Messages from Vedanta

Messages from Vedanta

Vedanta Nama Upanishad Pramana ~ which means to understand the messages of Vedanta, we need to study the text and understand Upanishads. I am not going ahead with how many different types of Upanishads, The Vedas etc or their originations? The age of Upanishads, by the most conservative estimation has been, about 4000 years. Swami Vivekananda, in his speech from Colombo to Almorah, is stating, “Much good has been done by the West and particularly to myself. And Bharat is the Punya Bhumi. When other countries, particularly in the West, were roaming around with their body painted blue, India was richest with the essence of humanity. When every country, declared war against others and acquired wealth along with the groans and tears of widows and children, India stood firm with “Sanatan Dharma” ~ never to infringe the sovereignty of another’s independence. (Colombo to Almorah ~ page 3 & 4)

Fundamental questions arise in our mind like “Who am I, what exactly is God, what is the purpose of life, how can I get permanent satisfaction, if at all that is possible?” “How can I overcome sorrow, what is this Universe, which we see spread out before us, how can I have a perfect, happy family life?” If these questions bother us, of interest to us, and they are set out in front of everybody ~ then Vedanta is for you?The answers we will discover over next few years, are from the most ancient civilization on this planet. These are the answers from Vedanta. They aren’t new to us; hence it would be unproductive to start with an introductory write ups or a talk.

1. The principles, the philosophy of spirituality through Vedanta says, ‘you get what you already have, and what you do not have is taken away from you’.
How is it, what we already have is what we get? And how is it, what we do not have is taken away from us? It is the ignorance, which is removed from us ~ which is not our inherent characteristic.
2. Ignorance is something which ‘we do not have’ and this is removed through Vedanta. What we already have, we get that. What is that? That is the knowledge of ‘Who we are?’ ~ ‘Who am I?’
3. It is the classic example of Vedanta ~ mistaking a coiled up rope, in a darkened alley, as a snake. But when the ‘light of knowledge’ is thrown on it, it is seen to be just a coil of rope and the snake vanishes ~ our ignorance vanishes!

Similarly, all the sufferings in our lives are in the form of snakes, they vanish when we realize who we really are. These sufferings, as per Vedanta, come to us from ignorance.
4. Ignorance makes us limited to our body and mind. When we are limited, we like to fulfil those gaps which we actually do not have, the gaps, because of which, we feel limited. For example, it could be a good relationship, lots of money, lots of property, perfect health etc. Because of this feeling of ignorance, we get desires.
5. Desires in turn create all the sufferings and misery. It creates action and action in turn creates Karma ~ which in turn creates more sufferings. Good work creates good result, bad work creates bad result. And in turn, we are going around and round through births and deaths.6. What we need to importantly teach our own selves and our children, that we are ‘infinite’ and have infinite potential. You need to get connected to that true potential which is within you just by understanding and knowing that tremendous potential of learning, understanding and application, are just waiting to be discovered.
7. Learning to concentrate, utilization of will power, focused mind, would take away the restlessness and would bring in children with great characteristic of humanity.

8. Child is the father of man. Our children are gift from God – call him by any name. What we make of our children today, with the knowledge of Vedanta would be our gift back to God.
9. Vedanta is not a religion. It is like one of the subjects, Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Computer Science ~ it is the ‘Supreme Knowledge of Spirituality’ ~ towards creating ‘human excellence’. Welcome to our world of International Baccalaureate Teaching and Learning pedagogy ~ coupled with “Vedanta”.