Between 'This' and 'That'

The entire universe and its Creator can be described in two significant words- 'This' and 'That'. 'This' is the objective world, what we see, visualize, conceptualize, theortecise and put in words. 'That' is beyond all the possible means of expression, subtler-most, invisible, and never possible even to think of! What is 'That' ('tyat') which is beyond our comprehension? It is not something that can be put in objective framework; it is not something that comes within our grasp to think, formalize and put in words. In fact, it is not something at all! What is it? Does it exist at all? Great Sage-seers have discussed at length and finally stopped even thinking about that! What they realized is their own experience and it is inseparable from the self. Thus it remains a secret forever.However, it suffices to say, that "what ever we see, hear, think of and feel is the Self. The self is 'That' which has the capacity to see inward as well as outward. When the Self visualizes itself it is 'That' and when it sees through the eyes, ears and feels through the senses, it is this, material world. Thus what we are trying to talk about is between 'This material world and, 'That'- immaterial, absolute, abstract, 'one' indivisible. That is 'One', indivisible, unborn, eternal and immortal- the Self of all!

   Contemplate on this and arrive at the 'brahmn'.  

Festival of Lights- Deepavali

It is customary and a tradition to decorate streets and houses with colourful lights on the occasion of 'Deepavali'. The significance of Light is well known. It is our fervent prayer to Lord Almighty to "Lead  us from  darkness to Light". In reply, as anugraha, the Lord will bestow on us knowledge of 'brahmn' (brahm-jnyan) and the knowledge of the Self- 'atma jnyan'. The symbolism is very important. 

   Bursting of crackers on the occasion of Deepavali has come into much argument due to air pollution and noise. The population has increased by leaps and bounds and the limit of tolerance has exceeded. This has made the intervention of the Supreme Court necessary and crackers are banned in Delhi for a few days. However, the pros and cons of manufacture and sale of crackers has come into focus. It is now more urgent than in the past the people have to change their mind set and change the habits of polluting air, water and soil.

   The epics describe the reasons why we celebrate the festivities of naraka chaturdashi, Bali Padyami and bahu bij. These appear to be mere sociological events, at first sight. However, there is a good deal of geological history behind the epic and mythology dealing with these. The earth has been undergoing lots of changes and all these are matters of geomorphological science. Much has to be done in this regard. However, symbolism is important in the mythological descriptions. We cannot take things for granted in matters of geological and geomorphological accounts that need careful field studies. We may take up this later when need arises.

How Far Can One Go?

Bhagavan Shree Krishna makes this point clear in the Gita. One cannot go far in one's life or two- say of 100 or 200 years. Whatever accrued continues as credit at balance in the jiva's account (B/F). The jiva must first start the journey in this direction of 'emancipation'. Many even do not know this and not even interested to know. Only those who take to Shandilya or Patanjali yoga sutras or the Gita will ever begin this journey. One may hope to reach a certain point after making a long steady progress in this direction. 

    How far one can go? There is no limit since 'brahmn' is the limit and nobody knows what is it and where it is! However, it is certain that one can reach there. The tricky question is that of 'Where' or 'There'. Just remove the letter W and T and see the answer! This 'brahmn' is not somewhere, but is 'here' only. That is why some knowledgeable persons say, "There is nowhere to go and nothing to do"! This 'brahmn' is not something to be attained, realized, or to be reached after a long journey. It is just realization of what one is- it is 'That' ('tyat'). This realization will put an end to the search and the journey in pursuit. This is stated as: aham brahmasmi | 

Journey Goes On

   The humans, each one of us, appear and disappear in a matter of a hundred years or so, and never be able to know and understand what is going on here! Whether we re here or not, the world goes on! We start our journey from some where and end somewhere. We will never be able to know the secret of life, nor do we know how to live. We do not know many secrets, particularly those concerning our mind and its attitude, moods and behavior. We do not know how we get our dreams, thoughts, ideas, images, and imagination and why our mind flies from pillar to post and has no limit of speed or distance! The mind can create anything it wants, cook facts or fiction. Besides, we also do not know many things such as, who we are, where we come from, or where we go from here? These questions remain unanswered. Let's try to know the answers from scientists and the Vedantins, and what they say. As the thinking brain in humans is the same, there cannot be any difference; however, the difference, if at all we discern or discover, is one of just an approach to the problem. The scientists want to experiment, observe, and arrive at conclusion on the basis of their observations. The Vedantins on the other hand get intuition obtained from the Rishis, Yogins who have contemplated on issue and arrived at some conclusion as they have actually visioned in their transcendental meditative state (samadhi). While the scientists observations are not conclusive, the Vedantin's statements are considered beyond doubt!

   The living beings are bundle of complex system cells, chemical bonds and energy plays a very important role in growth, sustenance and dissolution of these. The DNA studies hold the key. The DNA of all living beings can be traced to the A T G C links in the chain, and the Ribosome Nucleic acids (RNA) that transform genetic codes and create cells that can transform into functional parts as organs and system of body. Beyond these, there is no answer from the scientists as to who binds these and what energy is and where it comes from, etc. Just a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen  or sodium and chlorine will not make the water and salts, respectively. There exists an unseen hand in the transformation, binding force, that create the multifarious objects. Fundamentally, very few forces, such as, Electromagnetism, Gravitation, Nuclear energy (nucleus generating electrons and positrons), and some unidentified power binding atoms and molecules or destroying them are behind the mysterious universe.

   The Vedantins view is altogether different. It is more simple. They present an orderly manifestation of Space, air, fire, water and soil, rocks and minerals. These are the fundamental building blocks. They possess certain inherent characteristics, qualities, gunas, that create all the phenomenal objective world. There needs be no doubt. The chief source of all these, however, is the same for bot the scientists and the Vedantins. It is a Star, the Sun.

   Once the jiva takes a form and start functioning, there is no end to its transformations. Every jiva, from an egg, a caterpillar to a butterfly, or an embryo to child, adolescent, youth, mature and old stage, there is a continuous transformation. The Scientists begin with matter and end with matter. The Vedantins begin with spirit and end with it! A spiritual entity has no beginning or end, It is eternal, unborn and immortal, while the material objects have all a beginning and end! They begin with invisible waves and vibrations and become gross substances.

    The human life on earth is an eternal journey. It enters the earth's atmosphere as an ion of electrical charge, becomes the life-force, prana-shakti and gets into the soil and water to take a biological form, say a plant or an animal. In the beginning it is just one of spiritual nature. Once it takes an embodied state it loses its independence and gets into the grip of time, space and causality. It suffers repeated changes in forms and function and its fate is almost sealed for an earthly existence. However, there is a ray of hope for those who seek liberation. The Lord comes as Yogacharya, teaches brahma vidya and yoga shastra  to redeem the willing souls and turn back to their purified state- material to spiritual.
   Now, as regards the journey, each and every jiva has started its journey from some station and travels up to a certain destination. However, some jivas have almost completed their journey and about to reach their destination. It is for such aged and mature people that we are revealing the spiritual secrets. For all others, this may not be even necessary since they have either just started  from some where in between and may end somewhere before the last station.
   The jiva has a tendency to enjoy the journey whatever the situation and there are some that are eager, tense and restless and thereby do not enjoy the journey. Some think journey itself the main goal while others may think reaching the destination is more important. It all depends. This enjoying or suffering the journey is attributed to one's karma.   

FAQ and WWFH

   Frequently asked questions (FAQ) are: who is this 'I'? 'Who am I' What is the true nature of this  ever changing world?

   What we frequently hear (WWFH) is 'i did this. I did that. I am so and so. He does not know. People are fools, they can never understand this secret, or does he know who he is? etc.  

  Little do we think what we are talking about when it comes to I, he, they, or such other pronouns that stand for some noun behind them. Every body says 'i am so and so', meaning, his name, profession, ID or some address where he lives or works. It is also important to note that most of the time we are talking about hypothetical persons who may not even exist. For instance, we hear comments that people have never experienced the fourth state (turiya) of consciousness. Neither we are clear about what is this fourth state- turiya, nor do we know about whom we are talking about! It is common knowledge that the ancient yogins have visualized the truth. But it is not clear who these yogins are. A yogi does not exist as ordinary humans! They have dropped their lower states of existence such as the muladhara (basal plexus or earthly existenvce of eating and sleeping), svadhishthana (water level or prana), manipura (fire or mind), anahata (air or expanded consciousness dropping the selfish attitude), vishuddhi (completely above all worldly likes and dislikes and becoming almost divine) and have reached the highest level at the ajnya (tapo) level. Here they are interested only in brahmn. They exist in brahmn as long as they contemplate on brahmn. Thus, what we understand by these terms yogins, rishis, and tapasvi jana are not somebody whom we can ever see or know since they do not exist at our level of earthly materialistic worldly existence.

   Since we are all born alone and die alone this 'one' only is the truth. All other that we see, hear, or know do not exist in the real sense. They are all created by the mind. They come into existence the moment mind thinks of them and orders the sense organs to go in search of them or focus attention on them and relate to it! Everything is transient here. So, what all come into our lives as family, friends, relatives, power, position, wealth, etc are not real! Even the I that we refer to ourselves is not the true one since that also is invisible and we never know that! When we realize that there exists only One and no other!  

    The Upanishad doctrines stated this doctrine as 'neti, neti', meaning, not that, not that! Whatever we say, talk about, is 'not that'! When everything is discarded, what remeins is 'That' ('tyat'), the brahmn.

   When it comes to the question of 'i' it is better we keep quiet since we can never know this 'I'. What we normally say is about ournames, form, function or some ID. It is not that what is meant by 'i'. The Rk veda makes this point clear in Mandala VII. It is Maharudra devaru who resides in our body as the Bheshaja, the vaidya/Doctor/ dhanvantari maintaining the body and constantly repairing it asand when they (cells) are damaged or diseased.  He is that 'ahantata', Self, that is Rudra, the noun and the pronoun I stands for Him. So, whatever we mean by I such as my  name, form, function, affixes, prefixes, or even the body, mind, intelligence, or ego are not the 'I'. All these are appendages. The true Self of all is 'Rudra Deva' and it is He who says 'I'. This I normally used by us disappears in our sleep. But the real 'I' always exists even when we are in deep sleep! 

   Contemplate this and attain to true Self.
Once a person realizes the principle of "aham brahmasmi', there exists nothing, not even his Self and the higher!