| |
|
|
|
|
Articles |
Glossary |
Questions |
Home |
by
Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL
No. 115
August : 2010
SEEING THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE and other topics
QUESTIONS FROM READERS
QUESTION 1 FROM SRI YATINDRA GOSWAMI
Respected Sir, Now a days the new buzzword is GOD PARTICLE. What views the sanatan philosophy has on this?
ANSWER:
It is being certainly talked about but for sanatan philosophy this is not a new concept. The ancient seers through their wisdom and experience articulated it right from the dawn of human intelligence and mentioned in the Rk Veda.
God particle is God Himself. Or if we may say Brahman particle is Brahman Himself. The nearest expression to understand Brahman particle is Hiranygarbha which contains the seeds of all in the manifested universe and from which the creation rolled out and continues non stop. He was always there, is there and will be there. It is Brahman in its subtlest and minutest form like the mighty banyan tree held within the tiny seed. He is “Bhutasya jatah”, source of all that is manifested. “Patireka”, one and the only Lord of all. “Sah dAdhAra prithivim, dyAm utemAm. He upholds the earths and the heavens pervading the unaccountable universes – anantakoti brahmanda. Not only the gross manifestations but also all the subtelities like knowledge, sustaining force are contained within the hiranygarbha (AtmadA , baladA). Whose presence ensures all existence and whose absence wipes out all (yasya chAyAmrtam yasya mrtyu). He pervades the entire space holding the dynamic balance of all galaxies, suns, planets. He is larger than the largest and smaller than the smallest ( mahato mahiyAn anuraniyan). He is that particle.
This is how the seers through their highly developed intuition visualized that elementay particle and offered their prayers to make them understand Him. Because according to their experience Brahman can not be verified or comprehended by any other means except by severe contemplation.( tapasa chiyate Brahma).
QUESTION 2 FROM Dr VASUNDHARA DUBEY
Respected Sir; When you say ‘I am Brahman’ (Aham Brahmasmi), how can any one full of impure thoughts, bonded to desires honestly say this when Brahman is all pure and perfect?
ANSWER: What is the difference between a free person and a bonded person? It is the shackles around him inhibiting his actions and thoughts. He removes the shackles and regains his freedom. The Brahman in all jivas is likewise can not be imagined as long as the shackles of ignorance bind him to objects causing this impurity. Take away the shackles of ignorance and he regains his purity of of original self which is Brahman. One must always believe in the true potential of one’s own soul
In this context it is so true what Swami Vivekananda once pointed out. “Vedanta teaches men to have faith in themselves first……. Not believing in the glory of our own soul is what Vedanta calls atheism.”
So you see, that belief in one’s potential is believing you are Brahman. The veils of ignorance are hiding this fact from you. Our scriptures ask us to wipe out the mock of ignorance through intense sAdhanA of yoga and then the diamond shines bright.
No one has to prove to himself that he is Brahman. It is truth an established fact. In essence Brahmeiva jiva na parAh. The supreme soul and the individual souls are one and the same. Our ignorance is only a temporary barrier waiting to be demolished.
QUESTION 3 FROM SRI YOGESH ADHIKARI
Guruji – Your observations on caste system Ahwan June issue gives much food for thought. The lower caste and higher caste concept is a total misunderstanding
ANSWER: You are so right. The chaturvarna system has no hierarchy. Not only we all have to engage ourselves in all the four activities associated with caste, even in a broader sense Brahman Himself demonstrates that He belongs to all castes.
He is the Guru of all Gurus constantly infusing knowledge into our system educating us through His actions for our enlightenment. He is the Brahman amongst all brahmans.
He is bhuvanasya goptA- supporter and protector of everything in the creation upholding the highest form of Kshyatriya dharma.
He is the creator and distributor of all material benefits by which we all survive.
And who nurtures us in our existence? By whom we overcome our difficulties whether physical, mental or psychic? We all owe our very upbringing to the care and concern of that all supporting power, His compassion, His love.
Brahman epitomizes all varnas that we misunderstood as divided society based on castes. He does not differentiate His own actions as one superior to another.
It is the type of action that is to be understood as the basis for varnas. All actions eventually lead us to the same knowledge for which the entire creation is craving.
Further suggested reading: ‘Readers Questions’ in AHWAN issues in March/April 2003, May2008, November 2008 and December 2008, June 2010
QUESTION 4 FROM SRI V RAMAKRISHNA
Gurudeva; If food is also Brahma why should one differentiate between vegetarian and non vegetarian?Both are needed by the body.
ANSWER: Spiritually speaking, it would be rather myopic to think that ‘food’ or the act of taking food is only to appease physical hunger and therefore the physical body should decide what to eat. .
Food is what we intake for our development. Development embraces all dimensions of our existence- physical, mental and psychic. We may eat with our mouth and fill our stomach with food, but by the act of eating we also nourish our mental and psychic bodies. Taking food is a sublime activity that simultaneously enriches our total being. The enriched body, mind and psyche are then consecrated to the only purpose of our existence which is to evolve and unite with Satchidananda.
When the Upanishad says ‘anna eva Brahma’ (food is Brahman) it is to recognize this divine and supporting role of ‘anna’
Food is not judged by physical or sensual comfort. It is to be judged by its usefulness assisting our spiritual development. It is to be judged by this quality. Everything that the earth produces directly or indirectly is judged by its usefulness to one or the other. No food has zero value or negative value. Even a poison has its value if understood and administered rightly.
The debate on vegetarianism versus non-vegetarianism is also misplaced. Humans are asked to keep away from non-vegetarian food because of its limited usefulness to their metabolism, where as it is staple food for other species. It depends where in the food chain that particular specie is placed. Humans are not built to have non-vegetarian food as their staple intake.
Dharma judges food from its inherent quality and usefulness to our development. Even in the Bhagavad Gita (sraddhatraya vibhaga yoga), the foods are defined by their quality and their effect, without referring whether vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
The aversion of vegetarians towards non vegetarian food is also misplaced if not considered from above point of view. All the gross things in the creation, what is eaten (food) and the eater itself both are made out of same five basic elements i.e earth, water, energy, wind and space combined in different proportions only. All gross bodies are the same, whether humans, animals or plants. This is what is implied when The Brhadaranyaka says that the eater and the eaten are the same, both being part of the same source VirAja. When the eater eats the food he supplements his own requirement of these five elements only. The food breaks down into these five elements and fulfills the need of the eater. All living beings (bhutas) survive by consuming another being- whether in animal form or vegetation form. Bhuta bhutasya bhojanam. Where is the question for aversion? Humans are to avoid non vegetarian food as it is not the most conducive food for their metabolism. But in places where vegetation is not available or scarce, or there are other compelling reasons, it will be foolish to starve to death by avoiding the available non vegetarian food. As said before, vegetarians and non-vegetarians eat the same five basic elements. One may follow his preference but should not look down upon the other. As said earlier, non-vegetarian food is to be avoided when it is not very conducive to our system
QUESTION 5 FROM SRI YUDHISTHIR PATRA
Respected Guruji; Are God and Guru only foul weather friends? We remember them only when faced with adversities.
ANSWER: You have made a very pertinent observation about human nature and its state of ignorance.
On one hand it is only but natural. We seek some one to give us directions only when we are lost. That is fair enough. But would not it be better if such situations in life when we are lost, becomes few and far between?
All adversities in life are results of our own mistakes, our own commissions and omissions. Our Viveka or inner conscience of course constantly tries to protect us. At some point of time we in our haughtiness ignore the warnings of our inner voice. We lower our guard giving the demon of adversity the opportunity to grab us.
The seed of all adversities are planted invariably when you are enjoying a good time. People make more mistakes during good times than when times are bad. During good times we tend to be reckless. Bad times do not give much scope to be reckless. The inner voice within us which is the voice of Brahman which is recognized as the rise of our intellect (viveka) always is for our guidance. Hence wise and intelligent people are more God conscious during good times than in bad times. Fools get carried away by the pleasures of good times. When normal people have lowered their guard, a controlled person – a yogi – never abandons his alertness.
There is a sloka in The Bhagavad Gita which should be practiced by all intelligent people. .
YA nisha sarva bhutanAm tasyam jagarti sanyami
yasyAm jagrati bhutani sa nishA pasyato muneh
and
A self controlled yogi remains in his senses when others lower their guards. When others get carried away he remains unconcerned
If the divine scheme of things are remembered with the same understanding at all times, good times do not throw you overboard and adversities lose their power to overwhelm you. This keeps the suffering to minimum.
Home | Articles | Questions | e-mail
Copyright
Sri Bimal Mohanty 2000
