Devoted, Discerning and Oh So Fiercely Tender. The Unwavering Union With Self. You Are Always Welcome In This, Your Own True Nature, Home.
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| L O V E V I T A L L I V I N G |
Indian philosophical enquiries are carried out in the inner world.
Indian sages, called Rishis or seers, developed techniques of exploring the senses and the ordinary simple mind, collectively called Yoga.
A Calm Abiding Self Knowledge of Divine Union with Your Self.
With the help of these techniques they delved deep into the depths of consciousness and discovered important truths about the true nature of man and the universe.
The sages found that man's true nature is not the body or the mind, which are ever changing and perishable, but the spirit which is unchanging, immortal, pure consciousness.
They called it the Atman.
The Atman is man's true Self, the true knower, the true source of man's knowledge, happiness and power.
The Rishis further found that all individual selves are parts of infinite Consciousness which they called Brahman.
Brahman is the ultimate Reality, the ultimate cause of the universe.
Ignorance of man's true nature is the main cause of human suffering and bondage.
By gaining correct knowledge of Atman and Brahman it is possible to become free from suffering and bondage and attain everlasting peace and fulfilment known as Mukti.
The Vedas are the oldest and most authoritative teachings of yoga. All other scriptures are subordinate to them.
They were not composed by anybody but were revealed to the Rishis; hence they are also called Shruti, that which is heard.
The earlier part of the Vedas may have been composed between 2000 B.C. and 1000 B.C.
There are four Vedas: Rig-veda, Yajur-veda, Sama-veda and Atharva-veda. Each of these has four divisions: Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishads.
Samhita:
This section is a collection of hymns addressed to various deities. Many of these hymns have deep mystical significance.
Brahmana:
This portion deals with various rituals and also with moral principles.
Aranyaka:
This portion contains various meditations. Some of these meditations are mental recreations of external rituals.
Upanishads:
These are the records of the experiences gained by Rishis by following different contemplative techniques.
These experiences are actually revelations about Atman, Brahman and other eternal, universal truths regarding the ultimate Reality.
These eternal truths and principles of the world, lying scattered in the Upanishads, were brought together and codified by Badarayana in the form of sutras or aphorisms in the 5th century B.C.
These sutras known as Brahma Sutras form the foundation of the system of philosophy known as Vedanta-Darshana.
Vedanta is not a static philosophy or religion.
It is a highly dynamic and ever-growing, capable of meeting challenges and overcoming obstacles.
In this process of growth, Vedanta has passed through three phases.
(i) Formative Phase:
(i) Formative Phase:
This phase extended from around 1000 B.C. to 3rd century B.C. During this period the Upanishads, the Gita and the Brahma-sutras (these three scriptures are together called Prasthana-traya) provided the basic concepts of Vedanta such as Atman and Brahman.
(ii) Scholastic Phase:
(ii) Scholastic Phase:
This phase extended from about the 8th century A.D. to the 13th century. During this period great teachers like Shankara expounded and expanded the original intuitive insights of Vedic Rishis and the teachings of the Gita, and established Vedanta as a cogent, comprehensive system of philosophy, the most cogent and comprehensive religious philosophy the world has ever seen.
But during this period Vedanta split into a number of philosophical schools and religious sects. The main philosophical schools were the following:
Advaita or Non-dualism propounded by Shankara
But during this period Vedanta split into a number of philosophical schools and religious sects. The main philosophical schools were the following:
Advaita or Non-dualism propounded by Shankara
Vishishta-advaita propounded by Ramanuja
Dvaita propounded by Madhva
Shuddhadvaita propounded by Vallabha
Achintya-bheda-abheda propounded by Jiva Gosvamin
Dvaita propounded by Madhva
Shuddhadvaita propounded by Vallabha
Achintya-bheda-abheda propounded by Jiva Gosvamin
These schools of philosophy carried on acrimonious debates among themselves which kept up the intellectual vigour of the people.
India produced during this period many great scholars and thinkers.
The main religious sects were:
Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shaktism.
Each of these had several sub-sects.
These sects produced many saints.
These saints spread Vedantic ideas among the common people through songs and teachings.
Here mention should be made of two other traditions associated with Indian culture, namely Buddhism and Jainism. They arose as spiritual movements in the 6th century BC.
Here mention should be made of two other traditions associated with Indian culture, namely Buddhism and Jainism. They arose as spiritual movements in the 6th century BC.
They shared some of the basic concepts of India's ancient belief system such as Karma, rebirth, samsara, Dharma and direct spiritual experience.
But their rejection of the authority of the Veda, caste distinction, belief in an Ultimate Reality as the Supreme Deity and ultimate cause of the universe, and other principles alienated them from the main stream of Vedantic culture.
As a result, Buddhism and Jainism began to decline in India and, after the 12th century AD, Buddhism ceased to have any direct influence on the development of Indian culture.
(iii) Modern Phase:
(iii) Modern Phase:
The third phase of Vedanta was inaugurated by Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda in the 19th century. During this period Vedanta was transformed from an ethnic religious philosophy into a universal philosophy of life.
The main transformations brought about by Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda are given below:
1. Rejuvenation:
1. Rejuvenation:
Sri Ramakrishna is the link between ancient India and modern India. Sri Ramakrishna relived the range of spiritual experiences of the sages and saints of the past from Vedic times to his times. He thereby revalidated the truths of Vedanta. He traversed the paths of Vedic, Shaiva, Shakta and Vaishnava traditions, including obscure and forgotten paths. He brought about the purification of spiritual life by emphasizing its foundation, and rejecting occultism, esoterism and miracle-mongering. He made God realization possible for all even in the midst of the distractions of the modern world. He imparted tremendous fervour to the efforts to realize God. All this has resulted in a thorough rejuvenation of Vedanta in modern times.
2. Modernization:
2. Modernization:
Swami Vivekananda”s great work was to make ancient Vedantic concepts acceptable to modern minds by interpreting the eternal truths in the light of modern rational thought and science. This modernized version is what most of the present-day educated Hindus understand by Vedanta.
3. Integration of Philosophical Schools:
3. Integration of Philosophical Schools:
Vedanta had split into different schools in the Middle Ages.
Swami Vivekananda brought about the reintegration of these schools. He did this by stressing the common ground of different schools, especially the principle of Atman, and by showing that the different schools represent different stages of realization of the ultimate Reality.
4. Unification of Religious Sects:
4. Unification of Religious Sects:
Sri Ramakrishna taught, from his realization, that all spiritual paths lead to the same ultimate goal,
"Yato mat tato path"
As many views, so many paths to God.
This principle, which forms the basis of his doctrine of dharma-samanvaya or Harmony of Religions, came to be applied within Hinduism itself in due course. This has given rise to a sense of unity among Hindu sects in modern times, in spite of many differences in customs and traditions.
5. Meeting of Challenges:
5. Meeting of Challenges:
Till the eleventh century A.D. the only challenges Vedanta had to face were internal; these came mainly from Buddhism and Jainism and from dissensions of different schools of Vedanta and sects of Hinduism each of which claimed superiority over the others.
From the thirteenth century Islam began to exert its influence on Indian society in a big way. Many great saints then arose in different parts of India and responded to the Islamic challenge by spreading the ideas of oneness of God, brotherhood of man and social equality among the common people.
However, the greatest challenge Indian society ever faced came from Western culture in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
However, the greatest challenge Indian society ever faced came from Western culture in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Western culture posed three questions to Indian society:
(a) modern rational thought and science,
(b) an open society which values freedom and social justice,
(c) the idea of a Christian saviour God who identifies himself with the poor, the sick and the fallen.
Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda met these Western questions:
Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda met these Western questions:
(a) by revitalizing Vedantic spirituality,
(b) by interpreting the eternal truths of Vedanta, discovered by the ancient sages, in the light of modern rational thought, and
(c) by introducing a new gospel of social service based on the practical application of Vedantic principles in day-to-day life.
6. Practical Vedanta:
6. Practical Vedanta:
By “Practical Vedanta” is meant the practical application of the basic principles of Vedanta in solving the problems of day-to-day life.
For centuries Vedantic principles were intended only to help people to attain Mukti or liberation.
Swami Vivekananda, however, showed that the highest principles of Vedanta can be applied even in ordinary life to solve the day-to-day problems of life.
Vedantic principles can be applied not only in individual life but also in social life.
7. Universalization of Vedanta:
7. Universalization of Vedanta:
For many centuries the essential, basic truths of Vedanta remained bound up with innumerable beliefs, myths, customs, castes.
Moreover, the higher truths of Vedanta were available only to a small group of privileged people, and it was believed that to follow the principles of Vedanta one had to be born in a certain Hindu caste.
Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda separated the essential truths of Vedanta from the non-essentials.
Swamiji showed that the essential truths of Vedanta constitute the eternal, universal truths of the spiritual world.
In this way, Vedanta has crossed the boundaries of India and has now become the common property of all mankind.
The work started by Swamiji is now being carried on by many teachers and organizations around the world.
And that dear friends is just the start, the mere originating tip, of what you may have heard elsewhere as "Yoga".
The Absolute Union With Your Self.
— B. N. Pandit,
Specific Principles of Kashmir Shaivism (3rd ed., 2008),
