by Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL No. 32
October. 2003

ATTEMPTS TO DESCRIBE BRAMHAN - Part 6

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

In spiritual parlance, peace means harmonious existence. In this creation around us of incessant activity, existence in harmony is peace. Non conformity with harmony is absence of peace. Look at the cosmos around us. The stars, planets, galaxies, the nature in our immediate vicinity are all in perpetual motion or action. Yet there exists a balance in this ever- dynamic environment. There is no chaos, no clash, there is a dynamic equilibrium. Everything is in its place following the divine laws of nature. That is peace. Without this peaceful balance everything will disintegrate. Our ancient seers realised this. Hence they were literally obsessed with Shanti. Non conformity with the divine laws of nature spells doom.

It is understood much better in our own personal level. Often we are disturbed in mind and no one likes to be in that state. The disturbances within our personalities are invariably due to our disagreement with the circumstances outside. There is a non conformity between conditions and us, people and us, and we are disturbed. Instead of understanding the purpose and origin of the circumstances we immediately try to change it to our way of thinking. This creates friction and further causes loss of peace. We remain miserable. So there has to be peace or shanti as the first principle of existence and survival- my own survival, my own happiness, for everyone’s survival, for everyone’s happiness.

Whose laws, whose principles are we talking here? There is only one niyanta or controller of this whole creation. That is Bramhan. So harmony with Divine laws means harmony with Bramhan. So whenever we utter Om Shanti, this entire philosophy should enter our minds. You go on chanting Om Shanti, Om Shanti, and the thought of Bramhan and absolute conformity with Bramhan enters the mind.

There is none other than Bramhan and complete conformity with Bramhan is imperative. There is indeed no alternative. Always remember Bramhan and always live life in conformity with Bramhan. If you do, you go to Bramhan. You defy and you are pushed back in your evolutionary process. Om Shanti becomes a constant reminder of this truth. Next time you chant Om Shanti, pause to think about it. Next time, do not say Om Shanti mechanically. Om should remind you of Bramhan and Shanti should remind you that I must act in conformity with Bramhan and not in defiance of the divine laws. Let these thoughts enter your mind and see how the mind feels peaceful. That is spirituality in practice.

This concept of Ekam Bramhan dvitiyam naiva vidyate is so strong a truth that the Mundaka Upanishad makes it even simpler and emphatic to understand:

Bramha eva idam amrtam purastat Bramha, pascat Bramha, dakshinatah ca uttarena;

Adhah ca Urdhvam ca prasrutam Brmha eva idam viswam idam varistham.

What lies ahead of me is that immortal Bramhan. I look to right, left, above and below, and the same great Bramhan is extended everywhere. That is the concept of Bramhan indeed.

One more clarification is also relevant here. When we say everything is really Bramhan, we do not mean only the physical bodies or the concrete forms that are before us. It is to be understood that even all the subtle elements, the qualitative characteristics of all objects are also Bramhan. The very nature or svabhava of all things are also Bramhan.

Refer to the Vibhuti Yoga of The Bhagavad Gita. Whether the intelligence of the intelectuals, the qualities of attachment, forgiveness, truth, self control, happiness and unhappiness of the beings all have their origin in Bramhan. The wisdom of the wise, the valour of the valiants, the skill of the skillful also is part of Bramhan. I am myself not only Bramhan but all my actions by which I exist in this creation are also part derived from Bramhan.

What practical utility this concept has for me? It simply implies that when everything is Bramhan, my peaceful existence within the Bramhan can only be possible if all my ‘actions’ are in conformity with the divine laws of The Lord. The futility of any egocentric action on my part will only breed misery and suffering.

Next we shall discuss the second line of this sloka from Ishavasya Upanishad, which is a practical advice to living this concept.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

THIS ISSUE OF AHWAN HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY Pt. Ravinder Nath Watts, (PANDIT VATS) El Cerrito, California USA.

" FOR QUESTION AND ANSWERS PLEASE SEE NEXT PAGE "