Gita is an extract of Upanishads (Vedas). Vedanta is the end portion of Vedas. In the beginning it is the Karma yoga and Upasana yoga (Bhakti Yoga) then Gnana yoga etc. Before coming to Vedanta I think that ‘I’ am the Body, growing, knowing etc. ‘I’ am Brahmanaga. ‘I’ claim I am Sudranaga. This strong conviction is there for everyone before coming to Vedanta. After knowing Vedanta, he negates everyone of the above mentioned statement. He understands that ‘I’ am the consciousness principle.
Every human being is a samsari. Question arises as to whether there is a meaning in living itself? Is it worth continuing in life? Dormant Samsara surfaces when there is a crisis in life. Every human being discovers the problem of samsara during the moment of crisis. Arjuna discovers the problem of samsara in the battle field of Kurukshetra. This is the discovery of helplessness; discovery of the need of a spiritual guide to solve the problem. Surrendering to a spiritual guide (Lord Krishna in the case of Arjuna) is the last stage. Attachment, grief, delusion is the universal problem of samsara.
We do have certain choices in Life. Between good and a bad choice we choose good one always. Helplessness, anger, frustration, depression are the problems. Problem of family life involves Health, Profession etc. which will be questioned. Samara is that stage when Life appears to be a Liability.
Grief or sorrow that one suffers is directly proportional to the attachment. It is Psychosomatic; bodily problem caused by mind. Attachment and Love are diagonally opposite as regards the consequences. As per Vedanta attachment promotes samsara; Whereas Love is the promoter of Moksha. By attachment is meant that a person who gives importance primarily to one’s own selfish interests. Love – Here the interest of oneself is secondary. The interest of others is given primary importance. Love is selfless. Attachment is selfish. Attachment leads to Fear, Anxiety, and Stress etc. which is samsara. A loving person doesn’t lean on the object of attachment. A loving mind is a strong mind. It is a liberated mind. Love doesn’t cause stress, tension or fear. Happiness shared is Happiness doubled; we should share the joy of living with the near and dear ones. Sorrow shared is sorrow halved.
Thus we see that Arjuna is not able to face Samsara problem by himself. Hence he surrenders to Krishna. Emotional dependence is called samsara because the objects and people that we rely upon are not dependable. Dependence involves risks. Future sorrow will be directly proportional to the intensity of dependence.
According to Vedas pursuit of money and sense pleasures (Kama & artha) should be balanced by ethical and moral values and Dharma. Religious values are to be pursued. It will create appropriate conditions for Moksha. By moksha we mean that everything has to be seen as Bhagavan’s property and nothing belongs to me. Success in life is measured by your bank balance, house, Property you have etc. After some time we find materialization by itself is hollow. Matter is nothing but a product of Maya. From a distance it (Maya) will be attractive like a Mirage (water). Actually it is not. Respecting Brahman without maya is meaningless. When I love money too much, adharma will prevail. I will never be able to fulfill my desire by normal earning and living. Greed will lead to moral compromises. It is inevitable.
In the 2nd Chapter of Gita, Krishna gives the solution for Arjuna’s question. Controlling the external factor (our peace of mind is linked to the external factor) to ensure our peace of mind. Delink your peace of mind from the external factor. This is tough but a practical approach. Trying to control the world is an impractical approach. You will get emotional immunity. Freedom from emotional dependence is Moksha.
We can see that the situation changes from one of battle to one of spiritual dialogue. The dialogue is between Arjuna and Lord Krishna. Sanjaya reports to Dhirdharastra the developments in the battlefield. Dharma is on the side of the Pandavas and they win ultimately in spite of trials and tribulations that they go through. The teaching is given in the form of a dialogue (Samvadey) between a Guru and a sishya. Spiritual knowledge requires our effort and the guidance of an acharya and cannot be gained independently. Spiritual knowledge is a systematic education programme where doubts are cleared by way of dialogue.
Vedanta is the essence of the scriptures. Vedanta enunciates the eternal principles of life and living. In Upanishads we see these principles by way of a dialogue between the Guru and the student where the Guru talks about the unknown god to the student. Upanishads contain the philosophy of Vedanta. Veda means knowledge and anta means end. Thus Vedanta means end of knowledge. It will take you to the ultimate of self realization or god realization. Upanishads talk about your life and the very purpose of your life.
You are engaged all along with body, mind and intellect and totally cut up with emotions of the world. Original nature is not seen. As a child you are engrossed in Toy world. Child grows into a youth and engrossed with your passions. It is impossible to pull out of youth passions. In old age you are anxious about things and worry about anxiety. The guru asks sishya; when are you going to think about Brahman?
The essential difference between ‘Bhagavad Gita’ and ‘Upanishads’
The seekers of Bhagavad Gita are better placed than Arjuna. For learning Upanishads you have to upgrade as a student.
Gita is given to Arjuna by a friend (Lord Krishna). Arjuna was an average student. Here in Vedanta the student approaches a Guru in the forest. Student of Upanishad is fully qualified and seeking knowledge.
Gita was given in the battlefield. Bhagavad Gita is a path of Truth. Upanishad is given in a Jungle. Upanishad is a declaration of truth.
Arjuna completely surrenders in Bhagavad Gita. Upanishads is a well planned truth given to the student by the Guru. Here the student really wants to know. It indicates the devotion of the student. The student sits below on the ground. Guru is at a higher position. Below indicates devotion. Below indicates an introvert.
The 4 parts in the Upanishads are:-
1st Part is the declaration of the Truth. Here direct question is put up by the sishya and direct answer is given by the Guru. The question is who is God? What is God? The rest of the Upanishads is answer to this question.
2nd part or section is the spiritual practice to come to the 1st level.
In the 3rd part a story is given. Here the whole concept is explained in the form of a story. The Student comes to learn.
The 4th part deals with a 4th rated student. Here some commands and some disciplines are given. This is how Upanishads is structured.
All the time you are engaged in gross intellect. Human beings alone can engage in subtle intellect. A plant has no mind and no intellect. Mind means emotions. An animal has mind but no intellect. Animals have rudimentary intellect. They distinguish between master and stranger, food and dirt, male and female and so on. This falls under gross intellect.
Subtle intellect distinguishes between transcendental and terrestrial. Animal cannot distinguish god and beyond god. God created the world. No animal can think of that. We are constantly engaging in Gross intellect. To switch from the Gross to the subtle intellect is contained in the Upanishads. All your engagement is in gross intellect level.
INVOCATION:
OM Sahana Vavadhu Sahanav Gunathu Saha viryam karavavahai thejasvi navathithamatsu ma viddhishavahai Om shanthi! Shanti! Shanthi!
There are risks in a Jungle and protection is required. The study should be enjoyable. We will strive together to understand the deeper roots of the scripture. The purpose is to reveal the truth. There is a chance of arguing. You can say that I don’t agree. I have a different opinion. You have the devotion to listen to your master and make your own judgment. You can say that let us not argue. May we not quarrel with each other. Shanthi! Shanthi! Shanthi! i.e. Peace, Peace, Peace is explained as under:
Let there not be Cosmic disturbance coming from Thunder, Lightning.
Let there not be External disturbance coming from Snakes
Let there not be internal disturbance coming from toothache, headache, stomachache.
Let all the forces above keep quite. Let there be peace, peace, peace.
The world is nothing but an expression of our own mind. When we are in deep sleep the whole world disappears. It is like No mind No world as in deep sleep. Agitated mind Agitated world. Calm Mind Calm world. Mind comes from thoughts. Thoughts come from Vasanas. Vasanas produces thoughts, thoughts produces desires and desires produces action. Whatever your mind is what you project. Dhuryodana saw only wicked people everywhere. Yudhistra saw only good people everywhere.
Ignorance of the rope produces the Snake. Ignorance of Brahman has produced the pluralistic world. Get out of this world and see the reality. Everything is the Brahman of the Upanishads.
Education moves from the known to the unknown. You should have one known thing to know the unknown. Every human being is constituted of Spirit (Brahman) and matter. Spirit means God. Sprit and matter creates a way of living. Every one of us is a combination of Spirit and matter; Combination of Body, Mind and Intellect. When Atman functions through the matter layer there is a living being found.
For example: When electricity passes through a Bulb there is a brilliant expression of light. Electricity or Bulb has no light. When electricity contacts the bulb there is light. Similarly when Atman contacts the matter layer there is a scintillating expression of life. Atman has no life. Matter has no life. When Atman functions through matter layer there is a scintillating expression of life.
The five organs of perception (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin) take stimuli from the external world. The five organs are the awareness through which the world enters. Things are registered at the level of mind and intellect. Otherwise there is no perception. Out of the 5 organs, eye and ear are used in 1st mantra of Upanishads.
Speech that articulates words is an organ of action. There are 5 organs of action. The others are the Hand that grabs, the feet that cause locomotion or movement, the generative organ and the excretory organ.
Student asks how do the organs of perception and organs of action function? How does the mind function and Intellect function?
There are matters of layers for intellect to think various thoughts. What enlivens them? This is the question.
This can be explained by an example.
Imagine a dirty warehouse with darkness inside it. There is a hole in the wall. A beam of Sunlight comes through the hole in the wall. You can see a spot of sunlight on the ground. You start sweeping the floor when you can see a solid beam of sunlight from the sunlight to the spot on the floor. Even before the dust particles were disturbed there was a beam of sunlight. The moment the dust particles are released, you see a solid beam of sunlight. What is sunlight is the question? Sunlight is what you see minus the dust particles.
How you would explain the presence of Electricity? Switch on the light. Switch off the light. That which makes the bulb glow is electricity.
Student approaches the Guru to find out what the ultimate reality is? Who is God? What is God? Where is God?
This shows the thoroughness in the student to understand the truth and the difficulty the master has in explaining this concept.
Education moves from the known to the unknown. Unless you give one known factor an unknown factor cannot be known. This is the fundamental principle of education.
What makes you hear? It (God) is the Ear (God) of the ear. Derive what the first Ear is? An unknown factor cannot give you knowledge of god. First Ear is in capital letter. Ear of the ear; when I am talking with you: you hear out of your ear.
Example: Seeing a landscape with your eyes. If your mind is elsewhere, you cannot see the landscape in front of you. It is the stimuli from the external world. Colour form in the eyes is not perceived unless it enters the centre senses of the mind. Reach the centre of the mind. Then you become conscious. Consciousness by which you are able to see, hear and touch. That consciousness is designated as God.
It is the consciousness which enables eyes to see, ear to hear, nose to breathe. All the organs of action have the consciousness which enliven them. It is the life that keeps breathing going and not the other way. Brahman enlivens (gives life) prana and not the other way. God is that which enables you to hear and not what you hear with your ear; which enables you to see and not what you see with your eyes. What makes intellect to think is God. It is not what you thought of.
Dharma is that which makes the thing what it is and without Dharma it is not what it is. The Dharma of sugar is in its sweetness. How to impart knowledge about God? It (God) is the Subject. It is not an object of comprehension, of perception, of emotion. When you lack knowledge you say you know. We should know that where there is no Vinaya there is no Vidya. There is no knowledge where there is no humility.
The sign of knowledge is humility. It is full knowledge. Upanishads is subtle. No repetition. What makes you see is God, not what you see. This is the highest human thought. God has infinite compassion, infinite mercy. God functions in each one of us. We are all heterogeneous persons. No two bodies and intellect are the same. We are called Atman, Brahman. No two performances are same because of the equipment through which they function. From the consciousness emerge prana, intellect, and mind. You are conscious of colour, sound, feelings, and thoughts. That consciousness that enlivens our emotions and thoughts is the reality.
You have got to change from the external objects of perception, emotions and thoughts. That which enables you to feel emotions, perceptions, action, feeling and thoughts is God. You can’t see god. You can’t hear god. What you have understood is not god. You can’t comprehend god. It is a Subject of experience and not an object of experience.
Supreme Brahman is unknown to those who comprehend. A self realized person declares that he doesn’t know Brahman. Atman is beyond the known and the unknown. Four sources of knowledge are; Knowledge can be got by direct perception, inference, comparison and tradition (agami). Shara>Akshara>Uttamapurusha – Explained in the 15th Chapter of Gita.
What is known to you is this world. This world is perishable. That what supports this world is imperishable (akshara). Snake is perishable. Rope is there which supports the snake. Rope is imperishable. Brahman is beyond the perishable and the imperishable. Changeless substratum upon which the changes are projected is Brahman. It is a changeless principle.
Hope you enjoyed going through this post. You can get to know more if you go through the scriptures in detail. This is an attempt to only make you understand and induce you to read the scripture in detail.
Be blissful.
S.Sekar
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com
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