Vedic vision of God
In the bhagavad gĩtā, in one particular ślokā, the Lord
talks about four types of devotees –
caturvidhā bhajante māṃ janāḥ sukṛtino'rjuna
l
ārto jijñāsurarthārthĩ jñānĩ ca
bharatarṣabha ll 7-16
There are four types of devotees - ārta,
arthārthĩ, jijñāsu and jñānĩ bhaktaḥ. Arta
bhaktaḥ is one who is a devotee in distress facing some problems.
And he wants to worship god to get
freedom from his stress and distress. Whereas, arthārthĩ
bhaktaḥ is one who does not have any particular problem now; but, he is engaged
in various ventures, and in all of them he desperately wants success. May be an
admission in an American university! So, varieties of things a person desires.
Whatever he desires is called arthaḥ. arthaḥ means, wealth also. Or, anything I
desire is called arthaḥ. So, arthārthĩ is one who wants success in his seeking.
Both ārta & arthārthĩ bhaktās want to worship god either to get things or get rid of things. In fact throughout our
life, we are only busy either getting things or getting rid of things.
And these two types of bhaktās are so obsessed with their
personal needs of getting and getting rid of things, they will worship god in
any manner, suggested by anyone, at any place! If one person introduces a
temple somewhere in a unique corner, they will go there and will go to any
temple, any church, any mosque or any place and offer any form of worship. I
want to somehow get what I want. I don't mind any type of pũjā. Thus, we find
ārta and arthārthĩ bhaktā are obsessed with god worship. They don't want to
know 'who this blessed god is'. They worship god alright. In any form. But,
they are not interested in knowing who this god is. How many gods are there,
whether god is a male or female, formless or with form, all those details they
are not interested. They go by pure faith. Some god must be there perhaps.
Because, they are all doing pũjā, I also want to do pũjā, hoping that my
problem will be solved.
Thus, we have got many worshipers of god who are not
interested in the knowledge of god or enquiry in to the nature of god. And Lord
kṛṣṇā says, 'among these ārta and arthārthĩ bhaktās, some of them - in due
course, (some of them, not all of them) may get sufficient puṇyam so that from ārta/arthārthĩ
bhakti they become the third variety, a rare variety, called jijñāsu bhaktā. First, they want to know,
'is there a god at all?' Right from that, there is a problem; because, modern science
- which is most powerful now - is rejecting the very existence of god. I should
know what is god. I should know what is the nature of god. This desire comes.
'atātho brahma jijñāsā' (brahma sũtra 1). It is that word jijñāsā that kṛṣṇā
borrows. jijñāsu bhaktaḥ bhavati.
And initially, it is a casual desire. It is not very
serious. But, after some time, this desire becomes more and more; and it
becomes a burning desire. And all forms of books which talk about god
realisation in English or in any language - other than Sanskrit; because, we
don't know Sanskrit! - in all the languages, all books that are available on
god realisation, he reads. He finds that all those books are full of mystic
experiences and mystic visions of god appearing, giving darśanam and disappearing;
and miraculous events happening! All these ideas are given in the books of god
realisation. Full of mysticism, full of miracles, full of extra-ordinary
experiences. But, all of them have got one common statement. They all say, 'you
require a guru for guidance'. Therefore, this person gets the idea that - 'I
want the vision of god'. Because, by now, the jijñāsa has become tĩvra jijñāsa.
So, 'I also want god vision. And so, now I require a guru'.
And suppose, because of his extra-ordinary puṇyam, he gets a
guru - looking ordinary or extra-ordinary - whatever the look may be, suppose
he gets a guru who belongs to the vedic tradition. Vaidika paramparāgata guruḥ,
which guru paramparā we are worshiping on vyāsa pũjā day –
nārāyaṇam padmabhuvam vasiṣtham śaktim
ca tat putra parāśaram ca vyāsam śukam
gauḍapādam mahāntam govinda yogĩndra
mathāsya śiṣyam l
śri śankarācārya mathāsya padmapādam ca
hastāmalakam ca śiṣyam tam toṭakam vārtika kāram anyān asmad gurũn santatam
ānato'smi ll
So, if he finds traditional guru, coming in vaidika
paramparā, he is very, very fortunate. Imagine this disciple approaches such a
guru. And his expectations are based on all the god realisation books he had
read. Therefore he thinks, the guru will teach him varieties of meditations,
through which he can have mysterious experiences; mysterious visions he can
get. Thus, he goes with an expectation of learning varieties of meditations.!
If the guru is a traditional guru, he never talks about meditation. śiṣyā is
waiting; waiting with expectation. The guru's first statement is, 'god is the
topic of this scriptures; therefore, if you have to know god, first you should
expose yourself to the teaching of the scriptures'. Thus, a traditional guru
always introduces scriptural teaching; never meditation.
All the scriptures are full of guru-śiṣyā dialogue; and in
all of them, śiṣyā approaches the guru and surrenders. And the guru says, 'let
us start learning'. Arjunā in the bhagavad gĩtā surrenders to Kṛṣṇā and says -"śiṣyaste'haṃ
śādhi māṃ tvāṃ prapannam" - 'please teach me'. Kaivalya begins with -
"adhĩhi bhagavan brahmavidyāṃ variṣṭhāṃ sadā sadbhiḥ sevyamānāṃ nigũḍhām"
- 'may you teach'. "vedāntavijñānasuniścitārthāḥ". Thus, traditional
guru talks only about exposing oneself to the scriptural knowledge
"śrotavyaḥ mantavyaḥ nididhyāsitavyaḥ" (bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣat) - 'may
you expose yourself to the teaching' and try to assimilate the Lord, as
revealed by the scriptures.
tasmai sa vidvān upasannāya samyak
praśānta cittāya śamānvitāya l
yenākṣaraṃ puruṣaṃ veda satyaṃ provāca
tāṃ tattvato brahmavidyām ll (Muṇḍakopaniṣat)
Thus, all the scriptural words are those that the guru
systematically taught the disciple. So, the fundamental difference between a
traditional guru, belonging to vedic paramparā, and any other guru, who does
not belong to the paramparā is tradition starts with teaching; others start
with meditation. This is one of the fundamental differences.
Once the teaching starts, all the scriptures reveal god in a
particular form, which is unique to the prasthānatrayam. Whether it is the
upaniṣad or it is the bhagavad gĩtā or it is brahma sũtram - which are the
fundamental scriptures - a jijñāsu bhaktā, (remember the name of the bhaktā, a
jijñāsu bhaktā) should expose to the contents of this teaching. One of the
upaniṣad (they named as the 'first' upaniṣad; it is not the first one; but,
generally enumerated as the first upaniṣad) is ĩśāvāsya upaniṣad, which reveals
ĩśvarā as, in its first mantrā:
ĩśāvāsyam idam sarvaṃ yatkiñca jagatyāṃ
jagat l
tena tyaktena bhuñjĩthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasyasviddhanam
ll
The 'vision of god' requires the conversion of our attitude
towards this universe. The 'vision of god', very important sentence. The vision
of god involves conversion of our attitude towards the very world we are
experiencing. Or, in short, everything that we are experiencing. What is the
conversion of the attitude? The upaniṣad says, before the scriptural study, we
are looking at everything as world or universe. You have got jagat bhāvanā or prapañca
bhāvanā (bhāvanā means Attitude). What should you do? You have to replace the jagat
and prapañca bhāvanā with ĩśvara bhāvanā. That means what? Everything that I am
experiencing is none other than ĩśvarā and ĩśvarā only!
Puruṣa evedam sarvam l yadbhũtaṃ yacca bhavyam l utāmṛtatvasyeśānaḥ
l (puruṣa sũktam) Sarvam viṣṇumayam jagat. In the viṣṇu sahasranāma, the first
word of bhagavān is, viśvam. Viśvam means, what? The whole universe. Therefore,
in the vision of the Veda, that we are looking at the world as a world is a
mistake; but, we have to learn to look at the very universe as ĩśvaraḥ.
Therefore, ĩśvara darśanam is not seeing a 'separate'
ĩśvarā, who is other than the individual and world. Arta and Arthārthĩ bhaktās
think ĩśvarā is a third entity other than jĩva and jagat. There is an
extra-cosmic ĩśvarā, which extra-cosmic ĩśvarā I have to see, through
mysterious experience. This is the approach of ārta arthārthĩ bhaktā.
But, the vedic approach is, ĩśvara darśanam is seeing the
world as ĩśvarā. It is not a separate ĩśvara darśanam; but, learning to see the
world itself as ĩśvarā. Therefore, when I systematically study the scriptures
for a length of time, my idea of 'world' is replaced - whatever I experience is
ĩśvarā. So, jĩva - jagat - ĩśvarā this is the triangle that I imagine. But,
veda says, 'there is no jĩva - jagat - ĩśvarā triangle. Triangular format is
wrong format'. And veda presents a new format, which is the preliminary binary
format - which is, dropping the idea of jĩva jagat ĩśvarā. Individual, world
and god is a wrong approach. Then what? It is individual and god alone. That is
the preliminary or intermediary binary format.
So, vedic ĩśvara darśanam is, changing
my perspective and trying to
look at the whole universe with reverence. That is why in viṣṇu sahasranāma,
even though we do pũjā to the deity, one of the dhyāna ślokās - which is the
most popular one - is,
bhũḥ pādau yasya
nābhirviyadasuranilaścandra sũryau ca netre I
karṇāvāśāḥ śiro dyaurmukhamapi dahano
yasya vāsteyamabdhiḥ II
bhũḥ pādau - the earth is the feet of the Lord, candra
sũryau ca netre - candra and sũrya are the eyes of the Lord. yasya nābhiḥ viyat
- the entire ākāśa is the nābhi of the Lord, karṇau āśāḥ - all the 10
directions are the ears of the Lord. So, you can never talk a secret;
everywhere god's ears are there! Thus, description of ĩśvarā is, as viśvarũpa
ĩśvarā. ĩśvarā is world. World is ĩśvarā! So, drop you obsession with a
separate ĩśvarā, other than the world. Once you think of a separate ĩśvarā -
other than the world, you will get in to mysticism, you will get in to
miracles. Veda does not want us to get obsessed with mysticism and miracles and
extraordinary visions. They are not to be obsessed with. What is the pursuit of
god? Gradually learning to respect everything .. I experience, every man, every
animal, every women, every insect, everything is none other than god.
Even in the
daily pũjā, which many people do mechanically, the same idea is conveyed.
During every upacāra, the mantra chanted is very important, to be observed
carefully -
laṃ pṛthivyātmane
gandhān dhārayāmi I haṃ ākāśātmane puṣpaiḥ pũjayāmi I yaṃ vāyvātmane
dhũpaṃ
āghrāpayāmi I raṃ agnyātmane dĩpaṃ darśayāmi I vaṃ amṛtātmane amṛtaṃ
mahānaivedyaṃ
nivedayāmi I saṃ sarvātmane sarvopacārapũjāṃ samarpayāmi
laṃ pṛthivyātmane
gandhān dhārayāmi - even though he applies candanam on the idol or photo, he says,
pṛthivyātmane - 'oh Lord, you are in the form of pṛthivĩ. You are the earth. haṃ
ākāśātmane puṣpaiḥ pũjayāmi - thus ākāśa is also you; vāyu is also you. Thus,
ĩśvara darśanam according to veda is attitudinal transformation. Miracles we
need not go in to; we need not debate. Miracles are there, okay. Not there,
okay. But, we are not interested in miracles. Spiritual progress requires
changing our attitude towards the universe. There is no other ĩśvara darśanam
that veda prescribes, other than attitudinal
transformation.
This ĩśvara
darśanam should lead to internal sanyāsa. I will call it, sanyāsa binary
format. What is the sanyāsa? ĩśāvāsya upaniṣad says - "tena tyaktena
bhuñjĩthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam". So, may you renounce the notion that
you are seeing the world. May you replace it with the attitude that you are
experiencing god. When? All the time. Not with eyes closed. With all the sense
organs open, declare, 'I am experiencing ĩśvarā all the time'. The entire human
life is the rarest opportunity to appreciate the viśvarũpa ĩśvarā, all the
time.
And once I
appreciate 'everything belongs to ĩśvarā and ĩśvarā means the totality', I have
to renounce two
important
things. One is mamakāra, the idea that I am the owner of certain things. Since
everything is ĩśvarā, everything belongs to ĩśvarā. Kasya svid dhanam? ĩśāvāsya
asks the question, 'who is the owner of the wealth?' It is not a question. It
is ākṣepārthe kim. 'Who is the owner?' means, nobody is the owner of anything.
Nobody is the controller of anything. So, I have to renounce the idea of
ownership and controllership. I should remember, I use everything given by god
for a few decades. I am only the user. I am never the owner. bhagavān is the
owner. He has given only for lease. Lease rent we pay is puṇyam; because, manuṣya
janma is due to puṇyam. That is why, only you can listen to the talk.
Therefore, because of puṇyam, bhagavān has leased us the human body, in which,
I get an opportunity for enjoying viśvarũpa ĩśvarā all the time. In the evening
many people go to the beach; but, there also, they eat popcorn and miss the
wonderful ocean, the sky, the stars! The whole creation is wonderful. Our own body
is an extra-ordinary body. Instead of appreciating the viśvarũpa ĩśvarā, I get
obsessed with a few things and develop mamakāra, ownership. And thinking that I
can control everything, I worry about the future.
But, I
should remember, 'I can contribute little to the future as a puny little
individual; what is going to happen in the future is decided by ĩśvarā alone'.
Thus, once I renounce the idea of ownership and controllership and do whatever
I can do in life, then future worry is also not there. Because, everything is ĩśvarā.
Future events are also ĩśvarā.
nāsthā dharme na vasunicaye naiva kāmopabhoge
yad bhāvyaṃ tad bhavatu bhagavan pũrvakarmānurũpam
I
etatprārthyaṃ mama bahumataṃ janmajanmāntare'pi
tvatpādāmbhoruhayugagatā niścalā bhaktirastu II
[mukundamālā stotram]
'Oh Lord,
whatever should happen in the creation according to the law of karma, let it
all happen. I am ready; because, all events are nothing but the movements of
the Lord alone'. That is why it is called naṭarāja nṛtyam, the cosmic dance.
The whole movement of the universe, the rhythmic movement of the atom, rhythmic
movement of the solar system, they are all looked upon as the dance of ĩśvarā.
Therefore, I don't have to close my eyes for ĩśvara darśanam. I don't require
miracles for ĩśvara darśanam. I only should change my bhāvanā, based on the
scriptural teaching. Then, ownership is
replaced by usership; controllership
is replaced by contributorship. Life becomes an enjoyment. Then,
the concept of mokṣa also will be different.
Now, we
don't look upon this creation as god. We look upon this as world. Therefore, we
have a negative
attitude.
Hence, our concept of mokṣa is, running away from the world. 'Somehow I should
die; never to come back here again'. That means, we hate the world; which is,
totally against the vedic vision. We think, 'we have a world to be hated and we
have a god somewhere to be loved'. We have to hate the world and run away from
the world; and, we have to love the god who is somewhere else! In vaikuṇṭha or kailāsa.
Veda never accepts that. There is no hateable world and lovable god, as an
opposite entity. The world you hate is none other than god. So, stop hating the
world; start revering the world. Mokṣa
is freedom from this ignorance. What ignorance? The world is to be renounced
and I have to run to god! Run away from the World and run towards god - this
concept of escapist Mokṣa should go away.
Dropping
this ignorance and learning to appreciate the universe in its totality and
variety, is binary format, jijñāsu bhaktā's attitude number one. What is binary
format? Don't say, individual, world and god. Forget it. Replace it by
individual and god alone. There is no such thing called world. "tena tyaktena
bhuñjĩthā" - renounce the idea that, 'what I have is a hateable world'.
Everything is lovable ĩśvarā only! adveṣṭā sarvabhũtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca
(gĩtā 12-13)
Those who
are obsessed with mysticism and miracles will not like this, they want to
experience some other god, other than this terrible world. They want to mysteriously
experience some god, who will be āyā rām and gayā rām. They want āyā rām – gayā
rām god. They will renounce the vedic teaching and go in search of mystic guru.
But, if the
śiṣya is able to survive, then the guru gives further teaching, which is more
profound, which I will summarise today, being Gurupũrṇimā day. This teaching alone
we are studying in all the Upaniṣads. So, when the teaching continues, bhagavān
gives in the gĩtā a very beautiful teaching - from the 7th chapter to the 12th
chapter. He says, 'I have got one higher nature and one lower nature, called parāprakṛti
& aparāprakṛti. My own (my own means, bhagavān's) higher nature is
consciousness principle. parāprakṛti is caitanyam. And, I have got a lower
nature, which is called aparāprakṛti, which is matter'.
Thus, god
consists of consciousness principle and matter principle. brahman and māyā. parāprakṛti
and aparāprakṛti. Everything that you experience is matter. Therefore, it comes
under the inferior nature of god or aparāprakṛti. Why inferior? Because, it is
mixed with pleasure and pain. It is a mixture of opposites. Still, it is also
what? It is also ĩśvarā only. What ĩśvarā? aparāprakṛti ĩśvarā. And, there is a
higher nature - parāprakṛti. That is brahman. And, how to see that parāprakṛti
brahman? Lord Kṛṣṇā says –
bhũmirāpo'nalo vāyuḥ khaṃ mano buddhireva ca I
ahańkāra itĩyaṃ me bhinnā prakṛtiraṣṭadhā II (7.4)
apareyamitastvanyāṃ prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām I
jĩvabhũtāṃ mahābāho yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat II (7.5)
The parāprakṛti,
the higher nature, the consciousness - is never an object of experience. It is
available in the form of the very 'you', the experiencer of everything. Thus,
the ultimate teaching is, the whole material universe, including the body and
mind, is aparāprakṛti, the māyā part of ĩśvarā; and, 'I', the consciousness
principle, which is not an object of experience, that 'I', the sākṣi caitanyam
is, parāprakṛti. Everything is god. What I experience is lower god; and 'I',
the experiencer am the higher god. How is it?! Everything is
god. So, everything is to be revered. And whatever I experience is the lower
god; it is material & changing. Whereas, 'I', the experiencer, is the
higher god. This is the jñānĩ's
binary format.
'I' am brahman, the parāprakṛti. What I experience in front
is māyā, the aparāprakṛti. Both the 'observer' and 'observed' put together is
the 'total' ĩśvarā. 'I' the experiencer am god. Experienced world/matter is
god. The experiencer 'I' is consciousness god. Experienced is matter god. So, everything requires only one attitude. What is the
attitude? Reverence & reverence.
The whole life is a life of worship and reverence. Thus, the
traditional vedic paramparā does not involve mysticism.
Does not involve miracles. They may be there, they may not be there. We need not be obsessed with them. Those who are interested, let
them go. But, our approach is what? I am god and whatever
I experience is also god. Sarvam viṣṇumayam jagat. Sarvam śivamayam
jagat (let me say both). Finally,
sarvam devĩmayam jagat. (this side I should not leave!) Everything is god. Dayānanda
Swāmĩjĩ's favourite quote - in Tamil He enjoys saying-"இருப்பதெல்லாம்
இறைவனே" (All that is there is only GOD). This
is the wonderful guru paramparā. Whoever comes to this paramparā
is fortunate and it is that paramparā we worship today. With these words I
conclude my talk.
(Swāmi Parāmārthānandājĩ's
talk on Gurupũrṇimā day 2017)
