Sedam je okultni broj. U duhovnom svetu boj sedam ima najposebnije značenje. U dalekoj prošlosti bilo je sedam velikih indijskih mudraca koji su spoznali Istinu, živeli Istinu i postali Istina.
U Indiji postoji sedam važnih reka. Reka označava kretanje, a voda svest. Kretanje svesti je neprestano napredovanje ka najdaljem Onostranom.
U muzičkoj lestvici je sedam nota. Svaka ima svoju posebnu važnost. Muzika je maternji jezik čovečanstva. Bog je Vrhunski Muzičar. Upravo kroz muziku možemo zakoračiti u univerzalni sklad. Upravo kroz muziku Božija Lepota ispoljava se u Njegovoj svevolećoj tvorevini.
Duga sadrži sedam boja. Ove boje ukazuju na stadujume našeg duhovnog putovanja ka krajnjem Cilju. Svi mi znamo da je duga znak dobre sreće i budućeg napretka. U duhovnom svetu svaka boja duge je vesnik nove zore.
Postoji sedam viših i sedam nižih svetova. Čovek koji teži ulazi u jedan od sedam viših svetova i napreduje u unutrašnjem životu. Kao ptica, njegova svest težnje leti iz jednog sveta u drugi sve dok se konačno ne pronađe u sedmom svetu, Satćidanandi, svetu Postojanja, Svesti i Blaženstva. Tamo on postaje svesno i neodvojivo jedno sa Svevišnjim Navigatorom. Ali, kada ljudsko biće svesno i namerno čini pogrešne, grozne stvari, ono je prinuđeno da uđe u jedan od sedam nižih svetova, svetova tame, ropstva i neznanja.
Majka Indija je drvo težnje. Ovom drvetu težnje jedini koren su Vede. Koren je Istina, stablo je Istina, iskustvo drveta je Istina, ostvarenje drveta je Istina, otkrovenje drveta je Istina, ispoljavanje drveta je Istina.
Vedski proroci videli su Istinu svojim dušama, u svojim nebeskim vizijama i u svom zemaljskom delanju.
> Satyam eva jayate nanritam
> Samo Istina pobeđuje, nikada laž.Ova Istina nas uči nas kako da budemo pravi pripadnici ljudskog roda, svesni i predani zaljubljenici u Boga i savršeni gospodari prirode.
Vedska učenja su univerzalna. U Jađur vedi jasno sagledavamo da su vedska učenja za sve – za bramine, kšatrije, šudre, čak i za čandale koji su degradirani i napušteni. Muškarci i žene ravnopravno mogu da proučavaju Vede. Bog je za sve. Vede su za sve. U vedskoj crkvi niko nije nadređen, niko nije podređen; svi su jednaki, svi su Božja deca. Ta Božja deca mogu da žive u srcu Istine i da postanu pravi Božji ponos.
Svaki vedski prorok je pesnik i vidovnjak. Kod običnog pesnika, pesme se obično zasnivaju na imaginaciji. Mašta rađa njegovu poeziju. U slučaju vedskih pesnika, intuicija je bila ta koja je izrodila njihove pesme. Ova intuicija je direktno znanje Istine. Što se tiče proroka, vrlo često uviđamo da se proročanstvo običnog vidovnjaka zasniva na svojevrsnoj tajanstvenoj misteriji. Ali, u slučaju vedskih proroka nije bilo tako. Njihova predskazanja počivala su na njihovoj punoj i budnoj svesti o direktnoj i neposrednoj Istini. Tu dinamičnu Istinu oni su jednostavno iznosili u prvi plan, kako bi delovala u kosmičkoj manifestaciji.
Današnji svet veruje da um može da pruži najviše moguće iskustvo stvarnosti. Vedski proroci pridavali su odgovarajući značaj umu, ali ga nikada nisu smatrali izvorištem najvišeg mogućeg iskustva Stvarnosti.
Vede poseduju večnu mudrost. Ona je za nas. Vede su više nego voljne da nas prosvetle, samo ako se odvažimo da saslušamo njihovu poruku.
> Shrinvantu vishwe amritasya putra
> Počujte, vi sinovi besmrtnosti.To je njihov velikodušni poziv.
Kada živimo u umu i ne želimo da odemo izvan njegovih ograničenja, ostajemo sputani okovima tela. Ostajemo u ograničenju. Jedino Svetlost iznutra i Vođstvo odozgo mogu da nas oslobode velikog neznanja koje nas je obavilo. Kada živimo u umu, živimo u fabrici oblika. Kada živimo u duši, ulazimo u bezoblično i na kraju nadilazimo i oblik i bezobličnost. Tada postajemo univerzalizovana individualna duša i individualizovana Univerzalna Duša.
Spoljašnji svet je sinonim za um. Unutrašnji svet je sinonim za srce. Svet večnog Onostranog je sinonim za dušu. Spoljašnji svet ima prošlost, sadašnjost i budućnost. Unutrašnji svet ima blistavu i ispunjujuću budućnost. Svet Onostranog ima jedino večno Sada. Kada živimo u spoljašnjem svetu, uništava nas „ja“ puno neznanja. Kada živimo u unutrašnjem svetu, zadovoljava nas prosvetljeno „ja“. Kada živimo u svetu Onostranog, Beskonačno „Ja“ nas sa ljubavlju otelovljuje, otkriva i ispunjava. Ako živimo u umu, ne možemo da izmaknemo presudi sudbine. Naša ljudska volja je pred stopalima sudbine. Ako živimo u duši, imamo slobodnu volju. Ta slobodna volja je Volja Svevišnjeg. Volja duše je ta koja se stalno poistovećuje sa Voljom beskonačnog Onostranog.
Zaljubljenici u Vede savršeno dobro znaju da su one značajan doprinos svetu književnosti, bez obzira da li drugi u to veruju ili ne. Ti uzvišeni sveti spisi nemaju samo nacionalni značaj, pošto sadrže internacionalno nadahnuće i univerzalnu težnju. Upravo zato što su internacionalni i univerzalni, oni opčinjavaju i prosvetljavaju iskrene tragaoce različitih zemalja i svih vremena.
Vedske mantre ili inkantacije pomažu nam da razvijemo snagu volje u neograničenoj meri. Čak i ako se ne upustimo u teškoće učenja i ponavljanja mantri, izvesnu snagu volje razvijamo i samim predanim proučavanjem Veda. Vrhunsko pitanje je kako ćemo ovu snagu volje upotrebiti: da gospodarimo svetom ili da služimo Bogu i čovečanstvu. Ako živimo u telu radi njegovih zadovoljstava, želećemo da gospodarimo svetom. Ali, ako živimo u duši radi preobražaja i prosvetljenja tela, onda ćemo služiti Bogu, voleti čoveka i ispuniti i jednog i drugog.
Kazati da su Vede teško zaražene asketizmom i da nisu od ovoga sveta znači pokazati svoje sopstveno neznanje. Vede su božanski primenljive i njihova poruka je od stalne praktične vrednosti. Suvišno je i reći da su mnogi vedski proroci bili domaćini i da su se njihovi učenici po završetku obuke većinom vraćali kući i postajali porodični ljudi. Učitelji-proroci upućivali su svoje učenike u tajnu večnog života, a ne u tajnu beskrajne smrti, koju saznajemo od nekih učitelja nauke, zaljubljenih u uništenje.
Vede ne otelovljuju potištenost, potiskivanje, samoumrtvljavanje, osećanje grešnosti ili svest o Paklu. Vede ovaploćuju božansku dužnost zemaljskog življenja i stalno rastuću lepotu nebeskog života. Vedski proroci prihvatali su srce života da bi uspostavili krajnju Stvarnost na Zemlji. Oni su prihvatali telo smrti da bi ga preneli u zemlju Besmrtnosti. Dopadalo im se nadahnuće bistrog uma. Voleli su težnju čistog srca. Postali su Ostvarenje sigurne duše.
VI 1. Wellesley koledž, Wellesley, Masačusec, 14 Novembar 1972.↩
Spontana intuicija bila je mudrost prošlosti. Neprestana sumnja je mudrost sadašnjosti. U vedsko doba ljudi su poznavali božansku umetnost samoodricanja i posvećenosti, kao što mi danas znamo ljudsko umeće samoveličanja i uništenja sveta. Oni su najpre vodili računa o samousavršavanju, a potom o usavršavanju sveta. Mi uopšte ne brinemo o samousavršavanju. Stalo nam je samo do usavršavanja sveta. Oni su bili uvereni da će ih samodisciplina osloboditi. Mi osećamo da će nas samodisciplina ograničiti. Oni su znali da samodisciplina nije cilj, već način da se do cilja stigne, i da je taj cilj Ananda, Blaženstvo. Mi takođe znamo da samodisciplina nije cilj, već sredstvo da se on dosegne. Ali avaj, za nas je fatalni cilj samouništenje. Vedskim prorocima bila je potrebna sloboda. Sloboda je potrebna i nama. Za njih je sloboda bila posvećivanje sebe božanskom životu i stalno prevazilazećem Onostranom. Za nas je sloboda da nametnemo drugima stvarnost svoje sopstvene moći.
Postoje četiri Vede: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Jađur Veda i Atarva Veda. Rig Veda sadrži 10.552 mantre. Mantra znači inkantacija, ili jednostavno strofa. Sama Veda ima 1875 mantri, Jađur Veda 2086 i Atarva Veda 5987. Jedan broj rigvedskih stihova nalazi se i u preostale tri Vede. Većina vedskih mantri je u formi lucidne poezije, osim nekih koje su napisane u misaono prizivajućoj i ritmičkoj prozi. Vede sadrže najraniju poetsku i proznu literaturu ljudske duše koja traga, stremi i teži. Onome ko misli da je vedska poezija primitivna a vedska literatura beznačajna, nepogrešivo nedostaje bistrina uma. Kako to da primitivna poezija može celom svetu da ponudi tako uzvišenu i postojanu mudrost?
```Telo vedske poezije je jednostavnost.
Životna snaga vedske poezije je iskrenost.Um vedske poezije je jasnoća.
Srce vedske poezije je čistota.Duša vedske poezije je svetlost.
```Vede se mogu proučavati na dva načina. Kada ih ispitujemo umom, stalno nas opominje neumoljiva predostrožnost savesti. Kada ih proučavamo srcem, neprestano dobijamo inspiraciju od tekuće spontanosti blistave svesti. Vedski sholastičar predstavlja dostignuće uma. Zaljubljenik u Vede predstavlja postignuće srca. Sholastičar pokušava da zadovolji svet, a da sam prethodno nije zadovoljan. Zaljubljenik hrani svet svetlošću prosvetljujućeg ispoljavanja i Blaženstvom ispunjujućeg Savršenstva.
U Vedama postoje dve reči podjednako važne kao i same Vede. To su Satja i Rita, večna Istina i večni Zakon. Ostvarenje i Istina se međusobno otelovljuju. Ispoljavanje i Zakon se međusobno ispunjuju. Ako ne živimo u Istini, ne možemo doseći Cilj. Ako ne sledimo Zakon, u Cilj ne možemo izrasti.
Vedski proroci prihvatali su tuđe zakone ne samo otvorenošću svojih srca, već i jedinstvom svojih duša. Oni su videli Jedno u mnoštvu i mnoštvo u Jednom. Oni Apsolut nisu smatrali samo svojim vlasništvom.
> Satyam eva jayate nanritam
> Samo Istina pobeđuje, a nikada laž.```
Asato ma sad gamayaTamaso ma jyotir gamaya
Mrityor ma amritam gamayaVodi me iz nestvarnog u Stvarno.
Vodi me iz tame u Svetlost.Vodi me iz smrti u Besmrtnost.
```Nestvarnost je neistina, a Stvarnost je Istina. Satja se priziva čistim srcem. Rita se priziva neustrašivom životnom energijom. Ljubav prema Istini izvodi nas iz tame. Ljubav prema božanskom Redu odvodi nas iz ljudskog tela u božanski život.
VI 2. Radcliffe koledž, Kembridž, Masačusec., 14. Novembar 1972.↩
Vedski proroci sagledali su strah u spoljašnjem svetu. Oni su osetili slobodu u unutrašnjem svetu. Želeli su da pomoću težnje iznesu na površinu slobodu unutrašnjeg sveta. U Atarva vedi proroci su nam ponudili važnu molitvu: „Neka se ne bojimo onoga što ne znamo i onoga što znamo.“
```Strah od tame je strah od nepoznatog.
Strah od Svetlosti je strah od poznatog.Strah od nepoznatog je glupost.
Strah od poznatog je besmislica.```
Ono što nam je potrebno je volja duše. Volja duše je Božija Sloboda.```
Uru nastanve tanUru ksayaya naskridhi
Uru no yandhi jivase```
Ovaj vatreni iskaz Rig Vede znači: „Sloboda za naše telo. Sloboda za naš dom. Sloboda za naš život“.Vedski način života ne može se odvojiti od rituala. U vedska vremena oni su bili sastavni deo života. Tragaoci vedskog doba znatno su napredovali kroz izvođenje rituala. U Rig vedi, međutim, uočavamo veće isticanje intelektualne i unutrašnje filozofije nego obreda. Ova kombinacija obreda i filozofske mudrosti je blago vedske kulture. Predanost i posvećenost pomaljaju se kroz obred. Težnja i meditacija pomaljaju se kroz filozofsku mudrost. U tim danima, ritual je disciplinovao i regulisao život. Unutrašnja filozofija prosvetljavala je i oslobađala život. U srcu filozofije Svetlost se pronalazila. U telu obreda Svetlost se ispoljavala.
Vede posebno pominju tri sveta: Pritivi – Zemlju; Antarikšu – nebo; Djaus – rajsku oblast. Na nebu je sve božanska aktivnost. U Raju je sve osećaj.
U Vedama, poezija i filozofija teku uporedo. Filozofija je prosvetljavala umove vedskih proroka. Poezija je ovekovečila njihova srca. Filozof je pesnik u umu. Pesnik je filozof u srcu. Filozof voli spoljašnju religiju i unutrašnju nauku. Pesnik voli spoljašnju umetnost i unutrašnju literaturu. Filozof govori pesniku: „Dajem ti svoje dragoceno blago: mudrost, koja je stalno i svesno oruđe intuicije“. Pesnik govori filozofu: „Dajem ti svoje dragoceno blago: moje odano jedinstvo sa životom Svetlosti.“
Mnogi proroci su videli Istinu, ali vrlo često njihova otkrovenja Istine nisu istovetna. Zaista je žalosno to što ispada da su u različitim prilikama, pod različitim okolnostima, njihova sopstvena otkrovenja iste Istine sve drugo, samo ne identična. Ovde moramo znati da razlike postoje jedino u ostvarenju i otkrovenju Istine. U samoj Istini ne može biti razlike. Zbog čega se razlike pojavljuju? Razlike se pojavljuju zbog toga što ljudska individualnost i ličnost ne vide Istinu onako kako ona treba da se vidi. Kad se ljudska individualnost i ličnost rastope, Istina ostaje jedna u ostvarenju i jedna u otkrovenju. Suvišno je reći da su Vede neposredno otkrovenje prosvetljenja proroka, a ne darovi neznanih nebesa odozgo.
Postoje ljudi koji misle da se Vede bave samo duhovnošću, a ne i naukom. Oni greše. Napredni tragaoci i duhovni Učitelji su mišljenja da u Jađur vedi postoje mnoge naučne Istine koje moderna nauka još uvek nije otkrila ili potvrdila. Naučna znanja Atarva vede takođe se ne mogu gledati sa visine. Vedski proroci poznavali su proces formiranja oblaka. Imali su potpuna znanja o različitim godišnjim dobima. Poznavali su nauku aritmetike i baratali milionskim, bilionskim i trilionskim ciframa. U Jađur vedi ima nešto što još više zadivljuje. Tamo vidimo dokaz o postojanju letelica. Vedski proroci izvodili su prave, direktne letove na stotine milja. Oni su takođe bili upućeni u tajne geologije, medicine i drugih nauka. I sve to pre četiri hiljade godina!
Vede su prevedene na mnoge jezike i dive im se i poštuju ih mnogi ljudi drugih kultura. Veliki nemački filozof Šopenhauer smatrao je Upanišade utehom i prosvetljenjem svoga života. Mi znamo da su Upanišade najmoćnija i u najvećoj meri prosvetljujuća deca Veda. Ima, međutim, mnogo istine kad se kaže da prevod ne može da biti potpuno veran originalu. U slučaju Veda to je nesumnjivo istina. Mnogi ljudi prevodili su Vede, ali bez obzira koliko su iskreno ili predano radili, izgubljena je znatna količina vedske lepote.
Postoje četiri Vede: Rig veda, Jađur veda, Sama veda i Atarva veda. Rig veda se uglavnom bavi raznim oblicima molitve. Jađur veda je pretežno zaokupljena žrtvenim formulama. Sama veda bavi se muzikom. Atarva veda obrađuje medicinu, nauku i magijske formule. U Rig vedi otpočinje poruka ljudske evolucije. Rig Veda nam govori o smislu postojanja i čovekovog doprinosa svetu. Jađur veda nas uči kako da pravilno izvodimo žrtvovanja i kako da upravljamo univerzumom. Ova Veda pridaje veći značaj mehaničkoj strani žrtvovanja nego njegovom duhovnom aspektu. Sama veda nas uči kako božanska muzika može da uzdigne našu svest težnje do najviše oblasti Blaženstva i učini nas svesnim kanalom Boga Vrhunskog Muzičara, radi preobražaja ljudske tame u božansku Svetlost, ljudske nemogućnosti u božansku Neminovnost, i ljudskih snova u božansku Stvarnost. Atarva veda nas uči kako da upravljamo duhovima i manjim božanstvima, i kako da se zaštitimo od zlih duhova i destruktivnih bića.
VI 3. Vassar Koledž, Poughkeepsie, Njujork, 15. Novembar 1972.↩
When it is a matter of choice between quality and quantity, the wise long for quality and the ignorant cry for quantity. The highest quality and the greatest quantity almost never go together. But to our great joy, the Rig Veda surpasses most strikingly the other three Vedas both in quantity and in quality. The Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda and the Atharva Veda have borrowed a considerable amount of wealth from the Rig Veda.
In the Rig Veda, the gods are seen as personifications of nature-power. The seers invoke the cosmic gods with their heart’s prayers and their life’s dedication. These gods were supposed to have been thirty-three in number. Each god had his own origin; all of them did not come into being at the same time. It is said that at first they accepted human incarnation and were mortals, as we are now. But by drinking soma, nectar, immortal they became. In the subtle physical plane, they are retaining the quintessence of their physical forms and earthly appearances. Some are warriors, while others are priests. Indra is the champion leader of the warriors, and Agni is the champion leader of the priests.
Power they have. Power they are. Some have the power of Silence and Peace, while others have the power of Light and Delight. Ceaselessly they fought against the formidable forces of evil, and eventually they did win the victory.
The Rig Vedic gods are kind and compassionate. With their boundless kindness and compassion, they fulfil the desires of the matter-loving world and the aspirations of the spirit-invoking life. They live in different homes: Heaven, air and earth. Heaven is the home of Vishnu, Varuna, Surya, Mitra and a few others. The atmospheric region is for Indra, Rudra, the Maruts and others. Agni and Brihaspati are well known among those who are considered to be terrestrial gods.
In the Rig Veda we see the pure presence of devotion and the sure presence of knowledge. Devotion tells us how sweet and compassionate God is. Knowledge tells us how high and great God is. Devotion and knowledge find their complete satisfaction only in service. Service is concentration. Devotion is prayer. Knowledge is meditation. Only concentrated service, devoted prayer and illumined meditation can make us divinely great and supremely perfect.
According to the Vedas, action is a most essential part of life. Action is the conscious acceptance of our earthly existence. Action needs the body, which is its temple and fortress. Action needs life, which is its inspiration and aspiration. A man of action is an ideal hero in the battlefield of life. He lives with God’s human body, the earth, and works for God’s divine life, Heaven. Action is outer sacrifice and inner oneness. The Rig Veda offers us a supreme secret as to what kind of sacrifice we can make on the strength of our oneness. In action we see the universal presence of God. In action we embody the spirit and reveal the form. In the spirit is God the Absolute. In the form is God the Infinite. The Rig Veda speaks of God the Power:
> Twam Indra balad adhi sahaso jata ojasah...
> O God, the existence rests on strength, valour and energy.> O Mighty One, You are Strength itself.
In order to manifest God considerably on earth, the seeker must live a long life.
> Aum bhadram karnebhih srinuyam deva...
> O cosmic gods, may we hear with our ears what is good and auspicious.> May we see with our eyes what is good and auspicious...
But merely living a long life lacking in divinity is nothing short of stark ignorance.
The seers of the Rig Veda regard God as the eternal Father, Mother and Friend. They also feel that God is their Beloved. God has many aspects, but a devoted seer prefers the aspect of God as Lord. He prays to his Lord for compassion and benediction. He has come to realise that if he has God’s Love and God the Love, then he needs nothing else from either earth or Heaven.
The Rig Vedic seers are the teachers of mankind. The Rig Vedic gods are the saviours of mankind. The teachers are teaching the world the message of Light and Truth. The saviours are healing the unaspiring, blind and deaf world, and championing the genuine seekers. The Rig Vedic seers are the builders of Hindu culture and Hindu civilisation. They represent the dawn of Hindu inspiration and the noon of Hindu aspiration. They offer to the world at large the ultimate meaning of religion. According to them, religion is the code of inner life. In each religion is the love-branch of the Truth-Tree. The Rig Vedic gods tell us to accept life with love, enjoy life with renunciation and fulfil life with surrender to the Will of the Absolute.
The Vedas tell us that we are cattle of the gods. Unfortunately, we are now compelled to feel that we are slaves of the machine. Let us aspire. Our aspiration will once more make us cattle of the gods. Later, our realisation will make us lambs of the gods. Finally, our manifestation will make us lions of the Absolute Supreme.
```
Aspiration we have.Realisation we need.
Manifestation God and we together need.```
With loving gratitude I offer this talk to my eldest brother, Hriday Ranjan Ghose, who is a great lover of the Rig Vedic lore, and an erudite exponent of the four Vedas.VI 4. Barnard College, New York, N. Y., 17 November 1972↩
The Vedas embody intuitive visions, divine experiences and life-illumining Realities. From the ignorance-sea we have to enter into the Knowledge-Sea. The Rig Veda inspires us, saying, “The vessels of Truth carry men of good deeds across the ocean of ignorance.”
Present-day human life is nothing but an endless despondency. To come out of the trap of despondency is almost impossible. But the Yajur Veda offers us a solution: “He who sees all existences in the Self and the Self in all existences, falls not into the trap of blighting and weakening despondency.”
The Vedas are universal; hence, the West can claim them as well as the East. The great American philosopher Thoreau said something most significant about the Vedas: “What extracts from the Vedas I have read fall on me like the light of a higher and purer luminary which describes a loftier course through purer stratum, free from particulars, simple, universal. The Vedas contain a sensible account of God.” Undoubtedly they do.
The firm belief of Sir William Jones is challenging and at the same time illumining: “I can venture to affirm, without meaning to pluck a leaf from the never-fading laurels of our immortal Newton, that the whole of his theology, and part of his philosophy, may be found in the Vedas.”
The Vedic commandment for the human physical is shaucham. Shaucham means purity — purity in the body and purity of the body. Without the body’s purity nothing divine in us can expand; nothing divine in us can be permanent.
The Vedic commandment for the human vital is ahimsa. Ahimsa means non-violence — non-violence in the vital and non-violence of the vital. It is from non-violence that man gets his greatest opportunity to feel that he does not belong to a small family, but to the largest family of all: the universe. India’s philosophy of non-violence was first put into practice by the compassionate Lord Buddha and his followers. Gandhi’s non-violence was a most precious gift to the life-loving humanity of the present.
The Vedic commandment for the human mind is satyam. Satyam means truth or truthfulness. Truthfulness in the mind and truthfulness of the mind alone can lead us to a higher life, a life of illumining Divinity and fulfilling Immortality.
The Vedic commandment for the human heart is ishwarapranidhan. Ishwarapranidhan means the heart’s loving devotion to the Lord Supreme. When we have pure and spontaneous devotion for the Supreme Lord we feel our inseparable oneness with Him, with the Eternity of His Spirit, with the Infinity of His Body and with the Immortality of His Life.
In the Vedas the concept of sacrifice looms very large. We sacrifice to God what we have: ignorance. God sacrifices to us what He is: Perfection. God’s sacrifice is always unconditional. Our sacrifice at times is conditional and at times is unconditional. In conditional sacrifice we fight and win the battle. In unconditional sacrifice we do not have to fight at all, for the Victory is already won. Victory is our birthright; it is forever ours.
Sacrifice is self-offering. Self-offering is self-fulfilment. Self-fulfilment is Love-manifestation and Truth-perfection. Through our outer sacrifice we become a divine part of Mother Earth. Through our inner sacrifice we become an immortal part of Father Heaven. We make the outer sacrifice when we come out of the domain of binding desires and enter into the domain of liberating aspiration. We make the inner sacrifice when we try to manifest God in the world of ignorance after having achieved God-realisation. The outer sacrifice demands the strength of a hero. The inner sacrifice demands the power of an army. With our outer sacrifice we see the Truth. With our inner sacrifice we become the Truth.
VI 5. Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass., 28 November 1972↩
When we say that the Vedas are eternal, we do not mean that the four scriptures have no beginning and no end. What we mean is that the real meaning of the Vedas, which is the Knowledge of God, has neither beginning nor end. The Vedas are the direct experiences and revelations of the Rishis of the hoary past. These experiences may be had by any sincere seeker of the Truth, at any time and in any place.
Unlike other scriptures, the Vedas have the sincere and brave heart to say that they are not indispensable; nay, not even important. They say that what is really important and supremely indispensable is the realisation of Brahman, the One without a second. Nevertheless, if we want to study the Vedas, we have to study with the help of an illumined teacher. The Vedas themselves instruct the seeker to approach a teacher. They also say that the teacher has to be approached with a heart of humility and a life of dedicated service.
Karma, which means work or service, and Jnana, or knowledge, are the principal teachings of the Vedas. Through Jnana we realise the absolute Truth, and through Karma we manifest our realisation.
According to the Vedas there are four important stages in life: student-life, marriage-life, retirement-life and renunciation-life. Student-life is self-discipline. Marriage-life is self-control and self-regulation. Retirement-life is peace and tranquillity. Renunciation-life is the offering of what one has and what one is to the absolute Supreme.
> Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti
> Truth-existence is one.> Sages call it by various names.
This Truth-existence is experienced and realised in different ways by each seeker of the infinite Truth according to his own inner development. Just because of this lofty message from the Vedas, India’s religious heart is large and cosmopolitan. India’s spiritual heart knows how to accept other religions, how to appreciate other religions and how to admire other religions. India’s spiritual heart has realised that for each new religion there is a new approach to the Goal. Each path is right and indispensable for its own followers.
In order to realise the highest Truth we need three things: inspiration, aspiration and intuition. Inspiration asks us to run towards the Goal. Aspiration asks us to fly towards the Goal. Intuition asks us to see and feel the Truth directly, and to grow into the very essence of Truth.
The word sarama symbolises intuition. Sarama is the hound of Heaven who enters into the world of inconscience and discovers its concealed treasures: Light and Delight. Sarama is the dawn of Truth in a dedicated body, dynamic vital and aspiring heart. Sarama and the straight path go together. Sarama follows the straight and sunlit path and arrives at the Truth. The path of fear and doubt, error and terror, sarama never follows. Sarama secretly and cautiously enters into the heart of illumination, and openly and bravely walks in the life of revelation, so that the hostile forces cannot thwart or destroy her progress. So that the Truth-consciousness can be realised as a whole by all seekers, sarama travels between earth’s cry and Heaven’s smile. Sarama is the seeker who seeks Truth-consciousness. Sarama is the lover who loves earth’s conscious ascent and Heaven’s illumining descent. Sarama is the player who plays with the seer’s vision in the inner world and plays hide-and-seek with the beginner’s inspiration in the outer world.
The Vedas are at once the Sky of Light and the Sea of Delight. The Light-Sky is the vastness of Truth. The Delight-Sea is the immensity of Truth. Light and Delight are perpetual runners. Sometimes Light precedes Delight. Sometimes Delight precedes Light. When Light touches the earth-consciousness, earth is divinely transformed. When Delight touches the earth-consciousness, earth is supremely fulfilled.
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Light is the birth of God.Delight is the life of God.
Light is the smile of universal Oneness.Delight is the smile of transcendental Perfection.
Light is what God has.Delight is what God is.
```VI 6. Smith College, Northampton, Mass., 28 November 1972↩
The seers of the hoary past saw the Truth and revealed the Truth. Seekers of all ages feel the Truth and use the Truth. But most scholars do not care for the realisation of the Truth; they care only for the manifestation of the Truth. They care more for the form than for the spirit of the Vedas. Most historians put the lesser truths mentioned in the Vedas, those relating to the caste system and magic formulas, in the vanguard of their discussions, and pay little attention to the highest Truth, the Knowledge of Brahman. They have no time to know soulfully and devotedly the life-energising and life-fulfilling messages that the Vedas actually contain. The life-giving and life-revealing messages of the Vedas do not seem to satisfy them. The birth of the Vedas, the outer growth of the Vedas and the decline of the Vedic influence on India are more than enough to satisfy them.
The Vedas are meant for the lovers of eternal Time, not for the lovers of fleeting earthly time. The Vedas are meant for those who love God, the Truth, and not for those who love merely the body of obscure history, which embodies the life of complication and confusion.
Professor Max Müller undoubtedly loved India. He wrote considerably on Indian scriptures. But there was something in him which a true lover of India cannot forgive. Those who feel that Max Müller’s love for India had a secret motive are perfectly correct. In utmost secrecy, in the inner recesses of his heart it seemed that he wanted to convert India, the Indian mind and the Indian heart, to Christianity. For example, he wrote to the Secretary of State for India, the Duke of Argyl, in 1868:
> The ancient religion of India is doomed and if Christianity does not step in, whose fault will it be?
And to his wife in 1886, he wrote:
> I hope I shall finish the work, and I feel convinced, though I shall not live to see it, that this edition of mine and the translation of the Vedas will hereafter tell to a great extent on the fate of India and on the growth of millions of souls in that country. It is the root of the religion, and to show them what the root is, I feel sure, is the only way of uprooting all that has sprung from it during the last 3,000 years.
When he extolled India to the skies, he was sincere in his praise. It came from the depths of his heart. But his desire to convert India to Christianity was equally sincere. That feeling too, I am sure, came from the depths of his heart. His was a life of complexity.
Had Max Müller not studied the Upanishads, had he not been illumined by the Light of the Upanishads, he would not have been acclaimed by the entire world. His name would have remained unknown in the world’s literature. If it is true that he brought the Upanishads to the world at large, then it is equally true that the touch of the Upanishadic Light brought him fame.
The Vedas and the Vedic hymns are inseparable. Each hymn is an invocation to a particular god or deity. Each hymn is a discovery of a kavi, rishi or vipra: a Vedic poet, a Vedic seer or a Vedic sage. Each Vedic discovery is a boon from God. Each boon is a spark of Light. Each spark of Light is an accomplishment of God in man and an accomplishment of man in God. Man’s ultimate accomplishment is the transformation of human nature. God’s ultimate accomplishment is the perfection of the earth-consciousness.
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Life is an idea.Life is an ideal.
Life has a soul.Life has a goal.
```The Vedic idea of life is the idea of Truth. The Vedic ideal of life is the ideal of Bliss. The Vedic soul is the soul of multiplicity in unity. The Vedic goal is the goal of unifying earth’s wideness and Heaven’s abundance.
India had the Vedic seers of Truth. India has seekers after Truth. The supreme task of the seers was to bring the cosmic gods and deities down into the earth-consciousness. They performed their task. Now it is the task of the seekers to keep the gods and deities here on earth and help them in their cosmic play. The Supreme saw His infinite potentialities and possibilities in the seers. The Supreme sees His manifesting Reality and fulfilling Perfection in the seekers.
VI 7. Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Penn., 29 November 1972↩
In Sri Chinmoy, India has brought forth in modern times a spiritual titan equal in stature to the greatest of her past giants. The fullness of his realisation enables him to interpret the Vedas as only one Master can interpret the expressions of another. Although familiar with the Vedas in their original Sanskrit, Sri Chinmoy does not approach them academically, nor does he speak from the dogmatic standpoint of orthodox religious tradition. With the intuition of a great Yogi, he goes beyond the outer cultural forms of these scriptures, and penetrates to the essence of the spirituality they embody. The experience of the Vedic sages he himself fully possesses, and in the realms of consciousness known to them he moves with total freedom. Entering into the soul of the Vedas, he brings forth from their depths the profoundest truths they contain, and these truths he offers to the readers of this book.
In Sri Chinmoy's intuitive mind we feel the inspiring depths of the Vedas and in his illumining heart we see the beckoning heights of the Vedas.
— KFrom:Sri Chinmoy,Vede: Prvi zov Besmrtnosti, Sri Chinmoy Lighthouse, New York, 1972
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