Vedic Doctrines

“When one performs one's duties (i.e. practices concentration, dharana), only then does one have single-mindedness. One who does not perform his duties does not have single-mindedness. Only one who performs his duties has single-mindedness. One must desire to understand the performance of duties. Venerable Sir, I desire to understand the performance of duties.” [Samaveda, Chan. Upa. VII, XXI -Single-Mindedness depends upon Concentration, 1].

   “When one obtains bliss, only then does one perform one's duties. One who does not obtain bliss does not perform his duties. Only one who obtains bliss performs his duties. One must desire to understand bliss. Venerable Sir, I desire to understand bliss.” [Samaveda, Chan. Upa. VII, XXII - Concentration depends upon Bliss, 1].

   “The Infinite is Bliss. There is no bliss in anything finite. Only the Infinite is bliss. One must desire to understand the Infinite. Venerable Sir, I desire to understand the Infinite.” “Where one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, understands nothing else-that is the Infinite. Where one sees something else, hear something else, understands something else-that is the finite. The Infinite is immortal, the finite mortal. Venerable Sir, in what does the Infinite find its support? In Its own greatness- or not even in greatness does it lie? Here on earth people describe cows and horses, elephants and gold, slaves and wives, fields and houses, as 'greatness.' I do not mean this, he said, for in such cases one thing finds its support in another. But what I say is:” [Samaveda, Chan. Upa. VII, XXIV - The Infinite is Bliss and the Finite 1-2].

 On Joy and Happiness, it is said, the joy and happiness enjoyed by a youth, rich and famous, on the earth is one as compared to the joy and happiness of the pitrus or manes who have no physical body as such but do possess mind, intellect, and ego. If it is a hundred times in pitru-loka, it is a hundred times hundred more in the deva-loka, the realm of Gods, and a thousand times more than all these in the realms of tapo-lok of the Jnyanis. It is sheer eternal bliss in the Brahma-loka for which all Jnyanis aspire.

   “You have no knowledge of Him, who created these worlds; some other thing has interposed between you. The reciters of hymns who ravish life in their ritual proceed with their muttering, enwrapped in confusion and ignorance.” [Rk Veda X, 82, 7]

   The universe has reached a state of flux and the next stage is crucial for its survival. The survival of Mankind that is at crossroads is also doubtful. Only a spiritual advancement can save it. However, at the end of Kaliyuga, the world is bound to revert to Brahmn. The spiritually attained will again appear as the tapo-janah, devatas, and pitru/manes in the next satyayuga.

“The divine element in us is the deepest essence of our being. Mind and intellect have no access to it. We will have to go beyond thoughts. That is a very difficult problem. When we go beyond thoughts what will then remain is the Absolute alone, and it is one without the second. We shall reach that state when we have gone beyond all sensations, perceptions, concepts, mental conditions and ideas, and impressions and will see not only by intellectual light, but in divine light. Then we by Christ or Buddha- the state of enlighten ment Divine communion, the transfiguration of the divine ego, delve into the Atman.”  [Swamy Abhedananda: Mystery of Death, p.149].

   It is also clearly stated, “In to blinding darkness enter those who worship ignorance; into a greater darkness than that, as it were, enter those who are devoted to knowledge.' 'Cheerless indeed are those worlds covered with blinding darkness. To them after death go those people who are ignorant and unwise. If a man knows the Self as I am this, then desiring what and for whose sake will he suffer in the wake of the body?” Whosoever has realized and intimately known the Self, That which has entered this perilous and perplex place (the body), is the maker of the universe; for he is the maker of all. “All is his Self and he, again, is indeed, the ‘Self’ of all.”

 However, one should be clear about trance, hyper- or super-conscious, para-consciousness, or the unconscious states, or the sub-conscious as distinguished from the supreme Consciousness, or the supramental. Many psychologists argue about the transcendental states such as samprajnya and asamprajnya samadhi as a state of active mind since they do not have practical experience. These are mere experiences at turiya, transcendental state of Mind, beyond the limitations of the senses, ego, and the intellect. The mind stands still there. The trillion and odd brain cells becomes a molecule at this state. There is no vibration of mental energy at this state and it is almost the pure state of existence, samadhi.

The most important of all, is our ‘conscious awareness’, an awareness of whatever we are doing, in totality, without a piece-meal approach of one at a time. Concentration and attention are two different aspects. Rapt attention in total awareness is better than expert concentration for it takes overall circumstances into account, in totality. A brain surgeon may be skilful and operate without caring about the condition of the heart; finally, may be, the patient is successfully operated, but will die due to sudden heart failure or some other complications. This is often the case as the popular adage goes, ‘operation success but patient died’!

    It is extremely difficult to operate in a holistic manner, with a totality, overall conscious awareness of all aspects at once. Meditation helps to bring about this unity consciousness in the jiva. The body, mind, and soul work in unison bringing about a perfect coordination in whatever it does. The jiva working towards its higher goal of evolution from human to divine must attain this level of unity. This is the objective of Nature, too, that is in constant flux. The jiva constantly strives for perfect adaptation with the environment and lives peacefully with joy when it attains this balance. But, this balance is not forthcoming. An all-round perfection is an idealistic proposition. The jiva always works in a fragmented manner with its senses, body, and mind pulling in different directions. It is the desire, attachment, and selfishness that cause this diversion. It loses its vision of a higher purpose in life devoid of this unity. 

     “He who dwells in the light, yet is other than the light, whom the light does not know, whose body is the light, who controls the light from within -- He is the atman within you. [Shukla Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa. 3.7.14. verse, P. 708].

   “This 'Atman' is not attained by instruction or by intelligence or by learning. By him whom he chooses is the Atman attained. To him the Atman reveals his own being. The one who has not turned away from wickedness, who has no peace, who is not concentrated, whose mind is restless-he cannot realize the Atman, who is known by wisdom. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Katha Upanishad 1.2.24-25. ve, p. 710]. “With his mind purified, with his consciousness purified, with patience, thinking I am He, and with patience when he has attained the consciousness of I am He, he is established by wisdom in the supreme Atman, who is to be known in the heart.” [Shukla Yajur Veda, Paingala Upanishad 4.9. ve, P. 441].

   “Borne along and defiled by the stream of qualities, unsteady, wavering, bewildered, full of desire, distracted, one goes on into the state of self-conceit. In thinking ‘This is I’ and ‘That is mine’ one binds himself with himself, as does a bird with a snare.” [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitri Upanishad 3.2.uph, p. 418].

 “When the body is in silent steadiness, breathe rhythmically through the nostrils with peaceful ebbing and flowing of breath. The chariot of the mind is drawn by wild horses, and those wild horses have to be tamed. Find a quiet retreat for the practice of yoga, sheltered from the wind, level and clean, free from rubbish, smoldering fires and ugliness, and where the sound of waters and the beauty of the place help thought and contemplation” [Krishna Yajurveda, Sveta Upa. 2.9-10.  p. 88].

    Born as humans, promoted from the state of homo sapiens erectus to homo sapienssapien, with ability to think we face a number of riddles like the questions posed by the Sphinx of Egypt. We are baffled with the problems for which we do not know either the causes or solutions. Hence, we look to some ancient scriptures or learned people who know the scriptures for guidance. Even if the answers are forthcoming, our ability to understand is extremely limited.