Books containing Hindu & Vedic knowledge

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

In " From The River Of Heaven " author David Frawley gives us a short description

of various Hindu and Vedic books, such as The Book of Ritual - The Brahmanas,

The Forest Texts - The Aranyakas, The Book of Myth - The Puranas, The Book of

Legend - Itihasas, The Agamas, Tantra and Yantra.

 

i have appended these short descriptions for our information only and not to

advocate them. Not every spiritual tradition is exactly the same as Shri

Mataji's Sahaja Yoga. 'Yantras' for example, are not something that Shri Mataji

taught about, although She did approve in the Sahaja Yoga Treatments Book, the

Swastika for the Mooladhara Chakra, the six-pointed David's Star for the

Swadisthan Chakra, the Ying Yang symbol for the Nahbi Chakra, the Flame for the

Heart Chakra, the Timewheel for the Visshuddhi Chakra, and the Bandhan for the

Sahasrara Chakra.

 

Shri Mataji was very direct in raising our Kundalini. No symbols were needed, as

She is the incarnation of Adi Shakti, whose very presence raises our Kundalini!

 

i have also included David Frawley's summary: " Summary of the Source Teachings "

and his " Sacred History and Cosmology " for our information.

 

regards to all,

 

violet

 

 

 

THE BOOK OF RITUAL

THE BRAHMANAS

 

(P.147} The 'Brahmanas' are specific ritualistic texts, and were often used by

the great priests in the courts of the Aryan kings. They are much like the

'Yajur Veda' and its ritualistic approach but are not as old, nor do they have

such an esoteric meaning. Yet they are more extensive. They set forth an

important system of occult knowledge. They show us how to recreate the ritual

action of life itself, to portray the cosmic ritual in a few special actions.

 

Not all their rituals are of an outward nature. The outer things offered were

symbolic of inner processes. The ritual proceeds primarily through speech,

breath and mind. The main power of the ritual is the mantra or the chant. The

chants attune us to the cosmic vibration and connect us with the transformative

force of nature. The ritual brings us into the right action of life. The ritual

order, or the order of the sacrifice, is the sacred nature and movement of life.

Such rituals and chants prepare us for the spiritual knowledge, making our life

and thought a rich field for it to grow. The Brahmanas thereby lead us to the

Upanishads.

 

Some Vedic rituals involved animal sacrifices but, on an esoteric level, the

animal to be sacrificed is our own lower nature. The Brahmanas are opposed to

the slaughter of animals except as an occasional sacred rite done with

discretion. Contrary to the views of many modern scholars, the Vedic animal

sacrifice did not encourage meat-eating or the mistreatment of animals. Rather,

it taught the common people, who could not be expected to be vegetarian at that

more primitive state of society, the sacred nature of the animal and that it

should only be killed as an offering to the Gods. Hence, the animal sacrifice

instilled not only a reverence for the sacred but also a respect for animal

life, which was seen as belonging to the Gods.

 

Important Brahmanas are the Aitareya, Shatapatha, Kaushitaki, Taittiriya and

Chandogya. They are longer, sometimes much longer, than their respective

Upanishads. This is not because they were more important but because their

teaching was more complex. However, they repeat a certain set ritual and so are

all variations on the same teaching. The rituals were aligned with the seasons

and the equinoxes and were the basis for the calendar the culture followed.

 

 

THE FOREST TEXTS

THE ARANYAKAS

 

(P.148} Between the Brahmanas and Upanishads are a few secondary texts. These

are called 'Aranyakas' or Forest texts to be used by those who left society to

reside in the forest to gain spiritual knowledge. They combine ritual passages

with philosophical texts and some Upanishads are contained within them or

appendiced to them. Important Aranyakas are the Taittiriya, Aitareya and the

Shankhayana.

 

 

THE BOOK OF MYTH

THE PURANAS

 

The Puranas are the richest collection of mythology in the world. Most of them

attained their final form around 500 A.D., but they were passed on as an oral

tradition since the time of Krishna (c. 1500 B.C.).

 

There are eighteen major Puranas and several minor ones called 'Upapuranas'.

Each is a long book consisting of various stories of the Gods and Goddesses,

hymns, an outline of ancient history, cosmology, rules of life, rituals,

instructions on spiritual knowledge. Hence, the Puranas are like encyclopedias

of religion and culture and contain material of different levels and degrees of

difficulty.

 

The eighteen Puranas are the Vishnu, Brahma, Agni, Vayu, Linga, Kurma,

Markandeya, Narada, Vamanana, Matsya, Varaha, Skanda, Garuda, Brahmanda, Shri

Bhagavata, Bhavishya, and Brahmavaivartta. The Upapuranas are Shiva Purana,

Kalki Purana, Kalika Purana, etc. The most important of these texts are the

Vishnu Purana, Shiva Purana and Markandeya Purana.

 

The Puranas are perhaps the most important or commonly used scriptural texts of

the Hindus. They were guide books for the whole of life and society.

 

 

THE BOOK OF LEGEND

ITIHASAS

 

Along with the Puranas or books of mythology, are the 'Itihasas' or books of

legend. These are not ordinary legends but refer to the lives of avatars or

incarnations of God. Like the Puranas they contain myths and legends but their

predomination differs. Two main epics exist, the 'Ramayana', the epic of Rama

and Sita, and the 'Mahabharata', by far the longest of all these teachings,

which is mainly the story of Krishna. His story is the most dwelt upon subject

in the Puranas as well.

 

Rama is also mentioned in the Persian literature along with the God Vayu (the

Wind). Hanuman, the monkey God and Rama's companion (P.149} was also the God of

the Wind. His wife Sita is the Goddess of the Earth, the furrowed ground, from

the 'Rig Veda'.

 

 

THE AGAMAS

 

The 'Agamas' are ancient Shaivite scriptures, of a similar antiquity with the

Puranas and Upanishads. They are also extensive, profound and worthy of study

and reverence.

 

 

TANTRA

 

'Tantra' is a well known but a highly misunderstood Sanskrit term. Literally, it

means a fabric and refers to a whole set of teachings, both Hindu and Buddhist,

given in ancient and medieval times, from perhaps a few centuries before Christ

until after 1000 A.D. There are many teachings called 'Tantras' with not always

a lot in common.

 

There are three basic levels of teachings in the Vedic Dharma, [the Vedic layer,

Puranic layer, and the Tantra]. The oldest layer is Vedic, consisting of the

Vedas themselves, along with the Upanishads and Brahmanas. These were prevalent

in ancient times, and were out of vogue some centuries before the time of the

Buddha. The second layer is the Puranic, consisting of the Puranas and Epics.

These came into prominence at the time of the kings that followed Krishna, as

the Vedic teaching declined, but are considered an extension and development of

the Vedas. They continued in the forefront until about 500 A.D., though they are

still commonly used. The third is the Tantra. It is a development and extension

of the Puranas and legends, and is not as clearly differentiated from them, as

they are from the Vedas. An important Tantra is the 'Mahanirvana'.

 

Tantra has become more well known in the West than the other Vedic teachings

mainly for the sexual Tantras, those giving various sexual practices for

attaining ecstasy, union with God or awakening the Kundalini. These, in fact,

are quite rare among the Tantras and are not at all indicative of them as a

whole. [break Quote]

 

[Note]: The sexual tantras are rare, because they are against the Dharma. Shri

Mataji Nirmala Devi states that sexual tantric practices do not awaken the

Kundalini, as tantriks may promise. Shri Mataji has explained that the sexual

organs are in no way involved in Kundalini awakening whatsoever. When Kundalini

arises, She arises upward from the Sacrum Bone towards the Sahasrara. The sexual

organs, being below the Sacrum Bone, are not involved. Shri Mataji has bluntly

told us, that " sex has nothing to do with Kundalini Awakening! " So sexual

tantra, is a false and adharmic practice. The heat that is apparently involved

in sexual tantra, Shri Mataji has explained, is a result of Shri Ganesha's

anger. Shri Ganesha always protects His Mother, the Kundalini from what is

unholy.] [End Note]

 

[Resume Quote]:

 

Tantra has also been associated with the worship of the Goddess. It is true that

there are many Tantric teachings to the Goddess. Yet there are many Tantras to

the Gods, like Shiva and Vishnu; hence, Tantra, as such, cannot be equated with

Goddess worship. On the whole, the Tantras do not give the Goddess any more

prominent a place than other levels of the Vedic and Hindu teachings, as the

Goddess is important in all levels of the teaching.

 

Tantra has also been associated with energy teachings and practices. These

include mantra, yantra, visualization, rituals and pujas. While such practices

are often more specifically Tantric, they can be found in all layers of the

Vedic and Puranic teachings. Tantra has been specifically linked to the

development of the Kundalini. {P.150} Kundalini does play a more prominent place

in the Tantras than in the Vedas and Puranas. In these earlier teachings the

emphasis is more on knowledge (jnana) or devotion (bhakti), and less on

techniques. but there are also Tantras which emphasize knowledge or devotion,

while technical practices are sometimes given in the Vedas and Puranas (though

these were more part of an oral tradition as they had to be adopted for each

individual).

 

 

YANTRA

 

Yantra is the use of various energy patterns, or geometrical designs. The Yantra

is the energy form of the mantra. It is the subtle form of the deity. Yantras

are used not only for visualization and meditation, but also used for good luck,

like talismans. They help us redirect our psychic energy in a creative and

transformative manner. Many astrologers prescribe them, and they are as useful,

though less expensive than gems, for warding off negative planetary influences.

 

Most important is the Shri Yantra, the main yantra to the Goddess. Other

important yantras are Ganesh Yantra for giving good fortune and warding off

obstacles and Mahamrityunjaya Yantra for warding off death and difficulties.

Special Yantras exist for each of the planets.

 

Mandalas are extended yantras. Around various yantras additional forms, usually

of Gods and Goddesses, are added. Mandalas are also mainly for meditation and

are prominent in the Buddhist tradition.

 

 

SUMMARY OF THE SOURCE TEACHINGS

 

These and other source teachings can be divided into several categories:

 

1./ The Book of Mantra or the Divine Word

 

2./ The Book of Ritual

 

3./ The Book of Mythology

 

4./ The Book of Legend

 

5./ The Book of Knowledge or the Inner teaching

 

 

In the Vedic Dharma, the Vedic hymns, particularly those of the Rig Veda, are

the Mantra which is the basic scripture from which the others evolve, the poetry

from which they grow. The Ritual is represented by the Brahmanas and the Yajur

Veda. Mythology is represented by the Puranas. Legend is represented by the

Itihasas. The Book of Knowledge is represented by the Upanishads. The Tantras

are composite in nature [i.e. made up of many elements] but could be considered

as the Book of Techniques or practices.

 

In the universal religion the forms of these may vary according to the

differences of time, place, and culture, but all source teachings must come in

one or another of these categories, or contain them on different levels of

interpretation. In this regard any real mantra is a Vedic hymn, any true myth, a

Purana, any realization of truth an Upanishad. All the other spiritual or

religious teachings of the world can be placed in one of these categories. (P.

151} The existent texts are but examples of these different modes of teaching

and methods of communication to the different levels of our mind and aspects of

our being. It is important, therefore, that we continue all these lines of

teaching, but we must creatively adapt their forms. We need not merely worship

old texts. We must continue their energy with renewed intensity.

 

 

SACRED HISTORY AND COSMOLOGY

 

Particularly in the Puranas and Itihasas, we find presented the Vedic view of

human history and of the order of the universe. We do find some of what we might

consider from our rationalistic perspective to represent human history or a

description of the physical world. However, we find many mythic elements which

appear quite imaginary. For example, the Earth is said to consist of seven

continents divided by seven seas of different substances like water, milk,

honey, etc.

 

Such views, however, were never meant to portray the actual state of things in

time and space. They include not just the visible world in their scope but also

the invisible worlds.

 

Sacred history is not concerned with the actual dates of various events. It is

concerned with showing how we fell from the eternal into time and how we can

return from time to the eternal. It shows where the eternal intersects time. It

may also consider how time in our world is connected with time in the other more

subtle worlds. Whereas our secular history is linear, sacred history has a

qualitative dimension that cuts through chronological time at only one level.

The wars between the Gods and demons, the positive and negative forces of the

cosmos, appear in this as important as or as behind the wars on Earth.

 

Sacred cosmology, similarly, is not concerned with the actual location of places

on Earth. It shows how the sacred is reflected into our environment. It does not

judge things by their actual size but the degree to which the sacred comes

through them. This may be determined by cultural or psychic as well as physical

factors. A sacred mountain may not actually be the highest mountain, but its

sacred dimension makes it larger in the perspective of sacred cosmology. The

individual who transcribed such accounts was not a victim of false imagination

or wrong measurement but was judging things by a different standard. Sacred

space interpenetrates secular space at various points. In these points ordinary

dimensions disappear and the miraculous or magical can be found.

 

For example, in the Vedic tradition, the sacred mountain at the center of the

world called Kailas or Meru, is said to be at the north pole and the source of

the four rivers which support the world. Most cultures have their mythic world

mountain. Kailas is identified with a mountain in Tibet, north of the Himalayan

range. (P. 152} Such an identification is symbolic or mythical. Actually, any

mountain can be the sacred mountain. Mount Meru in Tibet may not be at the

actual north pole, nor is it the highest mountain in the world. But it may still

be at the spiritual north pole of the world. Its sacred dimension may give it a

quality that makes it the highest and most central mountain in the world. It may

be the home of many Divine teachers, perhaps the Lord of the World on the subtle

planes. In all these things it is the inner meaning we must look to and not just

simply look down upon other cultures because they were not speaking in our

language.

 

Such sacred languages have their place in life. They are not to be interpreted

literally, though they may have some relevance to the outer scheme of things. To

insist they are literally true or to deny them because they are not is a failure

of intelligence, the application of a wrong standard. To understand life we must

return to the sacred vision such as we find in the Vedas that makes the inner

dimension of life rule over the outer, but which gives each its appropriate

place.

 

The way to enter into sacred time is through participation in the ritual. The

ritual occurs according to the sacred calendar. It celebrates the life of the

deity or the avatar. Through it we leave our petty personal time wherein we are

caught in the affairs of the outer world and participate inwardly in the life of

the universe. The way to enter into sacred space is to enter into a temple or

other sacred place. This is to leave the world of territory and possession and

enter the domain of the infinite.

 

Hence, scriptures always seek to incarnate themselves in temples and religious

festivals. These are the scripture or source teaching in manifestation in the

outer world. In the world of the mind they manifest through study, chanting and

meditation. This living application is their real power and existence which we

should maintain and which we must maintain to keep our lives in harmony with the

Divine.

 

From The River Of Heaven (Hindu and Vedic Knowledge for the Modern Age)

by David Frawley

Passage Press - Salt Lake City, Utah

ISBN 1-878423-01-0

Pgs. 147-152