CONSCIOUSNESS

CONSCIOUSNESS

     "Prajnyanan Brahma"

    Child-like inquisitive nature has taken mankind beyond the frontiers of the known from time to time and has brought us to the world of the unknown. The universe is thus a mysterious one full of secrets.

  A group of learned men once assembled to discuss about the sun, the stars, the moon, and the earth we live on. Everyone looked at the Master whom they believed to be the most learned one amongst them. When there was no satisfactory answer from him, they all decided to retreat and contemplate on this problem and come back to share their knowledge. Some sat in contemplation for nine months and came to be known as the navaghvas; some sat for ten months and came to be known as the dashaghvas. when all assembled again the same question was put forth by the chief and there was total silence. It was then decided that these learned men have realized the truth and that truth was beyond words and expression y any other means. Some tried to explain the experience they gained in the process of contemplation but the words failed. Finally, it was concluded that "It was beyond mind and thought to comprehend and the words rebounded reaching there". It was also stated that "Whoever says, he knows knows not, and wheoever says knows not really knows".  The truth is that what these learned men were searching for was their own Self only. It was also concluded that "the Self knows all". Atmaivedgm sarvam|| Everything  is self and there is nothing but the Self. Sarvam khalvidam brahma ||

    'Knowledge in Samskrutam is 'vid'. it is also known as 'jnyan'. Knowledge concerning the material world is known as 'apara vidya', the knowledge concerning the spiritual world is 'para vidya'. as humans, we dwell here in the material world and we are more concerned with the material aspects that give us knowledge about food, shelter, clothing, and ways and means to live a comfortable life. But, this will not give any clue about where we come from and what is it we are doing here, or what is expected of us? We as humans, with a well developed intellect and capacity to know and discern have so far failed to answer the fundamental questions such why we suffer from hunger, diseases, ageing, and death, or for that matter what happens to us after death and where do we go from here?

Fortunately for us some learned men called Rishis have left us by way of spiritual and cultural heritage some information gained from their spiritual practices. This is intuitional knowledge  gained from transcendental meditation and transferred by word of mouth from generation to generation called 'shruti' and smruti, respectively. The Vedic texts are the 'shruti vakyas', held in high regard and sanctity; whatever said in the Veda is accepted as final and no question is raised further.

    Rk Veda speaks about creation and the forces that are involved in it. It eloquently speaks about God Agni, the Fire God. Fire is energy.it occurs in many a thousand forms including us, the living beings. Everything is Fire. Fire in the heavens (Sun/Hydrogen and Helium), Lightning, clouds and Thunder and the Moon  in the sky, and fire in many forms such as wood, charcoal, oil and natural gas, coal, and atomic energy, wind,water and atomic energy sources- radio-active minerals- are all energy forms. Bhu (Earth), Bhuvah (Sky) and Svar (Heaven) are the three levels that can be understand easily and the spheres above and below these are not easy to understand. The three forms of Fire God that govern these three worlds are called the 'tribandhu' (Asya vamiya sukta of Rk Veda).
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