Swami Sivananda Vani

[Guest guest]

THE GOAL OF VEDANTA

 

The goal or aim of life is selfrealisation which confers immortality,

highest bliss, knowledge and supreme peace. Fixing the mind on the

source or inner self and getting it absorbed there is the highest

yajna (worship), the highest charity, the highest karma (action), the

highest bhakti (devotion), the highest yoga or knowledge. Now the

little selfarrogating 'I' vanishes. Just as the river joins the

ocean, the little self becomes one with the ocean of bliss. With the

disappearance of the little illusory 'I' comes the disappearance

of 'you', 'he', 'this', 'that', time, space and causation, 'mine' and

thine', the pairs of opposites, the ideas of jiva (soul), Isvara

(God), prakrti (nature), etc. The whole world presents itself as

atman. This grand vision this magnanimous samadhi

(superconsciousness) is atmadarsan (vision of the ultimate reality),

which is beyond description. Many have attained this vision why not

you also? Apply diligently right now in its achievement.

 

There is something dearer than wealth; there is something dearer than

wife or son; there is something dearer than your life itself. That

dearer something is thy own self (atman), inner ruler (antaryamin),

immortal (amrtam). He who dwells in this eye, who is within this eye,

whose body this eye is, whom the eye does not know, who rules the eye

from within, is thy self, inner ruler, immortal.

 

The vedantic method of meditation on the formula 'anomayoham' (I am

allhealth) or the enquiry, " Who am I? " is the most efficient, patient

and best method for eradication of all disease and ensuring perfect

health and a high standard of vigour and vitality. This is the king

of all physical cultures. For those aspirants who practise the, " Who

am I? " enquiry and who are not able to keep up good health by this

method alone I prescribe the practice of asana (posture) and

pranayama (yoga breathing).

 

The aspirant who has got citta suddhi (pure mind) will only be able

to hear the still, small voice of the soul or self. If there is no

purity he will certainly mistake the voice of the self. He will be

misguided he will blink and grope in darkness. The help of a

realised guru is indispensably requisite in the beginning for the

aspirant who treads the path of jnana yoga.