#200 Vedanta – Embrace of the Sacred
200 episodes. 200 weeks.
Jnana-Ganga – The Ganga of Wisdom – the River of the wisdom continues to flow.
Welcome to the 200th episode of your podcast – Vedanta the river of wisdom.
A little backstory – I started this podcast on 15th August 2018, my Guru, Pujya Swami Dayananda ji’s birth anniversary
The sankalpa was to build a bridge to Vedanta for people who were curious about Vedanta, did not know where to start and were not ready to commit to a class or a course.
I wanted to use a medium that is in keeping with the tradition and hence it was just right to adopt an audio medium because shravanam is the main sadhana, listening over a period of time to the Shaastra from a guru.
I wanted episode to be complete in and of itself so that one could listen to any one and take away an insight, a learning, a tool, a method that would lead to self-mastery and self-discovery and ultimately scrape away the ignorance surrounding oneself.
And so, we now have a rich archive, that you can dip into anytime and in any sequence. The shortest episode might be about 10 minutes and the longest about 30 minutes.
A very heartfelt thank you for listening, sharing your reflections, asking questions and becoming students of Vedanta. I am grateful and will continue to honor this weekly commitment of flowing with this river of wisdom. The Devas smile and shower petals on the ones who value the teachings passed on by the Rishis.
Continuing with today’s episode.
Vedanta – an embrace of the sacred
Everyday, we relate.
We react. We withdraw. We reject. We fight. We flee. We freeze. We respond.
Our life stance is more of a survivor, furtive eyes darting to see who is out there to get us, looking over our shoulders with bated breath. There is fear about a threat and anxiety about an imagined threat.
As we relate, the heart longs for fullness.
The heart wants to belong such that there are no pangs of separation.
And then as you walk the path, you hear temple bells from a distance. The cool breeze ruffles your hair and the soles of your feet touch the cool granite floor. You bend down to touch the first step of the temple as you are now respectfully entering the body of Bhagavan. With a chant on your lips you walk towards the garbha grha, the sanctum sanctorum which is covered in darkness. Bhagavan looks resplendent with all the flowers, the crown studded with gleaming jewels, the and the warm glow of oil lamps on either sides. With hands folded in prayer, you try to capture Bhagavan so beautifully decorated, in your mind’s eye, closing your eye for a few seconds. There is no image.
You open your eyes again and allow your eyes to gaze all over. You look at the eyes and see love and compassion. Your eyes fall on Bhagavan’s raised palm in Abhaya mudra reminding you to not fear and accept blessings. You are revelling in the darshan when the pandit puts the camphor on the aarati plate and waves it around Bhagavan. He then brings it towards the devotees as you wave your hands around the flame and touch your eyes and head with the light and warmth of blessing. The pandit returns to the garbha griha and brings back some flowers, a garland of fresh, red roses and coconuts that were offered at the altar. As he distributes these to the gathered devotees, he puts the garland of red roses around your neck. You are delighted and as you smile ear to ear, offer him dakshina, find a quiet spot to do some prayers. You do wonder if the pandit is suspect but find that he has gone back to making offerings for other devotees. A bit self-conscious with the garland around your neck, you wonder whether to take it off or not and decide to keep it until you complete your prayers.
With every breath, the wafting sweet fragrance of the roses feels wonderful. You allow it to sink in. The garland of flowers that was offered around Bhagavan is now around my neck.
Perhaps a few hours ago, it was just one of the garlands that hung in the flower shop. But just the fact of being offered at the altar changes everything.
It still continues to be a garland. Yet your vision has changed. It is now prasada. There is no proper translation for this word. At best one can say prasaada is a gift from the altar of Bhagavan or Bhagavan’s blessings.
Can you unsee this? No. The object is transformed by your vision and attitude of gracious acceptance and receptivity.
Whatever comes from the altar is sacred and is treated with reverence. It is not rejected or dismissed.
We extend the attitude of openness and receptivity at the temple to the altar of life as situations unfold day after day.
I am touched by the presence of Bhagavan. I am sacred.
Sacred is that which is touched by the presence of the divine.
The question is – Am I blessed only now or am I always blessed?
If I am blessed only now that means whatever else happens before and after this moment has been a curse. No, that ‘s not true. Whatever has happened earlier and happening now – is it being done by someone else, other than Bhagavan?. Sure, it is my life but the laws of nature and the materials in nature all come from Bhagavan. My body-mind-senses are not my independent creation.
Bhagavan says in the Gita – Aham krtsnasya jagatah prabhavah pralayastathaa
Bhagavan says – I am the one from whom this entire world comes. I am the one into whom all resolves.
So the entire material which this world is made up of comes from Bhagavan.
Where the effect in the form of material is, there alone the cause that is Bhagavan is.
The intelligence with which the different physiological, physical, chemical laws function also come from Bhagavan.
Where the effect in the form of intelligence is, there alone the cause that is Bhagavan is
Oh..so there is no material or intelligence that is untouched by the presence of Bhagavan.
All that is here is Bhagavan.
If that is true then why don’t I see it ?
Because I am obsessed with polarities –
sukha – dukkha – happiness and sorrow,
siddhi-assidhi – success-failure, sheeta-ushna – hot-cold,
aagama-apaayinah – coming and going of events
But the sacred or Bhagavan is above polarities.
All dimensions of life come together in the sacred.
The experience of happiness and sorrow is sustained by the psychological law of emotions which is Bhagavan.
What is experienced as success and failure is imbued by the law of karma that is sacred that is Bhagavan.
What are experienced as the coming and going of experiences in the context of time is sacred which is Bhagavaan. In fact Kaala, Time is looked upon as Kaalabhairava, an aspect of Shiva.
Every inch of this body-mind-senses is sacred as it is permeated by Bhagavan.
I am a manifestation, a form of Bhagavan.
Deho devalaya proktah. Jiva Deva Sanaatanah
Tyajed ajnaana nirmalyam soham bhavena pujayet
The body is a temple. Jiva is the deity since eternal times. May you give up ignorance like wilted flowers and worship with an understanding that he is me.
Around me whichever form is perceived it is Bhagavan.
The heart longs for the sacred which is imbued with the presence of the one who is always there for us. And when the heart reaches out in relating to the other, a magical embrace occurs.
As you extend your arms and hold the other, the fatigue of the day that felt heavy on those tight shoulders gives way to a softness and tenderness. You are enveloped by a glow of warmth and well-being. The other too feels your love, acceptance and respect. No words are needed. The heart is tender and full not rejecting anything. Both feel cherished and wanted by the other.
The other could be a person, a thing, a situation, the world. All are forms of Bhagavan.
You don’t need to wait for the roaring waves in the ocean to calm down before you see it as water.
The wave is the ocean.
The forms are different but what is in and through all forms is water.
Without water, there can be no form
You don’t need to wait for a special experience to see that you and every other form has always been sacred imbued with the presence of Bhagavan.
Tat tvam asi – You are that Ishvara.
Your form and Ishvara’s form is different.
Your function and Ishvara’s function of manifestation, sustenance and resolution change and are different.
Then, what is it that is ever present in you and Ishvara?
What is your nature and Ishvara’s nature which cannot be displaced or dismissed?
Brahman – that which always is, that which has no limits and no lack.
You are Brahman. Ishvara is Brahman. You have always been Brahman. You just mistook yourself to be otherwise.
And so as the river of Vedanta flows, you embrace the tides of karma of the ocean, you see that the world is sacred.
Jagat darshanam is Ishvara darshanam. And then,
Ishvara darshanam is Atma Darshanam.
You see what is most sacred about Bhagavan and that is YOU.
You discover the limitless Atma.
