Vedanta for common person

The Vedas are the recordings of sages to whom the mantras were revealed. They proclaim the transcendental Truth, which is not changed by time or place.

Vedanta means "the final portions of the Vedas," and refers to those philosophical systems of Hinduism that take their inspiration from the Upanishads, the Brahma-sutras (or Vedanta-sutras), and the Bhagavad-Gita. Several distinct schools of interpretation emerged, the most notable of which are the Advaita (non-dualist), Vishisthadvaita (qualified non-dualist), and Dvaita (dualist) schools. Philosophically, Vedanta deals with the explanation of Absolute Consciousness as our true nature. As a science, it derives scientific laws about Consciousness based on the experiences and knowledge of the Seers (Rishis, Sages) who have had intuitively realized the Truth during their meditation and higher states of consciousness-samadhi. As a religion, Vedanta is the practice based on the combination of the philosophy and science for realizing our real nature as Divine Consciousness.

"Vedanta is the essential philosophy original to the Hindus, but we claim it is the essential philosophy of all religions. The major ideas of Vedanta are, first, the ultimate existence. We hold that all the things we see around us are ultimately reducible to one substance. Normally, in every philosophical system, there will be three main questions: What is the nature of man? What is the nature of God as the ultimate reality? What is the nature of nature?
"Different religious systems and different philosophical systems have different answers. Vedanta, especially the non-dualistic Vedanta — Advaita, as it is called — says that all three are one. Man in his ultimate nature, nature in its ultimate nature, and God in His ultimate nature are the same.

"What is the nature of man, then?" Man is of the same nature. But you can approach man’s nature from another angle. You can start a search to find out what is the permanent thing that exists in this universe. You begin the search from those things regarding which you have no doubt. Since you exist — you have no doubt that you exist — start from there. Philosophers may come, scientists may come and try to argue, still you know that you exist. So, all right, start your search from this position — who are you?

"First comes the body, of course. You ask yourself, ‘Am I the body? Is the body real?’ After one hundred years it won’t be here. Scientifically, after seven years all the cells have changed. But anyhow, after one hundred years the body won’t be here. So the body cannot be said to be the real reality, the lasting reality, the ongoing existence.
"So you consider the mind. Is the mind the ultimate existence? But the mind is constantly changing. Even some religions, including Hinduism, which believe in the continuance of mind from rebirth to rebirth, even they believe at some time the mind will come to a stop.

"So, from our method of inquiry, Vedanta says man’s ultimate nature is not the body, not the mind, but the spirit. So here you have the idea of the divinity of man. Spirit is man’s essential nature — not in his manifestation, where there are defects — but in his essential nature. It’s like putting an Indian dress on an American girl. She wears it today; tomorrow it won’t be there. She will change it. A loving mother dresses her child. Today she puts a Japanese dress on her child; tomorrow an African dress; then a Chinese dress. But the child is the same. Similarly the soul is the same, the spirit is the same. The garments — the mind and the body — are all changing.

"So you have the idea of the divinity of the soul.
We call the divinity of existence Brahman. Brahman is the word for the unity of existence. Atman is the word we use for the divinity of the soul, the essential nature of man.
"The third important idea of Vedanta is the unity, the oneness, of God. Now, how do I define God? As previously explained, God is the highest reading of the Absolute — as the Absolute appears to the limited mind.
"So, the unity of God is another idea. Different religious leaders say, ‘My God is like this, my God is like that.’ Hindus say, ‘God is like this.’ Muslims say, ‘God is like that.’ Christians say, ‘God is like this.’ Can all the people be right at the same time? The normal idea is that either you are right or I am right and, of course, I am always right!" .

"So, Vedanta says no to this. All the people at the same time can be right," he emphasized. "How can they be right? We give the example of woman. What is woman? She is mother to somebody, wife to somebody, daughter to somebody. She can become even the power head of a huge country .

But when a child says, ‘My mommy comes,’ is it the mommy portion of the woman who comes or does the entire woman come — the wife, daughter, and so on?
"Similarly, Christians say, ‘My God is like this,’ Hindus say, ‘No, God is like that,’ Muslims say, ‘No, like this.’ All are right. All are calling their mommy."
"The child doesn’t know the wife aspect, or the daughter aspect. He knows the Mommy. But she exists in all aspects. So, real God is not known to anybody completely, exhaustively. He cannot be.

"So we have the third idea, the unity of God.
"The fourth idea of Vedanta is the harmony of religions. For example people speaking different languages came to a pond to take water. Though they used different names — ’jal, pani, water’ — the meaning is the same. Similarly, God has different names, but they all point to the same ultimate reality.
"These are the four major ideas of Vedanta."

Now, what is the goal of the Vedantist?"

"The Vedantist’ s ideal is to realize his or her spiritual nature. The ultimate position To know that you are not the body, not the mind, but the spirit.
"But there are intermediate stages," he added. "In devotional language we call this quest the realization of God. In Vedantic language we call it the realization of one’s spiritual nature.

"In our ordinary lives we human beings don’t represent the full spirit because it is mixed with the body and other mental/emotional aspects — with defects.
"But, realization of one’s spiritual nature is the ultimate goal of life," he underscored.
"In the process, of course," one goes to "samadhi (superconscious awareness) is the method. Through samadhi only can one can have these experiences. To gain samadhi you have to practice the four major yogas, which are means of connecting the individual soul with the Supreme Soul. The four yoga paths are: the path of devotion, the path of knowledge, the path of action, and the path of meditation. These are the four major ways to gain samadhi and experience the ultimate goal of life.

Why four yogas? A man has three faculties, according to psychology. We think, we feel, and we have a volitional (will) aspect. Now, when these three are very calm when you enter the yogic, or mystic, condition.

"Let’s say you come back home after a whole day’s work and lie down on your bed . You have no strong emotion in your mind — no love or hatred — no activity is going on, no serious thinking is going on. You are in sort of a neutral condition. This is comparable to a yogic condition.
"So these are the four possible states of mind — thinking, feeling, willing, and the mystic, or yogic, condition.

The Bhagavad Gita has eighteen chapters and each one is a yoga. Whatever pushes a man to realization is yoga. But, technically, there are four major yogas. Kundalini yoga, Japa yoga, Laya yoga — these are all offshoots — mostly offshoots of Raja yoga. But the major approaches are the yoga of devotion, of knowledge, of action, and of meditation."

"The Vedantist’s conception of God changes as he realizes he’s neither body nor mind but spirit. So, along the way, when he is mainly aware of his physical body, some physical satisfactions are necessary; when he is aware mentally, some mental satisfactions are necessary; and then both physical and mental aspects should push him toward what will become spiritual realization.

"So, Vedanta is serious, spiritual, and practical. The enjoyments of the body and the mind are continued for the time being. But the Vedantist feels the body and mind are not eternal conditions for him. He knows he is in a temporary position and must gradually transcend the body idea — and, in time, the mind idea

"According to Advaita Vedanta (non-duality, monism), Brahman is realized, through meditation, as the Self within. To practice meditation on the Atman (the Divine Soul) as identical with Brahman, it is necessary to have the preceptor. Then an aspirant forms a clear idea of the nature of both Atman and Brahman by contemplation. He becomes convinced of the truth of their identity through reasoning. When he forms a definite idea in his mind of quality-less Brahman, he makes the mental mode conform with Reality.

"Ultimately comes realization — removing primal ignorance. Hearing, contemplation, and persistent practice of meditation ultimately gives the final realization.
For a normal man who is not yet fully caught up by the idea of realization, but who has a desire for bodily enjoyment and mental achievement, as well as realization, for him the spiritual achievement will be like this: At times he does some meditation with devotion to the Lord, or he does some other type of meditation. Some calmness comes, some measure of calmness comes into his mind. He has serenity of mind once in a while, losing himself in the spiritual thought which is the immediate product of his meditation. His spiritual attitude brings him some calmness, and then through practice of meditation his mind becomes gradually quiet a little. Once in a while his mind becomes absorbed in Spirit.

"Then, other devotees often try to cultivate devotion and love for God. For them, sometimes — because of their singing, spiritual talking, or spiritual thinking — a sort of Godfulness idea comes. They feel God’s presence, or feel ecstasy
"Now, for many people these early stages are enough. They enjoy the attitude, or the occasional serenity, or the idea of God’s presence.

"But those who go forward suddenly find their mind becomes completely absorbed. In meditation they completely forget their body and mind. They become aware of Spirit.

"So, in all these different kinds of people, if they persist, their minds become completely absorbed. Those who have practiced emotionally in their meditation begin to have visions of God. They may first have dreams about God and these dreams and visions in meditation become a little encouraging. In Vedanta we don’t stress too much about these things, but if experiences give us true encouragement, a little boosting in our energy, then they are good.

"But, all the different kinds of meditators come to a stage where form melts away. They experience a formless aspect of God.