so’ham asmi |
“EXISTENTIAL REALITY”
THE UNBORN, ETERNAL, AND
THE IMMORTAL SELF
Sri
Chaitanyananda
CENTRE FOR STUDY OF CONSCIOUSNESS,
DIVINE GRACE FOUNDATION, BELAGAVI
Who Am I?
“In the beginning, this universe
was the self (Viraj) alone, in the shape of a person. He reflected and saw
nothing else but His self. He first said: I am He. Therefore, He came to be
known by the name ‘I’ (Aham). Hence, even now, when a person is addressed, he
first says: It is I, and then says whatever other name he may have. And,
because He, before (purva) the whole group of aspirants, burnt (vaushat) all
evils, therefore, “He is called Purusha”. He who knows this verily burns up him
who wishes to be Viraj in advance of him.”
[Yajurveda, Brih. Upa. I, IV- The
Creation and Its Cause, 1].
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1.
Structure and Composition of the Universe.
2. The Human Bain.
3. The Goal of Life.
4. The Solar System.
5. Our
Expanding Universe
6. ‘Who am I’?
7. Self-Realization (Atma-sakshatkara)
8. The Energy Factor
9. Existence and Non-Existence
Think it over
The Shadow of an object moves
with the object
that created it moves! Neither the
object that
moves nor the shadow are real. Only
the Light
create the shadow is real!
The Salient Features of
Existential Reality
Ever since we are born here, the eternal quest is to find the ‘Truth’,
the nature of existence, and the ‘Reality of this world’. It is the in-born
trait, the inherent quality of the jiva is to search, ‘to know’ and there is no
peace till one finds the answers. Some of the unanswered questions are:
1. Whether the world we live in
is real?
2. How did we take birth and what
exactly is the nature of our existence here, on this planet earth? What is the
goal of life?
3. Is there a beginning or end to
this creation? Where do we come from? And, where do we go after death? What is
‘Death’?
4. Who is the Creator and what is
His purpose of creation?
5 Why do people suffer? What is
the remedy for our suffering?
7. Are the Duality and Diversity
of this world are Unreal? And, do we know that the Non-dual Universe manifests
in diverse forms and functions by Will of the Lord- EkO’ham bahusyam?
Some of these questions have been
answered by great sages and learned scholars. For instance, we have the 7th
Century scholar an advocate of Advaita doctrine Sri Shankaracharya who stated
that the perceptible world is illusory and quoted the scriptures to enunciate
this doctrine. Why did Sri Shankaracharya say that this world is illusory? The
limitations (niyati), constant changes, and the inevitable death, decay and
disintegration create the transient world that makes it illusory. Illusion is
the product of Ignorance, avidya, that is caused by desire and attachment.
Further, whatever that undergoes change over time and space is not real! Thus,
the fleeting ever-changing objective world is said to be ‘Illusory’.
The
scriptures explicitly state that all the dualities and diversities are the
result of our ignorance about the true nature of our self. Once we are
enlightened by the touch of a guru the true nature of our existence is revealed
to us. Do we understand what the Bhagavan says in the Gita? Although it is explicitly
made clear that everything that we see and experience is illusory, a
make-believe world created by his power of yogamaya.
Many of the questions raised above have
been answered by many a great Sages who have
visualized the truth, on the one hand, and by the scientists, on the other. The
most interesting conclusion arrived at here is that the scientists confirm the
observations of the saints and sages! However, the common man cannot understand
the reality unless he takes a rigorous journey in this untrodden path by taking
recourse to yoga under an attained Guru. Further, these questions are eternal
and every jiva asks these again and again despite the fact that the very jiva
knows full well why it is suffering! The epics speak of creation in detail. The
Upanishads explain in detail every single aspect of the life of the jiva and
its predicament. They gives solution to the various problems and helps the jiva
to attain liberation.
Whose folly is it if the jiva suffers due
to its ignorance, avidya? What is it that makes the jiva suffer, is it due to
‘free will’, or is it the prarabhda karma? If it is ‘karma’ that binds the
jiva, who has created the jiva? Is it the ‘desire’ that creates all these
problems and the ‘desire is brahmn’, and, if so, why should the jiva suffer due
to somebody else’s desire?
All the troubles and turmoil of the jiva on its journey on this planet
are attributed to the tamasic quality of the earth. Let’s explore this myth or
reality. We have the great saints and sages who have guided millions of jivas that
aspire for liberation are enabled to get redeemed. The Bhagavad-Gita has
explicitly stated that there will be no rebirth (punarjanma na vidyate!)
if surrendered to the Lord. Once the curtain of avidya, that of attachment, moha,
is removed, the jiva is liberated instantly (sadyomukti). This
realization of the Self comes with the help of an attained Guru through sight,
touch, living at the dfeet of the Master and serving him, self-less service,
dhyana, nidhidhyasana, study of scriptures and other means, as stated in Jnyaneshvari.
The Gur is like Fire who burns all our desires, ego, and leads us to divinity
by his grace. Divine Grace, Daivaanugraha, is very important for
salvation. But it requires the help of an attained jnyani. It is not easy to
tear off the curtain of ignorance and realize the true nature of our existence.
However, it is said, all the jivas are redeemed at the end of the cycle- krama
mukti.
THE PERCEIVER AND THE PERCEIVED ARE ONE
“Consciousness
is everything”!
prajnyanam
brahmaa |
INTRODUCTION
पुर्नमदह्पुर्नमिदम्पुर्नत्पुर्नम्उदुच्यते। पुर्नस्यपुर्नमदय
पुर्नमेववशिश्यते॥
Purnamadahpurnamidam purnatpurnamuduchyate
| purnasya purnamadaya purnamevaavashishyate ||
Meaning,
Everything is full, complte, perfect since this fullness comes from THAT
(brahmn) which is complete, full and [erfect. Ultimately all that manifests
from THAT full, brahmn, are also complete, full, and perfect. This is the
fundamental principle of Creation. This is ‘Oneness’, nonduality, ‘Ekatvam’.
The Non-dual Universe is the Reality, whereas,
the multitude of variety and diversity of the perceived objective world limited
by time and space, as also, causality is unreal, illusory since it is a fleeting
world in an ever-expanding Universe.
The fundamental
principle enunciated in the ancient scriptures is very clear. It is “Unity
Consciousness”- samyak-prajnya,
where all dualities disappear! Duality is the reality one experiences as an
earthling bound to the gross material objective world where everything is
inter-related. The Mind, the senses and the intellect are closely connected
with the objective world and the senses act and interact as dictated by the
mind and the intellect. Objects that we perceive disappear the moment the mind
is disconnected from the objects! Even if the eyes are engaged and the mind is
not interested the objects do not matter, however interesting they may be! The
mind and moods thus dictate the interaction of the jiva with the world. No
interest, no life?
This duality of the jiva and world is the outward movement of the jiva
to experience the quality of the diverse paraphernalia of the material objects.
This is the product of ignorance. The moment the jiva realizes its true nature,
it discards the external world as one of no consequence. Then it turns inward
to experience the Self, hitherto neglected. Bhagavan Sri Krishna advises Arjuna
not to neglect the Self, the Atman. He advises him to know, realize, and
establish in the Self, the Atman, but hastens to add that there is no means of
knowing It. This knowing, observing, understanding, etc. are all function of
Consciousness! Consciousness is everything and it operates either outward or
inward at a time depending on the focus of attention. When consciousness is
conscious of itself it becomes self-centered within itself and attains to
Shiva. When it is working in an outward material world it is jiva. Shiva only
becomes jiva and the jagat. There is an option for the jiva
to revert to Shiva anytime by journeying inward toward the Self with the help
of yoga.
In fact, “Everything has
manifested from the ‘One’, single without any other as the second, unimaginable,
unthinkable, unknowable, and the invisible most powerful all-knowing,
self-effulgent, perfect ‘that’ (‘tyat’) for which there is no name (nama),
form (roopa), or function (kriya). Everything manifests out of ‘that’ as the
divine will”. All that we can ever imagine, think of, aspire, or dream
about, exist in it and manifest as per the ‘desire’, the divine will! This
entire universe is the gross product of the subtler-most ‘chit’ (consciousness),
the divine will, desire that is ‘brahman’.
Since the living beings are not in any way different or separate from this ‘chit’,
Consciousness, it is possible for the jiva to realize the whole ’truth’
(‘sat’),
the true nature of its existence. Only a keen sense of awareness of one’s self
will reveal the true self. This search for the true nature of the self (Atma shodha) continues till the jiva
realizes the pure state. This is pure consciousness (shuddha prajnya) unblemished or adulterated by desires, attachment,
anger, selfishness, jealousy, greed, etc. It is also necessary that the
out-going nature of the five senses and the vibrant mind, perverted
intelligence and such other aspects that make the jiva indulge in the external
phenomenal objective world are withdrawn. When one is busy with the affairs of
the world, working outward without any idea of the true nature of the self, it
is avidya. When the person becomes aware of the limitations, turns inward and
looks for the self, avidya disappears! Consciousness becomes aware of its Self
and reveals itself! The questions of Creation, Sustenance, Dissolution, and
Merger in Him, besides, ‘Who I Am’ are all answered here.
The Universe, so far known to us, is a vast undefined space that consists
of innumerable galaxies. Each one of these galaxies consist of billions or
trillions of stars- some having planets and satellites of their own! Some
planets like the earth possess ideal conditions such as air, water, and soil.
1 Structure and Composition of the Universe
The universe is said to be filled by
gaseous elements like Hydrogen and Helium. The entire universe, now called the
‘multiverse’ due to innumerable universe present, is indeed a dark space! The
darkness here is due to the dark energy, and the dark matter here is almost 76
per cent of the space. Light is emitted by stars and galaxies that constitute a
mere 6 per cent of the dark matter! The galaxies are said to be clouds of
gaseous masses of stellar-dust that may condense into stars. Thousands of stars
are being born and die out every second! It is said that these stars may
collapse under their own weight and burst or explode (as in the case of ‘neutron
stars’) bombarding the space with stellar dust particles and heavy metals like
gold, platinum, mercury. These are scientific explanations given by astronomers
and physicists. However, these observations are subject to constant review and
restatements. We are getting new facts and figures, as and when new discoveries
are made, and, hence nothing is certain about these. Moreover, all these are
mere postulations, hypotheses, theories and, may be, subject to change!
The facts and figures presented here are
thus not only the scientific version of the universe as presented by the
scientists like phycists, biologists, astronomers, and others, but that of the
Vedic scholars, as well! The scientific version is supported by what the
scientists have seen through the powerful telescopes and analyzing the pictures
obtained from electronic telescopic cameras that are mere waves and splashes of
colours! The scientists have presented their observations based on these and
have clearly stated that these are mere speculations and probabilities. The
artistic impression is presented and this may not present the reality. The
Vedantins, on the other hand, have boldly stated that the observations are
visions that are personally experienced and can never go wrong. Anybody at that
heightened level of ‘Consciousness’ in a transcendental meditative state will
envision or visualize the same ‘truth! Hence, what they state is ‘the whole
truth’. It is the Vedic doctrine approved, saying- evam veda, an indisputable statement, at that!
The ancient Indian astronomers and
mathematicians like Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Bhaskara, and many sage-seers,
spiritualists, visionaries, mathematicians have given detailed accounts of
their experience and the same are presented here in brief.
Thus, we have the views of both the scientists and the Vedantins for a
comparative study. The interested seekers of ‘truth’ may wade through the
literature available and make a practical effort to realize the truth through
yoga sadhana. Thus, a perfect view of the true nature of existence and the
place of man in the entire system can be understood! Once this is clear to the
seeker, he/she needs no further effort, whatsoever!
The purpose of this study is to know the
true nature of the jiva, as also, the nature of the transient world. Only an
enlightened person realizes the futility of experiencing all that the senses
present to the fickle mind due to avidya
(knowledge covered by attachment (‘ajnyan’)
and ‘Buddhi’ (intellect) shrouded like
dark clouds hovering as a result of the avidya.
Here, jnyan is covered by moha, mada (pride) and ahankara (ego). Only yoga will help to clear this avidya
and reveal the true nature and relieve it of its ignorance. It will ultimately
melt avidya and the curtain of maya falls! The jiva reeling under eternal
bondage is at once set free and liberated once for all. This is
‘enlightenment’!
The ultimate goal here is for jiva to
attain to the state of ‘Oneness’, and realize the ‘Truth’ that ‘I am
neither this body, nor this Mind, intellect, or the ego; all these adjuncts,
equipment, or instruments provided for purposes of experiencing the world. It
is sheer avidya that the jiva is attracted to the tantalizing world of objects
driven by the desire of experiencing them since it thinks of these objects as
real and satiable. It is again that the fickle mind drives the ten senses after
ten thousand desired objects not knowing the fact that they are just mirages!
This is the eternal problem of the jiva due to the curtain of maya and avidya,
or ‘knowledge covered by a sheet of ignorance. It is not easy to tear off
or drop this curtain of avidya and make the jiva realize the ‘truth’-
that the world is what is created by its own foolish Mind. The dawn of
Knowledge will enable the jiva to realize the truth- “I Am That”, the Unborn,
Eternal, Immortal Self. One must ultimately realize the principle of Non-dual
Universe and everything is Brahhmn.
Contemplate on the doctrines of ‘Aham
brahmasmi’, ‘tattvamasi’ and. ‘So’hamasmi|
The human brain is a wonder-machine that is closely associated with the
Mind and has immense capacity to think, imagine, dream, create and destroy,
discover and discern, dissect, disseminate, organize and reorganize, produce
and reproduce, edit and re-edit what all that has been understood, assimilated,
and then present that in a holistic synchronized picture! It all starts as a
desire (ichha), though-wave, an imagination and create images and gradually
with sankalpa, determination, consolidate and create a world by itself!
Different parts of the brain have trillions of cells, each cell performing
almost sixty thousand jobs at a time, instantly, and many of them do
specialized functions, too! Along with the ageing process of the jiva these
cells develop their ability to perform more and more specialized functions and
they too die out! In fact, the very ageing process is attributed to the cells.
Cells constantly divide and multiply, retrieve the information stored in the
DNA and RNA, transfer all memory intact to new cells before they burnout. In
fact, it is so mysterious that we grow from childhood to ripe old age and
perform specialized functions as per the genes and memories of the past lives.
It is estimated that a normal person hardly ever uses one per cent of his
mental potentiality. While the right
side of the brain is normally used, the left part is left almost unused by most
of us! In fact, the left part of the brain has unique capacity of perform the
jiva’s karma. This is the most significant aspect that determines the destiny
of the jiva. The entire life and activity of the jiva such as intelligence,
creativity, art, music, mathematics, etc. depends on the carryover of the past.
2. The Human Bain
The ‘Mind’ (manas) is at the root of all that is human (‘manava’). This is the third level of evolution, the first two being
that of plants and animals, the latter evolving from the aquatics, amphibian,
the quadrupeds, and the bipeds. The animals that evolved from the primates to
the Homo sapiens have developed the
brain and the mind operates it. However, it is difficult to know what this
‘Mind’ (manas) is, where and how,
when and why it enters the jiva! Once the mind takes over the human being, it
operates till the end of its life-span. It is governed by two other factors-
Intellect (buddhi) and the ego (ahankara). Together these three as inner
instruments (antah karana) control the life of the jiva. However, we do
not know how, and at what stage of birth, these enter the jiva.
The Gita exemplifies the eight
fundamental principles, prakruti ashtadha- five natural elements like space, air, fire, water and earth, and the
three antah karanas- manas, buddhi, and ahankara
(manas and chitta are considered one here since the active mind is vikshipta
manah). These are the manifest aspects of the Lord. In fact, everything is the
manifestation of One supreme, brahmn.
When it comes to Mind, it is a
mystery how it works as chitta (thought
waves generated within) and thoughts occur, desires start, and imagination
and dreams work round the clock! Except in deep sleep, the mind is working
continuously. The Mind is a reservoir of Energy, a Thermodynamic Reactor, at
that! It is a winder how new ideas occur and what activates it to materialize
in daily life! The human brain is only an instrument, a physical entity full of
electronic cells, but charged by spiritual energy, not one hundred per cent by
food alone, the material one. The bicephalic brain is not fully utilized by us.
Most of us are accustomed to use the right side of the brain only and some left
side, or both.
It is said that geniuses, wizards, path-breakers, and inventors, and
such other talented ones with creative intelligence use the left part of the
brain, and none ever masters the use of all parts of the brain in their life
time. Hardly, even a negligible percentage of the brain is ever used in a
lifetime of a person. Only a ‘Vedantin’, yogi or spiritually enlightened
person can develop his/her full potentialities through practice of yoga. In
yogic trance, samadhi, a yogin can reduce the vibration of a trillion cells
that cause thought waves. All the heated cells are cooled down and condensed
into a molecule! Thus, the visionaries have given us a brilliant presentation
of the holistic view of this universe!
It is the constant endeavor of
all thinkers, whether they are Vedantins, or the scientists ‘to know’ and
‘understand’ the reality, the ‘truth’ about the world we live and work, as also, find out who we are,
wherefrom we arrive here, and wherefore do we go from here? The scientists
think in a limited way, in a narrow perspective, and feel that answers are
eluding! However, the ancient sages have
found the answer to all these questions by taking recourse to yoga and their
intuitive thoughts and vision have revealed the ‘truth’. They have experienced,
realized, envisioned ‘truth’ in a transcendental or extra sensorial sate, i.e.,
the turiya or atindriya sthiti of savikalpa samadhi. It is also the state
of sakara brahmn.
Almost a hundred and odd
Upanishads explain in different ways what the learned Sages experienced in
their yogic trance. The nature of ‘reality of existence’ is explained by
Bhagavan Shree Krishna in the Gita. There are many other scriptures like the
eighteen epics attributed to Sage Veda Vyasa, the Upanishads of unknown
origin(?), and the spoken words of Bhagavan Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita,
besides the Brahmasutras attributed to Badarayana, an unknown Sage,
Narayana Rishi.
There is no such thing as scripture anywhere in the world that is
attributed to God. Bhagavan Shree Krishna, the supreme Lord, is an avatara of
Vishnu. He descends to earth to save the pious, learned sages and saints, as
and when there is a decline in ‘Righteousness’, dharma . He also helps
us to find out the true nature of our existence, the manifest aspects of both
the ‘purusha’ and ‘prakruti’- ‘the self’ and ‘the nature’. The ultimate answer
is very simple: “The perceiver and the perceived are one”. Conscious
awareness of the seeker will bring out this truth! Consciousness is not only
conscious of itself, but also of the ‘other’. All of us, equipped with sense
organs (jnyan and karma indriya), are interested in the external
world and dwell in it from birth to death! Only the renunciates turn away from
the sensuous world since they have lost all desires to experience the sense
objects since they know that these endless desires are insatiable. They also
realize how the objective world is trivial, limited, and bound by time and
space. It is rarely possible for anybody to take respite, pause for a while to
think about the self, unless ordained by the divine, as if by the carryover of
the past lives!
The entire life of a commoner is spent in earning a livelihood and
running the family. Scarcely any time is left for thinking beyond these after
the days toil. However, a time will come for taking stock of the situation,
look back, and think about where one is running, and wat for. Even when one
realizes the futility of this wandering, there is hardly and time to pause or
turn back! It is extremely difficult to withdraw from the sensuous world and
turn toward the higher spiritual attainments! Wisdom dawns and renunciation
begins. This is consciousness being conscious of itself!
Ultimately, what is it we want? We are all
like children crying not knowing what for they are crying! No one is ever happy
even when one gets what is desired! Every jiva is born with desires, dreams and
aspirations, and is bound to die with total disillusionment. The reason for
this is ‘time’; time wears out the fervor, the charm of getting is worn out by
the time the desired wish is fulfilled since time, space or distance and
causality eats away the charm. This is the inherent nature of this phenomenal
objective world! None is ever happy in this transient world of insatiable
desires. Eternal happiness, joy and peace will never ever be attained by worldly
attainments. There is an anonymous saying: “Lo! The entire world knows him. He
is so well known that his name and photograph are the part of text books in
schools. Alas! He knows not who he is, and it is the greatest tragedy of his
life! This should not happen to us. The real joy, peace and happiness, is
within us all. Whatever we experience is just sensorial perceptions and not due
to the ‘true nature of our self’- that is ‘sat-chit-ananda’.
3. The Goal of Life
The goal of life, purushartha sadhanam, is to attain to
this state of sat-chit-ananda by
withdrawing our senses, mind, intellect, and ego from their constant engagement
seeking joy and happiness in the external transient sensuous world, and make
them turn them inward toward the soul, the Self. This needs yogic practices to
open the third eye or develop the inner intuitive insight. This inward journey takes
more rigorous exercises and the journey is much longer and more tortuous,
difficult to traverse without the help of a guru. However, the ‘guru’ is not
forthcoming unless there is an ardent cry and the Lord hears it. Then the guru
will come to our door!
Vedanta and
Science
It is in the nature of the jiva to search
for the ‘truth’. All knowledge is one and ‘Truth’ is one only. The path to
search are many and the ultimate goal is the same, the ‘Truth’. What is this
‘truth’? It is not something, an ‘other’ that is outside of one’s self, but the
’Self’ itself! This is the crux of the problem. This ‘Self’ is the ‘truth’
and the search is of ‘the Self’. It is the ‘vid’, knowledge, ‘sat’ and ‘truth’. What one discovers at the end
is one’s ‘Self’ only! The observer and the observed become one. Whoever is
established in this ‘Self’ is the attained one! This attainment to the ‘Self’
is the end of the journey.
Scientists take
recourse to different methods analyzing the objects of perception, vision, and
arrive at their own conclusion according to their ability to understand and the
subjects they opt for search range from astronomy, biology, chemistry,
mathematics, and physics to zoology (A to Z). On the other hand there are the
thinkers who take to contemplation (dhyana) and yoga become visionaries, the
Seers (drushtaras or darshanikas).
These Seers or darshanikas are the
path-breakers like Kapila, Patanjali, Kanada, Gautama, Jaimini, and Badarayana,
who have presented us the six darshana shastras- Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Purva Mimamsa, and Uttara Mimamsa (Vedanta Sutra). These six classical texts cover the entire
knowledge concerning Creation, sustenance, development and dissolution covering
the wide range of fundamental principles of creation (srushti tattvas),
eight-fold path to enlightenment, reasoning and logic, time space. Matter, mind
and soul paving way for the knowledge of the self and the ultimate reality (of
existence). In fact, the Sankhya
forms the foundation of the Temple of Knowledge, whereas, the Vedanta constitutes the towering peak
(Seven levels of Consciousness as shown in seven Gopuram) of all knowledge, with the culmination of knowledge as viveka, vairagya, and mokshagati.
“From the standpoint
of ‘Vedantin’ there is no science separate from Vedanta. There is just
one single urge, the seeker’s curiosity to find out the true nature of
existence and to experience it. There may occur unique events that come as
turning point in our lives, which can sometimes change our view of what is
important and, even drive us to know how we should live our lives! Words, too,
only make sense when they are linked to experience… Just reading about truth or
hearing about truth are not enough; it has to be experienced. Vedanta at the
intellectual level makes it clear that the great challenge is to understand the
self and consciousness. The Self and consciousness could perhaps be emergent
qualities of the complex brain that helps to maintain continuity in our
understanding and experience, according to scientists. But, Vedantin views the
‘Self’ (Atma) and ‘Consciousness’ (prajnya) not as emergent elements of a
complex system, but as the inherent unchanging universal elements that underpin
all existence and represent ‘Reality’
which is untouched by the laws of change and causality”. (Siddhartha Sen). It is also important to note: “What we
perceive as our physical objective material world, is really not physical or
material, at all! In fact, it is far from it.” This has been proven time and
time again by multiple Nobel Laureates (among many other scientists around the
world). Niels Bohr, a Danish Physicist, who made significant contributions to
our understanding atomic structure and quantum theory says,
At the turn of the nineteenth century, physicists started to
explore the relationship between energy and the structure of matter. In doing
so, the belief that a physical, Newtonian material universe that was at the
very heart of scientific knowing was dropped, and the realization that matter
is nothing but an illusion replaced it.
Scientists began to recognize that everything in the Universe is made
out of energy. [Arjun Walia, Collective
Evolution: Nothing is Solid and everything is ‘Energy’–Scientists
explain the world of quantum physics, SEP., 27, 2014].
For all practical purposes, the universe is
just a vast mass of vibrant energy particles and all that we see is forms
created by different wavelengths, frequency and amplitude of this vibrant
energy waves! The scientists have detected the signal of the first star.
Crucially enough it sheds some light on dark matter- an invisible mysterious
substance thought to make up a large share of the Universe. “Finding this
miniscule signal has opened a new window on the early universe” says the
Project Head at Arizona State University, USA. It is estimated that almost 180
million years after the Big Bang, say, about 13.60 billion years ago the
universe began pulsating! This has been recorded by The Great Australian Desert
Lab Spectrometer. Accordingly, the universe was, initially, cold and dark (-270
Deg. Celsius / -454 Deg. F), may be due to dark matter losing energy? Now, in
2013, it is assumed that (based on the Plank satellite) everything we see is
just 4.9 per cent of the Universe and dark matter accounts for 26.8 per cent.
And the rest 68.3 per cent is dark energy! Scientists believe that the Universe
was cold and dark filled with Hydrogen almost for 400 000 years at the dawn of
the Universe (birth of the first Star?). But, let’s remember that all these
pertains to our Solar System and not the beginningless and the endless
multiverse system.
4. The Solar
System
Although it is now common knowledge that the
Sun is a moderate-size star consisting of Hydrogen (H) that split by fission
and created Helium (He4) due to fusion and the earth is formed out of
condensation of the solar flares, the scientists could not find either Hydrogen
or Helium in the earth! It is found only in the Exosphere, on the outer-most
level of atmosphere 10 km. above the earth’s surface since it is the lightest
gaseous element. It is only 100 years ago that the scientists inferred the
existence of Helium and 250 years ago the presence of Hydrogen! The yellow line
in the chromosphere is said to be the Helium waves and it is twice heavier than
Hydrogen, the lightest element. Helium is the coolant in cryogenics and Hadron
Collider vacuum chamber. It occurs in natural gas. It liquefies at 4 Deg. K and
a superfluid at 2 Deg. K. But surprisingly, it was detected only in 2018.
TIME
Everything in this universe comes within
the grip of Time. Time is an illusion since it varies from situation, Latitude
to Latitude and space, and is variable. In fact, Time only creates space (as it
travels over distance); space is the hidden aspect of time. There exists
nothing when time and space are united as ’nowhere’.
When time moves, it creates space and, objects occupy the space! Time begins
with the radiation of the electromagnetic waves, solar radiation (with relation
to earth), light and onset of day-we have the days and nights. Since ‘light
travels at 186000 mps, space, time and intelligence are inherent in Light. If
anything moves at the speed of light it ceases to exist in time! Even if one
travel at the speed of light that person are reduced to ‘nothing’! This ‘nothingness’, unity in time and
space, is brahmn. In fact, that which
is measurable, or that which comes within the grip of limitation (niyati) of time and space is ‘Ma-ya’. Hence, everything, including
Time and Space, is ‘maya’. Illusion, maya, is the manifest form of the
unmanifest ‘brahmn’.
As already stated, for all practical
purposes, for us here on the earth, ‘time’ and ‘space’ are virtually created by
the sun rays (radiation /electromagnetic waves). The sun rays inheres within
the electromagnetic waves a number of other qualities such as light, heat, life-force
(actinic rays), qualities dictated by colours (violet, indigo, blue, green,
yellow, orange and red), as well as, many an invisible powerful rays such as
the infra-red and ultra-violet, the alpha, beta, gamma, x rays. The three
prominent ones that represent the qualities of nature are the tamas (dark), the rajas (red), and the sattva
(white). All life-forms are supported by subtler waves of life-force (actinic
rays), and energy (like Vitamin D), sound and syllables (alphabets), words and
their meaning producing the phenomenal gross objects are all hidden in the
electro-magnetic waves of solar radiation.
The factor of ‘Time’ (kaal) holds
everything within itself! Both electricity and magnetism are involved in Time.
Time is energy. Time creates and destroys objects. Thus, the ‘time-space continuum’ is the basic tenet
of science. Time is indeed illusory since it does not exist outside the forces
of rotation of the earth! Hence, time
is illusory, and, so also, the space
that is created by it! If both time and space are illusory, the physical
objects that occupy the space and endure in time are also illusory! This is the
concept of maya. Thus, everything in
this universe is governed by this maya- the limiting factor (time, space and
causality).
Einstein and many others tried to give
some explanation regarding the universe in many different ways, such as,
algebraic equations mathematical formulae, and theories and hypotheses. They
presented a ‘Theory of Relativity’, a ‘Probability theory’, a ‘Quantum
Mechanics theory’, ‘Gravitational theory’, and many others. So far, one single
unified general theory that can explain everything is evading! In fact, now it
is learnt that such a ‘Unified Theory’, that could explain all, is not
possible at all! Some intervening powerful extraneous force is always there
affecting the structural changes that take place in the transformation of
matter! Mere combination of two ions of hydrogen (H2) and an oxygen ion (O) may
not immediately or instantly produce water unless there is a catalyst that
brings about change! If that were so, may be, there would be no dearth for
water on earth?
But, in Vedanta, the entire universe is
visualized as a continuum- one of ‘unitary existence’! Everything is intimately
connected to the other. Till now, there was no point of contact between the
Scientists and the Vedantins and each one viewed thing in their own perspective
and there was no common platform for them to exchange their views. Besides,
their language of expression was different. The pundits considered it a taboo
even to think of Vedanta and Science together and talk about the two in the
same breath, as if, it was not advisable to talk while eating’! Hence, there
was no attempt to synthesize our knowledge and present a holistic view of our
existence in this transient, ‘make-believe’ world. Now, times have changed. The
scientists have taken to serious study of ancient Hindu scriptures and have
found answers to all that they wanted to know!
The puritans or the conservatives on the one
hand, and the sceptics, or the rationalists, on the other, have so far never
looked eye to eye in matters of spiritual doctrines. Hence, it was not possible
to give a holistic view as to the true nature of our existence, know “who we
are?” and attain to higher and higher levels of existence in pure
consciousness. Even the scientific discoveries did not help us in any way to
solve some of the pertinent questions as to the true nature of the self and the
universe. Whatever we have learnt from our school and colleges have been of no
avail when it comes to know the ‘Reality of Existence’ or Atma sakshatkara in the Vedic parlance. Now, the scientists have
turned towards the yoga and thereby gained an inner vision as to the delicate
subtler forces that are operating in the universe. Now, they have come to state
“solid is not solid”! The latest development in scientific discoveries have
also proved that the Vedantic views are more realistic than the scientific views!
Hence there is a better understanding as to the true nature of the world we
live in and our own place in the universe, as an inseparable part of the whole.
This holistic view brings more peaceful and happier disposition towards life
and brings enormous peace in a much-disturbed world. The doctrines enshrined in our sacred
scriptures in the form of short aphorisms, such as, sarvam khaluvidam brahmaa | ‘so’ham
asmi’ | ‘tat tvam asi’| ‘aham brahm asmi’| ‘Atmai vedgm sarvam’| ‘ayamAtmaa
brahmaa’|
The latest findings in modern scientific
researches that include quantum mechanics, wave theory, molecular biology, DNA
studies and atomic theories that explain ‘origin of the galaxies, stars,
planets and satellites’, origin of life, structure and composition and function
of the human body, etc. It starts almost from the beginning of the tiniest
subatomic particles of matter such as the fermions and bosons, quarks, phonons,
photons and covers the ‘Solar System’, with man at the centres of the study. It
tries to bring out the ‘Reality’ of the very nature of our ‘Existence’, the
‘sat’, the ‘chit’, and the ‘ananda’ aspects enunciated in the Veda. There is
much progress in the field of atomic physics, quantum mechanics and waves and
vibrations of ‘Energy’, DNA studies and molecular biology and study of ‘cells.
In
all reality, all living (chara) or
non-living (achara) beings are
nothing but ‘vibrant energy’ due to chemical bonds. In fact, there is nothing
to assume anything beyond this! However, the case of human beings is slightly
different. All human beings are not the same. Some are in advanced stage of
evolution, whereas, many are just opening up into a state of the human from the
primate, say from monkey to man? This is due to the development of the manas (mind) - the vibrant mature mind. There are seven levels of consciousness at
which one can exist! Also, this study
takes us from the ancient Greek’s ‘Geo-centric’
theory (with the earth at the centre of the study) to the modern ‘Helio-centric’ theory (with the Sun at the
centre), and, now we take to the ‘Homeo-centric’
theory of the universe (with ‘homo
sapiens sapiens’ at the centre) keeping ‘man at the centre’ of the system
in the universe. In a way, it is like the famous Rene Descartes’ doctrine of ‘cogito, ergo sum’, “I think, so I am”; but, of course, there is a
little modification here in the light of the doctrines of the Rk Veda Samhita- aham brahmasmi | so’ham asmi | ayam Atma
brahmn | In this sense of the term, there is nothing that is separate from
me since I am the part and parcel of that, what all exists! In fact, I only
create everything and everything ends with me, as Sri Krishna says in the Gita.
It is He who says, “I am the soul, the
self of all”. “The Universe exists in me. I am the universe”, says Lord Sri
Krishna. (Bhagavad-Gita). These are considered as the ‘spiritual aspect’. Man
as a thinking animal, saying, “I think, so i exist”; with a little awareness,
it becomes- “I exist, so I think”.
“Consciousness
is everything”. prajnyanam
brahma | sarvam khaluvidam brahmaa|
The Upanishads explicitly stated, “It is
not that, not that” (neti, neti).
What all we see are mere qualities, attributes, not the real! All that we see
are objects that come within the grip of vibration, maya, and limitations of time, space, and causality. Light travels
and creates Time and Space and objects fill it. Since ‘Time” itself an
illusion, ‘the space created by it as it moves’, and ‘the objects that fills
it’ are also illusions. The true nature,
‘Reality’, is different! It never changes, it is immutable. Now, the modern scientists, too, have started
talking in this very same tone. The latest research findings have confirmed the
observations of the great sages on the principle of ‘oneness’ (Ekatvam) and ‘immutability’ (acyutam) - “the sub-atomic particles at
the one end and the cosmos at the other as one continuum- anoraniyan mahato mahiyan | The fundamental principle is that the
brahmanda (macro) and the andanda (micro) exist in a continuity as the two ends
of an invisible thread- thick at the one end tapering off at the other, continuum, as explained in the
Lagrangian String (L) theory. The scientists now say, “solid is not solid”
and, “what we see as the phenomenal objective world as real, is not truly
real”! Beyond the visible, there is an invisible, subtler, vibrant state, that
is almost virtual, a state of- ‘is there’ and ‘is there not’, rather, ‘exists’
(sada) and ‘exists not’ (asada/ non-existence), rather, an
abstract state of almost ‘nothingness’, a dormant state of matter, manifesting
as something!
The Nasadiya sukta, of Rk Veda, Mandala X,
has made this amply clear. Even the Purusha Sukta of the same Mandala has been
confirmed by the scientists! The latest visuals from powerful telescopic
cameras have revealed a large cloud of stellar gas spread out in the shape of a
human! It is the massive cloud of stellar dust (‘Fermions’) that later
condensed (Einstein-Bose Condensate) as ‘Bosons’ and ‘Quarks’. The primordial
matter, called the ‘God particle’, majorana fermions (-ve) - is the crux of the
problem. The fusion or fission (coalescence or clash) of matter and anti-matter
that releases energy is at the root of all this secret of birth and death of
stars and their planets.
Thus, it is very clear as to how the
visible universe has come into existence from almost a state of ‘nothingness’
to ‘everything’- manifest from ‘nowhere’ to ‘now and here’! What we see or
experience as the real world is, indeed, a movie of forms of vibration of
energy, like the picture on a screen depicting a story. The form is created by Light,
Fire, as stated in the Vedic statement- Rupa
is the tanmatra of agni. The following study brings out
these aspects of creation in detail. Modern research studies in ‘Matter’ cover
the entire field of particle physics, quantum mechanics, wave theory, energy
concept, gravitation theory, and the structure of the atom (ions) down to the fermions and bosons, as
‘God Particle’! Is this the ‘I’
principle based ‘on’ (foundation of
awareness) or existence! It is the ‘ahanta’,
a thought, an idea, feeling that “I am the body’. It is the avidya, a gross
aspect (‘chit’- a particle of energy)
of the Mind?
The most surprising fact is that the
latest research findings in the fields of astronomy, physics, biology, and
chemistry confirm the statements of our ancient sages. What the modern
scientists have found out with the help of the electronic gadgets such as the
telescopes, spectroscopes, microscopes have been actually visualized by these
Sages of lore, these saints have actually realized the ‘truth’ in their yogic
trance, ‘savikalpa-samadhi’, or Transcendental meditative
state (of trance) visualizing saguna
brahmn. They have stated their experience in brief aphorisms like the
mathematical formulae or the scientist’s equations! There is no contradiction,
whatsoever, with the modern findings. In fact, what these sages (drushtara) have visualized are true for
all times to come, whereas, the modern theories, hypotheses, postulations, and
assumptions are subject to change! It is not the intention of the author here
to make the text highly technical going deep into particle physics and
micro-biology and make it difficult for common man to understand; however, deducing
some of the doctrines that are depicted in highly esoteric symbolism cannot be
made easy for common man to understand in ordinary common language, for it will
fail to convey the essence, ‘truth’. The ‘truth’ has to be realized by oneself
in a ‘transcendental meditative state’, savikalpa
samadhi, through yoga. The sadhaka can experience it. Whatever is
experienced remains the individual’s own, inexplicable and cannot be put in
words for the benefit of the others! Whatever one experiences as a ‘vision’ (darshan) by his/her own yogic effort
cannot be questioned, too. Those who want similar experience will have to
undertake similar practical yogic steps (ashtanga
yoga). There are innumerable methods of experiencing the truth. Once a
person experiences ‘sat’, ‘the
truth’, there remains nothing to be proved.
The Universe so far known to us consists of
millions of galaxies and nebulae with trillions and trillions of stars in them
spread out in a vast dark space that is constantly expanding and ever-changing
with lots of volatile activity within. It is in a state of flux. Hence, it is
somewhat difficult to present any accurate picture of the present-day universe
in simpler words to make the layman understand the intricacies involved in it!
This is also the case of the life on earth, its true nature, the humans and
their faith and belief systems, simply called ‘Vedanta’! Today we get latest reports from the
astronomers and scientists in different branches like physics, chemistry,
biology about the origin of the stars like our Sun and its planets, as well as life
on earth, the nature of the galaxy, the Milky Way. This has been made possible
by the powerful telescopes that can detect infrared light (invisible to our
eyes).Stars, including the way our Sun grow up within clusters and groups.
There are huge masses of clouds of matter moving out from areas where ‘baby
stars’ are forming, as if disengaging from the densely populated nurseries
where dozens or even hundreds of stars are born. It is believed that our Sun
was a binary (accompanied by another star that might have exploded releasing
lots of heavy metals like iron, nickel, magnesium, gold, silver, and platinum. It
is explicitly stated that the cold rotating gaseous mass of stellar dust or
clouds in space get pulled together by gravity. These become flattened discs
spinning faster and get shrunk and finally slow down to form a star. This
process may be accompanied by out-flowing jets that may span over ten trillion
miles! The planets are formed in their discs as we see in ours. Since intense
ultraviolet radiation cover the entire region. And destroy the atmosphere
surrounding them, it is difficult to know whether massive stars develop the
discs and the planets. Another version is that the stars belch out solar flares
into space and these masses of solar material condense into planets in course of
time by cooling. Also, it is stated that the outer rings of solar matter
separate from the main body and cool down and condense into planets. There are
the nebular hypothesis, the tidal hypothesis, planetismal hypothesis, the ‘Binary
Star’ theory, or the supernova theory (where one of the twins exploded), and
the like, to explain the origin of the solar system and the planets like earth,
mars, venus, Saturn, Jupiter, etc. in it. According to the supernova theiry the solar system is born due to low
mass. Our solar system was triggered bylowmass supernova 4.56 billion years
ago. A cloud of stellar gas and dust gradually formed into planets. However, it
is difficult to believe such an eventuality where the supernove bursts and will
have enough energy to compress clouds to prduce planets. This assumption is
based on the study of meteorites, as the debris around our planet.
At best, we can get a picture of the universe in our
mind from the visuals about the galaxies, stars, and planets and their
satellites, etc as presemted mostly by the NASA. We get some facts and figures
about the stars and planets from studies by astronomers, the space research
studies and their publications. But, all these will in no way help us to get a
comprehensive idea about the true nature of either the universe or our
existence. Much of the knowledge we possess about space will ever remain just
an idea, an illusion, due to lack of personal experience. We can never ever
have a true idea of what a galaxy or a star is despite we see them on through
powerful telescopes. We have a number of pictures taken from electronic
telescopic cameras and nice descriptions of them, too. When we take up a study
of these stellar materials our ability to comprehend the true nature of these
fails!
We cannot see or understand the processes
involved in the formation of the stellar dust or clouds of gas taking shape in
the space. We can never see the sub-atomic particles like the pions, quarks,
electrons, positrons, gravitons, and other miniscule invisible objects we
discuss here! The electrons move, en masse, at such enormous speed that they
are never seen! Let us take the ‘energy’ aspect of these particles, for
instance. It remains a mystery where it(energy) emerges and how it gets
transformed in course of the hypothetical time because both time and space
merge at the end of light, radiation emitted by it?
At the root
of all creation is atomic energy, its instability and vibration, friction,
fission and fusion, heat generated from friction, fire or agni. ‘Agni’ is
formed out of vayu (air) in Akasha (space). Air is created by the mass of
gaseous elements like nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, etc. Hydrogen is the main
constituent of the Sun. Heat expands and the cold contracts is the principle.
In a given volume of space a certain fixed quantity of objects can be accommodated.; say, for
example, 10 grains of air in one cubic millimeter of space. However, water vapor can eneter in and come
out of this space. When temperature decreases air is cooled and the capacity to
hold moisture decreases, and vice versa. Thus, any given given space can hold
either air or water vapour 100 per cent of space, or half (50%) or quarter
(25%), or go on varying along with the varying temperatures. Thus, when moist
air is cooled, the the water vapor condense into water drops and precipaitate.
This is how thethe universe is expanding due to the particles compressed
releasing heat. The space is thus full of massive clouds of stellar gases
getting compressed, heated and expanded. This is again cooled and condensed to
form the stars and their planets and
satellites. Life is also, in this sense, a form of expanding or contracting
energy! This is exemplified in Rk veda where a number of suktas are devoted to agni
deva, God of Fire. At best, one can get
a picture of the universe in our mind from the visuals about the galaxies,
stars, and planets and their satellites, etc as presented mostly by the NASA. Some facts and figures about the stars and
planets are obtained from studies by astronomers, the space research studies
and their publications. But, all these will in no way help us to get a
comprehensive idea about the true nature of either the universe or our
existence. Much of the knowledge we possess about space will ever remain just
an idea, an illusion, due to lack of personal experience. We can never ever
have a true idea of what a galaxy or a star is despite we see them on through
powerful telescopes. We have a number of pictures taken from electronic
telescopic cameras and nice descriptions of them, too. When we take up a study
of these stellar materials our ability to comprehend the true nature of these
fails!
It is difficult to know, or understand the
intricate processes involved in the formation of the mass of stellar dust or
clouds of gas taking shape in space. We can never see the sub-atomic particles
like the pions, quarks, electrons, positrons, gravitons, chiral and nucleons
and other miniscule invisible objects we discuss here! The electrons move, en
masse, at such enormous speed that they are never seen! Let us take the
‘energy’ aspect of these particles, for instance, it remains a mystery where it
(energy) emerges and how it gets transformed in course of the hypothetical time
because both time and space merge at the end of light, radiation emitted by it?
The most important thing in quantum laws and
particle physics is the Energy aspect. It is the subtle set form of sub-atomic
particle that controls the entire universe at both the macro and the micro
levels. This energy is the sustaining force of galaxies and the souls of all
living beings. It is a ‘phonon’, a
photon that contains the entire plan of creation, transformation and sustenance,
and finally dissolution. How the universe functions at different levels is a
mystery that can never be understood by man since Man is himself an entity
supported by it! This is exactly what is ‘knowing oneself’, i.e., the knowledge
of the Self (Atmajnyan). Once a person realizes who he/she is, the search ends!
It (the Self) is this immortal, unborn, eternal and all-knowing that is called
the ‘Atman’.
The Universe is governed mainly,
Energy; Electromagnetism (that includes light, electricity and magnetism),
Forces that are both strong and weak, and Gravitation. While we all know that
solar radiation is electromagnetic waves, there is no clue as to what ‘Gravitation’
is and how and where it comes from. But scientists have predicted the existence
of Gravitational force. It exists in the form of waves formed due to collision
of two massive black holes, a billion light years away! This prediction
confirmed the theory of Einstein assumed a century ago. Rainer Weiss of MIT and
Kip Thorne and Barry Barish were given the Nobel Prize in 2016 for their works
in this field. The entire universe is covered by the gravitational waves as
ripples in time-space. Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity 1916 had
predicted this force operating in the universe and affecting everything!
Einstein suggested that matter and energy would warp the geometry of space-time
producing gravity. He also predicted that “space-time could stretch and expand,
tear and collapse into black holes”.
Energy
is released when the matter and anti-matter coalesce, merge, or hit as in the
case of quarks, electrons and positrons. Energy is the inherent property of
matter. At the one end lies the huge mass of clouds of stellar dust where every
particle is capable of emerging out as a star! At the other end lies the
smallest of the small particle, almost invisible to the eye. The scientists
were in search of this miracle ‘angel particle’ an idea based on fantasy, but
true! This is the anti-particle of the fundamental particle!- an identical
twin, but with an opposite charge. When the particle meets this antiparticle
both would be annihilated releasing ‘energy’. The first antimatter particle-
electron’s opposite, the positron was finally discovered. At the lowest end lies the fermions that
includes the proton, neutron, electron, neutrino and quark, there should be
particles that are their own antiparticles. The scientists found the first
antiparticle of the fermion and called it ‘angel particle’. Actually there does
not exist anything like that!
It is only an intellectual exercise, at the
most a mathematical equation. This majorana fermion, fermion’s antiparticle, is
called ‘chiral’ fermion, half a sub-atomic particle (moves in a single
dimension in a particular direction). This is useful in computers for storage
of information without fear of losing it.
Thus, we have on the one hand, the galaxies
as the huge mass of clouds of stellar gases at the one end, and on the other,
the invisible tiny particles, almost non-existent (?) like the ‘pions’,
fermions and bosons, or quarks decaying into gravitons; The quarks and
anti-quarks crash and disappear releasing energy! Even the Fermions and
Majorana Fermions, as matter and anti-matter, crash and get annihilated releasing
energy. But, nobody has ever seen any graviton or an anti-quark! All these are
theoretical speculations. However, the tiniest particles are the source of all
that exist! The tiny emery particles like the phonons are the nuclei of all
that exist as the material objects of the world, including the ‘Soul’ of the
living beings, providing energy to sustain the body! It is stated that, “Over
the next ten years a new telescope, James Webb, and other radio telescopes will
allow us to see the gas before they form the stars, we will also see the first
stars, the first galaxies and will be able to see the life history of the
universe.” (Brian, Raman Res. Inst. Bengaluru).
However, the Vedanta gives a better
picture and a more comprehensive one. It is much easier to know about the
fundamental principles of creation, with no contradictions whatsoever. The
fundamental principles have been stated to be 76 in all, further reduced to 36
principles according to Shaivagama shastra, whereas, these are reduced to just
25 principles, such as, the 5 Great basic elements (pancha mahabhuta) and their respective qualities (tanmatra), 10 organs to experience these
qualities (knowledge/jnyan and action/ karma), and three qualities emerging
from nature such as sattva, tamas and rajas. Thus, according to the Sankhyans,
everything comes within these fundamental principles. One may add a Creator, purusha and its power, shakti as His Nature (prakruti) to these. The Purusha is
attributed with 5 powers, such as, ability to create (srushti), sustain (samrakshana),
dissolve (laya), appear and disappear
at will (tirodhana), and bless (anugraha). These again make it 35
fundamental principles that govern the universe.
The earth’s atmosphere extends upward to
about 10 Kms. and it consists of the exosphere freely moving hydrogen ions at
the outer-most level, and the ionosphere below it, followed by the chemosphere
(with ions of oxygen), the stratosphere (strata of streams of air mass) and the
thick troposphere (consisting of dense mass of air). Air becomes rarified as
one goes up into space. What the Sankhyans put as the basic five principles- ‘pancha mahabhuta’, such as, the Akasha, vayu, agni, jala, and pruthvi are stated in science as space,
air, fire, water and earth that contain almost all the known and the unknown
elements- gross and subtle, gaseous, metallic and non-metallic, organic and
inorganic, etc. These are the fundamental building materials of the universe
and can be traced to the tiniest invisible sub-atomic particles, including the
living beings. Everything is energy and emanates (as gross matter) and gross
matter inheres energy to sustain it. Space is also matter and is considered to
be a flexible transparent envelope that can accommodate all that exists! The
space was considered to be ‘ether’, a medium through which matter passes, and
was later discarded by the scientists. Now, space is a thin invisible entity
that envelopes the Universe. It is within and outside everything that we see,
touch and feel. Air freely moves in space and generates heat; it is the
compression (generating heat), or expansion (cooling particles of air), that
produces condensation. Air consists of lighter gases like Nitrogen, Hydrogen,
Oxygen, Ozone, Argon, and Methane that were already present in the exploding
stars. The differential heating and cooling of air particles creates pressure
differences leading to movement of air from the High to Low Pressure areas.
‘Energy’ inherent in matter is at the base
of all vibrations! The vibrations at different wavelengths, intensity and
frequencies create sounds, and the consequent paraphernalia of the physical
world including the water and soil and all that are found on earth. Hence,
there is not much difference between the Samkhya’s and the Scientists’
explanation of the origin of the universe and its constituents. However, the
Vedantins treat these elements as of divine origin and Rk Veda calls them the
‘Shakti Devi devata’ the ‘Elemental Gods’. Hence everything is divine, devata
shakti in Vedanta. But, they are treated as just fire, air, force, gravity, el
electromagnetic forces, physical, chemical, or biological phenomena, and energy
from thermal, hydel, thermodynamic or nuclear sources by the scientists.
Everything is ‘Agni’ (soma, anala and
surya) in Veda, whereas, it is just ‘Energy’ in science!
Thus, it is very clear as to how the
visible universe has come into existence from almost a state of invisible
gaseous entity, almost ‘nothingness’, to ‘everything’, rather, manifest from
‘nowhere’ to ‘now’ (time) and ‘here’ (space)! What we see or experience as the
real world is, indeed, a movie of forms of vibration of energy, like the
picture on a screen depicting a story. The form is created by energy as stated
in the Vedic statement, Form (rupa)
is the essence (tanmatra) of Fire, Agni.
The following study brings out these
aspects of creation in detail. Modern research studies in ‘the physical matter’
cover the entire field of particle physics, quantum mechanics, wave theory,
energy concept, gravitation theory, and the structure of the atom down to the
pions, quarks and anti-quarks, electrons and positrons, fermions and bosons, and
majorana fermion as ‘chiral’! This fundamental particle with dualistic nature
is called the ‘God Particle’! In fact, nobody visualized the emerging factor
called ‘phonon’ that bind particles as in crystals! The most surprising fact is
that the latest research findings in the fields of astronomy, physics, biology,
and chemistry confirm the statements of our ancient sages. What the modern
scientists have found out with the help of the electronic gadgets such as the
telescopes, spectroscopes, microscopes has been actually visualized by these
Sages of lore, these saints have actually realized the ‘truth’ in their yogic
trance, ‘savikalpa samadhi’, or
Transcendental meditative state visualizing saguna
brahmn. They have stated their experience in brief aphorisms like the
mathematical formulae or the scientist’s equations! There is no contradiction,
whatsoever, with the modern findings. In fact, what these sages (drushtara) have visualized are true for
all times to come, whereas, the modern theories, hypotheses, postulations, and
assumptions are subject to change! Nothing is certain even in science and the
scientists have admitted ‘probability’ as a significant aspect. Now, it is also
found that some strange intervening force, a catalytic agent, ‘chiral’, phonon is playing a significant role in formulating the universe at
the gross state level. Thus, a ‘phonon’ builds up a tree, animal, or human body
using the soil, water and light! The spiritual entities such as the devi devata
are also energy aspects that do not build up any physical body since they are
not in contact with the soil and water. They remain suspended or moving in the
atmosphere and act as forces (Shakti) controlling the mind and moods of the living
beings.
Some of the Vedic doctrines depicted here
are of the nature of highly esoteric symbolism. They are like the mathematical
equations or physical laws explained in the form of equations like E = m.c2. These
cannot be put in appropriate words and made easy for common man for it will
fail to convey the essence, the ‘truth’. The ‘truth’ or mystery of creation has
to be realized by oneself in a ‘transcendental meditative state’, savikalpa samadhi, through yoga. The
sadhaka can experience it. Whatever is experienced remains the individual’s
own, inexplicable, joy that cannot be shared! The siddhi or success attained by
the spiritual seeker as a ‘vision’ (darshan)
cannot be questioned, too. Those who want similar experience will have to
undertake similar practical yogic steps (ashtanga
yoga). There are innumerable methods of experiencing the truth. Once a
person experiences ‘sat’, ‘the
truth’, there remains nothing to be proved.
What is Life?
‘Life’
as ‘energy’ is a ‘force’, that goes to make the living beings live and
work. It is extremely difficult to
know and understand what this ‘life-force’
is and where it begins and where it ends. ‘Life’,
is called a ‘Life-force’ (prana), found
in all the five elements (pancha
mahabhuta- akash, vayu, agni, jal and
pruthvi). It is always there and it has no beginning or an end! It exists
as ‘energy’ (€) everywhere in an invisible form. It has the ability to enter
and exit anything and thereby, create or destroy a living-being! Thus, any
living being is classified as a ‘moving’ or ‘non-moving’ object like a plant,
fish, bird, or animal, that can grow and propagate or reproduce. Behind these
lie the inorganic substances supporting soil, minerals and compounds, water and
other materials. Thus, it is clear that a living being is a mass of substances
supported by life force, ‘prana’. All
living beings are subject to decay or death. There are billions of species of
living beings and the human species alone accounts for almost a 830 million!
The animals, birds, and small insects are of varied forms and functions. It is
still not clear whether there exists life-forms of this kind in any other
planet other than ours, called the ‘living and pulsating earth’. The tiniest
form of a life-form is a microbe, of the type of an unicellular amoeba. Much
research is in progress in the study of ‘cell’ and its structure (like ribose,
DNA) and we know very little about the tiniest organisms that may exist in deep
forests! The true nature of life is thus ever eluding! This is elaborated later
in the text here.
The
search for a common universal ancestor is still on and what all we know so far
may be summed up here as follows:
May be, there existed a single nuclear
particle, an entity that qualifies for a living entity, existed 3.5 billion
years ago when the earth was too hot and was undergoing cooling. This may be a
kingdom of microbes from which evolved three prominent types of living entities
such as: the bacteria, the archeans, and the eukaryotes. Deducing from what is
known to the depth of the unknown, the effort is to trace the starting point
and the archetype. The different environments and ecosystems pose a challenge
here and it is difficult to arrive at an agreeable conclusion. It ends up in
probabilities. However, it is now possible to trace the ancestors of the
presentday living creatures with the help of the genes decoded from the amino
acids – ribosomal RNA and the DNA chain. The DNA letters- A, T, G, C, are an
indication to this! Each letter of this signifies the clan and may take us to
the primordial one. Hence, the earliest life-form to appear on earth is yet to
be traced! However, it may be presumed that the earliest creature must be the
tiniest that can survive enormous heat, that of volcanic magnitude. It is also
predicted that the life-form adapted to extreme heat is dated back to million
years after the earth gradually cooled from its gaseous and molten state. It is
almost an invisible unicellular microbe that evolved later into bacteria, archeans
and eukaryotes. Which constitute the universal ancestors. All that exists as
different forms of life such as insects, birds, and aquatic, amphibian,
arboreal, and land animals belong to these three. Archaic one, may be a sort of
weird one, is believed to be the earliest! The DNA studies have facilitated an
easy way of learning about life-forms. The first full DNA, or genome, of a
bacterium has been decoded. One of the four letters of the DNA chain– A T C G,
of the links of the chain, must be holding a secret. Most probably, we assume, the
letter A of the DNA chain holds the key.
This, we infer from our Vedic knowledge
that ‘brahmn’ initially holds everything that manifests later as powers that
can create any and every diverse objective phenomenal world! Here, the same DNA chain that contains the
four links or ladders- A G C T are full of knowledge, intelligence, creative
power and energy, as well as, creative skill. These may be interpreted as- ‘A’
as brahmn, ‘G’ as Gods of different
powers/shakti, ‘C’ as Consciousness, cit, and ‘T’ as Time. The Ribosomes (RNA)
get these from DNA as genetic code and converts it into a function (deciphering
the genetic code) in the cells that form the amino acids (that shapes the
organs, also hold the key).
However, it may be safely concluded that
the very ‘concept of life’ is yet to be understood properly. As and when
compared to the materialistic way dealing with the scientific methods, the spiritual
path taking recourse to yoga with the assistance of an attained soul and attain
samadhi to visualize the truth seems to be far more reliable.
6 ‘Who am I’?
Before answering this significant spiritual
question, it is important to note what Bhagavan Sri Krishna says about the
three constituents of the human being (jiva)-
the adhibhoutika, adhidaivika and the
Adhyatmika. The human body has four
main components- physical body (sthula
sharira), the mind (manas),
nervous system (nara-nadi),
and the soul (Atman).
The nervous system consists of an extensive network of nerves and neurons,
although included in the physical body as a gross entity such as the alimentary
canal or the food pipe, the wind pipes, blood veins, and smaller and smaller
veins that constitute the subtlest of subtle aspects of the jiva that carries signals
like sentiments, emotion, pain, pleasure, love, compassion, and many other
invisible forces!
The
outer material body or the earthen shell is made of soil and water, rather
food, and support the tissues, organs and the body that comprise of small
invisible cells numbering about several trillions! As a matter of fact, the jiva is a gross body (sthula / adhibhuta) made up of the five
elements- (a) pruthvi /earth/soil and
minerals (food), (b) jal- water, (c) agni-fire, (d) vayu/air, and (akasha) space.
The second one is the Mind (manas / adhidaiva); it is both gross and subtle according to its changing
states- mind and mood (chitta). Mind
and mood play a very dominant role in the life of the jiva.
The
third one is the subtle causal spiritual entity (karana sharira / adhyatma) which normally does not play active
role, unless activated by the Mind (manas)
and the Intellect (buddhi). This the
subtler aspect of the jiva. It is a complex system of nerves and neurons that
carry all that is subtler and vital to the very survival of the jiva. These are
partly visible and partly invisible carrying currents of sensation, life-force,
thoughts and feelings, emotions, and, as such, very little understood by the
jiva. The entire body is a network of these nerves and neurons numbering 36 000
on each side of the body totaling 72 000. One central nerve only branches out
into a hundred, which in turn each one into a hundred and thereby cover the
entire body. These nerves and neurons play a very significant role in the life
of the jiva conveying the life-forces, emotions, signals and enable the organs
to function. Of these four major constituents of the jiva, the outer physical
body depends on food, water, and air. It is controlled by the Mind that
interacts with and through the physical instrument of brain located in the
head. The Mind, however, is greatly influenced by food, drinks, and the objects
of the world including the waves and tides! However, the soul remains a mere spectator,
unless called for with the help of yoga with the help of a learned spiritual
teacher.
The fourth component is the Soul, Atman, the core of the jiva. The
living being, jivatman, is a noble
aspect of creation. It is the invisible essential part of the entire system! In
fact, it has all the knowledge, information and technology, ability to create
and transform whatever it needs! This is the divine aspect of creation, may be,
the Creator only! There is nothing besides this in all the universe and entire
universe is the manifest forms of this invisible powerful divine entity!
What is mysterious about the jiva, as a living entity, is the system of
living cells- pindanda. This unique biological phenomenon is a conglomerate
of a very complex system of intelligent cells (andanda)! These cells, almost invisible to our naked eyes, perform
wonders! Each biological cell (jiva kosha)
is equipped with Consciousness (chit),
knowledge and intelligence (jnyan and
buddhi), and an immense capacity to function
in multifarious ways, such as, understanding, considering, discerning,
disseminating, connecting, coordinating, conducting and conveying (without
itself moving!), diligently organizing, dividing and destroying, etc. These
cells, initially, one single entity consisting of amino acids, ribosomes, di
oxy ribonucleic acids (DNA), enzymes, vitamins, genes, Harmons, chromosomes,
and a host of other invisible forces and power that can execute the signals
such as desires (ichha), dreams,
imaginations, and the like of the jiva!
Each and every organ of the jiva is a
complex system of tissues made of cells. The cells that constitute the heart,
the lungs, the kidney or the liver, the brain, the nerves and neurons, the
bones and bone marrow, the blood, the skin, and all the minute organs of the
body are nothing but the pulsating cells, and nothing more than that! More than
all these, the cells have the innate capacity to construct or destroy whatever
they deem fie decision making capacity is inherent in each cell, thereby, the
body grows, matures, deteriorates, and dies!
The scientists are working out the ways and
means of making these cells constantly rejuvenate endlessly, keep the body
young without ageing and deteriorate and collapse. However, it is difficult for
the maturing cells to go back in time- from old age to childhood!
As far as the activities of the jiva are concerned, almost all spend
their entire life in acquiring some knowledge and skill so as to enable oneself
to get sufficient food and live comfortably. There is hardly any time left for
any other pursuit, much less to know about the very purpose of such a living!
The neglect of the soul by the ignorant jiva has created a mess and little does
the jiva knows about this. Only a few sensible persons have ever thought about
it and pursued the knowledge of the soul, Atmajnyan.
Almost all the people die without knowing this simple truth. The tragedy is
that the most successful persons in public life who achieve laurels like Nobel
Prize, and national recognition like the Bharat Ratna, die without knowing who
the real person, ‘purusha’, he/she is! So far, none has ever given a thought to
how the jiva arrived here on earth as a sub-atomic particle (an atomic energy particle),
in the form photon, (particle of ‘Light’) emitted by a distant star; it entered
the clouds, rain drop, soil, food particle and became a ‘spermatozoa’ It entered
the would-be mother’s womb and, remember, the chance of impregnation is almost
nil! What all the jiva, as a human being, later attains (as a famous doctor or
engineer, scientist or philosopher) is just a faculty (bit of material knowledge,
that too, an insignificant part of the total knowledge) of their selected field
of interest, or by force of destiny and chance!
Once a person realizes the ‘truth’, who
he/she is, the objective phenomenal world falls off like a house of cards! The
jiva is liberated from its repeated cycles of births and deaths,
metempsychosis’ the moment it realizes who it is! All the attachment to the
worldly objects disappears. This is the end of all desires and attachments.
Here is an anecdote from the Jataka Tales. When Gautama became the Buddha, he
was brought to his father’s Palace and introduced to his father, wife, and son.
But the Buddha did not recognize anybody! He said, “I have no father, wife, or
son”!
Then, one of them asked Rahul, son of Gautama,
“Who are you since your father disowns you? He also said, “I don’t know! I have
not seen my father ever since he left before I could see and know him, nor do I
know anything about my father’s mother! I am told she was already dead by the
time my father could see her!” This gives us an idea about how we all are
attached to the world due to ignorance of our true nature. The phenomenal
objective world is transient and subject to death decay and dissolution. There
is nothing permanent about it and we somehow cling onto it!
The same is the story of many a orphans,
forlorn children abandoned, or sold for a price, or adopted by some foreigners,
or for that matter, even those saved from a hospital fire, or accident site.
These kids do not know anything about their antecedents.
And, Lo! There are people who boast of
their religions, caste and creed, and belief systems and harm others who do not
follow them! All these are eye openers to a person who is enamored by attachment,
greed, ego, and suffers from ignorance.
But then, “Who am I?” This question is persistently asked by every jiva when
it gets puzzled as to its role in life. It is confused. It is always somebody
and not the real self. Hence it seeks an answer. What is the answer? The answer
is very simple and direct. When all that are called ‘me and mine’ are discarded
what remains is ‘that’ pure self. This pure self is inexplicable. It is pure
bliss, total awareness of the true self. This state is found in deep sleep as
well as a state of samadhi yoga. It is not an unconscious state; it is total
awareness of the self and everything else within its self.
A living being, jiva, rather, an embodied
soul, will ultimately find out who he/she is after a long introspection, quest,
taking an inward journey in search of truth! It (the jiva) discovers that it is
an embodiment, acquisition of a material gross physical body and it is
constantly changing with time; hence it is not the ‘sat’, true self. So also,
the fickle mind is always thinking about this and that, called ‘manovikalpa’,
or’ chanchala chitta’, together with the perverted intelligence (vipareeta
buddhi), is not the true self. The ‘ego’ (ahankar) that rules the jiva, too, is
not the self. All these- manas, buddhi and ahankar, are at rest when the jiva
when the jiva goes to deep sleep. So, the jiva finds that all these appendage-
physical, mental or psychosomatic entity that is of no avail to find out the
true ‘Self’, that is covered by avidya.
Finally, a Guru (Yogacharya Shree Krishna)
comes, as if by divine providence, to help the confused jiva (Arjuna) to redeem
it from all this mire of mental or physical, earthly existence. However, it is
not that easy; this needs a bit of carryover of the fruits of action (karma
phala) carried over from the past (purvarjita),
God’s grace (anugraha), and the blessings (ashirvada)
of the departed souls, teachers, and elders.
The jiva has to prepare for this long
journey taking recourse to yoga through spiritual practices (adhyatma sadhana),
satsang, and study of scriptures. Finally, the jiva comes to know that it is
not ‘this’ and this’. It finds out that the true nature of the jiva is nothing
but the ‘truth, consciousness and bliss (sat-chit-ananda) and, it is finally
redeemed. This may happen instantly or may take several lives! This is a big
question mark? It is all a question of discarding what all is acquired from
birth, rather than adding accumulating wealth and appendages, prefixes,
affixes, and afflictions to the name, form, and function or revel in the mire
of earthly existence, enjoying a sensuous life that is transient.
7. Self-Realization (Atma-sakshatkara)
The need for Self-Realization arises as a
result of the limitations set by time-space-causality, on the one hand, and the
acquired qualities of the jiva due to its earth-bound state depending on the
food derived from its soil, on the other. The jiva finds itself in an eternal
birth-death-rebirth syndrome and suffers hunger, thirst, ailments and old age
during its short span of a hundred years or less of its life. This
‘realization’ (if at all it comes?), it is hoped, would open a new vista as to
the awareness of the true nature of the jivatman that would erase the ignorance
and pave way for enlightenment! This will not happen as long as the jiva is
working outward. Thus, the need for an inward journey leading to realization of
the Self, atma sakshatkara arises.
What exactly happens when the jiva
contemplates on itself is- ‘the realization of its true nature’. After a long
contemplation, the jiva realizes that the body it has built over a time from
food, say a few drops of milk or a spoonful of baby food, starting from the day
it is born to its ripe old age eating breakfast, lunch, snacks, and a few
drinks in between holding is nothing but a earthen pot! It is the same food
that is converted into cells, tissues, organs with blood and bones. It is
almost 70 per cent water and 28 per cent earth (food), the rest being air, fire
and space within. Thus, the microcosmic jiva is a replica of the macrocosm.
That is the reason why the scriptures say; as is the macro, so is the brahmanda
(micro) so is the pindanda
(microcosm). The miniscule organic entity that constitutes the jiva as the
‘cells’ (jiva kosha) plays a vital role here. The blue print of the entire jiva
is held in a jelly like protein-covered cell consisting of the amino acids,
enzymes, vitamins, hormones, chromosomes, the Ribose nucleic acids (RNA) and
the DNA. The entire plan and the path of journey of the jiva’s journey is mapped
here. In fact, every aspect of birth, growth and death is clearly laid down in
a zipped manner like a computer memory chip! This realization is ‘Atma sakshatkar’.
The
jiva, in the course of its deep contemplation in a state of transcendental
meditation, suddenly gets a flash, realizes that it is not the physical body,
the senses and mind, the buddhi or the ahankar, but a divine spark, an ion or
photon. It is not even the torso, the
limbs or the head that matters in day-today life. The mind itself plays a
dominant role in life of the jiva, much to its disadvantage! Mind is the cause
of misery and the jiva suffers due to its ignorance. Almost like a divine
intervention there comes a turning point in life when the jiva realizes the
true nature of its self. It realizes that the jiva arrived as an energy
particle, a particle of Light, photon, reached the earth and got embedded in an
earthen pot, a gross body, The horoscope give the exact location of the star in
the sky. It is not difficult to decipher all these secrets from a horoscope
provided the astrologer is also an astronomer! Otherwise, it is just a pastime.
The Bhagavad-Gita also gives these details
how the jiva is not a mortal body but an unborn, eternal and immortal entity as
the soul, Atman or ‘jiva jyothi’ embodied in an earthen shell; Life is not just
a journey from the date of birth to the date of death. It is the eternal
journey of a particle of Light is space. This Light contains knowledge,
consciousness (Chit), having all information in a zipped chip form, with the
ability to transform objects and run a course in different forms and
functions.
Thus, LIFE is a manifest form of several subtler
forces such as Light (Knowledge), Intelligence, Force (Shakti), and Energy
(Prana). It also contains the essential ingredients of a divine nature, the ‘sat’, ‘chit’, and ‘ananda’. It is capable of visualizing its true nature. This is
called ‘Shiva’ in the scriptures.
Shiva is not only aware of Himself as the Self, but also, as ‘another’, another not much different
than the Self. The world, ‘prakruti’,
or Shive is the creative power of Shiva. Thus, the jiva is nothing but
Shiva. Shiva is prakasha (Light), Shiva
is also Shive, Vimarsha, the analytical aspect- the universe. The combined
aspect of Shiva and Shive, as Shivayuvati,
or ardhanarishvara is one indivisible
Self. Thus, everything is the manifest aspect of one’s own, the Self.
How the Jiva
arrives on Earth:
The Bhagavad-Gita explains how the jiva
arrives on earth. All the living beings survive on food which comes from the
soil. Plants depend on Rain for germination of seeds. Rain comes from clouds.
Clouds are formed from evaporation of water from oceans due to sun’s heat.
Thus, it is the same ‘solar energy’ that lies in the form of water vapor in the
clouds that produce rain due to cooling and condensation. This ‘solar energy’
is the ‘life–force’ that we get from the sun as well as the distant stars. Each
jiva is an ‘ion’, a subatomic particle, a photon, a stellar dust particle, in
this sense of the term.
This life-force or ‘prana’ is at the root of all jivas (prani). Water, heat, and soil play a very important role in
germination of the seed. Vedic Texts say, “purusha’
(brahmn) is the seed. In the Gita,
Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, “I am the seed of creation”. Everything is ‘chaitanya’, energy inherent in spirit,
the soul that is unborn, eternal and immortal. The soul is eternal, in the
sense that, ‘Energy cannot be created or destroyed’. How can an entity that is
invisible, unborn and eternal create a physical body of biological entity
called ‘cell’ and function within the limitations of time, space, and
causality? In other words, how can the ‘non-existent’ (‘asada’) become existent (‘sada’),
and again revert to the state of ‘non-existence’? This is the mysterious
universe. This has been explained in the concept of ‘maya’.
Who created the
Universe?
In the Gita, Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, “I
am the seed of creation”. Everything is ‘chaitanya’,
energy inherent in spirit as we as matter that is unborn, eternal and immortal.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy is derived from sun, also known
as Aditya (and distant stars, too,) as far as earth and its living beings are
concerned. The Sun is the chief source of energy for us. As regards the actual
process of creation or evolution of life forms, there are a number of sources
and Vishnu purana and Devi Purana are the important ones. Some of these details
are given later. However, in brief, it is stated that “Eighty-four thousand
species are created by cosmic force Adi parashakti. Two opposite forces-equal
and opposite are created as Satyarupa (Aditi) and Diti as consorts of Kashyapa,
the self-effulgent, svayambhuva manu. From Aditi are created Sun, vayu, soma,
Indra, agni, varuna, aryaman, pushan, ashvin, vasu- all considered the Vedic
Devata. The human beings are created by svayambhu manu, the manifest forms of
Aniruddha, the mixed impure sattva!
Kashyap and Aditi while all others including
the demons are created by Diti. Brahma creates, Vishnu nurtures and Ishvara
neutralizes the forces of fusion and fission. The energy component of the Trinity-
brahma, vishnu, and Ishvara will be reflected in the human beings as the
‘Atman’. The Atma is the chaitanya of vishnu, intellect and creativity comes
from Ishvara, and, finally the humans can cognize and realize Atman and
experience sat chit and ananda only through self-awareness. There are no
physical entities or parents and off-springs as such here. Body, mind and
intellect as well as the soul spontaneously generated tuned to cosmic energy of
the supreme spirit sol, paramatman. The scientists are still busy in finding
the mystery involved in the creation of life. The molecular biologists have
discovered the constituents of the structure and composition of the cell- the
protein gel membrane that covers the cells, the genes and their inherent characteristics,
the DNA and RNA chains, the amino acids, enzymes, the vitamins, hormones, and
the chromosomes are all now known but for the exact source of their energy
component, may be traced to an extraneous source that can never be described!
The following illustrations will give us some idea about these.
8. The Energy
Factor
What creates and sustains the universe is
the ‘Purusha’, the potential for
creation, the inherent Energy in Matter. But nobody knows what is this
‘Energy”, its source, its true nature, and its dissemination. Nobody knows how
much Energy is needed for different functions of all that is created, or for
that matter, where this Energy lies and in what form, whether it is always
dormant or active, always potential or kinetic- as an electron and a positron
and a neutron! The result is what we see as a paraphernalia of a vibrant energy
field. It is the vibration that is the universe and everything disappears the
moment the waves subside! Science tries to discover this ‘God particle’ and Vedanta
describes the potential and the kinetic aspects of this Energy in the various
epics, such as the Vishnu purana, Shiva purana, Padmapurana, brahmanda purana,
etc. What is the outcome of all these?
The first manifest form of ‘Energy’ is the ‘mass of clouds of
stellar dust’ that first appeared as a figure of a person (purusha) - with head, torso and limbs stretched! Later, it expands,
spreads far and wide, takes the form of a vast and deep Space (sagara) in which exist all that we see
and experience. The stellar materials take the form of dark energy, dark
matter, gravitate and start emitting light and become galaxies and stars and
develop their own systems of planets and satellites like our Solar System.
These stars are of different dimensions and potentialities. But we do not know
what sort of, and how much of, this energy is required to create the stars,
galaxies or the visible universe? Where did it lie and how does this energy
emerge or manifest and in what form? For all practical purposes, ‘Energy’ is
derived from stars and the nearest to us is the sun, also known as Aditya and
all living beings are sustained by it. The Sun is the chief source of energy
for us. As regards the actual process of creation or evolution of life forms,
there are a number of sources and Vishnu purana and Devi Purana are the
important ones. Some of these details are given later. However, in brief, it is
stated that “Eighty-four thousand species are created by cosmic force Adi
parashakti. Two opposite forces-equal and opposite are created as Satyarupa
(Aditi) and Diti as consorts of Kashyapa, the self-effulgent, svayambhuva manu.
From Aditi are created Sun, vayu, soma, Indra, agni, varuna, aryaman, pushan,
ashvin, vasu- all considered the Vedic Devata. The human beings are created by
svayambhu manu Kashyap and Aditi while all others including the demons are
created by Diti. Brahma creates, Vishnu nurtures and Ishvara neutralizes the
forces of fusion and fission. The energy component of the Trinity- Brahma,
Vishnu, and Ishvara will be reflected in the human beings as the ‘Atman’.
The Atman
is chaitanya the chit-shakti of Lord Vishnu, with intellect (buddhi) and creativity or intelligence derived from Ishvara. The
humans can cognize or realize the Atman and
experience its true nature- sat chit and
ananda, only through Conscious awareness of the Self. There are no other
physical entities or parents and off-springs, as such, here. Body, mind, and
intellect, as well as, the soul are spontaneously generated, and tuned to cosmic
energy of the supreme spirit- soul, paramatman. The scientists are still busy
in finding out the mystery involved in the creation of life. The molecular
biologists have discovered the constituents of the structure and composition of
the cell- the protein gel membrane that covers the cells, the genes and their
inherent characteristics, the DNA and RNA chains, the amino acids, enzymes, the
vitamins, hormones, and the chromosomes. We all now know everything except the
exact source of their origin, their energy component, and think they are
derived from an extraneous source that can never be detected!
The Journey
of jiva starts as peck of star dust from
a Star, reaches Earth as if by chance and through clouds, rain, soil, and food, get converted into a spermatozoa, a
zygote and, to the form of a Baby (as
shown in Figs. A 1- 5 and from a seed to a huge tree asin B 1-2 below. Also,
note the potency of the sperm and the seed!) The germination of seed and
fertilization of eggs are curious aspects of life. Also, there are viruses and
germs automatically appearing from nowhere! Shoots cut and transplanted also
grow and thus propagation takes place. These are andaja (of egg), budbhuda (of sprouts), svedaja (of sweat) and retaja (of semen)- the four types of
propagation.
Chaitanya,
prana, life-force is the critical factor in creating life. This prana or
life-force is coming from oxygen and hydrogen, but who puts it there is the
question! Oreover, one seed only becomes a orchard, plantation, or forest. One
person only becomes family, society, and nation. ‘Life’ is a word lossely applied to a collection of
processes- DNA replication and transcription krebs cycle, lactic acid cycle. We
are yet to decipher the true nature of the ‘life-force’ or ‘prana’ that is at
the root of all jivas (prani). Water and soil play a very important role in
germination of the seed.
A 1 2 3 4
5
6
4 5 6
Where does the prana lie? This is still open
to question since it is said Prana is life-force like Oxygen in the space (akasha), or with the mind and desire!
Mind and mood, desire and attachment, abhinivesha
or love of body are important subtler forces in creation and sustenance. “No
desire, no life”, is the doctrine. This is explained in the ‘madhurashtakam’ (Sweet/attraction/magnetism?)
and the doctrine of sacrifice, ‘yajnya’,
in the Veda. “Everything is sweet’ (madhuram)
and sacrifice”, says the Veda. The Sun burns itself, sacrifices itself, to
produce heat, light, energy and life-force and thereby created all the
paraphernalia of life-forms on earth. Each one is a link in the food chain and
a sacrifice, at that. Man sacrifices his freedom for a wife and family, the
family for the society, the society for the nation, and the nations for the
world at large. This goes on and on until everything ends at the wave of the
magic wand of the lord. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “I am the magician (mayavin) and I project/ create with my
magic wand (Sudarshana chakra) and,
withdraw/ destroy everything.” He says “I am Time” -Kaalo’smi |
There is a Space-Time Continuum in the
Creation of phenomenal objectives that are transient. This is termed ‘maya’ in Vedanta. This is the subtlest
factor that governs all that is our Universe, including the Planet Earth and
its living beings!
The Vedic doctrine is “Desire is brahmn”.
All that we see here is brahmn. In a way, it is desire that creates life.
Desire arises due to the inherent divine aspect of ananda. Everybody lives only
due to this ananda. Breathing itself is joy, ananda. “No desire, no life”,
is the doctrine. This is explained in the ‘madhurashtakam’
(Sweet/attraction/magnetism?) and the doctrine of sacrifice, ‘yajnya’, in the
Veda. “Everything is sweet’ (madhuram)
and sacrifice”, says the Veda. The Sun burns itself, sacrifices itself, to
produce heat, light, energy and life-force and thereby created all the
paraphernalia of life-forms on earth. Each one is a link in the food chain and
a sacrifice, at that. Man sacrifices his freedom for a wife and family, the
family for the society, the society for the nation, and the nations for the
world at large. This goes on and on until everything ends at the wave of the
magic wand of the lord. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “I am the magician (mayavin) and I project/ create with my
magic wand (Sudarshana chakra) and,
withdraw/ destroy everything.” He says “I am Time” -Kaalo’smi | According to the Gita, things should happen by will of
God! The Lord says, it is my leela! Learned sages, Jnyani, say, “Oh
Lord, not a blade of grass stirs without your will”; trunamapi na chalati te na vinaa | Only divine will prevails.
The
Scientific view: The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking
covers the growth of modern physics (Quantum Mechanics, General Relativity, and
Modern Cosmology) sprinkled with the wild speculation about multiple universes
that seems mandatory in popular works these days. Short but engaging and packed
with colourful illustrations, the book is a natural choice for someone wanting
a quick introduction to mind-bending Theoretical Physics. Early on, the authors
claim that they will be answering the ultimate riddles of existence.
Who am I? Where Am
I? Am I an alien who arrived here on Earth? What is my true nature of
existence? In a sense, we are
all aliens who descended to this Planet Earth. We arrived here in the form of
an energy particle, a neutrinos (neutron), a photon, an energy particle, fully
loaded with all knowledge, information technology,with ability to
create
and modify, or transform, produce unbelievably miraculous forms and functions,
such as a celia, a minute biological
cell that can create, develop, sustain and disseminate jivas before
dissolution.
8. “I
am That (tyat)”,
“I
am That (tyat)”, says the Veda. “I am
the Universe”, scientists declare! Aham
brahmasmi is the Vedic doctrine. Now, the scientists have attained the
state of the ancient sages and declare that the science and the Vedanta are one
and the same! Today, we know more almost everything from a sub-atomic particle
to the giant star, the universe, the multiverse and beyond! “I am Shiva” (Shivo’ham or so’ham asmi) is the ultimate truth! Look within and
find ‘it’ out. This is explicitly
stated in the AtmA bodha of Sri
Shankaracharya. Aham brahmasmi is the
Vedic doctrine.
It all starts with the tiny twinkling Star.
Great astronomers starting from Aryabhata to Galileo, Tycho Brahe, Kepler and
Stephen Hawking did a lot of sky watching and documented their observations.
What all we know about the universe from sky watch are mere speculations,
probabilities, theories and hypotheses, and postulations.
Moreover, our knowledge is obtained from the
study of ‘Light’. Scientists have presented the theories of ‘Big Bang’, ‘Black
Holes’ and the General Theory of Relativity and Gravitational Theory. The most
powerful telescope to get the pictures of the outer boundary of the universe is
getting ready and will be operative in a few years; and, till then we have to
be contented with what we have obtained from the Hubble telescope and the CERN,
the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory), and Virgo
Observatory, and other sources. The discovery of Gravitational waves in
February 2016 has opened up a new vista and scientists are excited about it.
Already, they have come out with the rate at which the universe is expanding!
We have now findings from experiments in molecular biology, DNA studies, Wave
theory, quantum mechanics, and particle physics. Some elementary knowledge
about the neutron stars, supernova, and white stars, red stars and dwarfs and
other types of stars and their structure and composition, and we know how
galaxies are formed in space. We also know that all that we see as the
universe, the cosmos, is just 5 per cent and the rest are Dark Matter (25 per
cent) and ‘dark energy’ (70 per cent). Only four powerful forces- Gravitational
Force, Electromagnetism, Atomic Energy, and some ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ forces are
operating this universe! How the universe is created is a matter of great
interest and almost all the ancient Indian scriptures speak about it. The
modern scientists do not have even a faint idea about it!
The recent observations of the universe
through the lens of the most powerful electronic telescopes and the
interpretations of the images obtained from them, reveal a lot of secrets
regarding the origin of the universe. Today we know a lot more than what we
learnt during the last hundred years. Twenty-first century heralds a new
vision. This should be reviewed in Vedantic way! However, there is nothing new in all these
since the Agama Shastra Samhitas (almost 200!), Srividya, Lakshmi Tantra, and
the Cosmogram ‘Sri Chakra’ etc have
already revealed these in very clear unmistakable explicit terms. We have the
Pancharatra which describe the powers vested in ‘Sudarshana’. However, there is much symbolism involved in all
these. Hence, there should be no doubt regarding the various aspects of
creation (srushti), existence (sthiti), development (vikasa) and sustenance (samrakshana) and dissolution (laya) and merger (vilaya) of this universe. In fact we have realized the secret of
all these life in its variety and diversity as described in the forgoing
paragraphs. It is also stated- “phenomenal
objective transient world is a myth”!
The universe is expanding at a very rapid
rate and each star and its paraphernalia are moving farther and farther away
from each other, and this includes the nature of the human mind, attitude and
behaviour in its interrelations, too! No wonder, one day, everything will fall
apart! Strangely enough, all these are described in the spiritual texts; the
great sages like Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Agastya, Ashtavakra, Raikva and
Avadhuta knew all about these! They were the drushtaras who visualized and handed down their knowledge to us.
Sky watch and
Earth watch
When we watch the earth and ourselves from
space, the picture we get is something stranger than that we get from what we
get from when we watch the space from the earth. This earth watch and watch of
the self by the great sages or yogi of the past has revealed the true nature of
our existence. Our existence here on earth as ‘earthlings’ or living creatures dependent on food is purely a
transitory one. However, it is not the living body with which we are concerned
here but the energy aspect constituting the core of the substance, the Atma. The unborn, eternal, and immortal
soul is what all matters here. It is this tiny invisible particle smaller than
the smallest (anoraniyan) that is the
core of the substance, the universe. It is the same at all the three levels-
the cosmos (brahmanda), the body (pindanda) and the cell (andanda). It is that abstract absolute
indefinable eternal spiritual entity which acquires mass and becomes matter at
a later stage and, thus, becomes a visible entity, called Atman. It is the embodiment of knowledge. It has everything within
itself to manifest as it desires! This is the true story of creation.
For all practical purposes, we take it for
granted that a sperm enters an egg cell of a female (ovum) and gets impregnated
to take a life-form. But we forget the fact that a lot of invisible forces are
at play before actually this happens! The forces that are enunciated in the
principles of physics, chemistry, biology, genetics, DNA studies etc are all
involved here. These are actually described in greater details in the great
epics, the Veda and the Upanishads, the brahmasutras and the Gita. Sakshat (in
visible form to the devoted souls?) Bhagavan Shree Krishna explains these!!
What we learn as a spermatozoa, an invisible living sperm, encoded with all
knowledge, information, technology and ability to expand, grow, divide,
multiply, and disseminate is the seed of the purusha carrying the blue-prints and design of the jiva. It is the
‘chetana’, vital (pranic) energy. It is capable of
creating anything with the knowledge and intelligence
Inherent
in it. It can develop the single cell and later multiply and divide constantly
creating tissues and organs with knowledge and power to perform specialized
functions..
There is an invisible powerful force that
binds the jiva to its surroundings, its environment, atmosphere and its
elements! This has been a very interesting subject matter of research. There
has been no much success in this field. However, the scientists have discovered
recently the ‘gravitational force’ and the power of the invisible sub-atomic
particles.
Thus, ‘I’, as an Atman (Soul), only entered
this earth! This ‘i’ (the jiva) is
the supreme ‘I’ (the brahman) the
unmanifest, and the manifest form-jivatman, is the ‘I’- as a tiny ‘energy’
particle. The Atman, emanated from a
distant star as a particle of light, traversed the sky, and entered the earth.
This journey of the Atman (soul) is narrated in the Bhagavad-Gita. This
particle of Energy and Consciousness (chaitanya), as chetana Shakti (like sparks or electrical charges), as vital (pranic) energy, has imbibed the powers
of the Devi (Creative Power). It has
knowledge, power, resources, strength, potency and the light emanating as the
radiant rays (mayukha) and as such
can take any form and function, however, in a limited way. It has entered all
that is found here as water, minerals, fire, air, soil, food, plants, and,
finally got embodied in different forms of living and non-living beings, as moving
and non-moving beings.
Each cell has all the knowledge, information,
technology, and ability to transform itself and design its own tissues, organs
(like the heart, kidney, lungs, liver or brain) and becomes the living beings.
The Mind is well developed in the humans. What governs the life of a man is his
mind and moods (manas and chitta), buddhi, ahankara, and the imagination, thoughts and desires. Since
the Atman or soul as prana has the
ability to enter anywhere and everywhere it has consciousness- prajnya. It matters very little what
form of living being multiply to form tissues and organs. Still, the question
remains as to how the tissues develop into specific organs of different designs
and who ordained them to perform different specialized functions?
Thus, the nature of the origin of life,
the embodiment of the Atman (soul) as the jiva
(jivatman) is very clear. The dust
particles of Devi’s feet is significant. Each and every stellar dust particle
is intelligent, knowledgeable and has capacity to take any form Devi wills or
desires! It is this stellar dust or ‘Energy’ particle that creates a body as
per the will of Devi Shree trailokya
sundari. Hence, all living beings, jivas,
are inseparable part of Devi only and remain so for ever. It(the atman) enters
the earth along with the sun rays, electromagnetic waves, and passes through
clouds, raindrops, soil and vegetation like a person entering in and out of a
car, train, ship or aircraft and comes out. This Atman- a photon, a particle of
‘Energy’ gets embodied and to run errands on this earth endlessly. Once it
entered the soil, plants, fruits, vegetables, or food grains as ‘annam’ and has made its way to the
would-be father’s body- his blood cell, bone marrow, desire, spermatozoa and
entered the would-be mother’s womb it get struck in an eternal journey due to
its desires and action (karma)!
Now, this mystery seems to have been
solved to some extent. The scriptures declare: “I am the light”! This ‘I’ is
what pervaded the universe as the neutrinos blasted out by an exploding
supernova (a binary or a neutron star) and covered the entire earth as stellar
dust! These ‘Energy’ particles are essentially the core substance of all that
exists! The “soundarya lahari” eulogizes this in the very first verse.
Accordingly, the ‘Trinity- hari, hara, virinchi seated at the feet of “devi
trailokya sundari, Adishakti rajarajeshvari ‘shree-vidya’ are asking Her permission
to take a few stellar dust particles from Her feet. virinchi (Im) asks Her
permission to create and hari (ra) wants permission to sustain what is created,
and finally maheshvara (ha) wants permission to burn all these to dust and
smear it on his body! This Shree and the trinity have been eulogized as the
bijakshara maha mantra “shreem”. Thus, every jiva is an embodiment of Devi
only!
Thus, the nature of the origin of life, the
embodiment of the Atman (soul) as the jiva (Jivatman) is very clear. Like a
person entering in and out of a car, train or aircraft, the Atma- a photon, a
particle of ‘Energy’ has arrived from a distant star on the earth, entered the
clouds, raindrop and fell to the earth (soil). It has entered the fruits,
vegetables or food grains as ‘annam’ and entered the would-be father’s body. It
became his blood, bone marrow, desire, spermatozoa, and entered the would-be
mother’s womb! I only, as a particle of Energy, photon, Light, Consciousness,
and Intelligence, life-force passed through all these and took a form, function
and state of existence!
Thus, this ahanta, ‘ I’ is the Rudra- ‘I’ who
entered the earth’s atmosphere, clouds, rain drops, and fell into soil and
created life; and, indeed, the parents, may it be, in any form like a pig,
horse, dog or a cat, or a man, to become the off-spring of the type. What
difference it makes? Is there any doubt
as to the true nature of the ‘jiva’ now?
Existential Reality: In mathematical
parlance, E = t, where, E is Existence and t is time. E is also Energy, in the
sense, all existence is It is a journey of the soul. It(the soul), may as well,
say “I am the light”. I emerge from a
distant star, travel down to earth as a particle of stellar particle of light,
‘Energy’, and get embedded in anything and everything. The famous poem “soundarya lahari” by Sri Shankaracharya
eulogizes the fundamental particles, the building blocks as ‘paada dhuli’ of Devi- the ‘stellar
particles’, ‘star-dust’, in the very first verse. Accordingly, the ‘Trinity- hari, hara, virinchi, seated at the feet
of “Devi trailokya sundari Adi Shakti
Rajarajeshvari ask Her(Devi’s) permission to collect a few stellar dust
particles from Her feet. Brahma, virinchi (Im),
asks Her permission to create the universe and vishnu, hari (ra) wants Her permission to sustain what
is created, and finally, ‘hara’ or maheshvara (ha) wants Her permission to burn all these to dust and smear it on
his body! Thus, Shree and the trinity have been eulogized as the bijakshara maha mantra “shreem”. Thus, every jiva is an
embodiment of Devi only! Energy incorporate and inheres time since it radiates
and creates time and space, too! Now, all that exists is in relation to time
and space, as well as, causality. This is called the theory of ‘maya’, where 'ma' and 'ya' are that which is
measurable! Time and space are both illusory! These govern the reality of
existence. Our body is made up of just cells and every cell burns out and new
ones are created and all information is instantly transferred and life goes on!
But for the cells where is the body? The cells are a bundle of energy, due to
chemical bonds.
Etymologically speaking, the term "Existence" is a paradoxical one, in the sense, that it
contains two components that are opposite to each other! It inheres in itself
the factor of 'Time' in the component
'tenc(s)e'- past, present, and future that do not exist for all
practical purposes since ‘time’ is fleeting eternally transitional, and has
neither a beginning, nor an end! Besides, it 'is' (present which always moves
itself backward to yesterdays, as well as, future as tomorrows and it is always
an 'Ex-' factor, (that means past).
While, the term 'Is' represents the present, now and here! Both are components
of time? Whatever is present just now becomes past in a matter of a second of
time! Every second of time is fleeting into oblivion with no trace left.
Morning flies off to give place to evening and the night follows day and, years
roll on...! This prompted an English poet to exclaim:
"Where
is the time to stand and stare?"
This beautiful word "Existence" is
exemplified in the Rk Veda, Mandala X - 'nasadiya
sukta'. It states: "In the Beginning, there was neither existence, nor
non-existence!" "It is and It is Not", says the sukta. The
God-given gift 'present' soon vanishes into oblivion, the past that never
comes! This is what is presented as the Wheel of Time" (kaal chakra Sudarshana). Bhagavan Shree
Krishna says, "I am Time" (kaalo'smi).
What all we normally experience as the world is just a memory since these exist
in time that is always fleeting! Jiddu Krishnamurti used to stress on this
point. He is used to say, "Discard all that is past, the memory; it is a
nauseating dead horse we carry on our back (in our sub-conscious mind)."
He used to ask "Why carry dead horse?" Nobody understood what he
meant by this! We all carry memories of not only the past from the day one of
birth, but the memories of past lives, as well, in our sub-conscious mind! We
are thus a sort of miserable creatures suffering due to these unwanted
burden"
9. Existence and
Non-Existence
Now coming back to our main issue of
"Existence", it may now be stated that, "Our existence is a
myth!" Time is a myth. Time does not
exist! This is the reason why we qualify everything with the words- 'in point
of time'. Everything is at a point of time? What is real or unreal is not
discernible when it is covered by the myth of 'time', kaal! We do not exist in
any point of time as such and such as a result of this 'fleeting time' that
brings changes with it! Childhood is soon past and the adolescent and the youth
presents itself and, that too, soon merges into old age and disappearance of
the jiva in a flash of time! Then where is 'life' left". All jivas are a
flash of the past memories and future hopes and aspirations, full of tension,
and that is our “ex is tenc(s)e”? After all, what is a span of a hundred years
of a jiva in a million years of
history of life, and a billion years of life of earth, so far? Is there any
meaning for all these?
The Embodied Soul (Jivatman): The jiva located on this planet earth, in any form for
that matter, is a mysterious one! The earth is supposed to be an ideal place
for living beings (jiva rashi) to be
alive for a short duration- breathe, eat and drink, and survive and propagate.
It is now clear from research findings in the fields of astronomy, physics,
chemistry, biology and genetics that a few fundamental particles like hydrogen,
carbon, oxygen (H + C + O), along with nitrogen, calcium, and other gaseous or
non-gaseous, metallic and non-metallic, elements go to make the entire living entity-
the biotic world. Even the universe consisting of the galaxies, stars, planets
and their satellites are mainly gaseous elements that later condensed into
gross solid, liquid, or semi-liquid gaseous objects. The subtler and subtler
invisible atoms only have become gross elements and compounds, Thus, the living
beings (jiva-rashi) and all that we
find here on earth are essentially atomic energy ( € ) that radiates in the
form of heat, light, electromagnetism, electricity, magnetism, and
gravitational force. Even the human mind, the thoughts, ideas, images,
imagination, dreams, aspirations, desire and will, as well as, resolve to act
on the desire and forces that promote actions, the air we breathe, the
life-force (prana), and consciousness
(chit/prajnya), etc are all functions
of this ‘quantum energy’ (derived from the Stars)!
However, evolution of life, especially the
human species is a slow process. It has just entered the third important level
of Mind, starting from just a simple life-force (prana) in biotic and animal kingdom! The fundamental principles are
just prana and annam, food to sustain it in the body, and ways and means of
finding food. The humans are endowed with intellect, mind and thought force (chitta vrutti), and creative energy and skill
to perform action (kriyashakti and kriyashilata). Basically, elements that
go to make life are the fundamental particles that are subtler subatomic
particles (as in a shooting Star), a meteorite that burnt out as it enters the
earth’s atmosphere, that radiate energy and light. This has prompted the scientists
to speculate whether the life force (prana) of the jiva has come from the
interstellar space, as also, other forms of life exist in space!
The four types of physical forces that
govern the universe are classified as: 1. Gravity, 2. Electromagnetism, 3.
Strong Nuclear Forces, and 4. Weak Nuclear Forces. The true nature and power of
Gravity are yet to be clearly understood. While the Strong Nuclear Forces binds
atomic nuclei. The Weak Nuclear Forces cause radioactive decay (like Uranium
becoming lead) and it also creates earthquakes and continental drift. Yet another important essential missing force
which acts as a catalyst, or that binds all these, is believed to be there, yet
to be discovered! Some scientists have identified a rare phenomenon and called
it as ‘chiral’ that enters in and falls out creating bonds and disbands! The
fermions transmit energy to bosons which turns into matter that is later
identified as neutrons, protons, electrons. This is the beginning of all
matter- metallic and non-metallic, organic and inorganic, living and
non-living, entities and enable the living beings to breathe, eat and drink,
hold on and survive and propagate.
It is the Gravitational Force that holds the
Universe together. It acts as an invisible powerful force that attracts every
ionic particle and holds the Universe intact. This has been described in the Rk
Veda in Madhu sukta.
The concept of ‘Space’ in scientific
literature is different from the one- Akasha that is used in Vedantic texts.
The term ‘space’ as used in science is a vast thin elastic matter (as well as
energy since it contains electric charges) But, Akasha as stated in Vedanta is
the very Subject brahmn- kham brahma
| that holds all! Akasha and brahmn are one and the same. Not only
that the Akasha is there far above,
but it is much deeper within! There is no place where this Akasha does not
exist. “Everything is Akasha, brahmn”.
Thus, there is Akasha within us, as well as, outside of us! These inner (antar) and the outer (bahir) Akasha are separated by the
physical component (body) like a pot; the space within and without the pot are
the same, but for the separation by an earthen wall; and, the inner and the
outer become one again when the earthen pot is broken. This is what is done symbolically
as ‘breaking the pot (during cremation of the dead body in our rituals).
Ancient scriptures give classification that
is not much different from the present-day scientific one. The language may be
different but the sum and substance are the same. Briefly, the scientific
method is one of experimentation, observation, generalization and universal
application. However, the findings are subject to further investigations and
change; nothing is certain. They have thus presented hypotheses, postulations,
theories of probability, etc. But, this is not the case with the scriptures
that are intuitional statements, each one personally experienced by the learned
ones through deep contemplation in transcendental meditation. These have been
pronounced as final! There is no further question about it. Thus we have the
opinions of the Spiritual scientists (vedantin) and the material
scientists (padartha vijnyani). The views of the great sages are in
aphorisms or cryptic verses, coded language with symbolism, imageries, and
esoteric verses, and these need be properly decoded with the help of learned
teachers; so also, the mathematical equations, formulae, and the theories of
great mathematicians and scientists! Thus, nothing is easy. The common man
remains ignorant and do not even bother to know about the spiritual aspects and
simply live on. So, the question of ‘what is it I am doing here’ remains
unanswered. The search goes on.
The Search: The search for ‘truth’
(‘sat’) is an endless one. In its true nature, this ‘sat’ always exists
without any change. It is eternal, immutable. All else found hare as phenomenal
objects are subject to change over time and as such, do not qualify for the ‘sat’. They come within the influence of
time, space and causality. There is enormous literature both in science and
philosophy regarding this. But the spiritual literature is scarce. Whatever
little we know from the spiritual texts give us a clear idea about the problems
and the answers to them in cryptic aphorisms, code words, signs and symbols, imageries
and formulae. Some of these are quite interesting. These are found in the
ahirbudhnya samhita, sattavata samhitas, Lakshmi tantra, Shaivagama shastra and
other 250 samhitas of pancharatra agama. Many scholarly works are available in
print.
What these spiritual texts simply state is
that “What we seek is our Self only, nothing but the Self”. The search ends
with the seeker knowing his true self. Here the seer and the seen become one.
What we seek outside is not permanent since all that is found outside of us is
subject to limitations of time, space and causality. What we seek is the
‘truth’ the intransient, permanent, that which is eternal. This, the ‘sat’,
Truth and “That’s it”-. “tat sat iti |
In the beginning, everything was ‘asat’ (Non-existence). Out of ‘asat’
(Non-existence) emerges ‘sat’
(Existence). This is the Vedic doctrine. How can existence come out of
non-existence is what the ordinary people normally ask since they cannot
understand the subtler aspects of creation. It is their ignorance that they ask
such questions since “Everything comes only out of nothing”. This does not mean
that there was nothing before something came out! Whatever was already there
only can come out. We cannot say things are not there just because we cannot
see them. What seems to be ‘nothing’
holds all things within, but in an invisible, subtler, finer form of potential
‘Energy’. ‘Everything is Energy’ is
the fundamental principle. What was unmanifest (‘avyakta’) in the beginning only becomes manifest (‘vyakta’). What is already inside only
must come out of it just whoever goes inside only comes out! Potential energy
or Energy that is in a dormant or equilibrium state, a static condition,
becomes kinetic, vibrant, creating different forms due to vibration at
different amplitude, intensity, frequencies, and wave lengths. All that we see
is nothing but forms, images, creation of our vibrant mind (chittavrutti). Thus, ‘brahmn’ is unmanifest, ‘avyakta’, from which everything manifest
as the multifarious objective phenomenal world, just like the rain and snow
precipitating out of clouds that appear in a clear blue sky!
The term ‘sat’ also means ‘Truth’; it also means light, consciousness,
energy, and everything! Hence, the learned sages simply said everything is ‘sat’, the brahmn. sarvam khaluvidam brahmaa | these terms – sat, chit, anand are of
highly esoteric nature and of great significance. A lot can be said about them.
In fact, the one ‘sat’ only has manifest
as the ‘chit’ (consciousness,
knowledge), and ananda (bliss); and,
the entire universe is thus, the ‘sat’
only. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “Om
tat sat iti” and concludes that everything is ‘That’, ‘that is it’!
Now, whatever is ‘sat’ (‘tyat’/‘That’) is
also the manifest phenomenal objective world-‘this’. This universe is the manifest form of the ‘sat’! Whatever is that eternal,
immortal, intransient only has come within limitations of time, space,
causality (cause and effect), and name, forms and functions. Duality such as
this and that ceases to exist when these limitations are overcome with the help
of ‘transcendental meditation, (samadhi yoga). When a person is ignorant of his
true self, he /she tends to think- “I am different from that, this, you, he,
she it, etc. Knowledge, truth, or reality dawns when this ignorance, avidya, knowledge covered by attachment,
ego, desire, etc. are removed. This is what Bhagavan Shree Krishna teaches us
through Arjuna. In Bhagavad-Gita, the Lord says, “Arjuna, you are full of
attachment, ego, desire and have forgotten your true self. Once you realize who
you are, ‘realize that you are none other than the unborn, eternal, immortal
sat, you become Me only. You and I are always one. But, the moment you get attached
to phenomenal objective world and begin to think of i, me, mine, etc you go
away from Me. You can always return to Me when you drop what all you have
acquired as the blemishes of the soul. This is the ‘Truth’.”
The Universe in Different Perspectives: The Universe is
like a mosaic seen through a kaleidoscope (triangular glass tube with one side
closed) which displays ever-changing, colourful objects, in varying forms (like
pieces of colorful glass bangles). So, each one of us get a different
perspective of this transient phenomenal world. Little do the living beings (jivarashi) ever realize the ‘truth’,
reality of this existence, until they get a divine vision?
The living beings revel in ignorance and
believe whatever is presented to them or they see as the illusory world. In
fact, it is not that the world is unreal, but its transient or ever changing
nature that makes it difficult to know. The scientists deal with matter and use
their mind, intelligence, and the senses to study matter. They invent new
methods and equipment such as the spectrometer, telescopes and microscope to
study things that are beyond the capacity of their sense organs.
Fermions
and bosons: The famous CERN experiment,
the OSIRIS-Rex experiment, and the observations made from the most powerful
telescopes set up so far, are such techniques adopted to study the subtler
matter invisible to the human eyes. so far. The results are still elusive! All
these are still a big question mark. The search goes on. In a world where Einstein’s relativity is true, space has three
dimensions, and there is quantum mechanics, all particles must be either
fermions (named after Italian physicist Enrico Fermi) or bosons (named after Indian
physicist Satyendranath Bose).
|
Fermions |
Half integral
spin |
Only one per
state |
Examples-
electrons, protons,
neutrons, quarks, neutrinos |
|
Bosons |
integral spin |
Many can occupy same state |
Examples:
photons, atoms, gluons |
This
statement is a mathematical theorem, in an observation from data. But data over the past
100 years seems to bear it out; every known particle in the Standard Model is
either a fermion, or a boson. An example of a boson is a photon.
“I regard consciousness as fundamental. I
regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind
consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as
existing or even postulating is consciousness.” [Max Planck, theoretical
physicist who originated quantum theory, which won him the Nobel Prize in
Physics in 1918].
There is another ground-breaking, weird
experiment that also has tremendous implications for understanding the nature
of our reality, more specifically, what we call “time.” Time on earth is closely associated with the rotation of the
earth, its mean velocity, and angle of inclination of the sun’s rays and the
particular latitude. Rest all a hypothetical question.
All fundamental particles in nature can be
divided into one of two categories, Fermions or Bosons. The table below
enumerates the differences. According to physicist Andrew Truscott, lead
researcher from a study published by the Australian
National University, the experiment suggests that “Reality does not exist unless we are looking at it.” It suggests
that we are living in a holographic-type of universe. Everything is vibration
of energy and the chemical bonds create this illusion.
What we see as “the objective phenomenal
world is an illusion”, says the Vedanta; and, now the Scientists, too, support
this with proof from their practical experiments!
Whatever
was already there only came out and went back! It is as simple as “Whoever is
inside the house only comes out and goes in”! What entered the ‘would-be
mother’s’ empty womb (as a sperm) only came out as an off-spring! Is there any
surprise? The magic lies in the ‘sperm’ (or the seed in the case of a tree). An
invisible, microscopic, potent living germ/seed only creates an off-spring or
sprouts, off the parent kind, a plant, animal, or a bird. Hence everything lies
in a dormant or invisible state and appears in a gross visible form, but only
for a limited span of life time only.
What molecular physics or cellular biology
says is no different from the above! The Vedic doctrine of ‘nothingness’ is
also the doctrine of molecular physics. It is an accepted convention in
molecular physics, which sees matter not as inert substance but as a dynamic
interplay of energy fields” [Jug Suriya: Juggling Act- “Real Illusion:
Incredible Rightness of Non-Being”. Sunday Magazine Feb. 26. 2017]. It is a Dutch physicist Hendrik Casimer who
postulated that even the emptiness of a vacuum
contained sub-atomic ‘events called virtual photons which appeared and
disappeared in and out of existence, a ceaseless dance between ‘being’ and
‘non-being’- not accessible direct . This is the active presence of absence. “Being and Nothingness” by the French
author Sartre vividly exemplifies the overwhelming “thereness of that which is not there”!
This state of ’I am’ and ‘I am not’ (‘it is’
and ‘it is not’, too) is not a strange situation. We find this in our everyday
life- at the time of interval between sleep and dream, entering in and out of
house, car, train, etc and in transcendental meditative state.
Now, everything is vibration. It is the
vibrant energy, a drama of chemical bonds and this include my grandparents who
appeared and disappeared in a brief span of a few decades in the time scale of
billion years of existence of solar system and earth’! Who am I, then?
Thus, what we call the sentient objects
that come within the ambit of time, space and causality are not real. This
creation, sustenance, and dissolution are nothing but a fleeting event, an
idea, ideation, image, imagination or dream created by a vibrant mind as energy
particles!
The
Primordial Matter (Sub-atomic Particles): The distinction between bosons and
fermions is basic. There are two possible kinds of things since these are invisible forces in creation of Matter
in the universe. The two types are known as "bosons" and
"fermions," and the dialectic between them describes all physical
form. The whole scheme of quantum field theory, for example, is that fermions interact
by exchanging bosons.
"The electrons belong to the class of
elementary particles called leptons. The leptons and quarks together constitute
the class called fermions, the anti-matter of which is majorana bosons, the
wonder particles or ‘God-particle’!
According to the Standard Model all mass
consists of fermions. Whether the fermions combine to form a table, a star, a
human body, a flower or do not combine at all depend on the elementary forces -
the electromagnetic, the gravitational, the weak and the strong forces.
According to the Standard Model all force is mediated by exchange of (gauge)
bosons. The electromagnetic force is mediated by exchange of photons, the
strong force by exchange of gluons while the weak force is mediated by exchange
of W and Z bosons." - Steen Ingerman.
In contrast to the scientific method, the
techniques adopted in yoga are numerous, most arduous, and the results are very
remarkable. Each one of the visionary saints, Rishis or drushtara has come out with an unmistakable intuitive knowledge, a
personal experience, a visual one, at that! In fact, all the different
approaches converge at the
Galileo once wrote: ‘I think that tastes,
odours, colours, and so on reside in consciousness.” No consciousness, no life,
as such! prajnyanan brahmaa |
“Everything is Consciousness” says Vedanta. Consciousness is all. Nothing
evades Consciousness. But what is Consciousness? It is yet an unresolved
problem for the western world, particularly to the scientists. But, it is not
so to the Indian saints. They have the ability to cognize both the creator and
the creation and can get a total perspective of ‘oneness’! It is the samyak prajnya, the highest level of pure state
of Conscious existence.
The world that humans see around them is
nothing more than a very convincing illusion, according to one of the world’s
leading cognitive scientists. In quantum mechanics and particle physics, spin
is an intrinsic form of angular momentum carried by elementary particles,
composite particles (hadrons), and atomic nuclei. Spin is one of two types of
angular momentum in quantum mechanics, the other being orbital angular
momentum.
The Scientific Perspective: The scientific
method developed over a long period of study of a particular discipline like,
astronomy, physics, chemistry or biology with a rigorous practical methodology.
Observatories and Laboratories have been set up for this purpose. A number of
scientists have devoted their whole life to study the mystery of this universe.
They have developed a particular perspective about the universe as a material
objective world, a cosmic entity. According
to NASA, the growth of the universe continued after inflation, but at a slower rate. As space expanded, the universe
cooled and matter formed. One second after the Big Bang, the universe was filled with neutrons, protons,
electrons, anti-electrons, photons and neutrinos. During the first three minutes of the
universe, the light elements were born during a process known as Big Bang nucleo-synthesis.
Temperatures cooled from 100 nonillion (1032) Kelvin to 1 billion
(109) Kelvin, and protons and neutrons collided to make deuterium,
an isotope of hydrogen. Most of the deuterium combined to make helium, and trace amounts of lithium were also generated. For the first 380,000 years or
so, the universe was essentially too hot for light to shine, according to
France's National
Roughly 380,000 years after the Big Bang,
matter cooled enough for atoms to form during the era of recombination,
resulting in a transparent, electrically neutral gas, according to NASA. This set loose
the initial flash of light created during the Big Bang, which is detectable
today as cosmic microwave background radiation. However, after this point, the
universe was plunged into darkness, since no stars or any other bright objects
had formed yet.
About 400 million years after the Big Bang,
the universe began to emerge from the cosmic dark ages during the epoch of reionization.
During this time, which lasted more than a half-billion years, clumps of gas
collapsed enough to form the first stars and galaxies, whose energetic
ultraviolet light ionized and destroyed most of the neutral hydrogen.
Although
the expansion of the universe gradually slowed down as the matter in the universe pulled on itself via
gravity, about 5 or 6 billion years after the
Big Bang, according to NASA, a mysterious
force now called dark energy began speeding up the expansion of the universe again,
a phenomenon that continues today.
A
little after 9 billion years after the Big Bang, our solar system was born. Although the expansion of the
universe gradually slowed down as the matter in the universe pulled on itself via
gravity, about 5 or 6 billion years after the Big
Bang, according to NASA, a mysterious
force now called dark energy began speeding up the expansion of
the universe again, a phenomenon that continues today. A little after 9 billion
years after the Big Bang, our solar system was born.
The ‘Big Bang’ and the ‘Expanding
Universe’: Einstein, Arthur Eddington and Stephen Hawking are banging our heads
about these concepts of ever static or expanding universe and the Big Bang. The
‘Big Bang’ did not occur as an explosion in the usual way one thinks about such
things, despite one might gather from its name. Einstein committed error in his
calculations regarding the nature of the universe. He did not realize that a
static universe may be possible only when there is no matter in it. The
universe did not expand into space, as space did not exist before the universe, according to NASA Instead, it is
better to think of the Big Bang as the simultaneous appearance of space everywhere in the universe. The universe has not expanded from any one spot since
the Big Bang- rather space itself has been stretching, and carrying matter with
it. This ever-expanding universe is making things, objects in space move
farther and farther from each other just as the earth, moon, sun and the stars.
Probably, the humans, too, are moving along with these in mind, thoughts,
ideas, understanding and conceptualizations, too! It is much faster today than
what it was 8 billion years ago. The universe is expanding 5 to 9 percent
faster than astronomers had thought, a new study suggests. The universe was
born with the Big Bang as an unimaginably hot, dense point. When the universe
was just 10-34 of a second or so old — that is, a hundredth of a
billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second in age — it experienced
an incredible burst of expansion known as inflation, in which space itself
expanded faster than the speed of light. During this period, the universe
doubled in size at least 90 times, going from subatomic-sized to
golf-ball-sized almost instantaneously.
The universe was born with the Big Bang as
an unimaginably hot, dense point. When the universe was just 10-34
of a second or so old — that is, a hundredth of a billionth of a trillionth of
a trillionth of a second in age — it experienced an incredible burst of
expansion known as inflation, in which space itself expanded faster than the
speed of light. During this period, the universe doubled in size at least 90
times, going from subatomic-sized to golf-ball-sized almost instantaneously.
The first star that appeared from the condensates of nuclear dust, stellar
particles, died soon due to loss of energy, but its radiation is still traced.
So also, many of the elements, compounds, and minerals that have disappeared
due to decomposition have left their traces. The trace elements are there for
us to see. These make our knowledge
appear very limited despite all the progress we have made.
The first star that appeared from the
condensates of nuclear dust, stellar particles, died soon due to loss of energy,
but its radiation is still traced. So also, many of the elements, compounds,
and minerals that have disappeared due to decomposition have left their traces.
The trace elements are there for us to see. These make our knowledge appear
very limited despite all the progress we have made.
The scientific perspective is very simple.
The scientists have gone deep into the structure and composition of the
universe, the stars, the planets, the satellites, the organic and inorganic
materials found on this earth and have come to the conclusion that all these
have a beginning in matter. This simple matter is the tiniest particle, the
atom. Some scientists studied the atom and presented theories like Dalton’s
atomic theory and, the latest in the series of experiments conducted is the
fundamental particle, the ‘God particle’. This is explained as the fermions and
bosons that constitute the primordial matter with and without energy and mass,
respectively. It is not our purpose to go into the technical details here.
However, here is a tiniest invisible matter that just vibrates as an energy
particle that goes to form innumerable elements and compounds. As is commonly
understood, Hydrogen is the basic material that constitutes the mass of Sun and
it produces Helium due to fission and fusion and radiates energy as
electromagnetic waves, quanta. These waves produce photons (light particles),
electromagnetism- electricity, magnetism and light. There are some unexplained
forces- some strong and some weak, that constitute the invisible aspects of our
solar system. All the elements and
compounds like water, air, rocks and minerals, have come from this. The most
prominent of these are Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Sulphur, Aluminum,
Magnesium, Calcium, and compounds such as hydrates, carbonates, calcites,
chlorides, sulphates, phosphates, etc. To put it in simple terms, just
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, Calcium and some minerals form the building blocks.
These go to make the essential ingredients such as carbohydrates, hydrocarbons,
calcium carbonates and bicarbonates, sodium chloride, potassium, etc. that
create and sustain lifeforms! But mere assemblages will not work!
All that is created by parts are always
subject to disintegration and collapse. When the elements and compounds get
separated as in the case of oxidation and reduction, or separate themselves
from their combined existence, there remains almost nothing! This is what is
called an ‘illusory existence’, in the sense, ‘what is made of parts give way
when the components are removed’. Actually, it is the condensation of amorphous
(gaseous) materials, subtle matter, that create the gross objects and, the
subsequent processes of combination or dissipation of the components, only to
reorganize themselves into a concrete structure that creates a visible world of
objects. Nothing happens if the process is interrupted. There is a catalyst
that carries out this operation. This invisible force runs all through creating
paraphernalia of the worldly objects. It is stated that “Energy cannot be
created or decimated. Even if visibility is blurred when the eyes are not
capable of seeing the objects clearly; or, for that matter, we cannot see the
objects when they become vaporous and dissipate in open space! What is the reality
then? Science has no answer. Now, science has also come to state that ‘a rock
is not a rock’, ‘solid is not solid’, and ‘liquid is not liquid’, but they all
have their subtler and sublime forms, too! That is the reality!
God did not create the Universe and the "Big Bang" was an inevitable
consequence of the laws of physics, the eminent British theoretical
physicist Stephen Hawking argues in a new book. In The Grand Design
(co-authored with U.S. physicist Leonard Mlodinow), Hawking says a new series of theories made a Creator of
the Universe redundant (Times-Newspaper, Extracts published on Thursdays).
"Because there is a law such as
gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous
creation is the reason that there is something rather than nothing, why the
Universe exists, why we exist,"
We have made tremendous progress in cosmology
in the last hundred years. The General Theory of Relativity and the discovery
of the expansion of the universe shattered the old picture of an ever existing
and everlasting universe. Instead, general relativity predicted that the
universe, and time itself, would begin in the big bang. It also predicted that
time would come to an end in black holes. The discovery of the cosmic microwave
background and observations of black holes support these conclusions. This is a
profound change in our picture of the universe and of reality itself. Thus,
general relativity on its own cannot answer the central question in cosmology:
Why is the universe the way it is? However, if general relativity is combined
with quantum theory it may be possible to predict how the universe would start.
It would initially expand at an ever-increasing rate.
“Einstein's General Theory of Relativity
unified time and space as space-time, but time was still different from space
and was like a corridor, which either had a beginning and end, or went on
forever. However, when one combines General Relativity with Quantum Theory, Jim
Hartle and I realized that time can behave like another direction in space
under extreme conditions.” This means one can get rid of the problem of time
having a beginning, in a similar way in which we got rid of the edge of the
world. If one believed that the universe
had a beginning, the obvious question was what happened before the beginning?
What was God doing before He made the world? Was He preparing Hell for people
who asked such questions? The problem of whether or not the universe had a
beginning was a great concern to the German philosopher, Immanuel Kant. He felt
there were logical contradictions, or antimonies, either way. If the universe
had a beginning, why did it wait an infinite time before it began? He called
that ’the thesis’. On the other hand, if the universe had existed for ever, why
did it take an infinite time to reach the present stage? He called that ‘the antitheses.
Both these thesis and the antithesis depended on Kant's assumption, along with
almost everyone else, that time was Absolute. That is to say, it went from the
infinite past to the infinite future, independently of any universe, that
might, or might not, exist, in this background. This is just an image, a
picture, in the mind of scientists today. But, the Vedic doctrines are clear
enough as to the ‘nature of the creation, its sustenance and dissolution’. The
Veda begins with the doctrine of ‘neither’-
this or that, here or there, ‘existence (sada)
or non-existence (asada). That means
‘nowhere’ and ‘nothing’, only later became ‘now and here’ (space and time), and
all things existed in ‘nothing; and
became manifest later! Thus, only Supreme Power (paramatman) existed in unmanifest state in the beginning! Agama
Shastra invoke a Deva Narayana in the form of embodiment of pure Consciousness
on the screen of which this entire universe moves as if a movie film! The
universe is His ‘Will’, chittavrutti, mentation, images created in His
own form! It is said, “God created man and man created God”. The sculptors cut
the images in the sandal wood, marble, shalagrama stone, or mould in liquid
metals of gold, silver, copper or five alloy metals (pancha loha). All these
are images carved out of imagination!
There is no doubt as to what the universe is
and who the God is! But, in science, everything is a hypothesis, theory,
postulation, and a probability, at the most. Even the visuals of images of
stars and galaxies, the distances calculated in mind-bogging ‘Light Years’ (1
LY- 186000 x 60 x 60 x 24 x 365.6 miles!) make no sense to ordinary people. The Sun is more massive and intrinsically
brighter than 95% of stars in our galaxy. The red dwarf stars — M-class stars —
which are no more than 40% the mass of our Sun, make up 3 out of every 4 stars that are out there. What’s more than that,
our Sun exists in isolation; it is not gravitationally bound to any other
stars. But that is not necessarily how stars exist in the galaxy, either.
The
universe is a vast infinite space which includes the earth and all the heavenly
bodies in the sky (akasha). Space, akasha, the sky contains galaxies,
stars, the Sun, Planets (their moons), asteroids and all that. In this sense of
the term, akasha is said to be brahmn-
kam brahmaa, Kham brahmaa | So also, the living beings made of all the five
elements including akasha is brahmn
The primordial matter is invisible, that
exists as an effect rather than a cause, and rather, the cause holds the effect
within it or cause and effect exist
together’ in the beginning! The effect becomes manifest (vyakta) while the cause remains unmanifest
(unmanifest)! This is the reason why
we search for the cause. The planet earth is formed out of the solar flares
that condensed gradually into gross earth and as such the hot gaseous matter of
the Solar flares (Helium caused by fission and fusion of Hydrogen). Today we
find the earth, while still hot and molten underneath is covered by Water 78 %
and Rocks- Sial (Si + al)
and
Sima (Si + mg) crust 21%. There is enormous heat within the earth and molten
material, along with gases, is emitted through vents, cracks, fissures, and
volcanoes even today. The interior of the earth is a hard Nickel and Iron (Ni +
Fe) core of very high density (of Max.12), and subject to fluctuations.
Magmatic material constitutes the outer core of the earth. The inner core and
outer core are separated by a shell that prevents any passage of seismic waves!
Origin of Life. The first image from a distant
of the biological life forms that emerged in a jar devoid of living substances
altogether. We know that the basic spiral of DNA has all of the basic
aspects of Fibonacci or golden mean.
That’s everywhere in nature, in the
The information stored in the trillion and
odd brain cells cannot be even imagined by mortals. A pin-head of a cell stores
the knowledge available in all the books of the world libraries
!
Each cell has an intricate structure that will be discussed in detail later.
The most important components of a cell are the amino acids, vitamins, enzymes,
protein cell membrane, the chromosomes and the genes, the DNA, RNA and the
like. The number of
Nerves
and Neurons (A trillion cells work in the brain and get heated up; however, it
can be cooled in ‘samadhi’ when it becomes just a molecule with full potency. The
number of chromosomes in a cell and that of genes in a Nervous System chromosome
normally determine the species. Each cell of the human body contains 46
chromosomes and the number of genes with genetic codes defines an individual
number of a species. The manner of grouping of nucleotides number goes up to
almost 200 000 pairs. These species belonging to higher species are defined by
the genetic code and the kind of proteins made by the chromosome and the
genetic codes, and RNA, with the help of the raw materials absorbed.
[Credit: Miss L. Williams]
The life energy remains responsible for the
genes to act all the time. The role of nerves and neurons in our body are akin
to the transport and communication network, and mostly wireless system! These
may be compared to the circuit system in a computer. The energy flow in the computer
and
the hardware decide the function depending on the software provided and the
function for which the computer is devised. Unlike a computer in which the
software works, the brain in the human system functions with an invisible
strong divine force of thoughts, desires, dreams, imagination, images and
resolves and use the brain as a CPU! The software is constantly devised to suit
the requirements of the jiva from the beginning to end and the source of the
energy supply here is a constant one.
Human perception of objects is a very
complex phenomenon and it depends on a number of extraneous factors that govern
the quality and appearance of the objects, as well as, the internal mechanism
of the senses and the brain as dictated by unknown factors such as mind,
desire, impressions and memories, dreams and aspirations, etc. In fact nothing
exists as long as the mind does not exercise its desire and focused attention
on the desired object. Here, the captive power, fascinating qualities of the
objects that attract the senses and the mind cannot be ignored. Brain, as a
machine that classifies and clarifies the objects, has different domains that
exercises visual stimulations. The brain waves, such as, the alpha, beta,
theta, and delta have different powers. The overall mental coordination and
learning are the functions of the alpha brain waves. The beta brain waves are
generated when there is alertness focused attention, interest in solving a
problem, or taking a decision. The theta
and delta brain waves are of low frequency and operate when the person is
asleep, or in deep meditation. The gamma brain waves are the highest frequency
brain waves capable of tackling several issues simultaneously and processing
information coming from different areas or parts of the brain. It is here we
find the perceptions, feelings, and word formations occur! There are
fluctuations in the brain waves that cause many serious problems like delirium,
autism, schizophrenia, and many neuropsychiatric disorders. There is need for
further detailed study in this field.
The stages in life from childhood,
adolescence, youth, and old age are the result of progressive diversification
of cells and increase or decrease in the number of proteins manufactured by the
system in response to the needs of the jiva. These are already encrypted in
genes and genetic codes in the cells. However, death, although caused by
degeneration of cells, cannot be explained, albeit, it can be inferred from the
genetic codes, but remains so far un-deceiphered. Death may happen anytime due
to any reason in addition to depletion and stoppage of production of protein.
The eukaryotes and higher forms still retain their secrets, particularly
regarding its death and extinction. Chromosomes will definitely stop producing
proteins one day or the other because its number is predetermined. Thus the
cells gradually die out and then come loss of memory, debility, dementia and
death. This energy-matter-energy dynamic will stop resulting natural death. It
is estimated that there are 86 billion neurons in a human brain and nervous
system. A trillion synapses in the human brain working as vibrant energy may
simply be converted into a molecule at zero Deg. temperature and, may further
be reduced to -236 K temperature to make the jiva work forever silently,
transcending time, space, and causality. Expert yogis have done it! Now, what
is it we are trying to gain out of this yogic trance? The answer is simple. It
has been the persistent search of the humans to unravel the mystery of creation
and know the ‘Truth’. This is not possible since the jiva has come within the
limitations set by the time, space and causality – together known as niyati,
maya. Hence the great sages have tried to transcend the limitation and
visualize the truth. Thus, we have the glimpse of what these visionaries have
personally experience or envisaged and documented in the scriptures. It is also
stated that anybody can experience this by rigorously undertaking yogic
practices as enshrined in the scriptures!
What is DNA? DNA is the genetic material. It is Friedrich
Meischer (1869) who extracted a new compound from cell nuclei and called it
‘nuclei’. It had a high phosphate content and was acidic; hence it was nucleic
acid (NA). During the 1920s PA Leverne worked on DNA chemistry and derived two
components of DNA. Thus we get the structure of the DNA. The Nucleotides (N)
contain base 5 C sugar (De oxiribose) + P O4 group- all four components
nucleitides occur in equal amounts grouped in 4s that are repeated over and
over again known as Thiamine (T), Cytosine (C), Adenine (A), and Guanine (G).
By the 1940s Biochemists found chromosomes to consist of half protein and half
DNA, one of them carrying information of hereditary characteristics.
The DNA is a
complex large molecule having the shape of a long chain, which is organized in
the form of a ladder or convoluted circle to form what is known as ‘chromosome’.
However, this DNA chain in chromosome is not a uniform assemblage of
nucleotides. The number of nucleotides range of 200 to two hundred thousand;
and they group together in
This mystery is slowly being solved now.
Human behaviour is attributed to partly acquired qualities from heredity,
genes, and partly from nature, environment that designs it to survive in the
most difficult and dangerous life-threatening situations. Survival is the first
principle and the jiva is prepared to face any situation and survive! Four kinds of sub-units of nucleitides that
differed only in Nitrogen containing base: i. Pyrimidines (I) ring structure;
ii. Thymine (T); and iii. Purines- double string structure; iv. Cytosine (C),
Adenine (A), and Guanine (G). Proteins composed of + 20 amino acids (more
likely to carry complex genetic information in codes) play significant role
here. Proteins in the nucleus serve as templates of cell proteins. All living
cells mostly manufacture proteins through enzymes. And, it is the DNA, not the
proteins that carry genetic codes through RNA
The
DNA Chain and the Cell
The RNA is single strand nucleic acid;
ribose sugar, instead of de oxiribose, uracil replaces Thiamine (T). RNA occurs
in both nuclei. It is a means of transcription, transfer information of DNA to
RNA synthesised in nucleus- messenger mRNA carries transcript of vRNA- code
translated into amino acid of polyptides of cytoplasm. Transfer RNA (tRNA)
means literally translating mRNA nuclides into a sequence of amino acids. The
sequence of ATT- CTC – GAG and a n a DNA template strand will produce the mRNA
coding UAA GACCUC RNA polymers untwist and unzip one cell of DNA at a time. The
nucleitides are added to the 3 i end of the group mRNA and the mRNA peels away
from DNA which coils up again. These functions are amazing!
Creation of life from a single sperm, the
seed, impregnated into an egg cell, is something that can never be understood,
despite the fact that there are laboratories where the sperms are sold for a
price and impregnated into wombs of borrowed hosts’ (women). There are other
methods of creating life=forms in laboratories, too. One can pick and choose a
sperm and pay for the duration of bearing a child in a rented womb! But, who
knows the outcome. There are demoniac forces created by these means and the
world is already seeing signs of total annihilation, the end of human race
through terrorism, strife, ill-will and wars.
The creation of a human life-form in the
womb of a woman is a mysterious one that transcends all scientific and
technological hypothesis, postulations, theories, assumptions and presumptions.
Despite the advancements made in the field of gynecology, it is still not clear
as to how one impregnated cell divides endlessly and creates tissues, liver,
spleen, kidney, heart, brain, and many other organs with specialized functions.
The scientists cannot answer the
questions what the Mind is or what is ego, or when these entered the humans.
Intelligence (buddhi) is supposed to be an ever-existing divine entity
and an inseparable part of the living beings. No body knows wat is Mind and
when does it enter the human body during the gestation period in an embryo. The
so called, antahkarana- the manas (Mind), buddhi (Intelligence), and
ahankar (Ego), along with the five fundamental Elements (pancha mahabhuta)
like the Space (akash), air (vayu), fire (agni), water (jal)
and the earth (prithivi) as food enter the jiva to dictate things as karmaphala
as a result of which the embedded jiva suffers in due course and seeks
redemption. One sperm entering the egg cell, impregnating, does all this
mischief! The structure and composition, intelligence and functioning of the
cell is amazing! There is energy, the vital force, ‘chaitanya’ and consciousness (chit)
running all through this jiva life run by these cells.
The most crucial aspect of life is the
energy factor. Normally, the living beings are supported by food as a source of
energy. But there are innumerable sources and, in fact, ultimately everything
is energy only! Creation itself is fire! Rk Veda amply makes it clear in the
Verse; agnimeelay purohitam… | Half
the energy is lost in the very birth of the star, the fires of creation. There
are evidences of the first star born when the universe was just 180 million
years old, according to Judd Bowman of Arizona University. The first rays of
radiant energy came from the first star when the universe was formed, as a
cloud of mass of stellar dust. Energy inherent in the potential of dark matter
that makes up 26.8 per cent (some say, almost three quarters of volume?) of the
universe by weight and can never be even imagined. The main constituents here are
hydrogen and helium. It is stated that hydrogen in empty space is prone to
radiate radio waves.
Thus, the principal source of all that
exist is the Cosmic Power Radiation. This cosmic power pervades all that is
transformed into matter. The Vedic doctrine here is: tat srushtva tadevaanupravishat | Meaning, “Having created,
Creator entered into it.” It is Chaitanya, chit-shakti, or Pure Consciousness
(shuddhaprajnya) and
Life-force (prana). Every atom of
whatever exists is endowed with Energy. Energy is Everything.
As regards the measurement of Energy, the
scientists have evolved methods and the simplest is the white light from the
sun (or an electric bulb) has an energy of 1 eV. When we look at the X-rays and
gamma rays, they have energies of about million times more! The masses of
electrons and protons are around 0.5 MeV. The particle may even reach 100 GeV
as in the Tevatron Accelerator in the Fermi lab. These rays come from particles
from all directions in space. The most interesting aspect of these cosmic
radiation is that they splash and spread out in myriads of tiny particles of
different air showers. The high energy particles can be detected only
indirectly through billions of secondary particles they produce in the
atmosphere. Now, our main concern here is that of the ‘Energy’ that not only sustains the jiva, but also, the one that
creates it! There are interesting studies where the measurements of time,
space, distance, and even the thoughts are measured and, the core of the
substance, called the Atman (Soul), could thereby be also measured. However, it
is also stated that, “There is no fixed point or distinct line of separation
between the particle, the soul, of the size of an atom surrounding time and
space continuum. In fact, all these soul, time, space and causality emanate
from the eternal ‘brahman’. Hence, none can predict the dimension or quanta and
qualia of the soul. It is one and remains the same forever, manifesting in multitudes
of forms, at will, The Sources of
Energy are many and varied. The primary force is the Sun for us, followed by
minerals, oil and Natural Gas, Coal and Charcoal, wood, etc. In fact,
everything is Fire, Agni. For human beings, the chief source of Energy
is food. Food is converted into energy by cells, mitochondria. Everything
is traced to space (akash), air, fire, water and earth are all energy in
different forms. The complex system of cells and their growth, cell division,
and cell multiplication, creation of tissues, organs, and the body functioning
as a physical unit can be somehow understood. But the abstract aspects of function
of mind, intelligence, ego conducting the
Anatomy and
Physiology of the Human Body
affairs of the jiva seems to be beyond our
comprehension.
The science of psychology has not even
touched the top layer of the skin of the brain, let alone reach to the depths or
the level of subconscious states! Where
do the thoughts and ideas, images and imagination, dreams and aspirations, etc.
come from? How do desires occur and
create images form in our mind and, by the way, where is the mind? What is
Mind? Mind (manas) is both energy and
matter. It is a product of food (annam),
a source of energy, besides the Soul that creates and supports the jiva. Mind
governs the life of man (the jiva). The Mind is akash (space) that is
everywhere and contains everything! Mind is bundle of creative energy and a
repository of all knowledge. There is nothing impossible for mind to construct,
create or command! The subtlest forms of mental waves are at the root of
creation! The phenomenal objective world is the product of thinking mind.
Hence, mind is the world. It is said: yadbhaavam
tad bhavati | meaning, “As one thinks, so it happens”!
The way the mind creates thoughts,
imagination, images, etc is very mysterious indeed! It is said that sensations
come from the images or forms what we see around us, from the sensory inputs to
our eye ball. Light rays hitting the retina, cells firing, chain of activity in
the neurons, flux of ions- all make us see the color of a rose! But till we
cannot understand the specific function of the cells involved in all
these. Sensations must have evolved in
perception for a specific biological function, but may not be the byproducts
neural activity. Only the advanced forms of life like the humans can have the
sense of awareness of the self, free will, etc. Man can not only see and smell
things, but also knows, is aware of, what he is seeing or smelling! Much of
this knowledge lies in spiritual development rather than physical development
of the jiva.
Only a spiritual understanding will enable us
to know the secret of how a huge tree is borne out of a small seed, or a large
living creature is created out of one single invisible sperm! What is the
secret of all this creation of the jiva further creating the marvels! There
cannot be any scientific explanation regarding the function of cells,
particularly how the same structure and composition of a cell is capable of
multiple tasks such as designing different forms of tissues and organs such as
kidney, heart, spleen, liver, or brain that perform varied and multifarious
functions. Initially, it is just a single cell (a sperm that impregnates the
egg cell)! In course of time this impregnated cell divides and multiplies, and
this process goes on and on endlessly, reviving, renewing, rejuvenating, and
finally die out, too. The intelligence involved in the functions of a cell is
astounding! The cells perform functions like processing, reconstruction,
maintenance of the body, cleansing, scavenging, etc. These are in a way,
nothing but chemical bonds and energy in action. Where does the knowledge come
from? What is Mind (manas) and
intelligence (buddhi)? Where is the
source of all these- prana, manas, buddhi
and ahankara? The jiva manifest in
different forms on earth can never be satisfactorily explained without invoking
and involving a superpower- Devi devata (Gods), not one, but many! There is
evidence that humans descended from some alien beings about 200,000 years ago
in Africa. The complexity and similarity of archaeological remains discovered
around the world suggests that our alien ancestors assisted directly with the
development of civilization worldwide. Sage Narada was an ambassador visiting
these countries. (See Rk Veda Samhita quoted by Sirdar Jwala Singh in his “The
Sphinx Speaks”). What we worship today as Devi devata are not some imaginary
stories in epics, but a reality. However, these have a much deeper significance
when narrated in epics since symbolism is involved, as in the mythological
literature. The story of evolution is of later times when compared to the
origin of the galaxies, stars, and the solar system. We get confused and
attribute everything to human existence that came billions of years later!
Hence, what we know is absolutely nothing compared to what the ancient sages
said. They say, “Everything already exist in Space (Akash)”! Everything manifests from akash, brahmn! Sarvam khaluvidam brahmn |
Even stranger is the fact that the
archaeological records show human skeletons and artefacts in fossil deposits
dated back to several hundreds of millions of years. The biodiversity of
species shows that large and relatively smaller numbers of species appeared 60
million years ago, and disappeared due to major cataclysms involving
earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods. The ancient human remains suggest that our
ancestors first existed elsewhere (pitru
loka)! It is also possible that evolution of life may have occurred first
on our mother planet.
This mystery of creation, the myth, like
many others, is answered in many aphorisms and suktas of the Veda. The
scriptures answer who we are, where did we come from and why, what is the
purpose of our existence, and other questions. Some are of the opinions that
the humans are of comparatively recent origin (as stated in the Bible), while
some feel that the human race is as old as the Sun and the Moon! Many
archeologists and historians feel that early civilizations were far advanced in
knowledge and technology. May be, ours is a fossil civilization revived,
rejuvenated, just reappearing like the sphinx and reviving, itself on memory!
The Bhagavad-Gita supports this view.
The primary assumption of Einstein’s
Special Relativity is that light approaches all observers at a constant
velocity regardless of the observer speeds or directions. To test this theory,
100 years ago, and many times since, scientists have compared the velocity of
light coming from the direction that the Earth orbits the Sun (30 km/second)
with the velocity of light coming from the opposite direction. While the speed
should be 30 km/sec faster in the direction of the orbit and 30 km/sec slower
in the opposite direction, they found that the speed only varied by about 8
km/sec and this difference was not in the direction of the Earth orbit. The
small speed difference in the wrong direction led scientists to assume they
were only seeing noise in the experiment apparatus, so they rounded the results
to zero km/sec and pronounced Einstein correct that light has only one speed
for observers with different velocities.
“Powerful EM waves (gamma rays) are indeed
created in nuclear reactions inside the Sun. But they never leave the Sun, they
are absorbed by outer layers and reemitted at lower energy, these lower energy
rays are again absorbed and reemitted... and so on, up to the surface of the
Sun. The surface has temperature of about 6000 K, so the waves that leave it
are mainly visible and ultraviolet radiations. And is this form the energy of
the Sun reaches the Earth. We know it for sure, because we have satellites
outside Earth's atmosphere that see that radiation.” [Jerzy Michał Pawlak, a Ph.D, in High Energy Physics
(exp)].
The universe is a big, big place. Bu, how
big is it? And, how do we know? The
globular cluster NGC 6397 contains around 400,000 stars and is located about
7,200 light years away in the southern constellation ‘Ara’. With an estimated
age of 13.5 billion years, it is likely among the first objects of the Galaxy
to form after the Big Bang. We can peep into the universe. It is time, not
space, which limits our view. Beyond a certain distance, light hasn't had time
to reach us yet.
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The nebula, Galaxies, Stars and the Sun with solar flares
[Credit: European Southern Observatory],
So how big is the
universe?
No one knows if the universe is infinitely large, or even if ours is the only
universe that exists. “Powerful EM waves
(gamma rays) are indeed created in nuclear reactions inside the Sun. But they
never leave the Sun, they are absorbed by outer layers and reemitted at lower
energy, these lower energy rays are again absorbed and reemitted... And so on,
up to the surface of the Sun. The surface has temperature of about 6000 K, so
the waves that leave it are mainly visible and ultraviolet radiations. And is
this form the energy of the Sun reaches the Earth. We know it for sure, because
we have satellites outside Earth's atmosphere that see that radiation.” [Jerzy Michał Pawlak, a Ph.D, in High Energy Physics
(exp)].
The Milky Way galaxy consisting of almost
seven hundred million stars is a huge city of stars, so big that it would take
100,000 years to travel across it even at the speed of light. All the stars in
the night sky, including our Sun, are just some of the residents of this
galaxy, along with millions of other stars too faint to be seen. The Hubble
Space Telescope has uncovered a strong new line of evidence that galaxies are
embedded in halos of dark matter.
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Our sun, the nearest star, is 93 million
miles (140 000 KM) away. That's why the sun, although a million times the size
of the Earth, looks so small. It would take the Space Shuttle seven months to travel
to reach there. [Credit: SOHO - ESA
& NASA]. When we leave the solar system, we find our star and its planets
are just one small part of the Milky Way galaxy. Beyond our own galaxy lies a
vast expanse of galaxies. The deeper we see into space, the more galaxies we
discover. There are billions of galaxies, the most distant of which are so far
away that the light arriving from them on Earth today set out from the galaxies
billions of years ago. Is there any wonder that life on Earth was brought
'here' from Akasha (Space)! The mystery over how life on Earth began may have
just been solved by a group of scientists. Accordingly, some 3.8 billion years
ago, existence on our planet sprung into action, but experts have been baffled
as to what caused life to begin after over half a billion years of ‘nothingness’.
The origin of the solar system is explained
in very simple terms. It is due to a “Low-mass supernova” that our solar system
formed about 4. 56 billion years ago triggered by a low- mass supernova. In the
early stages of creation, the star emanated from condensation of a cloud of gas
and stellar dust. May be, it was a binary star a component of which exploded to
give rise to the chunks of masses of planets, satellites, asteroids and
meteorites. The Sun will shed off all its energy in the next 5.44 billion years
and becomes a chunk of red ball. All these are ideas, speculations, theoretical
postulations, hypotheses, and probabilities, of course! Nothing is certain
despite billions of dollars spent on researches. But the ancient sages
visualized these in their transcendental meditative state, savikalpa samadhi, adopting the techniques of Patanjali ashtanga
yoga sutras. When the solar system was beginning to form 4.6 billion years ago,
ice grains floating around in space were hit by sunlight with the ensuing
reaction seeing sugar molecules beginning to form on the surface.
9. TOWARD A
UNIFIED THEORY
The
holistic view brings home the fact that everything is a part of the whole and
the part is no different from the whole.
However, it is also stated that, “that when nuclear reaction occur on
sun the powerful electromagnetic waves are generated. When these waves enter in
the region of our earth these waves strike with the atoms of gases and the
atoms are excited, activated to emit radiation in the form of light on
excitation.
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Material science deals with the phenomenal
objects. These materials are solid, liquid, gas, and semi-solid, or
semi-liquid. However, these do have their subtler and subtler, finer and finer
states that are not visible to the naked eye. One can go to the root of the
sub-atomic particles and reach the core of the substance. The scientists have
reached the ultimate state of the matter. These clouds of stellar dust, in an
unconsolidated vibrant state have been traced! These chunks of cloud of stellar
dust undergo condensation and form stars and galaxies. This state of matter in
a flux, a state of ‘ion’ in an unconsolidated state has to gain mass in order to
become ‘bosons’. It is extremely difficult to say how an ‘ion’ of unstable
nature, described as that ‘which exist’ and ‘does not exist’ becomes a matter
of any significant nature! It is here that we have to seek an extraneous
powerful agent, may be a God, or Ishvara, who acts as a catalyst. Hence, it is
surmised that there is spiritual power behind all material aspects.
Every minute detail of creation has been
worked out here. All living beings, the humans, animals and birds- as a living
beings, are essentially a product of food (annam), prana, manas, buddhi and
ahankara (ego). In fact, there is nothing that is not revealed as the secrets
of creation as well as the purpose of our life as human beings on this earth.
Bhagavan Shree Krishna has explained all these in detail. These statements of
Bhagavan are given in an accompanying small pocket book- “Decoding the
Bhagavad-Gita”. Everything is a sacrifice here. Each one is an interdependent
organism striving for liberation.
Only plants produce their own food and
provide food for others. The stages of evolution have been traced first to
plants and then to animals starting from fish in water, (aquatic), and frogs
(amphibian), birds (arboreal), reptiles, marsupials, primates and man. These
stages are classified into- Physical, Ethereal, Mental, and Spiritual
development. Each of these four states has its four sub-states in the same
order. Man is in the third stage of development, that of mind, that too, in its
initial stages. There is yet to evolve into higher and higher states using the
potentials and can reach up to the highest spiritual state of ‘brahmn’
(nothingness!). The second state of the ethereal (pranic) existence is not much
understood since it is partly invisible subtler forces spiritual and partly
material.
Sri Aurobindo gives a classification that
shows how every living being can attain the highest level of spiritual
development and attain God-hood. That is how the Hindu Devi and devata have
birds and animals as their vehicles. Swan is revered as the one associated with
the deity of knowledge Sarasvati and elephant with Lakshmi, tiger with Durga,
Garuda (Falcon) with Narayana, etc. Many of the deities (Gods) are having the
face of animals, and it is interesting how Ganapati got an elephant’s head and
Lord Narasimha got the lion’s and Hanuman came to be glorified as the servant
of Sri Rama. All these are depicted in Hindu mythology. However, it is so far
not clear how these have come into such prominence even in the age of science
and technology! Sri Aurobindo traces this development in a scientific way. His
theory of evolution is from physical, ethereal, mental to spiritual and at
every stage the same order of progress continues. Hence, even physical objects
are deified! The ethereal ones are really forces- subtler and invisible, but
essential for the function of the universe. The mental stage is the beginning
of the human race is in its initial physical state and it is yet to develop! Sri
Aurobindo has also given the four steps of evolution of a jiva from its
physical (form) primary pranic and ethereal levels to that of mental and
spiritual development over a very long period of eons! These are: Physical, Ethereal, Mental and Spiritual. Also,
it should be noted that at each of these stages, the development has to take
place step by step moving up the ladder from physical to spiritual, thereby
fulfilling the purpose of each stage of creation. This evolution process ends
with the highest level of spiritual-spiritual where matter becomes energy!
The Physical
or gross matter are rocks and minerals,
trees, plants, that evolve fully and reach the spiritual state and come to be worshiped
(deified?); Ethereal: Here again prana dominates supported by food obtained
from soil, directly or indirectly. The animals, birds and other living
creatures become evolved fully up to the spiritual level.
In the case of Mental development, the
living beings can develop mind and intellect to great heights and finally reach
the highest spiritual level. The animals live instinctively since the mind is
not developed and depend on the food. They cannot think and develop mental
ability or capabilities.
Even in the case of humans, the mental and spiritual
development is not easy. It is only possible over a long, very long period of
refinement. It needs a strict disciplined life of yoga. Men attain superficial
levels, but do not actually reach the true spiritual state in physical form.
All other supporting factors pf jiva will wither away at this stage. Man becomes
almost a non-existential state (physical and mental awareness ceases) at this
spiritual state.
The process of evolution is a slow process.
The mechanism is already provided in the form of chakras. These chakras can be
activated through pranayama to reach the highest Sahasrar level
from its basal plexus (muladhara prajnya). However, the humans work at
the hum lower three levels of muladhara, svadhishthana and the manipura
prajnya. They do not try to rise to anahata and onward to vishuddha,
ajnya and the sahasrar levels.
All of us live at the basic level of just
earning some food, eating, sleeping, and entertainment during the waking state,
jagrata avastha. All our efforts are focused toward self preservation,
just protecting the body with basic necessities. As the jiva realizes its true
nature in course of time, it takes to several techniques such as study of
scriptures, shravana, manana, nidhidhyasana and adopts the paths of karmayoga, bhaktiyoga, jnyanayoga,
dhyanayoga, nirasaktiyoga, etc.
Several alternative paths are provided learned yogis to help the interested
jiva to attain to its true nature and redeem itself from the cycle of rebirths.
The need for a learned teacher, a yogi is very essential in spiritual pursuits.
Here, in the Bhagavad-Gita, Bhagavan Shree Krishna comes as a Yogacharya and
guides us in the form Arjuna, a confused soul- full of attachment, desire,
anger and other qualities. Shree Krishna advises Arjuna to become a yogi, a
person of balanced mind, equanimous in joy in misery, profit and loss, and give up greed, avarice,
likes and dislikes (raga dveshsa vimukta)
and be established in the self, satisfied with the life has offered. Selfless
action (karma), devotion (bhakti), and knowledge (jnyana) are
essential as long as one lives and works. Meditation (dhyana) helps the jiva to be composed and act with wisdom. Yajnya, dana, tapas are advised in order
to get released from bondage. A person should acquire both material and
spiritual knowledge (material for survival and spiritual for liberation).
Ultimately, one should know that the goal of life is to release the embedded
soul from its elemental body and attain to its pristine pure spiritual state –
sat chit ananda.
The Rk Veda does not profess or adore any
iconic or idol worship and there are no Gods as such here. Worship of devi
devata have come as a later tradition in the Southern parts of India and they
follow agama shastra for this purpose. There are details of temple
architecture, sculpturing and installation of idols with due procedure.
However, idol worship is considered a lower method for those who cannot worship
the powers within! The Lord is seated within as the self of all. Hence one
should visualize and worship Him there. This needs an initiation and proper
guidance in yoga leading to samadhi. There is nothing wrong in using an idol
for concentration in the initial stages. But one should not stick to it
throughout life. One should develop dhyana, dharana and samadhi with mantra
japa, chakra dhyana, etc and try to be merged in Him as long as possible
whenever opportunities are given. Ashram life is prescribed for aged people for
this purpose.
Everything gets deified by slow evolution
attaining its full spiritual stature and become worshipful. The Sun is worshipful
as the source of our very existence; so also, the Moon, the air and fire, water
and earth are worshipful. The ancient sages and saints have prayed these
powerful elemental gods in many of the Rk Veda mantra. It is the devotion,
faith, and prayer that sustain us in this unpredictable world. This is how we
have even a small plant, animal, bird, and many spiritual people get the due
respect, become deified. Sri Ramachandra, the King of Ayodhya is deified and
worshiped by millions for his perfection! So also, Jesus Christ who is stated
to be embodiment of love towards humanity is deified. Now, the paradox still
remains as to transplantation, as it were, in the case of Narasimha or Ganapati
where animal heads are put on humans. This is the same with Sphinx in Egypt.
Here symbolism comes to our help. It is the keen sense of observation, power of
discrimination, intelligence, power and strength that are presented in the form
of lion or elephant! An elephant is shrewd enough not to harm and intelligent enough
to decide to whether to cross a weak wooden bridge! The Lion is a symbol of
power and it actually represents the Sun. Thus, one has to carefully understand
the underlying secret. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “I am the Self of all”.
Whatever see is the manifest forms of one supreme Lord. This is the underlying philosophy of
Hinduism. It is a global religion that treats all as one vast extended family!
We respect the divine order. We treat with respect all plants, animals and
birds due to the inherent divinity. It is not the outer form or the behaviour,
but the essential divine nature- sat-chit-ananda
svarupa.
Thus, the ‘One’- the abstract all-powerful
entity that exists in a subtler invisible potential dynamic state creates the
universe. The scientists have traced this to the primordial matter that is and
that is not, a virtual ion with energy, but without mass, however, transferring
mass to another ion. These are termed ‘fermions’ and ‘bosons’, respectively,
that ultimately create the paraphernalia of the transient world- of all
‘moving’ and the ‘non-moving’ (charaachara)
objects. This potential, equilibrium
state called brahmn. It is this ‘sat’,
from which ‘chit’ and ‘ananda’ emanate, manifest. This is what
the spiritual texts teach us. Also, they advise us to practice yoga to
visualize and experience this unmanifest brahmn since it is not possible to
explain it in any way, by words. The
Vedantic perspective of Creation is worth a careful study. The following gives
a brief note about these with illustrations. Srividya gives a clear idea about
the secret pf creation.
This is the aphorism
that explains what the Lagrangian string (spring like the DNA chain, but with a
point below and vast opening at the top end!) that explains how ‘the micro is a
continuum of the macro’! The sand, silt, clay and the boulder are the same;
salt or sugar dissolved in water gives every drop the taste of its quality. A
handful of sea water is as salty as that of the ocean. Once, the spark asked
the fire, “Who am I?” The Fire answered, “You are Me only.” But the spark said,
I am tiny and you are larger than me?” The Fire said, “You can do the same work
I am doing. That’s it.”
SHIVA-SHAKTI
Bindu* o Paramashiva- ‘sat’
SHIVA
‘cit’(ichhashakti) SHAKTI
(Kriyashakti)
[* Nada condensed into Bindu expands itself to form Trikona].
There are 33 333
devi devata and they are all within us as life-force, intelligence,
consciousness and energy running the affairs of the body from the day of
conception till the day of death or discarding the body by the jiva.
Every cell, every sub-atomic particle,
molecule or cell nerve and neuron is charged with chaitanya, the divine power
but for which the world will not function. The supreme Lord is seated in the
core of the substance and all the Devi devata serve Hm. This is eulogized in
the Veda. Thus,
it is clear how every atom, every cell, every minute particle is the
constituent part of this vast universe and performs the function in a unified
way. Atmaa eva brahmaa| meaning, the
core of the substance, ‘chaitanya’,
is the same in all. The Lord says, “I am
in every moving and non-moving things”. “I am the self of all” The
Vishnu Purana gives an account of creation. The story begins with the churning
of the Ocean. Here, the ‘Ocean’– ‘sudha
sindhu’ (the ‘Ocean of Consciousness’).
लक्ष्मः कौस्तुभ
पणरिजणतकसुिण धन्वन्तरिश्चन्द्रमणः। गणवः कणमदुहण सुिेश्विगजो िम्भणमद
देवणङ्गनणः।
अश्वः सप्तमुखो मवषं हरिधनुः
िङ् खोमृतं चणम्बुधेः। ित्नणनमह
चतुदणि प्रमतमदनं कु यणणत्सदण
मङ्गलम्।
Creation of the
Universe takes place nowhere else, but in the Mind. “The perceiver and the
perceived is one” is the principle. The Lord says, “I only exist and all else
are the manifest forms of my Supreme Self” (Bhagavad-Gita Ch. X. Vibhuti Yoga).
The supreme Lord is purna prajnya, pure Consciousness. Pure mind is pure
consciousness and everything is created by consciousness. Prajnyanam brahmaa | Hence, the world is the product of the mind
and the mind creates whatever it focus attention! Nothing is outside the
purview of Consciousness. Thus, our Mind is the repository of all that was,
that is, and that ever would be! The pure mind is the ocean of Consciousness.
The Mind has the power to create, sustain, and destroy! Thus, the pure Mind
that is pure Consciousness only is the supreme Lord purna prajnya Narayana. Narayana (prajnyadhara) is ‘journey’ of Life
(Eternal flow of Consciousness as Light, Intellect, Force and Energy) - the
expanding universe, and the manifest form of Narayana is ‘Eternal Flow of
Consciousness” Vishnu is the all-pervasive one!
Thus, all that started coming out from the
ocean during the churning (manthan), naming only a few symbolically, are:
Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune and Wealth -Vishnu's consort; Kaustubha- the
most valuable jewel in the world; Parijat- the divine flowering tree with
blossoms that never fade or wilt; Varuni- goddess and creator of happiness;
Dhanvantari- the doctor; Chandra- the moon; Kamadhenu- the wish-fulfilling Gau,
divine cow; Kalpavriksha- the wish-fulfilling tree; Airavata- the white
elephant of Indra; Apsaras- various divine nymphs (Fem. Symbolically presented)
like Rambha, Urvashi, Menaka, Punjikasthala, etc. Uchhaishravas- the 7-headed
white horse; Sharanga- the bow of Vishnu; Shankha- Vishnu's conch; and the
Amrita- the nectar of immortality. These should not be taken literally since
there is a lot of symbolism involved. Horse means speed, cow means light, and
moon means mind, bow means tool or instrument, nymph means illusion,
attraction, disillusionment, conch that stands for sound means creation,
etc While churning the ocean (of
Consciousness), the first thing to come out is Kalakuta or Halahala, a dreadful
poison. Everybody was frightened by its fierceness. This terrified the gods and
demons because the poison was so toxic that it might have destroyed all of
creation. On the advice of Vishnu, gods approached Shiva for help and
protection. On request of the gods, Shiva was pleased to drink that poison. The
black colour of the poison left a mark on Shiva's neck. Therefore Shiva was
named 'god with a black spot on the neck'. In other words, Lord Shiva got the
name Neelakantha because he drank the poison and saved the earth from getting
poisoned; however, Parvati prevented it from Gods and demons continued churning
the sea. Then arose a horse by name Uchhaishravas, Kalpavriksha having the
power to grant what is wished, Kamadhenu, and other celestial articles took
shape. When the sea continued to be churned the Apsaras damsels were born. The
moon also appeared from the ocean during the churning, the 'moon' (Chandrama) making it her brother
(daughter). Alakshmi, the goddess of misfortune, is Lakshmi's elder sister.
According to the Vishnu Purana, Lakshmi is the daughter of Bhrugu and Khyati
and resided in Swarga but due to the curse of Sage Durvasa, she left Swarga and
made Ksheer Sagar her home. Dhanvantari emerged from the sea. Dhanvantari is
the doctor of gods. She had a sacred pot in his hand. There was ambrosia in it.
Fierce fighting ensued between Devas and Asuras for the nectar. To protect the
nectar from Asuras, Devas hid the pot of nectar at four places on the earth
-Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. At each of these places, a
drop of the nectar spilled from the pot and it is believed that these places
acquired mystical power. A Kumbh Mela is celebrated at four places every twelve
years for this reason. However, the Asuras eventually got hold of the nectar
and started celebrating. Frightened, Devas (demigods) appealed to Vishnu, who
then appeared disguised as Mohini. As she was beautiful, the demons looked at
her in surprise. Mohini came near them and said: "Do not quarrel for
ambrosia. If you agree, I will myself serve ambrosia. You sit in two
rows." All agreed. The demons sat in one row and the gods in another. As a
beautiful and enchanting damsel, Mohini distracted the Asuras, took the amrita,
and distributed it among the Devas, who drank it. By sleight-of-hand Mohini
served intoxicating drinks to the demons and amrita to the gods. The demons who
were enamoured of her charm did not notice the trick played on them. The One
Asura, Rahu, disguised himself as a Deva and drank some nectar. Due to their
luminous nature, the sun god Surya and the moon god Chandra noticed the
switching of sides. They informed Mohini. But before the nectar could pass his
throat, Mohini cut off his head with her divine discus, the Sudarshana Chakra.
The head, due to its contact with the amrita, remained immortal. To gain
revenge on the sun and moon for exposing this, the immortal head occasionally
swallows the sun or the moon, causing eclipses. Then, the sun or moon passes
through the opening at the neck, ending the eclipse. Gods drank ambrosia and
became immortal. They became free from fear of death. The demons came to know
afterwards that they had been deceived. They started a war. The
Symbolism:
Devi Kaali Maa depicted in black, for example, is ‘Black Matter (Dark Energy)
and Lakshmi is Star- Light, Life, food, knowledge. Red Lotus- Pure
Consciousness; Elephant for Strength; Hand Postures (mudra) - Offer of protection (abhaya)
and grace (anugraha); Face- Beauty
and joy. Devi is Shakti- embodiment of Knowledge, Potency, Creative Power, and
Desire. [Source: Pancharatra Agama Shastra]. There is lot of symbolism in what
is shown and written in the Veda and Purana.
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The universe began with these creative
forces- Light-Intelligence-Force- Energy (LIFE), operated in the form of sound
waves, images and imaginations, desire, will, thoughts and ideas, colours,
alphabets, words to express the subtler forces like sub-atomic particles,
neutron, proton, electron and the gaseous elements, their compounds (inorganic
and organic) and a complex system of objective phenomenal world, including
plant life, aquatic and arboreal life, land animals, bipeds and quadrupeds that
includes the humans. Thus the term ‘Life’ includes everything!
As compared to the scientific view, the
Vedanta perspective gives a better picture of the universe we live in. The very
term ‘Vedanta’ means a holistic, more comprehensive view. This perspective is
like seeing things without an obstruction. It is seen not from the physical
senses, mind, intelligence or ego, but is visualized from a higher
consciousness (turiya prajnya) level
in a transcendental meditative state. The ancient Rishis had perfected this
approach and could visualize things, and as such, never raised any doubt. But
the scientists doubt their own observations and conclusions. There is an
account of this in the scriptures.
Once, the sages arrived in the Hall of God
of all Gods, devendra to know about
the secret of creation, the true nature of the universe, etc. Lord Indra asked
the sages whether they knew anything about creation and the nature of the
universe. All the sages kept quiet. The Indra asked them to go into deep
contemplation over the subject and come back after they find the answer. Some
went into deep, contemplation, dharana
and samadhi for nine months and some
for ten months; these sages later came to be known as navaghvas and dashaghvas,
respectively. When they all finally arrived, the same question was asked, but
no answer was forthcoming! Then the Lord concluded that these learned sages
might have found the answer but find it difficult to put in words what they
visualized! Thus, it is concluded, that the nature of the universe is such that
it is difficult to express it in words since it is the manifest form of once own self only, and, as such, not an other than the Self. If there are
two- the viewer and the viewed, the subject and the object, the perceiver and
the perceived, it may be possible to explain it. When the duality ceases to
exist in the state of contemplation, in dhyana, dharana, and samadhi there is
neither the viewer nor the viewed, only the unmanifest brahmn exists!
How can I see when I am in it? One can
clearly see an object only when seen from a great height outside of it! For
that matter, we are all within it (the creation and the Creator), as an integral,
inseparable part of it! Thus, it is concluded that all that is viewed as ‘another’ is just an illusion, a vibrant
form of energy! The scientists, too, have come to this conclusion today.
The Vedantic view, or the spiritual
perspective, is more abstract when compared to the material scientific one. The
spiritual forces are extremely subtle and difficult to understand, but can be
experienced at a certain level. This experience is limited to a few attained
souls who have strived for it and have succeeded. Such persons are called siddhi purusha. They may even
demonstrate these powers at times, but many are not interested in this show
business. What are these forces and how
do they operate? These forces are the same as described earlier in the scientific
method. But, these are not limited to just four or five enumerated as Gravity,
electromagnetism, atomic energy, strong and weak forces. These run into
thousands or millions and each one is addressed as a devi or devata, deity of a
particular force that perform certain function. There thirty three thousand
devi devatas who perform specific functions and these are
The humans, as a replica of God, are none
else but the manifest forms and in fact possess all the qualities of Him, but,
in a limited way. The human ingenuity and capacity to act is also unlimited,
but come within the lime, space and causality. The supreme Lord only manifests
as the tiniest of the tiny and function in a limited way. This will not reduce
the stature of the Lord in any way! A spark is as good as a fire. The Lord is
said to be Anoraniyan mahato mahiyan
| Like Zero, the smallest of the small and largest of the large. He, the Lord,
is the smaller than the smallest and larger than the largest! The great sages
have visualized the true nature of jiva as ‘a speck of stellar dust’, a
‘photon’ that constitutes the universe. However, it stands individualized,
unique and separate due to its acquired properties. Ultimately the embodied
jiva (manava) may discard all its
acquired qualities and become the divine being (deva-manava)!
‘Creation’ depicted in Scriptures: All that
emanated from the Consciousness, disturbance of the rajas, tamas and the sattva
gunas, and the churning of the Ocean (sagara manthan) is depicted in pictures
here. The evolution of life forms from the stage of fish (matsya Aquarian,),
turtle (kurma amphibian), boar (varaha) horse and lion (haya and simha as in hayavadana and Narasimha, respectively)
are all mystic! The Lord only appears in these physical forms (avatar)! The
world may appear or disappear anytime at His will! The scientists deduce
evolution from unicellular microorganisms evolving to multi-cellular and multi-
organ beings. These different levels or stages of development leading up to the
stages of manes, Devi devata, Rishis (tapo
janah), and divine status exist with or without physical body!
However, there is no need that the Lord
should sit and think or plan selectively, step by step different types of
living beings (jiva rashi) since He is not governed by any limitations of time,
space, and causality. There is no order or rule applicable to him. All these
limitations are for us, the mortals, only. Thus, the will of the Lord prevails.
He willed, the world appeared; so also, it may disappear at a wink of His! The
Bhagavad-Gita describes this aspect of creation and dissolution in greater detail.
He, the Lord only manifests in different forms and there exists nothing besides
Him. He is the self of all, it is declared in unmistakable terms.
All that we know as light, energy,
intelligence, creative power, the all-pervasive Consciousness, kaal (Time), strength, power and force
are given names of Devi devata. Initially, even a small rounded stone was
considered an icon, an image of Devi and the same tradition is still continued
in Vaishnodevi (Katra, J&K) and in Sharda temple across LOC Kashmir (See
images above). And, the Devi Lakshmi
symbolically stands for resources, wealth, power to create; and, Devi Durga,
Kali symbolize power to destroy the evil.
How we came to
worship Devi Devata in Temples
It is stated that the learned sages asked
the Lord as to the ways and means of attaining to Him. The Lord said that He is
already seated within the jiva and there is no need to worship Him! However,
one may take his/her own image and worship. This is the archira avatara of
Devata. The sculptors (shilpi) who
chisels out the forms of devi devata in different styles according to their
respective powers as shown in number of hands and tools held. These idols are chiseled
out in stones (Shalagrama or marble), sandal wood, metals like pancha loha, gold,
silver, etc maintain strict codes of conduct and prepare the idols only getting
instructions in dreams. There is also agama shastra that prescribe the methods
of construction of temples. Thus, the devi devata have come with numerous
hands, ornaments, armaments and mudra for purpose of ‘archana’. These are
archavatara. This will help in concentration and develop bhakti. Thus, we have
the temples for arcane, adoration. The
pictures of Devi devata (Gods and
Goddesses) shown in the scriptures are imaginative and symbolic. Like a map
that image shows details, every picture of a devi or devata depicts a volume
information in symbolic form regarding the powers (shakti), tools (astra), hand
gestures and symbols (hasta mudra) etc. of creation, protection and destruction;
this is the same as what the mathematicians and scientists express in formulae,
signs and symbols. The great sages and saints have expressed what they have
visualized in the form of aphorisms, formulae, codes and symbols like lotus,
trishul, wheel (Sudarshana chakra), mace, conch, etc. The mantra expressed in
sounds and words form the most powerful tool of protection. These esoteric
symbolisms are hard to decode. For example, the Sudarshana chakra in the hands
of Vishnu is the wheel of time (kaal chakra)
and it depicts creation as well as destruction. The conch is symbolic ‘sound’
that heralds creation. The White Lotus
flower on which Devi Lakshmi is seated is the seat of creation, ocean of
consciousness. Similarly, serpent or Nag on which Lord Vishnu is lying and or
Shiva bearing (on neck or head) stands for virility, potency, and all
pervasiveness. Similarly, there are the animals like cow, horse that stand for
light and speed, respectively. Every instrument in hands of Devi devata is
powerful tools of creation, sustenance, and dissolution. These symbols are
depicted as the forces operating in the universe. They speak volumes and
volumes about our existence. Shiva as normally shown in calendars depict the
moon for elixir of life, the Ganga (water) the life force and consciousness
descending from higher sources, and Ganapati, the elemental god made of soil,
food subject to transient nature.
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Thus, there is no
end to symbolism and depiction of characters in epics. One should be careful
while reading the scriptures. There are the gross and the subtle aspects in
each and every description and we fail to grasp the inner subtler esoteric or
secret meaning of these. The number of hands and the armaments in these hands
as shown below are symbolic and powerful in maintaining the universe, balancing
the positive and negative forces as described in the epics. What we call the
Devi devata, such as, Durga, Gayatri, and Parameshvari. Sarasvati, Ganga,
Surya, Shiva, Hanuman, Lakshmi, Vishnu, Narayana, Parvati, Ganapati, Kali, etc.
are the symbolic expressions of powers attributed to them by the devoted souls
that seek knowledge, redemption, mukti or moksha. These are in a way the
elemental gods, too, that are adored and worshiped in the various forms, giving
them a number of hands, armaments and decorating them with armaments.
These Devi-devatas are also associated with
many animals, birds, and plants and trees. Indeed all these are the manifest
powers of One Supreme Lord, Narayana. Shree Hari Narayana is often seen
surrounded by all Devi devata. The powers attributed to the lord are: Chit-shakti, jnyan-shakti, ichha shakti,
kriya-shakti, and kriyashilata. Ishvara is given the powers of srushti, sthiti,
samhruti, anugraha, and tirodhana. Devi Durga is seen seated on a tiger and
Mahalakshmi and Saraswati are shown as seated on Lotus with ‘Kalash’ and Veena
in hand, respectively. Symbolism is very
important here. Lotus and serpent are commonly used and it is difficult to know
why ‘Sudarshana’ is shown in the hand of Vishnu as ‘kaal-chakra’, the symbol of
all that is, that exists now and that are to come are hidden in the ‘Wheel of
Time’. What the Veda says about Creation is very simple. There is one single
all powerful Power or Force that runs through all that is created. There is a
Creator and all that is created is no different from the Creator. Hence it is
stated that ‘the Creator and the Creation are one’, so also, the perceiver and he perceived are one!
It may be of interest to know how of all
the creatures, Naga, a serpent, and a bird falcon (garuda) are associated with Shiva and Vishnu, respectively. In
fact, the bird falcon, garuda is the
enemy of serpent, naga! It is
difficult to understand the symbolism involved here. Serpent is the potency
aspect of creation and its pervasiveness as consciousness makes it associated
with Shiva, Vishnu, and Sudarshana narasimha. Similarly, Lotus represents creative
power and Pure Consciousness. The animals associated with Devi devata such as
bull, horse, and elephants represent strength, speed, force, etc. Abhaya mudra (Hand Postures) represents
offer of protection (abhaya). There
are tools like trishul, mace, sword,
wheel, rope, sugarcane, etc. the smiling face and beautiful eyes represent lots
of emotions, like compassion, beauty, and joy. Devi is embodiment of power
(Shakti), knowledge, and creative power and Desire. [Source: Pancharatra Agama Shastra]. It may
be even stranger that the deities, including those of the Veda and its
divisions (Vedanga), are shown to have face of animals! Rk Veda purusha is
shown with donkey face with rosary in hand. Yajurveda purusha has goat head
wearing rosary. Samaveda purusha has horse head holding rosary and pitcher in
hands. Atharvaveda purusha is having monkey face with garland of beads
(akshamala) and an earthen pot in hands.
“Shiva
is jiva”, says the Shaivagama shastra. I
and My Father in Heavens are ‘One’. is a wellknown Biblical statement.
Further, it is stated that, the son is ‘father of man’ since one only manifest
as such and such, and ‘no other than the Self’. Similarly, duality ends when
knowledge dawns. The observer (perceiver) and the observed (perceived object)
are one. The perceiver and the perceived are one. One only exists as the
manifest forms, everything. The underlying single thread running through the
fabric is not seen at first! This
principle of creation is put in simple phrases in all the scriptures. Thou art
that (“tat tvam asi”) is one such
statement where the teacher Aruni Uddalaka advises his student Shvetaketu to
realize the principle of ‘oneness’ (unity consciousness). Different Schools of
Thought have, however, interpreted these principles of oneness differently.
There are about two hundred and fifty Upanishads of which only 108 are
considered to be very important. These deal with yoga-shastra, mantra-shastra,
Atmavidya, brahmavidya, etc. These cover the entire spectrum of Knowledge concerning
creation, sustenance, development and dissolution. Some of these are the source
of our study here. Besides the Veda and the Upanishads, there are eighteen
epics (purana) and six darshana shastras (not exactly the
philosophical renderings), too, that depict the creation and other details. The Sankhya and the Yoga shastra depict the theoretical and the practical sides of the
study, respectively. The learned one, a jnyani (Sankhyan), enumerate Twenty-five Principles (srushti tattva) whereas the Shaiva Agama Shastra depict more than
Thirty-five Principles regarding Creation (srushti
tattva) excluding the One that manifests in all. Shiva manifests the five
principles- srushti, sthiti, laya, tirodhana and anugraha. Shiva only appears
as jiva. Mantra, yantra, and tantra
of the Agama shastra are just like the modern scientist’s theories, hypotheses,
postulations, equations or formulae shown by signs and symbols. What is tantra
is technique and the mantra are aphorisms. The language is different but the substance
is the same. The subject becomes more abstract when we leave the domain of
gross substances and enter the realms of ‘spirit’. These are in the form of
silence, sound, waves and vibrations. Light plays a dominant role in all these.
Geomagnetism, gravity and electromagnetic fields are yet to be explored! So
also, the function of our nerves and neurons, the unseen chakra and pranic
forces operating in our body need further detailed study.
Shiva, Parvati and Ganapati are symbolic of
our own existence as gross body (Ganesha) in the Mother’s womb (Earth) with
Father (Shiva) possessing ‘Knowledge’ (Ganga), ‘amrut’ (elixir /soma or chandra), and potency, virility (serpent/naga)! Vishnu holds all! Since abstract things cannot be grasped by
ordinary people, the symbolic forms are used in the scriptures. Only the serious
readers will go deep into these studies and get a clear idea, but other misunderstand
all these! In fact all our epics have been misinterpreted by Western scholars
and our learned scholars, too, commit the same mistakes copying them! The term
‘God’ (Eng.) is not to be used in the Indian context. The term ‘devi’ and
‘devata’ are used to express the spiritual powers and forces (shakti). The term ‘deva’ means that
which ‘lifts’ (da), which helps us to
rise, say, from ignorance, poverty, misery, and obstacles that prevent our
progress. These devata are given a form- male or female, like Ganesha, Lakshmi
or Saraswati with powers credited to each of these, as also, the number of
hands and mudra (sign) showing abhaya
(assurance of support, ‘varada’ (benevolence, grace), adored with ornaments and
armaments, such as, trishul, lotus flower, chakra (wheel), mace (rod), etc.
indicating the powers and tools of the deity. Shiva in the form of Lingam with a small pot of water over
head is very significant in that “He, the Lord, is the symbol of ‘nuclear’/
thermodynamic reactor” that needs to be constantly kept cool. He, Ishvara, is
the supreme Lord of the Universe sustaining it with ‘Energy’!
Energy is indestructible, unborn, eternal,
and ever self-effulgent. This ‘energy’ concept is very important in running the
universe. The Sun, at the centre of the solar system, is the chief source
sustaining power of all that exits on earth as living beings. The Rk Veda has a
number of sukta for Agni. Agni is surya, soma and anala (fire/agni). He, the
supreme Lord, exists in all living and nonliving, moving and non-moving,
objects as ‘chaitanya’, ‘prana’ (Life-force), and ‘prajnya’ (Consciousness). There is no
existence without this energy and, energy is neither created nor destroyed.
Hence Atman, an energy particle, is also unborn, and eternal.
THE
MEANING AND PURPOSE OF LIFE: What is the meaning and purpose of life? The answer
is given in the Bhagavad-Gita. The secrets of creation, maintenance, and
destruction, as well as, the plight of the jiva and its salvation, etc are
revealed by the Lord in every detail. “Decoding the Bhagavad-Gita” by the same
author explains these. However, we will conclude this short discourse with a
few concluding remarks on goal of life. It is for the seeker, to visualize Him,
the Lord, and merge in Him. This is the only purpose of life! Otherwise, it is
just a simple waste of another human life, the gift of the Lord! There is no
meaning to this life if one lives as an animal eating and sleeping! Most of us
struggle hard to make a living and rest of the time engaged in
entertainment. But, there is a lot of
meaning for a person who seeks and finds it. It is the purpose of life to
realize how the jiva arrived on earth, got embedded in an elemental body. It
entered the earth as a particle of light, a photon, full of energy, force,
intelligence, a life force (prana), and became a living being. It entered into
an elemental world of space, air, fire, water, soil and food to become what it
is- a prani. It started its journey
with the radiant energy, rays of light from a star! It is nothing but a
particle of light that has its source in a distant star (See birth chart, say
for instance, Punarvasu in Karka Rashi). It (energy particle) has entered the
earth’s atmosphere riding the rays of the Sun and journeyed down to earth’s
surface and got enmeshed, embodied, into an organic form of life. The
possibility may be that it is still dormant as energy in inorganic substances,
too. It may be anything from a
radio-active element like Uranium turned into lead, or anything like Calcite or
Alumina into bauxite and aluminum, or just an ore of a mineral like iron
waiting for refinement into steel, or like petroleum and natural gas to run a
vehicle or produce more usable form of energy to run machines. So nothing is a
waste! A human form endowed with intelligence is capable of much more. The
highest one can achieve in life is a world-wide acclamation or a scroll of paper
and some money as a Nobel Laureate, but to discover the person (purusha), larger than the Self (paramatman) who is seated within and
running the affairs of life! It is to discover the person who is seated within incognito, breathing, pulsating,
thinking and working constantly as a driving force. When this highest truth (param satya) is discovered the jiva
becomes totally free from all bondage, attachments, ego, greed, selfishness,
and becomes a divine being. This is attainment to the ‘Self’, fulfillment of
life. Such persons are said to be immortal since they are devoid of all name
and form, affixes and prefixes. The yoga teachers advise people to take to yoga
to maintain good health. But nobody tells why all these good health and good life
are meant for. The Lord says, “See Me, hear Me, Arjuna. I am telling the utmost
secret of life. Give up everything and take to my advice, merge in Me. You will
enjoy utmost bliss and happiness that cannot be compared to anything on earth|”
Pashya me… (Gita).
Brahmn:
“Verily, there are two forms of Brahman: gross and subtle, mortal and immortal,
limited and unlimited, definite and indefinite. The gross form is that which is
other than air and akasha. It is mortal, limited and definite. The essence of
that which is gross, which is mortal, which is limited, and which is definite,
is the sun that shines, for it (the sun) is the essence of the three elements.
Now the subtle: It is air and akasha. It is immortal, it is unlimited and it is
indefinite. The essence of that which is subtle, which is immortal, which is
unlimited and which is indefinite is the Person (Purusha) in the solar orb, for
that Person is the essence of the two elements. This is with reference to the
God as described in Purusha Sukta Mandala X, Rk Veda.
Atman
(Soul): This is the core of the
substance, an inexplicable abstract entity that can neither be said as ‘is’ or
‘is not’, but nothing can exist without it. The most surprising thing about ‘Atman’ is that it can enter in and out
of the body. It creates a jiva, or may be, the jiva becomes a Jivatman when the
Atman enters a body. However, it is not clear what this Atman is! It is said to be all-knowing (omniscient), all-powerful
(omnipotent), omnipresent and clairvoyant. It is ‘Energy’, that is unborn,
eternal, immortal and immutable. It is the Light. It can never be found since
it is hidden in cell, envelopes (kosha) of food, prana, manas, buddhi,
ahankara, indriya vishaya asakti, sensualities!! It is created by a higher
power called Param-Atman.
Param-Atman:
There is a supreme power that is behind the vibrant universe and the vibration
is caused by a power called param Atman, very dear source of all power. This
power is inexplicable, found nowhere, but exists everywhere! There is no ‘existence’
whatsoever without this support! Whether such a power exists or not is itself a
mystery and everybody wants to know for it is very dear to everybody. This
mystery will never be solved for the simple reason that it is not different
from the one who is searching for it. It is that which surrounds everything,
enters into the core of the substance as its Atman. This led the great sages to
search for it, visualize it in their transcendental meditative state, and come
to the conclusion- Atma eva brahmn.
The Parama Atman is the one that is individualized as the Jivatman of all. Thus, there should be no doubt as to who is this
supreme Lord Paramatman and the Jivatman, but for whom we do not exist! Atman
can be there without jiva. Many surgeons conducting operation on patients under
general anesthesia have heard the patient saying that their soul left the body
and witnessed the operation! The soul does exist and it can go out and get into
the body. Many yogis can leave the body, go out, and come back! This aspect is
supported by Sri Shankaracharya. Since the soul occupies a body a person can
enter any other body; it is called parakaya
pravesha. The soul of dead persons can search a suitable body and enter it.
As such, they are called antara pishachi
if it is wandering in search. The moment it finds a suitable body, it enters
and begins to act in order to fulfil its unfulfilled desires in its previous
body state. Only a weak mind entertains, but a strong mind will not entertain
its game plans and it will not be successful. Most of the souls (Atman) will
take a body soon after it leaves its old and worn out body (death). This is
clarified by the Lord in the Gita, and He cautions, there is every possibility
of a human being taking birth as a cat, a dog, or a pig if the human form now
is not used for emancipation, mukti, once and for all!
From the super-soul (paramatman) emanates particles of ‘soul’ (jivatman) and all other paraphernalia such as knowledge (jnyan),
light, intelligence, and creative energy. This light of the soul (Atman) sheds knowledge, intelligence,
and awareness (prajnya), and this
conscious awareness (sthiti-prajnya)
sheds its light on the Intellect (buddhi).
However, the vibrant mind (manovritti
or chanchala chitta) fails to turn to
intellect (buddhi) due to ego (ahankar) filled in it and, thereby,
loses track of a more meaningful and purposeful life. Thus, man goes astray!
Gita exemplifies this aspect.
Consciousness:
here again, nobody knows what is this consciousness. It is a con, a trick, played
by ‘chit’, knowledge, on us! It is capable of shedding light outside as well as
inside. When it looks inward it brings Shiva, the Self, to our awareness,
buddhi. When it turns outwards it brings the objective phenomenal world to our
awareness. Thus it is the one that governs our lives both ways! It is said, “Everything is Consciousness”. Brahmn
is chit. “Prajnyanam brahma”. It
is difficult to know it(prajnya)
since it is the one that knows all! A person is conscious of his self, his
surroundings, and thereby operates. ‘Knowing one’s self’ is however a very
difficult task and it require practice in yoga. One can see himself in yogic
trance. The conscious awareness is what makes a person work on at hand. There
is also possibility of working on jobs without awareness. Unconscious persons
are there and they are the cause of destruction, rather that construction.
Hence everybody is called up on to work conscientiously, with full awareness of
pros and cons. Consciousness makes one reach the highest level of ‘oneness’
where there will be totality- samyak-prajnya.
A person consciously aware of his Self is said to be a yogi. Such a yogi has
transcended time, space and causality.
Time
and Space: What makes this world a myth, an illusory one (jagat mythya), is the limitations set by time and space. Einstein
has clarified certain points in his theory of ‘Relativity’. Time and space
continuum is an abstract principle. We all exist in it! We all know that a
person who travels at a speed of 100 Km. per hour, can reach a place 100 Km
away in one hour. If the speed is increased to 600 Km per hour one can reach
much earlier by 1/6th. If the travel time is increased to the speed of sound,
light, and mind, the very concept of time, as on earth, ceases to exist! Time
is set by vibration of mind (chitta vrutti) and the time stops if the mind
stops (its vibration mode). Thus, one can overcome the limitation set by time
and space in samadhi, yogic trance, by travelling faster and faster! Mind can
travel faster than Light and sound. One can travel beyond the Universe in a
matter of few seconds, or even instantly, and visualize for oneself the true
nature of existence in yogic trance. There is no wonder if the yogins have
given us their experience in short aphorisms in Brahmasutras and the Upanishads
about all these!
Causality
(karya-karana): Normally cause and
effect are considered two different aspects. But the reality is that ‘effect’
lies in the cause itself. Karma is induced by desire and the jiva performs
action which brings in its wake the fruits of action as karmaphala. This cause
(desire) and effect (karmaphala) binds the jiva to earthly existence and
repeated births and deaths, suffering and misery. Karma or action has its vidhi, destiny, or fate as they call it!
Nobody can keep quiet. So everybody is indulging in action that begets more
actions. Life is action (karma) and
repeated births are due to karma that
begets more karma (fruits of action
as the seed for next births). The solution lies in samyama and practice of
ashtanga yoga under a trained teacher. The Bhagavad-Gita deals with these in
detail.
Chit
or Consciousness is everything: “Everything is ‘Energy’, chaitanya or chit-shakti.” There exist ‘Energy’
in all that exists and. All that exist are the manifest forms, such as, Force,
Light, and Intelligence, etc. Behind all these creation there is a single
supreme power ‘Almighty’ called ‘Narayana’,
meaning, ‘Eternal Flow’ of chit, Consciousness- An undifferentiated energy.
This ‘chit’ inheres everything- ‘that
is, was, and ever will be’. This ‘chit’, consciousness, is ‘Existence’
in all times! It is thus clear that a bit of this exists in all jivas, too. Now, it is certain that the
same person who uses the entire brain gets a holistic view, total perspective,
and becomes a ‘Vedantin’. However,
whoever uses the left hemisphere or the right hemisphere of brain becomes a
particular faculty of knowledge- scientist or a yogin, respectively! Thus, we
get different perspectives of the same reality by different seekers such as the
spiritualists or the yogins and the scientists like the physicists, the
astronomers, and the like. All these different views are essential in order to
know ‘who we are’ and get a clear view about ‘the world we live in’.
We have traced briefly a short history of
the universe almost from its state of ‘nothingness’
to all that we see as the paraphernalia
of phenomenal objective world. This is, in a way, also the journey of the
jiva from its infinitesimal ionic state to the existing varied forms. The
central theme, however, is the nature of the jiva, its embodiment in an earthen elemental form and ultimately its cry for
redemption. Desire is said to be the cause of embodiment; no desire, no life is
the principle. The various techniques that promise redemption of the jiva, such
as, scriptural studies and practice of yoga, the rituals, customs and
traditions, etc have also been briefly touched upon. Bhakti, jnyana and
vairagya and yajnya, daana, and tapas are the paths to liberation of the
embodied or embedded soul according to the Bhagavad-Gita. Finally, it is
surmised that the ultimate goal of all earthlings is to find their own ways and
means of redemption and, to this effect meditation has been cited as a very
useful technique. The importance of a guide, a guru, is also stressed here. Guru is one whom we choose or the Lord
sends when we ardently cry for it and he comes at the appropriate time as
ordained by the Lord. There is a switch board and a switch operator. Our going to
a Guru is to get connected to the higher spirit. When we surrender all that we
have acquired to the guru, who is like a ‘yajnya
kunda’, burning pot of fire, and we offer our self (ego) to become totally
fit for entering Him ‘as a speck of spark’ falling into the flames. Guru is
ordained to come to us just as we also are ordained to seek him. It is like a
wireman coming to connect the switch board of our house to the electric pole
and give connection for flow of electricity in our house as directed by the
higher authorities of the electricity department.. We go to a guru not to learn
anything for he will not teach us anything! It is to surrender our ego and what
all we have acquired and get liberated from the bondage, sansar, that we seek a
guru and do sadhana under his directions. However, it is not easy for a common
man to surrender his ego so easily. It is also difficult to understand the
subtler aspects of spiritual development.
A scientific background to the development
of the modern world is given here in order to show that it is based on the
spiritual and extraneous factors before this visible world attained its gross
state. All that we see here is just a vibration of energy and subject to
limitations of time, space and causality. At his best, a person is just a
faculty, a narrow branch of knowledge, that to for a short period of his life.
He is neither, this nor that, during his/her childhood and old age, and nobody
will ever realize this truth. This knowledge of relative existence in a transient
world will never redeem the jiva! The jiva has to transcend all acquired
qualities (guna), limitations set by time, space, and causality with the help
of yoga.
This is the first ever attempt to bring in
both science and spirituality, a single body of knowledge as a continuum; it
requires ‘unity consciousness’, samyak-prajnya, to understand this
approach. Normally, we fail to get the holistic view since we are bound to
deduce, dissect, and discrete, as well as, think and understand higher
knowledge leading to ultimate reality, brahmn.
The numerous philosophies, that now
exist, such as the dvaita, dvataadvaita,
vishishtaadvaita, advaita, bhedaabheda,
Jainism, Buddhism, or even
Christianity and Islam are the result of more a confusion and misunderstanding
than a clear understanding of the ‘ultimate principle’ and the goal of life.
The goal of life is just to get out of the clutches of maya, meaning, time, space and causality. It is this limitation
enforced by nature on the jiva is responsible for all sufferings. The soul,
Atman craves for release from the bondage of repeated embodiments. This release
is possible only through an intense of practice of yoga. ‘Enlightenment’ is
attained through meditation. It is the only path of liberation and the
different schools of philosophical thought are just the preliminary steps
towards a preliminary understanding. These will not lead to spiritual
development and emancipation of the jiva. That is the reason why we see only
one Lord Shree Ram, or one Bhagavan Shree Krishna, and the one enlightened
‘Buddha’ over a long period of several Millennia! In fact, philosophy (phyllo Sophia) is just love of words! Nothing can be gained by mere
thinking or talking, nor even by eulogizing somebody or something! The answer
lies in sadhana, meditation.
In conclusion, a proper perspective of our
existence, that too, for a span of a few decades, less than a 100 years, at the
most, is necessary. This perspective is not forthcoming without proper guidance
from an enlightened person, a Guru. A Guru is in fact a fire pot, ‘agni kunda’, where the jiva offers as ahuti, surrenders its ego, desires, and
all the blemishes acquired since birth. When the jiva attains purity of the highest order, it becomes Shiva! The jiva is equipped with
intelligence and knowledge as also the necessary organs to attain to the
highest purity, a state of pure consciousness. Consciousness is limited at the
level of the Jiva and unlimited at the highest level of Shiva. The limitations
accrue as a result of desire, want, ego, and several qualities that come from
the consumption of food and drinks. There are many an extraneous factors that
govern the jiva and make it suffer. The jiva attains liberation, mukti, when it realizes its true state
of sat chit and ananda.
Let’s have a Bird’s Eye-view of the entire
concept of- “I Am the Universe”, i.e., aham brahmasmi | Here,
the basic principle is ‘Oneness’. The
entire universe is to be taken as a whole- unity.
The clouds of gaseous matter spread out space, the tiny clusters of Light that
consist of millions of stars in globules, galaxies, or such other patches of
Light amidst vast stretches of darkness in space, the stars of different
magnitude, dimensions, qualities and character, the planets created by some
stars and the living beings found on some planets- all should be viewed in one
entity. One cannot isolate the jivas, the jivatman and the paramatman, the star
and the galaxy! When a scientist views the universe through a very
sophisticated telescope or a Vedantin visualizes in his transcendental state,
the truth must be the same. What the ordinary people cannot understand the
subtler aspects discovered by the scientists or the Vedantins. The Light and
its wide spectrum has not yet been analyzed fully and we know only a bit of it
as the alpha and the beta; so also, the alphabets and the words and the world
they create! There are many a thousands of unpublished scriptures that hold the
secret of creation! The scientists, too, are going into the deeper mysteries of
the cells. Nothing is certain at this point of time. However, the human
intelligence knows no bounds! The future holds the key.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it may be said that what
all we see, hear, touch, feel and experience is the function of our own
instruments, such as, the indriya, manas, buddhi and ahankara. The process of
creation is explained in detail and the scientists as well as the Vedantins
have now come to the same conclusion that the universe is One inseparable vast
ocean of chit, Consciousness. Everything manifests from ‘That’ (tyat) which cannot be defined, hence
called ‘brahmn’. Brahman is what
manifests, express itself, or exists in many and diversified phenomenal
objective universe. It is thus stated as: sarvam
khaluvidam brahmaa |
There is a subtler-most invisible state of
existence called ‘sat’, ‘chit’, or existence. Whatever appears in gross form is
the outcome of materialization, called ‘asad’
in Vedic terms, and transient and perishable in course of time. Thus, “Whatever
is seen here is transient, not real”, says Shankara. It is almost impossible
for a common man to realize this unless he takes recourse to yoga and
visualizes himself. This is the ultimate goal of life, Atma sakshatkara. There are innumerable scriptures that explain the
true nature of existence. Any serious seeker should undergo a rigorous training
in order to understand this. ‘Atmajnyan’,
or ‘Knowledge of the Self’ is the central idea of the study here.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Since
this short summary of Creation (srushti), sustenance (sthiti), dissolution
(laya), and merger (vilaya) of the perceptible (vyakta) universe encompass all
the scriptures ever available in the human intellect from time immemorial. The
urge to give even a short reference to the Texts available in print and quoted
here is so vast that even an acknowledgement in brief is going to make a long
list and hence resisted. It is impossible to give the whole list of authors, their
works and publishers. Only a few essential ones are given here.
Bhavanopanishat is a very
important text that sheds light on the true nature of ‘Existence’. There are the Narayana
Upanishad, Paingi, Koushitaki Chandogya, Atmopanishad, Garbhopanishad and a host of others, too, educate us
as to the nature of this world. The scientific literature quoted here are all
of recent researches and materials published in scientific journals and NASA.
These suffice as references for our study. The author hereby gratefully
acknowledges with thanks all the authors and publishers of various scientific
journals and periodicals, the spiritual texts like the Upanishads, the
Bhagavad-Gita, Brahma sutra, etc from which diagrams and quotations are
copiously drawn. The illustrations are taken from published sources and these
are used only to highlight our central theme of ‘unity-consciousness’- ‘samyak-prajnya’
only. Another important source of our spiritual knowledge is the
“Bhagavad-Gita’ by several authors like Sri Shankaracharya, Swami Shivananda
Saraswati, Madhusudhana Saraswati (‘Gudartha
Dipikaa’), and the most important one being that of ‘Jnyaneshwari’ by Santa
Jnyaneshwar. Also, we owe our knowledge both in spiritual, as well as, material
science to a number of saints and scientists, respectively, and we gratefully
acknowledge their contributions and quote a few of them here and there.
REFERENCES
Dasgupta,
S: A History of Indian Philosophy, (Vols. 5), MLBD 2012, (First published
Cambridge 1922).
Sanjukta
Gupta: Lakshmi Tantra, MLBD Publishers. Delhi.1972
Shankracharya’s
Commentary (Tr.) Swami Gambhirananda, Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, 1991,
Shraeder,
Otto F.: Introduction to Pancharatra, Ahirbudhnya Samhita, Adyar Library,
Chennai.
Swami
Bhaskarananda: The Philosophical Verses of Yogavashishtha, Viveka Press,
Seattle, USA, India Ed. 2006
[This celestial
poem explains creation of the Universe. By their words, the inspired sages
impart manifold forms to that Bird Hamsa which is the One. [Rk Veda X, 114, 5].
Notes and Quotes:
The entire universe that
includes the Solar System and the living beings on the Planet Earth is governed
by several forces such as gravitational waves, the electromagnetic waves, the
atomic energy, the sound waves and the like. Of these, the gravitational waves
had eluded the scientists, and now some facts are forthcoming from the recent
astronomical observations. Still the mystery remains!
Gravitational Waves: So far this
‘Gravitation’ had eluded the scientists and there was an intense search for
this Force governing the Universe. Finally 0n August 17, 2017 a breakthrough
could be achieved when two neutron stars collided and release the waves! Albert
Einstein first predicted gravitational waves in 1916 based on his general
theory of relativity, but even he waffled about whether or not they truly
exist. Scientists began seeking these ripples in
spacetime in the 1960s but none succeeded in measuring their
effects on Earth until now. LIGO’s discovery, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters, not only provides the first direct evidence for
gravitational waves but also opens the door to using them to study the powerful
cosmic events that create them. “It’s a huge deal,” says Luis Lehner, a
physicist at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Ontario who is
unaffiliated with the LIGO project. “It has pushed the fundamental theory of
gravity forward in a very strong way and gives us an incredible tool to probe very deep
questions of the universe.”
The discovery is not just proof of gravitational waves, but the strongest
confirmation yet for the existence
of black holes. “We think black holes exist out there. We have very
strong evidence they do but we don’t have direct evidence,” Lehner says.
“Everything is indirect. Given that black holes themselves cannot give any
signal other than gravitational waves, this is the most direct way to prove
that a black hole exists.”
“Every time we open a new window to the universe we
always discover new things,” Lehner says. “It’s like Galileo pointing the first
telescope to the sky. Initially he saw some planets and moons, but then as we
got radio, UV and x-ray telescopes, we discovered more and more about the
universe. We are pretty much at the moment where Galileo was beginning to see
the first objects around Earth. It will have such a huge impact on the field.”
Is Prana only important? No mortal ever lives by prana, which goes up, nor by apana,
which goes down. Men live by something different, on which these two depend.
[Yajur Veda, Katha Upanishad, Part Two, Chapter II, 5]
When Breath of Life with his thunder roars o'er the plants,
then, pregnant with pollen, the flowers burst forth in abundance. When Breath
of Life in due season roars o'er the plants, all things on earth rejoice with
great rejoicing. When Breath of Life the broad earth with rain bedews, the
cattle exult: We shall have plenty, they say. The plants converse with this
Breath, drenched by his moisture: Our life is prolonged, for you have made us
om them, thus brooded upon, there issued forth ‘Om’. As all leaves are held
together by a midrib, so is all speech held together by Om (brahman).” “Om is all thus, yea, Om
is all this.” [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XXIII - Praise of Om Unassociated
with any Ritual, 2-3].
“Prajapati brooded on
the worlds. From them, thus brooded upon, there was revealed in his heart the
threefold knowledge. He brooded on it and from it, thus brooded upon, there
issued forth these syllables: Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah. Prajapati brooded
(focused) on the worlds. From them, thus brooded upon, there was revealed in
his heart the threefold knowledge. He brooded on it and from it, thus brooded
upon, there issued forth these syllables: Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah. He brooded
(focused) on them (the three syllables) and fr all fragmentary. Praise to you,
Breath, when you come and praise when you go! When you stand up and when you
sit still, to you praise! [Atharva Veda XI, 4, 3-7].
The embodied soul, by
means of good and evil deeds committed by itself, assumes many forms, coarse
and fine. By virtue of its actions and also of such characteristics of the mind
as knowledge and desire, it assumes another body for the enjoyment of suitable
objects. He who knows the Lord, who is without beginning or end, who stands in
the midst of the chaos of the world, who is the Creator of all things and is
endowed with many forms-he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of
the universe, is released from all his fetters.[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part
I, Chapter V, 12-13]
om them, thus brooded upon, there issued forth ‘Om’. As all
leaves are held together by a midrib, so is all speech held together by Om (brahman).” “Om is all thus, yea, Om
is all this.” [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XXIII - Praise of Om Unassociated
with any Ritual, 2-3].
“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.
VE, P. 708].
He who knows Brahman,
who is all Bliss, extremely subtle, like the film that rises to the surface of
clarified butter and is hidden in all beings-he who knows the radiant Deity,
the sole Pervader of the Universe, is released from all his fetters. The Maker
of all things, self-luminous and all-pervading, He dwells always in the hearts
of men. He is revealed by the negative teachings of the Vedanta, discriminative
wisdom and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection. They who know Him
become immortal. When there is no darkness of ignorance, there is no day or
night, neither being nor non-being; the pure Brahman alone exists. That
immutable Reality is the meaning of ‘That’; It is adored by the Sun. From It
has proceeded the ancient wisdom. No one can grasp Him above, across, or in the
middle. There is no likeness of Him. His name is Great Glory (Mahad-yashah). [Yajur Veda, Shvet.
Upa.,, Part I, Chapter IV, 16-19].
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].
Endowed with gunas, the jiva performs action, seeking its fruit;
and again, it reaps the fruit of what it has done. Assuming all forms and led
by the three gunas, the jiva, ruler of the pranas, roams about following the
three paths, according to its deeds. Of the size of a thumb, but brilliant,
like the sun, the jiva possesses both volition and egoism. The embodied soul,
by means of good and evil deeds committed by itself, assumes many forms, coarse
and fine. By virtue of its actions and also of such characteristics of the mind
as knowledge and desire, it assumes another body for the enjoyment of suitable
objects. He who knows the Lord, who is without beginning or end, who stands in
the midst of the chaos of the world, who is the Creator of all things and is
endowed with many forms-he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of
the universe, is released from all his fetters.[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part
I, Chapter V, 12-13]
It is endowed with the qualities of both buddhi and Atman.
Therefore it is seen as another entity, inferior and small as the point of a
goad. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter V, 7-8].
“In the beginning, this
universe was the self (Viraj) alone, in the shape of a person. He reflected and
saw nothing else but His self. He first said: I am He. Therefore He came to be
known by the name I (Aham). Hence, even now, when a person is addressed, he
first says: It is I, and then says whatever other name he may have. And because
He, before (purva) the whole group of aspirants, burnt (aushat) all evils,
therefore He is called Purusha. He who knows this verily burns up him who
wishes to be Viraj in advance of him.” [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa. I, IV-The
Creation and Its Cause, 1].
“That which is
neither conscious nor unconscious, which is invisible, impalpable, indefinable,
unthinkable, unnameable, whose very essence consists of the experience of its
own self, which absorbs all diversity, is tranquil and benign, without a
second, which is what they call the fourth state-that is the atman. This it is
which should be known.” [Atharva Veda, Mandukya Upanishad 7. ve, 723].
NOTES
AND QUOTES
Vedic Prayer: Give us a share in the Sun by your
wisdom and favor. Make us perfect. [Rk Veda IX, 4, 5].
Vedic
Doctrines:
“The Seer, our father, once offered all
these worlds in oblation, assuming a priestly role, and sought to gain riches
by the power of prayer; he himself entered later creations, while shrouding in
mystery the first creative moment.
What
was the primal matter, what the substance? How could it be discerned, how was
it made? From which the Designer of all things, beholding all, fashioned the
Earth and shaped the glory of the Heavens?
A myriad eyes are his, a myriad faces, a
myriad arms and feet, turning each way! When he, sole God, creates the Earth
and Heavens, he welds them together with whirring of arms and wings.
What was the timber and what the tree from
which the Heavens and also the Earth were chiseled forth? Ponder, O wise Men.
Question in your hearts. On what did he rely when he formed these worlds? “The
haunts where you dwell, O Designer ever true to your laws, on high, in the depths,
and in every region between, disclose to your friends at the hour of oblation.
Willingly offer your body in sacrifice, thus enhancing its vigour.” [Rk Veda X,
81, 1-5].
“With all the pleasing skill we may; the
birth of Gods we now proclaim in chanted hymns, that Men to come may know the
truth of what befell. The Lord of the Holy Word, like a smith, blasted and
smelted them together. In erstwhile ages of the Gods from nonexistence
existence came.” [Rk Veda X, 72, 1-2].
“The visible form of fire,
while it lies latent in its source, the fire-wood, is not perceived; yet there
is no destruction of its subtle form. That very fire can be brought out again
by means of persistent rubbing of the wood, its source. In like manner, Atman,
which exists in two states, like fire, can be grasped in this very body by
means of ‘Om’. By making the body the lower piece of wood and Om the upper
piece and through the practice of the friction of meditation, one perceives the
luminous Self, hidden like the fire in the wood. As oil exists in sesame seeds,
butter in milk, water in riverbeds and fire in wood, so the Self is realized as
existing within the self, when a man looks for It by means of truthfulness and
austerity-when he looks for the Self, which pervades all things as butter
pervades milk and whose roots are Self-Knowledge and austerity. That is the
Brahman taught by the Upanishad; yea, that is the Brahman taught by the
Upanishads.” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., Part I, Chapter 1, 13-16]
“May the sun, at the
commencement of yoga, join our minds and other organs to the Supreme Self so
that we may attain the Self (‘Knowledge of True Nature of Existential Reality’)?
May He, also, support the body, the highest material entity, through the powers
of the deities who control the senses. Having received the blessings of the
divine Sun and with minds joined to the Supreme Self, we exert ourselves, to
the best of our power, toward meditation, by which we shall attain Heaven
(Brahman).” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., Part I, Chapter II, 1-2].
“The wise man should
hold his body steady, with the three upper parts erect, turn his senses, with
the help of the mind, toward the heart and by means of the raft of Brahman
cross the fearful torrents of the world. The yogi of well- regulated endeavors
should control the pranas; when they are quieted he should breathe out through
the nostrils. Then let him undistractedly restrain his mind, as a charioteer
restrains his vicious horses. Let yoga be practiced within a cave protected
from the high wind, or in a place which is level, pure and free from pebbles,
gravel and fire, undisturbed by the noise of water or of market-booths and
which is delightful to the mind and not offensive to the eye. When yoga is
practiced, the forms which appear first and which gradually manifest Brahman
are those or snow-flakes, smoke, sun, wind, fire, fire-flies, lightning,
crystal and the moon.” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter II, 8-11].
“And when the yogi beholds the real nature of
Brahman, through the Knowledge of the Self, radiant as a lamp, then, having
known the unborn and immutable Lord, who is untouched by ignorance and its
effects, he is freed from all fetters. He indeed, the Lord, who pervades all
regions, was the first to be born and it is He who dwells in the womb of the
universe. It is He, again, who is born as a child and He will be born in the
future, He stands behind all persons and His face is everywhere. The
Self-luminous Lord, who is fire, who is in water, who has entered into the
whole world, who is in plants, who is in trees-to that Lord let there be
adoration! Yea, let there be adoration!” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I,
Chapter II, 15-17].
“Pure may the Waters flow over our bodies!
That which defiles--I fling it upon our foes! I cleanse myself, O Earth, as
with a filter. Your regions, Earth, to eastward and to northward, southward and
westward, may they receive me kindly, whenever, on their paths I travel. Never,
when standing on your surface, may I totter!” [Atharva Veda XII, 1, 31].
“I know this
undecaying, primeval One, the Self of all things, which exists everywhere,
being all pervading and which the wise declare to be free from birth. The
teachers of Brahman, indeed, speak of It as eternal. [Yajur Veda, Part I,
Chapter III, 21]/
He, the One and Undifferentiated, who by the manifold
application of His powers produces, in the beginning, different objects for a
hidden purpose and, in the end, withdraws the universe into Himself, is indeed
the self-luminous-May He endow us with clear intellect! That Supreme Self is Agni (Fire); It is
Aditya (Sun); It is Vayu (Wind); It is Chandrama (Moon). That Self is the
luminous stars; It is Hiranyagarbha; It is water; It is Virat. Thou art woman,
Thou art man; Thou art youth and maiden too. Thou as an old man totterest along
on a staff; it is Thou alone who, when born, assumest diverse forms. Thou art
the dark-blue bee; Thou art the green parrot with red eyes; Thou art the
thunder-cloud, the seasons and the seas. Thou art beginningless and
all-pervading. From Thee all the worlds are born.” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.
Part I, Chapter IV, 1-4]
“He who knows Brahman,
who is all Bliss, extremely subtle, like the film that rises to the surface of
clarified butter and is hidden in all beings-he who knows the radiant Deity,
the sole Pervader of the Universe, is released from all his fetters. The Maker
of all things, self-luminous and all-pervading, He dwells always in the hearts
of men. He is revealed by the negative teachings of the Vedanta, discriminative
wisdom and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection. They who know Him
become immortal. When there is no darkness of ignorance, there is no day or
night, neither being nor non-being; the pure Brahman alone exists. That
immutable Reality is the meaning of ‘That’; It is adored by the Sun. From It
has proceeded the ancient wisdom. No one can grasp Him above, across, or in the
middle. There is no likeness of Him. His name is Great Glory (Mahad-yashah).” [Yajur Veda, Shvet.
Upa.,, Part I, Chapter IV, 16-19].
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].
Endowed with gunas, the jiva performs action, seeking its fruit;
and again, it reaps the fruit of what it has done. Assuming all forms and led
by the three gunas, the jiva, ruler of the pranas, roams about following the
three paths, according to its deeds. Of the size of a thumb, but brilliant,
like the sun, the jiva possesses both volition and egoism. The embodied soul,
by means of good and evil deeds committed by itself, assumes many forms, coarse
and fine. By virtue of its actions and also of such characteristics of the mind
as knowledge and desire, it assumes another body for the enjoyment of suitable
objects. He who knows the Lord, who is without beginning or end, who stands in
the midst of the chaos of the world, who is the Creator of all things and is
endowed with many forms-he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of
the universe, is released from all his fetters.[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part
I, Chapter V, 12-13]
It is endowed with the qualities of both buddhi and Atman.
Therefore it is seen as another entity, inferior and small as the point of a
goad. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter V, 7-8]
He is the Supreme
Brahman, the Self of all, and the chief foundation of this world, subtler than
the subtle, eternal. That thou art; thou art That [Atharva Veda, Kaivalya Upa.
16. uph, 930].
all fragmentary. Praise to you, Breath, when you come and praise
when you go! When you stand up and when you sit still, to you praise! [Atharva
Veda XI, 4, 3-7].
Rosy Dawn advances, adorned with the brightness of many a beam.
She pursues her way on her well-equipped chariot, arousing Men to joy. Come, O
twin Spirits, at break of day on your powerful chariots. We offer in sacrifice
this honey-sweet draught for your delectation. How is it that, though united
and unsupported, he does not fall down? By what inner power moves he? Who has
seen? A firm pillar, he protects heaven's vault.[Rk Veda IV, 14, 3-5]
If the sunbird, rising, extracted his foot from the sea, neither
today nor tomorrow would exist, neither night, day, nor dawn. The
eight--wheeled moves on one rim, to and fro, thousand-syllabled. With one half
it engendered all creation. Of its other half what sign? [Atharva Veda XI, 4,
21-22]
Foremost Purifier, let your lights shine on us now, inspiring
us to skill of mind and hand. [Rk Veda IX, 36, 3]
Some learned
men speak of the inherent nature of things and some speak of time, as the cause
of the universe. They all, indeed, are deluded. It is the greatness of the
self-luminous Lord that causes the Wheel of Brahman to revolve. He by whom the
whole universe is constantly pervaded is the Knower, the Author of time. He is
sinless and omniscient, It is at His command that the work which is called
earth, water, fire, air and akasa appears as the universe. All this should be
reflected upon by the wise. The yogi who first performs actions and then turns
away from them and who practices one, two, three, or eight disciplines, unites
one principle with another principle and with the help of virtues cultivated by
the self and of subtle tendencies attains Liberation in course of time. He who
attains purity of heart by performing actions as an offering to the Lord and
merges prakriti and all its effects in Brahman, realizes his true Self and
thereby transcends phenomena. In the absence of maya, both collective and individual,
all his past actions are destroyed. After the destruction of the prarabhda karma he attains final
Liberation. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., Part I, Chapter VI, 1-4]
The Vedic prayer is: “Arouse us today to
success and good fortune. To loftier joys promote us, O Dawn! Grant to us wealth of every kind, O Goddess renowned,
friend of Man!” [Rk Veda VII, 75, 2].
With all the
pleasing skill we may; the birth of Gods we now proclaim in chanted hymns, that
Men to come may know the truth of what befell. The Lord of the Holy Word, like
a smith, blasted and smelted them together. In erstwhile ages of the Gods from
nonexistence existence came. [Rk Veda X, 72, 1-2].
“Before beginning the
morning chant, the sacrificer, sitting behind the Garhyapatya Fire and facing
the north, sings the Saman addressed to the Vasus: O Fire! Open the door of the
earth-world. Let us see thee, that we may rule this earth. [Sama Veda.” Chan.
Upa., II, XXIV - The Different Planes attained by the Sacrificer, 3-4]
Om, hamsah so’ham svaha |
In this universe
the Swan, the Supreme Self, alone exists. It is He who, as fire, abides in the
water. Only by knowing Him does one pass over death, there is no other way to
reach the Supreme Goal. He who is the support of both the unmanifest prakriti
and the jiva, who is the Lord of the three gunas and who is the cause of
bondage, existence and Liberation from samsara, is verily the Creator of the
universe, the Knower, the inmost Self of all things and their Source-the
omniscient Lord, the Author of time, the Possessor of virtues, the Knower of
everything. He who constantly rules the world is verily the cause of bondage
and Liberation. Established in His own glory, He is the Immortal, the
Embodiment of Consciousness, the omnipresent, Protector of the universe. There
is no one else able to rule it. Seeking Liberation, I take refuge in the Lord,
the revealer of Self-Knowledge, who in the beginning created Brahma and
delivered the Vedas to Him. When men shall roll up space as if it were a piece
of hide, then there will be an end of misery without one's cultivating the
Knowledge of the Lord, who is without parts, without actions, tranquil,
blameless, unattached, the supreme bridge to Immortality, an like a fire that
has consumed all its fuel. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., Part I, Chapter VI, 15-20].
“In the beginning, this
universe was the self (Viraj) alone, in the shape of a person. He reflected and
saw nothing else but His self. He first said: I am He. Therefore He came to be
known by the name I (Aham). Hence, even now, when a person is addressed, he
first says: It is I, and then says whatever other name he may have. And because
He, before (purva) the whole group of aspirants, burnt (aushat) all evils,
therefore He is called Purusha. He who knows this verily burns up him who
wishes to be Viraj in advance of him.” [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa. I, IV-The
Creation and Its Cause, 1].
“That which is neither conscious nor
unconscious, which is invisible, impalpable, indefinable, unthinkable,
unnameable, whose very essence consists of the experience of its own self,
which absorbs all diversity, is tranquil and benign, without a second, which is
what they call the fourth state-that is the atman. This it is which should be
known.” [Atharva Veda, Mandukya Upanishad 7. ve, 723].
“When a seer sees the
creator of golden hue, the Lord, the Person, the source of Brahma, then being a
knower, shaking off good and evil and free from stain, he attains supreme
equality with the Lord. [Atharva Veda, Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.3. upr, 686].
Who, weary of Brahman studentship, having fully learnt the
Vedas, is discharged by the teacher he had ever obeyed, such a one is called
the Ashramin. Choosing a wife of
equally high birth, he should deposit the sacred fires, and bring to those
Deities the Brahman sacrifice day and night until, dividing among the children
his property, abstaining from conjugal pleasures, he gives himself to the
forest life, wandering in a pure region. Living on water and on air, and on
such fruit as proper, fire within body, he abides on earth without obligations,
without tears.” [Atharva Veda, Sanyasa Upa. 2.14. upb, 735-36].
“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 Upa. 1.2.24-25. ve, p. 710]
“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. VE, P. 708].
“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 Upa. 4.9. VE, P. 441].
“In the Support the
worlds consist; in him Creative Fervor and Order have their ground. You I have
known, O Support, face to face, in Indra wholly concentrated. In Indra the worlds consist; in Indra
Creative Fervor and Order have their ground. You I have known, O Indra, face to
face, in the Support wholly established.” [Atharva Veda X, 7, 29-30].
“A hundred uninitiated
are equal to one brahmachara. A hundred brahmacharas are equal to one
grihastha. A hundred grihasthas are equal to one vanaprastha. A hundred
vanaprasthas are equal to one sannyasin.” [Atharva Veda, Narasinha Upa. 5.10.
upb, 832].
“He who knows the
suvarna (gold) of the saman (vital breath) obtains gold. Tone is verily its
gold. He who thus knows what the gold of the saman is obtains gold. He who
knows the support of the saman (vital breath) gets a support. Speech Verily is
its support. For, supported in speech, the vital breath is transformed into a
chant. Some say the support is in food (the body). Next follows the edifying
repetition (abhyaroha) only of the hymns called pavamanas. The priest called
prastotri indeed chants the saman. While he chants it, let the sacrificer
recite these [Yajur verses]: Lead me from the unreal to the real. From darkness
lead me to light. From death lead me to immortality. When the mantra (verse)
says: Lead me from the unreal to the real, the unreal means death, and the
real, immortality; so it says, From death lead me to immortality, that is to
say, Make me immortal. When it says: From darkness lead me to light, darkness
means death, and light, immortality; so it says: From death lead me to
immortality, that is to say, Make me immortal.” [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa.I,
III-The Prana: Its Glories and Redeeming Power, 26-28]
“In the verse: From
death lead me to immortality, there is nothing that is hidden. Then come the
remaining hymns, with which, by singing them, [the chanter] should obtain food
for himself. Therefore while they are being chanted let the sacrificer ask for
a boon-anything that he desires. Whatever objects this chanter, endowed with
such knowledge, desires for himself or for the sacrificer, he obtains by his
chanting. This [meditation] by itself wins the world (Hiranyagarbha). He who
thus knows the saman (the prana, or vital breath)-for him there is no fear of
not being admitted into that world.” [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa., I, III-The Prana:
Its Glories and Redeeming Power, 18].
“There the eye goes not,
nor words, nor mind. We know not. We cannot understand how He can be explained.
He is above the known, and He is above the unknown. Thus have we heard from the
ancient sages who explained this truth to us.” [Sama Veda, Kena Upa. 1.3. upm,
51]
“If he should desire,
Let me be born here again, in whatever family he directs his attention, either
the family of a brahmin or the family of a king, into that he will be born.”
[Sama Veda, Jaiminaya Upa., Brahmana, 3.28.3-4. vo, p. 115]
When the gods and the demons, both offspring of Prajapati,
fought with each other, the gods took hold of the Udgitha, thinking that with
this they would vanquish the demons. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., I, II - Meditation
on Om as the Prana, 1]
A man should think on wealth and strive to win it by adoration
on the path of Order, counsel himself with his own mental insight, and grasp
still nobler vigor with his spirit.[Rk Veda 10.31.2. rvg, 459]
In how many parts was He transformed when they cut the Purusha
in pieces? What did His mouth become? What His arms, what His thighs, what His
feet? His mouth then became the brahmana, from the arms the rajanya was made,
the vaishya from the thighs, from the feet the shudra came forth. [Rig Veda
10.90.11-12. upb, 894]
Let us know that supreme Being and meditate upon Him, the
Supreme General of the great deva army. May He enlighten us and lead us to be
one with Him, Lord Skanda. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Taittiriya Aranyaka 10.6.2-3
(Shanmukha Gayatri). lw, 112]
The atman pervades all like butter hidden in milk. He is the
source of Self-knowledge and ascetic fervor. This is the Brahman teaching, the
highest goal! This is the Brahman teaching, the highest goal! He who with the
truth of the atman, unified, perceives the truth of Brahman as with a lamp, who
knows God, the unborn, the stable, free from all forms of being, is released
from all fetters. The inspired Self is not born nor does He die; He springs
from nothing and becomes nothing. Unborn, permanent, unchanging, primordial, He
is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.[Krishna Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,
1.16; 2.15 & 18. ve, 711, 762, 566]
There are five gross elements and their respective subtle
aspects (reflecting the respective gunas), tanmantra,
such as Akasha having shabdha, vayu as sparsha. Agni as roopa, jala as rasa, and pruthvi as gandha. The
union of these is replicated in the human body, too. However, paramatman at His
desire assumes the form of a jiva (embodied soul). The Atma constructs its own
body; but, it is not the body. The spiritual soul is omniscient, omnipotent,
eternal, unborn and immortal. It is unattached to the body like a drop of water
on a lotus leaf! The human soul is under the power of the three basic
constituents- food or annam, prana,
and manas, as conditions of nature,
and thus it falls into confusion. Because of this confusion the soul cannot
become aware of the governing force. God, who dwells within as the guiding
force and energy (power) to work. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitra Upanishad 3.2.
upm, 100]
Taking as a bow the great weapon of the Upanishad, one should
put upon it an arrow sharpened by meditation. Stretching it with a thought
directed to the essence of That, penetrate that Imperishable as the mark, my
friend. [Atharva Veda, Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.3. uph, 372]
From all knowledge, yoga practice and meditation, all that
relates to the Aum sound is to be meditated on as the only blissful (Siva).
Indeed, the Aum sound is Siva.[Atharva Veda, Atharvashikha Upanishad 2. upb,
782]
Contemplating Him who has neither beginning, middle, nor end-the
One, the all-pervading, who is wisdom and bliss, the formless, the wonderful,
whose consort is Uma, the highest Lord, the ruler, having three eyes and a blue
throat, the peaceful-the silent sage reaches the source of Being, the universal
witness, on the other shore of darkness.[Atharva Veda, Kaivalya Upanishad 7.
ve, 764]
There is no one greater in the three worlds than the guru. It is
he who grants divine knowledge and should be worshiped with supreme devotion.
[Atharva Veda, Yoga-Sikha Upanishad 5.53. yt, 26]
Abiding in the midst of ignorance, but thinking themselves wise
and learned, fools aimlessly go hither and thither, like blind led by the
blind. [Atharva Veda, Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.8. upm, 77]
With this (i.e. the principal vital breath) one does not discern
what pleasant-smelling and what is foul-smelling; for it is unsmitten by evil.
Whatever a person eats or drinks with it (the principal vital breath) supports
the other pranas. That is why they depart when, at the time death, it no longer
supports them by eating and drinking. It opens the mouth at the time of death
as if the dying man wished to eat. Angira
meditated on the Udgitha as the principal prana. People call it (i.e. the
prana) Angiras, because it is the
essence (rasa) of the limbs (anga). Brihaspati meditated on the
Udgitha as the principal prana. People call it (the prana) Brihaspati, because
speech is great (brihat) and it is
the lord (pati) of speech. Ayasya
meditated on the Udgitha as the principal prana. People call it (the prana) as ayasya; because it comes (ayate) from the mouth (asya). Vaka, the son of Dalbhya, knew it
(the prana); he became the udgatri priest of the sacrifice dwelling in the Naimisha aranya. By singing the Udgitha he fulfilled all their desires. He
who knows this as described above and meditates upon the imperishable Udgitha
(Om) obtains all his desires by singing the Udgitha. So much for the Udgitha as
meditates on with reference to the body.[Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., I, II -
Meditation on Om as the Prana, 9-14]
Now is described the meditation on the Udgitha with reference to
the gods: One should meditate on the Udgitha as the sun who gives warmth. When
he (the sun) rises he sings the Udgitha for the benefit of all creatures. When
he rises he destroys darkness and fear. He who knows this becomes the destroyer
of darkness and fear. This prana and that sun are the same. This is warm and
that is warm. This they call svara (what goes out) and that, pratyasvara (what
returns). Therefore one should meditate on the Udgitha as this and that.[Sama
Veda, Chan. Upa., I, III - Meditation on the Udgitha as the Sun and the Vyana,
1-2]
Aum. O terrestrial sphere! O sphere of space! O celestial
sphere! Let us contemplate the splendor of the Solar Spirit, the Divine
Creator. May He guide our mind. [Rk Veda (Gayatri Mantra) 3.62.10. hp, 345].
Incidentally,
Sharadhvan, King of Gadi Kingdom, later came to be known as ‘Vishva Mitra’
(Friend of the World) after he got the mantra of Devi Gayatri and thus became
the drushtara, Rishi. He raised to the status of Brahma Rishi with the help of
the Gayatri mantra during his askesis. It is the mantra propitiating the Sun
God and one attains the very form (sarupya)
of the Savita Devi from the incessant chants of Gayatree.
O learned people, may we with our ears listen to what is
beneficial, may we see with our eyes what is beneficial. May we, engaged in
your praises, enjoy with firm limbs and sound bodies, a full term of life
dedicated to God. [Rig Veda 1.89.8. rvp, p. 287]
And other works also which require strength, such as the
kindling of fire by rubbing, running a race and stringing a strong bow, are
performed without breathing out or breathing in. Therefore one should meditate
on the Udgitha as the vyana. One should meditate on the letters of the word
Udgitha (i.e. ut, gi and tha). Ut is the prana, for a man rises (uttishthati) by means of the prana. Gi
is speech, for speeches are called girah.
Tha is food, for all this subsists (sthita)
on food. Ut is heaven (Svar), gi the
mid-region (bhuvah) and tha the earth
(bhu). Ut is the sun, gi the air and
tha fire. Ut is the Sama-Veda, gi the Yajur-Veda and tha -the Rig-Veda. To him
who thus meditates speech yields milk and milk is speech. He who knows this and
meditates on the letters of the Udgitha becomes the possessor of food and the
eater of food. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., I, III - Meditation on the Udgitha as
the Sun and the Vyana, 5-7]
At first was neither Being nor Nonbeing. There was not air nor
yet sky beyond. What was its wrapping? Where? In whose protection? Was Water
there, unfathomable and deep? There was no death then, nor yet deathlessness;
of night or day there was not any sign. The One breathed without breath, by its
own impulse. Other than that was nothing else at all. [Rk Veda X, 129, 1-2].
The Moon was born from his mind; the Sun came into being from
his eye; from his mouth came Indra and Agni, while from his breath the Wind was
born. From his navel issued the Air; from his head unfurled the Sky, the Earth
from his feet, from his ear the four directions. Thus have the worlds been
organized. Seven were the sticks of the enclosure, thrice seven the fuel sticks
were made, when the Gods, performing the sacrifice, bound the Man as the
victim. [Rk Veda X, 90, 13-15].
The soul is born and unfolds in a body, with dreams and desires
and the food of life. And then it is reborn in new bodies, in accordance with
its former works. The quality of the soul determines its future body; earthy or
airy, heavy or light. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Shveta Upanishad, 5.11-12. upm, p.
94].
Mind is indeed the source of bondage and also the source of
liberation. To be bound to things of this world-this is bondage. To be free
from them-this is liberation. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitrayani Upanishad 6.34.
upm, p. 104]
The non-dual Ensnarer rules by His powers. Remaining one and the
same, He rules by His powers all the worlds during their manifestation and
continued existence. They who know this become immortal. Rudra is truly one;
for the knowers of Brahman do not admit the existence of a second, He alone
rules all the worlds by His powers. He dwells as the inner Self of every living
being. After having created all the worlds, He, their Protector, takes them
back into Himself at the end of time. His eyes are everywhere, His faces
everywhere, His arms everywhere, everywhere His feet. He it is who endows men
with arms, birds with feet and wings and men likewise with feet. Having
produced heaven and earth, He remains as their non-dual manifester. He, the
omniscient Rudra, the creator of the gods and the bestower of their powers, the
support of the universe, He who, in the beginning, gave birth to
Hiranyagarbha-may He endow us with clear intellect! O Rudra, Thou who dwellest
in the body and bestowest happiness! Look upon us with that most blessed form
of Thine, which is auspicious, unterrifying and all good. [Yajur Veda,
Shvetasvatara Upanishad, Part I, Chapter III, 1-5]
The Purusha alone is all this-what has been and what will be. He
is also the Lord of Immortality and of whatever grows by food. [Yajur Veda,
Shvet Upa, Part I, Chapter III, 15]
The snake and the scorpion which viciously bite, which, chilled
by winter, lie slothfully hidden, the wriggling worm, all that stirs in the
rains--may it, creeping, not creep on us! Instead, may you grant us the
blessing of all that is wholesome! [Atharva Veda XII, 1, 46]
He who thus knows these Revati Samans as interwoven in animals
becomes the possessor of animals; he reaches the full length of life, lives
brightly, become great in children and cattle, great in fame. For him the
injunction is: Do not decry animals. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XVIII -
Meditation on the Revati Saman, 2]
He who thus knows the Yajnayajniya Saman as interwoven in the
members of the body becomes possessed of limbs; he is not crippled in any limb,
he reaches the full length of life, lives brightly, becomes great in children
and cattle, great in fame. For him the injunction is: For one year do not eat
meat or ''Do not eat meat at all."[Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XIX -
Meditation on the Yajnayajniya Saman, 2]
He who thus knows the Rajana Saman as interwoven in the gods
obtains the same world as the gods, acquires the same prosperity as theirs and
realizes union with them; he reaches the full length of lives brightly, becomes
great in children and cattle, great in fame. Him the injunction is: Do not
decry the brahmins. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XX - Meditation on the Rajana
Saman, 2]
His hands and feet are everywhere; His eyes, heads and faces are
everywhere; His ears are everywhere; He exists compassing all. Himself devoid
of senses, He shines through the functions of the senses. He is the capable
ruler of all; He is the refuge of all. He is great. The Swan, the ruler of the
whole world, of all that is moving and all that is motionless, becomes the
embodied self and dwelling in the city of nine gates, flies outward. Grasping
without hands, hasting without feet, It sees without eyes, It hears without
ears. It knows what is to be known, but no one knows It. They call It the
First, the Great, the Full. The Self, smaller than the small, greater than the
great, is hidden in the hearts of creatures. The wise, by the grace of the
Creator, behold the Lord, majestic and desireless and become free from grief.
[[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa, Part I, Chapter III, 16-20]
Departing like one who will return, sister Night relinquishes her
place to her elder sister, who, beaming forth with the rays of the Sun, is
adorned, like maidens going to a festival. [Rk Veda I, 124, 8]
All faces are His faces; all heads, His heads; all necks, His
necks. He dwells in the hearts of all beings. He is the all-pervading Bhagavan.
Therefore He is the omnipresent and benign Lord. He, indeed, is the great
Purusha, the Lord of creation, preservation and destruction, who inspires the
mind to attain the state of stainlessness. He is the Ruler and the Light that
is imperishable. The Purusha, no bigger than a thumb, is the inner Self, ever
seated in the heart of man. He is known by the mind, which controls knowledge
and is perceived in the heart. They who know Him become immortal. The Purusha
with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet, compasses the earth on
all sides and extends beyond it by ten fingers' breadth. [Yajur Veda, Shveta
Upa., Part I, Chapter III, 11-14]
That which is neither internal consciousness nor external
consciousness nor both together, which does not consist solely in compact
consciousness, which is neither conscious nor unconscious, which is invisible,
unapproachable, impalpable, indefinable, unthinkable, unnamable, whose very
essence consists of the experience of its own self, which absorbs all
diversity, is tranquil and benign, without a second, which is what they call
the fourth state -- that is the atman. This it is which should be known.
[Atharva Veda, Mandukya Upanishad 2.7. VE, P. 723]
Revealed and yet dwelling hidden in the cave is that which is
called the great Abode. Whatever moves and breathes and blinks is fixed
therein. Know this as being and also nonbeing, the desire of all hearts,
transcending knowledge, best beloved of every creature. Burning as a flame and
subtlest of the subtle, in which are firmly fixed the worlds and their peoples
-- that is the imperishable Brahman. That is life and word and spirit, the
true, the immortal! That, my friend, is to be known -- know that![Atharva Veda,
Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.1-2, VE, P. 685]
Next follows the fulfilment of prayers. One should thus meditate
on the object one wishes to obtain through meditation: he (i.e. the udgatri
priest) should meditate on the Saman with which he is going chant the praise.
He (the udgatri priest) should meditate on the Rik in which that Saman occurs,
on the rishi to whom it was revealed and on the deity whom he is going to
praise. He (the udgatri priest) should meditate on the metre in which he is
going to chant the praise; he should meditate on the hymn by which he is going
to chant the praise. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., I, III - Meditation on the Udgitha
as the Sun and the Vyana, 8-10].
The seer sees not death, nor sickness, nor any distress. The
seer sees only the All, obtains the All entirely. For the sake of experiencing
the true and the false, the great Self has a dual nature. Yea, the great Self
has a dual nature. Yea, the great Self has a dual nature! [Krishna Yajur Veda,
Maitrayani Upanishad 7.11.6 & 8. uph, 458]
There are two ways of
contemplation of Brahman: in sound and in silence. By sound we go to silence.
The sound of Brahman is Aum. With Aum we go to the End, the silence of Brahman.
The End is immortality, union and peace. Even as a spider reaches the liberty
of space by means of its own thread, the man of contemplation by means of Aum
reaches freedom. The sound of Brahman is Aum. At the end of Aum is silence. It
is a silence of joy. It is the end of the journey, where fear and sorrow are no
more: steady, motionless, never-falling, everlasting, and immortal. It is
called the omnipresent Vishnu. In order to reach the Highest, consider, in
adoration, the sound and the silence of Brahman. For it has been said: God is
sound and silence. His name is Aum. Attain, therefore, contemplation, contemplation
in silence on Him. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitra Upanishad 6.22-23.
upm, 102]
Than whom there is naught else higher, than whom there is naught
smaller, naught greater, the One stands like a tree established in heaven. By
Him, the Person, is this whole universe filled. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Shveatashvatara
Upanishad 3.9. upr, 727]
Even as water becomes one with water, fire with fire, and air
with air, so the mind becomes one with the Infinite Mind and thus attains final
freedom. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitrayani Upanishad 6.34.11. tu, 103]
All the sacred books, all holy sacrifice and ritual and prayers,
all the words of the Vedas, and the whole past and present and future, come
from the Spirit. With maya, His power of wonder, He made all things, and by
maya the human soul is bound. Know, therefore, that nature is maya, but that
God is the ruler of maya, and that all beings in our universe are parts of His
infinite splendor. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., 4.9-10. upm, 92].
He
who from birth was chief of the Gods, the wise one, protecting with his might
the other Gods, before whose energy and mighty exploits the two worlds tremble:
he, Men, is the Lord! Who stilled the quaking of the mighty earth and set at
rest the agitated mountains, who measured out the middle regions of space and
gave the sky support: he, Men, is the Lord! Who slew the dragon and loosed the
seven rivers, who drove the cattle out of Vala's cavern, who brought forth fire
from between the rocks, victorious ever: he, Men, is the Lord! [Rk Veda II, 12,
1-3].
That
deity, after taking away the death-the evil-of the gods, carried them beyond
death. First of all, it carried the organ of speech, which is the foremost
organ. When the organ of speech was freed from death it became fire. That fire,
having transcended death, shines beyond its reach. Then it carried the organ of
smell. When it was freed from death it became air (Vayu). That air, having
transcended death, blows beyond its reach. Then it carried the organ of sight.
When it was freed from death it became the sun (Surya). That sun, having
transcended death, shines beyond its reach. Then it carried the organ of
hearing. When it was freed from death, it became the quarters (Disha). Those
quarters, having transcended death, remain beyond its reach. Then it carried
the mind. When the mind was freed from death it became the moon (Chandra). That
moon, having transcended death, shines beyond its reach. Thus, verily, that
deity carries beyond death him who knows this. [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa., I,
III-The Prana: Its Glories and Redeeming Power, 11-16].
Spring
up, become fair, be distended, O barley, with your own increase! Burst all
vessels designed to contain you! May lightning not smite you in that place
where we make our appeal to you. In response, divine barley, to our invocation,
rise up there tall as the sky, inexhaustible as the boundless sea! [Atharva
Veda VI, 142, 1- 2]
He
who consists of the mind, whose body is subtle, whose form is light, whose
thoughts are true, whose nature is like the akasa, whose creation in this
universe, who cherishes all righteous desires, who contains all pleasant
odours, who is endowed with all tastes, who embraces all this, who never speaks
and who is without longing-He is my Self within the heart, smaller than a grain
of rice, smaller than a grain of barley, smaller than a mustard seed, smaller
than a grain of millet; He is my Self within the heart, greater than the earth,
greater than the mid-region, greater than heaven, greater than all these
worlds.
He
whose creation is this universe, who cherishes all desires, who contains all
odours, who is endowed with all tastes, who embraces all this, who never speaks
and who is without longing-He is my Self within the heart, He is that Brahman.
When I shall have departed hence I shall certainly reach Him: one who has this
faith and has no doubt will certainly attain to that Godhead. Thus said
Sandilya, yea, thus he said. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa. III, XIV - The Shandilya
Doctrine, 1-3]
The
chest of the universe, with the mid-region for its inside and the earth for its
bottom, does not decay. The quarters are its different corners and heaven is
its lid, which is above. This chest is the storehouse of treasures. Inside it
are all things. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., III, XV - Meditation on the Universe as
a Chest, 1]
Now
may this God Savitri, the strong and mighty, Lord of all wealth, vouchsafe to
us his riches! May he, extending his far-spreading luster, bestow on us the
food that nourishes men! These songs praise Savitri of gentle speech, whose
arms are full, whose hands are beautiful. Preserve us evermore, O Gods, with
blessings. [Rk Veda VII, 45, 3-4]
May
those who tend you prove inexhaustible, inexhaustible their barns,
inexhaustible those who offer you in sacrifice and those who consume you! [Atharva
Veda VI, 142, 3].
The seer sees not death, nor sickness, nor any distress. The
seer sees only the All, obtains the All entirely. For the sake of experiencing
the true and the false, the great Self has a dual nature. Yea, the great Self
has a dual nature. Yea, the great Self has a dual nature! [Krishna Yajur Veda,
Maitra Upa. 7.11.6 & 8. uph, 458].
The
attendant searched for him and returned without finding him. Then the king said
to him: Listen, where a knower of Brahman is to searched for, look for him
there. After proper search the attendant came upon a person who, lying
underneath his cart, was scratching an itch. Humbly he took his seat near him
and said: Revered Sir, are you Raikva, the man with the cart? Oh yes, I am he,
he answered. Then the attendant returned, saying to himself: I have found him
out.
So
these four castes were projected: the brahmin: the kshatriya, the vaisya, and
the sudra. Among the gods Prajapati became a brahmin as fire, and among men He
became the brahmin. He became a kshatriya among men through the divine
kshatriyas, a vaisya through the divine vaisyas, and a sudra through the divine
sudras. Therefore people desire to attain the results of their rites among the
gods through fire, and among men as a brahmin. For Prajapati directly projected
Himself as these two forms. [So these four castes were projected: the brahmin:
the kshatriya, the vaisya, and the sudra. Among the gods Prajapati became a
brahmin as fire, and among men He became the brahmin. He became a kshatriya
among men through the divine kshatriyas, a vaisya through the divine vaisyas,
and a sudra through the divine sudras. Therefore people desire to attain the
results of their rites among the gods through fire, and among men as a brahmin.
For Prajapati directly projected Himself as these two forms. Now, if a man
departs from this world without realizing his own World (the Self), It, being
unknown, does not protect him-as the Vedas, unrecited, or as a deed
unaccomplished, do not protect him. Nay, even if one who does not know It (the
Self) should perform here on earth a great many meritorious acts, those acts
will in the end surely perish for him. One should meditate only upon the World
called the Self. He who meditates upon the World called the Self-his work does
not perish; for from this very Self he projects whatever he desires. Now, this
self (the ignorant person) is an object of enjoyment (lokah) to all beings. In
so far as he offers oblations in the fire and performs sacrifices, he becomes
an object of enjoyment to the gods. In so far as he studies the Vedas, he
becomes an object of enjoyment to the rishis. In so far as he makes offerings
to the Manes and desires children, he becomes an object of enjoyment to the
Manes. In so far as he gives shelter and food to men, he becomes an object of
enjoyment to men. In so far as he gives fodder and water to the animals, he
becomes an object of enjoyment to the animals. In so far as beasts and birds
and even ants find a living in his home, he becomes an object of enjoyment to
these. Just as one wishes no injury to one's body, so do all beings wish no
injury to him who has this knowledge. All this, indeed, has been known and well
investigated. In the beginning this aggregate of desirable objects was but the
self, one only. He cherished the desire: Let me have a wife, so that I may be
born as the child; and let me have wealth, so that I may perform rites. This
much, indeed, is the range of desire; even if one wishes, one cannot get more
than this. Therefore, to this day, a man who is single desires: Let me have a
wife, so that I may be born as the child; and let me have wealth, so that I may
perform rites. So long as he does not obtain each one of these, he thinks he is
incomplete. Now, his completeness can also come in this way: The mind is his
self, speech his wife, the vital breath his child, the eye his human wealth,
for he finds it with the eye; the ear his divine wealth, for he hears it with
the ear; the body his instrument of rites, for he performs rites through the
body. So this sacrifice has five factors-the animals have five factors, men
have five factors and all this that exists has five factors. He who knows this
obtains all this. [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa, I, IV-The Creation and Its Cause,
15-17].
Brahm Samhita
This is a beautiful poem of adoration of Adi Purusha Govinda who created the
universe and all of us. We worship Him. It runs like this:
Lord Govinda is praised here as the Creator. “Krishna who is known as Govinda is the
Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of
all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.
I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the
cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by
millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by
hundreds of thousands of lakshmis or gopis.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with
blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock's feather, with
the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique
loveliness charming millions of Cupids.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round whose neck is swinging a garland of
flowers beautified with the moon-locket, whose two hands are adorned with the
flute and jewel ornaments, who always revels in pastimes of love, whose
graceful threefold-bending form of Shyamasundara is eternally manifest.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss,
truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendour. Each of
the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged
functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the
infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but
obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who
is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is
the beginning, and the eternal purusha; yet He is a person possessing the
beauty of blooming youth.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tip of the toe of whose lotus feet
is approached by the yogis who aspire after the transcendental and betake
themselves to pranayama by drilling the respiration; or by the jnyanis who try
to find out the non-differentiated Brahman by the process of elimination of the
mundane, extending over thousands of millions of years. He is an
undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the
possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency
remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His
fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe,
at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.
“I
adore the same Govinda, the primeval Lord, in whose praise men, who are imbued
with devotion, sing the mantra-suktas told by the Vedas, by gaining their
appropriate beauty, greatness, thrones, conveyances and ornaments.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Go loka, (that
stands for Light and Knowledge with Radha (that stands for Resources and
Technology /creative energy and creativity and skill), resembling (Purusha and
Prakruti)- His own spiritual power, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency
possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities; it is indeed the potential and
the kinetic aspects.
Govinda with Radha is presented as a
symbolism, depicting Purusha with His Prowess depicted as Govinda (Krishna) in
the company of Radha and Her confidantes [sakhis],
the latter as the embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated
and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who
is Shyamasundara, Krishna Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes,
whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion
tinged with the salve of love.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Krishna
and the different manifestations (avatara) in the world in the forms of Rama,
Narasimha, Vamana, etc., as His subjective portions.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the
non-differentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upanishads, being differentiated
from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the
indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is the absolute substantive principle
being the ultimate entity in the form of the support of all existence whose
external potency embodies the threefold mundane qualities, viz., sattva, rajas,
and tamas and diffuses the Vedic knowledge regarding the mundane world.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose glory ever triumphantly dominates the
mundane world by the activity of His own pastimes, being reflected in the mind
of recollecting souls as the transcendental entity of ever-blissful cognitive
rasa. Lowest of all is located Devi-dhama [mundane world], next above it is
Mahesh-dhama (abode of Shiva); above Mahesha-dhama is placed Hari-dhama [abode
of Hari] and above them all is located Krishna's own realm named Go loka. I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who has allotted their respective authorities
to the rulers of those graded realms. The external potency Maya who is of the
nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durga,
the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore
the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself.”
Just as milk is transformed into curd by the action of acids, but yet the
effect curd is neither same as, nor different from, its cause, viz., milk, so I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whom the state of Shambhu is a
transformation for the performance of the work of destruction. The light of one
candle being communicated to other candles, although it burns separately in
them, is the same in its quality. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who
exhibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in His various
manifestations.”
“I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda who assuming His own great subjective form, who
bears the name of Sesha, replete with the all-accommodating potency, and
reposing in the Causal Ocean with the infinity of the world in the pores of His
hair, enjoys creative sleep (yoga-nidra).
Brahma and other lords of the heavens, appearing from the pores of hair of
Maha-Vishnu, remain alive as long as the duration of one exhalation of the
latter (Maha-Vishnu). I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whose subjective
personality Maha-Vishnu is the portion of portion.” I adore the primeval Lord Govinda from whom
the separated subjective portion Brahma receives his power for the regulation
of the mundane world, just as the sun manifests some portion of his own light
in all the effulgent gems that bear the names of suryakanta, etc”.
“I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda, whose lotus feet are always held by Ganesha upon the pair of tumuli
protruding from his elephant head in order to obtain power for his function of
destroying all the obstacles on the path of progress of the three worlds.
The
three worlds are composed of the nine elements, viz., fire, earth, ether,
water, air, direction, time, soul and mind. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda
from whom they originate, in whom they exist and into whom they enter at the
time of the universal cataclysm. The sun who is the king of all the planets,
full of infinite effulgence, the image of the good soul, is as the eye of this
world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in pursuance of whose order the sun
performs his journey mounting the wheel of time.
I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda, by whose conferred power are maintained the
manifested potentialities that are found to exist, of all virtues, all vices,
the Vedas, the penances and all jivas, from Brahma to the meanest insect.”
“I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who burns up to their roots all fruitive
activities of those who are imbued with devotion and impartially ordains for each
the due enjoyment of the fruits of one's activities, of all those who walk in
the path of work, in accordance with the chain of their previously performed
works, no less in the case of the tiny insect that bears the name of indragopa than in that of Indra, king
of the devas. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, the mediators of whom, by
meditating upon Him under the sway of wrath, amorous passion, natural friendly
love, fear, parental affection, delusion, reverence and willing service, attain
to bodily forms befitting the nature of their contemplation.”
“I
worship that transcendental seat, known as Svetadvipa
whereas loving consorts the Lakshmi’s
in their unalloyed spiritual essence practice the amorous service of the
Supreme Lord Krishna as their only lover; where every tree is a transcendental
purpose tree; where the soil is the purpose gem, all water is nectar, every
word is a song, every gait is a dance, the flute is the favorite attendant,
effulgence is full of transcendental bliss and the supreme spiritual entities
are all enjoyable and tasty, where numberless milk cows always emit
transcendental oceans of milk; where there is eternal existence of
transcendental time, who is ever present and without past or future and hence
is not subject to the quality of passing away even for the space of half a
moment. That realm is known as Go loka
only to a very few self-realized souls in this world.”
This in brief a very beautiful account of
how the supreme Lord Govinda, the first–born, ‘Adi purusha’, created the universe in all its splendour and
grandeur! He the chief architect of the universe remains outside His creation
and runs it with powerful forces that are nothing but His own manifest forms.
At the highest levels, these are the physical elements, devi - devata
(enunciated in the Rk Veda). The elemental gods are Fire, Air, Water, Earth,
Sky, Vegetation, and the like. The Veda eulogizes these Gods and pray for
protection and support to all living beings on earth. Fire God Agni is given
utmost prominence here.
Gravitational Waves from Black Holes Are
Detected for Third Time
The ripples in spacetime reached Earth from a
cosmic collision about 3 billion light-years away.
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These are the
artists’ impression of the collapse of neutron stars, their collision and explosion leading to
splurge of heavy metals like gold, uranium, platinum, silver etc in the
universe. This is how all the gold and uranium are found.en Maitreyi said: Just here you have bewildered me,
venerable Sir, by saying that after attaining oneness the self has no more
consciousness. Yajnavalkya replied: Certainly I am not saying anything
bewildering, my dear. This Reality is enough for knowledge, O Maitreyi. Yajur
Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, IV-Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi (I), 13 Brahman
is the spoon dripping fatness; by Brahman the altar is established. Brahman
is the essence of sacrifice the priests prepare the oblation. To the
minister, praise! Atharva
Veda XIX, 42, 2 May
Fever flee hence, exorcised by Agni, exorcised by Soma and the Pressing
Stone, by Varuna, sheer Mind, the altar, the grass of sacrifice, and the
blazing logs! May all harmful things scatter! Atharva
Veda V, 22, 1 To
the depths I dispatch, though with cautious politeness, this promoter of dysentery!
Let her now return to the place where she belongs! (begone illness!) Atharva
Veda V, 22, 4 O
Fever all gray with an arsenic tinge, accompanied by pains and covered with
blotches, go seek a new victim to strike with your plague! Atharva
Veda V, 22, 6
That
splendor that resides in an elephant, in a king among men, or within the
waters, with which the Gods in the beginning came to godhood, with that same splendor
make me splendid, O Lord. Atharva
Veda III, 22, 3 O
All-Knowing God, that powerful strength with which sacrifice endows you, the
strength of the sun, the strength of the elephant, King among men-- may the
two Spirits, garlanded with lotus, vouchsafe that to me! Atharva
Veda III, 22, 4 From
the four directions, as far as the eye can direct its gaze, may that force,
that elephant splendor, assemble and concentrate its virtue in me. Atharva
Veda III, 22, 5 He
is also called Bhamani, for he shines (bhati) in all the worlds. He who knows
this shines in all the worlds. Sama
Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, XV - Instruction by the Teacher, 4 Now,
whether or not they perform the funeral rites for such a person, he goes to
light, from light to day, from day to the bright half of the moon, from the
bright half of the moon to the six months during which the sun goes to the
north, from those months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun
to the moon, from the moon to lightning. There a person who is not a human
being meets him and leads him to Brahman. This is the Path of the Gods
(Devayana), the path leading to Brahman. Those who travel by it do not return
to the whirl of humanity, yea, they do not return. Sama
Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, XV - Instruction by the Teacher, 5
Maitreyi, my dear, said Yajnavalkya, I am going to
renounce this life. Let me make a final settlement between you and Katyayani
(his other wife). Thereupon Maitreyi said: Venerable Sir, if indeed the whole
earth, full of wealth, belonged to me, would I be immortal through that? No,
replied Yajnavalkya, your life would be just like that of people who have
plenty. Of Immortality, however, there is no hope through wealth. Yajur Veda,
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, IV-Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi (I),1- 2 Behold the elephant, best of all creatures to mount
and to ride! I anoint myself with his share of strength, with his elephant
splendor! With the splendor that resides in a lion, a tiger,
an adder, the fire, Brahman, the sun, may that blessed Goddess who gave birth
to Indra now come to us, endowed with splendor! With the splendor that
resides in an elephant, a leopard, in gold, in the waters, in cattle and in
men, may that blessed Goddess who gave birth to Indra now come to us, endowed
with splendor! [Atharva Veda VI, 38, 1- 2]
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His Mightiness,
escorted by the Storms, has brought me strong comfort in distress. May I
unharmed find shelter with him as from glaring heat! May I secure the
goodwill of God! How I long, O God, for the gracious touch of your hand which
heals and brings refreshment, which softens all chastisements of the Gods.
Regard me, O Mighty One, with an indulgent eye. [Rk Veda II, 33, 6- 7] Then Maitreyi said:
What should I do with that which would not make me immortal? Tell me, venerable
Sir, of that alone which you know to be the only means of attaining
Immortality. Yajnavalkya replied: My dear, you have been my beloved even
before, and now you say what is after my heart. Come, sit down; I will
explain it to you. As I explain it, meditate on what I say. Then Yajnavalkya
said: Verily, not for the sake of the husband, my dear, is the husband loved,
but he is loved for the sake of the self which, in its true nature, is one
with the Supreme Self. Verily, not for the sake of the wife, my dear, is the
wife loved, but she is loved for the sake of the self. Verily, not for the
sake of the sons, my dear, are the sons loved, hut they are loved for the
sake of the self. Verily, not for the sake of wealth, my dear, is wealth
loved, but it is loved for the sake of the self. Verily, not for the sake of
the brahmin, my dear, is the brahmin loved, but he is loved for the sake of
the self. Verily, not for the sake of the kshatriya, my dear, is the
kshatriya loved, but he is loved for the sake of the self. [Yajur Veda, Brih.
Upa. II, IV-Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi (I), 3-5) |
That splendor that resides in an elephant, in a king among men,
or within the waters, with which the Gods in the beginning came to godhood,
with that same splendor make me splendid, O Lord. O All-Knowing God, that
powerful strength with which sacrifice endows you, the strength of the sun, the
strength of the elephant, King among men-- may the two Spirits, garlanded with
lotus, vouchsafe that to me! From the four directions, as far as the eye can
direct its gaze, may that force, that elephant splendor, assemble and
concentrate its virtue in me. [Atharva Veda III, 22, 3-5]
He is also called Bhamani, for he shines (bhati) in all the
worlds. He who knows this shines in all the worlds. Now, whether or not they
perform the funeral rites for such a person, he goes to light, from light
today, from day to the bright half of the moon, from the bright half of the
moon to the six months during which the sun goes to the north, from those
months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun to the moon, from
the moon to lightning. There a person who is not a human being meets him and
leads him to Brahman. This is the Path of the Gods (Devayana), the path leading
to Brahman. Those who travel by it do not return to the whirl of humanity, yea,
they do not return. [Sama Veda, Cha. Upa. IV, XV - Instruction by the Teacher,
1-5]
Verily, there are two forms of Brahman: gross and subtle, mortal
and immortal, limited and unlimited, definite and indefinite. The gross form is
that which is other than air and akasa. It is mortal, limited and definite. The
essence of that which is gross, which is mortal, which is limited and which is
definite is the sun that shines, for it (the sun) is the essence of the three
elements. Now the subtle: It is air and akasa. It is immortal, it is unlimited
and it is indefinite. The essence of that which is subtle, which is immortal,
which is unlimited and which is indefinite is the Person (Purusha) in the solar
orb, for that Person is the essence of the two elements. This is with reference
to the gods. [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa. II, III - The Two Forms of Brahman, 1-3]
May the splendor of an elephant, the greatest of all creatures,
may that great glory, which was born from the Boundless, now be diffused. The
Gods together have bestowed it upon me. On this splendor have all the powers of
heaven concentrated their thought. May those Gods who nourish all life on earth
anoint me with splendor! [Atharva Veda III, 22, 1-2]
I adjure you, O Fevers of every sort, whether rife in the autumn
or monsoon or summer, intermittent or continuous, shivering or burning, depart
and vanish!
Atharva Veda V, 22, 13
The organ of speech departed. After being away for a whole year,
it came back and said: How have you been able to live without me? The other
organs replied: We lived just as dumb people live, without speaking, but
breathing with the prana (nose), seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear and
thinking with the mind. Then the organ of speech entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the Prana,
8
The eye departed. After being away for a whole year, it came
back and said: How have you been able to live without me? The other organs
replied: We lived just as blind people live, without seeing, but breathing with
the prana, speaking with the tongue, hearing with the ear and thinking with the
mind. Then the eye entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 9
The ear went out. After being away for a whole year, it came
back and said: How have you been able to live without me? The other organs
replied: We lived just as deaf people live, without hearing, but breathing with
the prana. Speaking with the tongue, seeing with the eye and thinking with the
mind. Then the ear entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 10
The mind went out. After being away for a whole year, it came
back and said: How have you been able to live without me? The other organs
replied: We lived just like children whose minds are not yet formed, without
thinking with the mind, but breathing with the prana, speaking with the tongue,
seeing with the eye and hearing with the ear. Then the mind entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 11
This water is the honey (effect) of all beings, and all beings
are the honey (effect) of this water. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who
is in this water and the bright, immortal being existing as the semen in the
body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self
is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge
of Brahman is the means of becoming all.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, V-The Interdependence
of Created Objects, 2
This fire is the honey (effect) of all beings, and all beings
are the honey (effect) of this fire. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who
is in this fire and the bright, immortal being identified with the organ of
speech in the body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge
of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman;
this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, V-The Interdependence
of Created Objects, 3
This air is the honey (effect) of all beings, and all beings are
the honey (effect) of this air. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in
this air and the bright, immortal being identified with the vital breath in the
body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self
is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge
of Brahman is the means of becoming all.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, V-The Interdependence
of Created Objects, 4
Now cold, now burning, you rack with a cough. Terrible are your
features, O Fever. Pray spare us the sight of your face!
Atharva Veda V, 22, 10
Do not bring in your train either languor or cough or rasping of
breath. Return never more to the place you have quit.
Atharva Veda V, 22, 11
He who knows what has the attributes of firmness (pratishtha)
becomes firm in this world and the next. The eye, indeed, is endowed with
firmness.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 3
He who knows prosperity (sampad), his wishes are fulfilled-both
divine and human wishes. The ear, indeed, is prosperity.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 4
He who knows the abode (ayatana) becomes the abode of his
kinsmen. The mind, indeed, is the abode.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 5
Your remedies so pure, O powerful Storms, afford us relief and
bring us joy. Those which our father Manu chose I beg from the Lord for my own
well-being.
Rig Veda II, 33, 13
May God's missile be deflected from us, may the anger of the
blazing God overshoot us! Relax your bow of wrath toward our well-wishers. Have
pity on our sons and on their children!
Rig Veda II, 33, 14
Then
considering her (the princess) as the door for imparting knowledge, Raikva said:
O Sudra! You brought these cows and other presents; this is good. But you will
make me speak now only through this means (i.e. the princess). These are the
villagesnamed Raikvaparna, in the country of Mahavrishas, where Raikva lived.
Now Raikva said to the king:
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, II - Dialogue of Raikva and
Janasruti (I), 5
Verily, Vayu (the air) is the swallower (samvarga). For when
fire goes out it is indeed swallowed by the air. When the sun sets it is
swallowed by the air. When the moon sets it is swallowed by the air.
The attendant searched for him and returned without finding him.
Then the king said to him: Listen, where a knower of Brahman is to searched
for, look for him there. [Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, I - The Story of Janasruti
and Raikva, 7]
After proper search the attendant came upon a person who, lying
underneath his cart, was scratching an itch. Humbly he took his seat near him
and said: Revered Sir, are you Raikva, the man with the cart?
Oh yes, I am he, he
answered. Then the attendant returned, saying to himself: I have found him out.
[Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, I - The Story of Janasruti and Raikva, 8. Sama
Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and Janasruti (II), 1]
When water dries up it is swallowed by the air. For indeed the
air absorbs them all. So much with reference to the gods.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and Janashruti
(II), 2
Now with reference to the body: Verily, the prana is the
swallower. When a man sleeps, speech goes into the prana, sight goes into the
prana, hearing goes into the prana and the mind goes into the prana. For indeed
the prana absorbs them all.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and
Janasruti (II), 3
These are the two swallowers: the air among the gods, the prana
among the senses.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and
Janasruti (II), 4
Then considering her (the princess) as the door for imparting
knowledge, Raikva said: O Sudra! You brought these cows and other presents;
this is good. But you will make me speak now only through this means (i.e. the
princess). These are the villages named Raikvaparna, in the country of
Mahavrishas, where Raikva lived. Now Raikva said to the king:
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, II - Dialogue of Raikva and
Janashruti (I), 5
Verily, Vayu (the air) is the swallower (samvarga). For when
fire goes out it is indeed swallowed by the air. When the sun sets it is
swallowed by the air. When the moon sets it is swallowed by the air.
When water dries up it is swallowed by the air. For indeed the
air absorbs them all. So much with reference to the gods. Now with reference to
the body: Verily, the prana is the swallower. When a man sleeps, speech goes into
the prana, sight goes into the prana, hearing goes into the prana and the mind
goes into the prana. For indeed the prana absorbs them all. These are the two
swallowers: the air among the gods, the prana among the senses. [Sama Veda,
Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and Janasruti (II), 1-4]
The attendant searched for him and returned without finding him.
Then the king said to him: Listen, where a knower of Brahman is to searched
for, look for him there.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, I - The Story of Janasruti
and Raikva, 7
After proper search the attendant came upon a person who, lying
underneath his cart, was scratching an itch. Humbly he took his seat near him
and said: Revered Sir, are you Raikva, the man with the cart? Oh yes, I am he,
he answered. Then the attendant returned, saying to himself: I have found him
out.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, I - The Story of Janasruti
and Raikva, 8
so’ham asmi |
“EXISTENTIAL REALITY”
THE UNBORN, ETERNAL, AND
THE IMMORTAL SELF
Sri
Chaitanyananda
CENTRE FOR STUDY OF CONSCIOUSNESS,
DIVINE GRACE FOUNDATION, BELAGAVI
Who Am I?
“In the beginning, this universe
was the self (Viraj) alone, in the shape of a person. He reflected and saw
nothing else but His self. He first said: I am He. Therefore, He came to be
known by the name ‘I’ (Aham). Hence, even now, when a person is addressed, he
first says: It is I, and then says whatever other name he may have. And,
because He, before (purva) the whole group of aspirants, burnt (vaushat) all
evils, therefore, “He is called Purusha”. He who knows this verily burns up him
who wishes to be Viraj in advance of him.”
[Yajurveda, Brih. Upa. I, IV- The
Creation and Its Cause, 1].
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1.
Structure and Composition of the Universe.
2. The Human Bain.
3. The Goal of Life.
4. The Solar System.
5. Our
Expanding Universe
6. ‘Who am I’?
7. Self-Realization (Atma-sakshatkara)
8. The Energy Factor
9. Existence and Non-Existence
Think it over
The Shadow of an object moves
with the object
that created it moves! Neither the
object that
moves nor the shadow are real. Only
the Light
create the shadow is real!
The Salient Features of
Existential Reality
Ever since we are born here, the eternal quest is to find the ‘Truth’,
the nature of existence, and the ‘Reality of this world’. It is the in-born
trait, the inherent quality of the jiva is to search, ‘to know’ and there is no
peace till one finds the answers. Some of the unanswered questions are:
1. Whether the world we live in
is real?
2. How did we take birth and what
exactly is the nature of our existence here, on this planet earth? What is the
goal of life?
3. Is there a beginning or end to
this creation? Where do we come from? And, where do we go after death? What is
‘Death’?
4. Who is the Creator and what is
His purpose of creation?
5 Why do people suffer? What is
the remedy for our suffering?
7. Are the Duality and Diversity
of this world are Unreal? And, do we know that the Non-dual Universe manifests
in diverse forms and functions by Will of the Lord- EkO’ham bahusyam?
Some of these questions have been
answered by great sages and learned scholars. For instance, we have the 7th
Century scholar an advocate of Advaita doctrine Sri Shankaracharya who stated
that the perceptible world is illusory and quoted the scriptures to enunciate
this doctrine. Why did Sri Shankaracharya say that this world is illusory? The
limitations (niyati), constant changes, and the inevitable death, decay and
disintegration create the transient world that makes it illusory. Illusion is
the product of Ignorance, avidya, that is caused by desire and attachment.
Further, whatever that undergoes change over time and space is not real! Thus,
the fleeting ever-changing objective world is said to be ‘Illusory’.
The
scriptures explicitly state that all the dualities and diversities are the
result of our ignorance about the true nature of our self. Once we are
enlightened by the touch of a guru the true nature of our existence is revealed
to us. Do we understand what the Bhagavan says in the Gita? Although it is explicitly
made clear that everything that we see and experience is illusory, a
make-believe world created by his power of yogamaya.
Many of the questions raised above have
been answered by many a great Sages who have
visualized the truth, on the one hand, and by the scientists, on the other. The
most interesting conclusion arrived at here is that the scientists confirm the
observations of the saints and sages! However, the common man cannot understand
the reality unless he takes a rigorous journey in this untrodden path by taking
recourse to yoga under an attained Guru. Further, these questions are eternal
and every jiva asks these again and again despite the fact that the very jiva
knows full well why it is suffering! The epics speak of creation in detail. The
Upanishads explain in detail every single aspect of the life of the jiva and
its predicament. They gives solution to the various problems and helps the jiva
to attain liberation.
Whose folly is it if the jiva suffers due
to its ignorance, avidya? What is it that makes the jiva suffer, is it due to
‘free will’, or is it the prarabhda karma? If it is ‘karma’ that binds the
jiva, who has created the jiva? Is it the ‘desire’ that creates all these
problems and the ‘desire is brahmn’, and, if so, why should the jiva suffer due
to somebody else’s desire?
All the troubles and turmoil of the jiva on its journey on this planet
are attributed to the tamasic quality of the earth. Let’s explore this myth or
reality. We have the great saints and sages who have guided millions of jivas that
aspire for liberation are enabled to get redeemed. The Bhagavad-Gita has
explicitly stated that there will be no rebirth (punarjanma na vidyate!)
if surrendered to the Lord. Once the curtain of avidya, that of attachment, moha,
is removed, the jiva is liberated instantly (sadyomukti). This
realization of the Self comes with the help of an attained Guru through sight,
touch, living at the dfeet of the Master and serving him, self-less service,
dhyana, nidhidhyasana, study of scriptures and other means, as stated in Jnyaneshvari.
The Gur is like Fire who burns all our desires, ego, and leads us to divinity
by his grace. Divine Grace, Daivaanugraha, is very important for
salvation. But it requires the help of an attained jnyani. It is not easy to
tear off the curtain of ignorance and realize the true nature of our existence.
However, it is said, all the jivas are redeemed at the end of the cycle- krama
mukti.
THE PERCEIVER AND THE PERCEIVED ARE ONE
“Consciousness
is everything”!
prajnyanam
brahmaa |
INTRODUCTION
पुर्नमदह्पुर्नमिदम्पुर्नत्पुर्नम्उदुच्यते। पुर्नस्यपुर्नमदय
पुर्नमेववशिश्यते॥
Purnamadahpurnamidam purnatpurnamuduchyate
| purnasya purnamadaya purnamevaavashishyate ||
Meaning,
Everything is full, complte, perfect since this fullness comes from THAT
(brahmn) which is complete, full and [erfect. Ultimately all that manifests
from THAT full, brahmn, are also complete, full, and perfect. This is the
fundamental principle of Creation. This is ‘Oneness’, nonduality, ‘Ekatvam’.
The Non-dual Universe is the Reality, whereas,
the multitude of variety and diversity of the perceived objective world limited
by time and space, as also, causality is unreal, illusory since it is a fleeting
world in an ever-expanding Universe.
The fundamental
principle enunciated in the ancient scriptures is very clear. It is “Unity
Consciousness”- samyak-prajnya,
where all dualities disappear! Duality is the reality one experiences as an
earthling bound to the gross material objective world where everything is
inter-related. The Mind, the senses and the intellect are closely connected
with the objective world and the senses act and interact as dictated by the
mind and the intellect. Objects that we perceive disappear the moment the mind
is disconnected from the objects! Even if the eyes are engaged and the mind is
not interested the objects do not matter, however interesting they may be! The
mind and moods thus dictate the interaction of the jiva with the world. No
interest, no life?
This duality of the jiva and world is the outward movement of the jiva
to experience the quality of the diverse paraphernalia of the material objects.
This is the product of ignorance. The moment the jiva realizes its true nature,
it discards the external world as one of no consequence. Then it turns inward
to experience the Self, hitherto neglected. Bhagavan Sri Krishna advises Arjuna
not to neglect the Self, the Atman. He advises him to know, realize, and
establish in the Self, the Atman, but hastens to add that there is no means of
knowing It. This knowing, observing, understanding, etc. are all function of
Consciousness! Consciousness is everything and it operates either outward or
inward at a time depending on the focus of attention. When consciousness is
conscious of itself it becomes self-centered within itself and attains to
Shiva. When it is working in an outward material world it is jiva. Shiva only
becomes jiva and the jagat. There is an option for the jiva
to revert to Shiva anytime by journeying inward toward the Self with the help
of yoga.
In fact, “Everything has
manifested from the ‘One’, single without any other as the second, unimaginable,
unthinkable, unknowable, and the invisible most powerful all-knowing,
self-effulgent, perfect ‘that’ (‘tyat’) for which there is no name (nama),
form (roopa), or function (kriya). Everything manifests out of ‘that’ as the
divine will”. All that we can ever imagine, think of, aspire, or dream
about, exist in it and manifest as per the ‘desire’, the divine will! This
entire universe is the gross product of the subtler-most ‘chit’ (consciousness),
the divine will, desire that is ‘brahman’.
Since the living beings are not in any way different or separate from this ‘chit’,
Consciousness, it is possible for the jiva to realize the whole ’truth’
(‘sat’),
the true nature of its existence. Only a keen sense of awareness of one’s self
will reveal the true self. This search for the true nature of the self (Atma shodha) continues till the jiva
realizes the pure state. This is pure consciousness (shuddha prajnya) unblemished or adulterated by desires, attachment,
anger, selfishness, jealousy, greed, etc. It is also necessary that the
out-going nature of the five senses and the vibrant mind, perverted
intelligence and such other aspects that make the jiva indulge in the external
phenomenal objective world are withdrawn. When one is busy with the affairs of
the world, working outward without any idea of the true nature of the self, it
is avidya. When the person becomes aware of the limitations, turns inward and
looks for the self, avidya disappears! Consciousness becomes aware of its Self
and reveals itself! The questions of Creation, Sustenance, Dissolution, and
Merger in Him, besides, ‘Who I Am’ are all answered here.
The Universe, so far known to us, is a vast undefined space that consists
of innumerable galaxies. Each one of these galaxies consist of billions or
trillions of stars- some having planets and satellites of their own! Some
planets like the earth possess ideal conditions such as air, water, and soil.
1 Structure and Composition of the Universe
The universe is said to be filled by
gaseous elements like Hydrogen and Helium. The entire universe, now called the
‘multiverse’ due to innumerable universe present, is indeed a dark space! The
darkness here is due to the dark energy, and the dark matter here is almost 76
per cent of the space. Light is emitted by stars and galaxies that constitute a
mere 6 per cent of the dark matter! The galaxies are said to be clouds of
gaseous masses of stellar-dust that may condense into stars. Thousands of stars
are being born and die out every second! It is said that these stars may
collapse under their own weight and burst or explode (as in the case of ‘neutron
stars’) bombarding the space with stellar dust particles and heavy metals like
gold, platinum, mercury. These are scientific explanations given by astronomers
and physicists. However, these observations are subject to constant review and
restatements. We are getting new facts and figures, as and when new discoveries
are made, and, hence nothing is certain about these. Moreover, all these are
mere postulations, hypotheses, theories and, may be, subject to change!
The facts and figures presented here are
thus not only the scientific version of the universe as presented by the
scientists like phycists, biologists, astronomers, and others, but that of the
Vedic scholars, as well! The scientific version is supported by what the
scientists have seen through the powerful telescopes and analyzing the pictures
obtained from electronic telescopic cameras that are mere waves and splashes of
colours! The scientists have presented their observations based on these and
have clearly stated that these are mere speculations and probabilities. The
artistic impression is presented and this may not present the reality. The
Vedantins, on the other hand, have boldly stated that the observations are
visions that are personally experienced and can never go wrong. Anybody at that
heightened level of ‘Consciousness’ in a transcendental meditative state will
envision or visualize the same ‘truth! Hence, what they state is ‘the whole
truth’. It is the Vedic doctrine approved, saying- evam veda, an indisputable statement, at that!
The ancient Indian astronomers and
mathematicians like Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Bhaskara, and many sage-seers,
spiritualists, visionaries, mathematicians have given detailed accounts of
their experience and the same are presented here in brief.
Thus, we have the views of both the scientists and the Vedantins for a
comparative study. The interested seekers of ‘truth’ may wade through the
literature available and make a practical effort to realize the truth through
yoga sadhana. Thus, a perfect view of the true nature of existence and the
place of man in the entire system can be understood! Once this is clear to the
seeker, he/she needs no further effort, whatsoever!
The purpose of this study is to know the
true nature of the jiva, as also, the nature of the transient world. Only an
enlightened person realizes the futility of experiencing all that the senses
present to the fickle mind due to avidya
(knowledge covered by attachment (‘ajnyan’)
and ‘Buddhi’ (intellect) shrouded like
dark clouds hovering as a result of the avidya.
Here, jnyan is covered by moha, mada (pride) and ahankara (ego). Only yoga will help to clear this avidya
and reveal the true nature and relieve it of its ignorance. It will ultimately
melt avidya and the curtain of maya falls! The jiva reeling under eternal
bondage is at once set free and liberated once for all. This is
‘enlightenment’!
The ultimate goal here is for jiva to
attain to the state of ‘Oneness’, and realize the ‘Truth’ that ‘I am
neither this body, nor this Mind, intellect, or the ego; all these adjuncts,
equipment, or instruments provided for purposes of experiencing the world. It
is sheer avidya that the jiva is attracted to the tantalizing world of objects
driven by the desire of experiencing them since it thinks of these objects as
real and satiable. It is again that the fickle mind drives the ten senses after
ten thousand desired objects not knowing the fact that they are just mirages!
This is the eternal problem of the jiva due to the curtain of maya and avidya,
or ‘knowledge covered by a sheet of ignorance. It is not easy to tear off
or drop this curtain of avidya and make the jiva realize the ‘truth’-
that the world is what is created by its own foolish Mind. The dawn of
Knowledge will enable the jiva to realize the truth- “I Am That”, the Unborn,
Eternal, Immortal Self. One must ultimately realize the principle of Non-dual
Universe and everything is Brahhmn.
Contemplate on the doctrines of ‘Aham
brahmasmi’, ‘tattvamasi’ and. ‘So’hamasmi|
The human brain is a wonder-machine that is closely associated with the
Mind and has immense capacity to think, imagine, dream, create and destroy,
discover and discern, dissect, disseminate, organize and reorganize, produce
and reproduce, edit and re-edit what all that has been understood, assimilated,
and then present that in a holistic synchronized picture! It all starts as a
desire (ichha), though-wave, an imagination and create images and gradually
with sankalpa, determination, consolidate and create a world by itself!
Different parts of the brain have trillions of cells, each cell performing
almost sixty thousand jobs at a time, instantly, and many of them do
specialized functions, too! Along with the ageing process of the jiva these
cells develop their ability to perform more and more specialized functions and
they too die out! In fact, the very ageing process is attributed to the cells.
Cells constantly divide and multiply, retrieve the information stored in the
DNA and RNA, transfer all memory intact to new cells before they burnout. In
fact, it is so mysterious that we grow from childhood to ripe old age and
perform specialized functions as per the genes and memories of the past lives.
It is estimated that a normal person hardly ever uses one per cent of his
mental potentiality. While the right
side of the brain is normally used, the left part is left almost unused by most
of us! In fact, the left part of the brain has unique capacity of perform the
jiva’s karma. This is the most significant aspect that determines the destiny
of the jiva. The entire life and activity of the jiva such as intelligence,
creativity, art, music, mathematics, etc. depends on the carryover of the past.
2. The Human Bain
The ‘Mind’ (manas) is at the root of all that is human (‘manava’). This is the third level of evolution, the first two being
that of plants and animals, the latter evolving from the aquatics, amphibian,
the quadrupeds, and the bipeds. The animals that evolved from the primates to
the Homo sapiens have developed the
brain and the mind operates it. However, it is difficult to know what this
‘Mind’ (manas) is, where and how,
when and why it enters the jiva! Once the mind takes over the human being, it
operates till the end of its life-span. It is governed by two other factors-
Intellect (buddhi) and the ego (ahankara). Together these three as inner
instruments (antah karana) control the life of the jiva. However, we do
not know how, and at what stage of birth, these enter the jiva.
The Gita exemplifies the eight
fundamental principles, prakruti ashtadha- five natural elements like space, air, fire, water and earth, and the
three antah karanas- manas, buddhi, and ahankara
(manas and chitta are considered one here since the active mind is vikshipta
manah). These are the manifest aspects of the Lord. In fact, everything is the
manifestation of One supreme, brahmn.
When it comes to Mind, it is a
mystery how it works as chitta (thought
waves generated within) and thoughts occur, desires start, and imagination
and dreams work round the clock! Except in deep sleep, the mind is working
continuously. The Mind is a reservoir of Energy, a Thermodynamic Reactor, at
that! It is a winder how new ideas occur and what activates it to materialize
in daily life! The human brain is only an instrument, a physical entity full of
electronic cells, but charged by spiritual energy, not one hundred per cent by
food alone, the material one. The bicephalic brain is not fully utilized by us.
Most of us are accustomed to use the right side of the brain only and some left
side, or both.
It is said that geniuses, wizards, path-breakers, and inventors, and
such other talented ones with creative intelligence use the left part of the
brain, and none ever masters the use of all parts of the brain in their life
time. Hardly, even a negligible percentage of the brain is ever used in a
lifetime of a person. Only a ‘Vedantin’, yogi or spiritually enlightened
person can develop his/her full potentialities through practice of yoga. In
yogic trance, samadhi, a yogin can reduce the vibration of a trillion cells
that cause thought waves. All the heated cells are cooled down and condensed
into a molecule! Thus, the visionaries have given us a brilliant presentation
of the holistic view of this universe!
It is the constant endeavor of
all thinkers, whether they are Vedantins, or the scientists ‘to know’ and
‘understand’ the reality, the ‘truth’ about the world we live and work, as also, find out who we are,
wherefrom we arrive here, and wherefore do we go from here? The scientists
think in a limited way, in a narrow perspective, and feel that answers are
eluding! However, the ancient sages have
found the answer to all these questions by taking recourse to yoga and their
intuitive thoughts and vision have revealed the ‘truth’. They have experienced,
realized, envisioned ‘truth’ in a transcendental or extra sensorial sate, i.e.,
the turiya or atindriya sthiti of savikalpa samadhi. It is also the state
of sakara brahmn.
Almost a hundred and odd
Upanishads explain in different ways what the learned Sages experienced in
their yogic trance. The nature of ‘reality of existence’ is explained by
Bhagavan Shree Krishna in the Gita. There are many other scriptures like the
eighteen epics attributed to Sage Veda Vyasa, the Upanishads of unknown
origin(?), and the spoken words of Bhagavan Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita,
besides the Brahmasutras attributed to Badarayana, an unknown Sage,
Narayana Rishi.
There is no such thing as scripture anywhere in the world that is
attributed to God. Bhagavan Shree Krishna, the supreme Lord, is an avatara of
Vishnu. He descends to earth to save the pious, learned sages and saints, as
and when there is a decline in ‘Righteousness’, dharma . He also helps
us to find out the true nature of our existence, the manifest aspects of both
the ‘purusha’ and ‘prakruti’- ‘the self’ and ‘the nature’. The ultimate answer
is very simple: “The perceiver and the perceived are one”. Conscious
awareness of the seeker will bring out this truth! Consciousness is not only
conscious of itself, but also of the ‘other’. All of us, equipped with sense
organs (jnyan and karma indriya), are interested in the external
world and dwell in it from birth to death! Only the renunciates turn away from
the sensuous world since they have lost all desires to experience the sense
objects since they know that these endless desires are insatiable. They also
realize how the objective world is trivial, limited, and bound by time and
space. It is rarely possible for anybody to take respite, pause for a while to
think about the self, unless ordained by the divine, as if by the carryover of
the past lives!
The entire life of a commoner is spent in earning a livelihood and
running the family. Scarcely any time is left for thinking beyond these after
the days toil. However, a time will come for taking stock of the situation,
look back, and think about where one is running, and wat for. Even when one
realizes the futility of this wandering, there is hardly and time to pause or
turn back! It is extremely difficult to withdraw from the sensuous world and
turn toward the higher spiritual attainments! Wisdom dawns and renunciation
begins. This is consciousness being conscious of itself!
Ultimately, what is it we want? We are all
like children crying not knowing what for they are crying! No one is ever happy
even when one gets what is desired! Every jiva is born with desires, dreams and
aspirations, and is bound to die with total disillusionment. The reason for
this is ‘time’; time wears out the fervor, the charm of getting is worn out by
the time the desired wish is fulfilled since time, space or distance and
causality eats away the charm. This is the inherent nature of this phenomenal
objective world! None is ever happy in this transient world of insatiable
desires. Eternal happiness, joy and peace will never ever be attained by worldly
attainments. There is an anonymous saying: “Lo! The entire world knows him. He
is so well known that his name and photograph are the part of text books in
schools. Alas! He knows not who he is, and it is the greatest tragedy of his
life! This should not happen to us. The real joy, peace and happiness, is
within us all. Whatever we experience is just sensorial perceptions and not due
to the ‘true nature of our self’- that is ‘sat-chit-ananda’.
3. The Goal of Life
The goal of life, purushartha sadhanam, is to attain to
this state of sat-chit-ananda by
withdrawing our senses, mind, intellect, and ego from their constant engagement
seeking joy and happiness in the external transient sensuous world, and make
them turn them inward toward the soul, the Self. This needs yogic practices to
open the third eye or develop the inner intuitive insight. This inward journey takes
more rigorous exercises and the journey is much longer and more tortuous,
difficult to traverse without the help of a guru. However, the ‘guru’ is not
forthcoming unless there is an ardent cry and the Lord hears it. Then the guru
will come to our door!
Vedanta and
Science
It is in the nature of the jiva to search
for the ‘truth’. All knowledge is one and ‘Truth’ is one only. The path to
search are many and the ultimate goal is the same, the ‘Truth’. What is this
‘truth’? It is not something, an ‘other’ that is outside of one’s self, but the
’Self’ itself! This is the crux of the problem. This ‘Self’ is the ‘truth’
and the search is of ‘the Self’. It is the ‘vid’, knowledge, ‘sat’ and ‘truth’. What one discovers at the end
is one’s ‘Self’ only! The observer and the observed become one. Whoever is
established in this ‘Self’ is the attained one! This attainment to the ‘Self’
is the end of the journey.
Scientists take
recourse to different methods analyzing the objects of perception, vision, and
arrive at their own conclusion according to their ability to understand and the
subjects they opt for search range from astronomy, biology, chemistry,
mathematics, and physics to zoology (A to Z). On the other hand there are the
thinkers who take to contemplation (dhyana) and yoga become visionaries, the
Seers (drushtaras or darshanikas).
These Seers or darshanikas are the
path-breakers like Kapila, Patanjali, Kanada, Gautama, Jaimini, and Badarayana,
who have presented us the six darshana shastras- Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Purva Mimamsa, and Uttara Mimamsa (Vedanta Sutra). These six classical texts cover the entire
knowledge concerning Creation, sustenance, development and dissolution covering
the wide range of fundamental principles of creation (srushti tattvas),
eight-fold path to enlightenment, reasoning and logic, time space. Matter, mind
and soul paving way for the knowledge of the self and the ultimate reality (of
existence). In fact, the Sankhya
forms the foundation of the Temple of Knowledge, whereas, the Vedanta constitutes the towering peak
(Seven levels of Consciousness as shown in seven Gopuram) of all knowledge, with the culmination of knowledge as viveka, vairagya, and mokshagati.
“From the standpoint
of ‘Vedantin’ there is no science separate from Vedanta. There is just
one single urge, the seeker’s curiosity to find out the true nature of
existence and to experience it. There may occur unique events that come as
turning point in our lives, which can sometimes change our view of what is
important and, even drive us to know how we should live our lives! Words, too,
only make sense when they are linked to experience… Just reading about truth or
hearing about truth are not enough; it has to be experienced. Vedanta at the
intellectual level makes it clear that the great challenge is to understand the
self and consciousness. The Self and consciousness could perhaps be emergent
qualities of the complex brain that helps to maintain continuity in our
understanding and experience, according to scientists. But, Vedantin views the
‘Self’ (Atma) and ‘Consciousness’ (prajnya) not as emergent elements of a
complex system, but as the inherent unchanging universal elements that underpin
all existence and represent ‘Reality’
which is untouched by the laws of change and causality”. (Siddhartha Sen). It is also important to note: “What we
perceive as our physical objective material world, is really not physical or
material, at all! In fact, it is far from it.” This has been proven time and
time again by multiple Nobel Laureates (among many other scientists around the
world). Niels Bohr, a Danish Physicist, who made significant contributions to
our understanding atomic structure and quantum theory says,
At the turn of the nineteenth century, physicists started to
explore the relationship between energy and the structure of matter. In doing
so, the belief that a physical, Newtonian material universe that was at the
very heart of scientific knowing was dropped, and the realization that matter
is nothing but an illusion replaced it.
Scientists began to recognize that everything in the Universe is made
out of energy. [Arjun Walia, Collective
Evolution: Nothing is Solid and everything is ‘Energy’–Scientists
explain the world of quantum physics, SEP., 27, 2014].
For all practical purposes, the universe is
just a vast mass of vibrant energy particles and all that we see is forms
created by different wavelengths, frequency and amplitude of this vibrant
energy waves! The scientists have detected the signal of the first star.
Crucially enough it sheds some light on dark matter- an invisible mysterious
substance thought to make up a large share of the Universe. “Finding this
miniscule signal has opened a new window on the early universe” says the
Project Head at Arizona State University, USA. It is estimated that almost 180
million years after the Big Bang, say, about 13.60 billion years ago the
universe began pulsating! This has been recorded by The Great Australian Desert
Lab Spectrometer. Accordingly, the universe was, initially, cold and dark (-270
Deg. Celsius / -454 Deg. F), may be due to dark matter losing energy? Now, in
2013, it is assumed that (based on the Plank satellite) everything we see is
just 4.9 per cent of the Universe and dark matter accounts for 26.8 per cent.
And the rest 68.3 per cent is dark energy! Scientists believe that the Universe
was cold and dark filled with Hydrogen almost for 400 000 years at the dawn of
the Universe (birth of the first Star?). But, let’s remember that all these
pertains to our Solar System and not the beginningless and the endless
multiverse system.
4. The Solar
System
Although it is now common knowledge that the
Sun is a moderate-size star consisting of Hydrogen (H) that split by fission
and created Helium (He4) due to fusion and the earth is formed out of
condensation of the solar flares, the scientists could not find either Hydrogen
or Helium in the earth! It is found only in the Exosphere, on the outer-most
level of atmosphere 10 km. above the earth’s surface since it is the lightest
gaseous element. It is only 100 years ago that the scientists inferred the
existence of Helium and 250 years ago the presence of Hydrogen! The yellow line
in the chromosphere is said to be the Helium waves and it is twice heavier than
Hydrogen, the lightest element. Helium is the coolant in cryogenics and Hadron
Collider vacuum chamber. It occurs in natural gas. It liquefies at 4 Deg. K and
a superfluid at 2 Deg. K. But surprisingly, it was detected only in 2018.
TIME
Everything in this universe comes within
the grip of Time. Time is an illusion since it varies from situation, Latitude
to Latitude and space, and is variable. In fact, Time only creates space (as it
travels over distance); space is the hidden aspect of time. There exists
nothing when time and space are united as ’nowhere’.
When time moves, it creates space and, objects occupy the space! Time begins
with the radiation of the electromagnetic waves, solar radiation (with relation
to earth), light and onset of day-we have the days and nights. Since ‘light
travels at 186000 mps, space, time and intelligence are inherent in Light. If
anything moves at the speed of light it ceases to exist in time! Even if one
travel at the speed of light that person are reduced to ‘nothing’! This ‘nothingness’, unity in time and
space, is brahmn. In fact, that which
is measurable, or that which comes within the grip of limitation (niyati) of time and space is ‘Ma-ya’. Hence, everything, including
Time and Space, is ‘maya’. Illusion, maya, is the manifest form of the
unmanifest ‘brahmn’.
As already stated, for all practical
purposes, for us here on the earth, ‘time’ and ‘space’ are virtually created by
the sun rays (radiation /electromagnetic waves). The sun rays inheres within
the electromagnetic waves a number of other qualities such as light, heat, life-force
(actinic rays), qualities dictated by colours (violet, indigo, blue, green,
yellow, orange and red), as well as, many an invisible powerful rays such as
the infra-red and ultra-violet, the alpha, beta, gamma, x rays. The three
prominent ones that represent the qualities of nature are the tamas (dark), the rajas (red), and the sattva
(white). All life-forms are supported by subtler waves of life-force (actinic
rays), and energy (like Vitamin D), sound and syllables (alphabets), words and
their meaning producing the phenomenal gross objects are all hidden in the
electro-magnetic waves of solar radiation.
The factor of ‘Time’ (kaal) holds
everything within itself! Both electricity and magnetism are involved in Time.
Time is energy. Time creates and destroys objects. Thus, the ‘time-space continuum’ is the basic tenet
of science. Time is indeed illusory since it does not exist outside the forces
of rotation of the earth! Hence, time
is illusory, and, so also, the space
that is created by it! If both time and space are illusory, the physical
objects that occupy the space and endure in time are also illusory! This is the
concept of maya. Thus, everything in
this universe is governed by this maya- the limiting factor (time, space and
causality).
Einstein and many others tried to give
some explanation regarding the universe in many different ways, such as,
algebraic equations mathematical formulae, and theories and hypotheses. They
presented a ‘Theory of Relativity’, a ‘Probability theory’, a ‘Quantum
Mechanics theory’, ‘Gravitational theory’, and many others. So far, one single
unified general theory that can explain everything is evading! In fact, now it
is learnt that such a ‘Unified Theory’, that could explain all, is not
possible at all! Some intervening powerful extraneous force is always there
affecting the structural changes that take place in the transformation of
matter! Mere combination of two ions of hydrogen (H2) and an oxygen ion (O) may
not immediately or instantly produce water unless there is a catalyst that
brings about change! If that were so, may be, there would be no dearth for
water on earth?
But, in Vedanta, the entire universe is
visualized as a continuum- one of ‘unitary existence’! Everything is intimately
connected to the other. Till now, there was no point of contact between the
Scientists and the Vedantins and each one viewed thing in their own perspective
and there was no common platform for them to exchange their views. Besides,
their language of expression was different. The pundits considered it a taboo
even to think of Vedanta and Science together and talk about the two in the
same breath, as if, it was not advisable to talk while eating’! Hence, there
was no attempt to synthesize our knowledge and present a holistic view of our
existence in this transient, ‘make-believe’ world. Now, times have changed. The
scientists have taken to serious study of ancient Hindu scriptures and have
found answers to all that they wanted to know!
The puritans or the conservatives on the one
hand, and the sceptics, or the rationalists, on the other, have so far never
looked eye to eye in matters of spiritual doctrines. Hence, it was not possible
to give a holistic view as to the true nature of our existence, know “who we
are?” and attain to higher and higher levels of existence in pure
consciousness. Even the scientific discoveries did not help us in any way to
solve some of the pertinent questions as to the true nature of the self and the
universe. Whatever we have learnt from our school and colleges have been of no
avail when it comes to know the ‘Reality of Existence’ or Atma sakshatkara in the Vedic parlance. Now, the scientists have
turned towards the yoga and thereby gained an inner vision as to the delicate
subtler forces that are operating in the universe. Now, they have come to state
“solid is not solid”! The latest development in scientific discoveries have
also proved that the Vedantic views are more realistic than the scientific views!
Hence there is a better understanding as to the true nature of the world we
live in and our own place in the universe, as an inseparable part of the whole.
This holistic view brings more peaceful and happier disposition towards life
and brings enormous peace in a much-disturbed world. The doctrines enshrined in our sacred
scriptures in the form of short aphorisms, such as, sarvam khaluvidam brahmaa | ‘so’ham
asmi’ | ‘tat tvam asi’| ‘aham brahm asmi’| ‘Atmai vedgm sarvam’| ‘ayamAtmaa
brahmaa’|
The latest findings in modern scientific
researches that include quantum mechanics, wave theory, molecular biology, DNA
studies and atomic theories that explain ‘origin of the galaxies, stars,
planets and satellites’, origin of life, structure and composition and function
of the human body, etc. It starts almost from the beginning of the tiniest
subatomic particles of matter such as the fermions and bosons, quarks, phonons,
photons and covers the ‘Solar System’, with man at the centres of the study. It
tries to bring out the ‘Reality’ of the very nature of our ‘Existence’, the
‘sat’, the ‘chit’, and the ‘ananda’ aspects enunciated in the Veda. There is
much progress in the field of atomic physics, quantum mechanics and waves and
vibrations of ‘Energy’, DNA studies and molecular biology and study of ‘cells.
In
all reality, all living (chara) or
non-living (achara) beings are
nothing but ‘vibrant energy’ due to chemical bonds. In fact, there is nothing
to assume anything beyond this! However, the case of human beings is slightly
different. All human beings are not the same. Some are in advanced stage of
evolution, whereas, many are just opening up into a state of the human from the
primate, say from monkey to man? This is due to the development of the manas (mind) - the vibrant mature mind. There are seven levels of consciousness at
which one can exist! Also, this study
takes us from the ancient Greek’s ‘Geo-centric’
theory (with the earth at the centre of the study) to the modern ‘Helio-centric’ theory (with the Sun at the
centre), and, now we take to the ‘Homeo-centric’
theory of the universe (with ‘homo
sapiens sapiens’ at the centre) keeping ‘man at the centre’ of the system
in the universe. In a way, it is like the famous Rene Descartes’ doctrine of ‘cogito, ergo sum’, “I think, so I am”; but, of course, there is a
little modification here in the light of the doctrines of the Rk Veda Samhita- aham brahmasmi | so’ham asmi | ayam Atma
brahmn | In this sense of the term, there is nothing that is separate from
me since I am the part and parcel of that, what all exists! In fact, I only
create everything and everything ends with me, as Sri Krishna says in the Gita.
It is He who says, “I am the soul, the
self of all”. “The Universe exists in me. I am the universe”, says Lord Sri
Krishna. (Bhagavad-Gita). These are considered as the ‘spiritual aspect’. Man
as a thinking animal, saying, “I think, so i exist”; with a little awareness,
it becomes- “I exist, so I think”.
“Consciousness
is everything”. prajnyanam
brahma | sarvam khaluvidam brahmaa|
The Upanishads explicitly stated, “It is
not that, not that” (neti, neti).
What all we see are mere qualities, attributes, not the real! All that we see
are objects that come within the grip of vibration, maya, and limitations of time, space, and causality. Light travels
and creates Time and Space and objects fill it. Since ‘Time” itself an
illusion, ‘the space created by it as it moves’, and ‘the objects that fills
it’ are also illusions. The true nature,
‘Reality’, is different! It never changes, it is immutable. Now, the modern scientists, too, have started
talking in this very same tone. The latest research findings have confirmed the
observations of the great sages on the principle of ‘oneness’ (Ekatvam) and ‘immutability’ (acyutam) - “the sub-atomic particles at
the one end and the cosmos at the other as one continuum- anoraniyan mahato mahiyan | The fundamental principle is that the
brahmanda (macro) and the andanda (micro) exist in a continuity as the two ends
of an invisible thread- thick at the one end tapering off at the other, continuum, as explained in the
Lagrangian String (L) theory. The scientists now say, “solid is not solid”
and, “what we see as the phenomenal objective world as real, is not truly
real”! Beyond the visible, there is an invisible, subtler, vibrant state, that
is almost virtual, a state of- ‘is there’ and ‘is there not’, rather, ‘exists’
(sada) and ‘exists not’ (asada/ non-existence), rather, an
abstract state of almost ‘nothingness’, a dormant state of matter, manifesting
as something!
The Nasadiya sukta, of Rk Veda, Mandala X,
has made this amply clear. Even the Purusha Sukta of the same Mandala has been
confirmed by the scientists! The latest visuals from powerful telescopic
cameras have revealed a large cloud of stellar gas spread out in the shape of a
human! It is the massive cloud of stellar dust (‘Fermions’) that later
condensed (Einstein-Bose Condensate) as ‘Bosons’ and ‘Quarks’. The primordial
matter, called the ‘God particle’, majorana fermions (-ve) - is the crux of the
problem. The fusion or fission (coalescence or clash) of matter and anti-matter
that releases energy is at the root of all this secret of birth and death of
stars and their planets.
Thus, it is very clear as to how the
visible universe has come into existence from almost a state of ‘nothingness’
to ‘everything’- manifest from ‘nowhere’ to ‘now and here’! What we see or
experience as the real world is, indeed, a movie of forms of vibration of
energy, like the picture on a screen depicting a story. The form is created by Light,
Fire, as stated in the Vedic statement- Rupa
is the tanmatra of agni. The following study brings out
these aspects of creation in detail. Modern research studies in ‘Matter’ cover
the entire field of particle physics, quantum mechanics, wave theory, energy
concept, gravitation theory, and the structure of the atom (ions) down to the fermions and bosons, as
‘God Particle’! Is this the ‘I’
principle based ‘on’ (foundation of
awareness) or existence! It is the ‘ahanta’,
a thought, an idea, feeling that “I am the body’. It is the avidya, a gross
aspect (‘chit’- a particle of energy)
of the Mind?
The most surprising fact is that the
latest research findings in the fields of astronomy, physics, biology, and
chemistry confirm the statements of our ancient sages. What the modern
scientists have found out with the help of the electronic gadgets such as the
telescopes, spectroscopes, microscopes have been actually visualized by these
Sages of lore, these saints have actually realized the ‘truth’ in their yogic
trance, ‘savikalpa-samadhi’, or Transcendental meditative
state (of trance) visualizing saguna
brahmn. They have stated their experience in brief aphorisms like the
mathematical formulae or the scientist’s equations! There is no contradiction,
whatsoever, with the modern findings. In fact, what these sages (drushtara) have visualized are true for
all times to come, whereas, the modern theories, hypotheses, postulations, and
assumptions are subject to change! It is not the intention of the author here
to make the text highly technical going deep into particle physics and
micro-biology and make it difficult for common man to understand; however, deducing
some of the doctrines that are depicted in highly esoteric symbolism cannot be
made easy for common man to understand in ordinary common language, for it will
fail to convey the essence, ‘truth’. The ‘truth’ has to be realized by oneself
in a ‘transcendental meditative state’, savikalpa
samadhi, through yoga. The sadhaka can experience it. Whatever is
experienced remains the individual’s own, inexplicable and cannot be put in
words for the benefit of the others! Whatever one experiences as a ‘vision’ (darshan) by his/her own yogic effort
cannot be questioned, too. Those who want similar experience will have to
undertake similar practical yogic steps (ashtanga
yoga). There are innumerable methods of experiencing the truth. Once a
person experiences ‘sat’, ‘the
truth’, there remains nothing to be proved.
The Universe so far known to us consists of
millions of galaxies and nebulae with trillions and trillions of stars in them
spread out in a vast dark space that is constantly expanding and ever-changing
with lots of volatile activity within. It is in a state of flux. Hence, it is
somewhat difficult to present any accurate picture of the present-day universe
in simpler words to make the layman understand the intricacies involved in it!
This is also the case of the life on earth, its true nature, the humans and
their faith and belief systems, simply called ‘Vedanta’! Today we get latest reports from the
astronomers and scientists in different branches like physics, chemistry,
biology about the origin of the stars like our Sun and its planets, as well as life
on earth, the nature of the galaxy, the Milky Way. This has been made possible
by the powerful telescopes that can detect infrared light (invisible to our
eyes).Stars, including the way our Sun grow up within clusters and groups.
There are huge masses of clouds of matter moving out from areas where ‘baby
stars’ are forming, as if disengaging from the densely populated nurseries
where dozens or even hundreds of stars are born. It is believed that our Sun
was a binary (accompanied by another star that might have exploded releasing
lots of heavy metals like iron, nickel, magnesium, gold, silver, and platinum. It
is explicitly stated that the cold rotating gaseous mass of stellar dust or
clouds in space get pulled together by gravity. These become flattened discs
spinning faster and get shrunk and finally slow down to form a star. This
process may be accompanied by out-flowing jets that may span over ten trillion
miles! The planets are formed in their discs as we see in ours. Since intense
ultraviolet radiation cover the entire region. And destroy the atmosphere
surrounding them, it is difficult to know whether massive stars develop the
discs and the planets. Another version is that the stars belch out solar flares
into space and these masses of solar material condense into planets in course of
time by cooling. Also, it is stated that the outer rings of solar matter
separate from the main body and cool down and condense into planets. There are
the nebular hypothesis, the tidal hypothesis, planetismal hypothesis, the ‘Binary
Star’ theory, or the supernova theory (where one of the twins exploded), and
the like, to explain the origin of the solar system and the planets like earth,
mars, venus, Saturn, Jupiter, etc. in it. According to the supernova theiry the solar system is born due to low
mass. Our solar system was triggered bylowmass supernova 4.56 billion years
ago. A cloud of stellar gas and dust gradually formed into planets. However, it
is difficult to believe such an eventuality where the supernove bursts and will
have enough energy to compress clouds to prduce planets. This assumption is
based on the study of meteorites, as the debris around our planet.
At best, we can get a picture of the universe in our
mind from the visuals about the galaxies, stars, and planets and their
satellites, etc as presemted mostly by the NASA. We get some facts and figures
about the stars and planets from studies by astronomers, the space research
studies and their publications. But, all these will in no way help us to get a
comprehensive idea about the true nature of either the universe or our
existence. Much of the knowledge we possess about space will ever remain just
an idea, an illusion, due to lack of personal experience. We can never ever
have a true idea of what a galaxy or a star is despite we see them on through
powerful telescopes. We have a number of pictures taken from electronic
telescopic cameras and nice descriptions of them, too. When we take up a study
of these stellar materials our ability to comprehend the true nature of these
fails!
We cannot see or understand the processes
involved in the formation of the stellar dust or clouds of gas taking shape in
the space. We can never see the sub-atomic particles like the pions, quarks,
electrons, positrons, gravitons, and other miniscule invisible objects we
discuss here! The electrons move, en masse, at such enormous speed that they
are never seen! Let us take the ‘energy’ aspect of these particles, for
instance. It remains a mystery where it(energy) emerges and how it gets
transformed in course of the hypothetical time because both time and space
merge at the end of light, radiation emitted by it?
At the root
of all creation is atomic energy, its instability and vibration, friction,
fission and fusion, heat generated from friction, fire or agni. ‘Agni’ is
formed out of vayu (air) in Akasha (space). Air is created by the mass of
gaseous elements like nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, etc. Hydrogen is the main
constituent of the Sun. Heat expands and the cold contracts is the principle.
In a given volume of space a certain fixed quantity of objects can be accommodated.; say, for
example, 10 grains of air in one cubic millimeter of space. However, water vapor can eneter in and come
out of this space. When temperature decreases air is cooled and the capacity to
hold moisture decreases, and vice versa. Thus, any given given space can hold
either air or water vapour 100 per cent of space, or half (50%) or quarter
(25%), or go on varying along with the varying temperatures. Thus, when moist
air is cooled, the the water vapor condense into water drops and precipaitate.
This is how thethe universe is expanding due to the particles compressed
releasing heat. The space is thus full of massive clouds of stellar gases
getting compressed, heated and expanded. This is again cooled and condensed to
form the stars and their planets and
satellites. Life is also, in this sense, a form of expanding or contracting
energy! This is exemplified in Rk veda where a number of suktas are devoted to agni
deva, God of Fire. At best, one can get
a picture of the universe in our mind from the visuals about the galaxies,
stars, and planets and their satellites, etc as presented mostly by the NASA. Some facts and figures about the stars and
planets are obtained from studies by astronomers, the space research studies
and their publications. But, all these will in no way help us to get a
comprehensive idea about the true nature of either the universe or our
existence. Much of the knowledge we possess about space will ever remain just
an idea, an illusion, due to lack of personal experience. We can never ever
have a true idea of what a galaxy or a star is despite we see them on through
powerful telescopes. We have a number of pictures taken from electronic
telescopic cameras and nice descriptions of them, too. When we take up a study
of these stellar materials our ability to comprehend the true nature of these
fails!
It is difficult to know, or understand the
intricate processes involved in the formation of the mass of stellar dust or
clouds of gas taking shape in space. We can never see the sub-atomic particles
like the pions, quarks, electrons, positrons, gravitons, chiral and nucleons
and other miniscule invisible objects we discuss here! The electrons move, en
masse, at such enormous speed that they are never seen! Let us take the
‘energy’ aspect of these particles, for instance, it remains a mystery where it
(energy) emerges and how it gets transformed in course of the hypothetical time
because both time and space merge at the end of light, radiation emitted by it?
The most important thing in quantum laws and
particle physics is the Energy aspect. It is the subtle set form of sub-atomic
particle that controls the entire universe at both the macro and the micro
levels. This energy is the sustaining force of galaxies and the souls of all
living beings. It is a ‘phonon’, a
photon that contains the entire plan of creation, transformation and sustenance,
and finally dissolution. How the universe functions at different levels is a
mystery that can never be understood by man since Man is himself an entity
supported by it! This is exactly what is ‘knowing oneself’, i.e., the knowledge
of the Self (Atmajnyan). Once a person realizes who he/she is, the search ends!
It (the Self) is this immortal, unborn, eternal and all-knowing that is called
the ‘Atman’.
The Universe is governed mainly,
Energy; Electromagnetism (that includes light, electricity and magnetism),
Forces that are both strong and weak, and Gravitation. While we all know that
solar radiation is electromagnetic waves, there is no clue as to what ‘Gravitation’
is and how and where it comes from. But scientists have predicted the existence
of Gravitational force. It exists in the form of waves formed due to collision
of two massive black holes, a billion light years away! This prediction
confirmed the theory of Einstein assumed a century ago. Rainer Weiss of MIT and
Kip Thorne and Barry Barish were given the Nobel Prize in 2016 for their works
in this field. The entire universe is covered by the gravitational waves as
ripples in time-space. Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity 1916 had
predicted this force operating in the universe and affecting everything!
Einstein suggested that matter and energy would warp the geometry of space-time
producing gravity. He also predicted that “space-time could stretch and expand,
tear and collapse into black holes”.
Energy
is released when the matter and anti-matter coalesce, merge, or hit as in the
case of quarks, electrons and positrons. Energy is the inherent property of
matter. At the one end lies the huge mass of clouds of stellar dust where every
particle is capable of emerging out as a star! At the other end lies the
smallest of the small particle, almost invisible to the eye. The scientists
were in search of this miracle ‘angel particle’ an idea based on fantasy, but
true! This is the anti-particle of the fundamental particle!- an identical
twin, but with an opposite charge. When the particle meets this antiparticle
both would be annihilated releasing ‘energy’. The first antimatter particle-
electron’s opposite, the positron was finally discovered. At the lowest end lies the fermions that
includes the proton, neutron, electron, neutrino and quark, there should be
particles that are their own antiparticles. The scientists found the first
antiparticle of the fermion and called it ‘angel particle’. Actually there does
not exist anything like that!
It is only an intellectual exercise, at the
most a mathematical equation. This majorana fermion, fermion’s antiparticle, is
called ‘chiral’ fermion, half a sub-atomic particle (moves in a single
dimension in a particular direction). This is useful in computers for storage
of information without fear of losing it.
Thus, we have on the one hand, the galaxies
as the huge mass of clouds of stellar gases at the one end, and on the other,
the invisible tiny particles, almost non-existent (?) like the ‘pions’,
fermions and bosons, or quarks decaying into gravitons; The quarks and
anti-quarks crash and disappear releasing energy! Even the Fermions and
Majorana Fermions, as matter and anti-matter, crash and get annihilated releasing
energy. But, nobody has ever seen any graviton or an anti-quark! All these are
theoretical speculations. However, the tiniest particles are the source of all
that exist! The tiny emery particles like the phonons are the nuclei of all
that exist as the material objects of the world, including the ‘Soul’ of the
living beings, providing energy to sustain the body! It is stated that, “Over
the next ten years a new telescope, James Webb, and other radio telescopes will
allow us to see the gas before they form the stars, we will also see the first
stars, the first galaxies and will be able to see the life history of the
universe.” (Brian, Raman Res. Inst. Bengaluru).
However, the Vedanta gives a better
picture and a more comprehensive one. It is much easier to know about the
fundamental principles of creation, with no contradictions whatsoever. The
fundamental principles have been stated to be 76 in all, further reduced to 36
principles according to Shaivagama shastra, whereas, these are reduced to just
25 principles, such as, the 5 Great basic elements (pancha mahabhuta) and their respective qualities (tanmatra), 10 organs to experience these
qualities (knowledge/jnyan and action/ karma), and three qualities emerging
from nature such as sattva, tamas and rajas. Thus, according to the Sankhyans,
everything comes within these fundamental principles. One may add a Creator, purusha and its power, shakti as His Nature (prakruti) to these. The Purusha is
attributed with 5 powers, such as, ability to create (srushti), sustain (samrakshana),
dissolve (laya), appear and disappear
at will (tirodhana), and bless (anugraha). These again make it 35
fundamental principles that govern the universe.
The earth’s atmosphere extends upward to
about 10 Kms. and it consists of the exosphere freely moving hydrogen ions at
the outer-most level, and the ionosphere below it, followed by the chemosphere
(with ions of oxygen), the stratosphere (strata of streams of air mass) and the
thick troposphere (consisting of dense mass of air). Air becomes rarified as
one goes up into space. What the Sankhyans put as the basic five principles- ‘pancha mahabhuta’, such as, the Akasha, vayu, agni, jala, and pruthvi are stated in science as space,
air, fire, water and earth that contain almost all the known and the unknown
elements- gross and subtle, gaseous, metallic and non-metallic, organic and
inorganic, etc. These are the fundamental building materials of the universe
and can be traced to the tiniest invisible sub-atomic particles, including the
living beings. Everything is energy and emanates (as gross matter) and gross
matter inheres energy to sustain it. Space is also matter and is considered to
be a flexible transparent envelope that can accommodate all that exists! The
space was considered to be ‘ether’, a medium through which matter passes, and
was later discarded by the scientists. Now, space is a thin invisible entity
that envelopes the Universe. It is within and outside everything that we see,
touch and feel. Air freely moves in space and generates heat; it is the
compression (generating heat), or expansion (cooling particles of air), that
produces condensation. Air consists of lighter gases like Nitrogen, Hydrogen,
Oxygen, Ozone, Argon, and Methane that were already present in the exploding
stars. The differential heating and cooling of air particles creates pressure
differences leading to movement of air from the High to Low Pressure areas.
‘Energy’ inherent in matter is at the base
of all vibrations! The vibrations at different wavelengths, intensity and
frequencies create sounds, and the consequent paraphernalia of the physical
world including the water and soil and all that are found on earth. Hence,
there is not much difference between the Samkhya’s and the Scientists’
explanation of the origin of the universe and its constituents. However, the
Vedantins treat these elements as of divine origin and Rk Veda calls them the
‘Shakti Devi devata’ the ‘Elemental Gods’. Hence everything is divine, devata
shakti in Vedanta. But, they are treated as just fire, air, force, gravity, el
electromagnetic forces, physical, chemical, or biological phenomena, and energy
from thermal, hydel, thermodynamic or nuclear sources by the scientists.
Everything is ‘Agni’ (soma, anala and
surya) in Veda, whereas, it is just ‘Energy’ in science!
Thus, it is very clear as to how the
visible universe has come into existence from almost a state of invisible
gaseous entity, almost ‘nothingness’, to ‘everything’, rather, manifest from
‘nowhere’ to ‘now’ (time) and ‘here’ (space)! What we see or experience as the
real world is, indeed, a movie of forms of vibration of energy, like the
picture on a screen depicting a story. The form is created by energy as stated
in the Vedic statement, Form (rupa)
is the essence (tanmatra) of Fire, Agni.
The following study brings out these
aspects of creation in detail. Modern research studies in ‘the physical matter’
cover the entire field of particle physics, quantum mechanics, wave theory,
energy concept, gravitation theory, and the structure of the atom down to the
pions, quarks and anti-quarks, electrons and positrons, fermions and bosons, and
majorana fermion as ‘chiral’! This fundamental particle with dualistic nature
is called the ‘God Particle’! In fact, nobody visualized the emerging factor
called ‘phonon’ that bind particles as in crystals! The most surprising fact is
that the latest research findings in the fields of astronomy, physics, biology,
and chemistry confirm the statements of our ancient sages. What the modern
scientists have found out with the help of the electronic gadgets such as the
telescopes, spectroscopes, microscopes has been actually visualized by these
Sages of lore, these saints have actually realized the ‘truth’ in their yogic
trance, ‘savikalpa samadhi’, or
Transcendental meditative state visualizing saguna
brahmn. They have stated their experience in brief aphorisms like the
mathematical formulae or the scientist’s equations! There is no contradiction,
whatsoever, with the modern findings. In fact, what these sages (drushtara) have visualized are true for
all times to come, whereas, the modern theories, hypotheses, postulations, and
assumptions are subject to change! Nothing is certain even in science and the
scientists have admitted ‘probability’ as a significant aspect. Now, it is also
found that some strange intervening force, a catalytic agent, ‘chiral’, phonon is playing a significant role in formulating the universe at
the gross state level. Thus, a ‘phonon’ builds up a tree, animal, or human body
using the soil, water and light! The spiritual entities such as the devi devata
are also energy aspects that do not build up any physical body since they are
not in contact with the soil and water. They remain suspended or moving in the
atmosphere and act as forces (Shakti) controlling the mind and moods of the living
beings.
Some of the Vedic doctrines depicted here
are of the nature of highly esoteric symbolism. They are like the mathematical
equations or physical laws explained in the form of equations like E = m.c2. These
cannot be put in appropriate words and made easy for common man for it will
fail to convey the essence, the ‘truth’. The ‘truth’ or mystery of creation has
to be realized by oneself in a ‘transcendental meditative state’, savikalpa samadhi, through yoga. The
sadhaka can experience it. Whatever is experienced remains the individual’s
own, inexplicable, joy that cannot be shared! The siddhi or success attained by
the spiritual seeker as a ‘vision’ (darshan)
cannot be questioned, too. Those who want similar experience will have to
undertake similar practical yogic steps (ashtanga
yoga). There are innumerable methods of experiencing the truth. Once a
person experiences ‘sat’, ‘the
truth’, there remains nothing to be proved.
What is Life?
‘Life’
as ‘energy’ is a ‘force’, that goes to make the living beings live and
work. It is extremely difficult to
know and understand what this ‘life-force’
is and where it begins and where it ends. ‘Life’,
is called a ‘Life-force’ (prana), found
in all the five elements (pancha
mahabhuta- akash, vayu, agni, jal and
pruthvi). It is always there and it has no beginning or an end! It exists
as ‘energy’ (€) everywhere in an invisible form. It has the ability to enter
and exit anything and thereby, create or destroy a living-being! Thus, any
living being is classified as a ‘moving’ or ‘non-moving’ object like a plant,
fish, bird, or animal, that can grow and propagate or reproduce. Behind these
lie the inorganic substances supporting soil, minerals and compounds, water and
other materials. Thus, it is clear that a living being is a mass of substances
supported by life force, ‘prana’. All
living beings are subject to decay or death. There are billions of species of
living beings and the human species alone accounts for almost a 830 million!
The animals, birds, and small insects are of varied forms and functions. It is
still not clear whether there exists life-forms of this kind in any other
planet other than ours, called the ‘living and pulsating earth’. The tiniest
form of a life-form is a microbe, of the type of an unicellular amoeba. Much
research is in progress in the study of ‘cell’ and its structure (like ribose,
DNA) and we know very little about the tiniest organisms that may exist in deep
forests! The true nature of life is thus ever eluding! This is elaborated later
in the text here.
The
search for a common universal ancestor is still on and what all we know so far
may be summed up here as follows:
May be, there existed a single nuclear
particle, an entity that qualifies for a living entity, existed 3.5 billion
years ago when the earth was too hot and was undergoing cooling. This may be a
kingdom of microbes from which evolved three prominent types of living entities
such as: the bacteria, the archeans, and the eukaryotes. Deducing from what is
known to the depth of the unknown, the effort is to trace the starting point
and the archetype. The different environments and ecosystems pose a challenge
here and it is difficult to arrive at an agreeable conclusion. It ends up in
probabilities. However, it is now possible to trace the ancestors of the
presentday living creatures with the help of the genes decoded from the amino
acids – ribosomal RNA and the DNA chain. The DNA letters- A, T, G, C, are an
indication to this! Each letter of this signifies the clan and may take us to
the primordial one. Hence, the earliest life-form to appear on earth is yet to
be traced! However, it may be presumed that the earliest creature must be the
tiniest that can survive enormous heat, that of volcanic magnitude. It is also
predicted that the life-form adapted to extreme heat is dated back to million
years after the earth gradually cooled from its gaseous and molten state. It is
almost an invisible unicellular microbe that evolved later into bacteria, archeans
and eukaryotes. Which constitute the universal ancestors. All that exists as
different forms of life such as insects, birds, and aquatic, amphibian,
arboreal, and land animals belong to these three. Archaic one, may be a sort of
weird one, is believed to be the earliest! The DNA studies have facilitated an
easy way of learning about life-forms. The first full DNA, or genome, of a
bacterium has been decoded. One of the four letters of the DNA chain– A T C G,
of the links of the chain, must be holding a secret. Most probably, we assume, the
letter A of the DNA chain holds the key.
This, we infer from our Vedic knowledge
that ‘brahmn’ initially holds everything that manifests later as powers that
can create any and every diverse objective phenomenal world! Here, the same DNA chain that contains the
four links or ladders- A G C T are full of knowledge, intelligence, creative
power and energy, as well as, creative skill. These may be interpreted as- ‘A’
as brahmn, ‘G’ as Gods of different
powers/shakti, ‘C’ as Consciousness, cit, and ‘T’ as Time. The Ribosomes (RNA)
get these from DNA as genetic code and converts it into a function (deciphering
the genetic code) in the cells that form the amino acids (that shapes the
organs, also hold the key).
However, it may be safely concluded that
the very ‘concept of life’ is yet to be understood properly. As and when
compared to the materialistic way dealing with the scientific methods, the spiritual
path taking recourse to yoga with the assistance of an attained soul and attain
samadhi to visualize the truth seems to be far more reliable.
6 ‘Who am I’?
Before answering this significant spiritual
question, it is important to note what Bhagavan Sri Krishna says about the
three constituents of the human being (jiva)-
the adhibhoutika, adhidaivika and the
Adhyatmika. The human body has four
main components- physical body (sthula
sharira), the mind (manas),
nervous system (nara-nadi),
and the soul (Atman).
The nervous system consists of an extensive network of nerves and neurons,
although included in the physical body as a gross entity such as the alimentary
canal or the food pipe, the wind pipes, blood veins, and smaller and smaller
veins that constitute the subtlest of subtle aspects of the jiva that carries signals
like sentiments, emotion, pain, pleasure, love, compassion, and many other
invisible forces!
The
outer material body or the earthen shell is made of soil and water, rather
food, and support the tissues, organs and the body that comprise of small
invisible cells numbering about several trillions! As a matter of fact, the jiva is a gross body (sthula / adhibhuta) made up of the five
elements- (a) pruthvi /earth/soil and
minerals (food), (b) jal- water, (c) agni-fire, (d) vayu/air, and (akasha) space.
The second one is the Mind (manas / adhidaiva); it is both gross and subtle according to its changing
states- mind and mood (chitta). Mind
and mood play a very dominant role in the life of the jiva.
The
third one is the subtle causal spiritual entity (karana sharira / adhyatma) which normally does not play active
role, unless activated by the Mind (manas)
and the Intellect (buddhi). This the
subtler aspect of the jiva. It is a complex system of nerves and neurons that
carry all that is subtler and vital to the very survival of the jiva. These are
partly visible and partly invisible carrying currents of sensation, life-force,
thoughts and feelings, emotions, and, as such, very little understood by the
jiva. The entire body is a network of these nerves and neurons numbering 36 000
on each side of the body totaling 72 000. One central nerve only branches out
into a hundred, which in turn each one into a hundred and thereby cover the
entire body. These nerves and neurons play a very significant role in the life
of the jiva conveying the life-forces, emotions, signals and enable the organs
to function. Of these four major constituents of the jiva, the outer physical
body depends on food, water, and air. It is controlled by the Mind that
interacts with and through the physical instrument of brain located in the
head. The Mind, however, is greatly influenced by food, drinks, and the objects
of the world including the waves and tides! However, the soul remains a mere spectator,
unless called for with the help of yoga with the help of a learned spiritual
teacher.
The fourth component is the Soul, Atman, the core of the jiva. The
living being, jivatman, is a noble
aspect of creation. It is the invisible essential part of the entire system! In
fact, it has all the knowledge, information and technology, ability to create
and transform whatever it needs! This is the divine aspect of creation, may be,
the Creator only! There is nothing besides this in all the universe and entire
universe is the manifest forms of this invisible powerful divine entity!
What is mysterious about the jiva, as a living entity, is the system of
living cells- pindanda. This unique biological phenomenon is a conglomerate
of a very complex system of intelligent cells (andanda)! These cells, almost invisible to our naked eyes, perform
wonders! Each biological cell (jiva kosha)
is equipped with Consciousness (chit),
knowledge and intelligence (jnyan and
buddhi), and an immense capacity to function
in multifarious ways, such as, understanding, considering, discerning,
disseminating, connecting, coordinating, conducting and conveying (without
itself moving!), diligently organizing, dividing and destroying, etc. These
cells, initially, one single entity consisting of amino acids, ribosomes, di
oxy ribonucleic acids (DNA), enzymes, vitamins, genes, Harmons, chromosomes,
and a host of other invisible forces and power that can execute the signals
such as desires (ichha), dreams,
imaginations, and the like of the jiva!
Each and every organ of the jiva is a
complex system of tissues made of cells. The cells that constitute the heart,
the lungs, the kidney or the liver, the brain, the nerves and neurons, the
bones and bone marrow, the blood, the skin, and all the minute organs of the
body are nothing but the pulsating cells, and nothing more than that! More than
all these, the cells have the innate capacity to construct or destroy whatever
they deem fie decision making capacity is inherent in each cell, thereby, the
body grows, matures, deteriorates, and dies!
The scientists are working out the ways and
means of making these cells constantly rejuvenate endlessly, keep the body
young without ageing and deteriorate and collapse. However, it is difficult for
the maturing cells to go back in time- from old age to childhood!
As far as the activities of the jiva are concerned, almost all spend
their entire life in acquiring some knowledge and skill so as to enable oneself
to get sufficient food and live comfortably. There is hardly any time left for
any other pursuit, much less to know about the very purpose of such a living!
The neglect of the soul by the ignorant jiva has created a mess and little does
the jiva knows about this. Only a few sensible persons have ever thought about
it and pursued the knowledge of the soul, Atmajnyan.
Almost all the people die without knowing this simple truth. The tragedy is
that the most successful persons in public life who achieve laurels like Nobel
Prize, and national recognition like the Bharat Ratna, die without knowing who
the real person, ‘purusha’, he/she is! So far, none has ever given a thought to
how the jiva arrived here on earth as a sub-atomic particle (an atomic energy particle),
in the form photon, (particle of ‘Light’) emitted by a distant star; it entered
the clouds, rain drop, soil, food particle and became a ‘spermatozoa’ It entered
the would-be mother’s womb and, remember, the chance of impregnation is almost
nil! What all the jiva, as a human being, later attains (as a famous doctor or
engineer, scientist or philosopher) is just a faculty (bit of material knowledge,
that too, an insignificant part of the total knowledge) of their selected field
of interest, or by force of destiny and chance!
Once a person realizes the ‘truth’, who
he/she is, the objective phenomenal world falls off like a house of cards! The
jiva is liberated from its repeated cycles of births and deaths,
metempsychosis’ the moment it realizes who it is! All the attachment to the
worldly objects disappears. This is the end of all desires and attachments.
Here is an anecdote from the Jataka Tales. When Gautama became the Buddha, he
was brought to his father’s Palace and introduced to his father, wife, and son.
But the Buddha did not recognize anybody! He said, “I have no father, wife, or
son”!
Then, one of them asked Rahul, son of Gautama,
“Who are you since your father disowns you? He also said, “I don’t know! I have
not seen my father ever since he left before I could see and know him, nor do I
know anything about my father’s mother! I am told she was already dead by the
time my father could see her!” This gives us an idea about how we all are
attached to the world due to ignorance of our true nature. The phenomenal
objective world is transient and subject to death decay and dissolution. There
is nothing permanent about it and we somehow cling onto it!
The same is the story of many a orphans,
forlorn children abandoned, or sold for a price, or adopted by some foreigners,
or for that matter, even those saved from a hospital fire, or accident site.
These kids do not know anything about their antecedents.
And, Lo! There are people who boast of
their religions, caste and creed, and belief systems and harm others who do not
follow them! All these are eye openers to a person who is enamored by attachment,
greed, ego, and suffers from ignorance.
But then, “Who am I?” This question is persistently asked by every jiva when
it gets puzzled as to its role in life. It is confused. It is always somebody
and not the real self. Hence it seeks an answer. What is the answer? The answer
is very simple and direct. When all that are called ‘me and mine’ are discarded
what remains is ‘that’ pure self. This pure self is inexplicable. It is pure
bliss, total awareness of the true self. This state is found in deep sleep as
well as a state of samadhi yoga. It is not an unconscious state; it is total
awareness of the self and everything else within its self.
A living being, jiva, rather, an embodied
soul, will ultimately find out who he/she is after a long introspection, quest,
taking an inward journey in search of truth! It (the jiva) discovers that it is
an embodiment, acquisition of a material gross physical body and it is
constantly changing with time; hence it is not the ‘sat’, true self. So also,
the fickle mind is always thinking about this and that, called ‘manovikalpa’,
or’ chanchala chitta’, together with the perverted intelligence (vipareeta
buddhi), is not the true self. The ‘ego’ (ahankar) that rules the jiva, too, is
not the self. All these- manas, buddhi and ahankar, are at rest when the jiva
when the jiva goes to deep sleep. So, the jiva finds that all these appendage-
physical, mental or psychosomatic entity that is of no avail to find out the
true ‘Self’, that is covered by avidya.
Finally, a Guru (Yogacharya Shree Krishna)
comes, as if by divine providence, to help the confused jiva (Arjuna) to redeem
it from all this mire of mental or physical, earthly existence. However, it is
not that easy; this needs a bit of carryover of the fruits of action (karma
phala) carried over from the past (purvarjita),
God’s grace (anugraha), and the blessings (ashirvada)
of the departed souls, teachers, and elders.
The jiva has to prepare for this long
journey taking recourse to yoga through spiritual practices (adhyatma sadhana),
satsang, and study of scriptures. Finally, the jiva comes to know that it is
not ‘this’ and this’. It finds out that the true nature of the jiva is nothing
but the ‘truth, consciousness and bliss (sat-chit-ananda) and, it is finally
redeemed. This may happen instantly or may take several lives! This is a big
question mark? It is all a question of discarding what all is acquired from
birth, rather than adding accumulating wealth and appendages, prefixes,
affixes, and afflictions to the name, form, and function or revel in the mire
of earthly existence, enjoying a sensuous life that is transient.
7. Self-Realization (Atma-sakshatkara)
The need for Self-Realization arises as a
result of the limitations set by time-space-causality, on the one hand, and the
acquired qualities of the jiva due to its earth-bound state depending on the
food derived from its soil, on the other. The jiva finds itself in an eternal
birth-death-rebirth syndrome and suffers hunger, thirst, ailments and old age
during its short span of a hundred years or less of its life. This
‘realization’ (if at all it comes?), it is hoped, would open a new vista as to
the awareness of the true nature of the jivatman that would erase the ignorance
and pave way for enlightenment! This will not happen as long as the jiva is
working outward. Thus, the need for an inward journey leading to realization of
the Self, atma sakshatkara arises.
What exactly happens when the jiva
contemplates on itself is- ‘the realization of its true nature’. After a long
contemplation, the jiva realizes that the body it has built over a time from
food, say a few drops of milk or a spoonful of baby food, starting from the day
it is born to its ripe old age eating breakfast, lunch, snacks, and a few
drinks in between holding is nothing but a earthen pot! It is the same food
that is converted into cells, tissues, organs with blood and bones. It is
almost 70 per cent water and 28 per cent earth (food), the rest being air, fire
and space within. Thus, the microcosmic jiva is a replica of the macrocosm.
That is the reason why the scriptures say; as is the macro, so is the brahmanda
(micro) so is the pindanda
(microcosm). The miniscule organic entity that constitutes the jiva as the
‘cells’ (jiva kosha) plays a vital role here. The blue print of the entire jiva
is held in a jelly like protein-covered cell consisting of the amino acids,
enzymes, vitamins, hormones, chromosomes, the Ribose nucleic acids (RNA) and
the DNA. The entire plan and the path of journey of the jiva’s journey is mapped
here. In fact, every aspect of birth, growth and death is clearly laid down in
a zipped manner like a computer memory chip! This realization is ‘Atma sakshatkar’.
The
jiva, in the course of its deep contemplation in a state of transcendental
meditation, suddenly gets a flash, realizes that it is not the physical body,
the senses and mind, the buddhi or the ahankar, but a divine spark, an ion or
photon. It is not even the torso, the
limbs or the head that matters in day-today life. The mind itself plays a
dominant role in life of the jiva, much to its disadvantage! Mind is the cause
of misery and the jiva suffers due to its ignorance. Almost like a divine
intervention there comes a turning point in life when the jiva realizes the
true nature of its self. It realizes that the jiva arrived as an energy
particle, a particle of Light, photon, reached the earth and got embedded in an
earthen pot, a gross body, The horoscope give the exact location of the star in
the sky. It is not difficult to decipher all these secrets from a horoscope
provided the astrologer is also an astronomer! Otherwise, it is just a pastime.
The Bhagavad-Gita also gives these details
how the jiva is not a mortal body but an unborn, eternal and immortal entity as
the soul, Atman or ‘jiva jyothi’ embodied in an earthen shell; Life is not just
a journey from the date of birth to the date of death. It is the eternal
journey of a particle of Light is space. This Light contains knowledge,
consciousness (Chit), having all information in a zipped chip form, with the
ability to transform objects and run a course in different forms and
functions.
Thus, LIFE is a manifest form of several subtler
forces such as Light (Knowledge), Intelligence, Force (Shakti), and Energy
(Prana). It also contains the essential ingredients of a divine nature, the ‘sat’, ‘chit’, and ‘ananda’. It is capable of visualizing its true nature. This is
called ‘Shiva’ in the scriptures.
Shiva is not only aware of Himself as the Self, but also, as ‘another’, another not much different
than the Self. The world, ‘prakruti’,
or Shive is the creative power of Shiva. Thus, the jiva is nothing but
Shiva. Shiva is prakasha (Light), Shiva
is also Shive, Vimarsha, the analytical aspect- the universe. The combined
aspect of Shiva and Shive, as Shivayuvati,
or ardhanarishvara is one indivisible
Self. Thus, everything is the manifest aspect of one’s own, the Self.
How the Jiva
arrives on Earth:
The Bhagavad-Gita explains how the jiva
arrives on earth. All the living beings survive on food which comes from the
soil. Plants depend on Rain for germination of seeds. Rain comes from clouds.
Clouds are formed from evaporation of water from oceans due to sun’s heat.
Thus, it is the same ‘solar energy’ that lies in the form of water vapor in the
clouds that produce rain due to cooling and condensation. This ‘solar energy’
is the ‘life–force’ that we get from the sun as well as the distant stars. Each
jiva is an ‘ion’, a subatomic particle, a photon, a stellar dust particle, in
this sense of the term.
This life-force or ‘prana’ is at the root of all jivas (prani). Water, heat, and soil play a very important role in
germination of the seed. Vedic Texts say, “purusha’
(brahmn) is the seed. In the Gita,
Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, “I am the seed of creation”. Everything is ‘chaitanya’, energy inherent in spirit,
the soul that is unborn, eternal and immortal. The soul is eternal, in the
sense that, ‘Energy cannot be created or destroyed’. How can an entity that is
invisible, unborn and eternal create a physical body of biological entity
called ‘cell’ and function within the limitations of time, space, and
causality? In other words, how can the ‘non-existent’ (‘asada’) become existent (‘sada’),
and again revert to the state of ‘non-existence’? This is the mysterious
universe. This has been explained in the concept of ‘maya’.
Who created the
Universe?
In the Gita, Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, “I
am the seed of creation”. Everything is ‘chaitanya’,
energy inherent in spirit as we as matter that is unborn, eternal and immortal.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy is derived from sun, also known
as Aditya (and distant stars, too,) as far as earth and its living beings are
concerned. The Sun is the chief source of energy for us. As regards the actual
process of creation or evolution of life forms, there are a number of sources
and Vishnu purana and Devi Purana are the important ones. Some of these details
are given later. However, in brief, it is stated that “Eighty-four thousand
species are created by cosmic force Adi parashakti. Two opposite forces-equal
and opposite are created as Satyarupa (Aditi) and Diti as consorts of Kashyapa,
the self-effulgent, svayambhuva manu. From Aditi are created Sun, vayu, soma,
Indra, agni, varuna, aryaman, pushan, ashvin, vasu- all considered the Vedic
Devata. The human beings are created by svayambhu manu, the manifest forms of
Aniruddha, the mixed impure sattva!
Kashyap and Aditi while all others including
the demons are created by Diti. Brahma creates, Vishnu nurtures and Ishvara
neutralizes the forces of fusion and fission. The energy component of the Trinity-
brahma, vishnu, and Ishvara will be reflected in the human beings as the
‘Atman’. The Atma is the chaitanya of vishnu, intellect and creativity comes
from Ishvara, and, finally the humans can cognize and realize Atman and
experience sat chit and ananda only through self-awareness. There are no
physical entities or parents and off-springs as such here. Body, mind and
intellect as well as the soul spontaneously generated tuned to cosmic energy of
the supreme spirit sol, paramatman. The scientists are still busy in finding
the mystery involved in the creation of life. The molecular biologists have
discovered the constituents of the structure and composition of the cell- the
protein gel membrane that covers the cells, the genes and their inherent characteristics,
the DNA and RNA chains, the amino acids, enzymes, the vitamins, hormones, and
the chromosomes are all now known but for the exact source of their energy
component, may be traced to an extraneous source that can never be described!
The following illustrations will give us some idea about these.
8. The Energy
Factor
What creates and sustains the universe is
the ‘Purusha’, the potential for
creation, the inherent Energy in Matter. But nobody knows what is this
‘Energy”, its source, its true nature, and its dissemination. Nobody knows how
much Energy is needed for different functions of all that is created, or for
that matter, where this Energy lies and in what form, whether it is always
dormant or active, always potential or kinetic- as an electron and a positron
and a neutron! The result is what we see as a paraphernalia of a vibrant energy
field. It is the vibration that is the universe and everything disappears the
moment the waves subside! Science tries to discover this ‘God particle’ and Vedanta
describes the potential and the kinetic aspects of this Energy in the various
epics, such as the Vishnu purana, Shiva purana, Padmapurana, brahmanda purana,
etc. What is the outcome of all these?
The first manifest form of ‘Energy’ is the ‘mass of clouds of
stellar dust’ that first appeared as a figure of a person (purusha) - with head, torso and limbs stretched! Later, it expands,
spreads far and wide, takes the form of a vast and deep Space (sagara) in which exist all that we see
and experience. The stellar materials take the form of dark energy, dark
matter, gravitate and start emitting light and become galaxies and stars and
develop their own systems of planets and satellites like our Solar System.
These stars are of different dimensions and potentialities. But we do not know
what sort of, and how much of, this energy is required to create the stars,
galaxies or the visible universe? Where did it lie and how does this energy
emerge or manifest and in what form? For all practical purposes, ‘Energy’ is
derived from stars and the nearest to us is the sun, also known as Aditya and
all living beings are sustained by it. The Sun is the chief source of energy
for us. As regards the actual process of creation or evolution of life forms,
there are a number of sources and Vishnu purana and Devi Purana are the
important ones. Some of these details are given later. However, in brief, it is
stated that “Eighty-four thousand species are created by cosmic force Adi
parashakti. Two opposite forces-equal and opposite are created as Satyarupa
(Aditi) and Diti as consorts of Kashyapa, the self-effulgent, svayambhuva manu.
From Aditi are created Sun, vayu, soma, Indra, agni, varuna, aryaman, pushan,
ashvin, vasu- all considered the Vedic Devata. The human beings are created by
svayambhu manu Kashyap and Aditi while all others including the demons are
created by Diti. Brahma creates, Vishnu nurtures and Ishvara neutralizes the
forces of fusion and fission. The energy component of the Trinity- Brahma,
Vishnu, and Ishvara will be reflected in the human beings as the ‘Atman’.
The Atman
is chaitanya the chit-shakti of Lord Vishnu, with intellect (buddhi) and creativity or intelligence derived from Ishvara. The
humans can cognize or realize the Atman and
experience its true nature- sat chit and
ananda, only through Conscious awareness of the Self. There are no other
physical entities or parents and off-springs, as such, here. Body, mind, and
intellect, as well as, the soul are spontaneously generated, and tuned to cosmic
energy of the supreme spirit- soul, paramatman. The scientists are still busy
in finding out the mystery involved in the creation of life. The molecular
biologists have discovered the constituents of the structure and composition of
the cell- the protein gel membrane that covers the cells, the genes and their
inherent characteristics, the DNA and RNA chains, the amino acids, enzymes, the
vitamins, hormones, and the chromosomes. We all now know everything except the
exact source of their origin, their energy component, and think they are
derived from an extraneous source that can never be detected!
The Journey
of jiva starts as peck of star dust from
a Star, reaches Earth as if by chance and through clouds, rain, soil, and food, get converted into a spermatozoa, a
zygote and, to the form of a Baby (as
shown in Figs. A 1- 5 and from a seed to a huge tree asin B 1-2 below. Also,
note the potency of the sperm and the seed!) The germination of seed and
fertilization of eggs are curious aspects of life. Also, there are viruses and
germs automatically appearing from nowhere! Shoots cut and transplanted also
grow and thus propagation takes place. These are andaja (of egg), budbhuda (of sprouts), svedaja (of sweat) and retaja (of semen)- the four types of
propagation.
Chaitanya,
prana, life-force is the critical factor in creating life. This prana or
life-force is coming from oxygen and hydrogen, but who puts it there is the
question! Oreover, one seed only becomes a orchard, plantation, or forest. One
person only becomes family, society, and nation. ‘Life’ is a word lossely applied to a collection of
processes- DNA replication and transcription krebs cycle, lactic acid cycle. We
are yet to decipher the true nature of the ‘life-force’ or ‘prana’ that is at
the root of all jivas (prani). Water and soil play a very important role in
germination of the seed.
A 1 2 3 4
5
6
4 5 6
Where does the prana lie? This is still open
to question since it is said Prana is life-force like Oxygen in the space (akasha), or with the mind and desire!
Mind and mood, desire and attachment, abhinivesha
or love of body are important subtler forces in creation and sustenance. “No
desire, no life”, is the doctrine. This is explained in the ‘madhurashtakam’ (Sweet/attraction/magnetism?)
and the doctrine of sacrifice, ‘yajnya’,
in the Veda. “Everything is sweet’ (madhuram)
and sacrifice”, says the Veda. The Sun burns itself, sacrifices itself, to
produce heat, light, energy and life-force and thereby created all the
paraphernalia of life-forms on earth. Each one is a link in the food chain and
a sacrifice, at that. Man sacrifices his freedom for a wife and family, the
family for the society, the society for the nation, and the nations for the
world at large. This goes on and on until everything ends at the wave of the
magic wand of the lord. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “I am the magician (mayavin) and I project/ create with my
magic wand (Sudarshana chakra) and,
withdraw/ destroy everything.” He says “I am Time” -Kaalo’smi |
There is a Space-Time Continuum in the
Creation of phenomenal objectives that are transient. This is termed ‘maya’ in Vedanta. This is the subtlest
factor that governs all that is our Universe, including the Planet Earth and
its living beings!
The Vedic doctrine is “Desire is brahmn”.
All that we see here is brahmn. In a way, it is desire that creates life.
Desire arises due to the inherent divine aspect of ananda. Everybody lives only
due to this ananda. Breathing itself is joy, ananda. “No desire, no life”,
is the doctrine. This is explained in the ‘madhurashtakam’
(Sweet/attraction/magnetism?) and the doctrine of sacrifice, ‘yajnya’, in the
Veda. “Everything is sweet’ (madhuram)
and sacrifice”, says the Veda. The Sun burns itself, sacrifices itself, to
produce heat, light, energy and life-force and thereby created all the
paraphernalia of life-forms on earth. Each one is a link in the food chain and
a sacrifice, at that. Man sacrifices his freedom for a wife and family, the
family for the society, the society for the nation, and the nations for the
world at large. This goes on and on until everything ends at the wave of the
magic wand of the lord. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “I am the magician (mayavin) and I project/ create with my
magic wand (Sudarshana chakra) and,
withdraw/ destroy everything.” He says “I am Time” -Kaalo’smi | According to the Gita, things should happen by will of
God! The Lord says, it is my leela! Learned sages, Jnyani, say, “Oh
Lord, not a blade of grass stirs without your will”; trunamapi na chalati te na vinaa | Only divine will prevails.
The
Scientific view: The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking
covers the growth of modern physics (Quantum Mechanics, General Relativity, and
Modern Cosmology) sprinkled with the wild speculation about multiple universes
that seems mandatory in popular works these days. Short but engaging and packed
with colourful illustrations, the book is a natural choice for someone wanting
a quick introduction to mind-bending Theoretical Physics. Early on, the authors
claim that they will be answering the ultimate riddles of existence.
Who am I? Where Am
I? Am I an alien who arrived here on Earth? What is my true nature of
existence? In a sense, we are
all aliens who descended to this Planet Earth. We arrived here in the form of
an energy particle, a neutrinos (neutron), a photon, an energy particle, fully
loaded with all knowledge, information technology,with ability to
create
and modify, or transform, produce unbelievably miraculous forms and functions,
such as a celia, a minute biological
cell that can create, develop, sustain and disseminate jivas before
dissolution.
8. “I
am That (tyat)”,
“I
am That (tyat)”, says the Veda. “I am
the Universe”, scientists declare! Aham
brahmasmi is the Vedic doctrine. Now, the scientists have attained the
state of the ancient sages and declare that the science and the Vedanta are one
and the same! Today, we know more almost everything from a sub-atomic particle
to the giant star, the universe, the multiverse and beyond! “I am Shiva” (Shivo’ham or so’ham asmi) is the ultimate truth! Look within and
find ‘it’ out. This is explicitly
stated in the AtmA bodha of Sri
Shankaracharya. Aham brahmasmi is the
Vedic doctrine.
It all starts with the tiny twinkling Star.
Great astronomers starting from Aryabhata to Galileo, Tycho Brahe, Kepler and
Stephen Hawking did a lot of sky watching and documented their observations.
What all we know about the universe from sky watch are mere speculations,
probabilities, theories and hypotheses, and postulations.
Moreover, our knowledge is obtained from the
study of ‘Light’. Scientists have presented the theories of ‘Big Bang’, ‘Black
Holes’ and the General Theory of Relativity and Gravitational Theory. The most
powerful telescope to get the pictures of the outer boundary of the universe is
getting ready and will be operative in a few years; and, till then we have to
be contented with what we have obtained from the Hubble telescope and the CERN,
the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory), and Virgo
Observatory, and other sources. The discovery of Gravitational waves in
February 2016 has opened up a new vista and scientists are excited about it.
Already, they have come out with the rate at which the universe is expanding!
We have now findings from experiments in molecular biology, DNA studies, Wave
theory, quantum mechanics, and particle physics. Some elementary knowledge
about the neutron stars, supernova, and white stars, red stars and dwarfs and
other types of stars and their structure and composition, and we know how
galaxies are formed in space. We also know that all that we see as the
universe, the cosmos, is just 5 per cent and the rest are Dark Matter (25 per
cent) and ‘dark energy’ (70 per cent). Only four powerful forces- Gravitational
Force, Electromagnetism, Atomic Energy, and some ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ forces are
operating this universe! How the universe is created is a matter of great
interest and almost all the ancient Indian scriptures speak about it. The
modern scientists do not have even a faint idea about it!
The recent observations of the universe
through the lens of the most powerful electronic telescopes and the
interpretations of the images obtained from them, reveal a lot of secrets
regarding the origin of the universe. Today we know a lot more than what we
learnt during the last hundred years. Twenty-first century heralds a new
vision. This should be reviewed in Vedantic way! However, there is nothing new in all these
since the Agama Shastra Samhitas (almost 200!), Srividya, Lakshmi Tantra, and
the Cosmogram ‘Sri Chakra’ etc have
already revealed these in very clear unmistakable explicit terms. We have the
Pancharatra which describe the powers vested in ‘Sudarshana’. However, there is much symbolism involved in all
these. Hence, there should be no doubt regarding the various aspects of
creation (srushti), existence (sthiti), development (vikasa) and sustenance (samrakshana) and dissolution (laya) and merger (vilaya) of this universe. In fact we have realized the secret of
all these life in its variety and diversity as described in the forgoing
paragraphs. It is also stated- “phenomenal
objective transient world is a myth”!
The universe is expanding at a very rapid
rate and each star and its paraphernalia are moving farther and farther away
from each other, and this includes the nature of the human mind, attitude and
behaviour in its interrelations, too! No wonder, one day, everything will fall
apart! Strangely enough, all these are described in the spiritual texts; the
great sages like Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Agastya, Ashtavakra, Raikva and
Avadhuta knew all about these! They were the drushtaras who visualized and handed down their knowledge to us.
Sky watch and
Earth watch
When we watch the earth and ourselves from
space, the picture we get is something stranger than that we get from what we
get from when we watch the space from the earth. This earth watch and watch of
the self by the great sages or yogi of the past has revealed the true nature of
our existence. Our existence here on earth as ‘earthlings’ or living creatures dependent on food is purely a
transitory one. However, it is not the living body with which we are concerned
here but the energy aspect constituting the core of the substance, the Atma. The unborn, eternal, and immortal
soul is what all matters here. It is this tiny invisible particle smaller than
the smallest (anoraniyan) that is the
core of the substance, the universe. It is the same at all the three levels-
the cosmos (brahmanda), the body (pindanda) and the cell (andanda). It is that abstract absolute
indefinable eternal spiritual entity which acquires mass and becomes matter at
a later stage and, thus, becomes a visible entity, called Atman. It is the embodiment of knowledge. It has everything within
itself to manifest as it desires! This is the true story of creation.
For all practical purposes, we take it for
granted that a sperm enters an egg cell of a female (ovum) and gets impregnated
to take a life-form. But we forget the fact that a lot of invisible forces are
at play before actually this happens! The forces that are enunciated in the
principles of physics, chemistry, biology, genetics, DNA studies etc are all
involved here. These are actually described in greater details in the great
epics, the Veda and the Upanishads, the brahmasutras and the Gita. Sakshat (in
visible form to the devoted souls?) Bhagavan Shree Krishna explains these!!
What we learn as a spermatozoa, an invisible living sperm, encoded with all
knowledge, information, technology and ability to expand, grow, divide,
multiply, and disseminate is the seed of the purusha carrying the blue-prints and design of the jiva. It is the
‘chetana’, vital (pranic) energy. It is capable of
creating anything with the knowledge and intelligence
Inherent
in it. It can develop the single cell and later multiply and divide constantly
creating tissues and organs with knowledge and power to perform specialized
functions..
There is an invisible powerful force that
binds the jiva to its surroundings, its environment, atmosphere and its
elements! This has been a very interesting subject matter of research. There
has been no much success in this field. However, the scientists have discovered
recently the ‘gravitational force’ and the power of the invisible sub-atomic
particles.
Thus, ‘I’, as an Atman (Soul), only entered
this earth! This ‘i’ (the jiva) is
the supreme ‘I’ (the brahman) the
unmanifest, and the manifest form-jivatman, is the ‘I’- as a tiny ‘energy’
particle. The Atman, emanated from a
distant star as a particle of light, traversed the sky, and entered the earth.
This journey of the Atman (soul) is narrated in the Bhagavad-Gita. This
particle of Energy and Consciousness (chaitanya), as chetana Shakti (like sparks or electrical charges), as vital (pranic) energy, has imbibed the powers
of the Devi (Creative Power). It has
knowledge, power, resources, strength, potency and the light emanating as the
radiant rays (mayukha) and as such
can take any form and function, however, in a limited way. It has entered all
that is found here as water, minerals, fire, air, soil, food, plants, and,
finally got embodied in different forms of living and non-living beings, as moving
and non-moving beings.
Each cell has all the knowledge, information,
technology, and ability to transform itself and design its own tissues, organs
(like the heart, kidney, lungs, liver or brain) and becomes the living beings.
The Mind is well developed in the humans. What governs the life of a man is his
mind and moods (manas and chitta), buddhi, ahankara, and the imagination, thoughts and desires. Since
the Atman or soul as prana has the
ability to enter anywhere and everywhere it has consciousness- prajnya. It matters very little what
form of living being multiply to form tissues and organs. Still, the question
remains as to how the tissues develop into specific organs of different designs
and who ordained them to perform different specialized functions?
Thus, the nature of the origin of life,
the embodiment of the Atman (soul) as the jiva
(jivatman) is very clear. The dust
particles of Devi’s feet is significant. Each and every stellar dust particle
is intelligent, knowledgeable and has capacity to take any form Devi wills or
desires! It is this stellar dust or ‘Energy’ particle that creates a body as
per the will of Devi Shree trailokya
sundari. Hence, all living beings, jivas,
are inseparable part of Devi only and remain so for ever. It(the atman) enters
the earth along with the sun rays, electromagnetic waves, and passes through
clouds, raindrops, soil and vegetation like a person entering in and out of a
car, train, ship or aircraft and comes out. This Atman- a photon, a particle of
‘Energy’ gets embodied and to run errands on this earth endlessly. Once it
entered the soil, plants, fruits, vegetables, or food grains as ‘annam’ and has made its way to the
would-be father’s body- his blood cell, bone marrow, desire, spermatozoa and
entered the would-be mother’s womb it get struck in an eternal journey due to
its desires and action (karma)!
Now, this mystery seems to have been
solved to some extent. The scriptures declare: “I am the light”! This ‘I’ is
what pervaded the universe as the neutrinos blasted out by an exploding
supernova (a binary or a neutron star) and covered the entire earth as stellar
dust! These ‘Energy’ particles are essentially the core substance of all that
exists! The “soundarya lahari” eulogizes this in the very first verse.
Accordingly, the ‘Trinity- hari, hara, virinchi seated at the feet of “devi
trailokya sundari, Adishakti rajarajeshvari ‘shree-vidya’ are asking Her permission
to take a few stellar dust particles from Her feet. virinchi (Im) asks Her
permission to create and hari (ra) wants permission to sustain what is created,
and finally maheshvara (ha) wants permission to burn all these to dust and
smear it on his body! This Shree and the trinity have been eulogized as the
bijakshara maha mantra “shreem”. Thus, every jiva is an embodiment of Devi
only!
Thus, the nature of the origin of life, the
embodiment of the Atman (soul) as the jiva (Jivatman) is very clear. Like a
person entering in and out of a car, train or aircraft, the Atma- a photon, a
particle of ‘Energy’ has arrived from a distant star on the earth, entered the
clouds, raindrop and fell to the earth (soil). It has entered the fruits,
vegetables or food grains as ‘annam’ and entered the would-be father’s body. It
became his blood, bone marrow, desire, spermatozoa, and entered the would-be
mother’s womb! I only, as a particle of Energy, photon, Light, Consciousness,
and Intelligence, life-force passed through all these and took a form, function
and state of existence!
Thus, this ahanta, ‘ I’ is the Rudra- ‘I’ who
entered the earth’s atmosphere, clouds, rain drops, and fell into soil and
created life; and, indeed, the parents, may it be, in any form like a pig,
horse, dog or a cat, or a man, to become the off-spring of the type. What
difference it makes? Is there any doubt
as to the true nature of the ‘jiva’ now?
Existential Reality: In mathematical
parlance, E = t, where, E is Existence and t is time. E is also Energy, in the
sense, all existence is It is a journey of the soul. It(the soul), may as well,
say “I am the light”. I emerge from a
distant star, travel down to earth as a particle of stellar particle of light,
‘Energy’, and get embedded in anything and everything. The famous poem “soundarya lahari” by Sri Shankaracharya
eulogizes the fundamental particles, the building blocks as ‘paada dhuli’ of Devi- the ‘stellar
particles’, ‘star-dust’, in the very first verse. Accordingly, the ‘Trinity- hari, hara, virinchi, seated at the feet
of “Devi trailokya sundari Adi Shakti
Rajarajeshvari ask Her(Devi’s) permission to collect a few stellar dust
particles from Her feet. Brahma, virinchi (Im),
asks Her permission to create the universe and vishnu, hari (ra) wants Her permission to sustain what
is created, and finally, ‘hara’ or maheshvara (ha) wants Her permission to burn all these to dust and smear it on
his body! Thus, Shree and the trinity have been eulogized as the bijakshara maha mantra “shreem”. Thus, every jiva is an
embodiment of Devi only! Energy incorporate and inheres time since it radiates
and creates time and space, too! Now, all that exists is in relation to time
and space, as well as, causality. This is called the theory of ‘maya’, where 'ma' and 'ya' are that which is
measurable! Time and space are both illusory! These govern the reality of
existence. Our body is made up of just cells and every cell burns out and new
ones are created and all information is instantly transferred and life goes on!
But for the cells where is the body? The cells are a bundle of energy, due to
chemical bonds.
Etymologically speaking, the term "Existence" is a paradoxical one, in the sense, that it
contains two components that are opposite to each other! It inheres in itself
the factor of 'Time' in the component
'tenc(s)e'- past, present, and future that do not exist for all
practical purposes since ‘time’ is fleeting eternally transitional, and has
neither a beginning, nor an end! Besides, it 'is' (present which always moves
itself backward to yesterdays, as well as, future as tomorrows and it is always
an 'Ex-' factor, (that means past).
While, the term 'Is' represents the present, now and here! Both are components
of time? Whatever is present just now becomes past in a matter of a second of
time! Every second of time is fleeting into oblivion with no trace left.
Morning flies off to give place to evening and the night follows day and, years
roll on...! This prompted an English poet to exclaim:
"Where
is the time to stand and stare?"
This beautiful word "Existence" is
exemplified in the Rk Veda, Mandala X - 'nasadiya
sukta'. It states: "In the Beginning, there was neither existence, nor
non-existence!" "It is and It is Not", says the sukta. The
God-given gift 'present' soon vanishes into oblivion, the past that never
comes! This is what is presented as the Wheel of Time" (kaal chakra Sudarshana). Bhagavan Shree
Krishna says, "I am Time" (kaalo'smi).
What all we normally experience as the world is just a memory since these exist
in time that is always fleeting! Jiddu Krishnamurti used to stress on this
point. He is used to say, "Discard all that is past, the memory; it is a
nauseating dead horse we carry on our back (in our sub-conscious mind)."
He used to ask "Why carry dead horse?" Nobody understood what he
meant by this! We all carry memories of not only the past from the day one of
birth, but the memories of past lives, as well, in our sub-conscious mind! We
are thus a sort of miserable creatures suffering due to these unwanted
burden"
9. Existence and
Non-Existence
Now coming back to our main issue of
"Existence", it may now be stated that, "Our existence is a
myth!" Time is a myth. Time does not
exist! This is the reason why we qualify everything with the words- 'in point
of time'. Everything is at a point of time? What is real or unreal is not
discernible when it is covered by the myth of 'time', kaal! We do not exist in
any point of time as such and such as a result of this 'fleeting time' that
brings changes with it! Childhood is soon past and the adolescent and the youth
presents itself and, that too, soon merges into old age and disappearance of
the jiva in a flash of time! Then where is 'life' left". All jivas are a
flash of the past memories and future hopes and aspirations, full of tension,
and that is our “ex is tenc(s)e”? After all, what is a span of a hundred years
of a jiva in a million years of
history of life, and a billion years of life of earth, so far? Is there any
meaning for all these?
The Embodied Soul (Jivatman): The jiva located on this planet earth, in any form for
that matter, is a mysterious one! The earth is supposed to be an ideal place
for living beings (jiva rashi) to be
alive for a short duration- breathe, eat and drink, and survive and propagate.
It is now clear from research findings in the fields of astronomy, physics,
chemistry, biology and genetics that a few fundamental particles like hydrogen,
carbon, oxygen (H + C + O), along with nitrogen, calcium, and other gaseous or
non-gaseous, metallic and non-metallic, elements go to make the entire living entity-
the biotic world. Even the universe consisting of the galaxies, stars, planets
and their satellites are mainly gaseous elements that later condensed into
gross solid, liquid, or semi-liquid gaseous objects. The subtler and subtler
invisible atoms only have become gross elements and compounds, Thus, the living
beings (jiva-rashi) and all that we
find here on earth are essentially atomic energy ( € ) that radiates in the
form of heat, light, electromagnetism, electricity, magnetism, and
gravitational force. Even the human mind, the thoughts, ideas, images,
imagination, dreams, aspirations, desire and will, as well as, resolve to act
on the desire and forces that promote actions, the air we breathe, the
life-force (prana), and consciousness
(chit/prajnya), etc are all functions
of this ‘quantum energy’ (derived from the Stars)!
However, evolution of life, especially the
human species is a slow process. It has just entered the third important level
of Mind, starting from just a simple life-force (prana) in biotic and animal kingdom! The fundamental principles are
just prana and annam, food to sustain it in the body, and ways and means of
finding food. The humans are endowed with intellect, mind and thought force (chitta vrutti), and creative energy and skill
to perform action (kriyashakti and kriyashilata). Basically, elements that
go to make life are the fundamental particles that are subtler subatomic
particles (as in a shooting Star), a meteorite that burnt out as it enters the
earth’s atmosphere, that radiate energy and light. This has prompted the scientists
to speculate whether the life force (prana) of the jiva has come from the
interstellar space, as also, other forms of life exist in space!
The four types of physical forces that
govern the universe are classified as: 1. Gravity, 2. Electromagnetism, 3.
Strong Nuclear Forces, and 4. Weak Nuclear Forces. The true nature and power of
Gravity are yet to be clearly understood. While the Strong Nuclear Forces binds
atomic nuclei. The Weak Nuclear Forces cause radioactive decay (like Uranium
becoming lead) and it also creates earthquakes and continental drift. Yet another important essential missing force
which acts as a catalyst, or that binds all these, is believed to be there, yet
to be discovered! Some scientists have identified a rare phenomenon and called
it as ‘chiral’ that enters in and falls out creating bonds and disbands! The
fermions transmit energy to bosons which turns into matter that is later
identified as neutrons, protons, electrons. This is the beginning of all
matter- metallic and non-metallic, organic and inorganic, living and
non-living, entities and enable the living beings to breathe, eat and drink,
hold on and survive and propagate.
It is the Gravitational Force that holds the
Universe together. It acts as an invisible powerful force that attracts every
ionic particle and holds the Universe intact. This has been described in the Rk
Veda in Madhu sukta.
The concept of ‘Space’ in scientific
literature is different from the one- Akasha that is used in Vedantic texts.
The term ‘space’ as used in science is a vast thin elastic matter (as well as
energy since it contains electric charges) But, Akasha as stated in Vedanta is
the very Subject brahmn- kham brahma
| that holds all! Akasha and brahmn are one and the same. Not only
that the Akasha is there far above,
but it is much deeper within! There is no place where this Akasha does not
exist. “Everything is Akasha, brahmn”.
Thus, there is Akasha within us, as well as, outside of us! These inner (antar) and the outer (bahir) Akasha are separated by the
physical component (body) like a pot; the space within and without the pot are
the same, but for the separation by an earthen wall; and, the inner and the
outer become one again when the earthen pot is broken. This is what is done symbolically
as ‘breaking the pot (during cremation of the dead body in our rituals).
Ancient scriptures give classification that
is not much different from the present-day scientific one. The language may be
different but the sum and substance are the same. Briefly, the scientific
method is one of experimentation, observation, generalization and universal
application. However, the findings are subject to further investigations and
change; nothing is certain. They have thus presented hypotheses, postulations,
theories of probability, etc. But, this is not the case with the scriptures
that are intuitional statements, each one personally experienced by the learned
ones through deep contemplation in transcendental meditation. These have been
pronounced as final! There is no further question about it. Thus we have the
opinions of the Spiritual scientists (vedantin) and the material
scientists (padartha vijnyani). The views of the great sages are in
aphorisms or cryptic verses, coded language with symbolism, imageries, and
esoteric verses, and these need be properly decoded with the help of learned
teachers; so also, the mathematical equations, formulae, and the theories of
great mathematicians and scientists! Thus, nothing is easy. The common man
remains ignorant and do not even bother to know about the spiritual aspects and
simply live on. So, the question of ‘what is it I am doing here’ remains
unanswered. The search goes on.
The Search: The search for ‘truth’
(‘sat’) is an endless one. In its true nature, this ‘sat’ always exists
without any change. It is eternal, immutable. All else found hare as phenomenal
objects are subject to change over time and as such, do not qualify for the ‘sat’. They come within the influence of
time, space and causality. There is enormous literature both in science and
philosophy regarding this. But the spiritual literature is scarce. Whatever
little we know from the spiritual texts give us a clear idea about the problems
and the answers to them in cryptic aphorisms, code words, signs and symbols, imageries
and formulae. Some of these are quite interesting. These are found in the
ahirbudhnya samhita, sattavata samhitas, Lakshmi tantra, Shaivagama shastra and
other 250 samhitas of pancharatra agama. Many scholarly works are available in
print.
What these spiritual texts simply state is
that “What we seek is our Self only, nothing but the Self”. The search ends
with the seeker knowing his true self. Here the seer and the seen become one.
What we seek outside is not permanent since all that is found outside of us is
subject to limitations of time, space and causality. What we seek is the
‘truth’ the intransient, permanent, that which is eternal. This, the ‘sat’,
Truth and “That’s it”-. “tat sat iti |
In the beginning, everything was ‘asat’ (Non-existence). Out of ‘asat’
(Non-existence) emerges ‘sat’
(Existence). This is the Vedic doctrine. How can existence come out of
non-existence is what the ordinary people normally ask since they cannot
understand the subtler aspects of creation. It is their ignorance that they ask
such questions since “Everything comes only out of nothing”. This does not mean
that there was nothing before something came out! Whatever was already there
only can come out. We cannot say things are not there just because we cannot
see them. What seems to be ‘nothing’
holds all things within, but in an invisible, subtler, finer form of potential
‘Energy’. ‘Everything is Energy’ is
the fundamental principle. What was unmanifest (‘avyakta’) in the beginning only becomes manifest (‘vyakta’). What is already inside only
must come out of it just whoever goes inside only comes out! Potential energy
or Energy that is in a dormant or equilibrium state, a static condition,
becomes kinetic, vibrant, creating different forms due to vibration at
different amplitude, intensity, frequencies, and wave lengths. All that we see
is nothing but forms, images, creation of our vibrant mind (chittavrutti). Thus, ‘brahmn’ is unmanifest, ‘avyakta’, from which everything manifest
as the multifarious objective phenomenal world, just like the rain and snow
precipitating out of clouds that appear in a clear blue sky!
The term ‘sat’ also means ‘Truth’; it also means light, consciousness,
energy, and everything! Hence, the learned sages simply said everything is ‘sat’, the brahmn. sarvam khaluvidam brahmaa | these terms – sat, chit, anand are of
highly esoteric nature and of great significance. A lot can be said about them.
In fact, the one ‘sat’ only has manifest
as the ‘chit’ (consciousness,
knowledge), and ananda (bliss); and,
the entire universe is thus, the ‘sat’
only. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “Om
tat sat iti” and concludes that everything is ‘That’, ‘that is it’!
Now, whatever is ‘sat’ (‘tyat’/‘That’) is
also the manifest phenomenal objective world-‘this’. This universe is the manifest form of the ‘sat’! Whatever is that eternal,
immortal, intransient only has come within limitations of time, space,
causality (cause and effect), and name, forms and functions. Duality such as
this and that ceases to exist when these limitations are overcome with the help
of ‘transcendental meditation, (samadhi yoga). When a person is ignorant of his
true self, he /she tends to think- “I am different from that, this, you, he,
she it, etc. Knowledge, truth, or reality dawns when this ignorance, avidya, knowledge covered by attachment,
ego, desire, etc. are removed. This is what Bhagavan Shree Krishna teaches us
through Arjuna. In Bhagavad-Gita, the Lord says, “Arjuna, you are full of
attachment, ego, desire and have forgotten your true self. Once you realize who
you are, ‘realize that you are none other than the unborn, eternal, immortal
sat, you become Me only. You and I are always one. But, the moment you get attached
to phenomenal objective world and begin to think of i, me, mine, etc you go
away from Me. You can always return to Me when you drop what all you have
acquired as the blemishes of the soul. This is the ‘Truth’.”
The Universe in Different Perspectives: The Universe is
like a mosaic seen through a kaleidoscope (triangular glass tube with one side
closed) which displays ever-changing, colourful objects, in varying forms (like
pieces of colorful glass bangles). So, each one of us get a different
perspective of this transient phenomenal world. Little do the living beings (jivarashi) ever realize the ‘truth’,
reality of this existence, until they get a divine vision?
The living beings revel in ignorance and
believe whatever is presented to them or they see as the illusory world. In
fact, it is not that the world is unreal, but its transient or ever changing
nature that makes it difficult to know. The scientists deal with matter and use
their mind, intelligence, and the senses to study matter. They invent new
methods and equipment such as the spectrometer, telescopes and microscope to
study things that are beyond the capacity of their sense organs.
Fermions
and bosons: The famous CERN experiment,
the OSIRIS-Rex experiment, and the observations made from the most powerful
telescopes set up so far, are such techniques adopted to study the subtler
matter invisible to the human eyes. so far. The results are still elusive! All
these are still a big question mark. The search goes on. In a world where Einstein’s relativity is true, space has three
dimensions, and there is quantum mechanics, all particles must be either
fermions (named after Italian physicist Enrico Fermi) or bosons (named after Indian
physicist Satyendranath Bose).
|
Fermions |
Half integral
spin |
Only one per
state |
Examples-
electrons, protons,
neutrons, quarks, neutrinos |
|
Bosons |
integral spin |
Many can occupy same state |
Examples:
photons, atoms, gluons |
This
statement is a mathematical theorem, in an observation from data. But data over the past
100 years seems to bear it out; every known particle in the Standard Model is
either a fermion, or a boson. An example of a boson is a photon.
“I regard consciousness as fundamental. I
regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind
consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as
existing or even postulating is consciousness.” [Max Planck, theoretical
physicist who originated quantum theory, which won him the Nobel Prize in
Physics in 1918].
There is another ground-breaking, weird
experiment that also has tremendous implications for understanding the nature
of our reality, more specifically, what we call “time.” Time on earth is closely associated with the rotation of the
earth, its mean velocity, and angle of inclination of the sun’s rays and the
particular latitude. Rest all a hypothetical question.
All fundamental particles in nature can be
divided into one of two categories, Fermions or Bosons. The table below
enumerates the differences. According to physicist Andrew Truscott, lead
researcher from a study published by the Australian
National University, the experiment suggests that “Reality does not exist unless we are looking at it.” It suggests
that we are living in a holographic-type of universe. Everything is vibration
of energy and the chemical bonds create this illusion.
What we see as “the objective phenomenal
world is an illusion”, says the Vedanta; and, now the Scientists, too, support
this with proof from their practical experiments!
Whatever
was already there only came out and went back! It is as simple as “Whoever is
inside the house only comes out and goes in”! What entered the ‘would-be
mother’s’ empty womb (as a sperm) only came out as an off-spring! Is there any
surprise? The magic lies in the ‘sperm’ (or the seed in the case of a tree). An
invisible, microscopic, potent living germ/seed only creates an off-spring or
sprouts, off the parent kind, a plant, animal, or a bird. Hence everything lies
in a dormant or invisible state and appears in a gross visible form, but only
for a limited span of life time only.
What molecular physics or cellular biology
says is no different from the above! The Vedic doctrine of ‘nothingness’ is
also the doctrine of molecular physics. It is an accepted convention in
molecular physics, which sees matter not as inert substance but as a dynamic
interplay of energy fields” [Jug Suriya: Juggling Act- “Real Illusion:
Incredible Rightness of Non-Being”. Sunday Magazine Feb. 26. 2017]. It is a Dutch physicist Hendrik Casimer who
postulated that even the emptiness of a vacuum
contained sub-atomic ‘events called virtual photons which appeared and
disappeared in and out of existence, a ceaseless dance between ‘being’ and
‘non-being’- not accessible direct . This is the active presence of absence. “Being and Nothingness” by the French
author Sartre vividly exemplifies the overwhelming “thereness of that which is not there”!
This state of ’I am’ and ‘I am not’ (‘it is’
and ‘it is not’, too) is not a strange situation. We find this in our everyday
life- at the time of interval between sleep and dream, entering in and out of
house, car, train, etc and in transcendental meditative state.
Now, everything is vibration. It is the
vibrant energy, a drama of chemical bonds and this include my grandparents who
appeared and disappeared in a brief span of a few decades in the time scale of
billion years of existence of solar system and earth’! Who am I, then?
Thus, what we call the sentient objects
that come within the ambit of time, space and causality are not real. This
creation, sustenance, and dissolution are nothing but a fleeting event, an
idea, ideation, image, imagination or dream created by a vibrant mind as energy
particles!
The
Primordial Matter (Sub-atomic Particles): The distinction between bosons and
fermions is basic. There are two possible kinds of things since these are invisible forces in creation of Matter
in the universe. The two types are known as "bosons" and
"fermions," and the dialectic between them describes all physical
form. The whole scheme of quantum field theory, for example, is that fermions interact
by exchanging bosons.
"The electrons belong to the class of
elementary particles called leptons. The leptons and quarks together constitute
the class called fermions, the anti-matter of which is majorana bosons, the
wonder particles or ‘God-particle’!
According to the Standard Model all mass
consists of fermions. Whether the fermions combine to form a table, a star, a
human body, a flower or do not combine at all depend on the elementary forces -
the electromagnetic, the gravitational, the weak and the strong forces.
According to the Standard Model all force is mediated by exchange of (gauge)
bosons. The electromagnetic force is mediated by exchange of photons, the
strong force by exchange of gluons while the weak force is mediated by exchange
of W and Z bosons." - Steen Ingerman.
In contrast to the scientific method, the
techniques adopted in yoga are numerous, most arduous, and the results are very
remarkable. Each one of the visionary saints, Rishis or drushtara has come out with an unmistakable intuitive knowledge, a
personal experience, a visual one, at that! In fact, all the different
approaches converge at the
Galileo once wrote: ‘I think that tastes,
odours, colours, and so on reside in consciousness.” No consciousness, no life,
as such! prajnyanan brahmaa |
“Everything is Consciousness” says Vedanta. Consciousness is all. Nothing
evades Consciousness. But what is Consciousness? It is yet an unresolved
problem for the western world, particularly to the scientists. But, it is not
so to the Indian saints. They have the ability to cognize both the creator and
the creation and can get a total perspective of ‘oneness’! It is the samyak prajnya, the highest level of pure state
of Conscious existence.
The world that humans see around them is
nothing more than a very convincing illusion, according to one of the world’s
leading cognitive scientists. In quantum mechanics and particle physics, spin
is an intrinsic form of angular momentum carried by elementary particles,
composite particles (hadrons), and atomic nuclei. Spin is one of two types of
angular momentum in quantum mechanics, the other being orbital angular
momentum.
The Scientific Perspective: The scientific
method developed over a long period of study of a particular discipline like,
astronomy, physics, chemistry or biology with a rigorous practical methodology.
Observatories and Laboratories have been set up for this purpose. A number of
scientists have devoted their whole life to study the mystery of this universe.
They have developed a particular perspective about the universe as a material
objective world, a cosmic entity. According
to NASA, the growth of the universe continued after inflation, but at a slower rate. As space expanded, the universe
cooled and matter formed. One second after the Big Bang, the universe was filled with neutrons, protons,
electrons, anti-electrons, photons and neutrinos. During the first three minutes of the
universe, the light elements were born during a process known as Big Bang nucleo-synthesis.
Temperatures cooled from 100 nonillion (1032) Kelvin to 1 billion
(109) Kelvin, and protons and neutrons collided to make deuterium,
an isotope of hydrogen. Most of the deuterium combined to make helium, and trace amounts of lithium were also generated. For the first 380,000 years or
so, the universe was essentially too hot for light to shine, according to
France's National
Roughly 380,000 years after the Big Bang,
matter cooled enough for atoms to form during the era of recombination,
resulting in a transparent, electrically neutral gas, according to NASA. This set loose
the initial flash of light created during the Big Bang, which is detectable
today as cosmic microwave background radiation. However, after this point, the
universe was plunged into darkness, since no stars or any other bright objects
had formed yet.
About 400 million years after the Big Bang,
the universe began to emerge from the cosmic dark ages during the epoch of reionization.
During this time, which lasted more than a half-billion years, clumps of gas
collapsed enough to form the first stars and galaxies, whose energetic
ultraviolet light ionized and destroyed most of the neutral hydrogen.
Although
the expansion of the universe gradually slowed down as the matter in the universe pulled on itself via
gravity, about 5 or 6 billion years after the
Big Bang, according to NASA, a mysterious
force now called dark energy began speeding up the expansion of the universe again,
a phenomenon that continues today.
A
little after 9 billion years after the Big Bang, our solar system was born. Although the expansion of the
universe gradually slowed down as the matter in the universe pulled on itself via
gravity, about 5 or 6 billion years after the Big
Bang, according to NASA, a mysterious
force now called dark energy began speeding up the expansion of
the universe again, a phenomenon that continues today. A little after 9 billion
years after the Big Bang, our solar system was born.
The ‘Big Bang’ and the ‘Expanding
Universe’: Einstein, Arthur Eddington and Stephen Hawking are banging our heads
about these concepts of ever static or expanding universe and the Big Bang. The
‘Big Bang’ did not occur as an explosion in the usual way one thinks about such
things, despite one might gather from its name. Einstein committed error in his
calculations regarding the nature of the universe. He did not realize that a
static universe may be possible only when there is no matter in it. The
universe did not expand into space, as space did not exist before the universe, according to NASA Instead, it is
better to think of the Big Bang as the simultaneous appearance of space everywhere in the universe. The universe has not expanded from any one spot since
the Big Bang- rather space itself has been stretching, and carrying matter with
it. This ever-expanding universe is making things, objects in space move
farther and farther from each other just as the earth, moon, sun and the stars.
Probably, the humans, too, are moving along with these in mind, thoughts,
ideas, understanding and conceptualizations, too! It is much faster today than
what it was 8 billion years ago. The universe is expanding 5 to 9 percent
faster than astronomers had thought, a new study suggests. The universe was
born with the Big Bang as an unimaginably hot, dense point. When the universe
was just 10-34 of a second or so old — that is, a hundredth of a
billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second in age — it experienced
an incredible burst of expansion known as inflation, in which space itself
expanded faster than the speed of light. During this period, the universe
doubled in size at least 90 times, going from subatomic-sized to
golf-ball-sized almost instantaneously.
The universe was born with the Big Bang as
an unimaginably hot, dense point. When the universe was just 10-34
of a second or so old — that is, a hundredth of a billionth of a trillionth of
a trillionth of a second in age — it experienced an incredible burst of
expansion known as inflation, in which space itself expanded faster than the
speed of light. During this period, the universe doubled in size at least 90
times, going from subatomic-sized to golf-ball-sized almost instantaneously.
The first star that appeared from the condensates of nuclear dust, stellar
particles, died soon due to loss of energy, but its radiation is still traced.
So also, many of the elements, compounds, and minerals that have disappeared
due to decomposition have left their traces. The trace elements are there for
us to see. These make our knowledge
appear very limited despite all the progress we have made.
The first star that appeared from the
condensates of nuclear dust, stellar particles, died soon due to loss of energy,
but its radiation is still traced. So also, many of the elements, compounds,
and minerals that have disappeared due to decomposition have left their traces.
The trace elements are there for us to see. These make our knowledge appear
very limited despite all the progress we have made.
The scientific perspective is very simple.
The scientists have gone deep into the structure and composition of the
universe, the stars, the planets, the satellites, the organic and inorganic
materials found on this earth and have come to the conclusion that all these
have a beginning in matter. This simple matter is the tiniest particle, the
atom. Some scientists studied the atom and presented theories like Dalton’s
atomic theory and, the latest in the series of experiments conducted is the
fundamental particle, the ‘God particle’. This is explained as the fermions and
bosons that constitute the primordial matter with and without energy and mass,
respectively. It is not our purpose to go into the technical details here.
However, here is a tiniest invisible matter that just vibrates as an energy
particle that goes to form innumerable elements and compounds. As is commonly
understood, Hydrogen is the basic material that constitutes the mass of Sun and
it produces Helium due to fission and fusion and radiates energy as
electromagnetic waves, quanta. These waves produce photons (light particles),
electromagnetism- electricity, magnetism and light. There are some unexplained
forces- some strong and some weak, that constitute the invisible aspects of our
solar system. All the elements and
compounds like water, air, rocks and minerals, have come from this. The most
prominent of these are Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Sulphur, Aluminum,
Magnesium, Calcium, and compounds such as hydrates, carbonates, calcites,
chlorides, sulphates, phosphates, etc. To put it in simple terms, just
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, Calcium and some minerals form the building blocks.
These go to make the essential ingredients such as carbohydrates, hydrocarbons,
calcium carbonates and bicarbonates, sodium chloride, potassium, etc. that
create and sustain lifeforms! But mere assemblages will not work!
All that is created by parts are always
subject to disintegration and collapse. When the elements and compounds get
separated as in the case of oxidation and reduction, or separate themselves
from their combined existence, there remains almost nothing! This is what is
called an ‘illusory existence’, in the sense, ‘what is made of parts give way
when the components are removed’. Actually, it is the condensation of amorphous
(gaseous) materials, subtle matter, that create the gross objects and, the
subsequent processes of combination or dissipation of the components, only to
reorganize themselves into a concrete structure that creates a visible world of
objects. Nothing happens if the process is interrupted. There is a catalyst
that carries out this operation. This invisible force runs all through creating
paraphernalia of the worldly objects. It is stated that “Energy cannot be
created or decimated. Even if visibility is blurred when the eyes are not
capable of seeing the objects clearly; or, for that matter, we cannot see the
objects when they become vaporous and dissipate in open space! What is the reality
then? Science has no answer. Now, science has also come to state that ‘a rock
is not a rock’, ‘solid is not solid’, and ‘liquid is not liquid’, but they all
have their subtler and sublime forms, too! That is the reality!
God did not create the Universe and the "Big Bang" was an inevitable
consequence of the laws of physics, the eminent British theoretical
physicist Stephen Hawking argues in a new book. In The Grand Design
(co-authored with U.S. physicist Leonard Mlodinow), Hawking says a new series of theories made a Creator of
the Universe redundant (Times-Newspaper, Extracts published on Thursdays).
"Because there is a law such as
gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous
creation is the reason that there is something rather than nothing, why the
Universe exists, why we exist,"
We have made tremendous progress in cosmology
in the last hundred years. The General Theory of Relativity and the discovery
of the expansion of the universe shattered the old picture of an ever existing
and everlasting universe. Instead, general relativity predicted that the
universe, and time itself, would begin in the big bang. It also predicted that
time would come to an end in black holes. The discovery of the cosmic microwave
background and observations of black holes support these conclusions. This is a
profound change in our picture of the universe and of reality itself. Thus,
general relativity on its own cannot answer the central question in cosmology:
Why is the universe the way it is? However, if general relativity is combined
with quantum theory it may be possible to predict how the universe would start.
It would initially expand at an ever-increasing rate.
“Einstein's General Theory of Relativity
unified time and space as space-time, but time was still different from space
and was like a corridor, which either had a beginning and end, or went on
forever. However, when one combines General Relativity with Quantum Theory, Jim
Hartle and I realized that time can behave like another direction in space
under extreme conditions.” This means one can get rid of the problem of time
having a beginning, in a similar way in which we got rid of the edge of the
world. If one believed that the universe
had a beginning, the obvious question was what happened before the beginning?
What was God doing before He made the world? Was He preparing Hell for people
who asked such questions? The problem of whether or not the universe had a
beginning was a great concern to the German philosopher, Immanuel Kant. He felt
there were logical contradictions, or antimonies, either way. If the universe
had a beginning, why did it wait an infinite time before it began? He called
that ’the thesis’. On the other hand, if the universe had existed for ever, why
did it take an infinite time to reach the present stage? He called that ‘the antitheses.
Both these thesis and the antithesis depended on Kant's assumption, along with
almost everyone else, that time was Absolute. That is to say, it went from the
infinite past to the infinite future, independently of any universe, that
might, or might not, exist, in this background. This is just an image, a
picture, in the mind of scientists today. But, the Vedic doctrines are clear
enough as to the ‘nature of the creation, its sustenance and dissolution’. The
Veda begins with the doctrine of ‘neither’-
this or that, here or there, ‘existence (sada)
or non-existence (asada). That means
‘nowhere’ and ‘nothing’, only later became ‘now and here’ (space and time), and
all things existed in ‘nothing; and
became manifest later! Thus, only Supreme Power (paramatman) existed in unmanifest state in the beginning! Agama
Shastra invoke a Deva Narayana in the form of embodiment of pure Consciousness
on the screen of which this entire universe moves as if a movie film! The
universe is His ‘Will’, chittavrutti, mentation, images created in His
own form! It is said, “God created man and man created God”. The sculptors cut
the images in the sandal wood, marble, shalagrama stone, or mould in liquid
metals of gold, silver, copper or five alloy metals (pancha loha). All these
are images carved out of imagination!
There is no doubt as to what the universe is
and who the God is! But, in science, everything is a hypothesis, theory,
postulation, and a probability, at the most. Even the visuals of images of
stars and galaxies, the distances calculated in mind-bogging ‘Light Years’ (1
LY- 186000 x 60 x 60 x 24 x 365.6 miles!) make no sense to ordinary people. The Sun is more massive and intrinsically
brighter than 95% of stars in our galaxy. The red dwarf stars — M-class stars —
which are no more than 40% the mass of our Sun, make up 3 out of every 4 stars that are out there. What’s more than that,
our Sun exists in isolation; it is not gravitationally bound to any other
stars. But that is not necessarily how stars exist in the galaxy, either.
The
universe is a vast infinite space which includes the earth and all the heavenly
bodies in the sky (akasha). Space, akasha, the sky contains galaxies,
stars, the Sun, Planets (their moons), asteroids and all that. In this sense of
the term, akasha is said to be brahmn-
kam brahmaa, Kham brahmaa | So also, the living beings made of all the five
elements including akasha is brahmn
The primordial matter is invisible, that
exists as an effect rather than a cause, and rather, the cause holds the effect
within it or cause and effect exist
together’ in the beginning! The effect becomes manifest (vyakta) while the cause remains unmanifest
(unmanifest)! This is the reason why
we search for the cause. The planet earth is formed out of the solar flares
that condensed gradually into gross earth and as such the hot gaseous matter of
the Solar flares (Helium caused by fission and fusion of Hydrogen). Today we
find the earth, while still hot and molten underneath is covered by Water 78 %
and Rocks- Sial (Si + al)
and
Sima (Si + mg) crust 21%. There is enormous heat within the earth and molten
material, along with gases, is emitted through vents, cracks, fissures, and
volcanoes even today. The interior of the earth is a hard Nickel and Iron (Ni +
Fe) core of very high density (of Max.12), and subject to fluctuations.
Magmatic material constitutes the outer core of the earth. The inner core and
outer core are separated by a shell that prevents any passage of seismic waves!
Origin of Life. The first image from a distant
of the biological life forms that emerged in a jar devoid of living substances
altogether. We know that the basic spiral of DNA has all of the basic
aspects of Fibonacci or golden mean.
That’s everywhere in nature, in the
The information stored in the trillion and
odd brain cells cannot be even imagined by mortals. A pin-head of a cell stores
the knowledge available in all the books of the world libraries
!
Each cell has an intricate structure that will be discussed in detail later.
The most important components of a cell are the amino acids, vitamins, enzymes,
protein cell membrane, the chromosomes and the genes, the DNA, RNA and the
like. The number of
Nerves
and Neurons (A trillion cells work in the brain and get heated up; however, it
can be cooled in ‘samadhi’ when it becomes just a molecule with full potency. The
number of chromosomes in a cell and that of genes in a Nervous System chromosome
normally determine the species. Each cell of the human body contains 46
chromosomes and the number of genes with genetic codes defines an individual
number of a species. The manner of grouping of nucleotides number goes up to
almost 200 000 pairs. These species belonging to higher species are defined by
the genetic code and the kind of proteins made by the chromosome and the
genetic codes, and RNA, with the help of the raw materials absorbed.
[Credit: Miss L. Williams]
The life energy remains responsible for the
genes to act all the time. The role of nerves and neurons in our body are akin
to the transport and communication network, and mostly wireless system! These
may be compared to the circuit system in a computer. The energy flow in the computer
and
the hardware decide the function depending on the software provided and the
function for which the computer is devised. Unlike a computer in which the
software works, the brain in the human system functions with an invisible
strong divine force of thoughts, desires, dreams, imagination, images and
resolves and use the brain as a CPU! The software is constantly devised to suit
the requirements of the jiva from the beginning to end and the source of the
energy supply here is a constant one.
Human perception of objects is a very
complex phenomenon and it depends on a number of extraneous factors that govern
the quality and appearance of the objects, as well as, the internal mechanism
of the senses and the brain as dictated by unknown factors such as mind,
desire, impressions and memories, dreams and aspirations, etc. In fact nothing
exists as long as the mind does not exercise its desire and focused attention
on the desired object. Here, the captive power, fascinating qualities of the
objects that attract the senses and the mind cannot be ignored. Brain, as a
machine that classifies and clarifies the objects, has different domains that
exercises visual stimulations. The brain waves, such as, the alpha, beta,
theta, and delta have different powers. The overall mental coordination and
learning are the functions of the alpha brain waves. The beta brain waves are
generated when there is alertness focused attention, interest in solving a
problem, or taking a decision. The theta
and delta brain waves are of low frequency and operate when the person is
asleep, or in deep meditation. The gamma brain waves are the highest frequency
brain waves capable of tackling several issues simultaneously and processing
information coming from different areas or parts of the brain. It is here we
find the perceptions, feelings, and word formations occur! There are
fluctuations in the brain waves that cause many serious problems like delirium,
autism, schizophrenia, and many neuropsychiatric disorders. There is need for
further detailed study in this field.
The stages in life from childhood,
adolescence, youth, and old age are the result of progressive diversification
of cells and increase or decrease in the number of proteins manufactured by the
system in response to the needs of the jiva. These are already encrypted in
genes and genetic codes in the cells. However, death, although caused by
degeneration of cells, cannot be explained, albeit, it can be inferred from the
genetic codes, but remains so far un-deceiphered. Death may happen anytime due
to any reason in addition to depletion and stoppage of production of protein.
The eukaryotes and higher forms still retain their secrets, particularly
regarding its death and extinction. Chromosomes will definitely stop producing
proteins one day or the other because its number is predetermined. Thus the
cells gradually die out and then come loss of memory, debility, dementia and
death. This energy-matter-energy dynamic will stop resulting natural death. It
is estimated that there are 86 billion neurons in a human brain and nervous
system. A trillion synapses in the human brain working as vibrant energy may
simply be converted into a molecule at zero Deg. temperature and, may further
be reduced to -236 K temperature to make the jiva work forever silently,
transcending time, space, and causality. Expert yogis have done it! Now, what
is it we are trying to gain out of this yogic trance? The answer is simple. It
has been the persistent search of the humans to unravel the mystery of creation
and know the ‘Truth’. This is not possible since the jiva has come within the
limitations set by the time, space and causality – together known as niyati,
maya. Hence the great sages have tried to transcend the limitation and
visualize the truth. Thus, we have the glimpse of what these visionaries have
personally experience or envisaged and documented in the scriptures. It is also
stated that anybody can experience this by rigorously undertaking yogic
practices as enshrined in the scriptures!
What is DNA? DNA is the genetic material. It is Friedrich
Meischer (1869) who extracted a new compound from cell nuclei and called it
‘nuclei’. It had a high phosphate content and was acidic; hence it was nucleic
acid (NA). During the 1920s PA Leverne worked on DNA chemistry and derived two
components of DNA. Thus we get the structure of the DNA. The Nucleotides (N)
contain base 5 C sugar (De oxiribose) + P O4 group- all four components
nucleitides occur in equal amounts grouped in 4s that are repeated over and
over again known as Thiamine (T), Cytosine (C), Adenine (A), and Guanine (G).
By the 1940s Biochemists found chromosomes to consist of half protein and half
DNA, one of them carrying information of hereditary characteristics.
The DNA is a
complex large molecule having the shape of a long chain, which is organized in
the form of a ladder or convoluted circle to form what is known as ‘chromosome’.
However, this DNA chain in chromosome is not a uniform assemblage of
nucleotides. The number of nucleotides range of 200 to two hundred thousand;
and they group together in
This mystery is slowly being solved now.
Human behaviour is attributed to partly acquired qualities from heredity,
genes, and partly from nature, environment that designs it to survive in the
most difficult and dangerous life-threatening situations. Survival is the first
principle and the jiva is prepared to face any situation and survive! Four kinds of sub-units of nucleitides that
differed only in Nitrogen containing base: i. Pyrimidines (I) ring structure;
ii. Thymine (T); and iii. Purines- double string structure; iv. Cytosine (C),
Adenine (A), and Guanine (G). Proteins composed of + 20 amino acids (more
likely to carry complex genetic information in codes) play significant role
here. Proteins in the nucleus serve as templates of cell proteins. All living
cells mostly manufacture proteins through enzymes. And, it is the DNA, not the
proteins that carry genetic codes through RNA
The
DNA Chain and the Cell
The RNA is single strand nucleic acid;
ribose sugar, instead of de oxiribose, uracil replaces Thiamine (T). RNA occurs
in both nuclei. It is a means of transcription, transfer information of DNA to
RNA synthesised in nucleus- messenger mRNA carries transcript of vRNA- code
translated into amino acid of polyptides of cytoplasm. Transfer RNA (tRNA)
means literally translating mRNA nuclides into a sequence of amino acids. The
sequence of ATT- CTC – GAG and a n a DNA template strand will produce the mRNA
coding UAA GACCUC RNA polymers untwist and unzip one cell of DNA at a time. The
nucleitides are added to the 3 i end of the group mRNA and the mRNA peels away
from DNA which coils up again. These functions are amazing!
Creation of life from a single sperm, the
seed, impregnated into an egg cell, is something that can never be understood,
despite the fact that there are laboratories where the sperms are sold for a
price and impregnated into wombs of borrowed hosts’ (women). There are other
methods of creating life=forms in laboratories, too. One can pick and choose a
sperm and pay for the duration of bearing a child in a rented womb! But, who
knows the outcome. There are demoniac forces created by these means and the
world is already seeing signs of total annihilation, the end of human race
through terrorism, strife, ill-will and wars.
The creation of a human life-form in the
womb of a woman is a mysterious one that transcends all scientific and
technological hypothesis, postulations, theories, assumptions and presumptions.
Despite the advancements made in the field of gynecology, it is still not clear
as to how one impregnated cell divides endlessly and creates tissues, liver,
spleen, kidney, heart, brain, and many other organs with specialized functions.
The scientists cannot answer the
questions what the Mind is or what is ego, or when these entered the humans.
Intelligence (buddhi) is supposed to be an ever-existing divine entity
and an inseparable part of the living beings. No body knows wat is Mind and
when does it enter the human body during the gestation period in an embryo. The
so called, antahkarana- the manas (Mind), buddhi (Intelligence), and
ahankar (Ego), along with the five fundamental Elements (pancha mahabhuta)
like the Space (akash), air (vayu), fire (agni), water (jal)
and the earth (prithivi) as food enter the jiva to dictate things as karmaphala
as a result of which the embedded jiva suffers in due course and seeks
redemption. One sperm entering the egg cell, impregnating, does all this
mischief! The structure and composition, intelligence and functioning of the
cell is amazing! There is energy, the vital force, ‘chaitanya’ and consciousness (chit)
running all through this jiva life run by these cells.
The most crucial aspect of life is the
energy factor. Normally, the living beings are supported by food as a source of
energy. But there are innumerable sources and, in fact, ultimately everything
is energy only! Creation itself is fire! Rk Veda amply makes it clear in the
Verse; agnimeelay purohitam… | Half
the energy is lost in the very birth of the star, the fires of creation. There
are evidences of the first star born when the universe was just 180 million
years old, according to Judd Bowman of Arizona University. The first rays of
radiant energy came from the first star when the universe was formed, as a
cloud of mass of stellar dust. Energy inherent in the potential of dark matter
that makes up 26.8 per cent (some say, almost three quarters of volume?) of the
universe by weight and can never be even imagined. The main constituents here are
hydrogen and helium. It is stated that hydrogen in empty space is prone to
radiate radio waves.
Thus, the principal source of all that
exist is the Cosmic Power Radiation. This cosmic power pervades all that is
transformed into matter. The Vedic doctrine here is: tat srushtva tadevaanupravishat | Meaning, “Having created,
Creator entered into it.” It is Chaitanya, chit-shakti, or Pure Consciousness
(shuddhaprajnya) and
Life-force (prana). Every atom of
whatever exists is endowed with Energy. Energy is Everything.
As regards the measurement of Energy, the
scientists have evolved methods and the simplest is the white light from the
sun (or an electric bulb) has an energy of 1 eV. When we look at the X-rays and
gamma rays, they have energies of about million times more! The masses of
electrons and protons are around 0.5 MeV. The particle may even reach 100 GeV
as in the Tevatron Accelerator in the Fermi lab. These rays come from particles
from all directions in space. The most interesting aspect of these cosmic
radiation is that they splash and spread out in myriads of tiny particles of
different air showers. The high energy particles can be detected only
indirectly through billions of secondary particles they produce in the
atmosphere. Now, our main concern here is that of the ‘Energy’ that not only sustains the jiva, but also, the one that
creates it! There are interesting studies where the measurements of time,
space, distance, and even the thoughts are measured and, the core of the
substance, called the Atman (Soul), could thereby be also measured. However, it
is also stated that, “There is no fixed point or distinct line of separation
between the particle, the soul, of the size of an atom surrounding time and
space continuum. In fact, all these soul, time, space and causality emanate
from the eternal ‘brahman’. Hence, none can predict the dimension or quanta and
qualia of the soul. It is one and remains the same forever, manifesting in multitudes
of forms, at will, The Sources of
Energy are many and varied. The primary force is the Sun for us, followed by
minerals, oil and Natural Gas, Coal and Charcoal, wood, etc. In fact,
everything is Fire, Agni. For human beings, the chief source of Energy
is food. Food is converted into energy by cells, mitochondria. Everything
is traced to space (akash), air, fire, water and earth are all energy in
different forms. The complex system of cells and their growth, cell division,
and cell multiplication, creation of tissues, organs, and the body functioning
as a physical unit can be somehow understood. But the abstract aspects of function
of mind, intelligence, ego conducting the
Anatomy and
Physiology of the Human Body
affairs of the jiva seems to be beyond our
comprehension.
The science of psychology has not even
touched the top layer of the skin of the brain, let alone reach to the depths or
the level of subconscious states! Where
do the thoughts and ideas, images and imagination, dreams and aspirations, etc.
come from? How do desires occur and
create images form in our mind and, by the way, where is the mind? What is
Mind? Mind (manas) is both energy and
matter. It is a product of food (annam),
a source of energy, besides the Soul that creates and supports the jiva. Mind
governs the life of man (the jiva). The Mind is akash (space) that is
everywhere and contains everything! Mind is bundle of creative energy and a
repository of all knowledge. There is nothing impossible for mind to construct,
create or command! The subtlest forms of mental waves are at the root of
creation! The phenomenal objective world is the product of thinking mind.
Hence, mind is the world. It is said: yadbhaavam
tad bhavati | meaning, “As one thinks, so it happens”!
The way the mind creates thoughts,
imagination, images, etc is very mysterious indeed! It is said that sensations
come from the images or forms what we see around us, from the sensory inputs to
our eye ball. Light rays hitting the retina, cells firing, chain of activity in
the neurons, flux of ions- all make us see the color of a rose! But till we
cannot understand the specific function of the cells involved in all
these. Sensations must have evolved in
perception for a specific biological function, but may not be the byproducts
neural activity. Only the advanced forms of life like the humans can have the
sense of awareness of the self, free will, etc. Man can not only see and smell
things, but also knows, is aware of, what he is seeing or smelling! Much of
this knowledge lies in spiritual development rather than physical development
of the jiva.
Only a spiritual understanding will enable us
to know the secret of how a huge tree is borne out of a small seed, or a large
living creature is created out of one single invisible sperm! What is the
secret of all this creation of the jiva further creating the marvels! There
cannot be any scientific explanation regarding the function of cells,
particularly how the same structure and composition of a cell is capable of
multiple tasks such as designing different forms of tissues and organs such as
kidney, heart, spleen, liver, or brain that perform varied and multifarious
functions. Initially, it is just a single cell (a sperm that impregnates the
egg cell)! In course of time this impregnated cell divides and multiplies, and
this process goes on and on endlessly, reviving, renewing, rejuvenating, and
finally die out, too. The intelligence involved in the functions of a cell is
astounding! The cells perform functions like processing, reconstruction,
maintenance of the body, cleansing, scavenging, etc. These are in a way,
nothing but chemical bonds and energy in action. Where does the knowledge come
from? What is Mind (manas) and
intelligence (buddhi)? Where is the
source of all these- prana, manas, buddhi
and ahankara? The jiva manifest in
different forms on earth can never be satisfactorily explained without invoking
and involving a superpower- Devi devata (Gods), not one, but many! There is
evidence that humans descended from some alien beings about 200,000 years ago
in Africa. The complexity and similarity of archaeological remains discovered
around the world suggests that our alien ancestors assisted directly with the
development of civilization worldwide. Sage Narada was an ambassador visiting
these countries. (See Rk Veda Samhita quoted by Sirdar Jwala Singh in his “The
Sphinx Speaks”). What we worship today as Devi devata are not some imaginary
stories in epics, but a reality. However, these have a much deeper significance
when narrated in epics since symbolism is involved, as in the mythological
literature. The story of evolution is of later times when compared to the
origin of the galaxies, stars, and the solar system. We get confused and
attribute everything to human existence that came billions of years later!
Hence, what we know is absolutely nothing compared to what the ancient sages
said. They say, “Everything already exist in Space (Akash)”! Everything manifests from akash, brahmn! Sarvam khaluvidam brahmn |
Even stranger is the fact that the
archaeological records show human skeletons and artefacts in fossil deposits
dated back to several hundreds of millions of years. The biodiversity of
species shows that large and relatively smaller numbers of species appeared 60
million years ago, and disappeared due to major cataclysms involving
earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods. The ancient human remains suggest that our
ancestors first existed elsewhere (pitru
loka)! It is also possible that evolution of life may have occurred first
on our mother planet.
This mystery of creation, the myth, like
many others, is answered in many aphorisms and suktas of the Veda. The
scriptures answer who we are, where did we come from and why, what is the
purpose of our existence, and other questions. Some are of the opinions that
the humans are of comparatively recent origin (as stated in the Bible), while
some feel that the human race is as old as the Sun and the Moon! Many
archeologists and historians feel that early civilizations were far advanced in
knowledge and technology. May be, ours is a fossil civilization revived,
rejuvenated, just reappearing like the sphinx and reviving, itself on memory!
The Bhagavad-Gita supports this view.
The primary assumption of Einstein’s
Special Relativity is that light approaches all observers at a constant
velocity regardless of the observer speeds or directions. To test this theory,
100 years ago, and many times since, scientists have compared the velocity of
light coming from the direction that the Earth orbits the Sun (30 km/second)
with the velocity of light coming from the opposite direction. While the speed
should be 30 km/sec faster in the direction of the orbit and 30 km/sec slower
in the opposite direction, they found that the speed only varied by about 8
km/sec and this difference was not in the direction of the Earth orbit. The
small speed difference in the wrong direction led scientists to assume they
were only seeing noise in the experiment apparatus, so they rounded the results
to zero km/sec and pronounced Einstein correct that light has only one speed
for observers with different velocities.
“Powerful EM waves (gamma rays) are indeed
created in nuclear reactions inside the Sun. But they never leave the Sun, they
are absorbed by outer layers and reemitted at lower energy, these lower energy
rays are again absorbed and reemitted... and so on, up to the surface of the
Sun. The surface has temperature of about 6000 K, so the waves that leave it
are mainly visible and ultraviolet radiations. And is this form the energy of
the Sun reaches the Earth. We know it for sure, because we have satellites
outside Earth's atmosphere that see that radiation.” [Jerzy Michał Pawlak, a Ph.D, in High Energy Physics
(exp)].
The universe is a big, big place. Bu, how
big is it? And, how do we know? The
globular cluster NGC 6397 contains around 400,000 stars and is located about
7,200 light years away in the southern constellation ‘Ara’. With an estimated
age of 13.5 billion years, it is likely among the first objects of the Galaxy
to form after the Big Bang. We can peep into the universe. It is time, not
space, which limits our view. Beyond a certain distance, light hasn't had time
to reach us yet.
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The nebula, Galaxies, Stars and the Sun with solar flares
[Credit: European Southern Observatory],
So how big is the
universe?
No one knows if the universe is infinitely large, or even if ours is the only
universe that exists. “Powerful EM waves
(gamma rays) are indeed created in nuclear reactions inside the Sun. But they
never leave the Sun, they are absorbed by outer layers and reemitted at lower
energy, these lower energy rays are again absorbed and reemitted... And so on,
up to the surface of the Sun. The surface has temperature of about 6000 K, so
the waves that leave it are mainly visible and ultraviolet radiations. And is
this form the energy of the Sun reaches the Earth. We know it for sure, because
we have satellites outside Earth's atmosphere that see that radiation.” [Jerzy Michał Pawlak, a Ph.D, in High Energy Physics
(exp)].
The Milky Way galaxy consisting of almost
seven hundred million stars is a huge city of stars, so big that it would take
100,000 years to travel across it even at the speed of light. All the stars in
the night sky, including our Sun, are just some of the residents of this
galaxy, along with millions of other stars too faint to be seen. The Hubble
Space Telescope has uncovered a strong new line of evidence that galaxies are
embedded in halos of dark matter.
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Our sun, the nearest star, is 93 million
miles (140 000 KM) away. That's why the sun, although a million times the size
of the Earth, looks so small. It would take the Space Shuttle seven months to travel
to reach there. [Credit: SOHO - ESA
& NASA]. When we leave the solar system, we find our star and its planets
are just one small part of the Milky Way galaxy. Beyond our own galaxy lies a
vast expanse of galaxies. The deeper we see into space, the more galaxies we
discover. There are billions of galaxies, the most distant of which are so far
away that the light arriving from them on Earth today set out from the galaxies
billions of years ago. Is there any wonder that life on Earth was brought
'here' from Akasha (Space)! The mystery over how life on Earth began may have
just been solved by a group of scientists. Accordingly, some 3.8 billion years
ago, existence on our planet sprung into action, but experts have been baffled
as to what caused life to begin after over half a billion years of ‘nothingness’.
The origin of the solar system is explained
in very simple terms. It is due to a “Low-mass supernova” that our solar system
formed about 4. 56 billion years ago triggered by a low- mass supernova. In the
early stages of creation, the star emanated from condensation of a cloud of gas
and stellar dust. May be, it was a binary star a component of which exploded to
give rise to the chunks of masses of planets, satellites, asteroids and
meteorites. The Sun will shed off all its energy in the next 5.44 billion years
and becomes a chunk of red ball. All these are ideas, speculations, theoretical
postulations, hypotheses, and probabilities, of course! Nothing is certain
despite billions of dollars spent on researches. But the ancient sages
visualized these in their transcendental meditative state, savikalpa samadhi, adopting the techniques of Patanjali ashtanga
yoga sutras. When the solar system was beginning to form 4.6 billion years ago,
ice grains floating around in space were hit by sunlight with the ensuing
reaction seeing sugar molecules beginning to form on the surface.
9. TOWARD A
UNIFIED THEORY
The
holistic view brings home the fact that everything is a part of the whole and
the part is no different from the whole.
However, it is also stated that, “that when nuclear reaction occur on
sun the powerful electromagnetic waves are generated. When these waves enter in
the region of our earth these waves strike with the atoms of gases and the
atoms are excited, activated to emit radiation in the form of light on
excitation.
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Material science deals with the phenomenal
objects. These materials are solid, liquid, gas, and semi-solid, or
semi-liquid. However, these do have their subtler and subtler, finer and finer
states that are not visible to the naked eye. One can go to the root of the
sub-atomic particles and reach the core of the substance. The scientists have
reached the ultimate state of the matter. These clouds of stellar dust, in an
unconsolidated vibrant state have been traced! These chunks of cloud of stellar
dust undergo condensation and form stars and galaxies. This state of matter in
a flux, a state of ‘ion’ in an unconsolidated state has to gain mass in order to
become ‘bosons’. It is extremely difficult to say how an ‘ion’ of unstable
nature, described as that ‘which exist’ and ‘does not exist’ becomes a matter
of any significant nature! It is here that we have to seek an extraneous
powerful agent, may be a God, or Ishvara, who acts as a catalyst. Hence, it is
surmised that there is spiritual power behind all material aspects.
Every minute detail of creation has been
worked out here. All living beings, the humans, animals and birds- as a living
beings, are essentially a product of food (annam), prana, manas, buddhi and
ahankara (ego). In fact, there is nothing that is not revealed as the secrets
of creation as well as the purpose of our life as human beings on this earth.
Bhagavan Shree Krishna has explained all these in detail. These statements of
Bhagavan are given in an accompanying small pocket book- “Decoding the
Bhagavad-Gita”. Everything is a sacrifice here. Each one is an interdependent
organism striving for liberation.
Only plants produce their own food and
provide food for others. The stages of evolution have been traced first to
plants and then to animals starting from fish in water, (aquatic), and frogs
(amphibian), birds (arboreal), reptiles, marsupials, primates and man. These
stages are classified into- Physical, Ethereal, Mental, and Spiritual
development. Each of these four states has its four sub-states in the same
order. Man is in the third stage of development, that of mind, that too, in its
initial stages. There is yet to evolve into higher and higher states using the
potentials and can reach up to the highest spiritual state of ‘brahmn’
(nothingness!). The second state of the ethereal (pranic) existence is not much
understood since it is partly invisible subtler forces spiritual and partly
material.
Sri Aurobindo gives a classification that
shows how every living being can attain the highest level of spiritual
development and attain God-hood. That is how the Hindu Devi and devata have
birds and animals as their vehicles. Swan is revered as the one associated with
the deity of knowledge Sarasvati and elephant with Lakshmi, tiger with Durga,
Garuda (Falcon) with Narayana, etc. Many of the deities (Gods) are having the
face of animals, and it is interesting how Ganapati got an elephant’s head and
Lord Narasimha got the lion’s and Hanuman came to be glorified as the servant
of Sri Rama. All these are depicted in Hindu mythology. However, it is so far
not clear how these have come into such prominence even in the age of science
and technology! Sri Aurobindo traces this development in a scientific way. His
theory of evolution is from physical, ethereal, mental to spiritual and at
every stage the same order of progress continues. Hence, even physical objects
are deified! The ethereal ones are really forces- subtler and invisible, but
essential for the function of the universe. The mental stage is the beginning
of the human race is in its initial physical state and it is yet to develop! Sri
Aurobindo has also given the four steps of evolution of a jiva from its
physical (form) primary pranic and ethereal levels to that of mental and
spiritual development over a very long period of eons! These are: Physical, Ethereal, Mental and Spiritual. Also,
it should be noted that at each of these stages, the development has to take
place step by step moving up the ladder from physical to spiritual, thereby
fulfilling the purpose of each stage of creation. This evolution process ends
with the highest level of spiritual-spiritual where matter becomes energy!
The Physical
or gross matter are rocks and minerals,
trees, plants, that evolve fully and reach the spiritual state and come to be worshiped
(deified?); Ethereal: Here again prana dominates supported by food obtained
from soil, directly or indirectly. The animals, birds and other living
creatures become evolved fully up to the spiritual level.
In the case of Mental development, the
living beings can develop mind and intellect to great heights and finally reach
the highest spiritual level. The animals live instinctively since the mind is
not developed and depend on the food. They cannot think and develop mental
ability or capabilities.
Even in the case of humans, the mental and spiritual
development is not easy. It is only possible over a long, very long period of
refinement. It needs a strict disciplined life of yoga. Men attain superficial
levels, but do not actually reach the true spiritual state in physical form.
All other supporting factors pf jiva will wither away at this stage. Man becomes
almost a non-existential state (physical and mental awareness ceases) at this
spiritual state.
The process of evolution is a slow process.
The mechanism is already provided in the form of chakras. These chakras can be
activated through pranayama to reach the highest Sahasrar level
from its basal plexus (muladhara prajnya). However, the humans work at
the hum lower three levels of muladhara, svadhishthana and the manipura
prajnya. They do not try to rise to anahata and onward to vishuddha,
ajnya and the sahasrar levels.
All of us live at the basic level of just
earning some food, eating, sleeping, and entertainment during the waking state,
jagrata avastha. All our efforts are focused toward self preservation,
just protecting the body with basic necessities. As the jiva realizes its true
nature in course of time, it takes to several techniques such as study of
scriptures, shravana, manana, nidhidhyasana and adopts the paths of karmayoga, bhaktiyoga, jnyanayoga,
dhyanayoga, nirasaktiyoga, etc.
Several alternative paths are provided learned yogis to help the interested
jiva to attain to its true nature and redeem itself from the cycle of rebirths.
The need for a learned teacher, a yogi is very essential in spiritual pursuits.
Here, in the Bhagavad-Gita, Bhagavan Shree Krishna comes as a Yogacharya and
guides us in the form Arjuna, a confused soul- full of attachment, desire,
anger and other qualities. Shree Krishna advises Arjuna to become a yogi, a
person of balanced mind, equanimous in joy in misery, profit and loss, and give up greed, avarice,
likes and dislikes (raga dveshsa vimukta)
and be established in the self, satisfied with the life has offered. Selfless
action (karma), devotion (bhakti), and knowledge (jnyana) are
essential as long as one lives and works. Meditation (dhyana) helps the jiva to be composed and act with wisdom. Yajnya, dana, tapas are advised in order
to get released from bondage. A person should acquire both material and
spiritual knowledge (material for survival and spiritual for liberation).
Ultimately, one should know that the goal of life is to release the embedded
soul from its elemental body and attain to its pristine pure spiritual state –
sat chit ananda.
The Rk Veda does not profess or adore any
iconic or idol worship and there are no Gods as such here. Worship of devi
devata have come as a later tradition in the Southern parts of India and they
follow agama shastra for this purpose. There are details of temple
architecture, sculpturing and installation of idols with due procedure.
However, idol worship is considered a lower method for those who cannot worship
the powers within! The Lord is seated within as the self of all. Hence one
should visualize and worship Him there. This needs an initiation and proper
guidance in yoga leading to samadhi. There is nothing wrong in using an idol
for concentration in the initial stages. But one should not stick to it
throughout life. One should develop dhyana, dharana and samadhi with mantra
japa, chakra dhyana, etc and try to be merged in Him as long as possible
whenever opportunities are given. Ashram life is prescribed for aged people for
this purpose.
Everything gets deified by slow evolution
attaining its full spiritual stature and become worshipful. The Sun is worshipful
as the source of our very existence; so also, the Moon, the air and fire, water
and earth are worshipful. The ancient sages and saints have prayed these
powerful elemental gods in many of the Rk Veda mantra. It is the devotion,
faith, and prayer that sustain us in this unpredictable world. This is how we
have even a small plant, animal, bird, and many spiritual people get the due
respect, become deified. Sri Ramachandra, the King of Ayodhya is deified and
worshiped by millions for his perfection! So also, Jesus Christ who is stated
to be embodiment of love towards humanity is deified. Now, the paradox still
remains as to transplantation, as it were, in the case of Narasimha or Ganapati
where animal heads are put on humans. This is the same with Sphinx in Egypt.
Here symbolism comes to our help. It is the keen sense of observation, power of
discrimination, intelligence, power and strength that are presented in the form
of lion or elephant! An elephant is shrewd enough not to harm and intelligent enough
to decide to whether to cross a weak wooden bridge! The Lion is a symbol of
power and it actually represents the Sun. Thus, one has to carefully understand
the underlying secret. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “I am the Self of all”.
Whatever see is the manifest forms of one supreme Lord. This is the underlying philosophy of
Hinduism. It is a global religion that treats all as one vast extended family!
We respect the divine order. We treat with respect all plants, animals and
birds due to the inherent divinity. It is not the outer form or the behaviour,
but the essential divine nature- sat-chit-ananda
svarupa.
Thus, the ‘One’- the abstract all-powerful
entity that exists in a subtler invisible potential dynamic state creates the
universe. The scientists have traced this to the primordial matter that is and
that is not, a virtual ion with energy, but without mass, however, transferring
mass to another ion. These are termed ‘fermions’ and ‘bosons’, respectively,
that ultimately create the paraphernalia of the transient world- of all
‘moving’ and the ‘non-moving’ (charaachara)
objects. This potential, equilibrium
state called brahmn. It is this ‘sat’,
from which ‘chit’ and ‘ananda’ emanate, manifest. This is what
the spiritual texts teach us. Also, they advise us to practice yoga to
visualize and experience this unmanifest brahmn since it is not possible to
explain it in any way, by words. The
Vedantic perspective of Creation is worth a careful study. The following gives
a brief note about these with illustrations. Srividya gives a clear idea about
the secret pf creation.
This is the aphorism
that explains what the Lagrangian string (spring like the DNA chain, but with a
point below and vast opening at the top end!) that explains how ‘the micro is a
continuum of the macro’! The sand, silt, clay and the boulder are the same;
salt or sugar dissolved in water gives every drop the taste of its quality. A
handful of sea water is as salty as that of the ocean. Once, the spark asked
the fire, “Who am I?” The Fire answered, “You are Me only.” But the spark said,
I am tiny and you are larger than me?” The Fire said, “You can do the same work
I am doing. That’s it.”
SHIVA-SHAKTI
Bindu* o Paramashiva- ‘sat’
SHIVA
‘cit’(ichhashakti) SHAKTI
(Kriyashakti)
[* Nada condensed into Bindu expands itself to form Trikona].
There are 33 333
devi devata and they are all within us as life-force, intelligence,
consciousness and energy running the affairs of the body from the day of
conception till the day of death or discarding the body by the jiva.
Every cell, every sub-atomic particle,
molecule or cell nerve and neuron is charged with chaitanya, the divine power
but for which the world will not function. The supreme Lord is seated in the
core of the substance and all the Devi devata serve Hm. This is eulogized in
the Veda. Thus,
it is clear how every atom, every cell, every minute particle is the
constituent part of this vast universe and performs the function in a unified
way. Atmaa eva brahmaa| meaning, the
core of the substance, ‘chaitanya’,
is the same in all. The Lord says, “I am
in every moving and non-moving things”. “I am the self of all” The
Vishnu Purana gives an account of creation. The story begins with the churning
of the Ocean. Here, the ‘Ocean’– ‘sudha
sindhu’ (the ‘Ocean of Consciousness’).
लक्ष्मः कौस्तुभ
पणरिजणतकसुिण धन्वन्तरिश्चन्द्रमणः। गणवः कणमदुहण सुिेश्विगजो िम्भणमद
देवणङ्गनणः।
अश्वः सप्तमुखो मवषं हरिधनुः
िङ् खोमृतं चणम्बुधेः। ित्नणनमह
चतुदणि प्रमतमदनं कु यणणत्सदण
मङ्गलम्।
Creation of the
Universe takes place nowhere else, but in the Mind. “The perceiver and the
perceived is one” is the principle. The Lord says, “I only exist and all else
are the manifest forms of my Supreme Self” (Bhagavad-Gita Ch. X. Vibhuti Yoga).
The supreme Lord is purna prajnya, pure Consciousness. Pure mind is pure
consciousness and everything is created by consciousness. Prajnyanam brahmaa | Hence, the world is the product of the mind
and the mind creates whatever it focus attention! Nothing is outside the
purview of Consciousness. Thus, our Mind is the repository of all that was,
that is, and that ever would be! The pure mind is the ocean of Consciousness.
The Mind has the power to create, sustain, and destroy! Thus, the pure Mind
that is pure Consciousness only is the supreme Lord purna prajnya Narayana. Narayana (prajnyadhara) is ‘journey’ of Life
(Eternal flow of Consciousness as Light, Intellect, Force and Energy) - the
expanding universe, and the manifest form of Narayana is ‘Eternal Flow of
Consciousness” Vishnu is the all-pervasive one!
Thus, all that started coming out from the
ocean during the churning (manthan), naming only a few symbolically, are:
Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune and Wealth -Vishnu's consort; Kaustubha- the
most valuable jewel in the world; Parijat- the divine flowering tree with
blossoms that never fade or wilt; Varuni- goddess and creator of happiness;
Dhanvantari- the doctor; Chandra- the moon; Kamadhenu- the wish-fulfilling Gau,
divine cow; Kalpavriksha- the wish-fulfilling tree; Airavata- the white
elephant of Indra; Apsaras- various divine nymphs (Fem. Symbolically presented)
like Rambha, Urvashi, Menaka, Punjikasthala, etc. Uchhaishravas- the 7-headed
white horse; Sharanga- the bow of Vishnu; Shankha- Vishnu's conch; and the
Amrita- the nectar of immortality. These should not be taken literally since
there is a lot of symbolism involved. Horse means speed, cow means light, and
moon means mind, bow means tool or instrument, nymph means illusion,
attraction, disillusionment, conch that stands for sound means creation,
etc While churning the ocean (of
Consciousness), the first thing to come out is Kalakuta or Halahala, a dreadful
poison. Everybody was frightened by its fierceness. This terrified the gods and
demons because the poison was so toxic that it might have destroyed all of
creation. On the advice of Vishnu, gods approached Shiva for help and
protection. On request of the gods, Shiva was pleased to drink that poison. The
black colour of the poison left a mark on Shiva's neck. Therefore Shiva was
named 'god with a black spot on the neck'. In other words, Lord Shiva got the
name Neelakantha because he drank the poison and saved the earth from getting
poisoned; however, Parvati prevented it from Gods and demons continued churning
the sea. Then arose a horse by name Uchhaishravas, Kalpavriksha having the
power to grant what is wished, Kamadhenu, and other celestial articles took
shape. When the sea continued to be churned the Apsaras damsels were born. The
moon also appeared from the ocean during the churning, the 'moon' (Chandrama) making it her brother
(daughter). Alakshmi, the goddess of misfortune, is Lakshmi's elder sister.
According to the Vishnu Purana, Lakshmi is the daughter of Bhrugu and Khyati
and resided in Swarga but due to the curse of Sage Durvasa, she left Swarga and
made Ksheer Sagar her home. Dhanvantari emerged from the sea. Dhanvantari is
the doctor of gods. She had a sacred pot in his hand. There was ambrosia in it.
Fierce fighting ensued between Devas and Asuras for the nectar. To protect the
nectar from Asuras, Devas hid the pot of nectar at four places on the earth
-Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. At each of these places, a
drop of the nectar spilled from the pot and it is believed that these places
acquired mystical power. A Kumbh Mela is celebrated at four places every twelve
years for this reason. However, the Asuras eventually got hold of the nectar
and started celebrating. Frightened, Devas (demigods) appealed to Vishnu, who
then appeared disguised as Mohini. As she was beautiful, the demons looked at
her in surprise. Mohini came near them and said: "Do not quarrel for
ambrosia. If you agree, I will myself serve ambrosia. You sit in two
rows." All agreed. The demons sat in one row and the gods in another. As a
beautiful and enchanting damsel, Mohini distracted the Asuras, took the amrita,
and distributed it among the Devas, who drank it. By sleight-of-hand Mohini
served intoxicating drinks to the demons and amrita to the gods. The demons who
were enamoured of her charm did not notice the trick played on them. The One
Asura, Rahu, disguised himself as a Deva and drank some nectar. Due to their
luminous nature, the sun god Surya and the moon god Chandra noticed the
switching of sides. They informed Mohini. But before the nectar could pass his
throat, Mohini cut off his head with her divine discus, the Sudarshana Chakra.
The head, due to its contact with the amrita, remained immortal. To gain
revenge on the sun and moon for exposing this, the immortal head occasionally
swallows the sun or the moon, causing eclipses. Then, the sun or moon passes
through the opening at the neck, ending the eclipse. Gods drank ambrosia and
became immortal. They became free from fear of death. The demons came to know
afterwards that they had been deceived. They started a war. The
Symbolism:
Devi Kaali Maa depicted in black, for example, is ‘Black Matter (Dark Energy)
and Lakshmi is Star- Light, Life, food, knowledge. Red Lotus- Pure
Consciousness; Elephant for Strength; Hand Postures (mudra) - Offer of protection (abhaya)
and grace (anugraha); Face- Beauty
and joy. Devi is Shakti- embodiment of Knowledge, Potency, Creative Power, and
Desire. [Source: Pancharatra Agama Shastra]. There is lot of symbolism in what
is shown and written in the Veda and Purana.
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The universe began with these creative
forces- Light-Intelligence-Force- Energy (LIFE), operated in the form of sound
waves, images and imaginations, desire, will, thoughts and ideas, colours,
alphabets, words to express the subtler forces like sub-atomic particles,
neutron, proton, electron and the gaseous elements, their compounds (inorganic
and organic) and a complex system of objective phenomenal world, including
plant life, aquatic and arboreal life, land animals, bipeds and quadrupeds that
includes the humans. Thus the term ‘Life’ includes everything!
As compared to the scientific view, the
Vedanta perspective gives a better picture of the universe we live in. The very
term ‘Vedanta’ means a holistic, more comprehensive view. This perspective is
like seeing things without an obstruction. It is seen not from the physical
senses, mind, intelligence or ego, but is visualized from a higher
consciousness (turiya prajnya) level
in a transcendental meditative state. The ancient Rishis had perfected this
approach and could visualize things, and as such, never raised any doubt. But
the scientists doubt their own observations and conclusions. There is an
account of this in the scriptures.
Once, the sages arrived in the Hall of God
of all Gods, devendra to know about
the secret of creation, the true nature of the universe, etc. Lord Indra asked
the sages whether they knew anything about creation and the nature of the
universe. All the sages kept quiet. The Indra asked them to go into deep
contemplation over the subject and come back after they find the answer. Some
went into deep, contemplation, dharana
and samadhi for nine months and some
for ten months; these sages later came to be known as navaghvas and dashaghvas,
respectively. When they all finally arrived, the same question was asked, but
no answer was forthcoming! Then the Lord concluded that these learned sages
might have found the answer but find it difficult to put in words what they
visualized! Thus, it is concluded, that the nature of the universe is such that
it is difficult to express it in words since it is the manifest form of once own self only, and, as such, not an other than the Self. If there are
two- the viewer and the viewed, the subject and the object, the perceiver and
the perceived, it may be possible to explain it. When the duality ceases to
exist in the state of contemplation, in dhyana, dharana, and samadhi there is
neither the viewer nor the viewed, only the unmanifest brahmn exists!
How can I see when I am in it? One can
clearly see an object only when seen from a great height outside of it! For
that matter, we are all within it (the creation and the Creator), as an integral,
inseparable part of it! Thus, it is concluded that all that is viewed as ‘another’ is just an illusion, a vibrant
form of energy! The scientists, too, have come to this conclusion today.
The Vedantic view, or the spiritual
perspective, is more abstract when compared to the material scientific one. The
spiritual forces are extremely subtle and difficult to understand, but can be
experienced at a certain level. This experience is limited to a few attained
souls who have strived for it and have succeeded. Such persons are called siddhi purusha. They may even
demonstrate these powers at times, but many are not interested in this show
business. What are these forces and how
do they operate? These forces are the same as described earlier in the scientific
method. But, these are not limited to just four or five enumerated as Gravity,
electromagnetism, atomic energy, strong and weak forces. These run into
thousands or millions and each one is addressed as a devi or devata, deity of a
particular force that perform certain function. There thirty three thousand
devi devatas who perform specific functions and these are
The humans, as a replica of God, are none
else but the manifest forms and in fact possess all the qualities of Him, but,
in a limited way. The human ingenuity and capacity to act is also unlimited,
but come within the lime, space and causality. The supreme Lord only manifests
as the tiniest of the tiny and function in a limited way. This will not reduce
the stature of the Lord in any way! A spark is as good as a fire. The Lord is
said to be Anoraniyan mahato mahiyan
| Like Zero, the smallest of the small and largest of the large. He, the Lord,
is the smaller than the smallest and larger than the largest! The great sages
have visualized the true nature of jiva as ‘a speck of stellar dust’, a
‘photon’ that constitutes the universe. However, it stands individualized,
unique and separate due to its acquired properties. Ultimately the embodied
jiva (manava) may discard all its
acquired qualities and become the divine being (deva-manava)!
‘Creation’ depicted in Scriptures: All that
emanated from the Consciousness, disturbance of the rajas, tamas and the sattva
gunas, and the churning of the Ocean (sagara manthan) is depicted in pictures
here. The evolution of life forms from the stage of fish (matsya Aquarian,),
turtle (kurma amphibian), boar (varaha) horse and lion (haya and simha as in hayavadana and Narasimha, respectively)
are all mystic! The Lord only appears in these physical forms (avatar)! The
world may appear or disappear anytime at His will! The scientists deduce
evolution from unicellular microorganisms evolving to multi-cellular and multi-
organ beings. These different levels or stages of development leading up to the
stages of manes, Devi devata, Rishis (tapo
janah), and divine status exist with or without physical body!
However, there is no need that the Lord
should sit and think or plan selectively, step by step different types of
living beings (jiva rashi) since He is not governed by any limitations of time,
space, and causality. There is no order or rule applicable to him. All these
limitations are for us, the mortals, only. Thus, the will of the Lord prevails.
He willed, the world appeared; so also, it may disappear at a wink of His! The
Bhagavad-Gita describes this aspect of creation and dissolution in greater detail.
He, the Lord only manifests in different forms and there exists nothing besides
Him. He is the self of all, it is declared in unmistakable terms.
All that we know as light, energy,
intelligence, creative power, the all-pervasive Consciousness, kaal (Time), strength, power and force
are given names of Devi devata. Initially, even a small rounded stone was
considered an icon, an image of Devi and the same tradition is still continued
in Vaishnodevi (Katra, J&K) and in Sharda temple across LOC Kashmir (See
images above). And, the Devi Lakshmi
symbolically stands for resources, wealth, power to create; and, Devi Durga,
Kali symbolize power to destroy the evil.
How we came to
worship Devi Devata in Temples
It is stated that the learned sages asked
the Lord as to the ways and means of attaining to Him. The Lord said that He is
already seated within the jiva and there is no need to worship Him! However,
one may take his/her own image and worship. This is the archira avatara of
Devata. The sculptors (shilpi) who
chisels out the forms of devi devata in different styles according to their
respective powers as shown in number of hands and tools held. These idols are chiseled
out in stones (Shalagrama or marble), sandal wood, metals like pancha loha, gold,
silver, etc maintain strict codes of conduct and prepare the idols only getting
instructions in dreams. There is also agama shastra that prescribe the methods
of construction of temples. Thus, the devi devata have come with numerous
hands, ornaments, armaments and mudra for purpose of ‘archana’. These are
archavatara. This will help in concentration and develop bhakti. Thus, we have
the temples for arcane, adoration. The
pictures of Devi devata (Gods and
Goddesses) shown in the scriptures are imaginative and symbolic. Like a map
that image shows details, every picture of a devi or devata depicts a volume
information in symbolic form regarding the powers (shakti), tools (astra), hand
gestures and symbols (hasta mudra) etc. of creation, protection and destruction;
this is the same as what the mathematicians and scientists express in formulae,
signs and symbols. The great sages and saints have expressed what they have
visualized in the form of aphorisms, formulae, codes and symbols like lotus,
trishul, wheel (Sudarshana chakra), mace, conch, etc. The mantra expressed in
sounds and words form the most powerful tool of protection. These esoteric
symbolisms are hard to decode. For example, the Sudarshana chakra in the hands
of Vishnu is the wheel of time (kaal chakra)
and it depicts creation as well as destruction. The conch is symbolic ‘sound’
that heralds creation. The White Lotus
flower on which Devi Lakshmi is seated is the seat of creation, ocean of
consciousness. Similarly, serpent or Nag on which Lord Vishnu is lying and or
Shiva bearing (on neck or head) stands for virility, potency, and all
pervasiveness. Similarly, there are the animals like cow, horse that stand for
light and speed, respectively. Every instrument in hands of Devi devata is
powerful tools of creation, sustenance, and dissolution. These symbols are
depicted as the forces operating in the universe. They speak volumes and
volumes about our existence. Shiva as normally shown in calendars depict the
moon for elixir of life, the Ganga (water) the life force and consciousness
descending from higher sources, and Ganapati, the elemental god made of soil,
food subject to transient nature.
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Thus, there is no
end to symbolism and depiction of characters in epics. One should be careful
while reading the scriptures. There are the gross and the subtle aspects in
each and every description and we fail to grasp the inner subtler esoteric or
secret meaning of these. The number of hands and the armaments in these hands
as shown below are symbolic and powerful in maintaining the universe, balancing
the positive and negative forces as described in the epics. What we call the
Devi devata, such as, Durga, Gayatri, and Parameshvari. Sarasvati, Ganga,
Surya, Shiva, Hanuman, Lakshmi, Vishnu, Narayana, Parvati, Ganapati, Kali, etc.
are the symbolic expressions of powers attributed to them by the devoted souls
that seek knowledge, redemption, mukti or moksha. These are in a way the
elemental gods, too, that are adored and worshiped in the various forms, giving
them a number of hands, armaments and decorating them with armaments.
These Devi-devatas are also associated with
many animals, birds, and plants and trees. Indeed all these are the manifest
powers of One Supreme Lord, Narayana. Shree Hari Narayana is often seen
surrounded by all Devi devata. The powers attributed to the lord are: Chit-shakti, jnyan-shakti, ichha shakti,
kriya-shakti, and kriyashilata. Ishvara is given the powers of srushti, sthiti,
samhruti, anugraha, and tirodhana. Devi Durga is seen seated on a tiger and
Mahalakshmi and Saraswati are shown as seated on Lotus with ‘Kalash’ and Veena
in hand, respectively. Symbolism is very
important here. Lotus and serpent are commonly used and it is difficult to know
why ‘Sudarshana’ is shown in the hand of Vishnu as ‘kaal-chakra’, the symbol of
all that is, that exists now and that are to come are hidden in the ‘Wheel of
Time’. What the Veda says about Creation is very simple. There is one single
all powerful Power or Force that runs through all that is created. There is a
Creator and all that is created is no different from the Creator. Hence it is
stated that ‘the Creator and the Creation are one’, so also, the perceiver and he perceived are one!
It may be of interest to know how of all
the creatures, Naga, a serpent, and a bird falcon (garuda) are associated with Shiva and Vishnu, respectively. In
fact, the bird falcon, garuda is the
enemy of serpent, naga! It is
difficult to understand the symbolism involved here. Serpent is the potency
aspect of creation and its pervasiveness as consciousness makes it associated
with Shiva, Vishnu, and Sudarshana narasimha. Similarly, Lotus represents creative
power and Pure Consciousness. The animals associated with Devi devata such as
bull, horse, and elephants represent strength, speed, force, etc. Abhaya mudra (Hand Postures) represents
offer of protection (abhaya). There
are tools like trishul, mace, sword,
wheel, rope, sugarcane, etc. the smiling face and beautiful eyes represent lots
of emotions, like compassion, beauty, and joy. Devi is embodiment of power
(Shakti), knowledge, and creative power and Desire. [Source: Pancharatra Agama Shastra]. It may
be even stranger that the deities, including those of the Veda and its
divisions (Vedanga), are shown to have face of animals! Rk Veda purusha is
shown with donkey face with rosary in hand. Yajurveda purusha has goat head
wearing rosary. Samaveda purusha has horse head holding rosary and pitcher in
hands. Atharvaveda purusha is having monkey face with garland of beads
(akshamala) and an earthen pot in hands.
“Shiva
is jiva”, says the Shaivagama shastra. I
and My Father in Heavens are ‘One’. is a wellknown Biblical statement.
Further, it is stated that, the son is ‘father of man’ since one only manifest
as such and such, and ‘no other than the Self’. Similarly, duality ends when
knowledge dawns. The observer (perceiver) and the observed (perceived object)
are one. The perceiver and the perceived are one. One only exists as the
manifest forms, everything. The underlying single thread running through the
fabric is not seen at first! This
principle of creation is put in simple phrases in all the scriptures. Thou art
that (“tat tvam asi”) is one such
statement where the teacher Aruni Uddalaka advises his student Shvetaketu to
realize the principle of ‘oneness’ (unity consciousness). Different Schools of
Thought have, however, interpreted these principles of oneness differently.
There are about two hundred and fifty Upanishads of which only 108 are
considered to be very important. These deal with yoga-shastra, mantra-shastra,
Atmavidya, brahmavidya, etc. These cover the entire spectrum of Knowledge concerning
creation, sustenance, development and dissolution. Some of these are the source
of our study here. Besides the Veda and the Upanishads, there are eighteen
epics (purana) and six darshana shastras (not exactly the
philosophical renderings), too, that depict the creation and other details. The Sankhya and the Yoga shastra depict the theoretical and the practical sides of the
study, respectively. The learned one, a jnyani (Sankhyan), enumerate Twenty-five Principles (srushti tattva) whereas the Shaiva Agama Shastra depict more than
Thirty-five Principles regarding Creation (srushti
tattva) excluding the One that manifests in all. Shiva manifests the five
principles- srushti, sthiti, laya, tirodhana and anugraha. Shiva only appears
as jiva. Mantra, yantra, and tantra
of the Agama shastra are just like the modern scientist’s theories, hypotheses,
postulations, equations or formulae shown by signs and symbols. What is tantra
is technique and the mantra are aphorisms. The language is different but the substance
is the same. The subject becomes more abstract when we leave the domain of
gross substances and enter the realms of ‘spirit’. These are in the form of
silence, sound, waves and vibrations. Light plays a dominant role in all these.
Geomagnetism, gravity and electromagnetic fields are yet to be explored! So
also, the function of our nerves and neurons, the unseen chakra and pranic
forces operating in our body need further detailed study.
Shiva, Parvati and Ganapati are symbolic of
our own existence as gross body (Ganesha) in the Mother’s womb (Earth) with
Father (Shiva) possessing ‘Knowledge’ (Ganga), ‘amrut’ (elixir /soma or chandra), and potency, virility (serpent/naga)! Vishnu holds all! Since abstract things cannot be grasped by
ordinary people, the symbolic forms are used in the scriptures. Only the serious
readers will go deep into these studies and get a clear idea, but other misunderstand
all these! In fact all our epics have been misinterpreted by Western scholars
and our learned scholars, too, commit the same mistakes copying them! The term
‘God’ (Eng.) is not to be used in the Indian context. The term ‘devi’ and
‘devata’ are used to express the spiritual powers and forces (shakti). The term ‘deva’ means that
which ‘lifts’ (da), which helps us to
rise, say, from ignorance, poverty, misery, and obstacles that prevent our
progress. These devata are given a form- male or female, like Ganesha, Lakshmi
or Saraswati with powers credited to each of these, as also, the number of
hands and mudra (sign) showing abhaya
(assurance of support, ‘varada’ (benevolence, grace), adored with ornaments and
armaments, such as, trishul, lotus flower, chakra (wheel), mace (rod), etc.
indicating the powers and tools of the deity. Shiva in the form of Lingam with a small pot of water over
head is very significant in that “He, the Lord, is the symbol of ‘nuclear’/
thermodynamic reactor” that needs to be constantly kept cool. He, Ishvara, is
the supreme Lord of the Universe sustaining it with ‘Energy’!
Energy is indestructible, unborn, eternal,
and ever self-effulgent. This ‘energy’ concept is very important in running the
universe. The Sun, at the centre of the solar system, is the chief source
sustaining power of all that exits on earth as living beings. The Rk Veda has a
number of sukta for Agni. Agni is surya, soma and anala (fire/agni). He, the
supreme Lord, exists in all living and nonliving, moving and non-moving,
objects as ‘chaitanya’, ‘prana’ (Life-force), and ‘prajnya’ (Consciousness). There is no
existence without this energy and, energy is neither created nor destroyed.
Hence Atman, an energy particle, is also unborn, and eternal.
THE
MEANING AND PURPOSE OF LIFE: What is the meaning and purpose of life? The answer
is given in the Bhagavad-Gita. The secrets of creation, maintenance, and
destruction, as well as, the plight of the jiva and its salvation, etc are
revealed by the Lord in every detail. “Decoding the Bhagavad-Gita” by the same
author explains these. However, we will conclude this short discourse with a
few concluding remarks on goal of life. It is for the seeker, to visualize Him,
the Lord, and merge in Him. This is the only purpose of life! Otherwise, it is
just a simple waste of another human life, the gift of the Lord! There is no
meaning to this life if one lives as an animal eating and sleeping! Most of us
struggle hard to make a living and rest of the time engaged in
entertainment. But, there is a lot of
meaning for a person who seeks and finds it. It is the purpose of life to
realize how the jiva arrived on earth, got embedded in an elemental body. It
entered the earth as a particle of light, a photon, full of energy, force,
intelligence, a life force (prana), and became a living being. It entered into
an elemental world of space, air, fire, water, soil and food to become what it
is- a prani. It started its journey
with the radiant energy, rays of light from a star! It is nothing but a
particle of light that has its source in a distant star (See birth chart, say
for instance, Punarvasu in Karka Rashi). It (energy particle) has entered the
earth’s atmosphere riding the rays of the Sun and journeyed down to earth’s
surface and got enmeshed, embodied, into an organic form of life. The
possibility may be that it is still dormant as energy in inorganic substances,
too. It may be anything from a
radio-active element like Uranium turned into lead, or anything like Calcite or
Alumina into bauxite and aluminum, or just an ore of a mineral like iron
waiting for refinement into steel, or like petroleum and natural gas to run a
vehicle or produce more usable form of energy to run machines. So nothing is a
waste! A human form endowed with intelligence is capable of much more. The
highest one can achieve in life is a world-wide acclamation or a scroll of paper
and some money as a Nobel Laureate, but to discover the person (purusha), larger than the Self (paramatman) who is seated within and
running the affairs of life! It is to discover the person who is seated within incognito, breathing, pulsating,
thinking and working constantly as a driving force. When this highest truth (param satya) is discovered the jiva
becomes totally free from all bondage, attachments, ego, greed, selfishness,
and becomes a divine being. This is attainment to the ‘Self’, fulfillment of
life. Such persons are said to be immortal since they are devoid of all name
and form, affixes and prefixes. The yoga teachers advise people to take to yoga
to maintain good health. But nobody tells why all these good health and good life
are meant for. The Lord says, “See Me, hear Me, Arjuna. I am telling the utmost
secret of life. Give up everything and take to my advice, merge in Me. You will
enjoy utmost bliss and happiness that cannot be compared to anything on earth|”
Pashya me… (Gita).
Brahmn:
“Verily, there are two forms of Brahman: gross and subtle, mortal and immortal,
limited and unlimited, definite and indefinite. The gross form is that which is
other than air and akasha. It is mortal, limited and definite. The essence of
that which is gross, which is mortal, which is limited, and which is definite,
is the sun that shines, for it (the sun) is the essence of the three elements.
Now the subtle: It is air and akasha. It is immortal, it is unlimited and it is
indefinite. The essence of that which is subtle, which is immortal, which is
unlimited and which is indefinite is the Person (Purusha) in the solar orb, for
that Person is the essence of the two elements. This is with reference to the
God as described in Purusha Sukta Mandala X, Rk Veda.
Atman
(Soul): This is the core of the
substance, an inexplicable abstract entity that can neither be said as ‘is’ or
‘is not’, but nothing can exist without it. The most surprising thing about ‘Atman’ is that it can enter in and out
of the body. It creates a jiva, or may be, the jiva becomes a Jivatman when the
Atman enters a body. However, it is not clear what this Atman is! It is said to be all-knowing (omniscient), all-powerful
(omnipotent), omnipresent and clairvoyant. It is ‘Energy’, that is unborn,
eternal, immortal and immutable. It is the Light. It can never be found since
it is hidden in cell, envelopes (kosha) of food, prana, manas, buddhi,
ahankara, indriya vishaya asakti, sensualities!! It is created by a higher
power called Param-Atman.
Param-Atman:
There is a supreme power that is behind the vibrant universe and the vibration
is caused by a power called param Atman, very dear source of all power. This
power is inexplicable, found nowhere, but exists everywhere! There is no ‘existence’
whatsoever without this support! Whether such a power exists or not is itself a
mystery and everybody wants to know for it is very dear to everybody. This
mystery will never be solved for the simple reason that it is not different
from the one who is searching for it. It is that which surrounds everything,
enters into the core of the substance as its Atman. This led the great sages to
search for it, visualize it in their transcendental meditative state, and come
to the conclusion- Atma eva brahmn.
The Parama Atman is the one that is individualized as the Jivatman of all. Thus, there should be no doubt as to who is this
supreme Lord Paramatman and the Jivatman, but for whom we do not exist! Atman
can be there without jiva. Many surgeons conducting operation on patients under
general anesthesia have heard the patient saying that their soul left the body
and witnessed the operation! The soul does exist and it can go out and get into
the body. Many yogis can leave the body, go out, and come back! This aspect is
supported by Sri Shankaracharya. Since the soul occupies a body a person can
enter any other body; it is called parakaya
pravesha. The soul of dead persons can search a suitable body and enter it.
As such, they are called antara pishachi
if it is wandering in search. The moment it finds a suitable body, it enters
and begins to act in order to fulfil its unfulfilled desires in its previous
body state. Only a weak mind entertains, but a strong mind will not entertain
its game plans and it will not be successful. Most of the souls (Atman) will
take a body soon after it leaves its old and worn out body (death). This is
clarified by the Lord in the Gita, and He cautions, there is every possibility
of a human being taking birth as a cat, a dog, or a pig if the human form now
is not used for emancipation, mukti, once and for all!
From the super-soul (paramatman) emanates particles of ‘soul’ (jivatman) and all other paraphernalia such as knowledge (jnyan),
light, intelligence, and creative energy. This light of the soul (Atman) sheds knowledge, intelligence,
and awareness (prajnya), and this
conscious awareness (sthiti-prajnya)
sheds its light on the Intellect (buddhi).
However, the vibrant mind (manovritti
or chanchala chitta) fails to turn to
intellect (buddhi) due to ego (ahankar) filled in it and, thereby,
loses track of a more meaningful and purposeful life. Thus, man goes astray!
Gita exemplifies this aspect.
Consciousness:
here again, nobody knows what is this consciousness. It is a con, a trick, played
by ‘chit’, knowledge, on us! It is capable of shedding light outside as well as
inside. When it looks inward it brings Shiva, the Self, to our awareness,
buddhi. When it turns outwards it brings the objective phenomenal world to our
awareness. Thus it is the one that governs our lives both ways! It is said, “Everything is Consciousness”. Brahmn
is chit. “Prajnyanam brahma”. It
is difficult to know it(prajnya)
since it is the one that knows all! A person is conscious of his self, his
surroundings, and thereby operates. ‘Knowing one’s self’ is however a very
difficult task and it require practice in yoga. One can see himself in yogic
trance. The conscious awareness is what makes a person work on at hand. There
is also possibility of working on jobs without awareness. Unconscious persons
are there and they are the cause of destruction, rather that construction.
Hence everybody is called up on to work conscientiously, with full awareness of
pros and cons. Consciousness makes one reach the highest level of ‘oneness’
where there will be totality- samyak-prajnya.
A person consciously aware of his Self is said to be a yogi. Such a yogi has
transcended time, space and causality.
Time
and Space: What makes this world a myth, an illusory one (jagat mythya), is the limitations set by time and space. Einstein
has clarified certain points in his theory of ‘Relativity’. Time and space
continuum is an abstract principle. We all exist in it! We all know that a
person who travels at a speed of 100 Km. per hour, can reach a place 100 Km
away in one hour. If the speed is increased to 600 Km per hour one can reach
much earlier by 1/6th. If the travel time is increased to the speed of sound,
light, and mind, the very concept of time, as on earth, ceases to exist! Time
is set by vibration of mind (chitta vrutti) and the time stops if the mind
stops (its vibration mode). Thus, one can overcome the limitation set by time
and space in samadhi, yogic trance, by travelling faster and faster! Mind can
travel faster than Light and sound. One can travel beyond the Universe in a
matter of few seconds, or even instantly, and visualize for oneself the true
nature of existence in yogic trance. There is no wonder if the yogins have
given us their experience in short aphorisms in Brahmasutras and the Upanishads
about all these!
Causality
(karya-karana): Normally cause and
effect are considered two different aspects. But the reality is that ‘effect’
lies in the cause itself. Karma is induced by desire and the jiva performs
action which brings in its wake the fruits of action as karmaphala. This cause
(desire) and effect (karmaphala) binds the jiva to earthly existence and
repeated births and deaths, suffering and misery. Karma or action has its vidhi, destiny, or fate as they call it!
Nobody can keep quiet. So everybody is indulging in action that begets more
actions. Life is action (karma) and
repeated births are due to karma that
begets more karma (fruits of action
as the seed for next births). The solution lies in samyama and practice of
ashtanga yoga under a trained teacher. The Bhagavad-Gita deals with these in
detail.
Chit
or Consciousness is everything: “Everything is ‘Energy’, chaitanya or chit-shakti.” There exist ‘Energy’
in all that exists and. All that exist are the manifest forms, such as, Force,
Light, and Intelligence, etc. Behind all these creation there is a single
supreme power ‘Almighty’ called ‘Narayana’,
meaning, ‘Eternal Flow’ of chit, Consciousness- An undifferentiated energy.
This ‘chit’ inheres everything- ‘that
is, was, and ever will be’. This ‘chit’, consciousness, is ‘Existence’
in all times! It is thus clear that a bit of this exists in all jivas, too. Now, it is certain that the
same person who uses the entire brain gets a holistic view, total perspective,
and becomes a ‘Vedantin’. However,
whoever uses the left hemisphere or the right hemisphere of brain becomes a
particular faculty of knowledge- scientist or a yogin, respectively! Thus, we
get different perspectives of the same reality by different seekers such as the
spiritualists or the yogins and the scientists like the physicists, the
astronomers, and the like. All these different views are essential in order to
know ‘who we are’ and get a clear view about ‘the world we live in’.
We have traced briefly a short history of
the universe almost from its state of ‘nothingness’
to all that we see as the paraphernalia
of phenomenal objective world. This is, in a way, also the journey of the
jiva from its infinitesimal ionic state to the existing varied forms. The
central theme, however, is the nature of the jiva, its embodiment in an earthen elemental form and ultimately its cry for
redemption. Desire is said to be the cause of embodiment; no desire, no life is
the principle. The various techniques that promise redemption of the jiva, such
as, scriptural studies and practice of yoga, the rituals, customs and
traditions, etc have also been briefly touched upon. Bhakti, jnyana and
vairagya and yajnya, daana, and tapas are the paths to liberation of the
embodied or embedded soul according to the Bhagavad-Gita. Finally, it is
surmised that the ultimate goal of all earthlings is to find their own ways and
means of redemption and, to this effect meditation has been cited as a very
useful technique. The importance of a guide, a guru, is also stressed here. Guru is one whom we choose or the Lord
sends when we ardently cry for it and he comes at the appropriate time as
ordained by the Lord. There is a switch board and a switch operator. Our going to
a Guru is to get connected to the higher spirit. When we surrender all that we
have acquired to the guru, who is like a ‘yajnya
kunda’, burning pot of fire, and we offer our self (ego) to become totally
fit for entering Him ‘as a speck of spark’ falling into the flames. Guru is
ordained to come to us just as we also are ordained to seek him. It is like a
wireman coming to connect the switch board of our house to the electric pole
and give connection for flow of electricity in our house as directed by the
higher authorities of the electricity department.. We go to a guru not to learn
anything for he will not teach us anything! It is to surrender our ego and what
all we have acquired and get liberated from the bondage, sansar, that we seek a
guru and do sadhana under his directions. However, it is not easy for a common
man to surrender his ego so easily. It is also difficult to understand the
subtler aspects of spiritual development.
A scientific background to the development
of the modern world is given here in order to show that it is based on the
spiritual and extraneous factors before this visible world attained its gross
state. All that we see here is just a vibration of energy and subject to
limitations of time, space and causality. At his best, a person is just a
faculty, a narrow branch of knowledge, that to for a short period of his life.
He is neither, this nor that, during his/her childhood and old age, and nobody
will ever realize this truth. This knowledge of relative existence in a transient
world will never redeem the jiva! The jiva has to transcend all acquired
qualities (guna), limitations set by time, space, and causality with the help
of yoga.
This is the first ever attempt to bring in
both science and spirituality, a single body of knowledge as a continuum; it
requires ‘unity consciousness’, samyak-prajnya, to understand this
approach. Normally, we fail to get the holistic view since we are bound to
deduce, dissect, and discrete, as well as, think and understand higher
knowledge leading to ultimate reality, brahmn.
The numerous philosophies, that now
exist, such as the dvaita, dvataadvaita,
vishishtaadvaita, advaita, bhedaabheda,
Jainism, Buddhism, or even
Christianity and Islam are the result of more a confusion and misunderstanding
than a clear understanding of the ‘ultimate principle’ and the goal of life.
The goal of life is just to get out of the clutches of maya, meaning, time, space and causality. It is this limitation
enforced by nature on the jiva is responsible for all sufferings. The soul,
Atman craves for release from the bondage of repeated embodiments. This release
is possible only through an intense of practice of yoga. ‘Enlightenment’ is
attained through meditation. It is the only path of liberation and the
different schools of philosophical thought are just the preliminary steps
towards a preliminary understanding. These will not lead to spiritual
development and emancipation of the jiva. That is the reason why we see only
one Lord Shree Ram, or one Bhagavan Shree Krishna, and the one enlightened
‘Buddha’ over a long period of several Millennia! In fact, philosophy (phyllo Sophia) is just love of words! Nothing can be gained by mere
thinking or talking, nor even by eulogizing somebody or something! The answer
lies in sadhana, meditation.
In conclusion, a proper perspective of our
existence, that too, for a span of a few decades, less than a 100 years, at the
most, is necessary. This perspective is not forthcoming without proper guidance
from an enlightened person, a Guru. A Guru is in fact a fire pot, ‘agni kunda’, where the jiva offers as ahuti, surrenders its ego, desires, and
all the blemishes acquired since birth. When the jiva attains purity of the highest order, it becomes Shiva! The jiva is equipped with
intelligence and knowledge as also the necessary organs to attain to the
highest purity, a state of pure consciousness. Consciousness is limited at the
level of the Jiva and unlimited at the highest level of Shiva. The limitations
accrue as a result of desire, want, ego, and several qualities that come from
the consumption of food and drinks. There are many an extraneous factors that
govern the jiva and make it suffer. The jiva attains liberation, mukti, when it realizes its true state
of sat chit and ananda.
Let’s have a Bird’s Eye-view of the entire
concept of- “I Am the Universe”, i.e., aham brahmasmi | Here,
the basic principle is ‘Oneness’. The
entire universe is to be taken as a whole- unity.
The clouds of gaseous matter spread out space, the tiny clusters of Light that
consist of millions of stars in globules, galaxies, or such other patches of
Light amidst vast stretches of darkness in space, the stars of different
magnitude, dimensions, qualities and character, the planets created by some
stars and the living beings found on some planets- all should be viewed in one
entity. One cannot isolate the jivas, the jivatman and the paramatman, the star
and the galaxy! When a scientist views the universe through a very
sophisticated telescope or a Vedantin visualizes in his transcendental state,
the truth must be the same. What the ordinary people cannot understand the
subtler aspects discovered by the scientists or the Vedantins. The Light and
its wide spectrum has not yet been analyzed fully and we know only a bit of it
as the alpha and the beta; so also, the alphabets and the words and the world
they create! There are many a thousands of unpublished scriptures that hold the
secret of creation! The scientists, too, are going into the deeper mysteries of
the cells. Nothing is certain at this point of time. However, the human
intelligence knows no bounds! The future holds the key.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it may be said that what
all we see, hear, touch, feel and experience is the function of our own
instruments, such as, the indriya, manas, buddhi and ahankara. The process of
creation is explained in detail and the scientists as well as the Vedantins
have now come to the same conclusion that the universe is One inseparable vast
ocean of chit, Consciousness. Everything manifests from ‘That’ (tyat) which cannot be defined, hence
called ‘brahmn’. Brahman is what
manifests, express itself, or exists in many and diversified phenomenal
objective universe. It is thus stated as: sarvam
khaluvidam brahmaa |
There is a subtler-most invisible state of
existence called ‘sat’, ‘chit’, or existence. Whatever appears in gross form is
the outcome of materialization, called ‘asad’
in Vedic terms, and transient and perishable in course of time. Thus, “Whatever
is seen here is transient, not real”, says Shankara. It is almost impossible
for a common man to realize this unless he takes recourse to yoga and
visualizes himself. This is the ultimate goal of life, Atma sakshatkara. There are innumerable scriptures that explain the
true nature of existence. Any serious seeker should undergo a rigorous training
in order to understand this. ‘Atmajnyan’,
or ‘Knowledge of the Self’ is the central idea of the study here.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Since
this short summary of Creation (srushti), sustenance (sthiti), dissolution
(laya), and merger (vilaya) of the perceptible (vyakta) universe encompass all
the scriptures ever available in the human intellect from time immemorial. The
urge to give even a short reference to the Texts available in print and quoted
here is so vast that even an acknowledgement in brief is going to make a long
list and hence resisted. It is impossible to give the whole list of authors, their
works and publishers. Only a few essential ones are given here.
Bhavanopanishat is a very
important text that sheds light on the true nature of ‘Existence’. There are the Narayana
Upanishad, Paingi, Koushitaki Chandogya, Atmopanishad, Garbhopanishad and a host of others, too, educate us
as to the nature of this world. The scientific literature quoted here are all
of recent researches and materials published in scientific journals and NASA.
These suffice as references for our study. The author hereby gratefully
acknowledges with thanks all the authors and publishers of various scientific
journals and periodicals, the spiritual texts like the Upanishads, the
Bhagavad-Gita, Brahma sutra, etc from which diagrams and quotations are
copiously drawn. The illustrations are taken from published sources and these
are used only to highlight our central theme of ‘unity-consciousness’- ‘samyak-prajnya’
only. Another important source of our spiritual knowledge is the
“Bhagavad-Gita’ by several authors like Sri Shankaracharya, Swami Shivananda
Saraswati, Madhusudhana Saraswati (‘Gudartha
Dipikaa’), and the most important one being that of ‘Jnyaneshwari’ by Santa
Jnyaneshwar. Also, we owe our knowledge both in spiritual, as well as, material
science to a number of saints and scientists, respectively, and we gratefully
acknowledge their contributions and quote a few of them here and there.
REFERENCES
Dasgupta,
S: A History of Indian Philosophy, (Vols. 5), MLBD 2012, (First published
Cambridge 1922).
Sanjukta
Gupta: Lakshmi Tantra, MLBD Publishers. Delhi.1972
Shankracharya’s
Commentary (Tr.) Swami Gambhirananda, Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, 1991,
Shraeder,
Otto F.: Introduction to Pancharatra, Ahirbudhnya Samhita, Adyar Library,
Chennai.
Swami
Bhaskarananda: The Philosophical Verses of Yogavashishtha, Viveka Press,
Seattle, USA, India Ed. 2006
[This celestial
poem explains creation of the Universe. By their words, the inspired sages
impart manifold forms to that Bird Hamsa which is the One. [Rk Veda X, 114, 5].
Notes and Quotes:
The entire universe that
includes the Solar System and the living beings on the Planet Earth is governed
by several forces such as gravitational waves, the electromagnetic waves, the
atomic energy, the sound waves and the like. Of these, the gravitational waves
had eluded the scientists, and now some facts are forthcoming from the recent
astronomical observations. Still the mystery remains!
Gravitational Waves: So far this
‘Gravitation’ had eluded the scientists and there was an intense search for
this Force governing the Universe. Finally 0n August 17, 2017 a breakthrough
could be achieved when two neutron stars collided and release the waves! Albert
Einstein first predicted gravitational waves in 1916 based on his general
theory of relativity, but even he waffled about whether or not they truly
exist. Scientists began seeking these ripples in
spacetime in the 1960s but none succeeded in measuring their
effects on Earth until now. LIGO’s discovery, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters, not only provides the first direct evidence for
gravitational waves but also opens the door to using them to study the powerful
cosmic events that create them. “It’s a huge deal,” says Luis Lehner, a
physicist at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Ontario who is
unaffiliated with the LIGO project. “It has pushed the fundamental theory of
gravity forward in a very strong way and gives us an incredible tool to probe very deep
questions of the universe.”
The discovery is not just proof of gravitational waves, but the strongest
confirmation yet for the existence
of black holes. “We think black holes exist out there. We have very
strong evidence they do but we don’t have direct evidence,” Lehner says.
“Everything is indirect. Given that black holes themselves cannot give any
signal other than gravitational waves, this is the most direct way to prove
that a black hole exists.”
“Every time we open a new window to the universe we
always discover new things,” Lehner says. “It’s like Galileo pointing the first
telescope to the sky. Initially he saw some planets and moons, but then as we
got radio, UV and x-ray telescopes, we discovered more and more about the
universe. We are pretty much at the moment where Galileo was beginning to see
the first objects around Earth. It will have such a huge impact on the field.”
Is Prana only important? No mortal ever lives by prana, which goes up, nor by apana,
which goes down. Men live by something different, on which these two depend.
[Yajur Veda, Katha Upanishad, Part Two, Chapter II, 5]
When Breath of Life with his thunder roars o'er the plants,
then, pregnant with pollen, the flowers burst forth in abundance. When Breath
of Life in due season roars o'er the plants, all things on earth rejoice with
great rejoicing. When Breath of Life the broad earth with rain bedews, the
cattle exult: We shall have plenty, they say. The plants converse with this
Breath, drenched by his moisture: Our life is prolonged, for you have made us
om them, thus brooded upon, there issued forth ‘Om’. As all leaves are held
together by a midrib, so is all speech held together by Om (brahman).” “Om is all thus, yea, Om
is all this.” [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XXIII - Praise of Om Unassociated
with any Ritual, 2-3].
“Prajapati brooded on
the worlds. From them, thus brooded upon, there was revealed in his heart the
threefold knowledge. He brooded on it and from it, thus brooded upon, there
issued forth these syllables: Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah. Prajapati brooded
(focused) on the worlds. From them, thus brooded upon, there was revealed in
his heart the threefold knowledge. He brooded on it and from it, thus brooded
upon, there issued forth these syllables: Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah. He brooded
(focused) on them (the three syllables) and fr all fragmentary. Praise to you,
Breath, when you come and praise when you go! When you stand up and when you
sit still, to you praise! [Atharva Veda XI, 4, 3-7].
The embodied soul, by
means of good and evil deeds committed by itself, assumes many forms, coarse
and fine. By virtue of its actions and also of such characteristics of the mind
as knowledge and desire, it assumes another body for the enjoyment of suitable
objects. He who knows the Lord, who is without beginning or end, who stands in
the midst of the chaos of the world, who is the Creator of all things and is
endowed with many forms-he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of
the universe, is released from all his fetters.[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part
I, Chapter V, 12-13]
om them, thus brooded upon, there issued forth ‘Om’. As all
leaves are held together by a midrib, so is all speech held together by Om (brahman).” “Om is all thus, yea, Om
is all this.” [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XXIII - Praise of Om Unassociated
with any Ritual, 2-3].
“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.
VE, P. 708].
He who knows Brahman,
who is all Bliss, extremely subtle, like the film that rises to the surface of
clarified butter and is hidden in all beings-he who knows the radiant Deity,
the sole Pervader of the Universe, is released from all his fetters. The Maker
of all things, self-luminous and all-pervading, He dwells always in the hearts
of men. He is revealed by the negative teachings of the Vedanta, discriminative
wisdom and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection. They who know Him
become immortal. When there is no darkness of ignorance, there is no day or
night, neither being nor non-being; the pure Brahman alone exists. That
immutable Reality is the meaning of ‘That’; It is adored by the Sun. From It
has proceeded the ancient wisdom. No one can grasp Him above, across, or in the
middle. There is no likeness of Him. His name is Great Glory (Mahad-yashah). [Yajur Veda, Shvet.
Upa.,, Part I, Chapter IV, 16-19].
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].
Endowed with gunas, the jiva performs action, seeking its fruit;
and again, it reaps the fruit of what it has done. Assuming all forms and led
by the three gunas, the jiva, ruler of the pranas, roams about following the
three paths, according to its deeds. Of the size of a thumb, but brilliant,
like the sun, the jiva possesses both volition and egoism. The embodied soul,
by means of good and evil deeds committed by itself, assumes many forms, coarse
and fine. By virtue of its actions and also of such characteristics of the mind
as knowledge and desire, it assumes another body for the enjoyment of suitable
objects. He who knows the Lord, who is without beginning or end, who stands in
the midst of the chaos of the world, who is the Creator of all things and is
endowed with many forms-he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of
the universe, is released from all his fetters.[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part
I, Chapter V, 12-13]
It is endowed with the qualities of both buddhi and Atman.
Therefore it is seen as another entity, inferior and small as the point of a
goad. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter V, 7-8].
“In the beginning, this
universe was the self (Viraj) alone, in the shape of a person. He reflected and
saw nothing else but His self. He first said: I am He. Therefore He came to be
known by the name I (Aham). Hence, even now, when a person is addressed, he
first says: It is I, and then says whatever other name he may have. And because
He, before (purva) the whole group of aspirants, burnt (aushat) all evils,
therefore He is called Purusha. He who knows this verily burns up him who
wishes to be Viraj in advance of him.” [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa. I, IV-The
Creation and Its Cause, 1].
“That which is
neither conscious nor unconscious, which is invisible, impalpable, indefinable,
unthinkable, unnameable, whose very essence consists of the experience of its
own self, which absorbs all diversity, is tranquil and benign, without a
second, which is what they call the fourth state-that is the atman. This it is
which should be known.” [Atharva Veda, Mandukya Upanishad 7. ve, 723].
NOTES
AND QUOTES
Vedic Prayer: Give us a share in the Sun by your
wisdom and favor. Make us perfect. [Rk Veda IX, 4, 5].
Vedic
Doctrines:
“The Seer, our father, once offered all
these worlds in oblation, assuming a priestly role, and sought to gain riches
by the power of prayer; he himself entered later creations, while shrouding in
mystery the first creative moment.
What
was the primal matter, what the substance? How could it be discerned, how was
it made? From which the Designer of all things, beholding all, fashioned the
Earth and shaped the glory of the Heavens?
A myriad eyes are his, a myriad faces, a
myriad arms and feet, turning each way! When he, sole God, creates the Earth
and Heavens, he welds them together with whirring of arms and wings.
What was the timber and what the tree from
which the Heavens and also the Earth were chiseled forth? Ponder, O wise Men.
Question in your hearts. On what did he rely when he formed these worlds? “The
haunts where you dwell, O Designer ever true to your laws, on high, in the depths,
and in every region between, disclose to your friends at the hour of oblation.
Willingly offer your body in sacrifice, thus enhancing its vigour.” [Rk Veda X,
81, 1-5].
“With all the pleasing skill we may; the
birth of Gods we now proclaim in chanted hymns, that Men to come may know the
truth of what befell. The Lord of the Holy Word, like a smith, blasted and
smelted them together. In erstwhile ages of the Gods from nonexistence
existence came.” [Rk Veda X, 72, 1-2].
“The visible form of fire,
while it lies latent in its source, the fire-wood, is not perceived; yet there
is no destruction of its subtle form. That very fire can be brought out again
by means of persistent rubbing of the wood, its source. In like manner, Atman,
which exists in two states, like fire, can be grasped in this very body by
means of ‘Om’. By making the body the lower piece of wood and Om the upper
piece and through the practice of the friction of meditation, one perceives the
luminous Self, hidden like the fire in the wood. As oil exists in sesame seeds,
butter in milk, water in riverbeds and fire in wood, so the Self is realized as
existing within the self, when a man looks for It by means of truthfulness and
austerity-when he looks for the Self, which pervades all things as butter
pervades milk and whose roots are Self-Knowledge and austerity. That is the
Brahman taught by the Upanishad; yea, that is the Brahman taught by the
Upanishads.” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., Part I, Chapter 1, 13-16]
“May the sun, at the
commencement of yoga, join our minds and other organs to the Supreme Self so
that we may attain the Self (‘Knowledge of True Nature of Existential Reality’)?
May He, also, support the body, the highest material entity, through the powers
of the deities who control the senses. Having received the blessings of the
divine Sun and with minds joined to the Supreme Self, we exert ourselves, to
the best of our power, toward meditation, by which we shall attain Heaven
(Brahman).” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., Part I, Chapter II, 1-2].
“The wise man should
hold his body steady, with the three upper parts erect, turn his senses, with
the help of the mind, toward the heart and by means of the raft of Brahman
cross the fearful torrents of the world. The yogi of well- regulated endeavors
should control the pranas; when they are quieted he should breathe out through
the nostrils. Then let him undistractedly restrain his mind, as a charioteer
restrains his vicious horses. Let yoga be practiced within a cave protected
from the high wind, or in a place which is level, pure and free from pebbles,
gravel and fire, undisturbed by the noise of water or of market-booths and
which is delightful to the mind and not offensive to the eye. When yoga is
practiced, the forms which appear first and which gradually manifest Brahman
are those or snow-flakes, smoke, sun, wind, fire, fire-flies, lightning,
crystal and the moon.” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter II, 8-11].
“And when the yogi beholds the real nature of
Brahman, through the Knowledge of the Self, radiant as a lamp, then, having
known the unborn and immutable Lord, who is untouched by ignorance and its
effects, he is freed from all fetters. He indeed, the Lord, who pervades all
regions, was the first to be born and it is He who dwells in the womb of the
universe. It is He, again, who is born as a child and He will be born in the
future, He stands behind all persons and His face is everywhere. The
Self-luminous Lord, who is fire, who is in water, who has entered into the
whole world, who is in plants, who is in trees-to that Lord let there be
adoration! Yea, let there be adoration!” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I,
Chapter II, 15-17].
“Pure may the Waters flow over our bodies!
That which defiles--I fling it upon our foes! I cleanse myself, O Earth, as
with a filter. Your regions, Earth, to eastward and to northward, southward and
westward, may they receive me kindly, whenever, on their paths I travel. Never,
when standing on your surface, may I totter!” [Atharva Veda XII, 1, 31].
“I know this
undecaying, primeval One, the Self of all things, which exists everywhere,
being all pervading and which the wise declare to be free from birth. The
teachers of Brahman, indeed, speak of It as eternal. [Yajur Veda, Part I,
Chapter III, 21]/
He, the One and Undifferentiated, who by the manifold
application of His powers produces, in the beginning, different objects for a
hidden purpose and, in the end, withdraws the universe into Himself, is indeed
the self-luminous-May He endow us with clear intellect! That Supreme Self is Agni (Fire); It is
Aditya (Sun); It is Vayu (Wind); It is Chandrama (Moon). That Self is the
luminous stars; It is Hiranyagarbha; It is water; It is Virat. Thou art woman,
Thou art man; Thou art youth and maiden too. Thou as an old man totterest along
on a staff; it is Thou alone who, when born, assumest diverse forms. Thou art
the dark-blue bee; Thou art the green parrot with red eyes; Thou art the
thunder-cloud, the seasons and the seas. Thou art beginningless and
all-pervading. From Thee all the worlds are born.” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.
Part I, Chapter IV, 1-4]
“He who knows Brahman,
who is all Bliss, extremely subtle, like the film that rises to the surface of
clarified butter and is hidden in all beings-he who knows the radiant Deity,
the sole Pervader of the Universe, is released from all his fetters. The Maker
of all things, self-luminous and all-pervading, He dwells always in the hearts
of men. He is revealed by the negative teachings of the Vedanta, discriminative
wisdom and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection. They who know Him
become immortal. When there is no darkness of ignorance, there is no day or
night, neither being nor non-being; the pure Brahman alone exists. That
immutable Reality is the meaning of ‘That’; It is adored by the Sun. From It
has proceeded the ancient wisdom. No one can grasp Him above, across, or in the
middle. There is no likeness of Him. His name is Great Glory (Mahad-yashah).” [Yajur Veda, Shvet.
Upa.,, Part I, Chapter IV, 16-19].
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].
Endowed with gunas, the jiva performs action, seeking its fruit;
and again, it reaps the fruit of what it has done. Assuming all forms and led
by the three gunas, the jiva, ruler of the pranas, roams about following the
three paths, according to its deeds. Of the size of a thumb, but brilliant,
like the sun, the jiva possesses both volition and egoism. The embodied soul,
by means of good and evil deeds committed by itself, assumes many forms, coarse
and fine. By virtue of its actions and also of such characteristics of the mind
as knowledge and desire, it assumes another body for the enjoyment of suitable
objects. He who knows the Lord, who is without beginning or end, who stands in
the midst of the chaos of the world, who is the Creator of all things and is
endowed with many forms-he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of
the universe, is released from all his fetters.[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part
I, Chapter V, 12-13]
It is endowed with the qualities of both buddhi and Atman.
Therefore it is seen as another entity, inferior and small as the point of a
goad. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter V, 7-8]
He is the Supreme
Brahman, the Self of all, and the chief foundation of this world, subtler than
the subtle, eternal. That thou art; thou art That [Atharva Veda, Kaivalya Upa.
16. uph, 930].
all fragmentary. Praise to you, Breath, when you come and praise
when you go! When you stand up and when you sit still, to you praise! [Atharva
Veda XI, 4, 3-7].
Rosy Dawn advances, adorned with the brightness of many a beam.
She pursues her way on her well-equipped chariot, arousing Men to joy. Come, O
twin Spirits, at break of day on your powerful chariots. We offer in sacrifice
this honey-sweet draught for your delectation. How is it that, though united
and unsupported, he does not fall down? By what inner power moves he? Who has
seen? A firm pillar, he protects heaven's vault.[Rk Veda IV, 14, 3-5]
If the sunbird, rising, extracted his foot from the sea, neither
today nor tomorrow would exist, neither night, day, nor dawn. The
eight--wheeled moves on one rim, to and fro, thousand-syllabled. With one half
it engendered all creation. Of its other half what sign? [Atharva Veda XI, 4,
21-22]
Foremost Purifier, let your lights shine on us now, inspiring
us to skill of mind and hand. [Rk Veda IX, 36, 3]
Some learned
men speak of the inherent nature of things and some speak of time, as the cause
of the universe. They all, indeed, are deluded. It is the greatness of the
self-luminous Lord that causes the Wheel of Brahman to revolve. He by whom the
whole universe is constantly pervaded is the Knower, the Author of time. He is
sinless and omniscient, It is at His command that the work which is called
earth, water, fire, air and akasa appears as the universe. All this should be
reflected upon by the wise. The yogi who first performs actions and then turns
away from them and who practices one, two, three, or eight disciplines, unites
one principle with another principle and with the help of virtues cultivated by
the self and of subtle tendencies attains Liberation in course of time. He who
attains purity of heart by performing actions as an offering to the Lord and
merges prakriti and all its effects in Brahman, realizes his true Self and
thereby transcends phenomena. In the absence of maya, both collective and individual,
all his past actions are destroyed. After the destruction of the prarabhda karma he attains final
Liberation. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., Part I, Chapter VI, 1-4]
The Vedic prayer is: “Arouse us today to
success and good fortune. To loftier joys promote us, O Dawn! Grant to us wealth of every kind, O Goddess renowned,
friend of Man!” [Rk Veda VII, 75, 2].
With all the
pleasing skill we may; the birth of Gods we now proclaim in chanted hymns, that
Men to come may know the truth of what befell. The Lord of the Holy Word, like
a smith, blasted and smelted them together. In erstwhile ages of the Gods from
nonexistence existence came. [Rk Veda X, 72, 1-2].
“Before beginning the
morning chant, the sacrificer, sitting behind the Garhyapatya Fire and facing
the north, sings the Saman addressed to the Vasus: O Fire! Open the door of the
earth-world. Let us see thee, that we may rule this earth. [Sama Veda.” Chan.
Upa., II, XXIV - The Different Planes attained by the Sacrificer, 3-4]
Om, hamsah so’ham svaha |
In this universe
the Swan, the Supreme Self, alone exists. It is He who, as fire, abides in the
water. Only by knowing Him does one pass over death, there is no other way to
reach the Supreme Goal. He who is the support of both the unmanifest prakriti
and the jiva, who is the Lord of the three gunas and who is the cause of
bondage, existence and Liberation from samsara, is verily the Creator of the
universe, the Knower, the inmost Self of all things and their Source-the
omniscient Lord, the Author of time, the Possessor of virtues, the Knower of
everything. He who constantly rules the world is verily the cause of bondage
and Liberation. Established in His own glory, He is the Immortal, the
Embodiment of Consciousness, the omnipresent, Protector of the universe. There
is no one else able to rule it. Seeking Liberation, I take refuge in the Lord,
the revealer of Self-Knowledge, who in the beginning created Brahma and
delivered the Vedas to Him. When men shall roll up space as if it were a piece
of hide, then there will be an end of misery without one's cultivating the
Knowledge of the Lord, who is without parts, without actions, tranquil,
blameless, unattached, the supreme bridge to Immortality, an like a fire that
has consumed all its fuel. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., Part I, Chapter VI, 15-20].
“In the beginning, this
universe was the self (Viraj) alone, in the shape of a person. He reflected and
saw nothing else but His self. He first said: I am He. Therefore He came to be
known by the name I (Aham). Hence, even now, when a person is addressed, he
first says: It is I, and then says whatever other name he may have. And because
He, before (purva) the whole group of aspirants, burnt (aushat) all evils,
therefore He is called Purusha. He who knows this verily burns up him who
wishes to be Viraj in advance of him.” [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa. I, IV-The
Creation and Its Cause, 1].
“That which is neither conscious nor
unconscious, which is invisible, impalpable, indefinable, unthinkable,
unnameable, whose very essence consists of the experience of its own self,
which absorbs all diversity, is tranquil and benign, without a second, which is
what they call the fourth state-that is the atman. This it is which should be
known.” [Atharva Veda, Mandukya Upanishad 7. ve, 723].
“When a seer sees the
creator of golden hue, the Lord, the Person, the source of Brahma, then being a
knower, shaking off good and evil and free from stain, he attains supreme
equality with the Lord. [Atharva Veda, Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.3. upr, 686].
Who, weary of Brahman studentship, having fully learnt the
Vedas, is discharged by the teacher he had ever obeyed, such a one is called
the Ashramin. Choosing a wife of
equally high birth, he should deposit the sacred fires, and bring to those
Deities the Brahman sacrifice day and night until, dividing among the children
his property, abstaining from conjugal pleasures, he gives himself to the
forest life, wandering in a pure region. Living on water and on air, and on
such fruit as proper, fire within body, he abides on earth without obligations,
without tears.” [Atharva Veda, Sanyasa Upa. 2.14. upb, 735-36].
“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 Upa. 1.2.24-25. ve, p. 710]
“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. VE, P. 708].
“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 Upa. 4.9. VE, P. 441].
“In the Support the
worlds consist; in him Creative Fervor and Order have their ground. You I have
known, O Support, face to face, in Indra wholly concentrated. In Indra the worlds consist; in Indra
Creative Fervor and Order have their ground. You I have known, O Indra, face to
face, in the Support wholly established.” [Atharva Veda X, 7, 29-30].
“A hundred uninitiated
are equal to one brahmachara. A hundred brahmacharas are equal to one
grihastha. A hundred grihasthas are equal to one vanaprastha. A hundred
vanaprasthas are equal to one sannyasin.” [Atharva Veda, Narasinha Upa. 5.10.
upb, 832].
“He who knows the
suvarna (gold) of the saman (vital breath) obtains gold. Tone is verily its
gold. He who thus knows what the gold of the saman is obtains gold. He who
knows the support of the saman (vital breath) gets a support. Speech Verily is
its support. For, supported in speech, the vital breath is transformed into a
chant. Some say the support is in food (the body). Next follows the edifying
repetition (abhyaroha) only of the hymns called pavamanas. The priest called
prastotri indeed chants the saman. While he chants it, let the sacrificer
recite these [Yajur verses]: Lead me from the unreal to the real. From darkness
lead me to light. From death lead me to immortality. When the mantra (verse)
says: Lead me from the unreal to the real, the unreal means death, and the
real, immortality; so it says, From death lead me to immortality, that is to
say, Make me immortal. When it says: From darkness lead me to light, darkness
means death, and light, immortality; so it says: From death lead me to
immortality, that is to say, Make me immortal.” [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa.I,
III-The Prana: Its Glories and Redeeming Power, 26-28]
“In the verse: From
death lead me to immortality, there is nothing that is hidden. Then come the
remaining hymns, with which, by singing them, [the chanter] should obtain food
for himself. Therefore while they are being chanted let the sacrificer ask for
a boon-anything that he desires. Whatever objects this chanter, endowed with
such knowledge, desires for himself or for the sacrificer, he obtains by his
chanting. This [meditation] by itself wins the world (Hiranyagarbha). He who
thus knows the saman (the prana, or vital breath)-for him there is no fear of
not being admitted into that world.” [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa., I, III-The Prana:
Its Glories and Redeeming Power, 18].
“There the eye goes not,
nor words, nor mind. We know not. We cannot understand how He can be explained.
He is above the known, and He is above the unknown. Thus have we heard from the
ancient sages who explained this truth to us.” [Sama Veda, Kena Upa. 1.3. upm,
51]
“If he should desire,
Let me be born here again, in whatever family he directs his attention, either
the family of a brahmin or the family of a king, into that he will be born.”
[Sama Veda, Jaiminaya Upa., Brahmana, 3.28.3-4. vo, p. 115]
When the gods and the demons, both offspring of Prajapati,
fought with each other, the gods took hold of the Udgitha, thinking that with
this they would vanquish the demons. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., I, II - Meditation
on Om as the Prana, 1]
A man should think on wealth and strive to win it by adoration
on the path of Order, counsel himself with his own mental insight, and grasp
still nobler vigor with his spirit.[Rk Veda 10.31.2. rvg, 459]
In how many parts was He transformed when they cut the Purusha
in pieces? What did His mouth become? What His arms, what His thighs, what His
feet? His mouth then became the brahmana, from the arms the rajanya was made,
the vaishya from the thighs, from the feet the shudra came forth. [Rig Veda
10.90.11-12. upb, 894]
Let us know that supreme Being and meditate upon Him, the
Supreme General of the great deva army. May He enlighten us and lead us to be
one with Him, Lord Skanda. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Taittiriya Aranyaka 10.6.2-3
(Shanmukha Gayatri). lw, 112]
The atman pervades all like butter hidden in milk. He is the
source of Self-knowledge and ascetic fervor. This is the Brahman teaching, the
highest goal! This is the Brahman teaching, the highest goal! He who with the
truth of the atman, unified, perceives the truth of Brahman as with a lamp, who
knows God, the unborn, the stable, free from all forms of being, is released
from all fetters. The inspired Self is not born nor does He die; He springs
from nothing and becomes nothing. Unborn, permanent, unchanging, primordial, He
is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.[Krishna Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,
1.16; 2.15 & 18. ve, 711, 762, 566]
There are five gross elements and their respective subtle
aspects (reflecting the respective gunas), tanmantra,
such as Akasha having shabdha, vayu as sparsha. Agni as roopa, jala as rasa, and pruthvi as gandha. The
union of these is replicated in the human body, too. However, paramatman at His
desire assumes the form of a jiva (embodied soul). The Atma constructs its own
body; but, it is not the body. The spiritual soul is omniscient, omnipotent,
eternal, unborn and immortal. It is unattached to the body like a drop of water
on a lotus leaf! The human soul is under the power of the three basic
constituents- food or annam, prana,
and manas, as conditions of nature,
and thus it falls into confusion. Because of this confusion the soul cannot
become aware of the governing force. God, who dwells within as the guiding
force and energy (power) to work. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitra Upanishad 3.2.
upm, 100]
Taking as a bow the great weapon of the Upanishad, one should
put upon it an arrow sharpened by meditation. Stretching it with a thought
directed to the essence of That, penetrate that Imperishable as the mark, my
friend. [Atharva Veda, Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.3. uph, 372]
From all knowledge, yoga practice and meditation, all that
relates to the Aum sound is to be meditated on as the only blissful (Siva).
Indeed, the Aum sound is Siva.[Atharva Veda, Atharvashikha Upanishad 2. upb,
782]
Contemplating Him who has neither beginning, middle, nor end-the
One, the all-pervading, who is wisdom and bliss, the formless, the wonderful,
whose consort is Uma, the highest Lord, the ruler, having three eyes and a blue
throat, the peaceful-the silent sage reaches the source of Being, the universal
witness, on the other shore of darkness.[Atharva Veda, Kaivalya Upanishad 7.
ve, 764]
There is no one greater in the three worlds than the guru. It is
he who grants divine knowledge and should be worshiped with supreme devotion.
[Atharva Veda, Yoga-Sikha Upanishad 5.53. yt, 26]
Abiding in the midst of ignorance, but thinking themselves wise
and learned, fools aimlessly go hither and thither, like blind led by the
blind. [Atharva Veda, Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.8. upm, 77]
With this (i.e. the principal vital breath) one does not discern
what pleasant-smelling and what is foul-smelling; for it is unsmitten by evil.
Whatever a person eats or drinks with it (the principal vital breath) supports
the other pranas. That is why they depart when, at the time death, it no longer
supports them by eating and drinking. It opens the mouth at the time of death
as if the dying man wished to eat. Angira
meditated on the Udgitha as the principal prana. People call it (i.e. the
prana) Angiras, because it is the
essence (rasa) of the limbs (anga). Brihaspati meditated on the
Udgitha as the principal prana. People call it (the prana) Brihaspati, because
speech is great (brihat) and it is
the lord (pati) of speech. Ayasya
meditated on the Udgitha as the principal prana. People call it (the prana) as ayasya; because it comes (ayate) from the mouth (asya). Vaka, the son of Dalbhya, knew it
(the prana); he became the udgatri priest of the sacrifice dwelling in the Naimisha aranya. By singing the Udgitha he fulfilled all their desires. He
who knows this as described above and meditates upon the imperishable Udgitha
(Om) obtains all his desires by singing the Udgitha. So much for the Udgitha as
meditates on with reference to the body.[Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., I, II -
Meditation on Om as the Prana, 9-14]
Now is described the meditation on the Udgitha with reference to
the gods: One should meditate on the Udgitha as the sun who gives warmth. When
he (the sun) rises he sings the Udgitha for the benefit of all creatures. When
he rises he destroys darkness and fear. He who knows this becomes the destroyer
of darkness and fear. This prana and that sun are the same. This is warm and
that is warm. This they call svara (what goes out) and that, pratyasvara (what
returns). Therefore one should meditate on the Udgitha as this and that.[Sama
Veda, Chan. Upa., I, III - Meditation on the Udgitha as the Sun and the Vyana,
1-2]
Aum. O terrestrial sphere! O sphere of space! O celestial
sphere! Let us contemplate the splendor of the Solar Spirit, the Divine
Creator. May He guide our mind. [Rk Veda (Gayatri Mantra) 3.62.10. hp, 345].
Incidentally,
Sharadhvan, King of Gadi Kingdom, later came to be known as ‘Vishva Mitra’
(Friend of the World) after he got the mantra of Devi Gayatri and thus became
the drushtara, Rishi. He raised to the status of Brahma Rishi with the help of
the Gayatri mantra during his askesis. It is the mantra propitiating the Sun
God and one attains the very form (sarupya)
of the Savita Devi from the incessant chants of Gayatree.
O learned people, may we with our ears listen to what is
beneficial, may we see with our eyes what is beneficial. May we, engaged in
your praises, enjoy with firm limbs and sound bodies, a full term of life
dedicated to God. [Rig Veda 1.89.8. rvp, p. 287]
And other works also which require strength, such as the
kindling of fire by rubbing, running a race and stringing a strong bow, are
performed without breathing out or breathing in. Therefore one should meditate
on the Udgitha as the vyana. One should meditate on the letters of the word
Udgitha (i.e. ut, gi and tha). Ut is the prana, for a man rises (uttishthati) by means of the prana. Gi
is speech, for speeches are called girah.
Tha is food, for all this subsists (sthita)
on food. Ut is heaven (Svar), gi the
mid-region (bhuvah) and tha the earth
(bhu). Ut is the sun, gi the air and
tha fire. Ut is the Sama-Veda, gi the Yajur-Veda and tha -the Rig-Veda. To him
who thus meditates speech yields milk and milk is speech. He who knows this and
meditates on the letters of the Udgitha becomes the possessor of food and the
eater of food. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., I, III - Meditation on the Udgitha as
the Sun and the Vyana, 5-7]
At first was neither Being nor Nonbeing. There was not air nor
yet sky beyond. What was its wrapping? Where? In whose protection? Was Water
there, unfathomable and deep? There was no death then, nor yet deathlessness;
of night or day there was not any sign. The One breathed without breath, by its
own impulse. Other than that was nothing else at all. [Rk Veda X, 129, 1-2].
The Moon was born from his mind; the Sun came into being from
his eye; from his mouth came Indra and Agni, while from his breath the Wind was
born. From his navel issued the Air; from his head unfurled the Sky, the Earth
from his feet, from his ear the four directions. Thus have the worlds been
organized. Seven were the sticks of the enclosure, thrice seven the fuel sticks
were made, when the Gods, performing the sacrifice, bound the Man as the
victim. [Rk Veda X, 90, 13-15].
The soul is born and unfolds in a body, with dreams and desires
and the food of life. And then it is reborn in new bodies, in accordance with
its former works. The quality of the soul determines its future body; earthy or
airy, heavy or light. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Shveta Upanishad, 5.11-12. upm, p.
94].
Mind is indeed the source of bondage and also the source of
liberation. To be bound to things of this world-this is bondage. To be free
from them-this is liberation. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitrayani Upanishad 6.34.
upm, p. 104]
The non-dual Ensnarer rules by His powers. Remaining one and the
same, He rules by His powers all the worlds during their manifestation and
continued existence. They who know this become immortal. Rudra is truly one;
for the knowers of Brahman do not admit the existence of a second, He alone
rules all the worlds by His powers. He dwells as the inner Self of every living
being. After having created all the worlds, He, their Protector, takes them
back into Himself at the end of time. His eyes are everywhere, His faces
everywhere, His arms everywhere, everywhere His feet. He it is who endows men
with arms, birds with feet and wings and men likewise with feet. Having
produced heaven and earth, He remains as their non-dual manifester. He, the
omniscient Rudra, the creator of the gods and the bestower of their powers, the
support of the universe, He who, in the beginning, gave birth to
Hiranyagarbha-may He endow us with clear intellect! O Rudra, Thou who dwellest
in the body and bestowest happiness! Look upon us with that most blessed form
of Thine, which is auspicious, unterrifying and all good. [Yajur Veda,
Shvetasvatara Upanishad, Part I, Chapter III, 1-5]
The Purusha alone is all this-what has been and what will be. He
is also the Lord of Immortality and of whatever grows by food. [Yajur Veda,
Shvet Upa, Part I, Chapter III, 15]
The snake and the scorpion which viciously bite, which, chilled
by winter, lie slothfully hidden, the wriggling worm, all that stirs in the
rains--may it, creeping, not creep on us! Instead, may you grant us the
blessing of all that is wholesome! [Atharva Veda XII, 1, 46]
He who thus knows these Revati Samans as interwoven in animals
becomes the possessor of animals; he reaches the full length of life, lives
brightly, become great in children and cattle, great in fame. For him the
injunction is: Do not decry animals. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XVIII -
Meditation on the Revati Saman, 2]
He who thus knows the Yajnayajniya Saman as interwoven in the
members of the body becomes possessed of limbs; he is not crippled in any limb,
he reaches the full length of life, lives brightly, becomes great in children
and cattle, great in fame. For him the injunction is: For one year do not eat
meat or ''Do not eat meat at all."[Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XIX -
Meditation on the Yajnayajniya Saman, 2]
He who thus knows the Rajana Saman as interwoven in the gods
obtains the same world as the gods, acquires the same prosperity as theirs and
realizes union with them; he reaches the full length of lives brightly, becomes
great in children and cattle, great in fame. Him the injunction is: Do not
decry the brahmins. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XX - Meditation on the Rajana
Saman, 2]
His hands and feet are everywhere; His eyes, heads and faces are
everywhere; His ears are everywhere; He exists compassing all. Himself devoid
of senses, He shines through the functions of the senses. He is the capable
ruler of all; He is the refuge of all. He is great. The Swan, the ruler of the
whole world, of all that is moving and all that is motionless, becomes the
embodied self and dwelling in the city of nine gates, flies outward. Grasping
without hands, hasting without feet, It sees without eyes, It hears without
ears. It knows what is to be known, but no one knows It. They call It the
First, the Great, the Full. The Self, smaller than the small, greater than the
great, is hidden in the hearts of creatures. The wise, by the grace of the
Creator, behold the Lord, majestic and desireless and become free from grief.
[[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa, Part I, Chapter III, 16-20]
Departing like one who will return, sister Night relinquishes her
place to her elder sister, who, beaming forth with the rays of the Sun, is
adorned, like maidens going to a festival. [Rk Veda I, 124, 8]
All faces are His faces; all heads, His heads; all necks, His
necks. He dwells in the hearts of all beings. He is the all-pervading Bhagavan.
Therefore He is the omnipresent and benign Lord. He, indeed, is the great
Purusha, the Lord of creation, preservation and destruction, who inspires the
mind to attain the state of stainlessness. He is the Ruler and the Light that
is imperishable. The Purusha, no bigger than a thumb, is the inner Self, ever
seated in the heart of man. He is known by the mind, which controls knowledge
and is perceived in the heart. They who know Him become immortal. The Purusha
with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet, compasses the earth on
all sides and extends beyond it by ten fingers' breadth. [Yajur Veda, Shveta
Upa., Part I, Chapter III, 11-14]
That which is neither internal consciousness nor external
consciousness nor both together, which does not consist solely in compact
consciousness, which is neither conscious nor unconscious, which is invisible,
unapproachable, impalpable, indefinable, unthinkable, unnamable, whose very
essence consists of the experience of its own self, which absorbs all
diversity, is tranquil and benign, without a second, which is what they call
the fourth state -- that is the atman. This it is which should be known.
[Atharva Veda, Mandukya Upanishad 2.7. VE, P. 723]
Revealed and yet dwelling hidden in the cave is that which is
called the great Abode. Whatever moves and breathes and blinks is fixed
therein. Know this as being and also nonbeing, the desire of all hearts,
transcending knowledge, best beloved of every creature. Burning as a flame and
subtlest of the subtle, in which are firmly fixed the worlds and their peoples
-- that is the imperishable Brahman. That is life and word and spirit, the
true, the immortal! That, my friend, is to be known -- know that![Atharva Veda,
Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.1-2, VE, P. 685]
Next follows the fulfilment of prayers. One should thus meditate
on the object one wishes to obtain through meditation: he (i.e. the udgatri
priest) should meditate on the Saman with which he is going chant the praise.
He (the udgatri priest) should meditate on the Rik in which that Saman occurs,
on the rishi to whom it was revealed and on the deity whom he is going to
praise. He (the udgatri priest) should meditate on the metre in which he is
going to chant the praise; he should meditate on the hymn by which he is going
to chant the praise. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., I, III - Meditation on the Udgitha
as the Sun and the Vyana, 8-10].
The seer sees not death, nor sickness, nor any distress. The
seer sees only the All, obtains the All entirely. For the sake of experiencing
the true and the false, the great Self has a dual nature. Yea, the great Self
has a dual nature. Yea, the great Self has a dual nature! [Krishna Yajur Veda,
Maitrayani Upanishad 7.11.6 & 8. uph, 458]
There are two ways of
contemplation of Brahman: in sound and in silence. By sound we go to silence.
The sound of Brahman is Aum. With Aum we go to the End, the silence of Brahman.
The End is immortality, union and peace. Even as a spider reaches the liberty
of space by means of its own thread, the man of contemplation by means of Aum
reaches freedom. The sound of Brahman is Aum. At the end of Aum is silence. It
is a silence of joy. It is the end of the journey, where fear and sorrow are no
more: steady, motionless, never-falling, everlasting, and immortal. It is
called the omnipresent Vishnu. In order to reach the Highest, consider, in
adoration, the sound and the silence of Brahman. For it has been said: God is
sound and silence. His name is Aum. Attain, therefore, contemplation, contemplation
in silence on Him. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitra Upanishad 6.22-23.
upm, 102]
Than whom there is naught else higher, than whom there is naught
smaller, naught greater, the One stands like a tree established in heaven. By
Him, the Person, is this whole universe filled. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Shveatashvatara
Upanishad 3.9. upr, 727]
Even as water becomes one with water, fire with fire, and air
with air, so the mind becomes one with the Infinite Mind and thus attains final
freedom. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitrayani Upanishad 6.34.11. tu, 103]
All the sacred books, all holy sacrifice and ritual and prayers,
all the words of the Vedas, and the whole past and present and future, come
from the Spirit. With maya, His power of wonder, He made all things, and by
maya the human soul is bound. Know, therefore, that nature is maya, but that
God is the ruler of maya, and that all beings in our universe are parts of His
infinite splendor. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., 4.9-10. upm, 92].
He
who from birth was chief of the Gods, the wise one, protecting with his might
the other Gods, before whose energy and mighty exploits the two worlds tremble:
he, Men, is the Lord! Who stilled the quaking of the mighty earth and set at
rest the agitated mountains, who measured out the middle regions of space and
gave the sky support: he, Men, is the Lord! Who slew the dragon and loosed the
seven rivers, who drove the cattle out of Vala's cavern, who brought forth fire
from between the rocks, victorious ever: he, Men, is the Lord! [Rk Veda II, 12,
1-3].
That
deity, after taking away the death-the evil-of the gods, carried them beyond
death. First of all, it carried the organ of speech, which is the foremost
organ. When the organ of speech was freed from death it became fire. That fire,
having transcended death, shines beyond its reach. Then it carried the organ of
smell. When it was freed from death it became air (Vayu). That air, having
transcended death, blows beyond its reach. Then it carried the organ of sight.
When it was freed from death it became the sun (Surya). That sun, having
transcended death, shines beyond its reach. Then it carried the organ of
hearing. When it was freed from death, it became the quarters (Disha). Those
quarters, having transcended death, remain beyond its reach. Then it carried
the mind. When the mind was freed from death it became the moon (Chandra). That
moon, having transcended death, shines beyond its reach. Thus, verily, that
deity carries beyond death him who knows this. [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa., I,
III-The Prana: Its Glories and Redeeming Power, 11-16].
Spring
up, become fair, be distended, O barley, with your own increase! Burst all
vessels designed to contain you! May lightning not smite you in that place
where we make our appeal to you. In response, divine barley, to our invocation,
rise up there tall as the sky, inexhaustible as the boundless sea! [Atharva
Veda VI, 142, 1- 2]
He
who consists of the mind, whose body is subtle, whose form is light, whose
thoughts are true, whose nature is like the akasa, whose creation in this
universe, who cherishes all righteous desires, who contains all pleasant
odours, who is endowed with all tastes, who embraces all this, who never speaks
and who is without longing-He is my Self within the heart, smaller than a grain
of rice, smaller than a grain of barley, smaller than a mustard seed, smaller
than a grain of millet; He is my Self within the heart, greater than the earth,
greater than the mid-region, greater than heaven, greater than all these
worlds.
He
whose creation is this universe, who cherishes all desires, who contains all
odours, who is endowed with all tastes, who embraces all this, who never speaks
and who is without longing-He is my Self within the heart, He is that Brahman.
When I shall have departed hence I shall certainly reach Him: one who has this
faith and has no doubt will certainly attain to that Godhead. Thus said
Sandilya, yea, thus he said. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa. III, XIV - The Shandilya
Doctrine, 1-3]
The
chest of the universe, with the mid-region for its inside and the earth for its
bottom, does not decay. The quarters are its different corners and heaven is
its lid, which is above. This chest is the storehouse of treasures. Inside it
are all things. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., III, XV - Meditation on the Universe as
a Chest, 1]
Now
may this God Savitri, the strong and mighty, Lord of all wealth, vouchsafe to
us his riches! May he, extending his far-spreading luster, bestow on us the
food that nourishes men! These songs praise Savitri of gentle speech, whose
arms are full, whose hands are beautiful. Preserve us evermore, O Gods, with
blessings. [Rk Veda VII, 45, 3-4]
May
those who tend you prove inexhaustible, inexhaustible their barns,
inexhaustible those who offer you in sacrifice and those who consume you! [Atharva
Veda VI, 142, 3].
The seer sees not death, nor sickness, nor any distress. The
seer sees only the All, obtains the All entirely. For the sake of experiencing
the true and the false, the great Self has a dual nature. Yea, the great Self
has a dual nature. Yea, the great Self has a dual nature! [Krishna Yajur Veda,
Maitra Upa. 7.11.6 & 8. uph, 458].
The
attendant searched for him and returned without finding him. Then the king said
to him: Listen, where a knower of Brahman is to searched for, look for him
there. After proper search the attendant came upon a person who, lying
underneath his cart, was scratching an itch. Humbly he took his seat near him
and said: Revered Sir, are you Raikva, the man with the cart? Oh yes, I am he,
he answered. Then the attendant returned, saying to himself: I have found him
out.
So
these four castes were projected: the brahmin: the kshatriya, the vaisya, and
the sudra. Among the gods Prajapati became a brahmin as fire, and among men He
became the brahmin. He became a kshatriya among men through the divine
kshatriyas, a vaisya through the divine vaisyas, and a sudra through the divine
sudras. Therefore people desire to attain the results of their rites among the
gods through fire, and among men as a brahmin. For Prajapati directly projected
Himself as these two forms. [So these four castes were projected: the brahmin:
the kshatriya, the vaisya, and the sudra. Among the gods Prajapati became a
brahmin as fire, and among men He became the brahmin. He became a kshatriya
among men through the divine kshatriyas, a vaisya through the divine vaisyas,
and a sudra through the divine sudras. Therefore people desire to attain the
results of their rites among the gods through fire, and among men as a brahmin.
For Prajapati directly projected Himself as these two forms. Now, if a man
departs from this world without realizing his own World (the Self), It, being
unknown, does not protect him-as the Vedas, unrecited, or as a deed
unaccomplished, do not protect him. Nay, even if one who does not know It (the
Self) should perform here on earth a great many meritorious acts, those acts
will in the end surely perish for him. One should meditate only upon the World
called the Self. He who meditates upon the World called the Self-his work does
not perish; for from this very Self he projects whatever he desires. Now, this
self (the ignorant person) is an object of enjoyment (lokah) to all beings. In
so far as he offers oblations in the fire and performs sacrifices, he becomes
an object of enjoyment to the gods. In so far as he studies the Vedas, he
becomes an object of enjoyment to the rishis. In so far as he makes offerings
to the Manes and desires children, he becomes an object of enjoyment to the
Manes. In so far as he gives shelter and food to men, he becomes an object of
enjoyment to men. In so far as he gives fodder and water to the animals, he
becomes an object of enjoyment to the animals. In so far as beasts and birds
and even ants find a living in his home, he becomes an object of enjoyment to
these. Just as one wishes no injury to one's body, so do all beings wish no
injury to him who has this knowledge. All this, indeed, has been known and well
investigated. In the beginning this aggregate of desirable objects was but the
self, one only. He cherished the desire: Let me have a wife, so that I may be
born as the child; and let me have wealth, so that I may perform rites. This
much, indeed, is the range of desire; even if one wishes, one cannot get more
than this. Therefore, to this day, a man who is single desires: Let me have a
wife, so that I may be born as the child; and let me have wealth, so that I may
perform rites. So long as he does not obtain each one of these, he thinks he is
incomplete. Now, his completeness can also come in this way: The mind is his
self, speech his wife, the vital breath his child, the eye his human wealth,
for he finds it with the eye; the ear his divine wealth, for he hears it with
the ear; the body his instrument of rites, for he performs rites through the
body. So this sacrifice has five factors-the animals have five factors, men
have five factors and all this that exists has five factors. He who knows this
obtains all this. [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa, I, IV-The Creation and Its Cause,
15-17].
Brahm Samhita
This is a beautiful poem of adoration of Adi Purusha Govinda who created the
universe and all of us. We worship Him. It runs like this:
Lord Govinda is praised here as the Creator. “Krishna who is known as Govinda is the
Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of
all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.
I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the
cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by
millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by
hundreds of thousands of lakshmis or gopis.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with
blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock's feather, with
the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique
loveliness charming millions of Cupids.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round whose neck is swinging a garland of
flowers beautified with the moon-locket, whose two hands are adorned with the
flute and jewel ornaments, who always revels in pastimes of love, whose
graceful threefold-bending form of Shyamasundara is eternally manifest.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss,
truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendour. Each of
the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged
functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the
infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but
obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who
is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is
the beginning, and the eternal purusha; yet He is a person possessing the
beauty of blooming youth.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tip of the toe of whose lotus feet
is approached by the yogis who aspire after the transcendental and betake
themselves to pranayama by drilling the respiration; or by the jnyanis who try
to find out the non-differentiated Brahman by the process of elimination of the
mundane, extending over thousands of millions of years. He is an
undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the
possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency
remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His
fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe,
at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.
“I
adore the same Govinda, the primeval Lord, in whose praise men, who are imbued
with devotion, sing the mantra-suktas told by the Vedas, by gaining their
appropriate beauty, greatness, thrones, conveyances and ornaments.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Go loka, (that
stands for Light and Knowledge with Radha (that stands for Resources and
Technology /creative energy and creativity and skill), resembling (Purusha and
Prakruti)- His own spiritual power, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency
possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities; it is indeed the potential and
the kinetic aspects.
Govinda with Radha is presented as a
symbolism, depicting Purusha with His Prowess depicted as Govinda (Krishna) in
the company of Radha and Her confidantes [sakhis],
the latter as the embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated
and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who
is Shyamasundara, Krishna Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes,
whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion
tinged with the salve of love.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Krishna
and the different manifestations (avatara) in the world in the forms of Rama,
Narasimha, Vamana, etc., as His subjective portions.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the
non-differentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upanishads, being differentiated
from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the
indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is the absolute substantive principle
being the ultimate entity in the form of the support of all existence whose
external potency embodies the threefold mundane qualities, viz., sattva, rajas,
and tamas and diffuses the Vedic knowledge regarding the mundane world.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose glory ever triumphantly dominates the
mundane world by the activity of His own pastimes, being reflected in the mind
of recollecting souls as the transcendental entity of ever-blissful cognitive
rasa. Lowest of all is located Devi-dhama [mundane world], next above it is
Mahesh-dhama (abode of Shiva); above Mahesha-dhama is placed Hari-dhama [abode
of Hari] and above them all is located Krishna's own realm named Go loka. I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who has allotted their respective authorities
to the rulers of those graded realms. The external potency Maya who is of the
nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durga,
the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore
the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself.”
Just as milk is transformed into curd by the action of acids, but yet the
effect curd is neither same as, nor different from, its cause, viz., milk, so I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whom the state of Shambhu is a
transformation for the performance of the work of destruction. The light of one
candle being communicated to other candles, although it burns separately in
them, is the same in its quality. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who
exhibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in His various
manifestations.”
“I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda who assuming His own great subjective form, who
bears the name of Sesha, replete with the all-accommodating potency, and
reposing in the Causal Ocean with the infinity of the world in the pores of His
hair, enjoys creative sleep (yoga-nidra).
Brahma and other lords of the heavens, appearing from the pores of hair of
Maha-Vishnu, remain alive as long as the duration of one exhalation of the
latter (Maha-Vishnu). I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whose subjective
personality Maha-Vishnu is the portion of portion.” I adore the primeval Lord Govinda from whom
the separated subjective portion Brahma receives his power for the regulation
of the mundane world, just as the sun manifests some portion of his own light
in all the effulgent gems that bear the names of suryakanta, etc”.
“I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda, whose lotus feet are always held by Ganesha upon the pair of tumuli
protruding from his elephant head in order to obtain power for his function of
destroying all the obstacles on the path of progress of the three worlds.
The
three worlds are composed of the nine elements, viz., fire, earth, ether,
water, air, direction, time, soul and mind. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda
from whom they originate, in whom they exist and into whom they enter at the
time of the universal cataclysm. The sun who is the king of all the planets,
full of infinite effulgence, the image of the good soul, is as the eye of this
world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in pursuance of whose order the sun
performs his journey mounting the wheel of time.
I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda, by whose conferred power are maintained the
manifested potentialities that are found to exist, of all virtues, all vices,
the Vedas, the penances and all jivas, from Brahma to the meanest insect.”
“I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who burns up to their roots all fruitive
activities of those who are imbued with devotion and impartially ordains for each
the due enjoyment of the fruits of one's activities, of all those who walk in
the path of work, in accordance with the chain of their previously performed
works, no less in the case of the tiny insect that bears the name of indragopa than in that of Indra, king
of the devas. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, the mediators of whom, by
meditating upon Him under the sway of wrath, amorous passion, natural friendly
love, fear, parental affection, delusion, reverence and willing service, attain
to bodily forms befitting the nature of their contemplation.”
“I
worship that transcendental seat, known as Svetadvipa
whereas loving consorts the Lakshmi’s
in their unalloyed spiritual essence practice the amorous service of the
Supreme Lord Krishna as their only lover; where every tree is a transcendental
purpose tree; where the soil is the purpose gem, all water is nectar, every
word is a song, every gait is a dance, the flute is the favorite attendant,
effulgence is full of transcendental bliss and the supreme spiritual entities
are all enjoyable and tasty, where numberless milk cows always emit
transcendental oceans of milk; where there is eternal existence of
transcendental time, who is ever present and without past or future and hence
is not subject to the quality of passing away even for the space of half a
moment. That realm is known as Go loka
only to a very few self-realized souls in this world.”
This in brief a very beautiful account of
how the supreme Lord Govinda, the first–born, ‘Adi purusha’, created the universe in all its splendour and
grandeur! He the chief architect of the universe remains outside His creation
and runs it with powerful forces that are nothing but His own manifest forms.
At the highest levels, these are the physical elements, devi - devata
(enunciated in the Rk Veda). The elemental gods are Fire, Air, Water, Earth,
Sky, Vegetation, and the like. The Veda eulogizes these Gods and pray for
protection and support to all living beings on earth. Fire God Agni is given
utmost prominence here.
Gravitational Waves from Black Holes Are
Detected for Third Time
The ripples in spacetime reached Earth from a
cosmic collision about 3 billion light-years away.
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These are the
artists’ impression of the collapse of neutron stars, their collision and explosion leading to
splurge of heavy metals like gold, uranium, platinum, silver etc in the
universe. This is how all the gold and uranium are found.en Maitreyi said: Just here you have bewildered me,
venerable Sir, by saying that after attaining oneness the self has no more
consciousness. Yajnavalkya replied: Certainly I am not saying anything
bewildering, my dear. This Reality is enough for knowledge, O Maitreyi. Yajur
Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, IV-Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi (I), 13 Brahman
is the spoon dripping fatness; by Brahman the altar is established. Brahman
is the essence of sacrifice the priests prepare the oblation. To the
minister, praise! Atharva
Veda XIX, 42, 2 May
Fever flee hence, exorcised by Agni, exorcised by Soma and the Pressing
Stone, by Varuna, sheer Mind, the altar, the grass of sacrifice, and the
blazing logs! May all harmful things scatter! Atharva
Veda V, 22, 1 To
the depths I dispatch, though with cautious politeness, this promoter of dysentery!
Let her now return to the place where she belongs! (begone illness!) Atharva
Veda V, 22, 4 O
Fever all gray with an arsenic tinge, accompanied by pains and covered with
blotches, go seek a new victim to strike with your plague! Atharva
Veda V, 22, 6
That
splendor that resides in an elephant, in a king among men, or within the
waters, with which the Gods in the beginning came to godhood, with that same splendor
make me splendid, O Lord. Atharva
Veda III, 22, 3 O
All-Knowing God, that powerful strength with which sacrifice endows you, the
strength of the sun, the strength of the elephant, King among men-- may the
two Spirits, garlanded with lotus, vouchsafe that to me! Atharva
Veda III, 22, 4 From
the four directions, as far as the eye can direct its gaze, may that force,
that elephant splendor, assemble and concentrate its virtue in me. Atharva
Veda III, 22, 5 He
is also called Bhamani, for he shines (bhati) in all the worlds. He who knows
this shines in all the worlds. Sama
Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, XV - Instruction by the Teacher, 4 Now,
whether or not they perform the funeral rites for such a person, he goes to
light, from light to day, from day to the bright half of the moon, from the
bright half of the moon to the six months during which the sun goes to the
north, from those months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun
to the moon, from the moon to lightning. There a person who is not a human
being meets him and leads him to Brahman. This is the Path of the Gods
(Devayana), the path leading to Brahman. Those who travel by it do not return
to the whirl of humanity, yea, they do not return. Sama
Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, XV - Instruction by the Teacher, 5
Maitreyi, my dear, said Yajnavalkya, I am going to
renounce this life. Let me make a final settlement between you and Katyayani
(his other wife). Thereupon Maitreyi said: Venerable Sir, if indeed the whole
earth, full of wealth, belonged to me, would I be immortal through that? No,
replied Yajnavalkya, your life would be just like that of people who have
plenty. Of Immortality, however, there is no hope through wealth. Yajur Veda,
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, IV-Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi (I),1- 2 Behold the elephant, best of all creatures to mount
and to ride! I anoint myself with his share of strength, with his elephant
splendor! With the splendor that resides in a lion, a tiger,
an adder, the fire, Brahman, the sun, may that blessed Goddess who gave birth
to Indra now come to us, endowed with splendor! With the splendor that
resides in an elephant, a leopard, in gold, in the waters, in cattle and in
men, may that blessed Goddess who gave birth to Indra now come to us, endowed
with splendor! [Atharva Veda VI, 38, 1- 2]
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His Mightiness,
escorted by the Storms, has brought me strong comfort in distress. May I
unharmed find shelter with him as from glaring heat! May I secure the
goodwill of God! How I long, O God, for the gracious touch of your hand which
heals and brings refreshment, which softens all chastisements of the Gods.
Regard me, O Mighty One, with an indulgent eye. [Rk Veda II, 33, 6- 7] Then Maitreyi said:
What should I do with that which would not make me immortal? Tell me, venerable
Sir, of that alone which you know to be the only means of attaining
Immortality. Yajnavalkya replied: My dear, you have been my beloved even
before, and now you say what is after my heart. Come, sit down; I will
explain it to you. As I explain it, meditate on what I say. Then Yajnavalkya
said: Verily, not for the sake of the husband, my dear, is the husband loved,
but he is loved for the sake of the self which, in its true nature, is one
with the Supreme Self. Verily, not for the sake of the wife, my dear, is the
wife loved, but she is loved for the sake of the self. Verily, not for the
sake of the sons, my dear, are the sons loved, hut they are loved for the
sake of the self. Verily, not for the sake of wealth, my dear, is wealth
loved, but it is loved for the sake of the self. Verily, not for the sake of
the brahmin, my dear, is the brahmin loved, but he is loved for the sake of
the self. Verily, not for the sake of the kshatriya, my dear, is the
kshatriya loved, but he is loved for the sake of the self. [Yajur Veda, Brih.
Upa. II, IV-Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi (I), 3-5) |
That splendor that resides in an elephant, in a king among men,
or within the waters, with which the Gods in the beginning came to godhood,
with that same splendor make me splendid, O Lord. O All-Knowing God, that
powerful strength with which sacrifice endows you, the strength of the sun, the
strength of the elephant, King among men-- may the two Spirits, garlanded with
lotus, vouchsafe that to me! From the four directions, as far as the eye can
direct its gaze, may that force, that elephant splendor, assemble and
concentrate its virtue in me. [Atharva Veda III, 22, 3-5]
He is also called Bhamani, for he shines (bhati) in all the
worlds. He who knows this shines in all the worlds. Now, whether or not they
perform the funeral rites for such a person, he goes to light, from light
today, from day to the bright half of the moon, from the bright half of the
moon to the six months during which the sun goes to the north, from those
months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun to the moon, from
the moon to lightning. There a person who is not a human being meets him and
leads him to Brahman. This is the Path of the Gods (Devayana), the path leading
to Brahman. Those who travel by it do not return to the whirl of humanity, yea,
they do not return. [Sama Veda, Cha. Upa. IV, XV - Instruction by the Teacher,
1-5]
Verily, there are two forms of Brahman: gross and subtle, mortal
and immortal, limited and unlimited, definite and indefinite. The gross form is
that which is other than air and akasa. It is mortal, limited and definite. The
essence of that which is gross, which is mortal, which is limited and which is
definite is the sun that shines, for it (the sun) is the essence of the three
elements. Now the subtle: It is air and akasa. It is immortal, it is unlimited
and it is indefinite. The essence of that which is subtle, which is immortal,
which is unlimited and which is indefinite is the Person (Purusha) in the solar
orb, for that Person is the essence of the two elements. This is with reference
to the gods. [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa. II, III - The Two Forms of Brahman, 1-3]
May the splendor of an elephant, the greatest of all creatures,
may that great glory, which was born from the Boundless, now be diffused. The
Gods together have bestowed it upon me. On this splendor have all the powers of
heaven concentrated their thought. May those Gods who nourish all life on earth
anoint me with splendor! [Atharva Veda III, 22, 1-2]
I adjure you, O Fevers of every sort, whether rife in the autumn
or monsoon or summer, intermittent or continuous, shivering or burning, depart
and vanish!
Atharva Veda V, 22, 13
The organ of speech departed. After being away for a whole year,
it came back and said: How have you been able to live without me? The other
organs replied: We lived just as dumb people live, without speaking, but
breathing with the prana (nose), seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear and
thinking with the mind. Then the organ of speech entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the Prana,
8
The eye departed. After being away for a whole year, it came
back and said: How have you been able to live without me? The other organs
replied: We lived just as blind people live, without seeing, but breathing with
the prana, speaking with the tongue, hearing with the ear and thinking with the
mind. Then the eye entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 9
The ear went out. After being away for a whole year, it came
back and said: How have you been able to live without me? The other organs
replied: We lived just as deaf people live, without hearing, but breathing with
the prana. Speaking with the tongue, seeing with the eye and thinking with the
mind. Then the ear entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 10
The mind went out. After being away for a whole year, it came
back and said: How have you been able to live without me? The other organs
replied: We lived just like children whose minds are not yet formed, without
thinking with the mind, but breathing with the prana, speaking with the tongue,
seeing with the eye and hearing with the ear. Then the mind entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 11
This water is the honey (effect) of all beings, and all beings
are the honey (effect) of this water. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who
is in this water and the bright, immortal being existing as the semen in the
body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self
is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge
of Brahman is the means of becoming all.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, V-The Interdependence
of Created Objects, 2
This fire is the honey (effect) of all beings, and all beings
are the honey (effect) of this fire. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who
is in this fire and the bright, immortal being identified with the organ of
speech in the body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge
of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman;
this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, V-The Interdependence
of Created Objects, 3
This air is the honey (effect) of all beings, and all beings are
the honey (effect) of this air. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in
this air and the bright, immortal being identified with the vital breath in the
body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self
is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge
of Brahman is the means of becoming all.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, V-The Interdependence
of Created Objects, 4
Now cold, now burning, you rack with a cough. Terrible are your
features, O Fever. Pray spare us the sight of your face!
Atharva Veda V, 22, 10
Do not bring in your train either languor or cough or rasping of
breath. Return never more to the place you have quit.
Atharva Veda V, 22, 11
He who knows what has the attributes of firmness (pratishtha)
becomes firm in this world and the next. The eye, indeed, is endowed with
firmness.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 3
He who knows prosperity (sampad), his wishes are fulfilled-both
divine and human wishes. The ear, indeed, is prosperity.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 4
He who knows the abode (ayatana) becomes the abode of his
kinsmen. The mind, indeed, is the abode.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 5
Your remedies so pure, O powerful Storms, afford us relief and
bring us joy. Those which our father Manu chose I beg from the Lord for my own
well-being.
Rig Veda II, 33, 13
May God's missile be deflected from us, may the anger of the
blazing God overshoot us! Relax your bow of wrath toward our well-wishers. Have
pity on our sons and on their children!
Rig Veda II, 33, 14
Then
considering her (the princess) as the door for imparting knowledge, Raikva said:
O Sudra! You brought these cows and other presents; this is good. But you will
make me speak now only through this means (i.e. the princess). These are the
villagesnamed Raikvaparna, in the country of Mahavrishas, where Raikva lived.
Now Raikva said to the king:
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, II - Dialogue of Raikva and
Janasruti (I), 5
Verily, Vayu (the air) is the swallower (samvarga). For when
fire goes out it is indeed swallowed by the air. When the sun sets it is
swallowed by the air. When the moon sets it is swallowed by the air.
The attendant searched for him and returned without finding him.
Then the king said to him: Listen, where a knower of Brahman is to searched
for, look for him there. [Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, I - The Story of Janasruti
and Raikva, 7]
After proper search the attendant came upon a person who, lying
underneath his cart, was scratching an itch. Humbly he took his seat near him
and said: Revered Sir, are you Raikva, the man with the cart?
Oh yes, I am he, he
answered. Then the attendant returned, saying to himself: I have found him out.
[Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, I - The Story of Janasruti and Raikva, 8. Sama
Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and Janasruti (II), 1]
When water dries up it is swallowed by the air. For indeed the
air absorbs them all. So much with reference to the gods.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and Janashruti
(II), 2
Now with reference to the body: Verily, the prana is the
swallower. When a man sleeps, speech goes into the prana, sight goes into the
prana, hearing goes into the prana and the mind goes into the prana. For indeed
the prana absorbs them all.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and
Janasruti (II), 3
These are the two swallowers: the air among the gods, the prana
among the senses.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and
Janasruti (II), 4
Then considering her (the princess) as the door for imparting
knowledge, Raikva said: O Sudra! You brought these cows and other presents;
this is good. But you will make me speak now only through this means (i.e. the
princess). These are the villages named Raikvaparna, in the country of
Mahavrishas, where Raikva lived. Now Raikva said to the king:
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, II - Dialogue of Raikva and
Janashruti (I), 5
Verily, Vayu (the air) is the swallower (samvarga). For when
fire goes out it is indeed swallowed by the air. When the sun sets it is
swallowed by the air. When the moon sets it is swallowed by the air.
When water dries up it is swallowed by the air. For indeed the
air absorbs them all. So much with reference to the gods. Now with reference to
the body: Verily, the prana is the swallower. When a man sleeps, speech goes into
the prana, sight goes into the prana, hearing goes into the prana and the mind
goes into the prana. For indeed the prana absorbs them all. These are the two
swallowers: the air among the gods, the prana among the senses. [Sama Veda,
Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and Janasruti (II), 1-4]
The attendant searched for him and returned without finding him.
Then the king said to him: Listen, where a knower of Brahman is to searched
for, look for him there.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, I - The Story of Janasruti
and Raikva, 7
After proper search the attendant came upon a person who, lying
underneath his cart, was scratching an itch. Humbly he took his seat near him
and said: Revered Sir, are you Raikva, the man with the cart? Oh yes, I am he,
he answered. Then the attendant returned, saying to himself: I have found him
out.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, I - The Story of Janasruti
and Raikva, 8
so’ham asmi |
“EXISTENTIAL REALITY”
THE UNBORN, ETERNAL, AND
THE IMMORTAL SELF
Sri
Chaitanyananda
CENTRE FOR STUDY OF CONSCIOUSNESS,
DIVINE GRACE FOUNDATION, BELAGAVI
Who Am I?
“In the beginning, this universe
was the self (Viraj) alone, in the shape of a person. He reflected and saw
nothing else but His self. He first said: I am He. Therefore, He came to be
known by the name ‘I’ (Aham). Hence, even now, when a person is addressed, he
first says: It is I, and then says whatever other name he may have. And,
because He, before (purva) the whole group of aspirants, burnt (vaushat) all
evils, therefore, “He is called Purusha”. He who knows this verily burns up him
who wishes to be Viraj in advance of him.”
[Yajurveda, Brih. Upa. I, IV- The
Creation and Its Cause, 1].
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1.
Structure and Composition of the Universe.
2. The Human Bain.
3. The Goal of Life.
4. The Solar System.
5. Our
Expanding Universe
6. ‘Who am I’?
7. Self-Realization (Atma-sakshatkara)
8. The Energy Factor
9. Existence and Non-Existence
Think it over
The Shadow of an object moves
with the object
that created it moves! Neither the
object that
moves nor the shadow are real. Only
the Light
create the shadow is real!
The Salient Features of
Existential Reality
Ever since we are born here, the eternal quest is to find the ‘Truth’,
the nature of existence, and the ‘Reality of this world’. It is the in-born
trait, the inherent quality of the jiva is to search, ‘to know’ and there is no
peace till one finds the answers. Some of the unanswered questions are:
1. Whether the world we live in
is real?
2. How did we take birth and what
exactly is the nature of our existence here, on this planet earth? What is the
goal of life?
3. Is there a beginning or end to
this creation? Where do we come from? And, where do we go after death? What is
‘Death’?
4. Who is the Creator and what is
His purpose of creation?
5 Why do people suffer? What is
the remedy for our suffering?
7. Are the Duality and Diversity
of this world are Unreal? And, do we know that the Non-dual Universe manifests
in diverse forms and functions by Will of the Lord- EkO’ham bahusyam?
Some of these questions have been
answered by great sages and learned scholars. For instance, we have the 7th
Century scholar an advocate of Advaita doctrine Sri Shankaracharya who stated
that the perceptible world is illusory and quoted the scriptures to enunciate
this doctrine. Why did Sri Shankaracharya say that this world is illusory? The
limitations (niyati), constant changes, and the inevitable death, decay and
disintegration create the transient world that makes it illusory. Illusion is
the product of Ignorance, avidya, that is caused by desire and attachment.
Further, whatever that undergoes change over time and space is not real! Thus,
the fleeting ever-changing objective world is said to be ‘Illusory’.
The
scriptures explicitly state that all the dualities and diversities are the
result of our ignorance about the true nature of our self. Once we are
enlightened by the touch of a guru the true nature of our existence is revealed
to us. Do we understand what the Bhagavan says in the Gita? Although it is explicitly
made clear that everything that we see and experience is illusory, a
make-believe world created by his power of yogamaya.
Many of the questions raised above have
been answered by many a great Sages who have
visualized the truth, on the one hand, and by the scientists, on the other. The
most interesting conclusion arrived at here is that the scientists confirm the
observations of the saints and sages! However, the common man cannot understand
the reality unless he takes a rigorous journey in this untrodden path by taking
recourse to yoga under an attained Guru. Further, these questions are eternal
and every jiva asks these again and again despite the fact that the very jiva
knows full well why it is suffering! The epics speak of creation in detail. The
Upanishads explain in detail every single aspect of the life of the jiva and
its predicament. They gives solution to the various problems and helps the jiva
to attain liberation.
Whose folly is it if the jiva suffers due
to its ignorance, avidya? What is it that makes the jiva suffer, is it due to
‘free will’, or is it the prarabhda karma? If it is ‘karma’ that binds the
jiva, who has created the jiva? Is it the ‘desire’ that creates all these
problems and the ‘desire is brahmn’, and, if so, why should the jiva suffer due
to somebody else’s desire?
All the troubles and turmoil of the jiva on its journey on this planet
are attributed to the tamasic quality of the earth. Let’s explore this myth or
reality. We have the great saints and sages who have guided millions of jivas that
aspire for liberation are enabled to get redeemed. The Bhagavad-Gita has
explicitly stated that there will be no rebirth (punarjanma na vidyate!)
if surrendered to the Lord. Once the curtain of avidya, that of attachment, moha,
is removed, the jiva is liberated instantly (sadyomukti). This
realization of the Self comes with the help of an attained Guru through sight,
touch, living at the dfeet of the Master and serving him, self-less service,
dhyana, nidhidhyasana, study of scriptures and other means, as stated in Jnyaneshvari.
The Gur is like Fire who burns all our desires, ego, and leads us to divinity
by his grace. Divine Grace, Daivaanugraha, is very important for
salvation. But it requires the help of an attained jnyani. It is not easy to
tear off the curtain of ignorance and realize the true nature of our existence.
However, it is said, all the jivas are redeemed at the end of the cycle- krama
mukti.
THE PERCEIVER AND THE PERCEIVED ARE ONE
“Consciousness
is everything”!
prajnyanam
brahmaa |
INTRODUCTION
पुर्नमदह्पुर्नमिदम्पुर्नत्पुर्नम्उदुच्यते। पुर्नस्यपुर्नमदय
पुर्नमेववशिश्यते॥
Purnamadahpurnamidam purnatpurnamuduchyate
| purnasya purnamadaya purnamevaavashishyate ||
Meaning,
Everything is full, complte, perfect since this fullness comes from THAT
(brahmn) which is complete, full and [erfect. Ultimately all that manifests
from THAT full, brahmn, are also complete, full, and perfect. This is the
fundamental principle of Creation. This is ‘Oneness’, nonduality, ‘Ekatvam’.
The Non-dual Universe is the Reality, whereas,
the multitude of variety and diversity of the perceived objective world limited
by time and space, as also, causality is unreal, illusory since it is a fleeting
world in an ever-expanding Universe.
The fundamental
principle enunciated in the ancient scriptures is very clear. It is “Unity
Consciousness”- samyak-prajnya,
where all dualities disappear! Duality is the reality one experiences as an
earthling bound to the gross material objective world where everything is
inter-related. The Mind, the senses and the intellect are closely connected
with the objective world and the senses act and interact as dictated by the
mind and the intellect. Objects that we perceive disappear the moment the mind
is disconnected from the objects! Even if the eyes are engaged and the mind is
not interested the objects do not matter, however interesting they may be! The
mind and moods thus dictate the interaction of the jiva with the world. No
interest, no life?
This duality of the jiva and world is the outward movement of the jiva
to experience the quality of the diverse paraphernalia of the material objects.
This is the product of ignorance. The moment the jiva realizes its true nature,
it discards the external world as one of no consequence. Then it turns inward
to experience the Self, hitherto neglected. Bhagavan Sri Krishna advises Arjuna
not to neglect the Self, the Atman. He advises him to know, realize, and
establish in the Self, the Atman, but hastens to add that there is no means of
knowing It. This knowing, observing, understanding, etc. are all function of
Consciousness! Consciousness is everything and it operates either outward or
inward at a time depending on the focus of attention. When consciousness is
conscious of itself it becomes self-centered within itself and attains to
Shiva. When it is working in an outward material world it is jiva. Shiva only
becomes jiva and the jagat. There is an option for the jiva
to revert to Shiva anytime by journeying inward toward the Self with the help
of yoga.
In fact, “Everything has
manifested from the ‘One’, single without any other as the second, unimaginable,
unthinkable, unknowable, and the invisible most powerful all-knowing,
self-effulgent, perfect ‘that’ (‘tyat’) for which there is no name (nama),
form (roopa), or function (kriya). Everything manifests out of ‘that’ as the
divine will”. All that we can ever imagine, think of, aspire, or dream
about, exist in it and manifest as per the ‘desire’, the divine will! This
entire universe is the gross product of the subtler-most ‘chit’ (consciousness),
the divine will, desire that is ‘brahman’.
Since the living beings are not in any way different or separate from this ‘chit’,
Consciousness, it is possible for the jiva to realize the whole ’truth’
(‘sat’),
the true nature of its existence. Only a keen sense of awareness of one’s self
will reveal the true self. This search for the true nature of the self (Atma shodha) continues till the jiva
realizes the pure state. This is pure consciousness (shuddha prajnya) unblemished or adulterated by desires, attachment,
anger, selfishness, jealousy, greed, etc. It is also necessary that the
out-going nature of the five senses and the vibrant mind, perverted
intelligence and such other aspects that make the jiva indulge in the external
phenomenal objective world are withdrawn. When one is busy with the affairs of
the world, working outward without any idea of the true nature of the self, it
is avidya. When the person becomes aware of the limitations, turns inward and
looks for the self, avidya disappears! Consciousness becomes aware of its Self
and reveals itself! The questions of Creation, Sustenance, Dissolution, and
Merger in Him, besides, ‘Who I Am’ are all answered here.
The Universe, so far known to us, is a vast undefined space that consists
of innumerable galaxies. Each one of these galaxies consist of billions or
trillions of stars- some having planets and satellites of their own! Some
planets like the earth possess ideal conditions such as air, water, and soil.
1 Structure and Composition of the Universe
The universe is said to be filled by
gaseous elements like Hydrogen and Helium. The entire universe, now called the
‘multiverse’ due to innumerable universe present, is indeed a dark space! The
darkness here is due to the dark energy, and the dark matter here is almost 76
per cent of the space. Light is emitted by stars and galaxies that constitute a
mere 6 per cent of the dark matter! The galaxies are said to be clouds of
gaseous masses of stellar-dust that may condense into stars. Thousands of stars
are being born and die out every second! It is said that these stars may
collapse under their own weight and burst or explode (as in the case of ‘neutron
stars’) bombarding the space with stellar dust particles and heavy metals like
gold, platinum, mercury. These are scientific explanations given by astronomers
and physicists. However, these observations are subject to constant review and
restatements. We are getting new facts and figures, as and when new discoveries
are made, and, hence nothing is certain about these. Moreover, all these are
mere postulations, hypotheses, theories and, may be, subject to change!
The facts and figures presented here are
thus not only the scientific version of the universe as presented by the
scientists like phycists, biologists, astronomers, and others, but that of the
Vedic scholars, as well! The scientific version is supported by what the
scientists have seen through the powerful telescopes and analyzing the pictures
obtained from electronic telescopic cameras that are mere waves and splashes of
colours! The scientists have presented their observations based on these and
have clearly stated that these are mere speculations and probabilities. The
artistic impression is presented and this may not present the reality. The
Vedantins, on the other hand, have boldly stated that the observations are
visions that are personally experienced and can never go wrong. Anybody at that
heightened level of ‘Consciousness’ in a transcendental meditative state will
envision or visualize the same ‘truth! Hence, what they state is ‘the whole
truth’. It is the Vedic doctrine approved, saying- evam veda, an indisputable statement, at that!
The ancient Indian astronomers and
mathematicians like Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Bhaskara, and many sage-seers,
spiritualists, visionaries, mathematicians have given detailed accounts of
their experience and the same are presented here in brief.
Thus, we have the views of both the scientists and the Vedantins for a
comparative study. The interested seekers of ‘truth’ may wade through the
literature available and make a practical effort to realize the truth through
yoga sadhana. Thus, a perfect view of the true nature of existence and the
place of man in the entire system can be understood! Once this is clear to the
seeker, he/she needs no further effort, whatsoever!
The purpose of this study is to know the
true nature of the jiva, as also, the nature of the transient world. Only an
enlightened person realizes the futility of experiencing all that the senses
present to the fickle mind due to avidya
(knowledge covered by attachment (‘ajnyan’)
and ‘Buddhi’ (intellect) shrouded like
dark clouds hovering as a result of the avidya.
Here, jnyan is covered by moha, mada (pride) and ahankara (ego). Only yoga will help to clear this avidya
and reveal the true nature and relieve it of its ignorance. It will ultimately
melt avidya and the curtain of maya falls! The jiva reeling under eternal
bondage is at once set free and liberated once for all. This is
‘enlightenment’!
The ultimate goal here is for jiva to
attain to the state of ‘Oneness’, and realize the ‘Truth’ that ‘I am
neither this body, nor this Mind, intellect, or the ego; all these adjuncts,
equipment, or instruments provided for purposes of experiencing the world. It
is sheer avidya that the jiva is attracted to the tantalizing world of objects
driven by the desire of experiencing them since it thinks of these objects as
real and satiable. It is again that the fickle mind drives the ten senses after
ten thousand desired objects not knowing the fact that they are just mirages!
This is the eternal problem of the jiva due to the curtain of maya and avidya,
or ‘knowledge covered by a sheet of ignorance. It is not easy to tear off
or drop this curtain of avidya and make the jiva realize the ‘truth’-
that the world is what is created by its own foolish Mind. The dawn of
Knowledge will enable the jiva to realize the truth- “I Am That”, the Unborn,
Eternal, Immortal Self. One must ultimately realize the principle of Non-dual
Universe and everything is Brahhmn.
Contemplate on the doctrines of ‘Aham
brahmasmi’, ‘tattvamasi’ and. ‘So’hamasmi|
The human brain is a wonder-machine that is closely associated with the
Mind and has immense capacity to think, imagine, dream, create and destroy,
discover and discern, dissect, disseminate, organize and reorganize, produce
and reproduce, edit and re-edit what all that has been understood, assimilated,
and then present that in a holistic synchronized picture! It all starts as a
desire (ichha), though-wave, an imagination and create images and gradually
with sankalpa, determination, consolidate and create a world by itself!
Different parts of the brain have trillions of cells, each cell performing
almost sixty thousand jobs at a time, instantly, and many of them do
specialized functions, too! Along with the ageing process of the jiva these
cells develop their ability to perform more and more specialized functions and
they too die out! In fact, the very ageing process is attributed to the cells.
Cells constantly divide and multiply, retrieve the information stored in the
DNA and RNA, transfer all memory intact to new cells before they burnout. In
fact, it is so mysterious that we grow from childhood to ripe old age and
perform specialized functions as per the genes and memories of the past lives.
It is estimated that a normal person hardly ever uses one per cent of his
mental potentiality. While the right
side of the brain is normally used, the left part is left almost unused by most
of us! In fact, the left part of the brain has unique capacity of perform the
jiva’s karma. This is the most significant aspect that determines the destiny
of the jiva. The entire life and activity of the jiva such as intelligence,
creativity, art, music, mathematics, etc. depends on the carryover of the past.
2. The Human Bain
The ‘Mind’ (manas) is at the root of all that is human (‘manava’). This is the third level of evolution, the first two being
that of plants and animals, the latter evolving from the aquatics, amphibian,
the quadrupeds, and the bipeds. The animals that evolved from the primates to
the Homo sapiens have developed the
brain and the mind operates it. However, it is difficult to know what this
‘Mind’ (manas) is, where and how,
when and why it enters the jiva! Once the mind takes over the human being, it
operates till the end of its life-span. It is governed by two other factors-
Intellect (buddhi) and the ego (ahankara). Together these three as inner
instruments (antah karana) control the life of the jiva. However, we do
not know how, and at what stage of birth, these enter the jiva.
The Gita exemplifies the eight
fundamental principles, prakruti ashtadha- five natural elements like space, air, fire, water and earth, and the
three antah karanas- manas, buddhi, and ahankara
(manas and chitta are considered one here since the active mind is vikshipta
manah). These are the manifest aspects of the Lord. In fact, everything is the
manifestation of One supreme, brahmn.
When it comes to Mind, it is a
mystery how it works as chitta (thought
waves generated within) and thoughts occur, desires start, and imagination
and dreams work round the clock! Except in deep sleep, the mind is working
continuously. The Mind is a reservoir of Energy, a Thermodynamic Reactor, at
that! It is a winder how new ideas occur and what activates it to materialize
in daily life! The human brain is only an instrument, a physical entity full of
electronic cells, but charged by spiritual energy, not one hundred per cent by
food alone, the material one. The bicephalic brain is not fully utilized by us.
Most of us are accustomed to use the right side of the brain only and some left
side, or both.
It is said that geniuses, wizards, path-breakers, and inventors, and
such other talented ones with creative intelligence use the left part of the
brain, and none ever masters the use of all parts of the brain in their life
time. Hardly, even a negligible percentage of the brain is ever used in a
lifetime of a person. Only a ‘Vedantin’, yogi or spiritually enlightened
person can develop his/her full potentialities through practice of yoga. In
yogic trance, samadhi, a yogin can reduce the vibration of a trillion cells
that cause thought waves. All the heated cells are cooled down and condensed
into a molecule! Thus, the visionaries have given us a brilliant presentation
of the holistic view of this universe!
It is the constant endeavor of
all thinkers, whether they are Vedantins, or the scientists ‘to know’ and
‘understand’ the reality, the ‘truth’ about the world we live and work, as also, find out who we are,
wherefrom we arrive here, and wherefore do we go from here? The scientists
think in a limited way, in a narrow perspective, and feel that answers are
eluding! However, the ancient sages have
found the answer to all these questions by taking recourse to yoga and their
intuitive thoughts and vision have revealed the ‘truth’. They have experienced,
realized, envisioned ‘truth’ in a transcendental or extra sensorial sate, i.e.,
the turiya or atindriya sthiti of savikalpa samadhi. It is also the state
of sakara brahmn.
Almost a hundred and odd
Upanishads explain in different ways what the learned Sages experienced in
their yogic trance. The nature of ‘reality of existence’ is explained by
Bhagavan Shree Krishna in the Gita. There are many other scriptures like the
eighteen epics attributed to Sage Veda Vyasa, the Upanishads of unknown
origin(?), and the spoken words of Bhagavan Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita,
besides the Brahmasutras attributed to Badarayana, an unknown Sage,
Narayana Rishi.
There is no such thing as scripture anywhere in the world that is
attributed to God. Bhagavan Shree Krishna, the supreme Lord, is an avatara of
Vishnu. He descends to earth to save the pious, learned sages and saints, as
and when there is a decline in ‘Righteousness’, dharma . He also helps
us to find out the true nature of our existence, the manifest aspects of both
the ‘purusha’ and ‘prakruti’- ‘the self’ and ‘the nature’. The ultimate answer
is very simple: “The perceiver and the perceived are one”. Conscious
awareness of the seeker will bring out this truth! Consciousness is not only
conscious of itself, but also of the ‘other’. All of us, equipped with sense
organs (jnyan and karma indriya), are interested in the external
world and dwell in it from birth to death! Only the renunciates turn away from
the sensuous world since they have lost all desires to experience the sense
objects since they know that these endless desires are insatiable. They also
realize how the objective world is trivial, limited, and bound by time and
space. It is rarely possible for anybody to take respite, pause for a while to
think about the self, unless ordained by the divine, as if by the carryover of
the past lives!
The entire life of a commoner is spent in earning a livelihood and
running the family. Scarcely any time is left for thinking beyond these after
the days toil. However, a time will come for taking stock of the situation,
look back, and think about where one is running, and wat for. Even when one
realizes the futility of this wandering, there is hardly and time to pause or
turn back! It is extremely difficult to withdraw from the sensuous world and
turn toward the higher spiritual attainments! Wisdom dawns and renunciation
begins. This is consciousness being conscious of itself!
Ultimately, what is it we want? We are all
like children crying not knowing what for they are crying! No one is ever happy
even when one gets what is desired! Every jiva is born with desires, dreams and
aspirations, and is bound to die with total disillusionment. The reason for
this is ‘time’; time wears out the fervor, the charm of getting is worn out by
the time the desired wish is fulfilled since time, space or distance and
causality eats away the charm. This is the inherent nature of this phenomenal
objective world! None is ever happy in this transient world of insatiable
desires. Eternal happiness, joy and peace will never ever be attained by worldly
attainments. There is an anonymous saying: “Lo! The entire world knows him. He
is so well known that his name and photograph are the part of text books in
schools. Alas! He knows not who he is, and it is the greatest tragedy of his
life! This should not happen to us. The real joy, peace and happiness, is
within us all. Whatever we experience is just sensorial perceptions and not due
to the ‘true nature of our self’- that is ‘sat-chit-ananda’.
3. The Goal of Life
The goal of life, purushartha sadhanam, is to attain to
this state of sat-chit-ananda by
withdrawing our senses, mind, intellect, and ego from their constant engagement
seeking joy and happiness in the external transient sensuous world, and make
them turn them inward toward the soul, the Self. This needs yogic practices to
open the third eye or develop the inner intuitive insight. This inward journey takes
more rigorous exercises and the journey is much longer and more tortuous,
difficult to traverse without the help of a guru. However, the ‘guru’ is not
forthcoming unless there is an ardent cry and the Lord hears it. Then the guru
will come to our door!
Vedanta and
Science
It is in the nature of the jiva to search
for the ‘truth’. All knowledge is one and ‘Truth’ is one only. The path to
search are many and the ultimate goal is the same, the ‘Truth’. What is this
‘truth’? It is not something, an ‘other’ that is outside of one’s self, but the
’Self’ itself! This is the crux of the problem. This ‘Self’ is the ‘truth’
and the search is of ‘the Self’. It is the ‘vid’, knowledge, ‘sat’ and ‘truth’. What one discovers at the end
is one’s ‘Self’ only! The observer and the observed become one. Whoever is
established in this ‘Self’ is the attained one! This attainment to the ‘Self’
is the end of the journey.
Scientists take
recourse to different methods analyzing the objects of perception, vision, and
arrive at their own conclusion according to their ability to understand and the
subjects they opt for search range from astronomy, biology, chemistry,
mathematics, and physics to zoology (A to Z). On the other hand there are the
thinkers who take to contemplation (dhyana) and yoga become visionaries, the
Seers (drushtaras or darshanikas).
These Seers or darshanikas are the
path-breakers like Kapila, Patanjali, Kanada, Gautama, Jaimini, and Badarayana,
who have presented us the six darshana shastras- Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Purva Mimamsa, and Uttara Mimamsa (Vedanta Sutra). These six classical texts cover the entire
knowledge concerning Creation, sustenance, development and dissolution covering
the wide range of fundamental principles of creation (srushti tattvas),
eight-fold path to enlightenment, reasoning and logic, time space. Matter, mind
and soul paving way for the knowledge of the self and the ultimate reality (of
existence). In fact, the Sankhya
forms the foundation of the Temple of Knowledge, whereas, the Vedanta constitutes the towering peak
(Seven levels of Consciousness as shown in seven Gopuram) of all knowledge, with the culmination of knowledge as viveka, vairagya, and mokshagati.
“From the standpoint
of ‘Vedantin’ there is no science separate from Vedanta. There is just
one single urge, the seeker’s curiosity to find out the true nature of
existence and to experience it. There may occur unique events that come as
turning point in our lives, which can sometimes change our view of what is
important and, even drive us to know how we should live our lives! Words, too,
only make sense when they are linked to experience… Just reading about truth or
hearing about truth are not enough; it has to be experienced. Vedanta at the
intellectual level makes it clear that the great challenge is to understand the
self and consciousness. The Self and consciousness could perhaps be emergent
qualities of the complex brain that helps to maintain continuity in our
understanding and experience, according to scientists. But, Vedantin views the
‘Self’ (Atma) and ‘Consciousness’ (prajnya) not as emergent elements of a
complex system, but as the inherent unchanging universal elements that underpin
all existence and represent ‘Reality’
which is untouched by the laws of change and causality”. (Siddhartha Sen). It is also important to note: “What we
perceive as our physical objective material world, is really not physical or
material, at all! In fact, it is far from it.” This has been proven time and
time again by multiple Nobel Laureates (among many other scientists around the
world). Niels Bohr, a Danish Physicist, who made significant contributions to
our understanding atomic structure and quantum theory says,
At the turn of the nineteenth century, physicists started to
explore the relationship between energy and the structure of matter. In doing
so, the belief that a physical, Newtonian material universe that was at the
very heart of scientific knowing was dropped, and the realization that matter
is nothing but an illusion replaced it.
Scientists began to recognize that everything in the Universe is made
out of energy. [Arjun Walia, Collective
Evolution: Nothing is Solid and everything is ‘Energy’–Scientists
explain the world of quantum physics, SEP., 27, 2014].
For all practical purposes, the universe is
just a vast mass of vibrant energy particles and all that we see is forms
created by different wavelengths, frequency and amplitude of this vibrant
energy waves! The scientists have detected the signal of the first star.
Crucially enough it sheds some light on dark matter- an invisible mysterious
substance thought to make up a large share of the Universe. “Finding this
miniscule signal has opened a new window on the early universe” says the
Project Head at Arizona State University, USA. It is estimated that almost 180
million years after the Big Bang, say, about 13.60 billion years ago the
universe began pulsating! This has been recorded by The Great Australian Desert
Lab Spectrometer. Accordingly, the universe was, initially, cold and dark (-270
Deg. Celsius / -454 Deg. F), may be due to dark matter losing energy? Now, in
2013, it is assumed that (based on the Plank satellite) everything we see is
just 4.9 per cent of the Universe and dark matter accounts for 26.8 per cent.
And the rest 68.3 per cent is dark energy! Scientists believe that the Universe
was cold and dark filled with Hydrogen almost for 400 000 years at the dawn of
the Universe (birth of the first Star?). But, let’s remember that all these
pertains to our Solar System and not the beginningless and the endless
multiverse system.
4. The Solar
System
Although it is now common knowledge that the
Sun is a moderate-size star consisting of Hydrogen (H) that split by fission
and created Helium (He4) due to fusion and the earth is formed out of
condensation of the solar flares, the scientists could not find either Hydrogen
or Helium in the earth! It is found only in the Exosphere, on the outer-most
level of atmosphere 10 km. above the earth’s surface since it is the lightest
gaseous element. It is only 100 years ago that the scientists inferred the
existence of Helium and 250 years ago the presence of Hydrogen! The yellow line
in the chromosphere is said to be the Helium waves and it is twice heavier than
Hydrogen, the lightest element. Helium is the coolant in cryogenics and Hadron
Collider vacuum chamber. It occurs in natural gas. It liquefies at 4 Deg. K and
a superfluid at 2 Deg. K. But surprisingly, it was detected only in 2018.
TIME
Everything in this universe comes within
the grip of Time. Time is an illusion since it varies from situation, Latitude
to Latitude and space, and is variable. In fact, Time only creates space (as it
travels over distance); space is the hidden aspect of time. There exists
nothing when time and space are united as ’nowhere’.
When time moves, it creates space and, objects occupy the space! Time begins
with the radiation of the electromagnetic waves, solar radiation (with relation
to earth), light and onset of day-we have the days and nights. Since ‘light
travels at 186000 mps, space, time and intelligence are inherent in Light. If
anything moves at the speed of light it ceases to exist in time! Even if one
travel at the speed of light that person are reduced to ‘nothing’! This ‘nothingness’, unity in time and
space, is brahmn. In fact, that which
is measurable, or that which comes within the grip of limitation (niyati) of time and space is ‘Ma-ya’. Hence, everything, including
Time and Space, is ‘maya’. Illusion, maya, is the manifest form of the
unmanifest ‘brahmn’.
As already stated, for all practical
purposes, for us here on the earth, ‘time’ and ‘space’ are virtually created by
the sun rays (radiation /electromagnetic waves). The sun rays inheres within
the electromagnetic waves a number of other qualities such as light, heat, life-force
(actinic rays), qualities dictated by colours (violet, indigo, blue, green,
yellow, orange and red), as well as, many an invisible powerful rays such as
the infra-red and ultra-violet, the alpha, beta, gamma, x rays. The three
prominent ones that represent the qualities of nature are the tamas (dark), the rajas (red), and the sattva
(white). All life-forms are supported by subtler waves of life-force (actinic
rays), and energy (like Vitamin D), sound and syllables (alphabets), words and
their meaning producing the phenomenal gross objects are all hidden in the
electro-magnetic waves of solar radiation.
The factor of ‘Time’ (kaal) holds
everything within itself! Both electricity and magnetism are involved in Time.
Time is energy. Time creates and destroys objects. Thus, the ‘time-space continuum’ is the basic tenet
of science. Time is indeed illusory since it does not exist outside the forces
of rotation of the earth! Hence, time
is illusory, and, so also, the space
that is created by it! If both time and space are illusory, the physical
objects that occupy the space and endure in time are also illusory! This is the
concept of maya. Thus, everything in
this universe is governed by this maya- the limiting factor (time, space and
causality).
Einstein and many others tried to give
some explanation regarding the universe in many different ways, such as,
algebraic equations mathematical formulae, and theories and hypotheses. They
presented a ‘Theory of Relativity’, a ‘Probability theory’, a ‘Quantum
Mechanics theory’, ‘Gravitational theory’, and many others. So far, one single
unified general theory that can explain everything is evading! In fact, now it
is learnt that such a ‘Unified Theory’, that could explain all, is not
possible at all! Some intervening powerful extraneous force is always there
affecting the structural changes that take place in the transformation of
matter! Mere combination of two ions of hydrogen (H2) and an oxygen ion (O) may
not immediately or instantly produce water unless there is a catalyst that
brings about change! If that were so, may be, there would be no dearth for
water on earth?
But, in Vedanta, the entire universe is
visualized as a continuum- one of ‘unitary existence’! Everything is intimately
connected to the other. Till now, there was no point of contact between the
Scientists and the Vedantins and each one viewed thing in their own perspective
and there was no common platform for them to exchange their views. Besides,
their language of expression was different. The pundits considered it a taboo
even to think of Vedanta and Science together and talk about the two in the
same breath, as if, it was not advisable to talk while eating’! Hence, there
was no attempt to synthesize our knowledge and present a holistic view of our
existence in this transient, ‘make-believe’ world. Now, times have changed. The
scientists have taken to serious study of ancient Hindu scriptures and have
found answers to all that they wanted to know!
The puritans or the conservatives on the one
hand, and the sceptics, or the rationalists, on the other, have so far never
looked eye to eye in matters of spiritual doctrines. Hence, it was not possible
to give a holistic view as to the true nature of our existence, know “who we
are?” and attain to higher and higher levels of existence in pure
consciousness. Even the scientific discoveries did not help us in any way to
solve some of the pertinent questions as to the true nature of the self and the
universe. Whatever we have learnt from our school and colleges have been of no
avail when it comes to know the ‘Reality of Existence’ or Atma sakshatkara in the Vedic parlance. Now, the scientists have
turned towards the yoga and thereby gained an inner vision as to the delicate
subtler forces that are operating in the universe. Now, they have come to state
“solid is not solid”! The latest development in scientific discoveries have
also proved that the Vedantic views are more realistic than the scientific views!
Hence there is a better understanding as to the true nature of the world we
live in and our own place in the universe, as an inseparable part of the whole.
This holistic view brings more peaceful and happier disposition towards life
and brings enormous peace in a much-disturbed world. The doctrines enshrined in our sacred
scriptures in the form of short aphorisms, such as, sarvam khaluvidam brahmaa | ‘so’ham
asmi’ | ‘tat tvam asi’| ‘aham brahm asmi’| ‘Atmai vedgm sarvam’| ‘ayamAtmaa
brahmaa’|
The latest findings in modern scientific
researches that include quantum mechanics, wave theory, molecular biology, DNA
studies and atomic theories that explain ‘origin of the galaxies, stars,
planets and satellites’, origin of life, structure and composition and function
of the human body, etc. It starts almost from the beginning of the tiniest
subatomic particles of matter such as the fermions and bosons, quarks, phonons,
photons and covers the ‘Solar System’, with man at the centres of the study. It
tries to bring out the ‘Reality’ of the very nature of our ‘Existence’, the
‘sat’, the ‘chit’, and the ‘ananda’ aspects enunciated in the Veda. There is
much progress in the field of atomic physics, quantum mechanics and waves and
vibrations of ‘Energy’, DNA studies and molecular biology and study of ‘cells.
In
all reality, all living (chara) or
non-living (achara) beings are
nothing but ‘vibrant energy’ due to chemical bonds. In fact, there is nothing
to assume anything beyond this! However, the case of human beings is slightly
different. All human beings are not the same. Some are in advanced stage of
evolution, whereas, many are just opening up into a state of the human from the
primate, say from monkey to man? This is due to the development of the manas (mind) - the vibrant mature mind. There are seven levels of consciousness at
which one can exist! Also, this study
takes us from the ancient Greek’s ‘Geo-centric’
theory (with the earth at the centre of the study) to the modern ‘Helio-centric’ theory (with the Sun at the
centre), and, now we take to the ‘Homeo-centric’
theory of the universe (with ‘homo
sapiens sapiens’ at the centre) keeping ‘man at the centre’ of the system
in the universe. In a way, it is like the famous Rene Descartes’ doctrine of ‘cogito, ergo sum’, “I think, so I am”; but, of course, there is a
little modification here in the light of the doctrines of the Rk Veda Samhita- aham brahmasmi | so’ham asmi | ayam Atma
brahmn | In this sense of the term, there is nothing that is separate from
me since I am the part and parcel of that, what all exists! In fact, I only
create everything and everything ends with me, as Sri Krishna says in the Gita.
It is He who says, “I am the soul, the
self of all”. “The Universe exists in me. I am the universe”, says Lord Sri
Krishna. (Bhagavad-Gita). These are considered as the ‘spiritual aspect’. Man
as a thinking animal, saying, “I think, so i exist”; with a little awareness,
it becomes- “I exist, so I think”.
“Consciousness
is everything”. prajnyanam
brahma | sarvam khaluvidam brahmaa|
The Upanishads explicitly stated, “It is
not that, not that” (neti, neti).
What all we see are mere qualities, attributes, not the real! All that we see
are objects that come within the grip of vibration, maya, and limitations of time, space, and causality. Light travels
and creates Time and Space and objects fill it. Since ‘Time” itself an
illusion, ‘the space created by it as it moves’, and ‘the objects that fills
it’ are also illusions. The true nature,
‘Reality’, is different! It never changes, it is immutable. Now, the modern scientists, too, have started
talking in this very same tone. The latest research findings have confirmed the
observations of the great sages on the principle of ‘oneness’ (Ekatvam) and ‘immutability’ (acyutam) - “the sub-atomic particles at
the one end and the cosmos at the other as one continuum- anoraniyan mahato mahiyan | The fundamental principle is that the
brahmanda (macro) and the andanda (micro) exist in a continuity as the two ends
of an invisible thread- thick at the one end tapering off at the other, continuum, as explained in the
Lagrangian String (L) theory. The scientists now say, “solid is not solid”
and, “what we see as the phenomenal objective world as real, is not truly
real”! Beyond the visible, there is an invisible, subtler, vibrant state, that
is almost virtual, a state of- ‘is there’ and ‘is there not’, rather, ‘exists’
(sada) and ‘exists not’ (asada/ non-existence), rather, an
abstract state of almost ‘nothingness’, a dormant state of matter, manifesting
as something!
The Nasadiya sukta, of Rk Veda, Mandala X,
has made this amply clear. Even the Purusha Sukta of the same Mandala has been
confirmed by the scientists! The latest visuals from powerful telescopic
cameras have revealed a large cloud of stellar gas spread out in the shape of a
human! It is the massive cloud of stellar dust (‘Fermions’) that later
condensed (Einstein-Bose Condensate) as ‘Bosons’ and ‘Quarks’. The primordial
matter, called the ‘God particle’, majorana fermions (-ve) - is the crux of the
problem. The fusion or fission (coalescence or clash) of matter and anti-matter
that releases energy is at the root of all this secret of birth and death of
stars and their planets.
Thus, it is very clear as to how the
visible universe has come into existence from almost a state of ‘nothingness’
to ‘everything’- manifest from ‘nowhere’ to ‘now and here’! What we see or
experience as the real world is, indeed, a movie of forms of vibration of
energy, like the picture on a screen depicting a story. The form is created by Light,
Fire, as stated in the Vedic statement- Rupa
is the tanmatra of agni. The following study brings out
these aspects of creation in detail. Modern research studies in ‘Matter’ cover
the entire field of particle physics, quantum mechanics, wave theory, energy
concept, gravitation theory, and the structure of the atom (ions) down to the fermions and bosons, as
‘God Particle’! Is this the ‘I’
principle based ‘on’ (foundation of
awareness) or existence! It is the ‘ahanta’,
a thought, an idea, feeling that “I am the body’. It is the avidya, a gross
aspect (‘chit’- a particle of energy)
of the Mind?
The most surprising fact is that the
latest research findings in the fields of astronomy, physics, biology, and
chemistry confirm the statements of our ancient sages. What the modern
scientists have found out with the help of the electronic gadgets such as the
telescopes, spectroscopes, microscopes have been actually visualized by these
Sages of lore, these saints have actually realized the ‘truth’ in their yogic
trance, ‘savikalpa-samadhi’, or Transcendental meditative
state (of trance) visualizing saguna
brahmn. They have stated their experience in brief aphorisms like the
mathematical formulae or the scientist’s equations! There is no contradiction,
whatsoever, with the modern findings. In fact, what these sages (drushtara) have visualized are true for
all times to come, whereas, the modern theories, hypotheses, postulations, and
assumptions are subject to change! It is not the intention of the author here
to make the text highly technical going deep into particle physics and
micro-biology and make it difficult for common man to understand; however, deducing
some of the doctrines that are depicted in highly esoteric symbolism cannot be
made easy for common man to understand in ordinary common language, for it will
fail to convey the essence, ‘truth’. The ‘truth’ has to be realized by oneself
in a ‘transcendental meditative state’, savikalpa
samadhi, through yoga. The sadhaka can experience it. Whatever is
experienced remains the individual’s own, inexplicable and cannot be put in
words for the benefit of the others! Whatever one experiences as a ‘vision’ (darshan) by his/her own yogic effort
cannot be questioned, too. Those who want similar experience will have to
undertake similar practical yogic steps (ashtanga
yoga). There are innumerable methods of experiencing the truth. Once a
person experiences ‘sat’, ‘the
truth’, there remains nothing to be proved.
The Universe so far known to us consists of
millions of galaxies and nebulae with trillions and trillions of stars in them
spread out in a vast dark space that is constantly expanding and ever-changing
with lots of volatile activity within. It is in a state of flux. Hence, it is
somewhat difficult to present any accurate picture of the present-day universe
in simpler words to make the layman understand the intricacies involved in it!
This is also the case of the life on earth, its true nature, the humans and
their faith and belief systems, simply called ‘Vedanta’! Today we get latest reports from the
astronomers and scientists in different branches like physics, chemistry,
biology about the origin of the stars like our Sun and its planets, as well as life
on earth, the nature of the galaxy, the Milky Way. This has been made possible
by the powerful telescopes that can detect infrared light (invisible to our
eyes).Stars, including the way our Sun grow up within clusters and groups.
There are huge masses of clouds of matter moving out from areas where ‘baby
stars’ are forming, as if disengaging from the densely populated nurseries
where dozens or even hundreds of stars are born. It is believed that our Sun
was a binary (accompanied by another star that might have exploded releasing
lots of heavy metals like iron, nickel, magnesium, gold, silver, and platinum. It
is explicitly stated that the cold rotating gaseous mass of stellar dust or
clouds in space get pulled together by gravity. These become flattened discs
spinning faster and get shrunk and finally slow down to form a star. This
process may be accompanied by out-flowing jets that may span over ten trillion
miles! The planets are formed in their discs as we see in ours. Since intense
ultraviolet radiation cover the entire region. And destroy the atmosphere
surrounding them, it is difficult to know whether massive stars develop the
discs and the planets. Another version is that the stars belch out solar flares
into space and these masses of solar material condense into planets in course of
time by cooling. Also, it is stated that the outer rings of solar matter
separate from the main body and cool down and condense into planets. There are
the nebular hypothesis, the tidal hypothesis, planetismal hypothesis, the ‘Binary
Star’ theory, or the supernova theory (where one of the twins exploded), and
the like, to explain the origin of the solar system and the planets like earth,
mars, venus, Saturn, Jupiter, etc. in it. According to the supernova theiry the solar system is born due to low
mass. Our solar system was triggered bylowmass supernova 4.56 billion years
ago. A cloud of stellar gas and dust gradually formed into planets. However, it
is difficult to believe such an eventuality where the supernove bursts and will
have enough energy to compress clouds to prduce planets. This assumption is
based on the study of meteorites, as the debris around our planet.
At best, we can get a picture of the universe in our
mind from the visuals about the galaxies, stars, and planets and their
satellites, etc as presemted mostly by the NASA. We get some facts and figures
about the stars and planets from studies by astronomers, the space research
studies and their publications. But, all these will in no way help us to get a
comprehensive idea about the true nature of either the universe or our
existence. Much of the knowledge we possess about space will ever remain just
an idea, an illusion, due to lack of personal experience. We can never ever
have a true idea of what a galaxy or a star is despite we see them on through
powerful telescopes. We have a number of pictures taken from electronic
telescopic cameras and nice descriptions of them, too. When we take up a study
of these stellar materials our ability to comprehend the true nature of these
fails!
We cannot see or understand the processes
involved in the formation of the stellar dust or clouds of gas taking shape in
the space. We can never see the sub-atomic particles like the pions, quarks,
electrons, positrons, gravitons, and other miniscule invisible objects we
discuss here! The electrons move, en masse, at such enormous speed that they
are never seen! Let us take the ‘energy’ aspect of these particles, for
instance. It remains a mystery where it(energy) emerges and how it gets
transformed in course of the hypothetical time because both time and space
merge at the end of light, radiation emitted by it?
At the root
of all creation is atomic energy, its instability and vibration, friction,
fission and fusion, heat generated from friction, fire or agni. ‘Agni’ is
formed out of vayu (air) in Akasha (space). Air is created by the mass of
gaseous elements like nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, etc. Hydrogen is the main
constituent of the Sun. Heat expands and the cold contracts is the principle.
In a given volume of space a certain fixed quantity of objects can be accommodated.; say, for
example, 10 grains of air in one cubic millimeter of space. However, water vapor can eneter in and come
out of this space. When temperature decreases air is cooled and the capacity to
hold moisture decreases, and vice versa. Thus, any given given space can hold
either air or water vapour 100 per cent of space, or half (50%) or quarter
(25%), or go on varying along with the varying temperatures. Thus, when moist
air is cooled, the the water vapor condense into water drops and precipaitate.
This is how thethe universe is expanding due to the particles compressed
releasing heat. The space is thus full of massive clouds of stellar gases
getting compressed, heated and expanded. This is again cooled and condensed to
form the stars and their planets and
satellites. Life is also, in this sense, a form of expanding or contracting
energy! This is exemplified in Rk veda where a number of suktas are devoted to agni
deva, God of Fire. At best, one can get
a picture of the universe in our mind from the visuals about the galaxies,
stars, and planets and their satellites, etc as presented mostly by the NASA. Some facts and figures about the stars and
planets are obtained from studies by astronomers, the space research studies
and their publications. But, all these will in no way help us to get a
comprehensive idea about the true nature of either the universe or our
existence. Much of the knowledge we possess about space will ever remain just
an idea, an illusion, due to lack of personal experience. We can never ever
have a true idea of what a galaxy or a star is despite we see them on through
powerful telescopes. We have a number of pictures taken from electronic
telescopic cameras and nice descriptions of them, too. When we take up a study
of these stellar materials our ability to comprehend the true nature of these
fails!
It is difficult to know, or understand the
intricate processes involved in the formation of the mass of stellar dust or
clouds of gas taking shape in space. We can never see the sub-atomic particles
like the pions, quarks, electrons, positrons, gravitons, chiral and nucleons
and other miniscule invisible objects we discuss here! The electrons move, en
masse, at such enormous speed that they are never seen! Let us take the
‘energy’ aspect of these particles, for instance, it remains a mystery where it
(energy) emerges and how it gets transformed in course of the hypothetical time
because both time and space merge at the end of light, radiation emitted by it?
The most important thing in quantum laws and
particle physics is the Energy aspect. It is the subtle set form of sub-atomic
particle that controls the entire universe at both the macro and the micro
levels. This energy is the sustaining force of galaxies and the souls of all
living beings. It is a ‘phonon’, a
photon that contains the entire plan of creation, transformation and sustenance,
and finally dissolution. How the universe functions at different levels is a
mystery that can never be understood by man since Man is himself an entity
supported by it! This is exactly what is ‘knowing oneself’, i.e., the knowledge
of the Self (Atmajnyan). Once a person realizes who he/she is, the search ends!
It (the Self) is this immortal, unborn, eternal and all-knowing that is called
the ‘Atman’.
The Universe is governed mainly,
Energy; Electromagnetism (that includes light, electricity and magnetism),
Forces that are both strong and weak, and Gravitation. While we all know that
solar radiation is electromagnetic waves, there is no clue as to what ‘Gravitation’
is and how and where it comes from. But scientists have predicted the existence
of Gravitational force. It exists in the form of waves formed due to collision
of two massive black holes, a billion light years away! This prediction
confirmed the theory of Einstein assumed a century ago. Rainer Weiss of MIT and
Kip Thorne and Barry Barish were given the Nobel Prize in 2016 for their works
in this field. The entire universe is covered by the gravitational waves as
ripples in time-space. Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity 1916 had
predicted this force operating in the universe and affecting everything!
Einstein suggested that matter and energy would warp the geometry of space-time
producing gravity. He also predicted that “space-time could stretch and expand,
tear and collapse into black holes”.
Energy
is released when the matter and anti-matter coalesce, merge, or hit as in the
case of quarks, electrons and positrons. Energy is the inherent property of
matter. At the one end lies the huge mass of clouds of stellar dust where every
particle is capable of emerging out as a star! At the other end lies the
smallest of the small particle, almost invisible to the eye. The scientists
were in search of this miracle ‘angel particle’ an idea based on fantasy, but
true! This is the anti-particle of the fundamental particle!- an identical
twin, but with an opposite charge. When the particle meets this antiparticle
both would be annihilated releasing ‘energy’. The first antimatter particle-
electron’s opposite, the positron was finally discovered. At the lowest end lies the fermions that
includes the proton, neutron, electron, neutrino and quark, there should be
particles that are their own antiparticles. The scientists found the first
antiparticle of the fermion and called it ‘angel particle’. Actually there does
not exist anything like that!
It is only an intellectual exercise, at the
most a mathematical equation. This majorana fermion, fermion’s antiparticle, is
called ‘chiral’ fermion, half a sub-atomic particle (moves in a single
dimension in a particular direction). This is useful in computers for storage
of information without fear of losing it.
Thus, we have on the one hand, the galaxies
as the huge mass of clouds of stellar gases at the one end, and on the other,
the invisible tiny particles, almost non-existent (?) like the ‘pions’,
fermions and bosons, or quarks decaying into gravitons; The quarks and
anti-quarks crash and disappear releasing energy! Even the Fermions and
Majorana Fermions, as matter and anti-matter, crash and get annihilated releasing
energy. But, nobody has ever seen any graviton or an anti-quark! All these are
theoretical speculations. However, the tiniest particles are the source of all
that exist! The tiny emery particles like the phonons are the nuclei of all
that exist as the material objects of the world, including the ‘Soul’ of the
living beings, providing energy to sustain the body! It is stated that, “Over
the next ten years a new telescope, James Webb, and other radio telescopes will
allow us to see the gas before they form the stars, we will also see the first
stars, the first galaxies and will be able to see the life history of the
universe.” (Brian, Raman Res. Inst. Bengaluru).
However, the Vedanta gives a better
picture and a more comprehensive one. It is much easier to know about the
fundamental principles of creation, with no contradictions whatsoever. The
fundamental principles have been stated to be 76 in all, further reduced to 36
principles according to Shaivagama shastra, whereas, these are reduced to just
25 principles, such as, the 5 Great basic elements (pancha mahabhuta) and their respective qualities (tanmatra), 10 organs to experience these
qualities (knowledge/jnyan and action/ karma), and three qualities emerging
from nature such as sattva, tamas and rajas. Thus, according to the Sankhyans,
everything comes within these fundamental principles. One may add a Creator, purusha and its power, shakti as His Nature (prakruti) to these. The Purusha is
attributed with 5 powers, such as, ability to create (srushti), sustain (samrakshana),
dissolve (laya), appear and disappear
at will (tirodhana), and bless (anugraha). These again make it 35
fundamental principles that govern the universe.
The earth’s atmosphere extends upward to
about 10 Kms. and it consists of the exosphere freely moving hydrogen ions at
the outer-most level, and the ionosphere below it, followed by the chemosphere
(with ions of oxygen), the stratosphere (strata of streams of air mass) and the
thick troposphere (consisting of dense mass of air). Air becomes rarified as
one goes up into space. What the Sankhyans put as the basic five principles- ‘pancha mahabhuta’, such as, the Akasha, vayu, agni, jala, and pruthvi are stated in science as space,
air, fire, water and earth that contain almost all the known and the unknown
elements- gross and subtle, gaseous, metallic and non-metallic, organic and
inorganic, etc. These are the fundamental building materials of the universe
and can be traced to the tiniest invisible sub-atomic particles, including the
living beings. Everything is energy and emanates (as gross matter) and gross
matter inheres energy to sustain it. Space is also matter and is considered to
be a flexible transparent envelope that can accommodate all that exists! The
space was considered to be ‘ether’, a medium through which matter passes, and
was later discarded by the scientists. Now, space is a thin invisible entity
that envelopes the Universe. It is within and outside everything that we see,
touch and feel. Air freely moves in space and generates heat; it is the
compression (generating heat), or expansion (cooling particles of air), that
produces condensation. Air consists of lighter gases like Nitrogen, Hydrogen,
Oxygen, Ozone, Argon, and Methane that were already present in the exploding
stars. The differential heating and cooling of air particles creates pressure
differences leading to movement of air from the High to Low Pressure areas.
‘Energy’ inherent in matter is at the base
of all vibrations! The vibrations at different wavelengths, intensity and
frequencies create sounds, and the consequent paraphernalia of the physical
world including the water and soil and all that are found on earth. Hence,
there is not much difference between the Samkhya’s and the Scientists’
explanation of the origin of the universe and its constituents. However, the
Vedantins treat these elements as of divine origin and Rk Veda calls them the
‘Shakti Devi devata’ the ‘Elemental Gods’. Hence everything is divine, devata
shakti in Vedanta. But, they are treated as just fire, air, force, gravity, el
electromagnetic forces, physical, chemical, or biological phenomena, and energy
from thermal, hydel, thermodynamic or nuclear sources by the scientists.
Everything is ‘Agni’ (soma, anala and
surya) in Veda, whereas, it is just ‘Energy’ in science!
Thus, it is very clear as to how the
visible universe has come into existence from almost a state of invisible
gaseous entity, almost ‘nothingness’, to ‘everything’, rather, manifest from
‘nowhere’ to ‘now’ (time) and ‘here’ (space)! What we see or experience as the
real world is, indeed, a movie of forms of vibration of energy, like the
picture on a screen depicting a story. The form is created by energy as stated
in the Vedic statement, Form (rupa)
is the essence (tanmatra) of Fire, Agni.
The following study brings out these
aspects of creation in detail. Modern research studies in ‘the physical matter’
cover the entire field of particle physics, quantum mechanics, wave theory,
energy concept, gravitation theory, and the structure of the atom down to the
pions, quarks and anti-quarks, electrons and positrons, fermions and bosons, and
majorana fermion as ‘chiral’! This fundamental particle with dualistic nature
is called the ‘God Particle’! In fact, nobody visualized the emerging factor
called ‘phonon’ that bind particles as in crystals! The most surprising fact is
that the latest research findings in the fields of astronomy, physics, biology,
and chemistry confirm the statements of our ancient sages. What the modern
scientists have found out with the help of the electronic gadgets such as the
telescopes, spectroscopes, microscopes has been actually visualized by these
Sages of lore, these saints have actually realized the ‘truth’ in their yogic
trance, ‘savikalpa samadhi’, or
Transcendental meditative state visualizing saguna
brahmn. They have stated their experience in brief aphorisms like the
mathematical formulae or the scientist’s equations! There is no contradiction,
whatsoever, with the modern findings. In fact, what these sages (drushtara) have visualized are true for
all times to come, whereas, the modern theories, hypotheses, postulations, and
assumptions are subject to change! Nothing is certain even in science and the
scientists have admitted ‘probability’ as a significant aspect. Now, it is also
found that some strange intervening force, a catalytic agent, ‘chiral’, phonon is playing a significant role in formulating the universe at
the gross state level. Thus, a ‘phonon’ builds up a tree, animal, or human body
using the soil, water and light! The spiritual entities such as the devi devata
are also energy aspects that do not build up any physical body since they are
not in contact with the soil and water. They remain suspended or moving in the
atmosphere and act as forces (Shakti) controlling the mind and moods of the living
beings.
Some of the Vedic doctrines depicted here
are of the nature of highly esoteric symbolism. They are like the mathematical
equations or physical laws explained in the form of equations like E = m.c2. These
cannot be put in appropriate words and made easy for common man for it will
fail to convey the essence, the ‘truth’. The ‘truth’ or mystery of creation has
to be realized by oneself in a ‘transcendental meditative state’, savikalpa samadhi, through yoga. The
sadhaka can experience it. Whatever is experienced remains the individual’s
own, inexplicable, joy that cannot be shared! The siddhi or success attained by
the spiritual seeker as a ‘vision’ (darshan)
cannot be questioned, too. Those who want similar experience will have to
undertake similar practical yogic steps (ashtanga
yoga). There are innumerable methods of experiencing the truth. Once a
person experiences ‘sat’, ‘the
truth’, there remains nothing to be proved.
What is Life?
‘Life’
as ‘energy’ is a ‘force’, that goes to make the living beings live and
work. It is extremely difficult to
know and understand what this ‘life-force’
is and where it begins and where it ends. ‘Life’,
is called a ‘Life-force’ (prana), found
in all the five elements (pancha
mahabhuta- akash, vayu, agni, jal and
pruthvi). It is always there and it has no beginning or an end! It exists
as ‘energy’ (€) everywhere in an invisible form. It has the ability to enter
and exit anything and thereby, create or destroy a living-being! Thus, any
living being is classified as a ‘moving’ or ‘non-moving’ object like a plant,
fish, bird, or animal, that can grow and propagate or reproduce. Behind these
lie the inorganic substances supporting soil, minerals and compounds, water and
other materials. Thus, it is clear that a living being is a mass of substances
supported by life force, ‘prana’. All
living beings are subject to decay or death. There are billions of species of
living beings and the human species alone accounts for almost a 830 million!
The animals, birds, and small insects are of varied forms and functions. It is
still not clear whether there exists life-forms of this kind in any other
planet other than ours, called the ‘living and pulsating earth’. The tiniest
form of a life-form is a microbe, of the type of an unicellular amoeba. Much
research is in progress in the study of ‘cell’ and its structure (like ribose,
DNA) and we know very little about the tiniest organisms that may exist in deep
forests! The true nature of life is thus ever eluding! This is elaborated later
in the text here.
The
search for a common universal ancestor is still on and what all we know so far
may be summed up here as follows:
May be, there existed a single nuclear
particle, an entity that qualifies for a living entity, existed 3.5 billion
years ago when the earth was too hot and was undergoing cooling. This may be a
kingdom of microbes from which evolved three prominent types of living entities
such as: the bacteria, the archeans, and the eukaryotes. Deducing from what is
known to the depth of the unknown, the effort is to trace the starting point
and the archetype. The different environments and ecosystems pose a challenge
here and it is difficult to arrive at an agreeable conclusion. It ends up in
probabilities. However, it is now possible to trace the ancestors of the
presentday living creatures with the help of the genes decoded from the amino
acids – ribosomal RNA and the DNA chain. The DNA letters- A, T, G, C, are an
indication to this! Each letter of this signifies the clan and may take us to
the primordial one. Hence, the earliest life-form to appear on earth is yet to
be traced! However, it may be presumed that the earliest creature must be the
tiniest that can survive enormous heat, that of volcanic magnitude. It is also
predicted that the life-form adapted to extreme heat is dated back to million
years after the earth gradually cooled from its gaseous and molten state. It is
almost an invisible unicellular microbe that evolved later into bacteria, archeans
and eukaryotes. Which constitute the universal ancestors. All that exists as
different forms of life such as insects, birds, and aquatic, amphibian,
arboreal, and land animals belong to these three. Archaic one, may be a sort of
weird one, is believed to be the earliest! The DNA studies have facilitated an
easy way of learning about life-forms. The first full DNA, or genome, of a
bacterium has been decoded. One of the four letters of the DNA chain– A T C G,
of the links of the chain, must be holding a secret. Most probably, we assume, the
letter A of the DNA chain holds the key.
This, we infer from our Vedic knowledge
that ‘brahmn’ initially holds everything that manifests later as powers that
can create any and every diverse objective phenomenal world! Here, the same DNA chain that contains the
four links or ladders- A G C T are full of knowledge, intelligence, creative
power and energy, as well as, creative skill. These may be interpreted as- ‘A’
as brahmn, ‘G’ as Gods of different
powers/shakti, ‘C’ as Consciousness, cit, and ‘T’ as Time. The Ribosomes (RNA)
get these from DNA as genetic code and converts it into a function (deciphering
the genetic code) in the cells that form the amino acids (that shapes the
organs, also hold the key).
However, it may be safely concluded that
the very ‘concept of life’ is yet to be understood properly. As and when
compared to the materialistic way dealing with the scientific methods, the spiritual
path taking recourse to yoga with the assistance of an attained soul and attain
samadhi to visualize the truth seems to be far more reliable.
6 ‘Who am I’?
Before answering this significant spiritual
question, it is important to note what Bhagavan Sri Krishna says about the
three constituents of the human being (jiva)-
the adhibhoutika, adhidaivika and the
Adhyatmika. The human body has four
main components- physical body (sthula
sharira), the mind (manas),
nervous system (nara-nadi),
and the soul (Atman).
The nervous system consists of an extensive network of nerves and neurons,
although included in the physical body as a gross entity such as the alimentary
canal or the food pipe, the wind pipes, blood veins, and smaller and smaller
veins that constitute the subtlest of subtle aspects of the jiva that carries signals
like sentiments, emotion, pain, pleasure, love, compassion, and many other
invisible forces!
The
outer material body or the earthen shell is made of soil and water, rather
food, and support the tissues, organs and the body that comprise of small
invisible cells numbering about several trillions! As a matter of fact, the jiva is a gross body (sthula / adhibhuta) made up of the five
elements- (a) pruthvi /earth/soil and
minerals (food), (b) jal- water, (c) agni-fire, (d) vayu/air, and (akasha) space.
The second one is the Mind (manas / adhidaiva); it is both gross and subtle according to its changing
states- mind and mood (chitta). Mind
and mood play a very dominant role in the life of the jiva.
The
third one is the subtle causal spiritual entity (karana sharira / adhyatma) which normally does not play active
role, unless activated by the Mind (manas)
and the Intellect (buddhi). This the
subtler aspect of the jiva. It is a complex system of nerves and neurons that
carry all that is subtler and vital to the very survival of the jiva. These are
partly visible and partly invisible carrying currents of sensation, life-force,
thoughts and feelings, emotions, and, as such, very little understood by the
jiva. The entire body is a network of these nerves and neurons numbering 36 000
on each side of the body totaling 72 000. One central nerve only branches out
into a hundred, which in turn each one into a hundred and thereby cover the
entire body. These nerves and neurons play a very significant role in the life
of the jiva conveying the life-forces, emotions, signals and enable the organs
to function. Of these four major constituents of the jiva, the outer physical
body depends on food, water, and air. It is controlled by the Mind that
interacts with and through the physical instrument of brain located in the
head. The Mind, however, is greatly influenced by food, drinks, and the objects
of the world including the waves and tides! However, the soul remains a mere spectator,
unless called for with the help of yoga with the help of a learned spiritual
teacher.
The fourth component is the Soul, Atman, the core of the jiva. The
living being, jivatman, is a noble
aspect of creation. It is the invisible essential part of the entire system! In
fact, it has all the knowledge, information and technology, ability to create
and transform whatever it needs! This is the divine aspect of creation, may be,
the Creator only! There is nothing besides this in all the universe and entire
universe is the manifest forms of this invisible powerful divine entity!
What is mysterious about the jiva, as a living entity, is the system of
living cells- pindanda. This unique biological phenomenon is a conglomerate
of a very complex system of intelligent cells (andanda)! These cells, almost invisible to our naked eyes, perform
wonders! Each biological cell (jiva kosha)
is equipped with Consciousness (chit),
knowledge and intelligence (jnyan and
buddhi), and an immense capacity to function
in multifarious ways, such as, understanding, considering, discerning,
disseminating, connecting, coordinating, conducting and conveying (without
itself moving!), diligently organizing, dividing and destroying, etc. These
cells, initially, one single entity consisting of amino acids, ribosomes, di
oxy ribonucleic acids (DNA), enzymes, vitamins, genes, Harmons, chromosomes,
and a host of other invisible forces and power that can execute the signals
such as desires (ichha), dreams,
imaginations, and the like of the jiva!
Each and every organ of the jiva is a
complex system of tissues made of cells. The cells that constitute the heart,
the lungs, the kidney or the liver, the brain, the nerves and neurons, the
bones and bone marrow, the blood, the skin, and all the minute organs of the
body are nothing but the pulsating cells, and nothing more than that! More than
all these, the cells have the innate capacity to construct or destroy whatever
they deem fie decision making capacity is inherent in each cell, thereby, the
body grows, matures, deteriorates, and dies!
The scientists are working out the ways and
means of making these cells constantly rejuvenate endlessly, keep the body
young without ageing and deteriorate and collapse. However, it is difficult for
the maturing cells to go back in time- from old age to childhood!
As far as the activities of the jiva are concerned, almost all spend
their entire life in acquiring some knowledge and skill so as to enable oneself
to get sufficient food and live comfortably. There is hardly any time left for
any other pursuit, much less to know about the very purpose of such a living!
The neglect of the soul by the ignorant jiva has created a mess and little does
the jiva knows about this. Only a few sensible persons have ever thought about
it and pursued the knowledge of the soul, Atmajnyan.
Almost all the people die without knowing this simple truth. The tragedy is
that the most successful persons in public life who achieve laurels like Nobel
Prize, and national recognition like the Bharat Ratna, die without knowing who
the real person, ‘purusha’, he/she is! So far, none has ever given a thought to
how the jiva arrived here on earth as a sub-atomic particle (an atomic energy particle),
in the form photon, (particle of ‘Light’) emitted by a distant star; it entered
the clouds, rain drop, soil, food particle and became a ‘spermatozoa’ It entered
the would-be mother’s womb and, remember, the chance of impregnation is almost
nil! What all the jiva, as a human being, later attains (as a famous doctor or
engineer, scientist or philosopher) is just a faculty (bit of material knowledge,
that too, an insignificant part of the total knowledge) of their selected field
of interest, or by force of destiny and chance!
Once a person realizes the ‘truth’, who
he/she is, the objective phenomenal world falls off like a house of cards! The
jiva is liberated from its repeated cycles of births and deaths,
metempsychosis’ the moment it realizes who it is! All the attachment to the
worldly objects disappears. This is the end of all desires and attachments.
Here is an anecdote from the Jataka Tales. When Gautama became the Buddha, he
was brought to his father’s Palace and introduced to his father, wife, and son.
But the Buddha did not recognize anybody! He said, “I have no father, wife, or
son”!
Then, one of them asked Rahul, son of Gautama,
“Who are you since your father disowns you? He also said, “I don’t know! I have
not seen my father ever since he left before I could see and know him, nor do I
know anything about my father’s mother! I am told she was already dead by the
time my father could see her!” This gives us an idea about how we all are
attached to the world due to ignorance of our true nature. The phenomenal
objective world is transient and subject to death decay and dissolution. There
is nothing permanent about it and we somehow cling onto it!
The same is the story of many a orphans,
forlorn children abandoned, or sold for a price, or adopted by some foreigners,
or for that matter, even those saved from a hospital fire, or accident site.
These kids do not know anything about their antecedents.
And, Lo! There are people who boast of
their religions, caste and creed, and belief systems and harm others who do not
follow them! All these are eye openers to a person who is enamored by attachment,
greed, ego, and suffers from ignorance.
But then, “Who am I?” This question is persistently asked by every jiva when
it gets puzzled as to its role in life. It is confused. It is always somebody
and not the real self. Hence it seeks an answer. What is the answer? The answer
is very simple and direct. When all that are called ‘me and mine’ are discarded
what remains is ‘that’ pure self. This pure self is inexplicable. It is pure
bliss, total awareness of the true self. This state is found in deep sleep as
well as a state of samadhi yoga. It is not an unconscious state; it is total
awareness of the self and everything else within its self.
A living being, jiva, rather, an embodied
soul, will ultimately find out who he/she is after a long introspection, quest,
taking an inward journey in search of truth! It (the jiva) discovers that it is
an embodiment, acquisition of a material gross physical body and it is
constantly changing with time; hence it is not the ‘sat’, true self. So also,
the fickle mind is always thinking about this and that, called ‘manovikalpa’,
or’ chanchala chitta’, together with the perverted intelligence (vipareeta
buddhi), is not the true self. The ‘ego’ (ahankar) that rules the jiva, too, is
not the self. All these- manas, buddhi and ahankar, are at rest when the jiva
when the jiva goes to deep sleep. So, the jiva finds that all these appendage-
physical, mental or psychosomatic entity that is of no avail to find out the
true ‘Self’, that is covered by avidya.
Finally, a Guru (Yogacharya Shree Krishna)
comes, as if by divine providence, to help the confused jiva (Arjuna) to redeem
it from all this mire of mental or physical, earthly existence. However, it is
not that easy; this needs a bit of carryover of the fruits of action (karma
phala) carried over from the past (purvarjita),
God’s grace (anugraha), and the blessings (ashirvada)
of the departed souls, teachers, and elders.
The jiva has to prepare for this long
journey taking recourse to yoga through spiritual practices (adhyatma sadhana),
satsang, and study of scriptures. Finally, the jiva comes to know that it is
not ‘this’ and this’. It finds out that the true nature of the jiva is nothing
but the ‘truth, consciousness and bliss (sat-chit-ananda) and, it is finally
redeemed. This may happen instantly or may take several lives! This is a big
question mark? It is all a question of discarding what all is acquired from
birth, rather than adding accumulating wealth and appendages, prefixes,
affixes, and afflictions to the name, form, and function or revel in the mire
of earthly existence, enjoying a sensuous life that is transient.
7. Self-Realization (Atma-sakshatkara)
The need for Self-Realization arises as a
result of the limitations set by time-space-causality, on the one hand, and the
acquired qualities of the jiva due to its earth-bound state depending on the
food derived from its soil, on the other. The jiva finds itself in an eternal
birth-death-rebirth syndrome and suffers hunger, thirst, ailments and old age
during its short span of a hundred years or less of its life. This
‘realization’ (if at all it comes?), it is hoped, would open a new vista as to
the awareness of the true nature of the jivatman that would erase the ignorance
and pave way for enlightenment! This will not happen as long as the jiva is
working outward. Thus, the need for an inward journey leading to realization of
the Self, atma sakshatkara arises.
What exactly happens when the jiva
contemplates on itself is- ‘the realization of its true nature’. After a long
contemplation, the jiva realizes that the body it has built over a time from
food, say a few drops of milk or a spoonful of baby food, starting from the day
it is born to its ripe old age eating breakfast, lunch, snacks, and a few
drinks in between holding is nothing but a earthen pot! It is the same food
that is converted into cells, tissues, organs with blood and bones. It is
almost 70 per cent water and 28 per cent earth (food), the rest being air, fire
and space within. Thus, the microcosmic jiva is a replica of the macrocosm.
That is the reason why the scriptures say; as is the macro, so is the brahmanda
(micro) so is the pindanda
(microcosm). The miniscule organic entity that constitutes the jiva as the
‘cells’ (jiva kosha) plays a vital role here. The blue print of the entire jiva
is held in a jelly like protein-covered cell consisting of the amino acids,
enzymes, vitamins, hormones, chromosomes, the Ribose nucleic acids (RNA) and
the DNA. The entire plan and the path of journey of the jiva’s journey is mapped
here. In fact, every aspect of birth, growth and death is clearly laid down in
a zipped manner like a computer memory chip! This realization is ‘Atma sakshatkar’.
The
jiva, in the course of its deep contemplation in a state of transcendental
meditation, suddenly gets a flash, realizes that it is not the physical body,
the senses and mind, the buddhi or the ahankar, but a divine spark, an ion or
photon. It is not even the torso, the
limbs or the head that matters in day-today life. The mind itself plays a
dominant role in life of the jiva, much to its disadvantage! Mind is the cause
of misery and the jiva suffers due to its ignorance. Almost like a divine
intervention there comes a turning point in life when the jiva realizes the
true nature of its self. It realizes that the jiva arrived as an energy
particle, a particle of Light, photon, reached the earth and got embedded in an
earthen pot, a gross body, The horoscope give the exact location of the star in
the sky. It is not difficult to decipher all these secrets from a horoscope
provided the astrologer is also an astronomer! Otherwise, it is just a pastime.
The Bhagavad-Gita also gives these details
how the jiva is not a mortal body but an unborn, eternal and immortal entity as
the soul, Atman or ‘jiva jyothi’ embodied in an earthen shell; Life is not just
a journey from the date of birth to the date of death. It is the eternal
journey of a particle of Light is space. This Light contains knowledge,
consciousness (Chit), having all information in a zipped chip form, with the
ability to transform objects and run a course in different forms and
functions.
Thus, LIFE is a manifest form of several subtler
forces such as Light (Knowledge), Intelligence, Force (Shakti), and Energy
(Prana). It also contains the essential ingredients of a divine nature, the ‘sat’, ‘chit’, and ‘ananda’. It is capable of visualizing its true nature. This is
called ‘Shiva’ in the scriptures.
Shiva is not only aware of Himself as the Self, but also, as ‘another’, another not much different
than the Self. The world, ‘prakruti’,
or Shive is the creative power of Shiva. Thus, the jiva is nothing but
Shiva. Shiva is prakasha (Light), Shiva
is also Shive, Vimarsha, the analytical aspect- the universe. The combined
aspect of Shiva and Shive, as Shivayuvati,
or ardhanarishvara is one indivisible
Self. Thus, everything is the manifest aspect of one’s own, the Self.
How the Jiva
arrives on Earth:
The Bhagavad-Gita explains how the jiva
arrives on earth. All the living beings survive on food which comes from the
soil. Plants depend on Rain for germination of seeds. Rain comes from clouds.
Clouds are formed from evaporation of water from oceans due to sun’s heat.
Thus, it is the same ‘solar energy’ that lies in the form of water vapor in the
clouds that produce rain due to cooling and condensation. This ‘solar energy’
is the ‘life–force’ that we get from the sun as well as the distant stars. Each
jiva is an ‘ion’, a subatomic particle, a photon, a stellar dust particle, in
this sense of the term.
This life-force or ‘prana’ is at the root of all jivas (prani). Water, heat, and soil play a very important role in
germination of the seed. Vedic Texts say, “purusha’
(brahmn) is the seed. In the Gita,
Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, “I am the seed of creation”. Everything is ‘chaitanya’, energy inherent in spirit,
the soul that is unborn, eternal and immortal. The soul is eternal, in the
sense that, ‘Energy cannot be created or destroyed’. How can an entity that is
invisible, unborn and eternal create a physical body of biological entity
called ‘cell’ and function within the limitations of time, space, and
causality? In other words, how can the ‘non-existent’ (‘asada’) become existent (‘sada’),
and again revert to the state of ‘non-existence’? This is the mysterious
universe. This has been explained in the concept of ‘maya’.
Who created the
Universe?
In the Gita, Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, “I
am the seed of creation”. Everything is ‘chaitanya’,
energy inherent in spirit as we as matter that is unborn, eternal and immortal.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy is derived from sun, also known
as Aditya (and distant stars, too,) as far as earth and its living beings are
concerned. The Sun is the chief source of energy for us. As regards the actual
process of creation or evolution of life forms, there are a number of sources
and Vishnu purana and Devi Purana are the important ones. Some of these details
are given later. However, in brief, it is stated that “Eighty-four thousand
species are created by cosmic force Adi parashakti. Two opposite forces-equal
and opposite are created as Satyarupa (Aditi) and Diti as consorts of Kashyapa,
the self-effulgent, svayambhuva manu. From Aditi are created Sun, vayu, soma,
Indra, agni, varuna, aryaman, pushan, ashvin, vasu- all considered the Vedic
Devata. The human beings are created by svayambhu manu, the manifest forms of
Aniruddha, the mixed impure sattva!
Kashyap and Aditi while all others including
the demons are created by Diti. Brahma creates, Vishnu nurtures and Ishvara
neutralizes the forces of fusion and fission. The energy component of the Trinity-
brahma, vishnu, and Ishvara will be reflected in the human beings as the
‘Atman’. The Atma is the chaitanya of vishnu, intellect and creativity comes
from Ishvara, and, finally the humans can cognize and realize Atman and
experience sat chit and ananda only through self-awareness. There are no
physical entities or parents and off-springs as such here. Body, mind and
intellect as well as the soul spontaneously generated tuned to cosmic energy of
the supreme spirit sol, paramatman. The scientists are still busy in finding
the mystery involved in the creation of life. The molecular biologists have
discovered the constituents of the structure and composition of the cell- the
protein gel membrane that covers the cells, the genes and their inherent characteristics,
the DNA and RNA chains, the amino acids, enzymes, the vitamins, hormones, and
the chromosomes are all now known but for the exact source of their energy
component, may be traced to an extraneous source that can never be described!
The following illustrations will give us some idea about these.
8. The Energy
Factor
What creates and sustains the universe is
the ‘Purusha’, the potential for
creation, the inherent Energy in Matter. But nobody knows what is this
‘Energy”, its source, its true nature, and its dissemination. Nobody knows how
much Energy is needed for different functions of all that is created, or for
that matter, where this Energy lies and in what form, whether it is always
dormant or active, always potential or kinetic- as an electron and a positron
and a neutron! The result is what we see as a paraphernalia of a vibrant energy
field. It is the vibration that is the universe and everything disappears the
moment the waves subside! Science tries to discover this ‘God particle’ and Vedanta
describes the potential and the kinetic aspects of this Energy in the various
epics, such as the Vishnu purana, Shiva purana, Padmapurana, brahmanda purana,
etc. What is the outcome of all these?
The first manifest form of ‘Energy’ is the ‘mass of clouds of
stellar dust’ that first appeared as a figure of a person (purusha) - with head, torso and limbs stretched! Later, it expands,
spreads far and wide, takes the form of a vast and deep Space (sagara) in which exist all that we see
and experience. The stellar materials take the form of dark energy, dark
matter, gravitate and start emitting light and become galaxies and stars and
develop their own systems of planets and satellites like our Solar System.
These stars are of different dimensions and potentialities. But we do not know
what sort of, and how much of, this energy is required to create the stars,
galaxies or the visible universe? Where did it lie and how does this energy
emerge or manifest and in what form? For all practical purposes, ‘Energy’ is
derived from stars and the nearest to us is the sun, also known as Aditya and
all living beings are sustained by it. The Sun is the chief source of energy
for us. As regards the actual process of creation or evolution of life forms,
there are a number of sources and Vishnu purana and Devi Purana are the
important ones. Some of these details are given later. However, in brief, it is
stated that “Eighty-four thousand species are created by cosmic force Adi
parashakti. Two opposite forces-equal and opposite are created as Satyarupa
(Aditi) and Diti as consorts of Kashyapa, the self-effulgent, svayambhuva manu.
From Aditi are created Sun, vayu, soma, Indra, agni, varuna, aryaman, pushan,
ashvin, vasu- all considered the Vedic Devata. The human beings are created by
svayambhu manu Kashyap and Aditi while all others including the demons are
created by Diti. Brahma creates, Vishnu nurtures and Ishvara neutralizes the
forces of fusion and fission. The energy component of the Trinity- Brahma,
Vishnu, and Ishvara will be reflected in the human beings as the ‘Atman’.
The Atman
is chaitanya the chit-shakti of Lord Vishnu, with intellect (buddhi) and creativity or intelligence derived from Ishvara. The
humans can cognize or realize the Atman and
experience its true nature- sat chit and
ananda, only through Conscious awareness of the Self. There are no other
physical entities or parents and off-springs, as such, here. Body, mind, and
intellect, as well as, the soul are spontaneously generated, and tuned to cosmic
energy of the supreme spirit- soul, paramatman. The scientists are still busy
in finding out the mystery involved in the creation of life. The molecular
biologists have discovered the constituents of the structure and composition of
the cell- the protein gel membrane that covers the cells, the genes and their
inherent characteristics, the DNA and RNA chains, the amino acids, enzymes, the
vitamins, hormones, and the chromosomes. We all now know everything except the
exact source of their origin, their energy component, and think they are
derived from an extraneous source that can never be detected!
The Journey
of jiva starts as peck of star dust from
a Star, reaches Earth as if by chance and through clouds, rain, soil, and food, get converted into a spermatozoa, a
zygote and, to the form of a Baby (as
shown in Figs. A 1- 5 and from a seed to a huge tree asin B 1-2 below. Also,
note the potency of the sperm and the seed!) The germination of seed and
fertilization of eggs are curious aspects of life. Also, there are viruses and
germs automatically appearing from nowhere! Shoots cut and transplanted also
grow and thus propagation takes place. These are andaja (of egg), budbhuda (of sprouts), svedaja (of sweat) and retaja (of semen)- the four types of
propagation.
Chaitanya,
prana, life-force is the critical factor in creating life. This prana or
life-force is coming from oxygen and hydrogen, but who puts it there is the
question! Oreover, one seed only becomes a orchard, plantation, or forest. One
person only becomes family, society, and nation. ‘Life’ is a word lossely applied to a collection of
processes- DNA replication and transcription krebs cycle, lactic acid cycle. We
are yet to decipher the true nature of the ‘life-force’ or ‘prana’ that is at
the root of all jivas (prani). Water and soil play a very important role in
germination of the seed.
A 1 2 3 4
5
6
4 5 6
Where does the prana lie? This is still open
to question since it is said Prana is life-force like Oxygen in the space (akasha), or with the mind and desire!
Mind and mood, desire and attachment, abhinivesha
or love of body are important subtler forces in creation and sustenance. “No
desire, no life”, is the doctrine. This is explained in the ‘madhurashtakam’ (Sweet/attraction/magnetism?)
and the doctrine of sacrifice, ‘yajnya’,
in the Veda. “Everything is sweet’ (madhuram)
and sacrifice”, says the Veda. The Sun burns itself, sacrifices itself, to
produce heat, light, energy and life-force and thereby created all the
paraphernalia of life-forms on earth. Each one is a link in the food chain and
a sacrifice, at that. Man sacrifices his freedom for a wife and family, the
family for the society, the society for the nation, and the nations for the
world at large. This goes on and on until everything ends at the wave of the
magic wand of the lord. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “I am the magician (mayavin) and I project/ create with my
magic wand (Sudarshana chakra) and,
withdraw/ destroy everything.” He says “I am Time” -Kaalo’smi |
There is a Space-Time Continuum in the
Creation of phenomenal objectives that are transient. This is termed ‘maya’ in Vedanta. This is the subtlest
factor that governs all that is our Universe, including the Planet Earth and
its living beings!
The Vedic doctrine is “Desire is brahmn”.
All that we see here is brahmn. In a way, it is desire that creates life.
Desire arises due to the inherent divine aspect of ananda. Everybody lives only
due to this ananda. Breathing itself is joy, ananda. “No desire, no life”,
is the doctrine. This is explained in the ‘madhurashtakam’
(Sweet/attraction/magnetism?) and the doctrine of sacrifice, ‘yajnya’, in the
Veda. “Everything is sweet’ (madhuram)
and sacrifice”, says the Veda. The Sun burns itself, sacrifices itself, to
produce heat, light, energy and life-force and thereby created all the
paraphernalia of life-forms on earth. Each one is a link in the food chain and
a sacrifice, at that. Man sacrifices his freedom for a wife and family, the
family for the society, the society for the nation, and the nations for the
world at large. This goes on and on until everything ends at the wave of the
magic wand of the lord. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “I am the magician (mayavin) and I project/ create with my
magic wand (Sudarshana chakra) and,
withdraw/ destroy everything.” He says “I am Time” -Kaalo’smi | According to the Gita, things should happen by will of
God! The Lord says, it is my leela! Learned sages, Jnyani, say, “Oh
Lord, not a blade of grass stirs without your will”; trunamapi na chalati te na vinaa | Only divine will prevails.
The
Scientific view: The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking
covers the growth of modern physics (Quantum Mechanics, General Relativity, and
Modern Cosmology) sprinkled with the wild speculation about multiple universes
that seems mandatory in popular works these days. Short but engaging and packed
with colourful illustrations, the book is a natural choice for someone wanting
a quick introduction to mind-bending Theoretical Physics. Early on, the authors
claim that they will be answering the ultimate riddles of existence.
Who am I? Where Am
I? Am I an alien who arrived here on Earth? What is my true nature of
existence? In a sense, we are
all aliens who descended to this Planet Earth. We arrived here in the form of
an energy particle, a neutrinos (neutron), a photon, an energy particle, fully
loaded with all knowledge, information technology,with ability to
create
and modify, or transform, produce unbelievably miraculous forms and functions,
such as a celia, a minute biological
cell that can create, develop, sustain and disseminate jivas before
dissolution.
8. “I
am That (tyat)”,
“I
am That (tyat)”, says the Veda. “I am
the Universe”, scientists declare! Aham
brahmasmi is the Vedic doctrine. Now, the scientists have attained the
state of the ancient sages and declare that the science and the Vedanta are one
and the same! Today, we know more almost everything from a sub-atomic particle
to the giant star, the universe, the multiverse and beyond! “I am Shiva” (Shivo’ham or so’ham asmi) is the ultimate truth! Look within and
find ‘it’ out. This is explicitly
stated in the AtmA bodha of Sri
Shankaracharya. Aham brahmasmi is the
Vedic doctrine.
It all starts with the tiny twinkling Star.
Great astronomers starting from Aryabhata to Galileo, Tycho Brahe, Kepler and
Stephen Hawking did a lot of sky watching and documented their observations.
What all we know about the universe from sky watch are mere speculations,
probabilities, theories and hypotheses, and postulations.
Moreover, our knowledge is obtained from the
study of ‘Light’. Scientists have presented the theories of ‘Big Bang’, ‘Black
Holes’ and the General Theory of Relativity and Gravitational Theory. The most
powerful telescope to get the pictures of the outer boundary of the universe is
getting ready and will be operative in a few years; and, till then we have to
be contented with what we have obtained from the Hubble telescope and the CERN,
the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory), and Virgo
Observatory, and other sources. The discovery of Gravitational waves in
February 2016 has opened up a new vista and scientists are excited about it.
Already, they have come out with the rate at which the universe is expanding!
We have now findings from experiments in molecular biology, DNA studies, Wave
theory, quantum mechanics, and particle physics. Some elementary knowledge
about the neutron stars, supernova, and white stars, red stars and dwarfs and
other types of stars and their structure and composition, and we know how
galaxies are formed in space. We also know that all that we see as the
universe, the cosmos, is just 5 per cent and the rest are Dark Matter (25 per
cent) and ‘dark energy’ (70 per cent). Only four powerful forces- Gravitational
Force, Electromagnetism, Atomic Energy, and some ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ forces are
operating this universe! How the universe is created is a matter of great
interest and almost all the ancient Indian scriptures speak about it. The
modern scientists do not have even a faint idea about it!
The recent observations of the universe
through the lens of the most powerful electronic telescopes and the
interpretations of the images obtained from them, reveal a lot of secrets
regarding the origin of the universe. Today we know a lot more than what we
learnt during the last hundred years. Twenty-first century heralds a new
vision. This should be reviewed in Vedantic way! However, there is nothing new in all these
since the Agama Shastra Samhitas (almost 200!), Srividya, Lakshmi Tantra, and
the Cosmogram ‘Sri Chakra’ etc have
already revealed these in very clear unmistakable explicit terms. We have the
Pancharatra which describe the powers vested in ‘Sudarshana’. However, there is much symbolism involved in all
these. Hence, there should be no doubt regarding the various aspects of
creation (srushti), existence (sthiti), development (vikasa) and sustenance (samrakshana) and dissolution (laya) and merger (vilaya) of this universe. In fact we have realized the secret of
all these life in its variety and diversity as described in the forgoing
paragraphs. It is also stated- “phenomenal
objective transient world is a myth”!
The universe is expanding at a very rapid
rate and each star and its paraphernalia are moving farther and farther away
from each other, and this includes the nature of the human mind, attitude and
behaviour in its interrelations, too! No wonder, one day, everything will fall
apart! Strangely enough, all these are described in the spiritual texts; the
great sages like Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Agastya, Ashtavakra, Raikva and
Avadhuta knew all about these! They were the drushtaras who visualized and handed down their knowledge to us.
Sky watch and
Earth watch
When we watch the earth and ourselves from
space, the picture we get is something stranger than that we get from what we
get from when we watch the space from the earth. This earth watch and watch of
the self by the great sages or yogi of the past has revealed the true nature of
our existence. Our existence here on earth as ‘earthlings’ or living creatures dependent on food is purely a
transitory one. However, it is not the living body with which we are concerned
here but the energy aspect constituting the core of the substance, the Atma. The unborn, eternal, and immortal
soul is what all matters here. It is this tiny invisible particle smaller than
the smallest (anoraniyan) that is the
core of the substance, the universe. It is the same at all the three levels-
the cosmos (brahmanda), the body (pindanda) and the cell (andanda). It is that abstract absolute
indefinable eternal spiritual entity which acquires mass and becomes matter at
a later stage and, thus, becomes a visible entity, called Atman. It is the embodiment of knowledge. It has everything within
itself to manifest as it desires! This is the true story of creation.
For all practical purposes, we take it for
granted that a sperm enters an egg cell of a female (ovum) and gets impregnated
to take a life-form. But we forget the fact that a lot of invisible forces are
at play before actually this happens! The forces that are enunciated in the
principles of physics, chemistry, biology, genetics, DNA studies etc are all
involved here. These are actually described in greater details in the great
epics, the Veda and the Upanishads, the brahmasutras and the Gita. Sakshat (in
visible form to the devoted souls?) Bhagavan Shree Krishna explains these!!
What we learn as a spermatozoa, an invisible living sperm, encoded with all
knowledge, information, technology and ability to expand, grow, divide,
multiply, and disseminate is the seed of the purusha carrying the blue-prints and design of the jiva. It is the
‘chetana’, vital (pranic) energy. It is capable of
creating anything with the knowledge and intelligence
Inherent
in it. It can develop the single cell and later multiply and divide constantly
creating tissues and organs with knowledge and power to perform specialized
functions..
There is an invisible powerful force that
binds the jiva to its surroundings, its environment, atmosphere and its
elements! This has been a very interesting subject matter of research. There
has been no much success in this field. However, the scientists have discovered
recently the ‘gravitational force’ and the power of the invisible sub-atomic
particles.
Thus, ‘I’, as an Atman (Soul), only entered
this earth! This ‘i’ (the jiva) is
the supreme ‘I’ (the brahman) the
unmanifest, and the manifest form-jivatman, is the ‘I’- as a tiny ‘energy’
particle. The Atman, emanated from a
distant star as a particle of light, traversed the sky, and entered the earth.
This journey of the Atman (soul) is narrated in the Bhagavad-Gita. This
particle of Energy and Consciousness (chaitanya), as chetana Shakti (like sparks or electrical charges), as vital (pranic) energy, has imbibed the powers
of the Devi (Creative Power). It has
knowledge, power, resources, strength, potency and the light emanating as the
radiant rays (mayukha) and as such
can take any form and function, however, in a limited way. It has entered all
that is found here as water, minerals, fire, air, soil, food, plants, and,
finally got embodied in different forms of living and non-living beings, as moving
and non-moving beings.
Each cell has all the knowledge, information,
technology, and ability to transform itself and design its own tissues, organs
(like the heart, kidney, lungs, liver or brain) and becomes the living beings.
The Mind is well developed in the humans. What governs the life of a man is his
mind and moods (manas and chitta), buddhi, ahankara, and the imagination, thoughts and desires. Since
the Atman or soul as prana has the
ability to enter anywhere and everywhere it has consciousness- prajnya. It matters very little what
form of living being multiply to form tissues and organs. Still, the question
remains as to how the tissues develop into specific organs of different designs
and who ordained them to perform different specialized functions?
Thus, the nature of the origin of life,
the embodiment of the Atman (soul) as the jiva
(jivatman) is very clear. The dust
particles of Devi’s feet is significant. Each and every stellar dust particle
is intelligent, knowledgeable and has capacity to take any form Devi wills or
desires! It is this stellar dust or ‘Energy’ particle that creates a body as
per the will of Devi Shree trailokya
sundari. Hence, all living beings, jivas,
are inseparable part of Devi only and remain so for ever. It(the atman) enters
the earth along with the sun rays, electromagnetic waves, and passes through
clouds, raindrops, soil and vegetation like a person entering in and out of a
car, train, ship or aircraft and comes out. This Atman- a photon, a particle of
‘Energy’ gets embodied and to run errands on this earth endlessly. Once it
entered the soil, plants, fruits, vegetables, or food grains as ‘annam’ and has made its way to the
would-be father’s body- his blood cell, bone marrow, desire, spermatozoa and
entered the would-be mother’s womb it get struck in an eternal journey due to
its desires and action (karma)!
Now, this mystery seems to have been
solved to some extent. The scriptures declare: “I am the light”! This ‘I’ is
what pervaded the universe as the neutrinos blasted out by an exploding
supernova (a binary or a neutron star) and covered the entire earth as stellar
dust! These ‘Energy’ particles are essentially the core substance of all that
exists! The “soundarya lahari” eulogizes this in the very first verse.
Accordingly, the ‘Trinity- hari, hara, virinchi seated at the feet of “devi
trailokya sundari, Adishakti rajarajeshvari ‘shree-vidya’ are asking Her permission
to take a few stellar dust particles from Her feet. virinchi (Im) asks Her
permission to create and hari (ra) wants permission to sustain what is created,
and finally maheshvara (ha) wants permission to burn all these to dust and
smear it on his body! This Shree and the trinity have been eulogized as the
bijakshara maha mantra “shreem”. Thus, every jiva is an embodiment of Devi
only!
Thus, the nature of the origin of life, the
embodiment of the Atman (soul) as the jiva (Jivatman) is very clear. Like a
person entering in and out of a car, train or aircraft, the Atma- a photon, a
particle of ‘Energy’ has arrived from a distant star on the earth, entered the
clouds, raindrop and fell to the earth (soil). It has entered the fruits,
vegetables or food grains as ‘annam’ and entered the would-be father’s body. It
became his blood, bone marrow, desire, spermatozoa, and entered the would-be
mother’s womb! I only, as a particle of Energy, photon, Light, Consciousness,
and Intelligence, life-force passed through all these and took a form, function
and state of existence!
Thus, this ahanta, ‘ I’ is the Rudra- ‘I’ who
entered the earth’s atmosphere, clouds, rain drops, and fell into soil and
created life; and, indeed, the parents, may it be, in any form like a pig,
horse, dog or a cat, or a man, to become the off-spring of the type. What
difference it makes? Is there any doubt
as to the true nature of the ‘jiva’ now?
Existential Reality: In mathematical
parlance, E = t, where, E is Existence and t is time. E is also Energy, in the
sense, all existence is It is a journey of the soul. It(the soul), may as well,
say “I am the light”. I emerge from a
distant star, travel down to earth as a particle of stellar particle of light,
‘Energy’, and get embedded in anything and everything. The famous poem “soundarya lahari” by Sri Shankaracharya
eulogizes the fundamental particles, the building blocks as ‘paada dhuli’ of Devi- the ‘stellar
particles’, ‘star-dust’, in the very first verse. Accordingly, the ‘Trinity- hari, hara, virinchi, seated at the feet
of “Devi trailokya sundari Adi Shakti
Rajarajeshvari ask Her(Devi’s) permission to collect a few stellar dust
particles from Her feet. Brahma, virinchi (Im),
asks Her permission to create the universe and vishnu, hari (ra) wants Her permission to sustain what
is created, and finally, ‘hara’ or maheshvara (ha) wants Her permission to burn all these to dust and smear it on
his body! Thus, Shree and the trinity have been eulogized as the bijakshara maha mantra “shreem”. Thus, every jiva is an
embodiment of Devi only! Energy incorporate and inheres time since it radiates
and creates time and space, too! Now, all that exists is in relation to time
and space, as well as, causality. This is called the theory of ‘maya’, where 'ma' and 'ya' are that which is
measurable! Time and space are both illusory! These govern the reality of
existence. Our body is made up of just cells and every cell burns out and new
ones are created and all information is instantly transferred and life goes on!
But for the cells where is the body? The cells are a bundle of energy, due to
chemical bonds.
Etymologically speaking, the term "Existence" is a paradoxical one, in the sense, that it
contains two components that are opposite to each other! It inheres in itself
the factor of 'Time' in the component
'tenc(s)e'- past, present, and future that do not exist for all
practical purposes since ‘time’ is fleeting eternally transitional, and has
neither a beginning, nor an end! Besides, it 'is' (present which always moves
itself backward to yesterdays, as well as, future as tomorrows and it is always
an 'Ex-' factor, (that means past).
While, the term 'Is' represents the present, now and here! Both are components
of time? Whatever is present just now becomes past in a matter of a second of
time! Every second of time is fleeting into oblivion with no trace left.
Morning flies off to give place to evening and the night follows day and, years
roll on...! This prompted an English poet to exclaim:
"Where
is the time to stand and stare?"
This beautiful word "Existence" is
exemplified in the Rk Veda, Mandala X - 'nasadiya
sukta'. It states: "In the Beginning, there was neither existence, nor
non-existence!" "It is and It is Not", says the sukta. The
God-given gift 'present' soon vanishes into oblivion, the past that never
comes! This is what is presented as the Wheel of Time" (kaal chakra Sudarshana). Bhagavan Shree
Krishna says, "I am Time" (kaalo'smi).
What all we normally experience as the world is just a memory since these exist
in time that is always fleeting! Jiddu Krishnamurti used to stress on this
point. He is used to say, "Discard all that is past, the memory; it is a
nauseating dead horse we carry on our back (in our sub-conscious mind)."
He used to ask "Why carry dead horse?" Nobody understood what he
meant by this! We all carry memories of not only the past from the day one of
birth, but the memories of past lives, as well, in our sub-conscious mind! We
are thus a sort of miserable creatures suffering due to these unwanted
burden"
9. Existence and
Non-Existence
Now coming back to our main issue of
"Existence", it may now be stated that, "Our existence is a
myth!" Time is a myth. Time does not
exist! This is the reason why we qualify everything with the words- 'in point
of time'. Everything is at a point of time? What is real or unreal is not
discernible when it is covered by the myth of 'time', kaal! We do not exist in
any point of time as such and such as a result of this 'fleeting time' that
brings changes with it! Childhood is soon past and the adolescent and the youth
presents itself and, that too, soon merges into old age and disappearance of
the jiva in a flash of time! Then where is 'life' left". All jivas are a
flash of the past memories and future hopes and aspirations, full of tension,
and that is our “ex is tenc(s)e”? After all, what is a span of a hundred years
of a jiva in a million years of
history of life, and a billion years of life of earth, so far? Is there any
meaning for all these?
The Embodied Soul (Jivatman): The jiva located on this planet earth, in any form for
that matter, is a mysterious one! The earth is supposed to be an ideal place
for living beings (jiva rashi) to be
alive for a short duration- breathe, eat and drink, and survive and propagate.
It is now clear from research findings in the fields of astronomy, physics,
chemistry, biology and genetics that a few fundamental particles like hydrogen,
carbon, oxygen (H + C + O), along with nitrogen, calcium, and other gaseous or
non-gaseous, metallic and non-metallic, elements go to make the entire living entity-
the biotic world. Even the universe consisting of the galaxies, stars, planets
and their satellites are mainly gaseous elements that later condensed into
gross solid, liquid, or semi-liquid gaseous objects. The subtler and subtler
invisible atoms only have become gross elements and compounds, Thus, the living
beings (jiva-rashi) and all that we
find here on earth are essentially atomic energy ( € ) that radiates in the
form of heat, light, electromagnetism, electricity, magnetism, and
gravitational force. Even the human mind, the thoughts, ideas, images,
imagination, dreams, aspirations, desire and will, as well as, resolve to act
on the desire and forces that promote actions, the air we breathe, the
life-force (prana), and consciousness
(chit/prajnya), etc are all functions
of this ‘quantum energy’ (derived from the Stars)!
However, evolution of life, especially the
human species is a slow process. It has just entered the third important level
of Mind, starting from just a simple life-force (prana) in biotic and animal kingdom! The fundamental principles are
just prana and annam, food to sustain it in the body, and ways and means of
finding food. The humans are endowed with intellect, mind and thought force (chitta vrutti), and creative energy and skill
to perform action (kriyashakti and kriyashilata). Basically, elements that
go to make life are the fundamental particles that are subtler subatomic
particles (as in a shooting Star), a meteorite that burnt out as it enters the
earth’s atmosphere, that radiate energy and light. This has prompted the scientists
to speculate whether the life force (prana) of the jiva has come from the
interstellar space, as also, other forms of life exist in space!
The four types of physical forces that
govern the universe are classified as: 1. Gravity, 2. Electromagnetism, 3.
Strong Nuclear Forces, and 4. Weak Nuclear Forces. The true nature and power of
Gravity are yet to be clearly understood. While the Strong Nuclear Forces binds
atomic nuclei. The Weak Nuclear Forces cause radioactive decay (like Uranium
becoming lead) and it also creates earthquakes and continental drift. Yet another important essential missing force
which acts as a catalyst, or that binds all these, is believed to be there, yet
to be discovered! Some scientists have identified a rare phenomenon and called
it as ‘chiral’ that enters in and falls out creating bonds and disbands! The
fermions transmit energy to bosons which turns into matter that is later
identified as neutrons, protons, electrons. This is the beginning of all
matter- metallic and non-metallic, organic and inorganic, living and
non-living, entities and enable the living beings to breathe, eat and drink,
hold on and survive and propagate.
It is the Gravitational Force that holds the
Universe together. It acts as an invisible powerful force that attracts every
ionic particle and holds the Universe intact. This has been described in the Rk
Veda in Madhu sukta.
The concept of ‘Space’ in scientific
literature is different from the one- Akasha that is used in Vedantic texts.
The term ‘space’ as used in science is a vast thin elastic matter (as well as
energy since it contains electric charges) But, Akasha as stated in Vedanta is
the very Subject brahmn- kham brahma
| that holds all! Akasha and brahmn are one and the same. Not only
that the Akasha is there far above,
but it is much deeper within! There is no place where this Akasha does not
exist. “Everything is Akasha, brahmn”.
Thus, there is Akasha within us, as well as, outside of us! These inner (antar) and the outer (bahir) Akasha are separated by the
physical component (body) like a pot; the space within and without the pot are
the same, but for the separation by an earthen wall; and, the inner and the
outer become one again when the earthen pot is broken. This is what is done symbolically
as ‘breaking the pot (during cremation of the dead body in our rituals).
Ancient scriptures give classification that
is not much different from the present-day scientific one. The language may be
different but the sum and substance are the same. Briefly, the scientific
method is one of experimentation, observation, generalization and universal
application. However, the findings are subject to further investigations and
change; nothing is certain. They have thus presented hypotheses, postulations,
theories of probability, etc. But, this is not the case with the scriptures
that are intuitional statements, each one personally experienced by the learned
ones through deep contemplation in transcendental meditation. These have been
pronounced as final! There is no further question about it. Thus we have the
opinions of the Spiritual scientists (vedantin) and the material
scientists (padartha vijnyani). The views of the great sages are in
aphorisms or cryptic verses, coded language with symbolism, imageries, and
esoteric verses, and these need be properly decoded with the help of learned
teachers; so also, the mathematical equations, formulae, and the theories of
great mathematicians and scientists! Thus, nothing is easy. The common man
remains ignorant and do not even bother to know about the spiritual aspects and
simply live on. So, the question of ‘what is it I am doing here’ remains
unanswered. The search goes on.
The Search: The search for ‘truth’
(‘sat’) is an endless one. In its true nature, this ‘sat’ always exists
without any change. It is eternal, immutable. All else found hare as phenomenal
objects are subject to change over time and as such, do not qualify for the ‘sat’. They come within the influence of
time, space and causality. There is enormous literature both in science and
philosophy regarding this. But the spiritual literature is scarce. Whatever
little we know from the spiritual texts give us a clear idea about the problems
and the answers to them in cryptic aphorisms, code words, signs and symbols, imageries
and formulae. Some of these are quite interesting. These are found in the
ahirbudhnya samhita, sattavata samhitas, Lakshmi tantra, Shaivagama shastra and
other 250 samhitas of pancharatra agama. Many scholarly works are available in
print.
What these spiritual texts simply state is
that “What we seek is our Self only, nothing but the Self”. The search ends
with the seeker knowing his true self. Here the seer and the seen become one.
What we seek outside is not permanent since all that is found outside of us is
subject to limitations of time, space and causality. What we seek is the
‘truth’ the intransient, permanent, that which is eternal. This, the ‘sat’,
Truth and “That’s it”-. “tat sat iti |
In the beginning, everything was ‘asat’ (Non-existence). Out of ‘asat’
(Non-existence) emerges ‘sat’
(Existence). This is the Vedic doctrine. How can existence come out of
non-existence is what the ordinary people normally ask since they cannot
understand the subtler aspects of creation. It is their ignorance that they ask
such questions since “Everything comes only out of nothing”. This does not mean
that there was nothing before something came out! Whatever was already there
only can come out. We cannot say things are not there just because we cannot
see them. What seems to be ‘nothing’
holds all things within, but in an invisible, subtler, finer form of potential
‘Energy’. ‘Everything is Energy’ is
the fundamental principle. What was unmanifest (‘avyakta’) in the beginning only becomes manifest (‘vyakta’). What is already inside only
must come out of it just whoever goes inside only comes out! Potential energy
or Energy that is in a dormant or equilibrium state, a static condition,
becomes kinetic, vibrant, creating different forms due to vibration at
different amplitude, intensity, frequencies, and wave lengths. All that we see
is nothing but forms, images, creation of our vibrant mind (chittavrutti). Thus, ‘brahmn’ is unmanifest, ‘avyakta’, from which everything manifest
as the multifarious objective phenomenal world, just like the rain and snow
precipitating out of clouds that appear in a clear blue sky!
The term ‘sat’ also means ‘Truth’; it also means light, consciousness,
energy, and everything! Hence, the learned sages simply said everything is ‘sat’, the brahmn. sarvam khaluvidam brahmaa | these terms – sat, chit, anand are of
highly esoteric nature and of great significance. A lot can be said about them.
In fact, the one ‘sat’ only has manifest
as the ‘chit’ (consciousness,
knowledge), and ananda (bliss); and,
the entire universe is thus, the ‘sat’
only. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “Om
tat sat iti” and concludes that everything is ‘That’, ‘that is it’!
Now, whatever is ‘sat’ (‘tyat’/‘That’) is
also the manifest phenomenal objective world-‘this’. This universe is the manifest form of the ‘sat’! Whatever is that eternal,
immortal, intransient only has come within limitations of time, space,
causality (cause and effect), and name, forms and functions. Duality such as
this and that ceases to exist when these limitations are overcome with the help
of ‘transcendental meditation, (samadhi yoga). When a person is ignorant of his
true self, he /she tends to think- “I am different from that, this, you, he,
she it, etc. Knowledge, truth, or reality dawns when this ignorance, avidya, knowledge covered by attachment,
ego, desire, etc. are removed. This is what Bhagavan Shree Krishna teaches us
through Arjuna. In Bhagavad-Gita, the Lord says, “Arjuna, you are full of
attachment, ego, desire and have forgotten your true self. Once you realize who
you are, ‘realize that you are none other than the unborn, eternal, immortal
sat, you become Me only. You and I are always one. But, the moment you get attached
to phenomenal objective world and begin to think of i, me, mine, etc you go
away from Me. You can always return to Me when you drop what all you have
acquired as the blemishes of the soul. This is the ‘Truth’.”
The Universe in Different Perspectives: The Universe is
like a mosaic seen through a kaleidoscope (triangular glass tube with one side
closed) which displays ever-changing, colourful objects, in varying forms (like
pieces of colorful glass bangles). So, each one of us get a different
perspective of this transient phenomenal world. Little do the living beings (jivarashi) ever realize the ‘truth’,
reality of this existence, until they get a divine vision?
The living beings revel in ignorance and
believe whatever is presented to them or they see as the illusory world. In
fact, it is not that the world is unreal, but its transient or ever changing
nature that makes it difficult to know. The scientists deal with matter and use
their mind, intelligence, and the senses to study matter. They invent new
methods and equipment such as the spectrometer, telescopes and microscope to
study things that are beyond the capacity of their sense organs.
Fermions
and bosons: The famous CERN experiment,
the OSIRIS-Rex experiment, and the observations made from the most powerful
telescopes set up so far, are such techniques adopted to study the subtler
matter invisible to the human eyes. so far. The results are still elusive! All
these are still a big question mark. The search goes on. In a world where Einstein’s relativity is true, space has three
dimensions, and there is quantum mechanics, all particles must be either
fermions (named after Italian physicist Enrico Fermi) or bosons (named after Indian
physicist Satyendranath Bose).
|
Fermions |
Half integral
spin |
Only one per
state |
Examples-
electrons, protons,
neutrons, quarks, neutrinos |
|
Bosons |
integral spin |
Many can occupy same state |
Examples:
photons, atoms, gluons |
This
statement is a mathematical theorem, in an observation from data. But data over the past
100 years seems to bear it out; every known particle in the Standard Model is
either a fermion, or a boson. An example of a boson is a photon.
“I regard consciousness as fundamental. I
regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind
consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as
existing or even postulating is consciousness.” [Max Planck, theoretical
physicist who originated quantum theory, which won him the Nobel Prize in
Physics in 1918].
There is another ground-breaking, weird
experiment that also has tremendous implications for understanding the nature
of our reality, more specifically, what we call “time.” Time on earth is closely associated with the rotation of the
earth, its mean velocity, and angle of inclination of the sun’s rays and the
particular latitude. Rest all a hypothetical question.
All fundamental particles in nature can be
divided into one of two categories, Fermions or Bosons. The table below
enumerates the differences. According to physicist Andrew Truscott, lead
researcher from a study published by the Australian
National University, the experiment suggests that “Reality does not exist unless we are looking at it.” It suggests
that we are living in a holographic-type of universe. Everything is vibration
of energy and the chemical bonds create this illusion.
What we see as “the objective phenomenal
world is an illusion”, says the Vedanta; and, now the Scientists, too, support
this with proof from their practical experiments!
Whatever
was already there only came out and went back! It is as simple as “Whoever is
inside the house only comes out and goes in”! What entered the ‘would-be
mother’s’ empty womb (as a sperm) only came out as an off-spring! Is there any
surprise? The magic lies in the ‘sperm’ (or the seed in the case of a tree). An
invisible, microscopic, potent living germ/seed only creates an off-spring or
sprouts, off the parent kind, a plant, animal, or a bird. Hence everything lies
in a dormant or invisible state and appears in a gross visible form, but only
for a limited span of life time only.
What molecular physics or cellular biology
says is no different from the above! The Vedic doctrine of ‘nothingness’ is
also the doctrine of molecular physics. It is an accepted convention in
molecular physics, which sees matter not as inert substance but as a dynamic
interplay of energy fields” [Jug Suriya: Juggling Act- “Real Illusion:
Incredible Rightness of Non-Being”. Sunday Magazine Feb. 26. 2017]. It is a Dutch physicist Hendrik Casimer who
postulated that even the emptiness of a vacuum
contained sub-atomic ‘events called virtual photons which appeared and
disappeared in and out of existence, a ceaseless dance between ‘being’ and
‘non-being’- not accessible direct . This is the active presence of absence. “Being and Nothingness” by the French
author Sartre vividly exemplifies the overwhelming “thereness of that which is not there”!
This state of ’I am’ and ‘I am not’ (‘it is’
and ‘it is not’, too) is not a strange situation. We find this in our everyday
life- at the time of interval between sleep and dream, entering in and out of
house, car, train, etc and in transcendental meditative state.
Now, everything is vibration. It is the
vibrant energy, a drama of chemical bonds and this include my grandparents who
appeared and disappeared in a brief span of a few decades in the time scale of
billion years of existence of solar system and earth’! Who am I, then?
Thus, what we call the sentient objects
that come within the ambit of time, space and causality are not real. This
creation, sustenance, and dissolution are nothing but a fleeting event, an
idea, ideation, image, imagination or dream created by a vibrant mind as energy
particles!
The
Primordial Matter (Sub-atomic Particles): The distinction between bosons and
fermions is basic. There are two possible kinds of things since these are invisible forces in creation of Matter
in the universe. The two types are known as "bosons" and
"fermions," and the dialectic between them describes all physical
form. The whole scheme of quantum field theory, for example, is that fermions interact
by exchanging bosons.
"The electrons belong to the class of
elementary particles called leptons. The leptons and quarks together constitute
the class called fermions, the anti-matter of which is majorana bosons, the
wonder particles or ‘God-particle’!
According to the Standard Model all mass
consists of fermions. Whether the fermions combine to form a table, a star, a
human body, a flower or do not combine at all depend on the elementary forces -
the electromagnetic, the gravitational, the weak and the strong forces.
According to the Standard Model all force is mediated by exchange of (gauge)
bosons. The electromagnetic force is mediated by exchange of photons, the
strong force by exchange of gluons while the weak force is mediated by exchange
of W and Z bosons." - Steen Ingerman.
In contrast to the scientific method, the
techniques adopted in yoga are numerous, most arduous, and the results are very
remarkable. Each one of the visionary saints, Rishis or drushtara has come out with an unmistakable intuitive knowledge, a
personal experience, a visual one, at that! In fact, all the different
approaches converge at the
Galileo once wrote: ‘I think that tastes,
odours, colours, and so on reside in consciousness.” No consciousness, no life,
as such! prajnyanan brahmaa |
“Everything is Consciousness” says Vedanta. Consciousness is all. Nothing
evades Consciousness. But what is Consciousness? It is yet an unresolved
problem for the western world, particularly to the scientists. But, it is not
so to the Indian saints. They have the ability to cognize both the creator and
the creation and can get a total perspective of ‘oneness’! It is the samyak prajnya, the highest level of pure state
of Conscious existence.
The world that humans see around them is
nothing more than a very convincing illusion, according to one of the world’s
leading cognitive scientists. In quantum mechanics and particle physics, spin
is an intrinsic form of angular momentum carried by elementary particles,
composite particles (hadrons), and atomic nuclei. Spin is one of two types of
angular momentum in quantum mechanics, the other being orbital angular
momentum.
The Scientific Perspective: The scientific
method developed over a long period of study of a particular discipline like,
astronomy, physics, chemistry or biology with a rigorous practical methodology.
Observatories and Laboratories have been set up for this purpose. A number of
scientists have devoted their whole life to study the mystery of this universe.
They have developed a particular perspective about the universe as a material
objective world, a cosmic entity. According
to NASA, the growth of the universe continued after inflation, but at a slower rate. As space expanded, the universe
cooled and matter formed. One second after the Big Bang, the universe was filled with neutrons, protons,
electrons, anti-electrons, photons and neutrinos. During the first three minutes of the
universe, the light elements were born during a process known as Big Bang nucleo-synthesis.
Temperatures cooled from 100 nonillion (1032) Kelvin to 1 billion
(109) Kelvin, and protons and neutrons collided to make deuterium,
an isotope of hydrogen. Most of the deuterium combined to make helium, and trace amounts of lithium were also generated. For the first 380,000 years or
so, the universe was essentially too hot for light to shine, according to
France's National
Roughly 380,000 years after the Big Bang,
matter cooled enough for atoms to form during the era of recombination,
resulting in a transparent, electrically neutral gas, according to NASA. This set loose
the initial flash of light created during the Big Bang, which is detectable
today as cosmic microwave background radiation. However, after this point, the
universe was plunged into darkness, since no stars or any other bright objects
had formed yet.
About 400 million years after the Big Bang,
the universe began to emerge from the cosmic dark ages during the epoch of reionization.
During this time, which lasted more than a half-billion years, clumps of gas
collapsed enough to form the first stars and galaxies, whose energetic
ultraviolet light ionized and destroyed most of the neutral hydrogen.
Although
the expansion of the universe gradually slowed down as the matter in the universe pulled on itself via
gravity, about 5 or 6 billion years after the
Big Bang, according to NASA, a mysterious
force now called dark energy began speeding up the expansion of the universe again,
a phenomenon that continues today.
A
little after 9 billion years after the Big Bang, our solar system was born. Although the expansion of the
universe gradually slowed down as the matter in the universe pulled on itself via
gravity, about 5 or 6 billion years after the Big
Bang, according to NASA, a mysterious
force now called dark energy began speeding up the expansion of
the universe again, a phenomenon that continues today. A little after 9 billion
years after the Big Bang, our solar system was born.
The ‘Big Bang’ and the ‘Expanding
Universe’: Einstein, Arthur Eddington and Stephen Hawking are banging our heads
about these concepts of ever static or expanding universe and the Big Bang. The
‘Big Bang’ did not occur as an explosion in the usual way one thinks about such
things, despite one might gather from its name. Einstein committed error in his
calculations regarding the nature of the universe. He did not realize that a
static universe may be possible only when there is no matter in it. The
universe did not expand into space, as space did not exist before the universe, according to NASA Instead, it is
better to think of the Big Bang as the simultaneous appearance of space everywhere in the universe. The universe has not expanded from any one spot since
the Big Bang- rather space itself has been stretching, and carrying matter with
it. This ever-expanding universe is making things, objects in space move
farther and farther from each other just as the earth, moon, sun and the stars.
Probably, the humans, too, are moving along with these in mind, thoughts,
ideas, understanding and conceptualizations, too! It is much faster today than
what it was 8 billion years ago. The universe is expanding 5 to 9 percent
faster than astronomers had thought, a new study suggests. The universe was
born with the Big Bang as an unimaginably hot, dense point. When the universe
was just 10-34 of a second or so old — that is, a hundredth of a
billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second in age — it experienced
an incredible burst of expansion known as inflation, in which space itself
expanded faster than the speed of light. During this period, the universe
doubled in size at least 90 times, going from subatomic-sized to
golf-ball-sized almost instantaneously.
The universe was born with the Big Bang as
an unimaginably hot, dense point. When the universe was just 10-34
of a second or so old — that is, a hundredth of a billionth of a trillionth of
a trillionth of a second in age — it experienced an incredible burst of
expansion known as inflation, in which space itself expanded faster than the
speed of light. During this period, the universe doubled in size at least 90
times, going from subatomic-sized to golf-ball-sized almost instantaneously.
The first star that appeared from the condensates of nuclear dust, stellar
particles, died soon due to loss of energy, but its radiation is still traced.
So also, many of the elements, compounds, and minerals that have disappeared
due to decomposition have left their traces. The trace elements are there for
us to see. These make our knowledge
appear very limited despite all the progress we have made.
The first star that appeared from the
condensates of nuclear dust, stellar particles, died soon due to loss of energy,
but its radiation is still traced. So also, many of the elements, compounds,
and minerals that have disappeared due to decomposition have left their traces.
The trace elements are there for us to see. These make our knowledge appear
very limited despite all the progress we have made.
The scientific perspective is very simple.
The scientists have gone deep into the structure and composition of the
universe, the stars, the planets, the satellites, the organic and inorganic
materials found on this earth and have come to the conclusion that all these
have a beginning in matter. This simple matter is the tiniest particle, the
atom. Some scientists studied the atom and presented theories like Dalton’s
atomic theory and, the latest in the series of experiments conducted is the
fundamental particle, the ‘God particle’. This is explained as the fermions and
bosons that constitute the primordial matter with and without energy and mass,
respectively. It is not our purpose to go into the technical details here.
However, here is a tiniest invisible matter that just vibrates as an energy
particle that goes to form innumerable elements and compounds. As is commonly
understood, Hydrogen is the basic material that constitutes the mass of Sun and
it produces Helium due to fission and fusion and radiates energy as
electromagnetic waves, quanta. These waves produce photons (light particles),
electromagnetism- electricity, magnetism and light. There are some unexplained
forces- some strong and some weak, that constitute the invisible aspects of our
solar system. All the elements and
compounds like water, air, rocks and minerals, have come from this. The most
prominent of these are Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Sulphur, Aluminum,
Magnesium, Calcium, and compounds such as hydrates, carbonates, calcites,
chlorides, sulphates, phosphates, etc. To put it in simple terms, just
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, Calcium and some minerals form the building blocks.
These go to make the essential ingredients such as carbohydrates, hydrocarbons,
calcium carbonates and bicarbonates, sodium chloride, potassium, etc. that
create and sustain lifeforms! But mere assemblages will not work!
All that is created by parts are always
subject to disintegration and collapse. When the elements and compounds get
separated as in the case of oxidation and reduction, or separate themselves
from their combined existence, there remains almost nothing! This is what is
called an ‘illusory existence’, in the sense, ‘what is made of parts give way
when the components are removed’. Actually, it is the condensation of amorphous
(gaseous) materials, subtle matter, that create the gross objects and, the
subsequent processes of combination or dissipation of the components, only to
reorganize themselves into a concrete structure that creates a visible world of
objects. Nothing happens if the process is interrupted. There is a catalyst
that carries out this operation. This invisible force runs all through creating
paraphernalia of the worldly objects. It is stated that “Energy cannot be
created or decimated. Even if visibility is blurred when the eyes are not
capable of seeing the objects clearly; or, for that matter, we cannot see the
objects when they become vaporous and dissipate in open space! What is the reality
then? Science has no answer. Now, science has also come to state that ‘a rock
is not a rock’, ‘solid is not solid’, and ‘liquid is not liquid’, but they all
have their subtler and sublime forms, too! That is the reality!
God did not create the Universe and the "Big Bang" was an inevitable
consequence of the laws of physics, the eminent British theoretical
physicist Stephen Hawking argues in a new book. In The Grand Design
(co-authored with U.S. physicist Leonard Mlodinow), Hawking says a new series of theories made a Creator of
the Universe redundant (Times-Newspaper, Extracts published on Thursdays).
"Because there is a law such as
gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous
creation is the reason that there is something rather than nothing, why the
Universe exists, why we exist,"
We have made tremendous progress in cosmology
in the last hundred years. The General Theory of Relativity and the discovery
of the expansion of the universe shattered the old picture of an ever existing
and everlasting universe. Instead, general relativity predicted that the
universe, and time itself, would begin in the big bang. It also predicted that
time would come to an end in black holes. The discovery of the cosmic microwave
background and observations of black holes support these conclusions. This is a
profound change in our picture of the universe and of reality itself. Thus,
general relativity on its own cannot answer the central question in cosmology:
Why is the universe the way it is? However, if general relativity is combined
with quantum theory it may be possible to predict how the universe would start.
It would initially expand at an ever-increasing rate.
“Einstein's General Theory of Relativity
unified time and space as space-time, but time was still different from space
and was like a corridor, which either had a beginning and end, or went on
forever. However, when one combines General Relativity with Quantum Theory, Jim
Hartle and I realized that time can behave like another direction in space
under extreme conditions.” This means one can get rid of the problem of time
having a beginning, in a similar way in which we got rid of the edge of the
world. If one believed that the universe
had a beginning, the obvious question was what happened before the beginning?
What was God doing before He made the world? Was He preparing Hell for people
who asked such questions? The problem of whether or not the universe had a
beginning was a great concern to the German philosopher, Immanuel Kant. He felt
there were logical contradictions, or antimonies, either way. If the universe
had a beginning, why did it wait an infinite time before it began? He called
that ’the thesis’. On the other hand, if the universe had existed for ever, why
did it take an infinite time to reach the present stage? He called that ‘the antitheses.
Both these thesis and the antithesis depended on Kant's assumption, along with
almost everyone else, that time was Absolute. That is to say, it went from the
infinite past to the infinite future, independently of any universe, that
might, or might not, exist, in this background. This is just an image, a
picture, in the mind of scientists today. But, the Vedic doctrines are clear
enough as to the ‘nature of the creation, its sustenance and dissolution’. The
Veda begins with the doctrine of ‘neither’-
this or that, here or there, ‘existence (sada)
or non-existence (asada). That means
‘nowhere’ and ‘nothing’, only later became ‘now and here’ (space and time), and
all things existed in ‘nothing; and
became manifest later! Thus, only Supreme Power (paramatman) existed in unmanifest state in the beginning! Agama
Shastra invoke a Deva Narayana in the form of embodiment of pure Consciousness
on the screen of which this entire universe moves as if a movie film! The
universe is His ‘Will’, chittavrutti, mentation, images created in His
own form! It is said, “God created man and man created God”. The sculptors cut
the images in the sandal wood, marble, shalagrama stone, or mould in liquid
metals of gold, silver, copper or five alloy metals (pancha loha). All these
are images carved out of imagination!
There is no doubt as to what the universe is
and who the God is! But, in science, everything is a hypothesis, theory,
postulation, and a probability, at the most. Even the visuals of images of
stars and galaxies, the distances calculated in mind-bogging ‘Light Years’ (1
LY- 186000 x 60 x 60 x 24 x 365.6 miles!) make no sense to ordinary people. The Sun is more massive and intrinsically
brighter than 95% of stars in our galaxy. The red dwarf stars — M-class stars —
which are no more than 40% the mass of our Sun, make up 3 out of every 4 stars that are out there. What’s more than that,
our Sun exists in isolation; it is not gravitationally bound to any other
stars. But that is not necessarily how stars exist in the galaxy, either.
The
universe is a vast infinite space which includes the earth and all the heavenly
bodies in the sky (akasha). Space, akasha, the sky contains galaxies,
stars, the Sun, Planets (their moons), asteroids and all that. In this sense of
the term, akasha is said to be brahmn-
kam brahmaa, Kham brahmaa | So also, the living beings made of all the five
elements including akasha is brahmn
The primordial matter is invisible, that
exists as an effect rather than a cause, and rather, the cause holds the effect
within it or cause and effect exist
together’ in the beginning! The effect becomes manifest (vyakta) while the cause remains unmanifest
(unmanifest)! This is the reason why
we search for the cause. The planet earth is formed out of the solar flares
that condensed gradually into gross earth and as such the hot gaseous matter of
the Solar flares (Helium caused by fission and fusion of Hydrogen). Today we
find the earth, while still hot and molten underneath is covered by Water 78 %
and Rocks- Sial (Si + al)
and
Sima (Si + mg) crust 21%. There is enormous heat within the earth and molten
material, along with gases, is emitted through vents, cracks, fissures, and
volcanoes even today. The interior of the earth is a hard Nickel and Iron (Ni +
Fe) core of very high density (of Max.12), and subject to fluctuations.
Magmatic material constitutes the outer core of the earth. The inner core and
outer core are separated by a shell that prevents any passage of seismic waves!
Origin of Life. The first image from a distant
of the biological life forms that emerged in a jar devoid of living substances
altogether. We know that the basic spiral of DNA has all of the basic
aspects of Fibonacci or golden mean.
That’s everywhere in nature, in the
The information stored in the trillion and
odd brain cells cannot be even imagined by mortals. A pin-head of a cell stores
the knowledge available in all the books of the world libraries
!
Each cell has an intricate structure that will be discussed in detail later.
The most important components of a cell are the amino acids, vitamins, enzymes,
protein cell membrane, the chromosomes and the genes, the DNA, RNA and the
like. The number of
Nerves
and Neurons (A trillion cells work in the brain and get heated up; however, it
can be cooled in ‘samadhi’ when it becomes just a molecule with full potency. The
number of chromosomes in a cell and that of genes in a Nervous System chromosome
normally determine the species. Each cell of the human body contains 46
chromosomes and the number of genes with genetic codes defines an individual
number of a species. The manner of grouping of nucleotides number goes up to
almost 200 000 pairs. These species belonging to higher species are defined by
the genetic code and the kind of proteins made by the chromosome and the
genetic codes, and RNA, with the help of the raw materials absorbed.
[Credit: Miss L. Williams]
The life energy remains responsible for the
genes to act all the time. The role of nerves and neurons in our body are akin
to the transport and communication network, and mostly wireless system! These
may be compared to the circuit system in a computer. The energy flow in the computer
and
the hardware decide the function depending on the software provided and the
function for which the computer is devised. Unlike a computer in which the
software works, the brain in the human system functions with an invisible
strong divine force of thoughts, desires, dreams, imagination, images and
resolves and use the brain as a CPU! The software is constantly devised to suit
the requirements of the jiva from the beginning to end and the source of the
energy supply here is a constant one.
Human perception of objects is a very
complex phenomenon and it depends on a number of extraneous factors that govern
the quality and appearance of the objects, as well as, the internal mechanism
of the senses and the brain as dictated by unknown factors such as mind,
desire, impressions and memories, dreams and aspirations, etc. In fact nothing
exists as long as the mind does not exercise its desire and focused attention
on the desired object. Here, the captive power, fascinating qualities of the
objects that attract the senses and the mind cannot be ignored. Brain, as a
machine that classifies and clarifies the objects, has different domains that
exercises visual stimulations. The brain waves, such as, the alpha, beta,
theta, and delta have different powers. The overall mental coordination and
learning are the functions of the alpha brain waves. The beta brain waves are
generated when there is alertness focused attention, interest in solving a
problem, or taking a decision. The theta
and delta brain waves are of low frequency and operate when the person is
asleep, or in deep meditation. The gamma brain waves are the highest frequency
brain waves capable of tackling several issues simultaneously and processing
information coming from different areas or parts of the brain. It is here we
find the perceptions, feelings, and word formations occur! There are
fluctuations in the brain waves that cause many serious problems like delirium,
autism, schizophrenia, and many neuropsychiatric disorders. There is need for
further detailed study in this field.
The stages in life from childhood,
adolescence, youth, and old age are the result of progressive diversification
of cells and increase or decrease in the number of proteins manufactured by the
system in response to the needs of the jiva. These are already encrypted in
genes and genetic codes in the cells. However, death, although caused by
degeneration of cells, cannot be explained, albeit, it can be inferred from the
genetic codes, but remains so far un-deceiphered. Death may happen anytime due
to any reason in addition to depletion and stoppage of production of protein.
The eukaryotes and higher forms still retain their secrets, particularly
regarding its death and extinction. Chromosomes will definitely stop producing
proteins one day or the other because its number is predetermined. Thus the
cells gradually die out and then come loss of memory, debility, dementia and
death. This energy-matter-energy dynamic will stop resulting natural death. It
is estimated that there are 86 billion neurons in a human brain and nervous
system. A trillion synapses in the human brain working as vibrant energy may
simply be converted into a molecule at zero Deg. temperature and, may further
be reduced to -236 K temperature to make the jiva work forever silently,
transcending time, space, and causality. Expert yogis have done it! Now, what
is it we are trying to gain out of this yogic trance? The answer is simple. It
has been the persistent search of the humans to unravel the mystery of creation
and know the ‘Truth’. This is not possible since the jiva has come within the
limitations set by the time, space and causality – together known as niyati,
maya. Hence the great sages have tried to transcend the limitation and
visualize the truth. Thus, we have the glimpse of what these visionaries have
personally experience or envisaged and documented in the scriptures. It is also
stated that anybody can experience this by rigorously undertaking yogic
practices as enshrined in the scriptures!
What is DNA? DNA is the genetic material. It is Friedrich
Meischer (1869) who extracted a new compound from cell nuclei and called it
‘nuclei’. It had a high phosphate content and was acidic; hence it was nucleic
acid (NA). During the 1920s PA Leverne worked on DNA chemistry and derived two
components of DNA. Thus we get the structure of the DNA. The Nucleotides (N)
contain base 5 C sugar (De oxiribose) + P O4 group- all four components
nucleitides occur in equal amounts grouped in 4s that are repeated over and
over again known as Thiamine (T), Cytosine (C), Adenine (A), and Guanine (G).
By the 1940s Biochemists found chromosomes to consist of half protein and half
DNA, one of them carrying information of hereditary characteristics.
The DNA is a
complex large molecule having the shape of a long chain, which is organized in
the form of a ladder or convoluted circle to form what is known as ‘chromosome’.
However, this DNA chain in chromosome is not a uniform assemblage of
nucleotides. The number of nucleotides range of 200 to two hundred thousand;
and they group together in
This mystery is slowly being solved now.
Human behaviour is attributed to partly acquired qualities from heredity,
genes, and partly from nature, environment that designs it to survive in the
most difficult and dangerous life-threatening situations. Survival is the first
principle and the jiva is prepared to face any situation and survive! Four kinds of sub-units of nucleitides that
differed only in Nitrogen containing base: i. Pyrimidines (I) ring structure;
ii. Thymine (T); and iii. Purines- double string structure; iv. Cytosine (C),
Adenine (A), and Guanine (G). Proteins composed of + 20 amino acids (more
likely to carry complex genetic information in codes) play significant role
here. Proteins in the nucleus serve as templates of cell proteins. All living
cells mostly manufacture proteins through enzymes. And, it is the DNA, not the
proteins that carry genetic codes through RNA
The
DNA Chain and the Cell
The RNA is single strand nucleic acid;
ribose sugar, instead of de oxiribose, uracil replaces Thiamine (T). RNA occurs
in both nuclei. It is a means of transcription, transfer information of DNA to
RNA synthesised in nucleus- messenger mRNA carries transcript of vRNA- code
translated into amino acid of polyptides of cytoplasm. Transfer RNA (tRNA)
means literally translating mRNA nuclides into a sequence of amino acids. The
sequence of ATT- CTC – GAG and a n a DNA template strand will produce the mRNA
coding UAA GACCUC RNA polymers untwist and unzip one cell of DNA at a time. The
nucleitides are added to the 3 i end of the group mRNA and the mRNA peels away
from DNA which coils up again. These functions are amazing!
Creation of life from a single sperm, the
seed, impregnated into an egg cell, is something that can never be understood,
despite the fact that there are laboratories where the sperms are sold for a
price and impregnated into wombs of borrowed hosts’ (women). There are other
methods of creating life=forms in laboratories, too. One can pick and choose a
sperm and pay for the duration of bearing a child in a rented womb! But, who
knows the outcome. There are demoniac forces created by these means and the
world is already seeing signs of total annihilation, the end of human race
through terrorism, strife, ill-will and wars.
The creation of a human life-form in the
womb of a woman is a mysterious one that transcends all scientific and
technological hypothesis, postulations, theories, assumptions and presumptions.
Despite the advancements made in the field of gynecology, it is still not clear
as to how one impregnated cell divides endlessly and creates tissues, liver,
spleen, kidney, heart, brain, and many other organs with specialized functions.
The scientists cannot answer the
questions what the Mind is or what is ego, or when these entered the humans.
Intelligence (buddhi) is supposed to be an ever-existing divine entity
and an inseparable part of the living beings. No body knows wat is Mind and
when does it enter the human body during the gestation period in an embryo. The
so called, antahkarana- the manas (Mind), buddhi (Intelligence), and
ahankar (Ego), along with the five fundamental Elements (pancha mahabhuta)
like the Space (akash), air (vayu), fire (agni), water (jal)
and the earth (prithivi) as food enter the jiva to dictate things as karmaphala
as a result of which the embedded jiva suffers in due course and seeks
redemption. One sperm entering the egg cell, impregnating, does all this
mischief! The structure and composition, intelligence and functioning of the
cell is amazing! There is energy, the vital force, ‘chaitanya’ and consciousness (chit)
running all through this jiva life run by these cells.
The most crucial aspect of life is the
energy factor. Normally, the living beings are supported by food as a source of
energy. But there are innumerable sources and, in fact, ultimately everything
is energy only! Creation itself is fire! Rk Veda amply makes it clear in the
Verse; agnimeelay purohitam… | Half
the energy is lost in the very birth of the star, the fires of creation. There
are evidences of the first star born when the universe was just 180 million
years old, according to Judd Bowman of Arizona University. The first rays of
radiant energy came from the first star when the universe was formed, as a
cloud of mass of stellar dust. Energy inherent in the potential of dark matter
that makes up 26.8 per cent (some say, almost three quarters of volume?) of the
universe by weight and can never be even imagined. The main constituents here are
hydrogen and helium. It is stated that hydrogen in empty space is prone to
radiate radio waves.
Thus, the principal source of all that
exist is the Cosmic Power Radiation. This cosmic power pervades all that is
transformed into matter. The Vedic doctrine here is: tat srushtva tadevaanupravishat | Meaning, “Having created,
Creator entered into it.” It is Chaitanya, chit-shakti, or Pure Consciousness
(shuddhaprajnya) and
Life-force (prana). Every atom of
whatever exists is endowed with Energy. Energy is Everything.
As regards the measurement of Energy, the
scientists have evolved methods and the simplest is the white light from the
sun (or an electric bulb) has an energy of 1 eV. When we look at the X-rays and
gamma rays, they have energies of about million times more! The masses of
electrons and protons are around 0.5 MeV. The particle may even reach 100 GeV
as in the Tevatron Accelerator in the Fermi lab. These rays come from particles
from all directions in space. The most interesting aspect of these cosmic
radiation is that they splash and spread out in myriads of tiny particles of
different air showers. The high energy particles can be detected only
indirectly through billions of secondary particles they produce in the
atmosphere. Now, our main concern here is that of the ‘Energy’ that not only sustains the jiva, but also, the one that
creates it! There are interesting studies where the measurements of time,
space, distance, and even the thoughts are measured and, the core of the
substance, called the Atman (Soul), could thereby be also measured. However, it
is also stated that, “There is no fixed point or distinct line of separation
between the particle, the soul, of the size of an atom surrounding time and
space continuum. In fact, all these soul, time, space and causality emanate
from the eternal ‘brahman’. Hence, none can predict the dimension or quanta and
qualia of the soul. It is one and remains the same forever, manifesting in multitudes
of forms, at will, The Sources of
Energy are many and varied. The primary force is the Sun for us, followed by
minerals, oil and Natural Gas, Coal and Charcoal, wood, etc. In fact,
everything is Fire, Agni. For human beings, the chief source of Energy
is food. Food is converted into energy by cells, mitochondria. Everything
is traced to space (akash), air, fire, water and earth are all energy in
different forms. The complex system of cells and their growth, cell division,
and cell multiplication, creation of tissues, organs, and the body functioning
as a physical unit can be somehow understood. But the abstract aspects of function
of mind, intelligence, ego conducting the
Anatomy and
Physiology of the Human Body
affairs of the jiva seems to be beyond our
comprehension.
The science of psychology has not even
touched the top layer of the skin of the brain, let alone reach to the depths or
the level of subconscious states! Where
do the thoughts and ideas, images and imagination, dreams and aspirations, etc.
come from? How do desires occur and
create images form in our mind and, by the way, where is the mind? What is
Mind? Mind (manas) is both energy and
matter. It is a product of food (annam),
a source of energy, besides the Soul that creates and supports the jiva. Mind
governs the life of man (the jiva). The Mind is akash (space) that is
everywhere and contains everything! Mind is bundle of creative energy and a
repository of all knowledge. There is nothing impossible for mind to construct,
create or command! The subtlest forms of mental waves are at the root of
creation! The phenomenal objective world is the product of thinking mind.
Hence, mind is the world. It is said: yadbhaavam
tad bhavati | meaning, “As one thinks, so it happens”!
The way the mind creates thoughts,
imagination, images, etc is very mysterious indeed! It is said that sensations
come from the images or forms what we see around us, from the sensory inputs to
our eye ball. Light rays hitting the retina, cells firing, chain of activity in
the neurons, flux of ions- all make us see the color of a rose! But till we
cannot understand the specific function of the cells involved in all
these. Sensations must have evolved in
perception for a specific biological function, but may not be the byproducts
neural activity. Only the advanced forms of life like the humans can have the
sense of awareness of the self, free will, etc. Man can not only see and smell
things, but also knows, is aware of, what he is seeing or smelling! Much of
this knowledge lies in spiritual development rather than physical development
of the jiva.
Only a spiritual understanding will enable us
to know the secret of how a huge tree is borne out of a small seed, or a large
living creature is created out of one single invisible sperm! What is the
secret of all this creation of the jiva further creating the marvels! There
cannot be any scientific explanation regarding the function of cells,
particularly how the same structure and composition of a cell is capable of
multiple tasks such as designing different forms of tissues and organs such as
kidney, heart, spleen, liver, or brain that perform varied and multifarious
functions. Initially, it is just a single cell (a sperm that impregnates the
egg cell)! In course of time this impregnated cell divides and multiplies, and
this process goes on and on endlessly, reviving, renewing, rejuvenating, and
finally die out, too. The intelligence involved in the functions of a cell is
astounding! The cells perform functions like processing, reconstruction,
maintenance of the body, cleansing, scavenging, etc. These are in a way,
nothing but chemical bonds and energy in action. Where does the knowledge come
from? What is Mind (manas) and
intelligence (buddhi)? Where is the
source of all these- prana, manas, buddhi
and ahankara? The jiva manifest in
different forms on earth can never be satisfactorily explained without invoking
and involving a superpower- Devi devata (Gods), not one, but many! There is
evidence that humans descended from some alien beings about 200,000 years ago
in Africa. The complexity and similarity of archaeological remains discovered
around the world suggests that our alien ancestors assisted directly with the
development of civilization worldwide. Sage Narada was an ambassador visiting
these countries. (See Rk Veda Samhita quoted by Sirdar Jwala Singh in his “The
Sphinx Speaks”). What we worship today as Devi devata are not some imaginary
stories in epics, but a reality. However, these have a much deeper significance
when narrated in epics since symbolism is involved, as in the mythological
literature. The story of evolution is of later times when compared to the
origin of the galaxies, stars, and the solar system. We get confused and
attribute everything to human existence that came billions of years later!
Hence, what we know is absolutely nothing compared to what the ancient sages
said. They say, “Everything already exist in Space (Akash)”! Everything manifests from akash, brahmn! Sarvam khaluvidam brahmn |
Even stranger is the fact that the
archaeological records show human skeletons and artefacts in fossil deposits
dated back to several hundreds of millions of years. The biodiversity of
species shows that large and relatively smaller numbers of species appeared 60
million years ago, and disappeared due to major cataclysms involving
earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods. The ancient human remains suggest that our
ancestors first existed elsewhere (pitru
loka)! It is also possible that evolution of life may have occurred first
on our mother planet.
This mystery of creation, the myth, like
many others, is answered in many aphorisms and suktas of the Veda. The
scriptures answer who we are, where did we come from and why, what is the
purpose of our existence, and other questions. Some are of the opinions that
the humans are of comparatively recent origin (as stated in the Bible), while
some feel that the human race is as old as the Sun and the Moon! Many
archeologists and historians feel that early civilizations were far advanced in
knowledge and technology. May be, ours is a fossil civilization revived,
rejuvenated, just reappearing like the sphinx and reviving, itself on memory!
The Bhagavad-Gita supports this view.
The primary assumption of Einstein’s
Special Relativity is that light approaches all observers at a constant
velocity regardless of the observer speeds or directions. To test this theory,
100 years ago, and many times since, scientists have compared the velocity of
light coming from the direction that the Earth orbits the Sun (30 km/second)
with the velocity of light coming from the opposite direction. While the speed
should be 30 km/sec faster in the direction of the orbit and 30 km/sec slower
in the opposite direction, they found that the speed only varied by about 8
km/sec and this difference was not in the direction of the Earth orbit. The
small speed difference in the wrong direction led scientists to assume they
were only seeing noise in the experiment apparatus, so they rounded the results
to zero km/sec and pronounced Einstein correct that light has only one speed
for observers with different velocities.
“Powerful EM waves (gamma rays) are indeed
created in nuclear reactions inside the Sun. But they never leave the Sun, they
are absorbed by outer layers and reemitted at lower energy, these lower energy
rays are again absorbed and reemitted... and so on, up to the surface of the
Sun. The surface has temperature of about 6000 K, so the waves that leave it
are mainly visible and ultraviolet radiations. And is this form the energy of
the Sun reaches the Earth. We know it for sure, because we have satellites
outside Earth's atmosphere that see that radiation.” [Jerzy Michał Pawlak, a Ph.D, in High Energy Physics
(exp)].
The universe is a big, big place. Bu, how
big is it? And, how do we know? The
globular cluster NGC 6397 contains around 400,000 stars and is located about
7,200 light years away in the southern constellation ‘Ara’. With an estimated
age of 13.5 billion years, it is likely among the first objects of the Galaxy
to form after the Big Bang. We can peep into the universe. It is time, not
space, which limits our view. Beyond a certain distance, light hasn't had time
to reach us yet.
|
|
The nebula, Galaxies, Stars and the Sun with solar flares
[Credit: European Southern Observatory],
So how big is the
universe?
No one knows if the universe is infinitely large, or even if ours is the only
universe that exists. “Powerful EM waves
(gamma rays) are indeed created in nuclear reactions inside the Sun. But they
never leave the Sun, they are absorbed by outer layers and reemitted at lower
energy, these lower energy rays are again absorbed and reemitted... And so on,
up to the surface of the Sun. The surface has temperature of about 6000 K, so
the waves that leave it are mainly visible and ultraviolet radiations. And is
this form the energy of the Sun reaches the Earth. We know it for sure, because
we have satellites outside Earth's atmosphere that see that radiation.” [Jerzy Michał Pawlak, a Ph.D, in High Energy Physics
(exp)].
The Milky Way galaxy consisting of almost
seven hundred million stars is a huge city of stars, so big that it would take
100,000 years to travel across it even at the speed of light. All the stars in
the night sky, including our Sun, are just some of the residents of this
galaxy, along with millions of other stars too faint to be seen. The Hubble
Space Telescope has uncovered a strong new line of evidence that galaxies are
embedded in halos of dark matter.
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Our sun, the nearest star, is 93 million
miles (140 000 KM) away. That's why the sun, although a million times the size
of the Earth, looks so small. It would take the Space Shuttle seven months to travel
to reach there. [Credit: SOHO - ESA
& NASA]. When we leave the solar system, we find our star and its planets
are just one small part of the Milky Way galaxy. Beyond our own galaxy lies a
vast expanse of galaxies. The deeper we see into space, the more galaxies we
discover. There are billions of galaxies, the most distant of which are so far
away that the light arriving from them on Earth today set out from the galaxies
billions of years ago. Is there any wonder that life on Earth was brought
'here' from Akasha (Space)! The mystery over how life on Earth began may have
just been solved by a group of scientists. Accordingly, some 3.8 billion years
ago, existence on our planet sprung into action, but experts have been baffled
as to what caused life to begin after over half a billion years of ‘nothingness’.
The origin of the solar system is explained
in very simple terms. It is due to a “Low-mass supernova” that our solar system
formed about 4. 56 billion years ago triggered by a low- mass supernova. In the
early stages of creation, the star emanated from condensation of a cloud of gas
and stellar dust. May be, it was a binary star a component of which exploded to
give rise to the chunks of masses of planets, satellites, asteroids and
meteorites. The Sun will shed off all its energy in the next 5.44 billion years
and becomes a chunk of red ball. All these are ideas, speculations, theoretical
postulations, hypotheses, and probabilities, of course! Nothing is certain
despite billions of dollars spent on researches. But the ancient sages
visualized these in their transcendental meditative state, savikalpa samadhi, adopting the techniques of Patanjali ashtanga
yoga sutras. When the solar system was beginning to form 4.6 billion years ago,
ice grains floating around in space were hit by sunlight with the ensuing
reaction seeing sugar molecules beginning to form on the surface.
9. TOWARD A
UNIFIED THEORY
The
holistic view brings home the fact that everything is a part of the whole and
the part is no different from the whole.
However, it is also stated that, “that when nuclear reaction occur on
sun the powerful electromagnetic waves are generated. When these waves enter in
the region of our earth these waves strike with the atoms of gases and the
atoms are excited, activated to emit radiation in the form of light on
excitation.
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Material science deals with the phenomenal
objects. These materials are solid, liquid, gas, and semi-solid, or
semi-liquid. However, these do have their subtler and subtler, finer and finer
states that are not visible to the naked eye. One can go to the root of the
sub-atomic particles and reach the core of the substance. The scientists have
reached the ultimate state of the matter. These clouds of stellar dust, in an
unconsolidated vibrant state have been traced! These chunks of cloud of stellar
dust undergo condensation and form stars and galaxies. This state of matter in
a flux, a state of ‘ion’ in an unconsolidated state has to gain mass in order to
become ‘bosons’. It is extremely difficult to say how an ‘ion’ of unstable
nature, described as that ‘which exist’ and ‘does not exist’ becomes a matter
of any significant nature! It is here that we have to seek an extraneous
powerful agent, may be a God, or Ishvara, who acts as a catalyst. Hence, it is
surmised that there is spiritual power behind all material aspects.
Every minute detail of creation has been
worked out here. All living beings, the humans, animals and birds- as a living
beings, are essentially a product of food (annam), prana, manas, buddhi and
ahankara (ego). In fact, there is nothing that is not revealed as the secrets
of creation as well as the purpose of our life as human beings on this earth.
Bhagavan Shree Krishna has explained all these in detail. These statements of
Bhagavan are given in an accompanying small pocket book- “Decoding the
Bhagavad-Gita”. Everything is a sacrifice here. Each one is an interdependent
organism striving for liberation.
Only plants produce their own food and
provide food for others. The stages of evolution have been traced first to
plants and then to animals starting from fish in water, (aquatic), and frogs
(amphibian), birds (arboreal), reptiles, marsupials, primates and man. These
stages are classified into- Physical, Ethereal, Mental, and Spiritual
development. Each of these four states has its four sub-states in the same
order. Man is in the third stage of development, that of mind, that too, in its
initial stages. There is yet to evolve into higher and higher states using the
potentials and can reach up to the highest spiritual state of ‘brahmn’
(nothingness!). The second state of the ethereal (pranic) existence is not much
understood since it is partly invisible subtler forces spiritual and partly
material.
Sri Aurobindo gives a classification that
shows how every living being can attain the highest level of spiritual
development and attain God-hood. That is how the Hindu Devi and devata have
birds and animals as their vehicles. Swan is revered as the one associated with
the deity of knowledge Sarasvati and elephant with Lakshmi, tiger with Durga,
Garuda (Falcon) with Narayana, etc. Many of the deities (Gods) are having the
face of animals, and it is interesting how Ganapati got an elephant’s head and
Lord Narasimha got the lion’s and Hanuman came to be glorified as the servant
of Sri Rama. All these are depicted in Hindu mythology. However, it is so far
not clear how these have come into such prominence even in the age of science
and technology! Sri Aurobindo traces this development in a scientific way. His
theory of evolution is from physical, ethereal, mental to spiritual and at
every stage the same order of progress continues. Hence, even physical objects
are deified! The ethereal ones are really forces- subtler and invisible, but
essential for the function of the universe. The mental stage is the beginning
of the human race is in its initial physical state and it is yet to develop! Sri
Aurobindo has also given the four steps of evolution of a jiva from its
physical (form) primary pranic and ethereal levels to that of mental and
spiritual development over a very long period of eons! These are: Physical, Ethereal, Mental and Spiritual. Also,
it should be noted that at each of these stages, the development has to take
place step by step moving up the ladder from physical to spiritual, thereby
fulfilling the purpose of each stage of creation. This evolution process ends
with the highest level of spiritual-spiritual where matter becomes energy!
The Physical
or gross matter are rocks and minerals,
trees, plants, that evolve fully and reach the spiritual state and come to be worshiped
(deified?); Ethereal: Here again prana dominates supported by food obtained
from soil, directly or indirectly. The animals, birds and other living
creatures become evolved fully up to the spiritual level.
In the case of Mental development, the
living beings can develop mind and intellect to great heights and finally reach
the highest spiritual level. The animals live instinctively since the mind is
not developed and depend on the food. They cannot think and develop mental
ability or capabilities.
Even in the case of humans, the mental and spiritual
development is not easy. It is only possible over a long, very long period of
refinement. It needs a strict disciplined life of yoga. Men attain superficial
levels, but do not actually reach the true spiritual state in physical form.
All other supporting factors pf jiva will wither away at this stage. Man becomes
almost a non-existential state (physical and mental awareness ceases) at this
spiritual state.
The process of evolution is a slow process.
The mechanism is already provided in the form of chakras. These chakras can be
activated through pranayama to reach the highest Sahasrar level
from its basal plexus (muladhara prajnya). However, the humans work at
the hum lower three levels of muladhara, svadhishthana and the manipura
prajnya. They do not try to rise to anahata and onward to vishuddha,
ajnya and the sahasrar levels.
All of us live at the basic level of just
earning some food, eating, sleeping, and entertainment during the waking state,
jagrata avastha. All our efforts are focused toward self preservation,
just protecting the body with basic necessities. As the jiva realizes its true
nature in course of time, it takes to several techniques such as study of
scriptures, shravana, manana, nidhidhyasana and adopts the paths of karmayoga, bhaktiyoga, jnyanayoga,
dhyanayoga, nirasaktiyoga, etc.
Several alternative paths are provided learned yogis to help the interested
jiva to attain to its true nature and redeem itself from the cycle of rebirths.
The need for a learned teacher, a yogi is very essential in spiritual pursuits.
Here, in the Bhagavad-Gita, Bhagavan Shree Krishna comes as a Yogacharya and
guides us in the form Arjuna, a confused soul- full of attachment, desire,
anger and other qualities. Shree Krishna advises Arjuna to become a yogi, a
person of balanced mind, equanimous in joy in misery, profit and loss, and give up greed, avarice,
likes and dislikes (raga dveshsa vimukta)
and be established in the self, satisfied with the life has offered. Selfless
action (karma), devotion (bhakti), and knowledge (jnyana) are
essential as long as one lives and works. Meditation (dhyana) helps the jiva to be composed and act with wisdom. Yajnya, dana, tapas are advised in order
to get released from bondage. A person should acquire both material and
spiritual knowledge (material for survival and spiritual for liberation).
Ultimately, one should know that the goal of life is to release the embedded
soul from its elemental body and attain to its pristine pure spiritual state –
sat chit ananda.
The Rk Veda does not profess or adore any
iconic or idol worship and there are no Gods as such here. Worship of devi
devata have come as a later tradition in the Southern parts of India and they
follow agama shastra for this purpose. There are details of temple
architecture, sculpturing and installation of idols with due procedure.
However, idol worship is considered a lower method for those who cannot worship
the powers within! The Lord is seated within as the self of all. Hence one
should visualize and worship Him there. This needs an initiation and proper
guidance in yoga leading to samadhi. There is nothing wrong in using an idol
for concentration in the initial stages. But one should not stick to it
throughout life. One should develop dhyana, dharana and samadhi with mantra
japa, chakra dhyana, etc and try to be merged in Him as long as possible
whenever opportunities are given. Ashram life is prescribed for aged people for
this purpose.
Everything gets deified by slow evolution
attaining its full spiritual stature and become worshipful. The Sun is worshipful
as the source of our very existence; so also, the Moon, the air and fire, water
and earth are worshipful. The ancient sages and saints have prayed these
powerful elemental gods in many of the Rk Veda mantra. It is the devotion,
faith, and prayer that sustain us in this unpredictable world. This is how we
have even a small plant, animal, bird, and many spiritual people get the due
respect, become deified. Sri Ramachandra, the King of Ayodhya is deified and
worshiped by millions for his perfection! So also, Jesus Christ who is stated
to be embodiment of love towards humanity is deified. Now, the paradox still
remains as to transplantation, as it were, in the case of Narasimha or Ganapati
where animal heads are put on humans. This is the same with Sphinx in Egypt.
Here symbolism comes to our help. It is the keen sense of observation, power of
discrimination, intelligence, power and strength that are presented in the form
of lion or elephant! An elephant is shrewd enough not to harm and intelligent enough
to decide to whether to cross a weak wooden bridge! The Lion is a symbol of
power and it actually represents the Sun. Thus, one has to carefully understand
the underlying secret. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “I am the Self of all”.
Whatever see is the manifest forms of one supreme Lord. This is the underlying philosophy of
Hinduism. It is a global religion that treats all as one vast extended family!
We respect the divine order. We treat with respect all plants, animals and
birds due to the inherent divinity. It is not the outer form or the behaviour,
but the essential divine nature- sat-chit-ananda
svarupa.
Thus, the ‘One’- the abstract all-powerful
entity that exists in a subtler invisible potential dynamic state creates the
universe. The scientists have traced this to the primordial matter that is and
that is not, a virtual ion with energy, but without mass, however, transferring
mass to another ion. These are termed ‘fermions’ and ‘bosons’, respectively,
that ultimately create the paraphernalia of the transient world- of all
‘moving’ and the ‘non-moving’ (charaachara)
objects. This potential, equilibrium
state called brahmn. It is this ‘sat’,
from which ‘chit’ and ‘ananda’ emanate, manifest. This is what
the spiritual texts teach us. Also, they advise us to practice yoga to
visualize and experience this unmanifest brahmn since it is not possible to
explain it in any way, by words. The
Vedantic perspective of Creation is worth a careful study. The following gives
a brief note about these with illustrations. Srividya gives a clear idea about
the secret pf creation.
This is the aphorism
that explains what the Lagrangian string (spring like the DNA chain, but with a
point below and vast opening at the top end!) that explains how ‘the micro is a
continuum of the macro’! The sand, silt, clay and the boulder are the same;
salt or sugar dissolved in water gives every drop the taste of its quality. A
handful of sea water is as salty as that of the ocean. Once, the spark asked
the fire, “Who am I?” The Fire answered, “You are Me only.” But the spark said,
I am tiny and you are larger than me?” The Fire said, “You can do the same work
I am doing. That’s it.”
SHIVA-SHAKTI
Bindu* o Paramashiva- ‘sat’
SHIVA
‘cit’(ichhashakti) SHAKTI
(Kriyashakti)
[* Nada condensed into Bindu expands itself to form Trikona].
There are 33 333
devi devata and they are all within us as life-force, intelligence,
consciousness and energy running the affairs of the body from the day of
conception till the day of death or discarding the body by the jiva.
Every cell, every sub-atomic particle,
molecule or cell nerve and neuron is charged with chaitanya, the divine power
but for which the world will not function. The supreme Lord is seated in the
core of the substance and all the Devi devata serve Hm. This is eulogized in
the Veda. Thus,
it is clear how every atom, every cell, every minute particle is the
constituent part of this vast universe and performs the function in a unified
way. Atmaa eva brahmaa| meaning, the
core of the substance, ‘chaitanya’,
is the same in all. The Lord says, “I am
in every moving and non-moving things”. “I am the self of all” The
Vishnu Purana gives an account of creation. The story begins with the churning
of the Ocean. Here, the ‘Ocean’– ‘sudha
sindhu’ (the ‘Ocean of Consciousness’).
लक्ष्मः कौस्तुभ
पणरिजणतकसुिण धन्वन्तरिश्चन्द्रमणः। गणवः कणमदुहण सुिेश्विगजो िम्भणमद
देवणङ्गनणः।
अश्वः सप्तमुखो मवषं हरिधनुः
िङ् खोमृतं चणम्बुधेः। ित्नणनमह
चतुदणि प्रमतमदनं कु यणणत्सदण
मङ्गलम्।
Creation of the
Universe takes place nowhere else, but in the Mind. “The perceiver and the
perceived is one” is the principle. The Lord says, “I only exist and all else
are the manifest forms of my Supreme Self” (Bhagavad-Gita Ch. X. Vibhuti Yoga).
The supreme Lord is purna prajnya, pure Consciousness. Pure mind is pure
consciousness and everything is created by consciousness. Prajnyanam brahmaa | Hence, the world is the product of the mind
and the mind creates whatever it focus attention! Nothing is outside the
purview of Consciousness. Thus, our Mind is the repository of all that was,
that is, and that ever would be! The pure mind is the ocean of Consciousness.
The Mind has the power to create, sustain, and destroy! Thus, the pure Mind
that is pure Consciousness only is the supreme Lord purna prajnya Narayana. Narayana (prajnyadhara) is ‘journey’ of Life
(Eternal flow of Consciousness as Light, Intellect, Force and Energy) - the
expanding universe, and the manifest form of Narayana is ‘Eternal Flow of
Consciousness” Vishnu is the all-pervasive one!
Thus, all that started coming out from the
ocean during the churning (manthan), naming only a few symbolically, are:
Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune and Wealth -Vishnu's consort; Kaustubha- the
most valuable jewel in the world; Parijat- the divine flowering tree with
blossoms that never fade or wilt; Varuni- goddess and creator of happiness;
Dhanvantari- the doctor; Chandra- the moon; Kamadhenu- the wish-fulfilling Gau,
divine cow; Kalpavriksha- the wish-fulfilling tree; Airavata- the white
elephant of Indra; Apsaras- various divine nymphs (Fem. Symbolically presented)
like Rambha, Urvashi, Menaka, Punjikasthala, etc. Uchhaishravas- the 7-headed
white horse; Sharanga- the bow of Vishnu; Shankha- Vishnu's conch; and the
Amrita- the nectar of immortality. These should not be taken literally since
there is a lot of symbolism involved. Horse means speed, cow means light, and
moon means mind, bow means tool or instrument, nymph means illusion,
attraction, disillusionment, conch that stands for sound means creation,
etc While churning the ocean (of
Consciousness), the first thing to come out is Kalakuta or Halahala, a dreadful
poison. Everybody was frightened by its fierceness. This terrified the gods and
demons because the poison was so toxic that it might have destroyed all of
creation. On the advice of Vishnu, gods approached Shiva for help and
protection. On request of the gods, Shiva was pleased to drink that poison. The
black colour of the poison left a mark on Shiva's neck. Therefore Shiva was
named 'god with a black spot on the neck'. In other words, Lord Shiva got the
name Neelakantha because he drank the poison and saved the earth from getting
poisoned; however, Parvati prevented it from Gods and demons continued churning
the sea. Then arose a horse by name Uchhaishravas, Kalpavriksha having the
power to grant what is wished, Kamadhenu, and other celestial articles took
shape. When the sea continued to be churned the Apsaras damsels were born. The
moon also appeared from the ocean during the churning, the 'moon' (Chandrama) making it her brother
(daughter). Alakshmi, the goddess of misfortune, is Lakshmi's elder sister.
According to the Vishnu Purana, Lakshmi is the daughter of Bhrugu and Khyati
and resided in Swarga but due to the curse of Sage Durvasa, she left Swarga and
made Ksheer Sagar her home. Dhanvantari emerged from the sea. Dhanvantari is
the doctor of gods. She had a sacred pot in his hand. There was ambrosia in it.
Fierce fighting ensued between Devas and Asuras for the nectar. To protect the
nectar from Asuras, Devas hid the pot of nectar at four places on the earth
-Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. At each of these places, a
drop of the nectar spilled from the pot and it is believed that these places
acquired mystical power. A Kumbh Mela is celebrated at four places every twelve
years for this reason. However, the Asuras eventually got hold of the nectar
and started celebrating. Frightened, Devas (demigods) appealed to Vishnu, who
then appeared disguised as Mohini. As she was beautiful, the demons looked at
her in surprise. Mohini came near them and said: "Do not quarrel for
ambrosia. If you agree, I will myself serve ambrosia. You sit in two
rows." All agreed. The demons sat in one row and the gods in another. As a
beautiful and enchanting damsel, Mohini distracted the Asuras, took the amrita,
and distributed it among the Devas, who drank it. By sleight-of-hand Mohini
served intoxicating drinks to the demons and amrita to the gods. The demons who
were enamoured of her charm did not notice the trick played on them. The One
Asura, Rahu, disguised himself as a Deva and drank some nectar. Due to their
luminous nature, the sun god Surya and the moon god Chandra noticed the
switching of sides. They informed Mohini. But before the nectar could pass his
throat, Mohini cut off his head with her divine discus, the Sudarshana Chakra.
The head, due to its contact with the amrita, remained immortal. To gain
revenge on the sun and moon for exposing this, the immortal head occasionally
swallows the sun or the moon, causing eclipses. Then, the sun or moon passes
through the opening at the neck, ending the eclipse. Gods drank ambrosia and
became immortal. They became free from fear of death. The demons came to know
afterwards that they had been deceived. They started a war. The
Symbolism:
Devi Kaali Maa depicted in black, for example, is ‘Black Matter (Dark Energy)
and Lakshmi is Star- Light, Life, food, knowledge. Red Lotus- Pure
Consciousness; Elephant for Strength; Hand Postures (mudra) - Offer of protection (abhaya)
and grace (anugraha); Face- Beauty
and joy. Devi is Shakti- embodiment of Knowledge, Potency, Creative Power, and
Desire. [Source: Pancharatra Agama Shastra]. There is lot of symbolism in what
is shown and written in the Veda and Purana.
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The universe began with these creative
forces- Light-Intelligence-Force- Energy (LIFE), operated in the form of sound
waves, images and imaginations, desire, will, thoughts and ideas, colours,
alphabets, words to express the subtler forces like sub-atomic particles,
neutron, proton, electron and the gaseous elements, their compounds (inorganic
and organic) and a complex system of objective phenomenal world, including
plant life, aquatic and arboreal life, land animals, bipeds and quadrupeds that
includes the humans. Thus the term ‘Life’ includes everything!
As compared to the scientific view, the
Vedanta perspective gives a better picture of the universe we live in. The very
term ‘Vedanta’ means a holistic, more comprehensive view. This perspective is
like seeing things without an obstruction. It is seen not from the physical
senses, mind, intelligence or ego, but is visualized from a higher
consciousness (turiya prajnya) level
in a transcendental meditative state. The ancient Rishis had perfected this
approach and could visualize things, and as such, never raised any doubt. But
the scientists doubt their own observations and conclusions. There is an
account of this in the scriptures.
Once, the sages arrived in the Hall of God
of all Gods, devendra to know about
the secret of creation, the true nature of the universe, etc. Lord Indra asked
the sages whether they knew anything about creation and the nature of the
universe. All the sages kept quiet. The Indra asked them to go into deep
contemplation over the subject and come back after they find the answer. Some
went into deep, contemplation, dharana
and samadhi for nine months and some
for ten months; these sages later came to be known as navaghvas and dashaghvas,
respectively. When they all finally arrived, the same question was asked, but
no answer was forthcoming! Then the Lord concluded that these learned sages
might have found the answer but find it difficult to put in words what they
visualized! Thus, it is concluded, that the nature of the universe is such that
it is difficult to express it in words since it is the manifest form of once own self only, and, as such, not an other than the Self. If there are
two- the viewer and the viewed, the subject and the object, the perceiver and
the perceived, it may be possible to explain it. When the duality ceases to
exist in the state of contemplation, in dhyana, dharana, and samadhi there is
neither the viewer nor the viewed, only the unmanifest brahmn exists!
How can I see when I am in it? One can
clearly see an object only when seen from a great height outside of it! For
that matter, we are all within it (the creation and the Creator), as an integral,
inseparable part of it! Thus, it is concluded that all that is viewed as ‘another’ is just an illusion, a vibrant
form of energy! The scientists, too, have come to this conclusion today.
The Vedantic view, or the spiritual
perspective, is more abstract when compared to the material scientific one. The
spiritual forces are extremely subtle and difficult to understand, but can be
experienced at a certain level. This experience is limited to a few attained
souls who have strived for it and have succeeded. Such persons are called siddhi purusha. They may even
demonstrate these powers at times, but many are not interested in this show
business. What are these forces and how
do they operate? These forces are the same as described earlier in the scientific
method. But, these are not limited to just four or five enumerated as Gravity,
electromagnetism, atomic energy, strong and weak forces. These run into
thousands or millions and each one is addressed as a devi or devata, deity of a
particular force that perform certain function. There thirty three thousand
devi devatas who perform specific functions and these are
The humans, as a replica of God, are none
else but the manifest forms and in fact possess all the qualities of Him, but,
in a limited way. The human ingenuity and capacity to act is also unlimited,
but come within the lime, space and causality. The supreme Lord only manifests
as the tiniest of the tiny and function in a limited way. This will not reduce
the stature of the Lord in any way! A spark is as good as a fire. The Lord is
said to be Anoraniyan mahato mahiyan
| Like Zero, the smallest of the small and largest of the large. He, the Lord,
is the smaller than the smallest and larger than the largest! The great sages
have visualized the true nature of jiva as ‘a speck of stellar dust’, a
‘photon’ that constitutes the universe. However, it stands individualized,
unique and separate due to its acquired properties. Ultimately the embodied
jiva (manava) may discard all its
acquired qualities and become the divine being (deva-manava)!
‘Creation’ depicted in Scriptures: All that
emanated from the Consciousness, disturbance of the rajas, tamas and the sattva
gunas, and the churning of the Ocean (sagara manthan) is depicted in pictures
here. The evolution of life forms from the stage of fish (matsya Aquarian,),
turtle (kurma amphibian), boar (varaha) horse and lion (haya and simha as in hayavadana and Narasimha, respectively)
are all mystic! The Lord only appears in these physical forms (avatar)! The
world may appear or disappear anytime at His will! The scientists deduce
evolution from unicellular microorganisms evolving to multi-cellular and multi-
organ beings. These different levels or stages of development leading up to the
stages of manes, Devi devata, Rishis (tapo
janah), and divine status exist with or without physical body!
However, there is no need that the Lord
should sit and think or plan selectively, step by step different types of
living beings (jiva rashi) since He is not governed by any limitations of time,
space, and causality. There is no order or rule applicable to him. All these
limitations are for us, the mortals, only. Thus, the will of the Lord prevails.
He willed, the world appeared; so also, it may disappear at a wink of His! The
Bhagavad-Gita describes this aspect of creation and dissolution in greater detail.
He, the Lord only manifests in different forms and there exists nothing besides
Him. He is the self of all, it is declared in unmistakable terms.
All that we know as light, energy,
intelligence, creative power, the all-pervasive Consciousness, kaal (Time), strength, power and force
are given names of Devi devata. Initially, even a small rounded stone was
considered an icon, an image of Devi and the same tradition is still continued
in Vaishnodevi (Katra, J&K) and in Sharda temple across LOC Kashmir (See
images above). And, the Devi Lakshmi
symbolically stands for resources, wealth, power to create; and, Devi Durga,
Kali symbolize power to destroy the evil.
How we came to
worship Devi Devata in Temples
It is stated that the learned sages asked
the Lord as to the ways and means of attaining to Him. The Lord said that He is
already seated within the jiva and there is no need to worship Him! However,
one may take his/her own image and worship. This is the archira avatara of
Devata. The sculptors (shilpi) who
chisels out the forms of devi devata in different styles according to their
respective powers as shown in number of hands and tools held. These idols are chiseled
out in stones (Shalagrama or marble), sandal wood, metals like pancha loha, gold,
silver, etc maintain strict codes of conduct and prepare the idols only getting
instructions in dreams. There is also agama shastra that prescribe the methods
of construction of temples. Thus, the devi devata have come with numerous
hands, ornaments, armaments and mudra for purpose of ‘archana’. These are
archavatara. This will help in concentration and develop bhakti. Thus, we have
the temples for arcane, adoration. The
pictures of Devi devata (Gods and
Goddesses) shown in the scriptures are imaginative and symbolic. Like a map
that image shows details, every picture of a devi or devata depicts a volume
information in symbolic form regarding the powers (shakti), tools (astra), hand
gestures and symbols (hasta mudra) etc. of creation, protection and destruction;
this is the same as what the mathematicians and scientists express in formulae,
signs and symbols. The great sages and saints have expressed what they have
visualized in the form of aphorisms, formulae, codes and symbols like lotus,
trishul, wheel (Sudarshana chakra), mace, conch, etc. The mantra expressed in
sounds and words form the most powerful tool of protection. These esoteric
symbolisms are hard to decode. For example, the Sudarshana chakra in the hands
of Vishnu is the wheel of time (kaal chakra)
and it depicts creation as well as destruction. The conch is symbolic ‘sound’
that heralds creation. The White Lotus
flower on which Devi Lakshmi is seated is the seat of creation, ocean of
consciousness. Similarly, serpent or Nag on which Lord Vishnu is lying and or
Shiva bearing (on neck or head) stands for virility, potency, and all
pervasiveness. Similarly, there are the animals like cow, horse that stand for
light and speed, respectively. Every instrument in hands of Devi devata is
powerful tools of creation, sustenance, and dissolution. These symbols are
depicted as the forces operating in the universe. They speak volumes and
volumes about our existence. Shiva as normally shown in calendars depict the
moon for elixir of life, the Ganga (water) the life force and consciousness
descending from higher sources, and Ganapati, the elemental god made of soil,
food subject to transient nature.
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Thus, there is no
end to symbolism and depiction of characters in epics. One should be careful
while reading the scriptures. There are the gross and the subtle aspects in
each and every description and we fail to grasp the inner subtler esoteric or
secret meaning of these. The number of hands and the armaments in these hands
as shown below are symbolic and powerful in maintaining the universe, balancing
the positive and negative forces as described in the epics. What we call the
Devi devata, such as, Durga, Gayatri, and Parameshvari. Sarasvati, Ganga,
Surya, Shiva, Hanuman, Lakshmi, Vishnu, Narayana, Parvati, Ganapati, Kali, etc.
are the symbolic expressions of powers attributed to them by the devoted souls
that seek knowledge, redemption, mukti or moksha. These are in a way the
elemental gods, too, that are adored and worshiped in the various forms, giving
them a number of hands, armaments and decorating them with armaments.
These Devi-devatas are also associated with
many animals, birds, and plants and trees. Indeed all these are the manifest
powers of One Supreme Lord, Narayana. Shree Hari Narayana is often seen
surrounded by all Devi devata. The powers attributed to the lord are: Chit-shakti, jnyan-shakti, ichha shakti,
kriya-shakti, and kriyashilata. Ishvara is given the powers of srushti, sthiti,
samhruti, anugraha, and tirodhana. Devi Durga is seen seated on a tiger and
Mahalakshmi and Saraswati are shown as seated on Lotus with ‘Kalash’ and Veena
in hand, respectively. Symbolism is very
important here. Lotus and serpent are commonly used and it is difficult to know
why ‘Sudarshana’ is shown in the hand of Vishnu as ‘kaal-chakra’, the symbol of
all that is, that exists now and that are to come are hidden in the ‘Wheel of
Time’. What the Veda says about Creation is very simple. There is one single
all powerful Power or Force that runs through all that is created. There is a
Creator and all that is created is no different from the Creator. Hence it is
stated that ‘the Creator and the Creation are one’, so also, the perceiver and he perceived are one!
It may be of interest to know how of all
the creatures, Naga, a serpent, and a bird falcon (garuda) are associated with Shiva and Vishnu, respectively. In
fact, the bird falcon, garuda is the
enemy of serpent, naga! It is
difficult to understand the symbolism involved here. Serpent is the potency
aspect of creation and its pervasiveness as consciousness makes it associated
with Shiva, Vishnu, and Sudarshana narasimha. Similarly, Lotus represents creative
power and Pure Consciousness. The animals associated with Devi devata such as
bull, horse, and elephants represent strength, speed, force, etc. Abhaya mudra (Hand Postures) represents
offer of protection (abhaya). There
are tools like trishul, mace, sword,
wheel, rope, sugarcane, etc. the smiling face and beautiful eyes represent lots
of emotions, like compassion, beauty, and joy. Devi is embodiment of power
(Shakti), knowledge, and creative power and Desire. [Source: Pancharatra Agama Shastra]. It may
be even stranger that the deities, including those of the Veda and its
divisions (Vedanga), are shown to have face of animals! Rk Veda purusha is
shown with donkey face with rosary in hand. Yajurveda purusha has goat head
wearing rosary. Samaveda purusha has horse head holding rosary and pitcher in
hands. Atharvaveda purusha is having monkey face with garland of beads
(akshamala) and an earthen pot in hands.
“Shiva
is jiva”, says the Shaivagama shastra. I
and My Father in Heavens are ‘One’. is a wellknown Biblical statement.
Further, it is stated that, the son is ‘father of man’ since one only manifest
as such and such, and ‘no other than the Self’. Similarly, duality ends when
knowledge dawns. The observer (perceiver) and the observed (perceived object)
are one. The perceiver and the perceived are one. One only exists as the
manifest forms, everything. The underlying single thread running through the
fabric is not seen at first! This
principle of creation is put in simple phrases in all the scriptures. Thou art
that (“tat tvam asi”) is one such
statement where the teacher Aruni Uddalaka advises his student Shvetaketu to
realize the principle of ‘oneness’ (unity consciousness). Different Schools of
Thought have, however, interpreted these principles of oneness differently.
There are about two hundred and fifty Upanishads of which only 108 are
considered to be very important. These deal with yoga-shastra, mantra-shastra,
Atmavidya, brahmavidya, etc. These cover the entire spectrum of Knowledge concerning
creation, sustenance, development and dissolution. Some of these are the source
of our study here. Besides the Veda and the Upanishads, there are eighteen
epics (purana) and six darshana shastras (not exactly the
philosophical renderings), too, that depict the creation and other details. The Sankhya and the Yoga shastra depict the theoretical and the practical sides of the
study, respectively. The learned one, a jnyani (Sankhyan), enumerate Twenty-five Principles (srushti tattva) whereas the Shaiva Agama Shastra depict more than
Thirty-five Principles regarding Creation (srushti
tattva) excluding the One that manifests in all. Shiva manifests the five
principles- srushti, sthiti, laya, tirodhana and anugraha. Shiva only appears
as jiva. Mantra, yantra, and tantra
of the Agama shastra are just like the modern scientist’s theories, hypotheses,
postulations, equations or formulae shown by signs and symbols. What is tantra
is technique and the mantra are aphorisms. The language is different but the substance
is the same. The subject becomes more abstract when we leave the domain of
gross substances and enter the realms of ‘spirit’. These are in the form of
silence, sound, waves and vibrations. Light plays a dominant role in all these.
Geomagnetism, gravity and electromagnetic fields are yet to be explored! So
also, the function of our nerves and neurons, the unseen chakra and pranic
forces operating in our body need further detailed study.
Shiva, Parvati and Ganapati are symbolic of
our own existence as gross body (Ganesha) in the Mother’s womb (Earth) with
Father (Shiva) possessing ‘Knowledge’ (Ganga), ‘amrut’ (elixir /soma or chandra), and potency, virility (serpent/naga)! Vishnu holds all! Since abstract things cannot be grasped by
ordinary people, the symbolic forms are used in the scriptures. Only the serious
readers will go deep into these studies and get a clear idea, but other misunderstand
all these! In fact all our epics have been misinterpreted by Western scholars
and our learned scholars, too, commit the same mistakes copying them! The term
‘God’ (Eng.) is not to be used in the Indian context. The term ‘devi’ and
‘devata’ are used to express the spiritual powers and forces (shakti). The term ‘deva’ means that
which ‘lifts’ (da), which helps us to
rise, say, from ignorance, poverty, misery, and obstacles that prevent our
progress. These devata are given a form- male or female, like Ganesha, Lakshmi
or Saraswati with powers credited to each of these, as also, the number of
hands and mudra (sign) showing abhaya
(assurance of support, ‘varada’ (benevolence, grace), adored with ornaments and
armaments, such as, trishul, lotus flower, chakra (wheel), mace (rod), etc.
indicating the powers and tools of the deity. Shiva in the form of Lingam with a small pot of water over
head is very significant in that “He, the Lord, is the symbol of ‘nuclear’/
thermodynamic reactor” that needs to be constantly kept cool. He, Ishvara, is
the supreme Lord of the Universe sustaining it with ‘Energy’!
Energy is indestructible, unborn, eternal,
and ever self-effulgent. This ‘energy’ concept is very important in running the
universe. The Sun, at the centre of the solar system, is the chief source
sustaining power of all that exits on earth as living beings. The Rk Veda has a
number of sukta for Agni. Agni is surya, soma and anala (fire/agni). He, the
supreme Lord, exists in all living and nonliving, moving and non-moving,
objects as ‘chaitanya’, ‘prana’ (Life-force), and ‘prajnya’ (Consciousness). There is no
existence without this energy and, energy is neither created nor destroyed.
Hence Atman, an energy particle, is also unborn, and eternal.
THE
MEANING AND PURPOSE OF LIFE: What is the meaning and purpose of life? The answer
is given in the Bhagavad-Gita. The secrets of creation, maintenance, and
destruction, as well as, the plight of the jiva and its salvation, etc are
revealed by the Lord in every detail. “Decoding the Bhagavad-Gita” by the same
author explains these. However, we will conclude this short discourse with a
few concluding remarks on goal of life. It is for the seeker, to visualize Him,
the Lord, and merge in Him. This is the only purpose of life! Otherwise, it is
just a simple waste of another human life, the gift of the Lord! There is no
meaning to this life if one lives as an animal eating and sleeping! Most of us
struggle hard to make a living and rest of the time engaged in
entertainment. But, there is a lot of
meaning for a person who seeks and finds it. It is the purpose of life to
realize how the jiva arrived on earth, got embedded in an elemental body. It
entered the earth as a particle of light, a photon, full of energy, force,
intelligence, a life force (prana), and became a living being. It entered into
an elemental world of space, air, fire, water, soil and food to become what it
is- a prani. It started its journey
with the radiant energy, rays of light from a star! It is nothing but a
particle of light that has its source in a distant star (See birth chart, say
for instance, Punarvasu in Karka Rashi). It (energy particle) has entered the
earth’s atmosphere riding the rays of the Sun and journeyed down to earth’s
surface and got enmeshed, embodied, into an organic form of life. The
possibility may be that it is still dormant as energy in inorganic substances,
too. It may be anything from a
radio-active element like Uranium turned into lead, or anything like Calcite or
Alumina into bauxite and aluminum, or just an ore of a mineral like iron
waiting for refinement into steel, or like petroleum and natural gas to run a
vehicle or produce more usable form of energy to run machines. So nothing is a
waste! A human form endowed with intelligence is capable of much more. The
highest one can achieve in life is a world-wide acclamation or a scroll of paper
and some money as a Nobel Laureate, but to discover the person (purusha), larger than the Self (paramatman) who is seated within and
running the affairs of life! It is to discover the person who is seated within incognito, breathing, pulsating,
thinking and working constantly as a driving force. When this highest truth (param satya) is discovered the jiva
becomes totally free from all bondage, attachments, ego, greed, selfishness,
and becomes a divine being. This is attainment to the ‘Self’, fulfillment of
life. Such persons are said to be immortal since they are devoid of all name
and form, affixes and prefixes. The yoga teachers advise people to take to yoga
to maintain good health. But nobody tells why all these good health and good life
are meant for. The Lord says, “See Me, hear Me, Arjuna. I am telling the utmost
secret of life. Give up everything and take to my advice, merge in Me. You will
enjoy utmost bliss and happiness that cannot be compared to anything on earth|”
Pashya me… (Gita).
Brahmn:
“Verily, there are two forms of Brahman: gross and subtle, mortal and immortal,
limited and unlimited, definite and indefinite. The gross form is that which is
other than air and akasha. It is mortal, limited and definite. The essence of
that which is gross, which is mortal, which is limited, and which is definite,
is the sun that shines, for it (the sun) is the essence of the three elements.
Now the subtle: It is air and akasha. It is immortal, it is unlimited and it is
indefinite. The essence of that which is subtle, which is immortal, which is
unlimited and which is indefinite is the Person (Purusha) in the solar orb, for
that Person is the essence of the two elements. This is with reference to the
God as described in Purusha Sukta Mandala X, Rk Veda.
Atman
(Soul): This is the core of the
substance, an inexplicable abstract entity that can neither be said as ‘is’ or
‘is not’, but nothing can exist without it. The most surprising thing about ‘Atman’ is that it can enter in and out
of the body. It creates a jiva, or may be, the jiva becomes a Jivatman when the
Atman enters a body. However, it is not clear what this Atman is! It is said to be all-knowing (omniscient), all-powerful
(omnipotent), omnipresent and clairvoyant. It is ‘Energy’, that is unborn,
eternal, immortal and immutable. It is the Light. It can never be found since
it is hidden in cell, envelopes (kosha) of food, prana, manas, buddhi,
ahankara, indriya vishaya asakti, sensualities!! It is created by a higher
power called Param-Atman.
Param-Atman:
There is a supreme power that is behind the vibrant universe and the vibration
is caused by a power called param Atman, very dear source of all power. This
power is inexplicable, found nowhere, but exists everywhere! There is no ‘existence’
whatsoever without this support! Whether such a power exists or not is itself a
mystery and everybody wants to know for it is very dear to everybody. This
mystery will never be solved for the simple reason that it is not different
from the one who is searching for it. It is that which surrounds everything,
enters into the core of the substance as its Atman. This led the great sages to
search for it, visualize it in their transcendental meditative state, and come
to the conclusion- Atma eva brahmn.
The Parama Atman is the one that is individualized as the Jivatman of all. Thus, there should be no doubt as to who is this
supreme Lord Paramatman and the Jivatman, but for whom we do not exist! Atman
can be there without jiva. Many surgeons conducting operation on patients under
general anesthesia have heard the patient saying that their soul left the body
and witnessed the operation! The soul does exist and it can go out and get into
the body. Many yogis can leave the body, go out, and come back! This aspect is
supported by Sri Shankaracharya. Since the soul occupies a body a person can
enter any other body; it is called parakaya
pravesha. The soul of dead persons can search a suitable body and enter it.
As such, they are called antara pishachi
if it is wandering in search. The moment it finds a suitable body, it enters
and begins to act in order to fulfil its unfulfilled desires in its previous
body state. Only a weak mind entertains, but a strong mind will not entertain
its game plans and it will not be successful. Most of the souls (Atman) will
take a body soon after it leaves its old and worn out body (death). This is
clarified by the Lord in the Gita, and He cautions, there is every possibility
of a human being taking birth as a cat, a dog, or a pig if the human form now
is not used for emancipation, mukti, once and for all!
From the super-soul (paramatman) emanates particles of ‘soul’ (jivatman) and all other paraphernalia such as knowledge (jnyan),
light, intelligence, and creative energy. This light of the soul (Atman) sheds knowledge, intelligence,
and awareness (prajnya), and this
conscious awareness (sthiti-prajnya)
sheds its light on the Intellect (buddhi).
However, the vibrant mind (manovritti
or chanchala chitta) fails to turn to
intellect (buddhi) due to ego (ahankar) filled in it and, thereby,
loses track of a more meaningful and purposeful life. Thus, man goes astray!
Gita exemplifies this aspect.
Consciousness:
here again, nobody knows what is this consciousness. It is a con, a trick, played
by ‘chit’, knowledge, on us! It is capable of shedding light outside as well as
inside. When it looks inward it brings Shiva, the Self, to our awareness,
buddhi. When it turns outwards it brings the objective phenomenal world to our
awareness. Thus it is the one that governs our lives both ways! It is said, “Everything is Consciousness”. Brahmn
is chit. “Prajnyanam brahma”. It
is difficult to know it(prajnya)
since it is the one that knows all! A person is conscious of his self, his
surroundings, and thereby operates. ‘Knowing one’s self’ is however a very
difficult task and it require practice in yoga. One can see himself in yogic
trance. The conscious awareness is what makes a person work on at hand. There
is also possibility of working on jobs without awareness. Unconscious persons
are there and they are the cause of destruction, rather that construction.
Hence everybody is called up on to work conscientiously, with full awareness of
pros and cons. Consciousness makes one reach the highest level of ‘oneness’
where there will be totality- samyak-prajnya.
A person consciously aware of his Self is said to be a yogi. Such a yogi has
transcended time, space and causality.
Time
and Space: What makes this world a myth, an illusory one (jagat mythya), is the limitations set by time and space. Einstein
has clarified certain points in his theory of ‘Relativity’. Time and space
continuum is an abstract principle. We all exist in it! We all know that a
person who travels at a speed of 100 Km. per hour, can reach a place 100 Km
away in one hour. If the speed is increased to 600 Km per hour one can reach
much earlier by 1/6th. If the travel time is increased to the speed of sound,
light, and mind, the very concept of time, as on earth, ceases to exist! Time
is set by vibration of mind (chitta vrutti) and the time stops if the mind
stops (its vibration mode). Thus, one can overcome the limitation set by time
and space in samadhi, yogic trance, by travelling faster and faster! Mind can
travel faster than Light and sound. One can travel beyond the Universe in a
matter of few seconds, or even instantly, and visualize for oneself the true
nature of existence in yogic trance. There is no wonder if the yogins have
given us their experience in short aphorisms in Brahmasutras and the Upanishads
about all these!
Causality
(karya-karana): Normally cause and
effect are considered two different aspects. But the reality is that ‘effect’
lies in the cause itself. Karma is induced by desire and the jiva performs
action which brings in its wake the fruits of action as karmaphala. This cause
(desire) and effect (karmaphala) binds the jiva to earthly existence and
repeated births and deaths, suffering and misery. Karma or action has its vidhi, destiny, or fate as they call it!
Nobody can keep quiet. So everybody is indulging in action that begets more
actions. Life is action (karma) and
repeated births are due to karma that
begets more karma (fruits of action
as the seed for next births). The solution lies in samyama and practice of
ashtanga yoga under a trained teacher. The Bhagavad-Gita deals with these in
detail.
Chit
or Consciousness is everything: “Everything is ‘Energy’, chaitanya or chit-shakti.” There exist ‘Energy’
in all that exists and. All that exist are the manifest forms, such as, Force,
Light, and Intelligence, etc. Behind all these creation there is a single
supreme power ‘Almighty’ called ‘Narayana’,
meaning, ‘Eternal Flow’ of chit, Consciousness- An undifferentiated energy.
This ‘chit’ inheres everything- ‘that
is, was, and ever will be’. This ‘chit’, consciousness, is ‘Existence’
in all times! It is thus clear that a bit of this exists in all jivas, too. Now, it is certain that the
same person who uses the entire brain gets a holistic view, total perspective,
and becomes a ‘Vedantin’. However,
whoever uses the left hemisphere or the right hemisphere of brain becomes a
particular faculty of knowledge- scientist or a yogin, respectively! Thus, we
get different perspectives of the same reality by different seekers such as the
spiritualists or the yogins and the scientists like the physicists, the
astronomers, and the like. All these different views are essential in order to
know ‘who we are’ and get a clear view about ‘the world we live in’.
We have traced briefly a short history of
the universe almost from its state of ‘nothingness’
to all that we see as the paraphernalia
of phenomenal objective world. This is, in a way, also the journey of the
jiva from its infinitesimal ionic state to the existing varied forms. The
central theme, however, is the nature of the jiva, its embodiment in an earthen elemental form and ultimately its cry for
redemption. Desire is said to be the cause of embodiment; no desire, no life is
the principle. The various techniques that promise redemption of the jiva, such
as, scriptural studies and practice of yoga, the rituals, customs and
traditions, etc have also been briefly touched upon. Bhakti, jnyana and
vairagya and yajnya, daana, and tapas are the paths to liberation of the
embodied or embedded soul according to the Bhagavad-Gita. Finally, it is
surmised that the ultimate goal of all earthlings is to find their own ways and
means of redemption and, to this effect meditation has been cited as a very
useful technique. The importance of a guide, a guru, is also stressed here. Guru is one whom we choose or the Lord
sends when we ardently cry for it and he comes at the appropriate time as
ordained by the Lord. There is a switch board and a switch operator. Our going to
a Guru is to get connected to the higher spirit. When we surrender all that we
have acquired to the guru, who is like a ‘yajnya
kunda’, burning pot of fire, and we offer our self (ego) to become totally
fit for entering Him ‘as a speck of spark’ falling into the flames. Guru is
ordained to come to us just as we also are ordained to seek him. It is like a
wireman coming to connect the switch board of our house to the electric pole
and give connection for flow of electricity in our house as directed by the
higher authorities of the electricity department.. We go to a guru not to learn
anything for he will not teach us anything! It is to surrender our ego and what
all we have acquired and get liberated from the bondage, sansar, that we seek a
guru and do sadhana under his directions. However, it is not easy for a common
man to surrender his ego so easily. It is also difficult to understand the
subtler aspects of spiritual development.
A scientific background to the development
of the modern world is given here in order to show that it is based on the
spiritual and extraneous factors before this visible world attained its gross
state. All that we see here is just a vibration of energy and subject to
limitations of time, space and causality. At his best, a person is just a
faculty, a narrow branch of knowledge, that to for a short period of his life.
He is neither, this nor that, during his/her childhood and old age, and nobody
will ever realize this truth. This knowledge of relative existence in a transient
world will never redeem the jiva! The jiva has to transcend all acquired
qualities (guna), limitations set by time, space, and causality with the help
of yoga.
This is the first ever attempt to bring in
both science and spirituality, a single body of knowledge as a continuum; it
requires ‘unity consciousness’, samyak-prajnya, to understand this
approach. Normally, we fail to get the holistic view since we are bound to
deduce, dissect, and discrete, as well as, think and understand higher
knowledge leading to ultimate reality, brahmn.
The numerous philosophies, that now
exist, such as the dvaita, dvataadvaita,
vishishtaadvaita, advaita, bhedaabheda,
Jainism, Buddhism, or even
Christianity and Islam are the result of more a confusion and misunderstanding
than a clear understanding of the ‘ultimate principle’ and the goal of life.
The goal of life is just to get out of the clutches of maya, meaning, time, space and causality. It is this limitation
enforced by nature on the jiva is responsible for all sufferings. The soul,
Atman craves for release from the bondage of repeated embodiments. This release
is possible only through an intense of practice of yoga. ‘Enlightenment’ is
attained through meditation. It is the only path of liberation and the
different schools of philosophical thought are just the preliminary steps
towards a preliminary understanding. These will not lead to spiritual
development and emancipation of the jiva. That is the reason why we see only
one Lord Shree Ram, or one Bhagavan Shree Krishna, and the one enlightened
‘Buddha’ over a long period of several Millennia! In fact, philosophy (phyllo Sophia) is just love of words! Nothing can be gained by mere
thinking or talking, nor even by eulogizing somebody or something! The answer
lies in sadhana, meditation.
In conclusion, a proper perspective of our
existence, that too, for a span of a few decades, less than a 100 years, at the
most, is necessary. This perspective is not forthcoming without proper guidance
from an enlightened person, a Guru. A Guru is in fact a fire pot, ‘agni kunda’, where the jiva offers as ahuti, surrenders its ego, desires, and
all the blemishes acquired since birth. When the jiva attains purity of the highest order, it becomes Shiva! The jiva is equipped with
intelligence and knowledge as also the necessary organs to attain to the
highest purity, a state of pure consciousness. Consciousness is limited at the
level of the Jiva and unlimited at the highest level of Shiva. The limitations
accrue as a result of desire, want, ego, and several qualities that come from
the consumption of food and drinks. There are many an extraneous factors that
govern the jiva and make it suffer. The jiva attains liberation, mukti, when it realizes its true state
of sat chit and ananda.
Let’s have a Bird’s Eye-view of the entire
concept of- “I Am the Universe”, i.e., aham brahmasmi | Here,
the basic principle is ‘Oneness’. The
entire universe is to be taken as a whole- unity.
The clouds of gaseous matter spread out space, the tiny clusters of Light that
consist of millions of stars in globules, galaxies, or such other patches of
Light amidst vast stretches of darkness in space, the stars of different
magnitude, dimensions, qualities and character, the planets created by some
stars and the living beings found on some planets- all should be viewed in one
entity. One cannot isolate the jivas, the jivatman and the paramatman, the star
and the galaxy! When a scientist views the universe through a very
sophisticated telescope or a Vedantin visualizes in his transcendental state,
the truth must be the same. What the ordinary people cannot understand the
subtler aspects discovered by the scientists or the Vedantins. The Light and
its wide spectrum has not yet been analyzed fully and we know only a bit of it
as the alpha and the beta; so also, the alphabets and the words and the world
they create! There are many a thousands of unpublished scriptures that hold the
secret of creation! The scientists, too, are going into the deeper mysteries of
the cells. Nothing is certain at this point of time. However, the human
intelligence knows no bounds! The future holds the key.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it may be said that what
all we see, hear, touch, feel and experience is the function of our own
instruments, such as, the indriya, manas, buddhi and ahankara. The process of
creation is explained in detail and the scientists as well as the Vedantins
have now come to the same conclusion that the universe is One inseparable vast
ocean of chit, Consciousness. Everything manifests from ‘That’ (tyat) which cannot be defined, hence
called ‘brahmn’. Brahman is what
manifests, express itself, or exists in many and diversified phenomenal
objective universe. It is thus stated as: sarvam
khaluvidam brahmaa |
There is a subtler-most invisible state of
existence called ‘sat’, ‘chit’, or existence. Whatever appears in gross form is
the outcome of materialization, called ‘asad’
in Vedic terms, and transient and perishable in course of time. Thus, “Whatever
is seen here is transient, not real”, says Shankara. It is almost impossible
for a common man to realize this unless he takes recourse to yoga and
visualizes himself. This is the ultimate goal of life, Atma sakshatkara. There are innumerable scriptures that explain the
true nature of existence. Any serious seeker should undergo a rigorous training
in order to understand this. ‘Atmajnyan’,
or ‘Knowledge of the Self’ is the central idea of the study here.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Since
this short summary of Creation (srushti), sustenance (sthiti), dissolution
(laya), and merger (vilaya) of the perceptible (vyakta) universe encompass all
the scriptures ever available in the human intellect from time immemorial. The
urge to give even a short reference to the Texts available in print and quoted
here is so vast that even an acknowledgement in brief is going to make a long
list and hence resisted. It is impossible to give the whole list of authors, their
works and publishers. Only a few essential ones are given here.
Bhavanopanishat is a very
important text that sheds light on the true nature of ‘Existence’. There are the Narayana
Upanishad, Paingi, Koushitaki Chandogya, Atmopanishad, Garbhopanishad and a host of others, too, educate us
as to the nature of this world. The scientific literature quoted here are all
of recent researches and materials published in scientific journals and NASA.
These suffice as references for our study. The author hereby gratefully
acknowledges with thanks all the authors and publishers of various scientific
journals and periodicals, the spiritual texts like the Upanishads, the
Bhagavad-Gita, Brahma sutra, etc from which diagrams and quotations are
copiously drawn. The illustrations are taken from published sources and these
are used only to highlight our central theme of ‘unity-consciousness’- ‘samyak-prajnya’
only. Another important source of our spiritual knowledge is the
“Bhagavad-Gita’ by several authors like Sri Shankaracharya, Swami Shivananda
Saraswati, Madhusudhana Saraswati (‘Gudartha
Dipikaa’), and the most important one being that of ‘Jnyaneshwari’ by Santa
Jnyaneshwar. Also, we owe our knowledge both in spiritual, as well as, material
science to a number of saints and scientists, respectively, and we gratefully
acknowledge their contributions and quote a few of them here and there.
REFERENCES
Dasgupta,
S: A History of Indian Philosophy, (Vols. 5), MLBD 2012, (First published
Cambridge 1922).
Sanjukta
Gupta: Lakshmi Tantra, MLBD Publishers. Delhi.1972
Shankracharya’s
Commentary (Tr.) Swami Gambhirananda, Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, 1991,
Shraeder,
Otto F.: Introduction to Pancharatra, Ahirbudhnya Samhita, Adyar Library,
Chennai.
Swami
Bhaskarananda: The Philosophical Verses of Yogavashishtha, Viveka Press,
Seattle, USA, India Ed. 2006
[This celestial
poem explains creation of the Universe. By their words, the inspired sages
impart manifold forms to that Bird Hamsa which is the One. [Rk Veda X, 114, 5].
Notes and Quotes:
The entire universe that
includes the Solar System and the living beings on the Planet Earth is governed
by several forces such as gravitational waves, the electromagnetic waves, the
atomic energy, the sound waves and the like. Of these, the gravitational waves
had eluded the scientists, and now some facts are forthcoming from the recent
astronomical observations. Still the mystery remains!
Gravitational Waves: So far this
‘Gravitation’ had eluded the scientists and there was an intense search for
this Force governing the Universe. Finally 0n August 17, 2017 a breakthrough
could be achieved when two neutron stars collided and release the waves! Albert
Einstein first predicted gravitational waves in 1916 based on his general
theory of relativity, but even he waffled about whether or not they truly
exist. Scientists began seeking these ripples in
spacetime in the 1960s but none succeeded in measuring their
effects on Earth until now. LIGO’s discovery, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters, not only provides the first direct evidence for
gravitational waves but also opens the door to using them to study the powerful
cosmic events that create them. “It’s a huge deal,” says Luis Lehner, a
physicist at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Ontario who is
unaffiliated with the LIGO project. “It has pushed the fundamental theory of
gravity forward in a very strong way and gives us an incredible tool to probe very deep
questions of the universe.”
The discovery is not just proof of gravitational waves, but the strongest
confirmation yet for the existence
of black holes. “We think black holes exist out there. We have very
strong evidence they do but we don’t have direct evidence,” Lehner says.
“Everything is indirect. Given that black holes themselves cannot give any
signal other than gravitational waves, this is the most direct way to prove
that a black hole exists.”
“Every time we open a new window to the universe we
always discover new things,” Lehner says. “It’s like Galileo pointing the first
telescope to the sky. Initially he saw some planets and moons, but then as we
got radio, UV and x-ray telescopes, we discovered more and more about the
universe. We are pretty much at the moment where Galileo was beginning to see
the first objects around Earth. It will have such a huge impact on the field.”
Is Prana only important? No mortal ever lives by prana, which goes up, nor by apana,
which goes down. Men live by something different, on which these two depend.
[Yajur Veda, Katha Upanishad, Part Two, Chapter II, 5]
When Breath of Life with his thunder roars o'er the plants,
then, pregnant with pollen, the flowers burst forth in abundance. When Breath
of Life in due season roars o'er the plants, all things on earth rejoice with
great rejoicing. When Breath of Life the broad earth with rain bedews, the
cattle exult: We shall have plenty, they say. The plants converse with this
Breath, drenched by his moisture: Our life is prolonged, for you have made us
om them, thus brooded upon, there issued forth ‘Om’. As all leaves are held
together by a midrib, so is all speech held together by Om (brahman).” “Om is all thus, yea, Om
is all this.” [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XXIII - Praise of Om Unassociated
with any Ritual, 2-3].
“Prajapati brooded on
the worlds. From them, thus brooded upon, there was revealed in his heart the
threefold knowledge. He brooded on it and from it, thus brooded upon, there
issued forth these syllables: Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah. Prajapati brooded
(focused) on the worlds. From them, thus brooded upon, there was revealed in
his heart the threefold knowledge. He brooded on it and from it, thus brooded
upon, there issued forth these syllables: Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah. He brooded
(focused) on them (the three syllables) and fr all fragmentary. Praise to you,
Breath, when you come and praise when you go! When you stand up and when you
sit still, to you praise! [Atharva Veda XI, 4, 3-7].
The embodied soul, by
means of good and evil deeds committed by itself, assumes many forms, coarse
and fine. By virtue of its actions and also of such characteristics of the mind
as knowledge and desire, it assumes another body for the enjoyment of suitable
objects. He who knows the Lord, who is without beginning or end, who stands in
the midst of the chaos of the world, who is the Creator of all things and is
endowed with many forms-he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of
the universe, is released from all his fetters.[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part
I, Chapter V, 12-13]
om them, thus brooded upon, there issued forth ‘Om’. As all
leaves are held together by a midrib, so is all speech held together by Om (brahman).” “Om is all thus, yea, Om
is all this.” [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XXIII - Praise of Om Unassociated
with any Ritual, 2-3].
“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.
VE, P. 708].
He who knows Brahman,
who is all Bliss, extremely subtle, like the film that rises to the surface of
clarified butter and is hidden in all beings-he who knows the radiant Deity,
the sole Pervader of the Universe, is released from all his fetters. The Maker
of all things, self-luminous and all-pervading, He dwells always in the hearts
of men. He is revealed by the negative teachings of the Vedanta, discriminative
wisdom and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection. They who know Him
become immortal. When there is no darkness of ignorance, there is no day or
night, neither being nor non-being; the pure Brahman alone exists. That
immutable Reality is the meaning of ‘That’; It is adored by the Sun. From It
has proceeded the ancient wisdom. No one can grasp Him above, across, or in the
middle. There is no likeness of Him. His name is Great Glory (Mahad-yashah). [Yajur Veda, Shvet.
Upa.,, Part I, Chapter IV, 16-19].
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].
Endowed with gunas, the jiva performs action, seeking its fruit;
and again, it reaps the fruit of what it has done. Assuming all forms and led
by the three gunas, the jiva, ruler of the pranas, roams about following the
three paths, according to its deeds. Of the size of a thumb, but brilliant,
like the sun, the jiva possesses both volition and egoism. The embodied soul,
by means of good and evil deeds committed by itself, assumes many forms, coarse
and fine. By virtue of its actions and also of such characteristics of the mind
as knowledge and desire, it assumes another body for the enjoyment of suitable
objects. He who knows the Lord, who is without beginning or end, who stands in
the midst of the chaos of the world, who is the Creator of all things and is
endowed with many forms-he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of
the universe, is released from all his fetters.[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part
I, Chapter V, 12-13]
It is endowed with the qualities of both buddhi and Atman.
Therefore it is seen as another entity, inferior and small as the point of a
goad. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter V, 7-8].
“In the beginning, this
universe was the self (Viraj) alone, in the shape of a person. He reflected and
saw nothing else but His self. He first said: I am He. Therefore He came to be
known by the name I (Aham). Hence, even now, when a person is addressed, he
first says: It is I, and then says whatever other name he may have. And because
He, before (purva) the whole group of aspirants, burnt (aushat) all evils,
therefore He is called Purusha. He who knows this verily burns up him who
wishes to be Viraj in advance of him.” [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa. I, IV-The
Creation and Its Cause, 1].
“That which is
neither conscious nor unconscious, which is invisible, impalpable, indefinable,
unthinkable, unnameable, whose very essence consists of the experience of its
own self, which absorbs all diversity, is tranquil and benign, without a
second, which is what they call the fourth state-that is the atman. This it is
which should be known.” [Atharva Veda, Mandukya Upanishad 7. ve, 723].
NOTES
AND QUOTES
Vedic Prayer: Give us a share in the Sun by your
wisdom and favor. Make us perfect. [Rk Veda IX, 4, 5].
Vedic
Doctrines:
“The Seer, our father, once offered all
these worlds in oblation, assuming a priestly role, and sought to gain riches
by the power of prayer; he himself entered later creations, while shrouding in
mystery the first creative moment.
What
was the primal matter, what the substance? How could it be discerned, how was
it made? From which the Designer of all things, beholding all, fashioned the
Earth and shaped the glory of the Heavens?
A myriad eyes are his, a myriad faces, a
myriad arms and feet, turning each way! When he, sole God, creates the Earth
and Heavens, he welds them together with whirring of arms and wings.
What was the timber and what the tree from
which the Heavens and also the Earth were chiseled forth? Ponder, O wise Men.
Question in your hearts. On what did he rely when he formed these worlds? “The
haunts where you dwell, O Designer ever true to your laws, on high, in the depths,
and in every region between, disclose to your friends at the hour of oblation.
Willingly offer your body in sacrifice, thus enhancing its vigour.” [Rk Veda X,
81, 1-5].
“With all the pleasing skill we may; the
birth of Gods we now proclaim in chanted hymns, that Men to come may know the
truth of what befell. The Lord of the Holy Word, like a smith, blasted and
smelted them together. In erstwhile ages of the Gods from nonexistence
existence came.” [Rk Veda X, 72, 1-2].
“The visible form of fire,
while it lies latent in its source, the fire-wood, is not perceived; yet there
is no destruction of its subtle form. That very fire can be brought out again
by means of persistent rubbing of the wood, its source. In like manner, Atman,
which exists in two states, like fire, can be grasped in this very body by
means of ‘Om’. By making the body the lower piece of wood and Om the upper
piece and through the practice of the friction of meditation, one perceives the
luminous Self, hidden like the fire in the wood. As oil exists in sesame seeds,
butter in milk, water in riverbeds and fire in wood, so the Self is realized as
existing within the self, when a man looks for It by means of truthfulness and
austerity-when he looks for the Self, which pervades all things as butter
pervades milk and whose roots are Self-Knowledge and austerity. That is the
Brahman taught by the Upanishad; yea, that is the Brahman taught by the
Upanishads.” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., Part I, Chapter 1, 13-16]
“May the sun, at the
commencement of yoga, join our minds and other organs to the Supreme Self so
that we may attain the Self (‘Knowledge of True Nature of Existential Reality’)?
May He, also, support the body, the highest material entity, through the powers
of the deities who control the senses. Having received the blessings of the
divine Sun and with minds joined to the Supreme Self, we exert ourselves, to
the best of our power, toward meditation, by which we shall attain Heaven
(Brahman).” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., Part I, Chapter II, 1-2].
“The wise man should
hold his body steady, with the three upper parts erect, turn his senses, with
the help of the mind, toward the heart and by means of the raft of Brahman
cross the fearful torrents of the world. The yogi of well- regulated endeavors
should control the pranas; when they are quieted he should breathe out through
the nostrils. Then let him undistractedly restrain his mind, as a charioteer
restrains his vicious horses. Let yoga be practiced within a cave protected
from the high wind, or in a place which is level, pure and free from pebbles,
gravel and fire, undisturbed by the noise of water or of market-booths and
which is delightful to the mind and not offensive to the eye. When yoga is
practiced, the forms which appear first and which gradually manifest Brahman
are those or snow-flakes, smoke, sun, wind, fire, fire-flies, lightning,
crystal and the moon.” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter II, 8-11].
“And when the yogi beholds the real nature of
Brahman, through the Knowledge of the Self, radiant as a lamp, then, having
known the unborn and immutable Lord, who is untouched by ignorance and its
effects, he is freed from all fetters. He indeed, the Lord, who pervades all
regions, was the first to be born and it is He who dwells in the womb of the
universe. It is He, again, who is born as a child and He will be born in the
future, He stands behind all persons and His face is everywhere. The
Self-luminous Lord, who is fire, who is in water, who has entered into the
whole world, who is in plants, who is in trees-to that Lord let there be
adoration! Yea, let there be adoration!” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I,
Chapter II, 15-17].
“Pure may the Waters flow over our bodies!
That which defiles--I fling it upon our foes! I cleanse myself, O Earth, as
with a filter. Your regions, Earth, to eastward and to northward, southward and
westward, may they receive me kindly, whenever, on their paths I travel. Never,
when standing on your surface, may I totter!” [Atharva Veda XII, 1, 31].
“I know this
undecaying, primeval One, the Self of all things, which exists everywhere,
being all pervading and which the wise declare to be free from birth. The
teachers of Brahman, indeed, speak of It as eternal. [Yajur Veda, Part I,
Chapter III, 21]/
He, the One and Undifferentiated, who by the manifold
application of His powers produces, in the beginning, different objects for a
hidden purpose and, in the end, withdraws the universe into Himself, is indeed
the self-luminous-May He endow us with clear intellect! That Supreme Self is Agni (Fire); It is
Aditya (Sun); It is Vayu (Wind); It is Chandrama (Moon). That Self is the
luminous stars; It is Hiranyagarbha; It is water; It is Virat. Thou art woman,
Thou art man; Thou art youth and maiden too. Thou as an old man totterest along
on a staff; it is Thou alone who, when born, assumest diverse forms. Thou art
the dark-blue bee; Thou art the green parrot with red eyes; Thou art the
thunder-cloud, the seasons and the seas. Thou art beginningless and
all-pervading. From Thee all the worlds are born.” [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.
Part I, Chapter IV, 1-4]
“He who knows Brahman,
who is all Bliss, extremely subtle, like the film that rises to the surface of
clarified butter and is hidden in all beings-he who knows the radiant Deity,
the sole Pervader of the Universe, is released from all his fetters. The Maker
of all things, self-luminous and all-pervading, He dwells always in the hearts
of men. He is revealed by the negative teachings of the Vedanta, discriminative
wisdom and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection. They who know Him
become immortal. When there is no darkness of ignorance, there is no day or
night, neither being nor non-being; the pure Brahman alone exists. That
immutable Reality is the meaning of ‘That’; It is adored by the Sun. From It
has proceeded the ancient wisdom. No one can grasp Him above, across, or in the
middle. There is no likeness of Him. His name is Great Glory (Mahad-yashah).” [Yajur Veda, Shvet.
Upa.,, Part I, Chapter IV, 16-19].
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].
Endowed with gunas, the jiva performs action, seeking its fruit;
and again, it reaps the fruit of what it has done. Assuming all forms and led
by the three gunas, the jiva, ruler of the pranas, roams about following the
three paths, according to its deeds. Of the size of a thumb, but brilliant,
like the sun, the jiva possesses both volition and egoism. The embodied soul,
by means of good and evil deeds committed by itself, assumes many forms, coarse
and fine. By virtue of its actions and also of such characteristics of the mind
as knowledge and desire, it assumes another body for the enjoyment of suitable
objects. He who knows the Lord, who is without beginning or end, who stands in
the midst of the chaos of the world, who is the Creator of all things and is
endowed with many forms-he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of
the universe, is released from all his fetters.[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part
I, Chapter V, 12-13]
It is endowed with the qualities of both buddhi and Atman.
Therefore it is seen as another entity, inferior and small as the point of a
goad. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter V, 7-8]
He is the Supreme
Brahman, the Self of all, and the chief foundation of this world, subtler than
the subtle, eternal. That thou art; thou art That [Atharva Veda, Kaivalya Upa.
16. uph, 930].
all fragmentary. Praise to you, Breath, when you come and praise
when you go! When you stand up and when you sit still, to you praise! [Atharva
Veda XI, 4, 3-7].
Rosy Dawn advances, adorned with the brightness of many a beam.
She pursues her way on her well-equipped chariot, arousing Men to joy. Come, O
twin Spirits, at break of day on your powerful chariots. We offer in sacrifice
this honey-sweet draught for your delectation. How is it that, though united
and unsupported, he does not fall down? By what inner power moves he? Who has
seen? A firm pillar, he protects heaven's vault.[Rk Veda IV, 14, 3-5]
If the sunbird, rising, extracted his foot from the sea, neither
today nor tomorrow would exist, neither night, day, nor dawn. The
eight--wheeled moves on one rim, to and fro, thousand-syllabled. With one half
it engendered all creation. Of its other half what sign? [Atharva Veda XI, 4,
21-22]
Foremost Purifier, let your lights shine on us now, inspiring
us to skill of mind and hand. [Rk Veda IX, 36, 3]
Some learned
men speak of the inherent nature of things and some speak of time, as the cause
of the universe. They all, indeed, are deluded. It is the greatness of the
self-luminous Lord that causes the Wheel of Brahman to revolve. He by whom the
whole universe is constantly pervaded is the Knower, the Author of time. He is
sinless and omniscient, It is at His command that the work which is called
earth, water, fire, air and akasa appears as the universe. All this should be
reflected upon by the wise. The yogi who first performs actions and then turns
away from them and who practices one, two, three, or eight disciplines, unites
one principle with another principle and with the help of virtues cultivated by
the self and of subtle tendencies attains Liberation in course of time. He who
attains purity of heart by performing actions as an offering to the Lord and
merges prakriti and all its effects in Brahman, realizes his true Self and
thereby transcends phenomena. In the absence of maya, both collective and individual,
all his past actions are destroyed. After the destruction of the prarabhda karma he attains final
Liberation. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., Part I, Chapter VI, 1-4]
The Vedic prayer is: “Arouse us today to
success and good fortune. To loftier joys promote us, O Dawn! Grant to us wealth of every kind, O Goddess renowned,
friend of Man!” [Rk Veda VII, 75, 2].
With all the
pleasing skill we may; the birth of Gods we now proclaim in chanted hymns, that
Men to come may know the truth of what befell. The Lord of the Holy Word, like
a smith, blasted and smelted them together. In erstwhile ages of the Gods from
nonexistence existence came. [Rk Veda X, 72, 1-2].
“Before beginning the
morning chant, the sacrificer, sitting behind the Garhyapatya Fire and facing
the north, sings the Saman addressed to the Vasus: O Fire! Open the door of the
earth-world. Let us see thee, that we may rule this earth. [Sama Veda.” Chan.
Upa., II, XXIV - The Different Planes attained by the Sacrificer, 3-4]
Om, hamsah so’ham svaha |
In this universe
the Swan, the Supreme Self, alone exists. It is He who, as fire, abides in the
water. Only by knowing Him does one pass over death, there is no other way to
reach the Supreme Goal. He who is the support of both the unmanifest prakriti
and the jiva, who is the Lord of the three gunas and who is the cause of
bondage, existence and Liberation from samsara, is verily the Creator of the
universe, the Knower, the inmost Self of all things and their Source-the
omniscient Lord, the Author of time, the Possessor of virtues, the Knower of
everything. He who constantly rules the world is verily the cause of bondage
and Liberation. Established in His own glory, He is the Immortal, the
Embodiment of Consciousness, the omnipresent, Protector of the universe. There
is no one else able to rule it. Seeking Liberation, I take refuge in the Lord,
the revealer of Self-Knowledge, who in the beginning created Brahma and
delivered the Vedas to Him. When men shall roll up space as if it were a piece
of hide, then there will be an end of misery without one's cultivating the
Knowledge of the Lord, who is without parts, without actions, tranquil,
blameless, unattached, the supreme bridge to Immortality, an like a fire that
has consumed all its fuel. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., Part I, Chapter VI, 15-20].
“In the beginning, this
universe was the self (Viraj) alone, in the shape of a person. He reflected and
saw nothing else but His self. He first said: I am He. Therefore He came to be
known by the name I (Aham). Hence, even now, when a person is addressed, he
first says: It is I, and then says whatever other name he may have. And because
He, before (purva) the whole group of aspirants, burnt (aushat) all evils,
therefore He is called Purusha. He who knows this verily burns up him who
wishes to be Viraj in advance of him.” [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa. I, IV-The
Creation and Its Cause, 1].
“That which is neither conscious nor
unconscious, which is invisible, impalpable, indefinable, unthinkable,
unnameable, whose very essence consists of the experience of its own self,
which absorbs all diversity, is tranquil and benign, without a second, which is
what they call the fourth state-that is the atman. This it is which should be
known.” [Atharva Veda, Mandukya Upanishad 7. ve, 723].
“When a seer sees the
creator of golden hue, the Lord, the Person, the source of Brahma, then being a
knower, shaking off good and evil and free from stain, he attains supreme
equality with the Lord. [Atharva Veda, Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.3. upr, 686].
Who, weary of Brahman studentship, having fully learnt the
Vedas, is discharged by the teacher he had ever obeyed, such a one is called
the Ashramin. Choosing a wife of
equally high birth, he should deposit the sacred fires, and bring to those
Deities the Brahman sacrifice day and night until, dividing among the children
his property, abstaining from conjugal pleasures, he gives himself to the
forest life, wandering in a pure region. Living on water and on air, and on
such fruit as proper, fire within body, he abides on earth without obligations,
without tears.” [Atharva Veda, Sanyasa Upa. 2.14. upb, 735-36].
“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 Upa. 1.2.24-25. ve, p. 710]
“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. VE, P. 708].
“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 Upa. 4.9. VE, P. 441].
“In the Support the
worlds consist; in him Creative Fervor and Order have their ground. You I have
known, O Support, face to face, in Indra wholly concentrated. In Indra the worlds consist; in Indra
Creative Fervor and Order have their ground. You I have known, O Indra, face to
face, in the Support wholly established.” [Atharva Veda X, 7, 29-30].
“A hundred uninitiated
are equal to one brahmachara. A hundred brahmacharas are equal to one
grihastha. A hundred grihasthas are equal to one vanaprastha. A hundred
vanaprasthas are equal to one sannyasin.” [Atharva Veda, Narasinha Upa. 5.10.
upb, 832].
“He who knows the
suvarna (gold) of the saman (vital breath) obtains gold. Tone is verily its
gold. He who thus knows what the gold of the saman is obtains gold. He who
knows the support of the saman (vital breath) gets a support. Speech Verily is
its support. For, supported in speech, the vital breath is transformed into a
chant. Some say the support is in food (the body). Next follows the edifying
repetition (abhyaroha) only of the hymns called pavamanas. The priest called
prastotri indeed chants the saman. While he chants it, let the sacrificer
recite these [Yajur verses]: Lead me from the unreal to the real. From darkness
lead me to light. From death lead me to immortality. When the mantra (verse)
says: Lead me from the unreal to the real, the unreal means death, and the
real, immortality; so it says, From death lead me to immortality, that is to
say, Make me immortal. When it says: From darkness lead me to light, darkness
means death, and light, immortality; so it says: From death lead me to
immortality, that is to say, Make me immortal.” [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa.I,
III-The Prana: Its Glories and Redeeming Power, 26-28]
“In the verse: From
death lead me to immortality, there is nothing that is hidden. Then come the
remaining hymns, with which, by singing them, [the chanter] should obtain food
for himself. Therefore while they are being chanted let the sacrificer ask for
a boon-anything that he desires. Whatever objects this chanter, endowed with
such knowledge, desires for himself or for the sacrificer, he obtains by his
chanting. This [meditation] by itself wins the world (Hiranyagarbha). He who
thus knows the saman (the prana, or vital breath)-for him there is no fear of
not being admitted into that world.” [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa., I, III-The Prana:
Its Glories and Redeeming Power, 18].
“There the eye goes not,
nor words, nor mind. We know not. We cannot understand how He can be explained.
He is above the known, and He is above the unknown. Thus have we heard from the
ancient sages who explained this truth to us.” [Sama Veda, Kena Upa. 1.3. upm,
51]
“If he should desire,
Let me be born here again, in whatever family he directs his attention, either
the family of a brahmin or the family of a king, into that he will be born.”
[Sama Veda, Jaiminaya Upa., Brahmana, 3.28.3-4. vo, p. 115]
When the gods and the demons, both offspring of Prajapati,
fought with each other, the gods took hold of the Udgitha, thinking that with
this they would vanquish the demons. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., I, II - Meditation
on Om as the Prana, 1]
A man should think on wealth and strive to win it by adoration
on the path of Order, counsel himself with his own mental insight, and grasp
still nobler vigor with his spirit.[Rk Veda 10.31.2. rvg, 459]
In how many parts was He transformed when they cut the Purusha
in pieces? What did His mouth become? What His arms, what His thighs, what His
feet? His mouth then became the brahmana, from the arms the rajanya was made,
the vaishya from the thighs, from the feet the shudra came forth. [Rig Veda
10.90.11-12. upb, 894]
Let us know that supreme Being and meditate upon Him, the
Supreme General of the great deva army. May He enlighten us and lead us to be
one with Him, Lord Skanda. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Taittiriya Aranyaka 10.6.2-3
(Shanmukha Gayatri). lw, 112]
The atman pervades all like butter hidden in milk. He is the
source of Self-knowledge and ascetic fervor. This is the Brahman teaching, the
highest goal! This is the Brahman teaching, the highest goal! He who with the
truth of the atman, unified, perceives the truth of Brahman as with a lamp, who
knows God, the unborn, the stable, free from all forms of being, is released
from all fetters. The inspired Self is not born nor does He die; He springs
from nothing and becomes nothing. Unborn, permanent, unchanging, primordial, He
is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.[Krishna Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,
1.16; 2.15 & 18. ve, 711, 762, 566]
There are five gross elements and their respective subtle
aspects (reflecting the respective gunas), tanmantra,
such as Akasha having shabdha, vayu as sparsha. Agni as roopa, jala as rasa, and pruthvi as gandha. The
union of these is replicated in the human body, too. However, paramatman at His
desire assumes the form of a jiva (embodied soul). The Atma constructs its own
body; but, it is not the body. The spiritual soul is omniscient, omnipotent,
eternal, unborn and immortal. It is unattached to the body like a drop of water
on a lotus leaf! The human soul is under the power of the three basic
constituents- food or annam, prana,
and manas, as conditions of nature,
and thus it falls into confusion. Because of this confusion the soul cannot
become aware of the governing force. God, who dwells within as the guiding
force and energy (power) to work. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitra Upanishad 3.2.
upm, 100]
Taking as a bow the great weapon of the Upanishad, one should
put upon it an arrow sharpened by meditation. Stretching it with a thought
directed to the essence of That, penetrate that Imperishable as the mark, my
friend. [Atharva Veda, Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.3. uph, 372]
From all knowledge, yoga practice and meditation, all that
relates to the Aum sound is to be meditated on as the only blissful (Siva).
Indeed, the Aum sound is Siva.[Atharva Veda, Atharvashikha Upanishad 2. upb,
782]
Contemplating Him who has neither beginning, middle, nor end-the
One, the all-pervading, who is wisdom and bliss, the formless, the wonderful,
whose consort is Uma, the highest Lord, the ruler, having three eyes and a blue
throat, the peaceful-the silent sage reaches the source of Being, the universal
witness, on the other shore of darkness.[Atharva Veda, Kaivalya Upanishad 7.
ve, 764]
There is no one greater in the three worlds than the guru. It is
he who grants divine knowledge and should be worshiped with supreme devotion.
[Atharva Veda, Yoga-Sikha Upanishad 5.53. yt, 26]
Abiding in the midst of ignorance, but thinking themselves wise
and learned, fools aimlessly go hither and thither, like blind led by the
blind. [Atharva Veda, Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.8. upm, 77]
With this (i.e. the principal vital breath) one does not discern
what pleasant-smelling and what is foul-smelling; for it is unsmitten by evil.
Whatever a person eats or drinks with it (the principal vital breath) supports
the other pranas. That is why they depart when, at the time death, it no longer
supports them by eating and drinking. It opens the mouth at the time of death
as if the dying man wished to eat. Angira
meditated on the Udgitha as the principal prana. People call it (i.e. the
prana) Angiras, because it is the
essence (rasa) of the limbs (anga). Brihaspati meditated on the
Udgitha as the principal prana. People call it (the prana) Brihaspati, because
speech is great (brihat) and it is
the lord (pati) of speech. Ayasya
meditated on the Udgitha as the principal prana. People call it (the prana) as ayasya; because it comes (ayate) from the mouth (asya). Vaka, the son of Dalbhya, knew it
(the prana); he became the udgatri priest of the sacrifice dwelling in the Naimisha aranya. By singing the Udgitha he fulfilled all their desires. He
who knows this as described above and meditates upon the imperishable Udgitha
(Om) obtains all his desires by singing the Udgitha. So much for the Udgitha as
meditates on with reference to the body.[Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., I, II -
Meditation on Om as the Prana, 9-14]
Now is described the meditation on the Udgitha with reference to
the gods: One should meditate on the Udgitha as the sun who gives warmth. When
he (the sun) rises he sings the Udgitha for the benefit of all creatures. When
he rises he destroys darkness and fear. He who knows this becomes the destroyer
of darkness and fear. This prana and that sun are the same. This is warm and
that is warm. This they call svara (what goes out) and that, pratyasvara (what
returns). Therefore one should meditate on the Udgitha as this and that.[Sama
Veda, Chan. Upa., I, III - Meditation on the Udgitha as the Sun and the Vyana,
1-2]
Aum. O terrestrial sphere! O sphere of space! O celestial
sphere! Let us contemplate the splendor of the Solar Spirit, the Divine
Creator. May He guide our mind. [Rk Veda (Gayatri Mantra) 3.62.10. hp, 345].
Incidentally,
Sharadhvan, King of Gadi Kingdom, later came to be known as ‘Vishva Mitra’
(Friend of the World) after he got the mantra of Devi Gayatri and thus became
the drushtara, Rishi. He raised to the status of Brahma Rishi with the help of
the Gayatri mantra during his askesis. It is the mantra propitiating the Sun
God and one attains the very form (sarupya)
of the Savita Devi from the incessant chants of Gayatree.
O learned people, may we with our ears listen to what is
beneficial, may we see with our eyes what is beneficial. May we, engaged in
your praises, enjoy with firm limbs and sound bodies, a full term of life
dedicated to God. [Rig Veda 1.89.8. rvp, p. 287]
And other works also which require strength, such as the
kindling of fire by rubbing, running a race and stringing a strong bow, are
performed without breathing out or breathing in. Therefore one should meditate
on the Udgitha as the vyana. One should meditate on the letters of the word
Udgitha (i.e. ut, gi and tha). Ut is the prana, for a man rises (uttishthati) by means of the prana. Gi
is speech, for speeches are called girah.
Tha is food, for all this subsists (sthita)
on food. Ut is heaven (Svar), gi the
mid-region (bhuvah) and tha the earth
(bhu). Ut is the sun, gi the air and
tha fire. Ut is the Sama-Veda, gi the Yajur-Veda and tha -the Rig-Veda. To him
who thus meditates speech yields milk and milk is speech. He who knows this and
meditates on the letters of the Udgitha becomes the possessor of food and the
eater of food. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., I, III - Meditation on the Udgitha as
the Sun and the Vyana, 5-7]
At first was neither Being nor Nonbeing. There was not air nor
yet sky beyond. What was its wrapping? Where? In whose protection? Was Water
there, unfathomable and deep? There was no death then, nor yet deathlessness;
of night or day there was not any sign. The One breathed without breath, by its
own impulse. Other than that was nothing else at all. [Rk Veda X, 129, 1-2].
The Moon was born from his mind; the Sun came into being from
his eye; from his mouth came Indra and Agni, while from his breath the Wind was
born. From his navel issued the Air; from his head unfurled the Sky, the Earth
from his feet, from his ear the four directions. Thus have the worlds been
organized. Seven were the sticks of the enclosure, thrice seven the fuel sticks
were made, when the Gods, performing the sacrifice, bound the Man as the
victim. [Rk Veda X, 90, 13-15].
The soul is born and unfolds in a body, with dreams and desires
and the food of life. And then it is reborn in new bodies, in accordance with
its former works. The quality of the soul determines its future body; earthy or
airy, heavy or light. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Shveta Upanishad, 5.11-12. upm, p.
94].
Mind is indeed the source of bondage and also the source of
liberation. To be bound to things of this world-this is bondage. To be free
from them-this is liberation. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitrayani Upanishad 6.34.
upm, p. 104]
The non-dual Ensnarer rules by His powers. Remaining one and the
same, He rules by His powers all the worlds during their manifestation and
continued existence. They who know this become immortal. Rudra is truly one;
for the knowers of Brahman do not admit the existence of a second, He alone
rules all the worlds by His powers. He dwells as the inner Self of every living
being. After having created all the worlds, He, their Protector, takes them
back into Himself at the end of time. His eyes are everywhere, His faces
everywhere, His arms everywhere, everywhere His feet. He it is who endows men
with arms, birds with feet and wings and men likewise with feet. Having
produced heaven and earth, He remains as their non-dual manifester. He, the
omniscient Rudra, the creator of the gods and the bestower of their powers, the
support of the universe, He who, in the beginning, gave birth to
Hiranyagarbha-may He endow us with clear intellect! O Rudra, Thou who dwellest
in the body and bestowest happiness! Look upon us with that most blessed form
of Thine, which is auspicious, unterrifying and all good. [Yajur Veda,
Shvetasvatara Upanishad, Part I, Chapter III, 1-5]
The Purusha alone is all this-what has been and what will be. He
is also the Lord of Immortality and of whatever grows by food. [Yajur Veda,
Shvet Upa, Part I, Chapter III, 15]
The snake and the scorpion which viciously bite, which, chilled
by winter, lie slothfully hidden, the wriggling worm, all that stirs in the
rains--may it, creeping, not creep on us! Instead, may you grant us the
blessing of all that is wholesome! [Atharva Veda XII, 1, 46]
He who thus knows these Revati Samans as interwoven in animals
becomes the possessor of animals; he reaches the full length of life, lives
brightly, become great in children and cattle, great in fame. For him the
injunction is: Do not decry animals. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XVIII -
Meditation on the Revati Saman, 2]
He who thus knows the Yajnayajniya Saman as interwoven in the
members of the body becomes possessed of limbs; he is not crippled in any limb,
he reaches the full length of life, lives brightly, becomes great in children
and cattle, great in fame. For him the injunction is: For one year do not eat
meat or ''Do not eat meat at all."[Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XIX -
Meditation on the Yajnayajniya Saman, 2]
He who thus knows the Rajana Saman as interwoven in the gods
obtains the same world as the gods, acquires the same prosperity as theirs and
realizes union with them; he reaches the full length of lives brightly, becomes
great in children and cattle, great in fame. Him the injunction is: Do not
decry the brahmins. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., II, XX - Meditation on the Rajana
Saman, 2]
His hands and feet are everywhere; His eyes, heads and faces are
everywhere; His ears are everywhere; He exists compassing all. Himself devoid
of senses, He shines through the functions of the senses. He is the capable
ruler of all; He is the refuge of all. He is great. The Swan, the ruler of the
whole world, of all that is moving and all that is motionless, becomes the
embodied self and dwelling in the city of nine gates, flies outward. Grasping
without hands, hasting without feet, It sees without eyes, It hears without
ears. It knows what is to be known, but no one knows It. They call It the
First, the Great, the Full. The Self, smaller than the small, greater than the
great, is hidden in the hearts of creatures. The wise, by the grace of the
Creator, behold the Lord, majestic and desireless and become free from grief.
[[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa, Part I, Chapter III, 16-20]
Departing like one who will return, sister Night relinquishes her
place to her elder sister, who, beaming forth with the rays of the Sun, is
adorned, like maidens going to a festival. [Rk Veda I, 124, 8]
All faces are His faces; all heads, His heads; all necks, His
necks. He dwells in the hearts of all beings. He is the all-pervading Bhagavan.
Therefore He is the omnipresent and benign Lord. He, indeed, is the great
Purusha, the Lord of creation, preservation and destruction, who inspires the
mind to attain the state of stainlessness. He is the Ruler and the Light that
is imperishable. The Purusha, no bigger than a thumb, is the inner Self, ever
seated in the heart of man. He is known by the mind, which controls knowledge
and is perceived in the heart. They who know Him become immortal. The Purusha
with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet, compasses the earth on
all sides and extends beyond it by ten fingers' breadth. [Yajur Veda, Shveta
Upa., Part I, Chapter III, 11-14]
That which is neither internal consciousness nor external
consciousness nor both together, which does not consist solely in compact
consciousness, which is neither conscious nor unconscious, which is invisible,
unapproachable, impalpable, indefinable, unthinkable, unnamable, whose very
essence consists of the experience of its own self, which absorbs all
diversity, is tranquil and benign, without a second, which is what they call
the fourth state -- that is the atman. This it is which should be known.
[Atharva Veda, Mandukya Upanishad 2.7. VE, P. 723]
Revealed and yet dwelling hidden in the cave is that which is
called the great Abode. Whatever moves and breathes and blinks is fixed
therein. Know this as being and also nonbeing, the desire of all hearts,
transcending knowledge, best beloved of every creature. Burning as a flame and
subtlest of the subtle, in which are firmly fixed the worlds and their peoples
-- that is the imperishable Brahman. That is life and word and spirit, the
true, the immortal! That, my friend, is to be known -- know that![Atharva Veda,
Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.1-2, VE, P. 685]
Next follows the fulfilment of prayers. One should thus meditate
on the object one wishes to obtain through meditation: he (i.e. the udgatri
priest) should meditate on the Saman with which he is going chant the praise.
He (the udgatri priest) should meditate on the Rik in which that Saman occurs,
on the rishi to whom it was revealed and on the deity whom he is going to
praise. He (the udgatri priest) should meditate on the metre in which he is
going to chant the praise; he should meditate on the hymn by which he is going
to chant the praise. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., I, III - Meditation on the Udgitha
as the Sun and the Vyana, 8-10].
The seer sees not death, nor sickness, nor any distress. The
seer sees only the All, obtains the All entirely. For the sake of experiencing
the true and the false, the great Self has a dual nature. Yea, the great Self
has a dual nature. Yea, the great Self has a dual nature! [Krishna Yajur Veda,
Maitrayani Upanishad 7.11.6 & 8. uph, 458]
There are two ways of
contemplation of Brahman: in sound and in silence. By sound we go to silence.
The sound of Brahman is Aum. With Aum we go to the End, the silence of Brahman.
The End is immortality, union and peace. Even as a spider reaches the liberty
of space by means of its own thread, the man of contemplation by means of Aum
reaches freedom. The sound of Brahman is Aum. At the end of Aum is silence. It
is a silence of joy. It is the end of the journey, where fear and sorrow are no
more: steady, motionless, never-falling, everlasting, and immortal. It is
called the omnipresent Vishnu. In order to reach the Highest, consider, in
adoration, the sound and the silence of Brahman. For it has been said: God is
sound and silence. His name is Aum. Attain, therefore, contemplation, contemplation
in silence on Him. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitra Upanishad 6.22-23.
upm, 102]
Than whom there is naught else higher, than whom there is naught
smaller, naught greater, the One stands like a tree established in heaven. By
Him, the Person, is this whole universe filled. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Shveatashvatara
Upanishad 3.9. upr, 727]
Even as water becomes one with water, fire with fire, and air
with air, so the mind becomes one with the Infinite Mind and thus attains final
freedom. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitrayani Upanishad 6.34.11. tu, 103]
All the sacred books, all holy sacrifice and ritual and prayers,
all the words of the Vedas, and the whole past and present and future, come
from the Spirit. With maya, His power of wonder, He made all things, and by
maya the human soul is bound. Know, therefore, that nature is maya, but that
God is the ruler of maya, and that all beings in our universe are parts of His
infinite splendor. [Krishna Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa., 4.9-10. upm, 92].
He
who from birth was chief of the Gods, the wise one, protecting with his might
the other Gods, before whose energy and mighty exploits the two worlds tremble:
he, Men, is the Lord! Who stilled the quaking of the mighty earth and set at
rest the agitated mountains, who measured out the middle regions of space and
gave the sky support: he, Men, is the Lord! Who slew the dragon and loosed the
seven rivers, who drove the cattle out of Vala's cavern, who brought forth fire
from between the rocks, victorious ever: he, Men, is the Lord! [Rk Veda II, 12,
1-3].
That
deity, after taking away the death-the evil-of the gods, carried them beyond
death. First of all, it carried the organ of speech, which is the foremost
organ. When the organ of speech was freed from death it became fire. That fire,
having transcended death, shines beyond its reach. Then it carried the organ of
smell. When it was freed from death it became air (Vayu). That air, having
transcended death, blows beyond its reach. Then it carried the organ of sight.
When it was freed from death it became the sun (Surya). That sun, having
transcended death, shines beyond its reach. Then it carried the organ of
hearing. When it was freed from death, it became the quarters (Disha). Those
quarters, having transcended death, remain beyond its reach. Then it carried
the mind. When the mind was freed from death it became the moon (Chandra). That
moon, having transcended death, shines beyond its reach. Thus, verily, that
deity carries beyond death him who knows this. [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa., I,
III-The Prana: Its Glories and Redeeming Power, 11-16].
Spring
up, become fair, be distended, O barley, with your own increase! Burst all
vessels designed to contain you! May lightning not smite you in that place
where we make our appeal to you. In response, divine barley, to our invocation,
rise up there tall as the sky, inexhaustible as the boundless sea! [Atharva
Veda VI, 142, 1- 2]
He
who consists of the mind, whose body is subtle, whose form is light, whose
thoughts are true, whose nature is like the akasa, whose creation in this
universe, who cherishes all righteous desires, who contains all pleasant
odours, who is endowed with all tastes, who embraces all this, who never speaks
and who is without longing-He is my Self within the heart, smaller than a grain
of rice, smaller than a grain of barley, smaller than a mustard seed, smaller
than a grain of millet; He is my Self within the heart, greater than the earth,
greater than the mid-region, greater than heaven, greater than all these
worlds.
He
whose creation is this universe, who cherishes all desires, who contains all
odours, who is endowed with all tastes, who embraces all this, who never speaks
and who is without longing-He is my Self within the heart, He is that Brahman.
When I shall have departed hence I shall certainly reach Him: one who has this
faith and has no doubt will certainly attain to that Godhead. Thus said
Sandilya, yea, thus he said. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa. III, XIV - The Shandilya
Doctrine, 1-3]
The
chest of the universe, with the mid-region for its inside and the earth for its
bottom, does not decay. The quarters are its different corners and heaven is
its lid, which is above. This chest is the storehouse of treasures. Inside it
are all things. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa., III, XV - Meditation on the Universe as
a Chest, 1]
Now
may this God Savitri, the strong and mighty, Lord of all wealth, vouchsafe to
us his riches! May he, extending his far-spreading luster, bestow on us the
food that nourishes men! These songs praise Savitri of gentle speech, whose
arms are full, whose hands are beautiful. Preserve us evermore, O Gods, with
blessings. [Rk Veda VII, 45, 3-4]
May
those who tend you prove inexhaustible, inexhaustible their barns,
inexhaustible those who offer you in sacrifice and those who consume you! [Atharva
Veda VI, 142, 3].
The seer sees not death, nor sickness, nor any distress. The
seer sees only the All, obtains the All entirely. For the sake of experiencing
the true and the false, the great Self has a dual nature. Yea, the great Self
has a dual nature. Yea, the great Self has a dual nature! [Krishna Yajur Veda,
Maitra Upa. 7.11.6 & 8. uph, 458].
The
attendant searched for him and returned without finding him. Then the king said
to him: Listen, where a knower of Brahman is to searched for, look for him
there. After proper search the attendant came upon a person who, lying
underneath his cart, was scratching an itch. Humbly he took his seat near him
and said: Revered Sir, are you Raikva, the man with the cart? Oh yes, I am he,
he answered. Then the attendant returned, saying to himself: I have found him
out.
So
these four castes were projected: the brahmin: the kshatriya, the vaisya, and
the sudra. Among the gods Prajapati became a brahmin as fire, and among men He
became the brahmin. He became a kshatriya among men through the divine
kshatriyas, a vaisya through the divine vaisyas, and a sudra through the divine
sudras. Therefore people desire to attain the results of their rites among the
gods through fire, and among men as a brahmin. For Prajapati directly projected
Himself as these two forms. [So these four castes were projected: the brahmin:
the kshatriya, the vaisya, and the sudra. Among the gods Prajapati became a
brahmin as fire, and among men He became the brahmin. He became a kshatriya
among men through the divine kshatriyas, a vaisya through the divine vaisyas,
and a sudra through the divine sudras. Therefore people desire to attain the
results of their rites among the gods through fire, and among men as a brahmin.
For Prajapati directly projected Himself as these two forms. Now, if a man
departs from this world without realizing his own World (the Self), It, being
unknown, does not protect him-as the Vedas, unrecited, or as a deed
unaccomplished, do not protect him. Nay, even if one who does not know It (the
Self) should perform here on earth a great many meritorious acts, those acts
will in the end surely perish for him. One should meditate only upon the World
called the Self. He who meditates upon the World called the Self-his work does
not perish; for from this very Self he projects whatever he desires. Now, this
self (the ignorant person) is an object of enjoyment (lokah) to all beings. In
so far as he offers oblations in the fire and performs sacrifices, he becomes
an object of enjoyment to the gods. In so far as he studies the Vedas, he
becomes an object of enjoyment to the rishis. In so far as he makes offerings
to the Manes and desires children, he becomes an object of enjoyment to the
Manes. In so far as he gives shelter and food to men, he becomes an object of
enjoyment to men. In so far as he gives fodder and water to the animals, he
becomes an object of enjoyment to the animals. In so far as beasts and birds
and even ants find a living in his home, he becomes an object of enjoyment to
these. Just as one wishes no injury to one's body, so do all beings wish no
injury to him who has this knowledge. All this, indeed, has been known and well
investigated. In the beginning this aggregate of desirable objects was but the
self, one only. He cherished the desire: Let me have a wife, so that I may be
born as the child; and let me have wealth, so that I may perform rites. This
much, indeed, is the range of desire; even if one wishes, one cannot get more
than this. Therefore, to this day, a man who is single desires: Let me have a
wife, so that I may be born as the child; and let me have wealth, so that I may
perform rites. So long as he does not obtain each one of these, he thinks he is
incomplete. Now, his completeness can also come in this way: The mind is his
self, speech his wife, the vital breath his child, the eye his human wealth,
for he finds it with the eye; the ear his divine wealth, for he hears it with
the ear; the body his instrument of rites, for he performs rites through the
body. So this sacrifice has five factors-the animals have five factors, men
have five factors and all this that exists has five factors. He who knows this
obtains all this. [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa, I, IV-The Creation and Its Cause,
15-17].
Brahm Samhita
This is a beautiful poem of adoration of Adi Purusha Govinda who created the
universe and all of us. We worship Him. It runs like this:
Lord Govinda is praised here as the Creator. “Krishna who is known as Govinda is the
Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of
all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.
I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the
cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by
millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by
hundreds of thousands of lakshmis or gopis.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with
blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock's feather, with
the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique
loveliness charming millions of Cupids.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round whose neck is swinging a garland of
flowers beautified with the moon-locket, whose two hands are adorned with the
flute and jewel ornaments, who always revels in pastimes of love, whose
graceful threefold-bending form of Shyamasundara is eternally manifest.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss,
truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendour. Each of
the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged
functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the
infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but
obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who
is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is
the beginning, and the eternal purusha; yet He is a person possessing the
beauty of blooming youth.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tip of the toe of whose lotus feet
is approached by the yogis who aspire after the transcendental and betake
themselves to pranayama by drilling the respiration; or by the jnyanis who try
to find out the non-differentiated Brahman by the process of elimination of the
mundane, extending over thousands of millions of years. He is an
undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the
possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency
remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His
fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe,
at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.
“I
adore the same Govinda, the primeval Lord, in whose praise men, who are imbued
with devotion, sing the mantra-suktas told by the Vedas, by gaining their
appropriate beauty, greatness, thrones, conveyances and ornaments.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Go loka, (that
stands for Light and Knowledge with Radha (that stands for Resources and
Technology /creative energy and creativity and skill), resembling (Purusha and
Prakruti)- His own spiritual power, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency
possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities; it is indeed the potential and
the kinetic aspects.
Govinda with Radha is presented as a
symbolism, depicting Purusha with His Prowess depicted as Govinda (Krishna) in
the company of Radha and Her confidantes [sakhis],
the latter as the embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated
and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who
is Shyamasundara, Krishna Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes,
whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion
tinged with the salve of love.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Krishna
and the different manifestations (avatara) in the world in the forms of Rama,
Narasimha, Vamana, etc., as His subjective portions.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the
non-differentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upanishads, being differentiated
from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the
indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is the absolute substantive principle
being the ultimate entity in the form of the support of all existence whose
external potency embodies the threefold mundane qualities, viz., sattva, rajas,
and tamas and diffuses the Vedic knowledge regarding the mundane world.”
“I
worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose glory ever triumphantly dominates the
mundane world by the activity of His own pastimes, being reflected in the mind
of recollecting souls as the transcendental entity of ever-blissful cognitive
rasa. Lowest of all is located Devi-dhama [mundane world], next above it is
Mahesh-dhama (abode of Shiva); above Mahesha-dhama is placed Hari-dhama [abode
of Hari] and above them all is located Krishna's own realm named Go loka. I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who has allotted their respective authorities
to the rulers of those graded realms. The external potency Maya who is of the
nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durga,
the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore
the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself.”
Just as milk is transformed into curd by the action of acids, but yet the
effect curd is neither same as, nor different from, its cause, viz., milk, so I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whom the state of Shambhu is a
transformation for the performance of the work of destruction. The light of one
candle being communicated to other candles, although it burns separately in
them, is the same in its quality. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who
exhibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in His various
manifestations.”
“I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda who assuming His own great subjective form, who
bears the name of Sesha, replete with the all-accommodating potency, and
reposing in the Causal Ocean with the infinity of the world in the pores of His
hair, enjoys creative sleep (yoga-nidra).
Brahma and other lords of the heavens, appearing from the pores of hair of
Maha-Vishnu, remain alive as long as the duration of one exhalation of the
latter (Maha-Vishnu). I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whose subjective
personality Maha-Vishnu is the portion of portion.” I adore the primeval Lord Govinda from whom
the separated subjective portion Brahma receives his power for the regulation
of the mundane world, just as the sun manifests some portion of his own light
in all the effulgent gems that bear the names of suryakanta, etc”.
“I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda, whose lotus feet are always held by Ganesha upon the pair of tumuli
protruding from his elephant head in order to obtain power for his function of
destroying all the obstacles on the path of progress of the three worlds.
The
three worlds are composed of the nine elements, viz., fire, earth, ether,
water, air, direction, time, soul and mind. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda
from whom they originate, in whom they exist and into whom they enter at the
time of the universal cataclysm. The sun who is the king of all the planets,
full of infinite effulgence, the image of the good soul, is as the eye of this
world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in pursuance of whose order the sun
performs his journey mounting the wheel of time.
I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda, by whose conferred power are maintained the
manifested potentialities that are found to exist, of all virtues, all vices,
the Vedas, the penances and all jivas, from Brahma to the meanest insect.”
“I
adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who burns up to their roots all fruitive
activities of those who are imbued with devotion and impartially ordains for each
the due enjoyment of the fruits of one's activities, of all those who walk in
the path of work, in accordance with the chain of their previously performed
works, no less in the case of the tiny insect that bears the name of indragopa than in that of Indra, king
of the devas. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, the mediators of whom, by
meditating upon Him under the sway of wrath, amorous passion, natural friendly
love, fear, parental affection, delusion, reverence and willing service, attain
to bodily forms befitting the nature of their contemplation.”
“I
worship that transcendental seat, known as Svetadvipa
whereas loving consorts the Lakshmi’s
in their unalloyed spiritual essence practice the amorous service of the
Supreme Lord Krishna as their only lover; where every tree is a transcendental
purpose tree; where the soil is the purpose gem, all water is nectar, every
word is a song, every gait is a dance, the flute is the favorite attendant,
effulgence is full of transcendental bliss and the supreme spiritual entities
are all enjoyable and tasty, where numberless milk cows always emit
transcendental oceans of milk; where there is eternal existence of
transcendental time, who is ever present and without past or future and hence
is not subject to the quality of passing away even for the space of half a
moment. That realm is known as Go loka
only to a very few self-realized souls in this world.”
This in brief a very beautiful account of
how the supreme Lord Govinda, the first–born, ‘Adi purusha’, created the universe in all its splendour and
grandeur! He the chief architect of the universe remains outside His creation
and runs it with powerful forces that are nothing but His own manifest forms.
At the highest levels, these are the physical elements, devi - devata
(enunciated in the Rk Veda). The elemental gods are Fire, Air, Water, Earth,
Sky, Vegetation, and the like. The Veda eulogizes these Gods and pray for
protection and support to all living beings on earth. Fire God Agni is given
utmost prominence here.
Gravitational Waves from Black Holes Are
Detected for Third Time
The ripples in spacetime reached Earth from a
cosmic collision about 3 billion light-years away.
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These are the
artists’ impression of the collapse of neutron stars, their collision and explosion leading to
splurge of heavy metals like gold, uranium, platinum, silver etc in the
universe. This is how all the gold and uranium are found.en Maitreyi said: Just here you have bewildered me,
venerable Sir, by saying that after attaining oneness the self has no more
consciousness. Yajnavalkya replied: Certainly I am not saying anything
bewildering, my dear. This Reality is enough for knowledge, O Maitreyi. Yajur
Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, IV-Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi (I), 13 Brahman
is the spoon dripping fatness; by Brahman the altar is established. Brahman
is the essence of sacrifice the priests prepare the oblation. To the
minister, praise! Atharva
Veda XIX, 42, 2 May
Fever flee hence, exorcised by Agni, exorcised by Soma and the Pressing
Stone, by Varuna, sheer Mind, the altar, the grass of sacrifice, and the
blazing logs! May all harmful things scatter! Atharva
Veda V, 22, 1 To
the depths I dispatch, though with cautious politeness, this promoter of dysentery!
Let her now return to the place where she belongs! (begone illness!) Atharva
Veda V, 22, 4 O
Fever all gray with an arsenic tinge, accompanied by pains and covered with
blotches, go seek a new victim to strike with your plague! Atharva
Veda V, 22, 6
That
splendor that resides in an elephant, in a king among men, or within the
waters, with which the Gods in the beginning came to godhood, with that same splendor
make me splendid, O Lord. Atharva
Veda III, 22, 3 O
All-Knowing God, that powerful strength with which sacrifice endows you, the
strength of the sun, the strength of the elephant, King among men-- may the
two Spirits, garlanded with lotus, vouchsafe that to me! Atharva
Veda III, 22, 4 From
the four directions, as far as the eye can direct its gaze, may that force,
that elephant splendor, assemble and concentrate its virtue in me. Atharva
Veda III, 22, 5 He
is also called Bhamani, for he shines (bhati) in all the worlds. He who knows
this shines in all the worlds. Sama
Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, XV - Instruction by the Teacher, 4 Now,
whether or not they perform the funeral rites for such a person, he goes to
light, from light to day, from day to the bright half of the moon, from the
bright half of the moon to the six months during which the sun goes to the
north, from those months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun
to the moon, from the moon to lightning. There a person who is not a human
being meets him and leads him to Brahman. This is the Path of the Gods
(Devayana), the path leading to Brahman. Those who travel by it do not return
to the whirl of humanity, yea, they do not return. Sama
Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, XV - Instruction by the Teacher, 5
Maitreyi, my dear, said Yajnavalkya, I am going to
renounce this life. Let me make a final settlement between you and Katyayani
(his other wife). Thereupon Maitreyi said: Venerable Sir, if indeed the whole
earth, full of wealth, belonged to me, would I be immortal through that? No,
replied Yajnavalkya, your life would be just like that of people who have
plenty. Of Immortality, however, there is no hope through wealth. Yajur Veda,
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, IV-Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi (I),1- 2 Behold the elephant, best of all creatures to mount
and to ride! I anoint myself with his share of strength, with his elephant
splendor! With the splendor that resides in a lion, a tiger,
an adder, the fire, Brahman, the sun, may that blessed Goddess who gave birth
to Indra now come to us, endowed with splendor! With the splendor that
resides in an elephant, a leopard, in gold, in the waters, in cattle and in
men, may that blessed Goddess who gave birth to Indra now come to us, endowed
with splendor! [Atharva Veda VI, 38, 1- 2]
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His Mightiness,
escorted by the Storms, has brought me strong comfort in distress. May I
unharmed find shelter with him as from glaring heat! May I secure the
goodwill of God! How I long, O God, for the gracious touch of your hand which
heals and brings refreshment, which softens all chastisements of the Gods.
Regard me, O Mighty One, with an indulgent eye. [Rk Veda II, 33, 6- 7] Then Maitreyi said:
What should I do with that which would not make me immortal? Tell me, venerable
Sir, of that alone which you know to be the only means of attaining
Immortality. Yajnavalkya replied: My dear, you have been my beloved even
before, and now you say what is after my heart. Come, sit down; I will
explain it to you. As I explain it, meditate on what I say. Then Yajnavalkya
said: Verily, not for the sake of the husband, my dear, is the husband loved,
but he is loved for the sake of the self which, in its true nature, is one
with the Supreme Self. Verily, not for the sake of the wife, my dear, is the
wife loved, but she is loved for the sake of the self. Verily, not for the
sake of the sons, my dear, are the sons loved, hut they are loved for the
sake of the self. Verily, not for the sake of wealth, my dear, is wealth
loved, but it is loved for the sake of the self. Verily, not for the sake of
the brahmin, my dear, is the brahmin loved, but he is loved for the sake of
the self. Verily, not for the sake of the kshatriya, my dear, is the
kshatriya loved, but he is loved for the sake of the self. [Yajur Veda, Brih.
Upa. II, IV-Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi (I), 3-5) |
That splendor that resides in an elephant, in a king among men,
or within the waters, with which the Gods in the beginning came to godhood,
with that same splendor make me splendid, O Lord. O All-Knowing God, that
powerful strength with which sacrifice endows you, the strength of the sun, the
strength of the elephant, King among men-- may the two Spirits, garlanded with
lotus, vouchsafe that to me! From the four directions, as far as the eye can
direct its gaze, may that force, that elephant splendor, assemble and
concentrate its virtue in me. [Atharva Veda III, 22, 3-5]
He is also called Bhamani, for he shines (bhati) in all the
worlds. He who knows this shines in all the worlds. Now, whether or not they
perform the funeral rites for such a person, he goes to light, from light
today, from day to the bright half of the moon, from the bright half of the
moon to the six months during which the sun goes to the north, from those
months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun to the moon, from
the moon to lightning. There a person who is not a human being meets him and
leads him to Brahman. This is the Path of the Gods (Devayana), the path leading
to Brahman. Those who travel by it do not return to the whirl of humanity, yea,
they do not return. [Sama Veda, Cha. Upa. IV, XV - Instruction by the Teacher,
1-5]
Verily, there are two forms of Brahman: gross and subtle, mortal
and immortal, limited and unlimited, definite and indefinite. The gross form is
that which is other than air and akasa. It is mortal, limited and definite. The
essence of that which is gross, which is mortal, which is limited and which is
definite is the sun that shines, for it (the sun) is the essence of the three
elements. Now the subtle: It is air and akasa. It is immortal, it is unlimited
and it is indefinite. The essence of that which is subtle, which is immortal,
which is unlimited and which is indefinite is the Person (Purusha) in the solar
orb, for that Person is the essence of the two elements. This is with reference
to the gods. [Yajur Veda, Brih. Upa. II, III - The Two Forms of Brahman, 1-3]
May the splendor of an elephant, the greatest of all creatures,
may that great glory, which was born from the Boundless, now be diffused. The
Gods together have bestowed it upon me. On this splendor have all the powers of
heaven concentrated their thought. May those Gods who nourish all life on earth
anoint me with splendor! [Atharva Veda III, 22, 1-2]
I adjure you, O Fevers of every sort, whether rife in the autumn
or monsoon or summer, intermittent or continuous, shivering or burning, depart
and vanish!
Atharva Veda V, 22, 13
The organ of speech departed. After being away for a whole year,
it came back and said: How have you been able to live without me? The other
organs replied: We lived just as dumb people live, without speaking, but
breathing with the prana (nose), seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear and
thinking with the mind. Then the organ of speech entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the Prana,
8
The eye departed. After being away for a whole year, it came
back and said: How have you been able to live without me? The other organs
replied: We lived just as blind people live, without seeing, but breathing with
the prana, speaking with the tongue, hearing with the ear and thinking with the
mind. Then the eye entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 9
The ear went out. After being away for a whole year, it came
back and said: How have you been able to live without me? The other organs
replied: We lived just as deaf people live, without hearing, but breathing with
the prana. Speaking with the tongue, seeing with the eye and thinking with the
mind. Then the ear entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 10
The mind went out. After being away for a whole year, it came
back and said: How have you been able to live without me? The other organs
replied: We lived just like children whose minds are not yet formed, without
thinking with the mind, but breathing with the prana, speaking with the tongue,
seeing with the eye and hearing with the ear. Then the mind entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 11
This water is the honey (effect) of all beings, and all beings
are the honey (effect) of this water. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who
is in this water and the bright, immortal being existing as the semen in the
body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self
is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge
of Brahman is the means of becoming all.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, V-The Interdependence
of Created Objects, 2
This fire is the honey (effect) of all beings, and all beings
are the honey (effect) of this fire. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who
is in this fire and the bright, immortal being identified with the organ of
speech in the body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge
of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman;
this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, V-The Interdependence
of Created Objects, 3
This air is the honey (effect) of all beings, and all beings are
the honey (effect) of this air. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in
this air and the bright, immortal being identified with the vital breath in the
body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self
is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge
of Brahman is the means of becoming all.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II, V-The Interdependence
of Created Objects, 4
Now cold, now burning, you rack with a cough. Terrible are your
features, O Fever. Pray spare us the sight of your face!
Atharva Veda V, 22, 10
Do not bring in your train either languor or cough or rasping of
breath. Return never more to the place you have quit.
Atharva Veda V, 22, 11
He who knows what has the attributes of firmness (pratishtha)
becomes firm in this world and the next. The eye, indeed, is endowed with
firmness.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 3
He who knows prosperity (sampad), his wishes are fulfilled-both
divine and human wishes. The ear, indeed, is prosperity.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 4
He who knows the abode (ayatana) becomes the abode of his
kinsmen. The mind, indeed, is the abode.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the
Prana, 5
Your remedies so pure, O powerful Storms, afford us relief and
bring us joy. Those which our father Manu chose I beg from the Lord for my own
well-being.
Rig Veda II, 33, 13
May God's missile be deflected from us, may the anger of the
blazing God overshoot us! Relax your bow of wrath toward our well-wishers. Have
pity on our sons and on their children!
Rig Veda II, 33, 14
Then
considering her (the princess) as the door for imparting knowledge, Raikva said:
O Sudra! You brought these cows and other presents; this is good. But you will
make me speak now only through this means (i.e. the princess). These are the
villagesnamed Raikvaparna, in the country of Mahavrishas, where Raikva lived.
Now Raikva said to the king:
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, II - Dialogue of Raikva and
Janasruti (I), 5
Verily, Vayu (the air) is the swallower (samvarga). For when
fire goes out it is indeed swallowed by the air. When the sun sets it is
swallowed by the air. When the moon sets it is swallowed by the air.
The attendant searched for him and returned without finding him.
Then the king said to him: Listen, where a knower of Brahman is to searched
for, look for him there. [Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, I - The Story of Janasruti
and Raikva, 7]
After proper search the attendant came upon a person who, lying
underneath his cart, was scratching an itch. Humbly he took his seat near him
and said: Revered Sir, are you Raikva, the man with the cart?
Oh yes, I am he, he
answered. Then the attendant returned, saying to himself: I have found him out.
[Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, I - The Story of Janasruti and Raikva, 8. Sama
Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and Janasruti (II), 1]
When water dries up it is swallowed by the air. For indeed the
air absorbs them all. So much with reference to the gods.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and Janashruti
(II), 2
Now with reference to the body: Verily, the prana is the
swallower. When a man sleeps, speech goes into the prana, sight goes into the
prana, hearing goes into the prana and the mind goes into the prana. For indeed
the prana absorbs them all.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and
Janasruti (II), 3
These are the two swallowers: the air among the gods, the prana
among the senses.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and
Janasruti (II), 4
Then considering her (the princess) as the door for imparting
knowledge, Raikva said: O Sudra! You brought these cows and other presents;
this is good. But you will make me speak now only through this means (i.e. the
princess). These are the villages named Raikvaparna, in the country of
Mahavrishas, where Raikva lived. Now Raikva said to the king:
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, II - Dialogue of Raikva and
Janashruti (I), 5
Verily, Vayu (the air) is the swallower (samvarga). For when
fire goes out it is indeed swallowed by the air. When the sun sets it is
swallowed by the air. When the moon sets it is swallowed by the air.
When water dries up it is swallowed by the air. For indeed the
air absorbs them all. So much with reference to the gods. Now with reference to
the body: Verily, the prana is the swallower. When a man sleeps, speech goes into
the prana, sight goes into the prana, hearing goes into the prana and the mind
goes into the prana. For indeed the prana absorbs them all. These are the two
swallowers: the air among the gods, the prana among the senses. [Sama Veda,
Chandogya Upanishad IV, III - Dialogue of Raikva and Janasruti (II), 1-4]
The attendant searched for him and returned without finding him.
Then the king said to him: Listen, where a knower of Brahman is to searched
for, look for him there.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, I - The Story of Janasruti
and Raikva, 7
After proper search the attendant came upon a person who, lying
underneath his cart, was scratching an itch. Humbly he took his seat near him
and said: Revered Sir, are you Raikva, the man with the cart? Oh yes, I am he,
he answered. Then the attendant returned, saying to himself: I have found him
out.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad IV, I - The Story of Janasruti
and Raikva, 8
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