Fwd: "adhIhi bhagavO brahmEti" - The value of scriptural studies

[Guest guest]

tiruvengadam, "Sudarshan M.K." <sampathkumar_2000>

wrote:

Dear friends,

 

There are many lessons one can draw from the opening 'anuvAkam' of

the "brughuvalli" of the Taittiriya Upanishad. One of them is that it

very, important to regularly study our religious or scriptural

literature. In fact such study should become a lifetime habit.

 

The young Brghu goes to his father Sage Varuna and asks him "adhIhi

bhagavO brahmEti" --- "Sir, please teach me all I need to know about

Brahman".

 

Varuna replies, "tad vijignyAsasva, tad brahmEthi" - "Begin intense

study, so that you may succeed in knowing That Brahman". And the

young Brughu then goes away to perform the 'tapas' of intense

study - "sa tapO tapyata, sa tapastaptvA!".

 

Why is it important to devote ourselves to such intense study as

Brghu undertook?

 

The answer is quite simple and practical.

 

We need to regularly study the literature of our scriptures for the

same reason why in our professional careers we regularly read

literature related to our respective field of work or specialization.

 

The doctor or surgeon who passes his MD or FRCS does not stop

studying; the lawyer or attorney-at-law never stops reading legal

journals, digests and manuals. The same is the case with architects,

accountants, engineers, IT-specialists or fashion designers. No

matter how old or rich in experience a professional is, he knows that

he is only as good as the knowledge he possesses is thorough and

up-to-date. And to ensure that he is up-to-date, he will go to any

length, undergo any pain and perform any kind of 'tapas' necessary,

isn't it? A professional who is not constantly on what is called the

"cutting-edge" or "leading-edge" of his field of work or

specialization gets "left behind" rapidly. And in these modern days

of 'knowledge-workers', as all professionals know, the world shows no

respect whatsoever for an out-of-date professional. Which is why

"continuing professional education" has become so important for all

of us. Sooner or later, we all realize that either we continually

study or we perish.

 

What is true of our professional careers, unfortunately, holds good

for our spiritual careers too.

 

Our professional careers span, say, only 40 or 50 years … at

best, we can all hope to sustain our worldly careers only as long as

our lifetimes. But our spiritual careers extend well and far beyond

our bodily lifetime on earth. Every faith in this world, be it Vedic,

Christian or Buddhist, tells us that each of us has a soul - a

'jeevAtma' - and this soul is eternal. So as 'jeevAtmAs' all of us

have eternal career spans to look forward to. There is a second and

greater career awaiting us after we have all spent our time upon

earth.

 

Now, being the first-class professionals we all like to believe we

are, should we not therefore begin preparing a career plan for

ourselves in the after-world? Should we not be asking ourselves

questions such as the following:

 

(1) "What will my second career in the spiritual realm be after I

have left these worldly shores?".

 

(2) "What will be expected of me in that second career of mine? What

sort of duties and responsibilities will I be carrying out then? What

demands will be made upon this soul of mine in that career-role?".

 

(3) "In order to succeed in that eternal career, what kinds and

varieties of knowledge should be acquired by my spirit? How should I

qualify myself for that great second career which awaits me? What

knowledge or 'atma-gnyAnam' should I be gaining?"

 

(4) "And how, where and from whom or from which institute should I

gather that sort of knowledge?".

 

There is one answer only for all such questions and it is this: Great

Religious Literature.

 

The greatest religious literature that we as Indians have are the

priceless Vedas handed down to us by our ancient 'rshi-s' and which

have in fact one primary purpose only: viz. to prepare us for our

spiritual careers in the after world. And in doing so they serve the

very same purpose as any of the literature we all avidly seek in our

professional life viz. "continuous education" for a better and ever

more prosperous future career.

 

The study of the Vedas, or any scriptural literature for that matter,

involves, no doubt, discipline and hard work. It is a kind of

'tapas'. (Attending 'vedadhyAyana' classes, for example, thrice a

week at Sri.IVK Chary's house here in Kuwait, is perhaps a sort of

'tapas'too on our part).If we are successful in our professional

careers it is because of the "tapas" we undertook voluntarily, isn't

it? We must remember how hard we toiled for the expertise we

eventually gained in our field of work. Similarly, it is only through

the 'tapas' of regular and earnest study of scriptural literature

that we can also hope to succeed and prosper in great "second career

of the spirit" awaiting us. So studying the Vedas regularly should be

looked upon by all of us as a holy 'tapas'... "sa tapO tapyata, sa

tapastaptvA!"

 

This is one of many wonderful messages of spiritual wisdom contained

in that opening episode of the "brghuvalli" in the ancient Upanishad.

 

******************************************

We will continue in the next post.

Regards,

dAsan,

Sudarshan

--- End forwarded message ---

[Guest guest]

--- bindinganavale suresh <suresh_b_n wrote:

> tiruvengadam

> bindinganavale suresh <suresh_b_n

> Mon, 26 Nov 2001 22:07:04 -0800 (PST)

> Reply-to: tiruvengadam

> Re: [tiruvengadam] "adhIhi bhagavO brahmEti" - The value

> of scriptural studies

>

> Dear Sudarshan,

> That was a really interesting

> mail.After

> i finished reading it and was thinking about the

> same,various thoughts relating to the article arose in

> my mind which i would like to share with you and the

> members.

>

> 1. The Brahma sutra extols the value of the scriptures

> especially the vedanta portion of the upanishads as

> the

> only source of the knowledge of Brahman leading to the

>

> highest good of man.

>

> 2. Sri Krishna in his Bhagavad geetha has stressed the

> Importance of the veda and vedanta and has called man

> to adhere to it for his own good both in this world

> and

> spiritual.Infact the Geetha itself is the essence of

> all the upanishads and is an answer to Arjuna's

> question of What is "Good" for him.Sri Krishna in

> explaining to arjuna the meaning of "Good" does not

> stop at the science of living in the material world

> which knowledge is contained in the vedas but also

> explains the science of spiritual fullfilment which is

> the supreme good for an individual as it confirms with

>

> his true nature inherent in him.

>

> 3. Sri Adi sankaracharya in his Bhaja govindam in the

> very first verse drives home the point about the

> limitations of secular knowledge when he says that at

> the time of death no amount of secular knowledge can

> save a man from the noose of death except the divine

> name of Govinda.To make it more clear,he goes on to

> say that daily study of scriptures or Bhagavad geetha

> or vishnu sahasranamam will enable a person to have

> the proper state of mind to think and adore the

> supreme lord Govinda during his life time and also at

> the time of death which alone can save him from the

> terrible cycle of birth and death called samsara.

>

> Hope the above mail has added more taste to the

> article.

>

> Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu

> Suresh B.N.

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Pranamams to the Learned.

 

Sri Sudarshan is very eloquent in the position he has taken with regard to study

of

scriptures. Notwithstanding his beliefs and convictions, adiyen would like to

seek a

clarification. Is he by any chance suggesting that once we depart here an after

life

awaits us where we would be gainfully employed coveting material or some such

benefits

and study of scriptures would prepare us for them? I thought the goal of this

life

should be moksha which would end the cycle of births and deaths once and for

all. I

believe that once in the the state of moksha, one would have the constant vision

of

God. To quote from a treatise on Visishtaadvaita philosophy, " The liberated

soul has a

direct vision of Brahman in Vaikuntha and is absorbed in the eternal bliss of

union

with Him. To the liberated soul, the pluralistic world remains, but the

pluralistic

view is abolished. The distinction between him and the Brahman still remains and

there

is no loss of personality. He will continue for ever enjoy this state of bliss

by

serving Brahman". When expalined so simply and understood, I don't see a real

need for

going deep into scriptural studies unless I do it for one or more of the

following

reasons: a) I just love to read scripture and enjoy it just as many read mystery

novels; b) I am in the profession of a priest and it is my duty to be erudite in

the

knowledge of God and like to impress the devotees with my knowledge; c) I like

to

participate in debates about scriptures and their role in the society; d) seek

answers

in scriptures if possible, for worldly problems; e) try to pass some of that

knowledge

to my children if at all by any divine intervention they are inclined to listen,

and so

on. If I am so inclined as to reduce effects of my sins, I will perhaps recite

Vishnu

Shasranama, Narayanopanishad or Krishna nama sankeertana because each one of

those

proclaims to remove our sins (paapas) if recited regularly. And that is easy

enough to

do. I am not trying to be facetious but I think it is a stretch to say that

study and

practice of scriptures will give an edge in an after life. If we end up being

reborn,

there is no guarantee that it will be as humans again and there is no guarantee

that we

will be carrying the memory. I would certainly appreciate some clarifications of

the

premise on which Sri Sudarshan based his statements.

 

Adiyen.

 

Keshava Prasad.

 

Sudarshan M.K. wrote:

 

> tiruvengadam, "Sudarshan M.K." <sampathkumar_2000>

> wrote:

> Dear friends,

>

> There are many lessons one can draw from the opening 'anuvAkam' of

> the "brughuvalli" of the Taittiriya Upanishad. One of them is that it

> very, important to regularly study our religious or scriptural

> literature. In fact such study should become a lifetime habit.

>

> The young Brghu goes to his father Sage Varuna and asks him "adhIhi

> bhagavO brahmEti" --- "Sir, please teach me all I need to know about

> Brahman".

>

> Varuna replies, "tad vijignyAsasva, tad brahmEthi" - "Begin intense

> study, so that you may succeed in knowing That Brahman". And the

> young Brughu then goes away to perform the 'tapas' of intense

> study - "sa tapO tapyata, sa tapastaptvA!".

>

> Why is it important to devote ourselves to such intense study as

> Brghu undertook?

>

> The answer is quite simple and practical.

>

> We need to regularly study the literature of our scriptures for the

> same reason why in our professional careers we regularly read

> literature related to our respective field of work or specialization.

>

> The doctor or surgeon who passes his MD or FRCS does not stop

> studying; the lawyer or attorney-at-law never stops reading legal

> journals, digests and manuals. The same is the case with architects,

> accountants, engineers, IT-specialists or fashion designers. No

> matter how old or rich in experience a professional is, he knows that

> he is only as good as the knowledge he possesses is thorough and

> up-to-date. And to ensure that he is up-to-date, he will go to any

> length, undergo any pain and perform any kind of 'tapas' necessary,

> isn't it? A professional who is not constantly on what is called the

> "cutting-edge" or "leading-edge" of his field of work or

> specialization gets "left behind" rapidly. And in these modern days

> of 'knowledge-workers', as all professionals know, the world shows no

> respect whatsoever for an out-of-date professional. Which is why

> "continuing professional education" has become so important for all

> of us. Sooner or later, we all realize that either we continually

> study or we perish.

>

> What is true of our professional careers, unfortunately, holds good

> for our spiritual careers too.

>

> Our professional careers span, say, only 40 or 50 years … at

> best, we can all hope to sustain our worldly careers only as long as

> our lifetimes. But our spiritual careers extend well and far beyond

> our bodily lifetime on earth. Every faith in this world, be it Vedic,

> Christian or Buddhist, tells us that each of us has a soul - a

> 'jeevAtma' - and this soul is eternal. So as 'jeevAtmAs' all of us

> have eternal career spans to look forward to. There is a second and

> greater career awaiting us after we have all spent our time upon

> earth.

>

> Now, being the first-class professionals we all like to believe we

> are, should we not therefore begin preparing a career plan for

> ourselves in the after-world? Should we not be asking ourselves

> questions such as the following:

>

> (1) "What will my second career in the spiritual realm be after I

> have left these worldly shores?".

>

> (2) "What will be expected of me in that second career of mine? What

> sort of duties and responsibilities will I be carrying out then? What

> demands will be made upon this soul of mine in that career-role?".

>

> (3) "In order to succeed in that eternal career, what kinds and

> varieties of knowledge should be acquired by my spirit? How should I

> qualify myself for that great second career which awaits me? What

> knowledge or 'atma-gnyAnam' should I be gaining?"

>

> (4) "And how, where and from whom or from which institute should I

> gather that sort of knowledge?".

>

> There is one answer only for all such questions and it is this: Great

> Religious Literature.

>

> The greatest religious literature that we as Indians have are the

> priceless Vedas handed down to us by our ancient 'rshi-s' and which

> have in fact one primary purpose only: viz. to prepare us for our

> spiritual careers in the after world. And in doing so they serve the

> very same purpose as any of the literature we all avidly seek in our

> professional life viz. "continuous education" for a better and ever

> more prosperous future career.

>

> The study of the Vedas, or any scriptural literature for that matter,

> involves, no doubt, discipline and hard work. It is a kind of

> 'tapas'. (Attending 'vedadhyAyana' classes, for example, thrice a

> week at Sri.IVK Chary's house here in Kuwait, is perhaps a sort of

> 'tapas'too on our part).If we are successful in our professional

> careers it is because of the "tapas" we undertook voluntarily, isn't

> it? We must remember how hard we toiled for the expertise we

> eventually gained in our field of work. Similarly, it is only through

> the 'tapas' of regular and earnest study of scriptural literature

> that we can also hope to succeed and prosper in great "second career

> of the spirit" awaiting us. So studying the Vedas regularly should be

> looked upon by all of us as a holy 'tapas'... "sa tapO tapyata, sa

> tapastaptvA!"

>

> This is one of many wonderful messages of spiritual wisdom contained

> in that opening episode of the "brghuvalli" in the ancient Upanishad.

>

> ******************************************

> We will continue in the next post.

> Regards,

> dAsan,

> Sudarshan

> --- End forwarded message ---

>

>

>

> Srirangasri-

>

>

>

> Your use of is subject to

 

 

 

--

MZ