There are many born Hindus who know much more about Vedic wisdom than I do, but sometimes it is easier for an outsider to see the most important aspects of an incredibly rich, an incredibly vast tradition, like the Indian tradition.
I was fortunate that soon after coming to Bharat, at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar in 1980, and in the surroundings of Sri Anandamayi Ma and other great spiritual personalities, I became familiar with this most important aspect:
You are not what you think you are
Sri Anandamayi Ma claimed: your senses deceive you. You are not a small person in a big world, but in truth, you are one with all. In truth, there is nothing but Brahman. There are no separately existing entities.
It means, the consciousness in us (Atma) is one with the Universal Consciousness (Brahman). Everyone feels he is “I”. This pure I, without any attributes, is the same in everyone and it alone is really true. All else is appearance, Maya. Brahma Satya, Jagat mithya.
The four Mahavakyas are in my view the most important aspect of Vedic wisdom. It is worthwhile to remember them often:
Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman),
Tat Tvam Asi (That you are),
Pragyanam Brahma (Brahman is knowledge),
Ayam Atma Brahma (This Atma is Brahman)…
They are the clearest and shortest expression of the absolute Truth.
The eternal, infinite Brahman with his innate Shakti is the cause for this Maya or the illusion of many separate things.
And how is Brahman described?
Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma or Sat-chit-ananda – pure blissful, eternal Consciousness.
‘Brahman is not what the eyes see, but whereby the eyes see, not what the mind thinks, but whereby…’ (Kena Upanishad)
Brahman, also called Paramatma, is compared with an infinite ocean and all the multiplicity with waves on it. Of course, the waves are in essence nothing but the ocean.
Somehow, this made immediately sense to me.
But how do we know that this is really the truth??
The Tripura Rahasya mentions two conditions for the absolute Truth:
it must be always and must be self-evident.
The first condition excludes already the whole universe.
The second condition means, it must not need anything else to be perceived.
What fulfils this condition?
Try to find out …. Nothing that can be thought of or can be perceived is the absolute Truth. The Truth is hidden in our own awareness. And there it needs to be realised.
Now, what is the point of this truth? How does it affect us?
Let’s think for a moment: what is most important in life? Without which, life has no value or there is no point in living or existing at all.
What is the ONE thing that is absolutely essential?
Usually, we consider it so ordinary that we don’t even take notice of it.
It is consciousness.
Let me give an example. Suppose Bhagawan appears to you and grants you whatever you wish. He doesn’t put a limit to your wishes, only one condition: you won’t be conscious.
Can you see, how important consciousness is? What is the point of all those wishes fulfilled if one is not aware? Nobody will exchange billions of dollars for this ordinary thing of being conscious, isn’t it
Now, our ordinary awareness means mainly thinking. Thoughts or the mind is a reflection of the ‘pure’ consciousness. Pure consciousness means thought-free consciousness.
Imagine that you shine a torch into a dark room. You see different things – chairs, tables etc. but you don’t notice the light. Or you don’t notice the space in the room that holds all those things… the light or the space is comparable with pure consciousness.
How to discover or touch pure consciousness?
Yoga is the means to join us with THAT. It’s the means to dissolve our ignorance. It helps us realise who we really are.
And no, yoga is not mainly asanas.
The first shloka in Patanjali Yoga Sutras says: Yoga is Chitta Vritti Nirodh – means, restraining thought waves.
Why is restraining thoughts so important? Because then the original, pure, not the reflected consciousness, shines through.
Brahman is always present, right beneath and between our thoughts, like the deep ocean is always present beneath the waves.
Yogasara Upanishad says, “then there is communion with Paramatma”. That’s from where intuition comes, from where bliss comes, from where love comes.
It is ALWAYS present. Right now, within us. It’s “I AM”.
Now we also have the goal of human life: If we live in a make-believe world, in MAYA, (even Elon Musk says that this world is a simulation) and if it is possible to realise the Truth (the Rishis claim from experience that it is possible), then to realise the Truth is naturally the goal of life, its meaning and fulfilment.
Yet one needs to do sadhana. Only intellectual knowledge of what we are in truth is not enough. This Vedic knowledge needs to be lived. How? By controlling the mind and connecting with our divine inner essence in meditation. Many of you may do sadhana. If you don’t, please start. It’s worth it.
And also – whenever you remember, stop for a moment your thoughts and be aware of what is right now – sounds outside, or sensations inside the body. The NOW holds the key to the inner realm.
By Maria Wirth
11 Comments
Your grasp over Vedant is thousand time better than of many born Hindus.
Profound wisdom explained in simple words
thank you Radhika
it’s sad that Hindus were deliberately kept away from their inherited wisdom…
Respected Ms Maria Wirth,
Congratulations, for communicating the core principles of Vedic life so very lucidly. and so concisely and precisely
Kuldeep Chandra
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Developing connectivity with the Brahman, the imperishable or Sanatan consciousness and experiencing it to be present within us is Sanatan Dharma or as the goal of life., or Swadharma or Purushartha
The imperishable phenomenon or the Brahman has all levels of consciousness and all levels of energies suitable for existence of each entity that exists in the universe and t any entity, is nothing else but combinations of Divine atomic and molecular intelligence emanating from the Brahman. However no entity that exists in the universe is meant to exist for itself. Thus purpose of life as against the goal of life is to be of some use to others (Parmartha)
it is true that to meet the goal of life is necessary to fulfill the purpose of life. There is no escape to live the vedic life to lead a purpose life.
Kuldeep Chandra
Very good and profound contribution or article. It deals with what is ultimately the only important topic of human life.
I would like to make a few comments or describe different points of view. Let’s start in order:
You say that Atman and Brahman are one. I would like to reply, yes, but not the same or equal. You go on to write “this pure I, … (Atman) is the same in everyone …” .
I do not agree with that. An Atman is someone or something that experiences this world, universe and beyond .. an eternal, immortal observer. I can safely say that my Atman does not see the world through your eyes Maria, does not experience the world through your senses and off course vice versa.
What is actually the same for everybody is Brahman, the consciousness of which our atman consists.
Yes, Brahman is only one. Atmans are many or more than one. For example, the Vedas distinguish between Atman and Paramatman, as you correctly describe. So there are at least two … . Because Atman and Paramatman are also Brahman, but not the same as Brahman. They are certainly not all one and the same … Of course not. Why else would the ancient rishis have differentiated between the two and so often mention them side by side?
Ayam Atma Brahman. If Ayam really means “this” (I think it actually means the same as Aham), then that would mean that something or someone can recognise an Atman, which is Brahman. But then who is he, she or that which wants to have realised this, if everything is ONE? Let us remember that the Mahavakyas are not intellectual statements, but (in the best or true case) mental, thoughtful expressions of immediate, highest spiritual knowledge, self-realisation or enlightenment.
Personally, I can no longer do so much with the comparison of the ocean and the waves. Also because the waves are not just the ocean, but contain the energy of gravity, wind, climate and more, and the ocean is not one and the same thing, but contains countless living beings, some of which can also create very high waves on their own or in combination … It’s not that simple! Or perhaps better, it is much simpler:
The actual and apt comparison for Brahman or pure consciousness is, as is well known, the ocean of milk from the Mahabarata, Ramayana and some Puranas.
Pure consciousness means not only thought-free consciousness, but consciousness free from any illusion, dream, imagination, any emotion of the mind, perception of the universe, etc. Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha does not mean restraining anything, but denotes a state free from all mental agitation and sensory perception including all control with full consciousness. Controlling or restraining anything always means activity of the mind, which does not go together with the perception of pure consciousness. Exactly the same is the case with intuition, love, bliss … it is all illusion or maya. Pure consciousness is, just as you write, free of any movements or attributes that we could associate with our human mind. Which is not to say that pure consciousness cannot be described at all, as countless Hindu texts attest.
Let it be what it is. Intellectual considerations and thought experiments are of no use anyway, as you quite rightly describe. However, I do think it is important to ask about the meaning of realization. What use is it if we realize Brahman, pure consciousness, Atman, Self and all that? Here I miss a satisfying answer at this point. If everything in universe is a finite illusion one way or another and our personality or soul inevitably sinks or dissolves into the only ONE ocean of pure consciousness after death … Why should it be of any use to recognise this during our “lifetime”? Where is the advantage or sense in that …?
An extreme weak point in Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, in my opinion … . Thinking the whole Advaita topic through to the end, it simply makes absolutely no sense! There is something missing in the teaching, namely the whole meaning behind our existence … If Advaita Vedanta were everything, then everything would be meaningless. And in view of the complexity and size of the universe alone, who would seriously believe that there is not at least as great and wonderful meaning behind it and that the pinnacle of Hindu, Buddhist and other teachings, namely enlightenment or self-realisation, knowledge of Brahman and Atman etc., has no results or effects worth mentioning in the highest sense? With such thinking or belief, are we not underestimating the cognitive ability of the rishis from Vedic times, who never tired of emphasising that enlightenment or realisation of the highest truth is the only true or important goal and cause of human life and the entire universe? Does the Advaita Vedanta teaching and philosophy in its naivety possibly underestimate the ancient knowledge that works behind Hinduism or Sanathana Dharma?
thank you for your detailed reply. there are different views, no doubt, including within ancient Indian philosophy, but Truth is only one. and it cannot be put into words or arguments. the Oneness one experiences in deep meditation has no name… is it Atma, Brahma, Paramatma? it doesn’t really matter.
regarding your question of what use is it to realise it in life, if after death one falls anyway into it… i don’t think we fall into it after death. we go to different lokas and come back, depending on our karma as long as we identify with our person.
at a Samyam Saptah in 1981 a man once asked Sri Anandamayi Ma, how would the world continue to run, if all try for self-realisation. she replied, don’t worry about the world.
Very wisely and nicely put… .
Human being need structural development through a mutation process. Thought alone is not in capacity to understand all you stated. Experience is only the education in Gurukul system. An academic mind can not transfer the knowledge described here. There is a limit of words. It is matter of paralanguage or nonverbal communication. It is written between the lines here in article.
Vielen Dank für Ihre Antwort Maria. Natürlich ist Name Schall und Rauch, wie Goethe diese Wahrheit schon so schön poetisch zu beschreiben wusste.
Und doch, so man sich mit vedischer Wissenschaft beschäftigten mag ist es wie in jeder anderen Wissenschaft auch sinnvoll zu wissen, was bestimmte „Fachwörter“ bezeichnen, bedeuten oder meinen. Und da sind die Wörter Atma, Brahman oder Paramatma eben nicht dasselbe, sondern haben drei verschiede Bedeutungen! Auch wenn es viel einfacher wäre oder einfacher zu verstehen wäre, wenn das alles das Gleiche oder Selbe wäre … Stichwort Advaita Vedanta.
Das Einssein, was „man“ in tiefer Mediation erfährt ist im Übrigen nicht die eine Wahrheit und auch nicht Atma, Brahman oder Paramatman. Es ist ein sehr schöner gedankenfreier Zustand innerer Einkehr, aber zunächst erst mal nichts darüber hinaus ..
Die Erkenntnis des Selbst, Brahman oder sogar Paramatman ist schließlich nichts Anderes als Erleuchtung oder das, was heute oft gern Selbsterkenntnis genannt wird. Das ist bekanntlich etwas sehr Seltenes (!) und hat mit Meditation selbst eigentlich nicht unbedingt etwas zu tun. Es mag Menschen geben haben, die während der Mediation die Erkenntnis erlangten (mir ist nur Siddhartha Gautama Buddha bekannt), allerdings ist meiner Meinung nach unter den vedischen Gelehrten immer Konsens gewesen, dass die Erkenntnis nicht abhängig ist von speziellen Praktiken, Techniken, Streben oder bestimmten Einstellungen. Im Gegenteil. Es heißt Gott, oder wie immer sie es oder ihn bezeichnen möchten, sucht sich den oder diejenigen aus, denen er sich zu erkennen gibt.
Oft heißt es, unter anderem auch in den Upanishaden, dass man diese höchsten Erkenntnisse und spirituellen Erfahrungen nicht wirklich beschreiben kann und auch das der Sinn dahinter intellektuellem, rationalem Denken nicht zugänglich ist und am besten geheim bleiben soll. Ich bin nicht sicher ob das so ist. Geheim ist sowieso nichts mehr und bis zu einem gewissen Grad kann man es vermutlich schon verstehen, sonst wären die vedischen Wissenschaften überflüssig.
Sie, Maria, glauben nicht, dass man nach dem Tod verlischt, sondern wiederkehrt. Wohin? In die Illusion, die wir Universum nennen? In anderen Lokas, die Teil der Illusion sind? Und dann? Irgendwann?
Hindus glauben an ein Ende der Wiedergeburten! Durch Erleuchtung. Was dann? Ewiges Leben, Ewigkeit in Dimensionen des Bewusstseins jenseits von Raum und Zeit oder Auflösung der Seele?
Auflösung der Seele ist Advaita Vedanta. Sogar schlimmer oder sinnloser noch: Die Seele hat nie existiert, sondern sich nur eingebildet zu existieren … und sobald sie das erkennt, löst sie sich im Ozean reinen Bewusstseins auf.
Wer soll so was glauben? Wozu der ganze Aufwand, Millionen von Widergeburten eventuell von Etwas, was nie existierte, nur um genau dieses Nichtexistieren zu erkennen, um dann mit oder durch diese Erkenntnis zu verschwinden. Ganz schön wilde Theorie, finde ich!
Einfach zwar oder alles Eins, aber Sinn hat oder macht das wenig bis gar nicht in letzter Konsequenz. Und sinnlos, das sind die alten vedischen Erkenntnisse sicher nicht!
Wie genau ihre Erzählung von Sir Anandamayi Ma und der Frage nach dem Streben nach Selbstverwirklichung und Sorgen um die Welt zu meinem Kommentar passen erschließt sich mir jetzt nicht so ganz so schnell. Was keine Kritik darstellen soll. Ich schätze ihre Artikel und einen Großteil ihrer Arbeit sehr! In diesem Sinne … Hari OM!
The Christian view of ‘soul’ is different. Anandamayi Ma was asked once: how would the world go on, if we all strive for mukti. her reply: don’t worry about the world. you strive for mukti.