Introduction to Vedanta-2

[Guest guest]

Fundamental Human Problem

 

There are essentially two things in this universe; I, the subject and the world, the assemblage of

objects that I interact or transact with. Objects of my interaction or transaction include

sentient beings as well as insentient objects. From birth to death, I continuously evolve from

being a child to youth, adult, old and one day leave this world, never to return again. I do not

know where I came from nor do I know where I am going. I have no knowledge of the life before or

life after. Religions tell me that I go heaven or hell, depending on whether I follow them or

not. Only thing that I am sure of is that I am here and the world is there, and I am forced to

deal with it through out my life. In fact, life is nothing but transacting with the world from

birth to death.

 

Fact of the matter is no one has ever asked me or consulted me before hand whether I would like to

be born or not, where I should be born, who should be my parents or even siblings or even what

type of body that I want, male, female or any other life form, etc. Is life just an accident that

begins and ends when circumstances favorable or unfavorable? Of everything is predestined that I

am just pawn in the game of life. But who is playing that too at my expense? He should know that

I too have feelings of what I like and do not like and definitely I do not want to be a pawn for

somebody’s pleasure. Whatever may be my complaints, there is nothing that I can do. I just find

myself in this world struggling to find my identity competing like everyone else to gain things

that I like and getting rid things that I do not like. Life does not seem to be fair at all.

This is not only my conclusion but seems to be the conclusion of everyone. Nobody says that I

have everything that I want and I am happy as I am and do not want any thing else for me to be

happy. Most of them have complaints either about their health, wealth or misconduct of someone.

When two people meet and talk, they only talk about how great they are and how unfair the others

are towards them.

 

When I look at my life (impartially!), most of the time I find myself at a disadvantage position

to compete fairly in the world to achieve what I want. I see that there are some people who have

all the luck that they really do not deserve (at least from my perspective). I am always envious

of all those who are more lucky than I am, particularly of those who are born rich or become rich

by hook or crook or have everything that I like to have, without much of their self efforts. Of

course they say they do not have enough, but I think they are just greedy, and I would be happy if

I have what they have. There are of course some who make it a point to let me know that I do have

a lot compared to millions of others who do not have even a meal a day, a shelter over their head

or pure water to drink. These people are just jealous. Of course many times, I try to show off ,

whatever way I can about things that I have or even things that I do not have but make belief

that I have, since I find that they respect me more based on what I have than what I am. But that

is life and everybody does that. Personally, I am always more concerned, however, about things

that I do not have that I would like to have than things that I have. I forget what I have but

remember well what I do not have and would like to have. I always want something or the other so

that I can be happier than what I am right now. I must confess that I somehow struggled hard to

achieve some of the things that I like, and that made me happy. The funny thing is until I got, I

was longing for them; but when I got them I find they are O.K. But I needed more for me to be

happier. I still feel that things that I have are not adequate to give me that happiness that I

want and I want bigger and better things or achieve higher things in life so that I can be even

happier. However much I achieve or gain, I find my self to be in a disadvantage position or an

inadequate person, needing things more than what I have got all the time. I would like to have

everything so that I can be happy and contended. I would like to reach a state of fulfillment in

my life, a feeling of completeness, a feeling that I have all that I want and that I have achieved

all that I would like to achieve. That seems to never happen in this life. I remain always as

inadequate person, however much I have. While I am proud of everything that I have accomplished,

there is always that ‘but’ with something more than what I already have or already achieved, since

I always find someone or the other who is more lucky than I and who has more than what I have and

more than what I have achieved. I find many of them that have achieved more than I could and that

too by unfair means. That really bugs me and believe me life really stinks. If only life had

been fairer, I could have achieved lot more in my life and I would have been very happy person.

 

Some suggested that I should turn to religion for me to find happiness that I want. I do not need

religion nor do I need God for me to be happy. Whatever happiness that I got is because of my

achievement and by my hard work. Who needs a religion or God to find happiness? If there is God

who is fair, the life would not this unfair. There are millions of children who are born with

nothing to eat and many who do not have the basis amentias in life. They are just born and have

not done anything in this life to deserve such hard ship. Some are born deaf and some are born

lame. How can there be a God who is fair and tolerate this kind of extreme disparities in life.

No, I do not believe that kind of God in heaven or up in the sky watching me over every action

that I do. You cannot be free if someone is watching you all the time, can you? This is all just

brain washing to keep religion in circulation by duping all the gullible ones. Some promise me

eternal heaven if I follow them and threaten that I would go to eternal hell if do not follow

them. I did not have a past since I am born now but I am suppose to have eternal life in heaven or

hell after I die. No one ever come back after death to tell us if they are in heaven or hell

because they followed or did not follow such and such religion. As some one said, everybody is

heading towards a hell, since according to each religion, other than those who believe in that

religion the rest are going to hell only. So by process of elimination, everybody is going to hell

only. This is what happens one believes in any religion.

 

I do not need any religion and beliefs in heaven and hell. In fact I am better than most these

religious fanatics who I find are hypocrites, teach something that they themselves do not follow.

I am an ethical person. I mind my own business. I do not hurt any one unnecessarily or

intentionally. I respect others rights and privileges. I try to help what ever I can. I am a

good person by any standards. I do not need any religion or God to reciprocate kindness to fellow

human beings. If there is God in the heaven, which I do not believe he exists, he should know

that I am good and decent person, live a good life and die one day. Well this is my autobiography

and to the extent I know, is that of many in the world, who just live to make the best out of

their life and one day kick their bucket.

 

The fact remains, however, whether I am religious or non-religious, belief in God or do not belief

in God, Hindu, Muslim or Christian, what I am looking for is happiness that comes with fulfillment

in life. Promise of heaven etc is only to have this happiness with fulfillment of life itself.

Who wants heaven if there is going to be disparities there also where some are luckier than

others; some are closer to God on the first name basis compared to the others who are treated as

third class citizens, of course on the basis of heavenly standards. Some religions and even Vedic

philosophers prophesize that there are hierarchies in the heaven too and there are some who are

eternal servants of God. If a lot of somebody is better than others and by comparison one is less

lucky to have his quota much less than the next one, all we are doing is transporting all the

problems of this world to heaven too, but of course with the promise that we are going to be happy

there since we are nearer to God. Everybody is happy in heaven, but some are happier than others

since their lot is higher or they are closer to God. Do not ask me why, but that is so. My

apologies if you are offended for the way I have expressed my self. These are some of the

thoughts that I went through before I was exposed to Vedanta.

 

Although I presented my state of mind as I live through this life, I still have lot of questions

in my mind. Is there a soul that is different from the matter, where was I before I was born and

where I am going after death, is there life after death or life after life, is there really a

heaven or hell and God that religions talk about, who is supposed to be controller of all these.

Why I am born to particular parents and go through certain experiences that others do not, is

there a meaning for this life, etc. I need convincing answers that my rational intellect can

accept not some beliefs and dogmas that I have to believe in with the threat that I will be

dammed, if I do not follow. I do find in the world to some extent the cause-effect relations.

That is the fundamental postulate of all objective sciences too. They make controlled experiments

and observe how the system responds and from the effects that are observed to determine the cause.

Many of the hitherto believed mysteries effects in Nature are being resolved by rational analysis.

Many of the superstitions are removed by the progress of scientific thought and analysis.

Scientists are examining the origin of the universe and the nature of the fundamental particles

that the universe is made up of. But when it comes to psychological analysis of human being

questions like why am I born, is there a soul, what is happiness, why life is so unfair, why I

cannot be happy all the time without any worries of any kind, etc remain as a puzzle. People are

more comfortable with modern amenities, but not necessarily more happy. I need to find out why

and what is this life or the purpose of my existence. Is there a God that controls everything?

What is he, who is he and why is he, etc are some of the puzzling questions that need to be solved

to my satisfaction.

 

With this kind of background we will look at the Vedantic approach to life and see what Vedanta

can provide to address the issues that are raised by a rational intellect who is always skeptic

about the religious beliefs and dogmas.

-----------------

[Guest guest]

>

> I was listening to the lectures of Swami Paramarthananda from the

> http://www.vedantavidyarthisangha.org/ website. In the light of the recent

> post from Sadanandaji on the musings of a novice, and my thoughts on that, I

> found the following very helpful:

>

 

Explaining verses 10.5-10.8 from the BhagavadGita, Swamiji says:

 

Whenever we talk about the creation, we should always remember that there

> is a general cause (samanya kaaranam) and a specific cause (vishesha

> kaaranam). The general cause is called the Ishwara who is beginningless,

> 'anaadi'; the vishesha kaaranam is the Jiva, also beginningless, anaadi. The

> anaadi jivas have anaadi Karmas. Ishwara and the Jivas with their sanchita

> (acquired-from-previous-births) Karma, put together is the cause of the

> creation. Ishwara provides the infrastructure for the Universe, but what

> type of body or mind i should get, for that Bhagwan is not responsible, that

> is decided by the type of Karma that i have done in the past. So K*arma

> and skill of Ishwara* together is responsible for the creation. Ishwara is

> anaadi, Jiva is anaadi, and karma is also anaadi. This means that the Jiva

> or 'i' is providing the blueprint for the construction of my life. Then the

> question is how or when did all the karmas begin?

>

> Answer: just as Ishwara is beginningless or anaadi, Jiva is also anaadi,

> and J*iva's Karma is also anaadi*.

>

 

This is the first time I have come across an explanation which says that

Jivas, plus Karmas alongwith Ishwara are timeless. And to talk of the 'why'

of creation is futile. A better way to think about it is that Brahman

manifests as the world. And to ask why Brahman manifests as the world is

futile: akin to asking why a painter should paint or a singer sing?

 

A small point--I stand corrected regarding the staement of creation of the

seven sages (mind-born sons of Brahma) in my earlier post. In this

particular talk, swamiji talks about the 4 sages, Sanaka, Sanatkumar ...and

then 7 sages - *Brigum, Marichim, Atrim....; so in all 11 mind-borm sages

through Brahma at the beginning of the Universe.*

 

Regarding Mr. Doug's reminders about Brahman being referred to as He or She,

it is just a question of comfort level, one that is very useful to make the

'quantum leap' (Subbuji's words!) from regarding Brahman as mother or father

or friend to "Non-dual Pure Consciousness"

 

PraNams.

Veena.

 

 

> .

>

[Guest guest]

Veenaji - PraNams

 

Thanks for bringing to the attention the teachings of

Swami Paramaarthanandaji. I am enjoying his lectures

on Bhagavad gita bhaashya, Naishkarmya siddi and

Uddava gita - every week.

 

He is a very good teacher

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

--- Veena Nair <nairvee > wrote:

 

> >

> > I was listening to the lectures of Swami

> Paramarthananda from the

> > http://www.vedantavidyarthisangha.org/ website. In

> the light of the recent

> > post from Sadanandaji on the musings of a novice,

> and my thoughts on that, I

> > found the following very helpful: