Vivekananda on the Vedas (part 58)

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Parts 1 to 57 were posted earlier. This is part 58. Your comments are welcome... Vivekananda Centre London

Earlier postings can be seen at http://www.vivekananda.btinternet.co.uk/veda.htm

 

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ON THE VEDAS AND UPANISHADS

By Sister Gayatriprana

part 58

 

 

2. The Atman - The Real Person - Is One and Infinite, the Omnipresent Spirit

The Vedas teach that the soul is infinite and in no way affected by the death of the body. (24)

The Vedanta philosophy teaches that humanity is not bound by the five senses. They only know the present, and neither the future nor the past; but as the present signifies both past and future, and all three are only demarcations of time, the present also would be unknown if it were not for something above the senses, something independent of time, which unifies the past and the future and in the present.

But what is independent? Not the body, for it depends on outward conditions; nor our mind, because the thoughts of which it is composed are caused. It is our soul. (25)

Time begins with mind; space is also in the mind. Causation cannot stand without time. Without the idea of succession there cannot be any idea of causation. Time, space, and causation, therefore, are in the mind, and as this Atman is beyond the mind and formless, it must be beyond time, beyond space, and beyond causation. Now, if it is beyond time, space and causation, it must be infinite. Then comes the highest speculation in our philosophy. The infinite cannot be two. If the soul be infinite, there can be only one Soul, and all ideas of various souls - you having one soul, and I having another, and so forth - are not real. The real Person, therefore, is one and infinite, the omnipresent Spirit. And the apparent person is only a limitation of the real Person. In that sense the mythologies are true that the apparent person, however great he or she may be, is only a dim reflection of the real Person who is beyond. The real Person, the Spirit beyond cause and effect, not bound by space and time must, therefore, be free. He or she was never bound, and could not be bound. The apparent person, the reflection, is limited by time, space, and causation and is, therefore, bound. Or, in the language of some of our philosophers, he or she appears to be bound, but really is not. This is the reality of our souls, this omnipresence, this spiritual nature, this infinity. Every soul is infinite; therefore there is no question of birth and death. (26)

 

Cross reference to:

Cha. Up., 6.2.1

 

 

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This is the Beauty of Sanatana Dharma!!

 

Jai Hindutva!

 

SatyaMeva Jayate!!

 

NIRAJ THAKER

 

 

>

> SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ON THE VEDAS AND UPANISHADS

> By Sister Gayatriprana

> part 58

>

> 2. The Atman - The Real Person - Is One and Infinite, the

Omnipresent Spirit

>

> The Vedas teach that the soul is infinite and in no way affected by

the death of the body. (24)

>

> The Vedanta philosophy teaches that humanity is not bound by the

five senses. They only know the present, and neither the future nor

the past; but as the present signifies both past and future, and all

three are only demarcations of time, the present also would be

unknown if it were not for something above the senses, something

independent of time, which unifies the past and the future and in the

present.

>

> But what is independent? Not the body, for it depends on outward

conditions; nor our mind, because the thoughts of which it is

composed are caused. It is our soul. (25)

>

> Time begins with mind; space is also in the mind. Causation cannot

stand without time. Without the idea of succession there cannot be

any idea of causation. Time, space, and causation, therefore, are in

the mind, and as this Atman is beyond the mind and formless, it must

be beyond time, beyond space, and beyond causation. Now, if it is

beyond time, space and causation, it must be infinite. Then comes the

highest speculation in our philosophy. The infinite cannot be two. If

the soul be infinite, there can be only one Soul, and all ideas of

various souls - you having one soul, and I having another, and so

forth - are not real. The real Person, therefore, is one and

infinite, the omnipresent Spirit. And the apparent person is only a

limitation of the real Person. In that sense the mythologies are true

that the apparent person, however great he or she may be, is only a

dim reflection of the real Person who is beyond. The real Person, the

Spirit beyond cause and effect, not bound by space and time must,

therefore, be free. He or she was never bound, and could not be

bound. The apparent person, the reflection, is limited by time,

space, and causation and is, therefore, bound. Or, in the language of

some of our philosophers, he or she appears to be bound, but really

is not. This is the reality of our souls, this omnipresence, this

spiritual nature, this infinity. Every soul is infinite; therefore

there is no question of birth and death. (26)

>

>

> Cross reference to:

>

> Cha. Up., 6.2.1