
horizon seemed to have moved away further. So where is the horizon? Where
you are that is, the horizon. You and the horizon are on the very same
spot. What we call "That" the lord who we think is far away, is by your
side. No, he is in you. "That thou art, "declare the Vedas-He is you(or you
are He).
"That you are "or "That thou art"(Tat Tvam Asi)is a Vedic mahavakya.{KR
Yesterday I wrote about sweta ketu his father aruni etc } The "Tvam" here
does not mean the quality or essential nature of any entity or object. The
word has two meanings:"essential nature"("beingness")is one meaning; and"
you "or "thou" is another. The Acarya has used "Tvam" as a pun in a stanza
in his saundaryalahari.
It is a combination of the two words "taat" and "tvam" that the word
"tattvam" has come into use. Any truth arrived at the conclusion of an
inquiry is "tattva"-thus it denotes the One Truth that is the Paramatman.
What we call "I", what we think to be "i", that indeed is Isvara; or such
awareness is Isvara. If you do not possess the light within yiou to discern
this truth you will not be able to even concieve of an entity called
Isvara, the consciousness of "I" is what we believe to be the distant
"That". "That and you are the same, child "is the Ultimate message of the
Vedas.
What we call "this"("idam") is not without a root or a source. Indeed there
is no object called "this" without a source. Without the seed there is no
tree. The cosmos with its mountains, oceans, with its sky and earth, with
its man and beast, and so on has its roots. Anger, fear and love, the
senses, power and energy have their root, Whatever we call "this " has a
root. Whatever we see, hear and smell, what we remember, what we feel to be
hot or cold, what we experience-all these are covered by the term"idam".
Intellectual powers, scientific discoveries, the discoveries yet to come -
all come under Idam and all of them have a root cause. There is nothing
called "idam" or "this"without a root. Everything has a root or a seed. So
the cosmos also must have a root cause; so too all power, all energy
contained in it.
To realise this Truth examine a tamarind seed germinating. When you split
the seed open. you will see a miniature tree in it. It has in it the
potential to grow, to grow big. Such is the case with all seeds.
The mantras have "bijaksaras"(seed letters or rather seed variables). Like
a big tree (potentially)present in a tiny seed, these syllables contain
immeasurable power. If the bijaksara is muttered a hundred thousand times,
with your mind one-pointed, you will have its power within your grasp.
Whatever power there is in the world, whatever intellectual brilliance,
whatever skills and talents, all must be present in God in a rudimentary
form. The Vedas proclaim, as if with the beat of drums:"All this has not
sprung without a root cause, The power that is in the root or seed is the
same as the power that pervades the entire universe. Where is that seed or
root? The Self that keeps seeing all from within, what we call "idam" is
the root.
When you stand before a mirror you see your image in it. If you keep four
mirrors in a row you will see a thousand images of yourself. There is one
source for all these images. The one who sees these thousand images is the
same as one who is their source. The one who is within the millions of
creatures and sees all "this" is the Isvara. That which sees is the root of
all that is seen. That root is knowledge and it is the source of all the
cosmos. Where do you find this knowledge? It is in you. The infinite,
transcendent knowledge is present partly in you-the whole is present in you
as a part.
Here is a small bulb. There you have a bigger bulb. That light is blue,
this is green. There are lamps of many sizes and shapes. But their power is
the same-electricity, electricity which is everywhere. It keeps the fan
whirling, keeps the lamps burning. The power is the same and it is
infinite. When it passes through a wire it becomes finite. When lightning
strikes in flashes, when water cascades, the power is manifested. In the
same way you must make the supreme Truth manifest itself in a flash. All
Vedic rites, all worship, all works, meditation of the mahakavyas,
Vedanta-the purpose of all these is to make the truth unfold itself to
you-in you-in a flash.
Even the family and social life that are dealt with in the Vedas, the royal
duties mentioned in them, or poetry, therapeutics or geology or any other
sastra are steps leading towards the realisation of the Self. At first the
union of "Tat" and "tvam"(That and you) would be experienced for a few
moments like a flash of lightning. The Kenopanishad(4. 4) refers to the
state of knowing the Brahman experimentally as a flash of lightning
happening in the twinkling of an eye. But with repeated practice, with
intense concentration, you will be able to immerse yourself in such
experience. It is like the electricity produced when a stream remains
cascading. This is moksa, liberation, when you are still in this world,
when you are still in possession of your body. And, when you give up the
body, you will become eternal Truth yourself. This is called "videha
mukti"(literally bodiless liberation). The difference between jivanmukti
and videha mukti is only with reference to an outside observer; for the
jnanin the two are identical.
The goal of the Vedas is inward realisation of the Brahman here and now. we
learn about happenings in the world from the newspapers. The news gathered
by reporters stationed in different countries, at different centres, also
through news agencies. It is received through letters, telegrams or
teleprinter messages. There are things that cannot be known by such means,
things that are not comprehended by the ordinary human mind. should we not
have a special newspaper to keep us informed about them? The Vedas
constitute such a paper. They tell us all about things that cannot be known
to ordinary news-gatherers and also about things occuring in aplace where
there is neither telegraphy nor any teleprinter. It is through the medium
of this newspaper that the sages who possess trans-sensual powers keep us
informed about matters that are beyond this world and beyond the
comprehension of the average man.
There are, however, certain portions in the Vedas that are to be discarded.
"To be discarded" is not to be taken to mean to be rejected outright as
wrong. There cannot be anything wrong about any part of the Vedas. Even to
think so is sacrilegious. There are matters in these texts that are
preliminary to an important subject or that lend support to it. According
to the arrangement made by our forefathers the important part is to be
retained and the other preliminary or supporting portion is to be excluded.
Certain things are necessary at a certain stage of our development. But
these are to be excluded as we go step by step to a higher stage.
There are then passages that are of utmost importance and have the force of
law. These are to be accepted in full, Things that are to be discarded
belong to the category of "arthavada" and " anuvada".
The Vedas contain stories told to impress on us the importance of a
concept, stories that raise ideas to a higher level. The injunctions with
which these stories are associated must be accepted in full but the stories
themselves may be discarded as "arthavada", that is they need not be
brought into observance.
What is "anuvada"? Before speaking about a new rule or a new concept, the
Vedas tell us about things that we already know. They go on repeating this
without coming to the new rule or concept, that is things known to us in
practical life and not having the authority of Vedic pronouncements. This
is "anuvada".
Anuvada and artavada are not of importance and are not meant to convey the
ultimate purpose or message of the Vedas. What we do not know otherwise
through any other authority and what the Vedas speak of is "vidhi". And
that is the chief "vada", the true tattva, the true intent of the Vedas.
To explain further. What is mentioned in the Vedas but can be known by
other (mundane) means is not incontrovertible Vedic authority. The purpose
of the Vedas is to make known what is not known. They speak about things we
know and do not know, but their chief purpose is the latter- what they
state about what we do not know. It is out of compassion that they speak
about what is known to us as a prelude to telling us what we do not know.
But if telling us they deal with things that we do not know? If the Vedas
deal at length with the things that we are ignorant about, would it not be
ridiculous to discard them and retain only what we know already? Indeed
such an act would be sacrilegious. The question, however, arises: why
should things known to us have been dealt with at length?
The Vedas could have been silent about them. Well, what is that we know,
what is that we do not know?
There are two views about all mundane objects, worldly phenomena. Do all
the objects that we perceive constitute one entity or are they all
disparate? Opinion is divided on this. Based on our physical perceptions we
regard all objects to be separate from one another. It is only on such a
basis that our functions are carried out properly in the workday world.
Water is one thing and oil is another. To light a lamp we need oil [to feed
the wick]. We cannot use water for the same. But if the lamp flares up and
objects nearby catch fire we will have to put it out with water. With oil
the fire will only spread. We have thus to note how one object is different
from another and to learn how best each is to be used.
To view each object as being distinct from another is part of "Dvaita",
dualism. Many of the rituals in the Vedas, many of the ways of worship
found in them, are based on the dualistic view. As Advaitins (followers of
the non-dualistic doctrine) we need not raise any objections on this score.
We must, however, find out whether or not the Vedas go beyond dualism. If
they do not, we have to conclude that their message is Dvaita. But what is
the truth actually found expressed in them?
The non-dualist truth is proclaimed in a number of hymns and in most of the
Upanisads, but this is not in keeping with our outward experience. The
ultimate Vedic view is that all objects are indeed not separate from one
another but are the outward manifestation of the same Self.
Our religious and philosophical works have two parts - purva paksha and
siddhanta. In the purva paksha or initial section of a work, the point of
view to be refuted [the view opposed to that of the author of the work] is
dealt with. If we read only this part we are likely to form an impression
opposite to what the work intends to convey. To refute an opinion other
than one's own, one has naturally to state it. This is the purpose of the
purva paksha. In the siddhanta section there is refutation of the systems
opposed to one's own before the latter is sought to be established.
scholars abroad are full of praise for the fact that in our darsanas or
philosophical works the views of systems opposed to those expressed in the
darsanas are not concealed or ignored but that their criticisms and
objections are sought to be answered.
>From what is said before, does it mean that non-dualism is incorporated in
the purvapaksa of the Vedas so as to be refuted in the latter part? No, it
is not so. The jnana kanda in which the Upanisads lay emphasise on
non-dualism is the concluding part of the Vedas. The karmakanda which
speaks of dualism precedes it. So if the Vedas first speak about the
dualism that we know and later about the non-dualism that we do not know,
it means that the non-dualistic teaching is the supreme purpose of the
Vedas.
I will tell you why the dualism in the purva paksha in the Vedas is not
rebutted. The works and worship performed with a dualistic outlook are not
a hindrance for us to advance on the path of non-dualistic experience. On
the contrary, they are a means to make precisely such progress. So the
works and worship are not to be taken as constituting a point of view
opposed to the main message of the Vedas and to be refuted in the second
part. First the flower, then the fruit. Similarly, we have to advance from
dualism to non-dualism. The flower is not opposed to the fruit, is it? Do
we despise the flower because the fruit represents its highest [natural
development]?
>From the non-dualistic standpoint there is no need to counter other
systems, viewed on their own proper levels. It is only when these levels
are exceeded that the need arises to counter them. That is how our Acarya
and other exponents of non-dualism countered other systems.
By the grace of Isvara scientific advancement so far has done no injury to
things Atmic and indeed modern science takes us increasingly close to
Advaita whose truth hitherto could not be known by anything other than the
Vedas. In the early centuries of science it was thought that all objects in
the world were different entities, seperate from one another. Then
scientists came to the conclusion that the basis of all matter was
constituted by the different elements, that all the countless objects in
the world resulted from these elements combining together in various ways.
Subsequently when atomic science developed it was realised that all the
elements had the same source, the same energy.
Those who meditate on the Self and know the truth realise that this power,
this Atman, is made up of knowledge, awareness. And it is knowledge (jnana)
that enfolds not only inert objects but also the individual self to form
the non-dualistic whole.
Whether it is one energy or one caitanya, the One Object that both
vijnanins (scientists) and jnanins (knowers) speak of is not visible to us.
We see only its countless disguises as different objects, that is we see
the One Object dualistically [or pluralistically]. You need not seek the
support of the Vedas for this, for what is obvious. Why do you need the
testimony of the Vedas for what our eyes and intellect recognize? If they
speak of a truth that we are not aware of but which we can realise from
what we know, and if this truth is proclaimed to be their final conclusion,
we must accept it as their ultimate message. This message is the doctrine,
the truth, that the individual self is inseparable (non-dualistically)
dissolved in the Paramatman to become the Paramatman.
K Rajaram IRS 151124
On Fri, 15 Nov 2024 at 04:35, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]>
wrote:
> “Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted, it must be
> changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted.”
>
> N Jambunathan Rengarajapuram-Kodambakkam-Chennai-Mob:9176159004
>
> *" What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you
> become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a happy life, tie it to
> a goal, not to people or things "*
>
>
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