Swami teaches.... The Vedas are the root of all dharma. Part 1

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Sai Ram

 

Light and Love

Swami teaches... 22 - 23 March 2006

The Vedas Are the Root of All Dharma. Part 1

The Vedas are called Veda-matha (Mother Veda, the heritage of spiritual

treasure that reveals the aim and purpose of human life and takes one step by

step, towards the goal of Self-realisation). The Vedas are the basic teaching

for all humanity; it has the Karma kanda, the Upasana kanda and the Jnana

kanda. Bhakthi or Upasana (through the karma which it sublimates and

sanctifies) will lead you on to the highest jnana (wisdom). It is enough if you

take a ticket and sit in the "through" carriage of the train; it will take you

through many junctions to the distant destination. The karma of purchasing a

ticket and getting into the carriage and the bhakthi or intense desire to reach

the terminus (without any urge to alight at intermediate stations) will take you

through a series of junctions and stations, right to the very place where you

want to go.

The Vedas and the Sastras are the two eyes of India. The Vedas are endless,

Anantham; Veda is the sky, which envelops all, which has no limit in any

direction. The Sastras are like buildings built under the sky, each with its

own roof; some big, some small, but all constructed to give shelter and

comfort; the same nectar is found in both, but the Veda is the reservoir from

which they draw and fill their own tanks.

The Vedas are a reservoir of joy. The proofs and arguments they quoted for

the purity of the rites and establishment of a happy social order, which is the

product of the rites, they are in you already, they are for you. You have those

messages whispering their words of warning and encouragement in your inner ear;

it is up to you to be silent for a while, so that you may hear it and benefit by

it.

The findings of ancient Indian sages were based on extensive investigations

that went beyond the four regions of mind and the Over-mind. Their findings were

based on the study of the Over- mind, associated with the Paraartha (Supreme

Source) and were hence of a highly elevated nature. They were the expositions

of saints who had the vision of the Divinity.

 

The saints said that the word is itself Rigveda. The Yajurveda is the form

of the Mantras that originate in the mind and life is itself Samaveda. (Words

originate in the mind. But, when it comes to the tongue it appears different

under different situations. When it goes beyond the mind, the word becomes

Truth itself. Vedas call this truth as Bhur. It is the radiation. In the

materialization of body, this truth is all-pervasive and is the vibration of

that truth which is the conscience. Hence from Radiation comes Vibration; from

Vibration comes Materialization). Samaveda (life) gives breath. From this

breath comes the song. The three Vedas hence collectively state that God who is

the effulgent One is most pleased by songs.

 

Six great works based on Vedas. They form the ancient Philosophical

systems,the Shad-Dharshanas that shed light on Indian culture. Explaining the

Vedas explicitly, they share with the world the wisdom contained therein.

They explain incidents and events that pertain to all the three times of past,

present and future. They have taught human how to avoid suffering, restlessness

etc., and lead a purposful life by removing the dirt and delusions. They

explicitly state that the Vedas, the Vedantas (The final part of the Veda in

which the true principle of God is described), the Vedangas (Six branches of

post-Vedic studies revered as auxiliary to the Vedas) and the knower of Vedas

are all one and the same. They explain the nature of the mind which is

responsible for all intelligence, intellect and discrimination. These six great

Dharshanas (texts) are: Nyaaya, Vaisheshika, Saankhya ,Yoga, Puurva-Meemaamsa

and Utthara Meemaamsa.

1. Nyaaya Dharshana was given by Sage Gauthama and it is also called

Gauthama Sastra. This forms the life for the remaining five Dharshanas. We have

measures to judge the quantity and volume of material in the world. Even in

respect of Divinity, a measure must be available by which the proof may be

obtained. Vedas speak of four kinds of proofs. They are Prathyaksha (direct

perception), Anumaana (inference), Upamaana (comparison) and Shabdha (sound).

Prathyaksha pramaana is called direct proof, as it is perceived by the

sense organs. Theseorgans are only instruments. The mind enters them and helps

them to function.

Anumaana pramaana is based on doubt and inference. One sees cranes in the

distance, for example, and infers that water Could be available there.

Similarly, one infers about fire by seeing the smoke. Upamaana pramaana is

based on comparison. It enables us to understand many things that cannot be

otherwise easily understood, by comparing them to some others that can be. By

studying the Praathibhasika (apparent reality) and the Vyaavahaarika (empirical

reality), one can infer about the Paaramaarthika (transcendental). For example,

by studying the foam (empirical reality) that originates from the waves

(apparent reality), one can understand the reality of the Ocean (transcendental

reality). This is possible because both thefoam and the waves originate from the

Ocean, and mirror its character in them.

Shabdha pramaana is based on the testimony of the sound that the Vedas,

Vedantas, Upanishads (the phylosophical sections of the Veda's. Aspirant is

receiving knowledge by conversations between self-realized souls and aspirants)

and the Bhagavad Gita came into existence, intended to understand the personal

character of the Absolute Truth. But, to be able to perceive this testimony,

one must be properly attuned and extremely careful. It needs one to travel

beyond the mind and the senses. At this stage of Samaana chittha (mental

equanimity), sound becomes the very form of God.

By ancient scriptures God has eight forms.

Shabdha Brahma mayee (sound),

Charaachara mayee (all pervasiveness),

Paraathpara mayee (Transcendental nature),

Vaang mayee (speech), Nithyaanandha mayee (blissful),

Jyothir mayee (Effulgence),

Maya mayee (illusion) and

Shree mayee (prosperity).

In this way, Nyaaya Dharshana lays down the four methods of gathering proof.

Nyaaya Dharshana declares that it is the human conscience that is the best

judge. Conscience is beyond the mind, it is the vibration of life.

2. Vaisheshika dharshana speaks about speciality of atoms. Sages and seers,

in a state of deep dedication understood and grasped the spiritual reality in

all matter. The saints propounded that matter is constituted of atoms, but each

atom was unique in itself.*(See note below). The difference between two atoms is

the Vishesha (speciality) and the Vaisheshika Dharshana (that which brings out

the speciality) speaks about this speciality.

This scripture speaks about different specialities of unchanging five elements

(from aspect of human's perception), of different kind of sounds and uncahnging

Primordial Sound, Om.

Vaisheshika Dharshana explains there is enormous power in the microcosm that

human can harness by learning with discretion. It is this kind of study that

explains the differences in the past, present, future and also the truth that

remains the same in all the three times.

The truth propounded by the Vaisheshika Dharshana is equality of men and

women. Men and women differ only in gender and one is not weaker than the

other. Just as woman cannot work without man's help, man also cannot function

without woman's help. Basing its proof on the world, this Dharshana also states

that society is in trouble when it does not accept this equality and attempts to

diversify the essential unity in both men and women.

Do good to the society is another speciality expressed in Vaisheshika

Dharshana. When human constantly asks for happiness and peace he/she expects

the society to give it. If human asks what namely he/she has done for the good

of the society, there is no answer Only if one does good to the society and

strives to promote peace in the world, can human expect good from the society

and peace from world.

The Shukla Yajurveda has made an exhaustive study of unity in diversity. The

same shows up in the Vaisheshika Dharshana, which states "All are birds of the

same house (family); all people are children of the same mother; all are

flowers of the same creeper; all are citizens of the same nation." With

these explanations, the Vaisheshika Dharshana points out the essential unity

among all people. (Thus the Vaisheshika appeals to them not to fight over petty

matters).

3. Saankhya Dharshana gave to the world Sage Kapila. Saankhya Dharshana is

also called Kapala. Elucidating that only a person with sense control is true

human, it states that it is impossible otherwise to live in this physical frame

with infinite powers. At sight, this Dharshana appears to refute the

statements in the Nyaaya and Vaisheshika Dharshanas. It argues that nature is a

combination of numbers and is full of conflicting forces. The Saankhya Dharshana

splits these conflicting forces into just three subheads to facilitate an easy

understanding - that of the Jivi (Individual), Prakrithi (Nature) and Paramatma

(Creator).

But the Saankhya does not stop with the Creator. It says that: "When, to the

24 numbers is added the Self, the number becomes 25. While the 24 numbers are

matter, the 25th is the Self - the Creator. The process of evolution of the

human soul begins with all the 24 numbers of matter, crosses the 25th (Self) as

well and finally merges in the Shiva aspect - the 26th. So Saankhya explains how

to reach God with the help of numbers.

The Saankhya Dharshana explicitly states that actually, no special effort

need be made to attain liberation. When human realises the true form, human is

liberated. When human destroys all the desires, he/she is liberated - Moha

Kshaya is Moksha. It is only when human travels beyond to the Super-mind that

he/she can fathom the Truth. That is the Divine mind. It is sacred, and, from

this stage, one can step on to the Illuminated-mind from where is visible only

the Higher-mind and nothing else.

When the roof is removed, one can see the sky. Similarly when the roof of

the Lower-mind is removed, one can see the Higher-mind, and finally the

Over-mind.

Yet another fact elucidated in the Saankhya Dharshana is the relation

between human and Atma. Human has to submit to Divinity one day whatever be

his/her reservations. That is the goal of life. Instead of realizing it at some

later stage of life it is better to do it now and start the process. This

Dharshana states that it is a demonic quality to forget God. Human must remove

the demonic quality, develop the human quality and reach to Divinity.

Namasmarana is the best way prescribed for the Kali Yuga to attain liberation.

Human also must never neglect anything however small, teaches the Vaisheshika.

Tiny termites may destroy an entire block of wood.

The Vaisheshika Dharshana states the differences between two atoms. But the

Saankhya Dharshana states that the entire Creation has in the microcosm an

atomic* structure.

(The article "Swami teaches.... The Vedas are the root of all dharma"

continued. Read part 2).

(Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 2. "Dharma moolam," Chapter

41 and "Bhrama and Brahman," Chapter 42; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 8. "The five

mothers," Chapter 26; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 21. "Let The Conscience Rule,"

Chapter 33; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 26. "Essence of the Shad-Dharshanas,"

Chapter 24).

PS: Spelling of names by Vahini's Org. Glossary. Which names wasn't found in

Glossary, have written as in original texts.

* Probably under word 'atoms' is meant not only atoms of chemical elements

but also different subatomic particles which have too a structure and

energetical characteristics. By some research works even time and space is

possible observe as 'collections' of atoms time and space. ( Lee Smolin. "Atoms

of Space and Time" in the Special Edition of Scientific American. "A matter of

time." http://www.sciamdigital.com/index.cfm?fa=Cart.ViewCartList ).

Namaste - Reet