Monday, 09 December 2019
Quote from the True Charm
and Power of Vedanta
A belief is true if it has
stood, and can always stand, the test of experience, and not because it has
been said by a man or written in a book. The essential Vedantic truths belong
to this category; they possess universal validity as they are verifiable by all
men.
This is forcefully brought out
by Sankara in a remarkable passage of his commentary on the Brahadaaranyaka
Upanishad dealing with the validity of scriptural statements
The test of the validity of a sentence is not that it
just states something about a thing or about an act. What (is it) then? (it is)
its capacity to generate certain and fruitful knowledge. A sentence that has
theis is valid; while one that lacks it is invalid.
Such truths are far different
from the private beliefs of an individual or a group, a sect or a church, held
with all emotional intensity and projected for other people’s acceptance with
equal fervour. Such beliefs cannot claim; the greatest reward: because they
have not paid; the heaviest penalty: involved in being subjected to the
rigorous scrutiny of reason and being thrown open to universal verification referring
to this unique characteristic of Vedanta. Romani Rolland says (the life of
Vivekananda and the Universal Gospel, Third Impression. ) of truth
characteristic of these Upanishads . Any reader of this literature cannot also
escape being struck by the rational bent and speculative daring of these sages
of ancient India.
Solitude and Silence
The Speaking Tree | India | ET
By CHITRANJAN SAWANT
Solitude and silence played a pivotal role in achieving
emotional balance in the Vedic social order. The four ashrams made up the
cornerstone for a happy life. Social homogeneity was as important as solitude
in a gurukul where children and adolescents learnt lessons of life at the home
and school of their gurus.
Sanyasins, as a rule, are not subject to any ritualistic
injunction. By nature a sanyasi talks little and thinks more. His lifestyle
lets him taste the sweet fruit of Ekant from the Brahmamuhurta when meditation
is practised. Mantra meditation and abstinence preclude all forms of
audiovisual communication. The bliss of solitude is perfect for creating the
right ambience towards achieving liberation and enlightenment.
Moving away from the ashrams, we find that even in a
military establishment like the National Defence Academy, observance of a quiet
period is mandatory for cadets to enable them to recharge their batteries to
cope with the training schedule. Silence is energy-giving.
A period of quiet helps us organise thoughts, reflect and
introspect, helping one to rejuvenate with a fresh perspective. When you become
a chatterbox, you are divorced from silence. If an individual is enamoured of
hearing some sound or the other, let him hear the sound of silence. Eventually
silence prevails over sounds and provides the perfect environment for lifting
spirits through meditation.
DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.
But, if He exists?
I drive joy There was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7
minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his
colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting
ten precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The
doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting ten
minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire
lifetime. I prefer to waste ten minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you
grudge me the 10 minutes joy that I derive 4m.
