In our tradition we have a very vast
scriptural literature. The primary scriptures being the vedās; and based on the
vedās, we have got several secondary streams of literature. And we believe that
the vedās have been given by the Lord Himself, for the benefit of the humanity.
In the vedā itself it is said, [śvetāśvataropaniṣad] -
yo brahmāṇaṃ vidadhāti pūrvaṃ yo
vai vedāṃśca prahiṇoti tasmai
taṃ ha devaṃ ātmabuddhiprakāśaṃ
mumukṣurvai śaraṇamahaṃ prapadye
After creating the universe, the Lord
gave the vedās to brahmā; and from brahmā, the Vedic teaching tradition has
been coming down. This Vedic literature offers to help the humanity in leading
a smooth and successful life. This scriptural guidance is available free of
cost. The only required condition is, we should have trust in the efficacy and
the validity and the utility of the vedās. If we have got that basic śraddhā,
and we are willing to take the guidelines, it is available. Whoever is willing
to follow the vedā, is called a vaidikaḥ.
In modern times, they are called as Hindus.
Hindu is a modern name; but, our real name is vaidikaḥ - the one who accepts vedā as the guide in one’s life.
When we look at these vast scriptures, the vedā prescribes a life-style for us.
And that life-style is a God-centred life, meaning, our life is going-around or
centred-around God only. It is indicated by the pradakṣiṇa & namaskāra we
do at the end of a pūjā. Pradakṣiṇam is a process in which God is kept in the
centre and we go around God; indicating that, 'my life will be centred around
God only'.
For this
purpose, the scriptures bring God in to almost every activity of human life. It
is not a one-day-a-week affair; but, throughout the day, throughout the life,
we are not supposed to take our vision or mind away from the Lord. Therefore,
in Hindu culture, God is involved in every activity of life. The day starts
with remembrance of God.
brāhme muhūrte utthāya cintayet ātmano hutam
namaskṛtya gurum viṣṇum mātaram pitaram ca
Therefore, the day starts with the
four-fold namaskāra of guru, viṣṇu, mātā, and pitā (Mātā pita guru daivam). Not
only the day just begins with God, in every activity God is involved. Before eating
we are supposed to remember God and offer to God; and then only eat. During
snānam also we are supposed to visualise God to be in our heart and our snānam
is an abhiṣekam done to the Lord. Not only the daily chores are connected with
God, all other aspects of Hindu life - whether it is dance or whether it is
music or whether it is art or whether it is architecture – they are all centred
on God.
Thus, scriptures give us instructions
to maintain this God-centric lifestyle. The scriptures are not merely the
prescriptions for God-centred life; but, there is a teaching to support this
lifestyle. Why this God-centred life is prescribed?
Therefore, not only we lead a
God-centred life, we also knew the purpose behind leading such a life. But,
unfortunately, over the period, gradually the backup teaching was lost, nobody
is studying the scriptures. And without the backup teaching, when we are only mechanically
going through that lifestyle, it becomes an empty shell - often appearing 'a meaningless
ritual'.
Rituals are not meaningless; the
problem is that, one has not learnt the purpose and principle behind it.
Though, this God-centred tradition had been maintained, but not the backup
teaching. It is a well-developed backup teaching. Even though it is a very,
very vast subject, today I would like to share a few salient features of the
backup teaching to support the God-centered lifestyle.
The first and foremost lesson of this
backup teaching is - What is the very definition of God? We are just
mechanically using the word 'God'. What is the definition of God?' The
scriptures give a provisional definition. That provisional definition is, that
God is the 'creator of the world' - sṛṣṭi kartā.
But, when we
are really ready to think well, the scriptures refine that definition. The
refinement is required; because, vedā really does not believe in a 'creation'
at all. The reason being, nothing can be created or destroyed. According to the
modern scientific principle of 'law of conservation of matter and energy'
matter can never be created, matter can never be destroyed, which means, everything
is always there. As it is said, when a candle burns, nothing is lost. One form
of matter is getting converted into another form! There is only transformation
taking place; nothing is created nothing is destroyed. Therefore, we cannot
talk about the 'creation of a world'. Even modern science does not accept the
creation of this world. Before the world emerges, it was already existent in
potential form. What is potentially there in an un-manifest form, alone comes
to manifestation.
This manifestation or emergence or
evolution of this universe we are calling 'creation'. But, it is only
abhivyaktiḥ, not sṛṣṭiḥ. Abhivyaktiḥ means, the manifestation of the entire
universe – which was there in potential form - which we call as the 'seed' of
the universe. Vedā defines God as the very seed of this entire universe, whose
existence you can never question; because, without the seed, you cannot have a
universe. Just as, without a seed, a tree cannot come. Without the seed, the
universe cannot appear. This 'seed', which existed before the emergence of the
universe, is called īśvaraḥ.
bījasyāntarivāńkuro jagadidaṃ prāńnirvikalpaṃ
punaḥ māyākalpita deśakālakalanā vaicitrya citrīkṛtam ... [dakṣiṇāmūrti stotraṃ]
And in bhagavad gītā, kṛṣṇā says, bījaṃ māṃ
sarvabhūtānāṃ viddhi pārtha sanātanam [7.10]
- Arjunā!, may you understand me, the Lord,
to be the very cause or the seed of the entire universe.
From that 'seed' - which is called
God - alone, the entire universe, consisting of all the galaxies (in modern
language) and planets and all living beings, everything emerges. Then, the
scriptures point out that, you can divide the entire universe broadly into two
categories. One is, the emergence of the inert material universe - called
acetana tattvam; and the second is, emergence of the living being - which is
called the cetana tattvam. Not only the universe consists of the inert material
part, the universe consists of the sentient living beings also, called
cetanatattvam. Thus, cetana-acetana rūpa prapañcaḥ, which is vyakta prapañcaḥ (vyaktaḥ
means manifest universe), consisting of cetana- acetana aṃśa dvayam, evolved
out of that one 'seed', called God.
Then, the scriptures point out, if
the universe is a mixture of these two, (cetana and acetana), both cetana and
acetana, must have also existed in the seed, in potential form. Because, what
is not in the potential form cannot emerge. From the coconut seed only coconut
tree emerges, not mango tree; because, it is not there. Mango tree emerges out
of mango seed. So, whatever emerges out, must be already existing in the
'seed'. If the universe is a mixture of cetana and acetana tattvam, then, God
the 'seed' - also must be a composite entity, consisting of cetana-acetana dvayam. Therefore, both - life as well as matter -
must be there in the beginning.
Thus, according to Vedic scriptures,
God is a composite entity, consisting of cetana acetana aṃśa dvayam. Different
names are given in the scriptures. In the bhagavad gītā, kṛṣṇā names them as puruṣa
and prakṛti. puruṣa referring to the sentient component and prakṛti referring
to the insentient component.
prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva
viddhyanādī ubhāvapi
vikārāṃśca guṇāṃścaiva viddhi
prakṛtisambhavān [gītā 13.19]
kāryakāraṇakartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtirucyate
puruṣaḥ sukhaduḥkhānāṃ bhoktṛtve
heturucyate [gītā 13.20]
Puruṣa evolves in the form of living
beings. Prakṛti evolves in the form of the inert principle. This puruṣa- prakṛti
mixture is called īśvaraḥ. Otherwise called, brahman-māyā; māyā sahitam brahman
is īśvara. Symbolically, it is represented as ardhanārīśvaraḥ. Ardhanārīśvara
represents puruṣa-prakṛti tattvam. Not separately, but together.
So, the first lesson of the backup
teaching is – our lives should be God-centric. And that God, which is the centre of
our life, is none other than the 'seed' of the universe, which is
cetana-acetana tattva dvayam. This is lesson number one.
The next lesson that these scriptures
give - now that we know 'God is the seed' or 'cause'; and the world - the
prapañca, is the 'product', the kāryam. Or, God is kāraṇam; world is kāryam.
God is avyaktam; world is vyaktam. So, kāraṇa īśvaraḥ and kārya prapañca. kāraṇa
īśvaraḥ – meaning God, the cause. kārya prapañca means – world, the product.
Then, the scriptures point out, when
you study the cause and effect, we can recognise certain features belonging to
both. 'Causal features' and 'effectual features', these are very important to know
in the backup teaching.
To understand the features of the
cause and effect, our scriptures generally take certain examples. In chāndogya
upaniṣad, several examples are given in ṣaṣṭho'dhyāyaḥ (sixth chapter)
yathā somyaikena mṛtpiṇḍena sarvaṃ
mṛnmayaṃ vijñātaṃ syād vācārambhaṇaṃ vikāro
nāmadheyaṃ mṛttiketyeva satyam
yathā somyaikena lohamaṇinā sarvaṃ
lohamayaṃ vijñātaṃ syād vācārambhaṇaṃ vikāro
nāmadheyaṃ lohamityeva satyam ...
The example is to, understand. Let us
imagine a piece of gold out of which the goldsmith brings out varieties of
ornaments. In fact, goldsmith does not 'create' ornaments, according to our revised
understanding. He does not 'create' ornaments, he has shaped the gold into varieties
of ornaments.
Now, if you study the features of
gold and ornaments, we can note four features n the 'cause' and four features
in the 'effect'.
What are the
four features of the cause? Gold is one lump - ekaḥ. Gold is the content or the
substance behind all the ornaments. Therefore, gold is the essence or sāraḥ (ekaḥ
and sāraḥ). And, gold is nityaḥ. Before the emergence of ornament, gold 'was'.
After emergence of the ornament, gold 'is'. So, even after the emergence of
ornaments gold is. Even after melting of ornaments, gold 'will be'. Therefore,
kāraṇam trikāle api tiṣṭhati (trikālam means, past, present and future).
Finally, gold is independently existent by itself, even without the support of
ornaments. Therefore, it is called satyam (satyam means, independently existent).
Thus, kāraṇam is eka sāra nitya
satyam. We will take the first letter of each one. E-eka, S-sāra, N-nitya,
S-satyam. 'ESNS'. Kāraṇam is ESNS. Remember, kāraṇam is the essence.
What about ornaments? They are
diagonally opposite. Aneka (aneka means countless products). And asāra,
ornaments do not have substantiality of their own. Ornaments do not have any
weight of their own, weight of ornaments really belong to gold only. Therefore,
ornament is pith less, it is non-substantial, asāraḥ. Then, the ornament is
anityaḥ. And finally, asatyaḥ (asatyaḥ meaning - It does not have its own
original existence. It has only borrowed existence).
Our scriptures say, you have to
extrapolate this to God and the world also. God being the kāraṇam God has to be
ekam. That is why, in modern science also, before the big bang happened, even
before the manifestation of time & space itself, the condition, they name
it singularity. 'Single', means, ekam only.
Not only that. God is the sāra - the
only substantial entity. Then, what is the third one? God alone is nityam. What
about the world? It is anityam. Finally, God alone is satyam. The only reality
that is existing independently. Whereas, the world is anekaḥ, asāraḥ, anityaḥ
and asatyaḥ. This is a very important corollary, derived from the second
lesson.
So, why are these things told? Since
the world by its very nature is aneka, asāra, anitya, asatyam, it has got
certain advantages or plus points, and also certain negative points. An
intelligent person, who is living in this world and making a life in this world,
must be aware of these plus points and negative points.
The world is full of variety, in
śabda sparśa rūpa rasa gandha. Each sense organ has got its own area and in
each one, there are infinite varieties. Therefore, the
world has got beauty, world has got variety, world has got novelty (they
are all the glories of this universe and wonderful, so enjoy them thoroughly).
But, even though the world has got all these things, it is anityam, asatyam and
asāram. Asāram means, it is empty or hollow. Superficially, it is attractive;
but, it is empty on enquiry. Not only it is hollow, it is also fleeting and
temporary. Therefore, nothing in life is stable. Everything
is beautiful but nothing is stable. Whether it is material object or the people
or our own relationships or our own body, everything is kṣaṇa bhańguraṃ -
unstable, perishable. Therefore, we can never rely upon
anything in the world for our security.
One of the fundamental human problems
is, we are all born with a sense of insecurity. Our scriptures call this, the
problem of saṃsāra. Among many definitions of saṃsāra, one of the definitions
is, the sense of insecurity
Right from birth as a baby we felt
insecure clinging on to the mother's sari and that clinging continues later to
varieties of objects etc. All the human struggles are,
according to our scriptures, driven by the sense of insecurity. It is
because of the sense of insecurity and to get out of this problem of
insecurity, we are holding on to things, without knowing that those very things
are insecure. I acquire things to solve the problem of insecurity; and later, I
am worried about their security. Therefore, world can never give security.
Freedom from
this problem is called mokṣaḥ. If you want to solve this insecurity
problem, we should never hold on to the anitya vastu. We should have 'nitya
anitya vastu vivekaḥ'. What is that nitya vastu? kāraṇa īśvaraḥ alone is
śāśvatam. Therefore, every human being, if he/she has
to resolve this fundamental problem, he/she should not seek the worldly things
but, has to seek God, and God alone. Until then, there will be continuous
problem of insecurity. Either one is affected by fear or affected by grief, as
Arjunā does in the first chapter of the gītā.
sīdanti mama gātrāṇi mukham ca
pariśuṣyati vepathuḥ ca śarīre me roma-harṣaḥ ca jāyate
gāṇḍīvaṃ sraṃsate hastāttvakcaiva
paridahyate na ca śaknomyavasthātuṃ bhramatīva ca me
manaḥ ...
Even the very thought of losing his
near & dear ones, even the imaginary loss, Arjunā is unable to withstand. "When I cannot withstand even the imaginary loss, how am
I going to withstand the actual loss?" Therefore, if we are
far-sighted ones, we cannot use the world for security. If the world cannot give
security, it cannot give peace of mind also. How can an insecure person enjoy
peace? If there is no peace and security, where is the question of happiness? All the sense pleasures that people are after, are not for
solving the problem, but only for forgetting the fundamental problem that is
constantly disturbing. We are only trying to forget the problems, by
pursuing sense pleasures. .
Therefore, scriptures guide us. If you want to solve the fundamental problem, then seek God
for security. Spirituality begins
when I have recognised the problem of insecurity and when I turn towards God.
Then, the scriptures go to the next
lesson. How to find God? Where to find God? Because, world cannot help me. It
is beautiful like the example of cardboard chair. A cardboard chair has been beautifully
made and well decorated with varieties of papers, various colours, stickers,
etc. You can use it for everything
except for sitting over that. Similarly, according to the scriptures, the
entire world is like a cardboard chair. Emotionally leaning on anything in the
creation, is like sitting on a card board chair. So, our scriptures say, 'leaning
on the world for emotional health is a risky affair. Learn to find God and lean
on God and God alone’.
ananyāścintayanto māṃ ye janāḥ paryupāsate teṣāṃ
nityābhiyuktānāṃ yogakṣemaṃ vahāmyaham
How to find God and find security?
That is the final part of the teaching. Scriptures present it in two stages. The first stage is, preparation of the mind to find God.
Because, God is the principle, which is the ultimate seed and cause; and which
being the extremely subtle principle, beyond even time and space.
Because, before singularity (the word
'before' itself is meaningless) time and space existed. It must be an extremely
subtle principle. So, we have to prepare the mind. And therefore the initial stage
is, make use of the world for preparing the mind,
Therefore, never use the world for
peace, security and happiness because world simply cannot give these. World is
not useless, use it as a field of service - by serving the world in different areas,
by contributing to the world. That is elaborately discussed in the scriptures
in the form of pañca mahā yajñaḥ. Contribute to your family, to the society, to
the culture, to the animals, to the plants - all these are wonderful infrastructure
required for the spiritual sādhana. Therefore, use the world
for, preparing the mind.
Once the mind is prepared, seek God
by taking the help of a guru. And with the help of the guru and scriptural
teaching, you will find God.
Where to find God? The scriptures ask
- where to find the kāraṇam? Where have you got the gold in all the ornaments?
Wherever the ornaments are, there itself the gold ‘is’. Behind the temporary ornaments,
the permanent gold is hidden. Similarly, behind the temporary universe, the
infinite nitya īśvara is hidden.
ańguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo madhya
ātmani tiṣṭhati
īśānaṃ bhūtabhavyasya na tato
vijugupsate
etadvai tat [kaṭhopaniṣad mantrā
2.1.12]
In
this very world itself, in every object, in every living being, which means, in
the very 'me', in the perishable part of 'me', behind the perishable part of
'me', the imperishable God is available.
May you seek that God, find that god
and discover security in that very eternal truth in 'you'. Thereafter, life
becomes not a struggle for security; but, an expression of the security, that
'I already have found in God'.
Thus, first part of life is to serve
the world for preparing the mind. After finding God, life is to serve the
world, to declare the glory of the Lord. First, the preparation; next is
declaration. First step is preparation by serving. Next step is service again,
declaring the glory of the Lord. I do not need anything for my peace security
and happiness as I have found them within me myself.
ādi
śańkarācāryā - among the many ślokās he wrote, there is a very beautiful work
called śivāparādha kṣamāpaṇa stotram, a beautiful set of ślokās. There he says,
'I did not know that you alone are the ultimate security. Therefore, I was
running after various things of the world. In boyhood stage, I was interested
in toys. In youth, I was interested in friends. In old age, I am worried about
something else. In each stage, I just spent my life in search of one thing or
other. I did not seek you'.
'kṣantavyo me aparādhaḥ śiva śiva
śiva bho śrī-mahādeva śambho'. I did not recognise your presence and value.
Therefore, after getting many battering life experiences, now only I know, 'I cannot
rely on any blessed thing, except God'.
kiṃ vā anena dhanena vājikaribhiḥ prāptena rājyena kiṃ kiṃ
vā putra-kalatra-mitra-paśubhir
dehena gehena kim
jñātvaitat kṣaṇa-bhańguraṃ sapadi re tyājyaṃ mano dūrataḥ
svātmārthaṃ guruvākyato bhaja mana śrīpārvatīvallabham
kiṃ vā anena dhanena - what is the
use of money? Money cannot avoid old age; money cannot help me escape from
diseases or death. Therefore, dhanena vājikaribhiḥ prāptena rājyena kiṃ -
kingdom you get, what is the use? kiṃ vā putra kalatra mitra paśubhir - What is
the use of kalatra (spouse), mitra (friend), paśubhih (cattle, pet)
jñātva etat kṣaṇa bhańguraṃ - Already
they are in the process of dying. Indications are already there. tyājyaṃ mano
dūrataḥ - stop depending on all these perishable things, hey manaḥ (mind). Śańkarācāryā
is advising his own mind. Hey manaḥ, dūrataḥ tyājyaṃ - drop all the dependences
on the world. Emotional dependence on the world is called, attachment. Give up
all the attachments. Serve them; but, never get attached to them. jñātva etat kṣaṇa
bhańguraṃ sapadi re - God can take away anything at any time. Therefore, from world dependence, may you switch over to God
dependence. vātmārthaṃ
guruvākyataḥ - with the help of guru's teaching, bhaja mana śrīpārvatī
vallabham - may you seek pārvatī parameśvara
Māyā sahitam brahma - īśvara, who is
everywhere, may you seek. And once you seek that Lord, ultimately you will
find, that God is ekaḥ sāraḥ nityaḥ and satyaḥ. God is there in my very heart.
In fact, it is nothing but my real and higher nature. When I claim that God as
my real nature, that is called 'aham brahma asmi'. That God - discovered as
'self' - is the real 'I'. Therefore, God dependence becomes self-dependence.
Life's mission is accomplished. Thereafter, the whole life is a joy. All the
upaniṣads talk about the joy of that person who has found security in himself.
Life becomes a līlā for him.
aṇoraṇīyān aham eva tadvad mahān
ahaṃ viśvam ahaṃ vicitram
purātano'haṃ puruṣo'ham īśaḥ hiraṇmayo'haṃ
śivarūpam asmi [kaivalyopaniṣad 20]
‘I am’ that
self, which is the real nature behind the entire universe. Thus, life itself will
become successful and meaningful; because, we would have solved our fundamental
problem of saṃsāra. But, all these are
possible only if we take the guidance of the scriptures and lead a life which
is God-centric.
And in
Hinduism, we have got so many rituals and functions and they are meant to
regularly remind us, 'do not get lost in worldly pursuit and forget the real
goal of discovering security in that ultimate God which is myself '. And,
śivarātri pūjā is also only to remind us of this truth.
Our life has to be God-centric. Our
mission has to be discovery of that God in ourselves. With these words, I will conclude
my talk.
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