Vidya

 "Vidya', Knowledge, jnyan, is of two kinds, concerning here and there. The first one is aihika (iha) and the other is paramarthika (para). We all think we know something about 'this', 'here', iha, but not very clear about it. As regards the other, 'para', we do not know anything.  There are scriptures that explain these aspects. Some of the great thinkers have presented the philosophical perspective of this aihika and and the paramarthika aspects. Accordingly, we the living beings confined here are the ones living an aihika jivana, a worldly life. This is a routine life of struggling for food and water (hunger, thirst), sleep, and dream. The waking life jagrata is followed by svapna and sushupti. the jiva struggling throughout the day for satisfying its needs, and desires, living a sensuous life, finally seeks rest. The entire life span of about a hundred or  less than that is spent this way, here. There is no question of thinking about the paramarthika! Very rarely a blessed soul that seeks redemption from the bondage, the breaking of the shackle of, the chain of repeated birth and death, embodiment of the soul will start thinking about the paramarthika, mukti moksha! 

    There are accounts of heaven and hell (svarga and naraka). But, we are not clear about these. Garuda purana speaks a lot about the sufferings of the jiva, the soul that seeks redemption, karma klesha, etc. it is our firm belief that persons who do good here (on earth) will enter the heaven (Svarga loka), enjoy the good things and return to earth after the fruits of good deed exhaust! Where is this heaven, svarga loka is the question? The seven vyahrutis, realms of existence are of course mentioned in the Gayatri mantra. The first three are the earth (bhu), akasha (bhuvah), and the solar realm (svar). These are the lower realms. The higher realms are of  janah (pitru), tapah (Rishi or jnyani),and the sat (Brahm).  In between is the mahar loka. This is the intermediate one that is very important barrier between the lower and the higher. In fact, these are governed by the elements and their deities. These are realms of existence in gross and subtler forms! The seven realms are: the earth (soil/food), water, fire, air, space, and the invisible forces that govern the higher realms, and finally the Brahmn.

   It is stated that the embodied soul that exists here on earth as a living gross form can take to yoga abhyasa, gain supremacy, control over the elements and attain to the highest brahmn, Thus an ordinary person can become a sanyasi, a saint, a Rishi, drushtara, attain to and gain divine status and even get merged in brahmn.

   What more a jiva can aspire on this earth!