The Endless Quest

   Ever since we are born here, the eternal quest is to find the ‘Truth’, the nature of our existence, and the reality of this world. It is the in-born trait, the inherent quality of the jiva, to search, ‘to know’ and there is no peace till one finds the answers! Some of the questions that persist are:

1. Is there a beginning or end to this creation? 

2. Whether the phenomenal objective world is real?

3. Who are we and where do we come from?

4. Is there ‘Rebirth’? What is ‘Death’? Where do we go after death?? 

5. Who is the ‘Creator’? What is the purpose of creation? 

6. What is the goal of life, purushartha sadhane? 

7. What are the ‘Scriptures’ that may help us to realize our goals?

8. What are the different perspectives regarding all these Scriptures? 

9. What is the source of the ‘Bhagavad-Gita’? What is the central idea of the Gita?

10. What is the true nature of our existence? Do we ever realize it?  

   These questions have been asked repeatedly for centuries. Many a great sages, Rishis, drushtaras, have contemplated on each of these questions and have visualized the ‘truth’. We are blessed, indeed, that their vision, understanding imparted to their trusted disciples have come down to us in the tradition of guru-shishya parampara. This is our spiritual heritage. We have thus, ‘shruti’ (heard) and ‘smruti’ (memorized) texts. These are ‘truth’, knowledge, obtained in the state of deep meditation, contemplation, or transcendental meditative state of higher consciousness (savikalpa samadhi). The modern scientists are also working on these questions and presented their observations in the form of postulations, theories, hypotheses, and probabilities.

    The spiritualists, on the one hand, and the scientists, on the other, have almost converged on these points. The scientists are now trying to understand the language, the signs and symbols, the images, similes and metaphors, and the coded words of the scriptures and confirm some of the observations of the sages! The Bhagavad-Gita as Brahma vidya and yoga shastra is a very valuable guide available to us! 

    However, the problems remain. The common man cannot understand the ‘reality’. This needs a determined effort. The study of scriptures (nidhidhyasana), association of learned people (satsang), and rigorous practical spiritual exercise (dhyana and yoga) under an attained Guru. Further, these questions are eternal. Every jiva asks these questions again and again although it is aware of the causes of its suffering!