Swami teaches... Vedas and Vedanta - sacred light for Jnanis

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram

 

Light and Love

 

Swami teaches... (20 January 2005)

Vedas and Vedanta - Sacred Light for Jnanis

Over the years there were many who recited the Vedas and carried on Vedic

practices, no commensurate results were achieved? It is because, few of them

understood their inner meaning properly, or their sacredness and potency. It

may be that the sacredness of the Vedas is such that even mere uttering the

mantras without understanding their full meaning or merely listening to them

will have some sanctifying effect. The potency of the Divine vibrations

emanating from the mantras is such that they confer unique blissful experience

on the listeners.

Divine potencies attributed to Vedic mantras, sravanam (listening) is

considered the foremost.Likewise, among the nine forms of devotion, sravanam

(listening to the glories of God) has beenaccorded the first place. Any action

done with a pure heart becomes holy. Mantra means that which is established in

the manas (mind) by a process of trana (rumination).

The Vedas have shown the different means by which this mental state can be

changed. Theydeclare: "Perform Satkarmas" (good and righteous deeds). They

include Yagas and Yajnas and charitable undertakings. All actions done as an

offering to God can be regarded as Satkarmas. The purpose of the Karmakanda of

the Vedas is to indicate the kind of actions and rituals that will serve to

purify the mind.

 

The human body is subject to afflictions from three sources: Vaatha (the

wind element in thebody), Pitta (bile) and Sleshma (phlegm). Hundreds of

ailments arise from these treee sources. Just as the body is subject to ills

arising from vaatha, pitta and sleshma, the mind also is liable to ailments

from three sources: mala, vikshepa and aavarana.

'Mala' means that which is impure. As a state of mind 'mala' refers to the

condition in which one regards the impermanence, the false and the unsacred as

permanent, true and holy.

Mala is also known by the term Avidya (ignorance). Ignorance can be removed

bykarmas (prescribed actions).

Vikshepa (delusion) is removed by developing the power of discrimination.

Aavarana (that which covers or envelopes an object) can be removed by

Upasana (worship).

 

To deal with the maladies of mind - mala, aavarana and vikshepa, karma,

upasana and jnana is needed. These three paths have been laid down by the

Vedas. Through Karma (prescribed duties) purity of mind is achieved. Through

Upasana (devotional worship) one-pointed concentration of mind is promoted. And

through Jnana, moksha (liberation) is attained.

 

Devotion means friendship with God, establishing close relations with God

throughlove. Service to God is the essence of devotional worship.

Satkarma (right action) results in purity of mind and devotion promotes

concentration. The third stage is jnana (knowledge). There are different

kinds of knowledge. One is worldlyknowledge. Another is general knowledge. What

is implied by the Vedic term Jnana isknowledge of Atma. It cannot be taught by

preceptors or learnt by studying texts. It cannot bereceived from any one or

offered to any one. It has to emerge from the inner consciousness.Preceptors

and texts can only help to some extent.

To become a Jnani (a fully Self-realised person). the first step is to

start with the Karma Marga (path of Action). The sacred duties laid down in

this discipline have to be practised. Without doing the prescribed rites,

merely declaring the actions one performs as offerings to God is futile. If you

are unable to ascertain what actions the Vedas prescribe, act according to the

dictates of your conscience. Thereby your actions get sanctified.

The Vedas have taught the means to make life in the world pure and

meaningful. They havedeclared: "Na karmanaana prajayaa dhanena, thyaagenaike

amrutatwamaanasush" (not throughrituals, progeny or wealth, but only through

sacrifice can immortality be achieved). Vedas haveindicated the means for

experiencing many temporary pleasures.

 

The Vedanta has shown how by a process of elimination - Neti (Not this) you

arrive at whatremains, namely, the Atma. When you find out that what you call

the "I" is different from whatyou describe as your body, your mind etc., what

remains is the "I" which is the Self, the Atma Principle in you. This is the

message of Vedanta.

Likewise waves in ocean in action, all the myriad beings in the world have

their different names and forms but are all tiny droplets from the infinite

ocean of Sat-Chit-Ananda (The Cosmic Being-Awareness-Bliss). The Spirit is One

in all beings. Our sense organs are not the Atma (Spirit). The divine Spirit

possesses all the potencies of the senses. It is this Divine sweetness that

illumines the world. This Beauty, Sweetness and Bliss are allwithin you. When

you turn your mind to God, the whole universe will wear a new aspect.Without

this internal change, all changes in the external physical world are of no

avail. Onlywhen the individual changes, the world will change. (Reet's

compilation from: Sathya Sai Baba. Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 22. "Karma, Upasana

and Jnana," Chapter 30 and "Power of the Spirit," Chapter 22).

Namaste - Reet