Vedantic way of life : Karma Yoga : Bhakti Yoga : Gyana Yoga : Dyana Yoga

The eternal way: The way of Truth: The natural way of living in harmony with nature and man.

To understands Vedanta knowledge, we must first understand.
the kind of knowledge available to us ordinarily.

We have five senses, these are the first to bring us knowledge of the world, its nature and its features .

This knowledge is empirical (pratyaksa) brought to us through hearing, touching, smelling, seeing and tasting. From the empirical we make inferences - another arena of knowledge opens to us called above the sensory range (paroksha) The Vedanta speaks of a third area of knowledge that comes to a person directly and suddenly these are spiritual truth relating to our life, our soul. And this is Aparoksha. But spiritual revelations i.e. Aparoksha does not come to you in the ordinary course of your life

If you wish to know that immanent transcendental force that brings you this knowledge, if you wish to experience that powerful energy that infuses all---you must search for it within your own body. The Vedic seers experienced the state of transcendental knowledge i.e. Aparoksha in their transcendental states---so can you.

In the realization of the Self, which this is, there is the complete cessation of all mundane problems, agitation's and doubt. And the Vedic thinkers bequeath their knowledge of the Self and the paths to attain this, in their teachings of the aparoksha in the knowledge bank (jnanakand) of the Vedas: The Vedanta.

The gynanakand or Vedanta consists of the questioning method to arrive at knowledge. The entire Vedanta emerged out of a single dilemma and its resolution. The dilemma was - what lies behind the ever changing? Where does this something lie? And so emerged the first question "What is life?" "What animates the body?" What makes our arms move, our eyes see, the ears hear?

The causer of these is the subject and the action it causes, is caused upon an object. So subject and object must be different for there to be action.

The subject is called the causer (Karta) and the action upon an object is called (Karma) All truth of Vedanta is contained in an understanding of this fundamental truth.

The body like any other object is also on object for I see it don't I, my hands, my feet etc. If my body is an object then what is its subject.

If the body is seen, who is the seer. If the body does who is the doer.

That is the "I" which is not the body! Why?

Because when I say my body, it is the same as when I say my book - a reference to an object. The " I" remains apart, it is different, another voice Just as you the reader of your book make use of it, so the I the holder of the body makes use of it. What is this "I"? Is this "I" the mind?

No because we refer to the mind as an object too - "My mind"

The "I" in everyone is the subject it must not be confused with the body and mind. We make the confusions - we say "I "am hungry, we all know that hunger is a condition produced by the stomach, what you should say actually is - my body is hungry/ my stomach wants food.

My mind is agitated/ tired /angry, my heart is full of sorrow. This "I" is transitory .

Thus Sankara says all people in the world are under a basic confusion about their own identity about the "I" in them. The Vedantic Sadhna is aimed at resolving this confusion and to enable the contemplator (Sadhaka ) to gain a direct glimpse of the eternal/ divine "I" in him.

The "I" is the changeless thing in us- how do we locate the I and what is its substance. It is the animating power or our cosmic spirit. It is the consciousness which Vedanta calls chetna, prajna. It is neither energy nor matter it is the spirit. To cause knowledge and activity is its power.

The "I" being an idea or a form of knowledge must be emerging from the same source, the consciousness within the body. "I" appears on the surface of consciousness. Hence we must attempt to understand consciousness which is its source. As light emerges from fire so "I" emerges from consciousness (Atma).

An inquiry into life is therefore an inquiry into the real "I" which in turn becomes an inquiry into consciousness - the eternal cause and witness of everything occurring in the world around, as well as within us.

This is how Vedanta develops the enquiry of "What is life?" And takes us to what is ultimate Reality, the realm of the spirit, the abode of peace, tranquility, immortality and fulfillment. Through all changes in emotional states, physical states inside and outside, there is one thing that remains ever steady. The witness of it all the "I" the Self-eternal which is the changeless. The consciousness in which "I" abides is all pervading. It permeates the whole of the world (Sarvavyapi). It is indestructible.

Maybe we cannot attempt to know it in the entire universe but we can search for it in our own being, this is within our power.

Life for all is a continuity of experiences. To experience is the nature of life. Experiences denote action and action implies a subject and an object. Subject acting upon an object. The five senses are the first medium through which we experience. The eye sees, the ears hear, the nose smells, the tongue tastes, the skin touches. Any of these sensations imply an object. A union with an object. But all these unions are ephemeral and do not last long. The ultimate union is Yoga and pursuit of this leads to an ideal union.

An ideal union with the changeless, the consciousness and the joy resulting from this is forever. Is there a possibility of such a union? As the "I" the consciousness exists in all of us there is no reason why union with it is not possible.

Yoga is union with the indestructible Self in ourselves. Yoga is also the path we must pursue to effect this union. There are three paths leading to the union with the Self- contemplation (Dhyana), self-enquiry (Vichara), action (Karma).


Vedantic way of life : Karma Yoga : Bhakti Yoga : Gyana Yoga : Dyana Yoga