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Vivekananda Way
Series 5: Issue 5: Vedantism - contd.
ISSUE 10 ISSUE 26
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I
Defining Hinduism
II
Books of the Hindus
III
The Core Principles of Hinduism
IV
The Practice of Hinduism
Vedantism - part 3 focus in this issue:
V
The Task Ahead
This is the concluding issue of the talk 'Vedantism', delivered in Jaffna on 24 th January
1897. In the previous two issues we explored Sections which is shown below:
I II III
the summary of
Aspects of the lecture on Vedantism covered in the previous two issues
part 1: Defining Hinduism and Books of the Hindus (Issue 24) part 2: The Core Principles of Hinduism (Issue 25)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. An alternative word for Hindus: Vaidikas or Vedantists The books of the Hindus - a visualization Vedas are revelatory truths, eternal, without beginning or end. Vedas were revealed to the Rishis - who were spiritual discoverers The ideas of the Upanishads have permeated through Indian society Smritis are scriptures that convert the eternal principles of Vedanta into contemporary customs Puranas & Tantras illustrate the eternal principles to the people 1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6.
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8.
In this issue, we cover the balance of the lecture - The Practice of Hinduism and the Task Ahead >> Who created this world? What is God? Is God partial or impartial? Why are some people happy or unhappy? What is the Soul? What is the goal of the human soul? What is the cause of birth & rebirth, and what is the cure? What is the relationship between soul and God?
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A: Hinduism supports unity in diversity
In India, various sects co-exist because of the theory of the Ishta.
The theory of the Ishta says that:
1. There are various forms of worshipping God.
2.
3. It is also recognized that different forms requires different methods.
And, each person’s unique path is called in Sanskrit, my Ishta. Each one recognizes that your way is good for you but not for me, and my way is good for me but not for you.
Each Ishta is a unique path to the highest truth...
and so on..
HIGHEST TRUTH
4. Thus each person selects and worships the Ishta most appropriate to that person.
and so on..
Contrary to the theory of Ishta is the view that everyone is to have the same religious opinion and takes the same path. The consequence of such a contrary viewpoint is that all religions and all thought are destroyed. Not only that, since variety is the soul of life, when variation dies out, creation itself dies.
What is the Hindu response to the idea of one God?
We have no quarrel with any religion in the world, and when we see people coming and trying to force any one way on us, we laugh at them.
We have no quarrel with any religion in the world, whether it teaches men to worship Christ, Buddha, or Mohammed, or any other prophet."Welcome, my brother," the Hindu says, "I am going to help you; but you must allow me to follow my way too. That is my Ishta. Your way is very good, no doubt; but it may be dangerous for me. My own experience tells me what food is good for me, and no army of doctors can tell me that. So I know from my own experience what path is the best for me."
Though our castes & our other institutions are apparently linked to our religion, they are not so.
Hindu religion preaches inclusion of everyone and exclusion of none.
It is through these institutions that Indian society was able to have some measure of stability through many ups and downs over scores of centuries.
How caste has helped create social stability over the centuries...
Enabled social stability in the face of invasions & changing political landscapes
Allowed for stable economic ecosystems of interdependent relationships
Enabled transmission and maintenance of professions & knowledge traditions
Whilst caste had many evils, it was a unique Indian Social Architecture
Allowed Indian society to assimilate new groups into the social fabric
Gave people alternative identities and self-esteem beyond the dominant power structure
When the necessity for self-preservation no longer exists, institutions like caste will die a natural death.
Task Ahead: What we now want in this country
A: Importance of the Impersonal God in the India of the future
THE IDEA OF THE IMPERSONAL GOD TEACHES US TO BE STRONG...
THE IDEA OF THE IMPERSONAL GOD ALLOWS FOR A RATIONAL SYSTEM OF ETHICS...
“...This teaches us not to think ourselves as weak, but as strong, omnipotent, omniscient. No matter that I have not expressed it yet, it is in me. All knowledge is in me, all power, all purity, and all freedom. Why cannot I express this knowledge? Because I do not believe in it. Let me believe in it, and it must and will come out. This is what the idea of the Impersonal teaches.
“... no one knew why it would be good to love other beings as ourselves. And the reason, why, is there in the idea of the Impersonal God; you understand it when you learn that the whole world is one — the oneness of the universe — the solidarity of all life — that in hurting any one I am hurting myself, in loving any one I am loving myself.
THE IDEA OF THE IMPERSONAL GOD WILL BE THE KEY TO RECONCILING SCIENCE & RELIGION...
HENCE, WE SHOULD TEACH OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS THE GLORY OF THE SOUL...
“...This idea of the soul is the life-giving thought, the most wonderful... the great thought that is going to revolutionise the world and reconcile the knowledge of the material world with religion.
“Make your children strong from their very childhood; teach them not weakness, nor forms, but make them strong; let them stand on their feet: bold, all-conquering, all-suffering; and first of all, let them learn of the glory of the soul. That you get alone in the Vedanta — and there alone.
B: Take up the duty of the age - disseminate spiritual knowledge
India is an eternal fountain of spirituality. We have a vast treasure of spiritual ideas, and we have noble examples of practical spirituality. Both these have to be made the common property of all – rich and poor, high and low, not only in India but all over the world. This is one of our greatest duties.
The Ladder of Service
II III IV Spiritual knowledge (highest of gifts)
Secular knowledge
Saving of life
I Food & drink
The Tapas and the other hard Yogas that were practiced in other Yugas do not work now. What is needed in this Yuga is giving, helping others.
What is meant by Dana? The highest of gifts is the giving of spiritual knowledge, the next is the giving of secular knowledge, and the next is the saving of life, the last is giving food and drink. He who gives spiritual knowledge, saves the soul from many and many a birth. He who gives secular knowledge opens the eyes of human beings towards spiritual knowledge, and far below these rank all other gifts, even the saving of life.
A word of caution: Avoid jealousy and one-upmanship
For ages we have been saturated with awful jealousy; we are always getting jealous of each other. Why has this man a little precedence, and not I? Even in the worship of God we want precedence, to such a state of slavery have we come. This is to be avoided. If there is any crying sin in India at this time it is this slavery.
...First, learn to obey. The command will come by itself. Always first learn to be a servant, and then you will be fit to be a master. Avoid this jealousy and you will do great works that have yet to be done.
FOR THE FULL LECTURE, REFER TO COMPLETE WORKS OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA, VOL. 3, LECTURES FROM COLOMBO TO ALMORA.
M a g i c , M i r a c l e s a n d t h e M y s t i c a l T w e l v e
LAKSHMI DEVNATH
Roots in the Air and Shoots in the Soil The Story of Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar (Continued from previous issue. . .) P oorva halted. The night had become so dark that she could barely see her own feet, and all around was an eerie silence. She was beginning to feel somewhat uneasy when the darkness of the night was transformed miraculously into broad daylight. Her hazel eyes glistening with happiness, she observed: “That was almost like electricity being restored after a power cut.” She noticed that the roads of Kanchi were clean and wide, though now sadly lifeless. Poorva walked on, racking her brains as to how she could trace the Aazhvaar and his companions.
As she walked along, Poorva recalled her impressions from the last time she had been down the same road. It had been bustling with activity – chariots plying up and down, vedic chants from nearby schools resonating in the air, and shops selling reed mats, wooden toys, bamboo artefacts, silver and gold jewellery, and so much more.
Poorva now found the schools empty and the shops closed. Kanchipuram did seem godforsaken. She smiled ruefully to herself at the irony of that thought.
Someone rushed past her in great haste. The atmosphere suddenly became electrified and a cloud of dust hampered her vision. When the dust settled down, Poorva found that it had been caused by the king’s chariot racing down the street. The flag with the emblem of the bull and the muted cries of “Long live Pallava Maharaja, Rajaadhiraja …” proclaimed the monarch’s identity.
In a flash, Poorva put two and two together – the king was going in search of the Aazhvaar. Excited beyond measure, she ran behind the chariot as fast as her legs could carry her.
The royal chariot zoomed ahead and Poorva watched its fading contours with dismay. “I wish someone would give me a lift. I don’t think I can run any longer,” she gasped.
Almost instantaneously, she found herself not just matching the chariot’s speed, but outstripping it quite comfortably. At that pace, she could hardly feel the ground. For that matter, she could hardly feel herself. At intervals, she even had to slow down to allow the royal chariot to catch up with her!
Finally, the chariot halted. Breathless after the sprint, Poorva sat down on a flat stone under a tree, and was immensely relieved to find, right beside her, a pot of cool water. Thankful for the thoughtfulness of whoever had placed it there, she gulped down several glasses of water in quick succession. Gradually, she stopped panting and surveyed the scene around her.
There was a huge crowd a few yards ahead of her. People were craning their necks to peer over their neighbours’ shoulders, obviously eager to get a view of something. Poorva was immediately in their midst, bursting with curiosity. To her great disappointment, she found that she could not make her way through. She stood on her toes and stretched all four feet eleven inches of herself, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was happening, but in vain.
Just as she was beginning to despair, she felt herself being lifted up. She was standing on stilts! Utterly embarrassed, she looked around. Thankfully, no one in the gathering seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary. Poorva relaxed, cast her gaze forward and got quite a shock. The Pallava king was falling at the feet of Kanikannan!
She heard Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar tell the Lord, “We’re going back. You too go back to Your temple. Spread Your serpent bed there and lie down.” As before, the Lord promptly rolled up His serpent bed and the three began their return journey. The king and the entire town followed them. Babbling voices and happy laughter filled the air.
“Most of it,” replied the Swami with a twinkle in his eye. He asked her, “Do you know where we are? In a little village on the outskirts of Kanchi. This place will become famous as Oriravirukkai – oru meaning ‘one’, iravu, ‘night’, and irrukkai, ‘stayed’; that is, ‘the place where the Lord stayed for a night’.”
“Anyway, all’s well that ends well,” said Poorva. “Say goodbye to this village. We are returning to Kanchi,” the Swami told her.
Twilight descended. The sky looked beautiful as streaks of daylight glistened through the invading darkness. Almost like a grand finale to the exhilarating events of the day, there was a light shower. The two ambled on silently, unmindful of getting wet. (to be continued. . .) This story book is available through www.lakshmidevnath.com
