Heaven, in a Vedic Sense

[Guest guest]

In Vedic literatures, the Puranas, Mahabharat, etc., Heaven is thought

of as the Deva Lokas, which are material ultimately, in that they are

also disolved at the great end between the great cycles of Demigod time.

The Devas are also considered mortal therefore, and their abodes,

"heaven" are also "mortal".

 

But they last a very long time compared to us, and their lives are way

more rich, opulant, grand, full of wisdom, light, truth, Yoga, and so

on, to degrees which are way beyond our capabilities in human form.

 

But, they often say they envy us because on Earth, which is "inbetween"

heaven and "hell", there is a perfect opportunity for Spiritual

Advancement because there is equal measure of pleasure and pain, so the

truth of the "pain" of material life is known and evident, ie, war,

death, famine, disease, etc., but there is also enough pleasure to make

the human aware of "the good life" that is possible after the attainment

of Yoga by all members of society.

 

So, a "good" human strives towards Yoga, which is a source of all good,

and I mean all Yoga, not one system, but becoming a wholistic good

spiritual human, and those who do that go to "Heaven" at points. The

very charitable, the very pious, the very giving, all go to "heaven",

Deva Loka or Demigod style, the really awesome, but ultimately mortal, Heaven.

 

So it's NOT heaven in the Christian sense.

 

To go to the PERMANENT or ETERNAL heaven, in a Vedic sense, is normally

seen to be achieved by those who are devoted to the service or worship

of God, as either Vishnu, Shiva, or Krishna, or their spouses. These

types of devotees do not motivate by mundane desirs such as charity,

piety, mundane goodness, rather, they motivate by serving the center,

regardless of present life conditions or circumstances. They do not love

or hate anyone, because they see the futility of identifying with matter

under any circumstances.

 

So there is a difference. Vaikuntha, Krishnaloka, Goloka; there are

different names for the eternal spiritual world, or Godhead, and that is

to be distinguished from the heaven of the Devas who are above us here,

who are the planets and other Devas, who are headed by Indra, Brhaspati,

Brahma, Vayu, Varuna, the Prajapatis, etc., and the eternal Gods who are

Vishnu, SadaShiva, Krishna, etc. The Vishnu avatars or Vishnu Tattva

deities. These are "God".

 

These words come from a Vaisnava viewpoint. The Shaivaites and others

will have a different take, and of course the followers of Shankara, the

Budhists, and other more impersonally focused Sampradayas may think that

some form of "one" is the Supreme. So that is another thing.

 

But if one literally reads the Bhagavat Purana, Vyas's self proclaimed

quintessence, and the Mahabharat, and other Puranas, then one gets the

idea I've put forth, where such things are clearly spoken out in plain

Sanskrit. You'll notice also in BPHS that the Sage Author says the names

of the deities over the planets, and they are all Vishnu Tattva Avatars,

ie, the Dash Avatars or 10 principle Avatars such as Narasingha, Ram,

Krishna, Budha, etc. (Budha was known about before he came, as he is

clearly discussed in Ancient scriptures exactly, as one of the

"Scheduled" Vishnu incarnations.)

 

So Parashara speaks like a Vaisnava, and again we get the same idea as

is found in the books of His Son Vyas. Parashara mentions Narada Muni,

again a character by the same definitions exactly in Bhagavatam etc.

 

These higher Puranas "put down" heaven very often, saying that it causes

lethargy for the soul, who enjoys Venusian delights like anything, and

thus wastes time in the material world. They clearly say that one must

come down again and perform a more clear life of devotion. Also however

many person went to the eternal life from Heaven, that too is told. So

there's no one way.

 

But heaven is not necessarily to be though of as the ultimate, from a

literal reading of the Latter Puranas. It is a "gift" given to the

"good" who "earned it". Many lines of Hindu thought, or Sampradayas, aim

for this kind of heaven, by stricly performing rights and duties which

"elevate" one to heaven at death. Many of these rituals are deep seated

traditions in India. By the devotionally minded, the literal readers of

the latter Puranas included, these rights and rituals are not necessary,

as they are not a part of strict love of and devotion to, Vishnu Tattva

deities.

 

In fact, when Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill, he told his village people

to "give up" worshiping Indra for nice rains as they always were, and

instead just worship Him, Krishna, a theme repeated in the Bhagavad

Gita, and Uddhava Gita in the 11th Canto of the Bhagavatam. Krishna

never made any mistake about distinguishing between being His devotee

and worship of the Devas who appeared under Brahma within this creation.

 

Good placements in the chart which cause piety, purity, selflessness,

charity, penence, etc., all of these will lead one upwards. These are

Sattvic practices which elevate the soul. They are a privelage, a

blessing, to have in one's life.

 

Das Goravani

[Guest guest]

As-Salaam-Aliakum, Dasji,

 

Veyr, very good post you wrote. It helps in these

times of adversity.

 

So, with all that you said, I am curious - what does

my chart say for the afore-mentioned things, you know

piety, devtotion, and so forth?

 

 

If you have the time to respond of course, I

understand if you do not.

 

Mu'Min

Dec 2, 1968

9:43AM EST

Philly, PA

 

Namaste,

Mu

--- Das <> wrote:

>

> In Vedic literatures, the Puranas, Mahabharat, etc.,

> Heaven is thought

> of as the Deva Lokas, which are material ultimately,

> in that they are

> also disolved at the great end between the great

> cycles of Demigod time.

> The Devas are also considered mortal therefore, and

> their abodes,

> "heaven" are also "mortal".

>

> But they last a very long time compared to us, and

> their lives are way

> more rich, opulant, grand, full of wisdom, light,

> truth, Yoga, and so

> on, to degrees which are way beyond our capabilities

> in human form.

>

> But, they often say they envy us because on Earth,

> which is "inbetween"

> heaven and "hell", there is a perfect opportunity

> for Spiritual

> Advancement because there is equal measure of

> pleasure and pain, so the

> truth of the "pain" of material life is known and

> evident, ie, war,

> death, famine, disease, etc., but there is also

> enough pleasure to make

> the human aware of "the good life" that is possible

> after the attainment

> of Yoga by all members of society.

>

> So, a "good" human strives towards Yoga, which is a

> source of all good,

> and I mean all Yoga, not one system, but becoming a

> wholistic good

> spiritual human, and those who do that go to

> "Heaven" at points. The

> very charitable, the very pious, the very giving,

> all go to "heaven",

> Deva Loka or Demigod style, the really awesome, but

> ultimately mortal, Heaven.

>

> So it's NOT heaven in the Christian sense.

>

> To go to the PERMANENT or ETERNAL heaven, in a Vedic

> sense, is normally

> seen to be achieved by those who are devoted to the

> service or worship

> of God, as either Vishnu, Shiva, or Krishna, or

> their spouses. These

> types of devotees do not motivate by mundane desirs

> such as charity,

> piety, mundane goodness, rather, they motivate by

> serving the center,

> regardless of present life conditions or

> circumstances. They do not love

> or hate anyone, because they see the futility of

> identifying with matter

> under any circumstances.

>

> So there is a difference. Vaikuntha, Krishnaloka,

> Goloka; there are

> different names for the eternal spiritual world, or

> Godhead, and that is

> to be distinguished from the heaven of the Devas who

> are above us here,

> who are the planets and other Devas, who are headed

> by Indra, Brhaspati,

> Brahma, Vayu, Varuna, the Prajapatis, etc., and the

> eternal Gods who are

> Vishnu, SadaShiva, Krishna, etc. The Vishnu avatars

> or Vishnu Tattva

> deities. These are "God".

>

> These words come from a Vaisnava viewpoint. The

> Shaivaites and others

> will have a different take, and of course the

> followers of Shankara, the

> Budhists, and other more impersonally focused

> Sampradayas may think that

> some form of "one" is the Supreme. So that is

> another thing.

>

> But if one literally reads the Bhagavat Purana,

> Vyas's self proclaimed

> quintessence, and the Mahabharat, and other Puranas,

> then one gets the

> idea I've put forth, where such things are clearly

> spoken out in plain

> Sanskrit. You'll notice also in BPHS that the Sage

> Author says the names

> of the deities over the planets, and they are all

> Vishnu Tattva Avatars,

> ie, the Dash Avatars or 10 principle Avatars such as

> Narasingha, Ram,

> Krishna, Budha, etc. (Budha was known about before

> he came, as he is

> clearly discussed in Ancient scriptures exactly, as

> one of the

> "Scheduled" Vishnu incarnations.)

>

> So Parashara speaks like a Vaisnava, and again we

> get the same idea as

> is found in the books of His Son Vyas. Parashara

> mentions Narada Muni,

> again a character by the same definitions exactly in

> Bhagavatam etc.

>

> These higher Puranas "put down" heaven very often,

> saying that it causes

> lethargy for the soul, who enjoys Venusian delights

> like anything, and

> thus wastes time in the material world. They clearly

> say that one must

> come down again and perform a more clear life of

> devotion. Also however

> many person went to the eternal life from Heaven,

> that too is told. So

> there's no one way.

>

> But heaven is not necessarily to be though of as the

> ultimate, from a

> literal reading of the Latter Puranas. It is a

> "gift" given to the

> "good" who "earned it". Many lines of Hindu thought,

> or Sampradayas, aim

> for this kind of heaven, by stricly performing

> rights and duties which

> "elevate" one to heaven at death. Many of these

> rituals are deep seated

> traditions in India. By the devotionally minded, the

> literal readers of

> the latter Puranas included, these rights and

> rituals are not necessary,

> as they are not a part of strict love of and

> devotion to, Vishnu Tattva

> deities.

>

> In fact, when Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill, he told

> his village people

> to "give up" worshiping Indra for nice rains as they

> always were, and

> instead just worship Him, Krishna, a theme repeated

> in the Bhagavad

> Gita, and Uddhava Gita in the 11th Canto of the

> Bhagavatam. Krishna

> never made any mistake about distinguishing between

> being His devotee

> and worship of the Devas who appeared under Brahma

> within this creation.

>

> Good placements in the chart which cause piety,

> purity, selflessness,

> charity, penence, etc., all of these will lead one

> upwards. These are

> Sattvic practices which elevate the soul. They are a

> privelage, a

> blessing, to have in one's life.

>

> Das Goravani

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

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