We have traversed the whole cycle from apparent nothingness to the manifestation of the universe with its vast expanse and its diversity.
We noted the Vedantic concept of an all pervading Brahman, slowly stirring into movement and the emanation of a basic vibration, a sound called the Omkara.
From this basic vibration, in space, called the Akasha principle, manifests the vayu principle, the agni principle, the jala principle and the prithvi principle.
The prithvi principle is the plane of existence in which we operate in our waking state. The material universe is the physical manifestation of the prithvi principle.
The jala, agni and vayu principles form the subtle universe, the mental level.
The Akasha principle constitutes the super-subtle or causal universe.
This three fold concept of the manifest universe comprising the physical, mental and super-subtle levels, all integrated into one, is called the jivA, at the individual level, and prakriti/iSwara at the global or cosmic level. The jivA is a part of prakriti.
Prakriti comprises both living and non-living manifestations. The living manifestation comprises the same electrons, protons and neutrons that form non-living manifestations, but it is especially distinguished with the existence of a new principle called prAna or the life principle. Science has so far not been able to isolate or identify prAna or measure it. However, we do know that the entire prithvi principle is permeated with prAna and the living creatures are fitted out with various equipment to absorb prAna from prakriti.
At the scientific level, plants absorb carbon-di-oxide and exude oxygen. Animals and human beings absorb oxygen and exude carbon-di-oxide. The metabolism of a plant is different to the metabolism of the animal and the human being. While the structure of both plants and human beings is strikingly different in physical terms, what is common is that both need prAna to function, to live.
Thus prAna transcends, is superior to, and is subtler than the physical gases such as oxygen and carbon-di-oxide. The body of a plant needs carbon-di-oxide and the body of a human being needs oxygen. But both need prAna.
PrAna, therefore, exists at the subtle level of the universe. Where does prAna come from? Obviously it is a product of the causal level of the universe. The source of prAna is the AtmA.
The AtmA is manifest Brahman and at the causal level is called Isvara. Iswara is conditioned Brahman. From this emerges the subtle level called the hiranyagarbhA comprising mind, prAna and everything that is subtle. From this emerges the physical level called vaisvAnarA.
The non-living physical universe is the AdharA, ground or basis on which the living physical universe is born, grows and dies out, in varying life-spans. This concept of the cycle of life brings in the principle of time.
The passage of time depicts the occurrence of a sequence of events in succession. But it is cyclical, that is, it repeats itself endlessly.
Progression of events is cyclical and unending. Cyclicality implies beginning and ending. So how can that which has an end be unending? The ending is followed by a new beginning that has a new ending and so on. It is called the kAla chakra, the wheel of time. It continually rotates.
The cyclicality is observable in prakriti. The earth rotates and so in relation to the sun causes the passage of day and night. This happens all the time. It is unending. Similarly in relation to the moon, there is a fifteen day period when the moon is apparently waxing, culminating in what is known as full moon or poornima. This is followed by a fifteen day period of waning ending in the new moon or amavAsya. Thus the concept of the month takes shape. This happens all the time, but for six months the days grow longer compared to the nights and is called the uttarAyana. This is followed by a six month period when the night grows longer than the days and is called dakshinAyana.
Thus is born the concept of a year or samvatsarA. This is caused by the revolution of the spinning earth around the sun. There is cyclicality in the passage of years. The unit of measurement is a mahayuga which comprises 4,320,000 years. This is the basic unit of one cycle of manifestation (srishti), evolution (sthiti) and de-manifestation (laya). Each mahayuga gets divided in the ratio 4:3:2:1 into four yugas:
Krita or Satya 1,728,000 years
Treta 1,296,000 years
Dvapara 864,000 years
Kali 432,000 years
We are currently in the 5010th year of the current kali yuga.
Manifestation, evolution and de-manifestation (or re-absorption) is cyclic. It continually takes place. 3, 893,000 years of the present cycle have already passed. Scientific studies, observations, radiometric dating, archaeological excavations, studies of biological diversity, fossils, etc have all indicated a broad concurrence with the above numbers.
Human beings are said to have appeared some 2,000,000 years ago, that is, sometime during the treta yuga. The huge pyramids and sphinx in Egypt, the massive stone figures of Easter Island at the southern tip of South America, the edifices in Mexico and Peru, all bear mute testimony to bygone civilizations with larger than life creatures. The dragon, venerated and feared in China and part of the European tradition could represent a species of dinosaurs.
The human being is universally considered as the pinnacle of manifestation. The human is considered most capable of understanding the processes of manifestation, evolution and de-manifestation because he is endowed with the gift of intelligence. Evolution is a natural process and the progressive remarkable capabilities displayed by human beings are a proof of the march of evolution.
Man is programmed to traverse, everyday of his life, through the three states of deep sleep (pure consciousness), dreaming (only mind) and wakefulness (mind and body). Through the revelations contained in the Vedas and VedAnta, through the interventions of the avatAra purushAs and through the extensive guidance of masters, saints, gurus, and enlightened souls, man has been made aware of Brahman.
He has gradually come to realize that the cyclical evolutionary processes in the outside world and in the universe are entirely meaningless unless he grasps the underlying truth that the external appearance is transitory, changeable and false. It is the innermost core, the essence of the universe, the cause of manifestation, Brahman, alone that represents the truth.
The Vedanta declares:
Brahmaiva satyam
That truth cannot be understood by studying the processes of evolution and the outside world. That truth has to be experienced internally within the core of oneself.
The automatic programming of human life into the three states of deep sleep, dreaming and wakefulness, can at best help one to understand the three strata of one’s personality, that is, soul (Atma), mind and body respectively. But it is only by consciously, deliberately detaching oneself from the body, its associations, and then the mind that one can hope to reach into the Atma to experience Brahman.
The Vedanta states:
PragnAnam brahma
Consciousness is Brahman
and again
Ayam Atma brahma
This Atma is Brahman
To experience Brahman, one not only has to detach one’s awareness from the world, from the body, from the mind, but also become conscious of the vasanas which take the form of conditioning, of predispositions, of desires, of feelings, of attachments. One has to become aware of them and then give them up. This is called sAdhana.
The experience of Brahman, brahma anubhava, or Atma anubhava, is an indescribable experience because it is beyond all thought and feelings. We only have the evidence of the great ones who have attained that experience, their declarations, and their expressions, to guide us. The categorical declarations of realized souls like Sri Sankara, Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Ramana Maharishi, serve to inspire and guide us.
This experience of Brahman has been described in many ways in the Vedanta:
Satyam Sivam sundaram
(Truth, auspiciousness, beauty)
Asti bhAti priyam
(Existence, feeling, love)
Sath chit Ananda
(Existence, awareness, bliss)
ShAntam, Sivam, advaitam
(Peace, auspiciousness, unity)
These declarations contained in VedAnta and expressed at various times during the process of evolution, contain the essence of the experience of Brahman.
The experience of Brahman is the only true purpose of human life. When a person attains that, then the cycle of that particular soul is complete and ended finally.
A spark of Brahman which manifested as an Atma, collected various vasanas through millions of lives, misconstrues its own nature, forgets its true nature, finally attains perfection and becomes aware that it is Brahman again. The cycle is complete for that soul.
This is the aim of life, the true purpose of life. It is called moksha. It defines the strategic objective of life.
All other aspects of life, such as parentage, tradition, nationality, religion, education, marriage, family, career, power, fame, authorship, success, wealth, name, acclaim, everything for which one appears to have been trained and guided by life is purely incidental.
It is the attainment of the experience of Brahman which is one’s true Self, and the innermost Self of everything around us, that is the only worthwhile objective of life.
This objective is defined as
Advaita Ananda
The bliss of One-ness or unity
The question then arises:
How do I go about it?
I am in the middle of my education or my career
I am married or greatly desirous to be married
I have a family or want to have a family
I have duties and responsibilities
In the midst of all this how can I possibly attain the bliss of Brahman?
The simple answer is:
sAdhana
We are grateful to you for your encouragement, your support and your understanding as we have traversed through the year and reached this point.
Now we welcome you to join us in the adventure of sAdhana.
Understanding the goal is the first step. Taking the necessary action is the second step.
One of the simplest and most beautiful expositions on sAdhana is the exquisite Sanskrit and Tamil compositions of one of the greatest advaitins of these times, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi. It is called upadeSa sAram or the Quintessence of Instruction.
This has been the chief guideline for us in this life and we welcome you to explore it with us in the coming year.
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi came to a sacred place in Tamil Nadu called Tiruvannamalai as a teenager in 1896 and stayed there all his life till 1950.
At this time of the year, every year, a sacred flame is lit right on the summit of the Arunachala Mountain. It is called the Karthigai Deepam and a huge wick is created out of hundreds of yards of cloth, immersed in ghee and ceremoniously lit. The flame is visible for miles around and symbolizes the light of knowledge. Incidentally, the temple of Arunachala Shiva at the foot of the mountain is called the agnikshetra, the location of the agni principle.
http://richardarunachala.wordpress.com/guide-to-this-blog/arunachala-and-the-inner-path/
This year Karthigai Deepam fell on November 21, 2010. May the light of knowledge illuminate your mind!! May you attain the bliss of Advaita and Brahman!!!
Nirmala has left nearly 500 books and extensive notes on a wide variety of topics to work on and share with the world she loved and cared for. How can I thank you all for your understanding these last few weeks when the total architecture of my life changed in one moment? All I can do is to complete the four main projects she entrusted me with and motivated me and gave me confidence that I could do it. So you will keep hearing from me in the coming months and years till the breath leaves this body and the Divine Principle and Nirmala decide that duty has been fulfilled.
May 2011 bring to each and every one of you all that you hope for, all that you have yearned for and all that is auspicious and good. Learn to use your discrimination to choose what you really want and yearn for. The Vedas state that merger with the Divine Principle is the only one worthwhile objective of human life. Ponder over this and do what you think is right.
Love God Bless
Mohan
