I recently read the book Jnana Yog and Karma Yog by Swami Vivekanandji.I was deeply inspired by the books. And I’ve a few queries about the philosophy of Advaita. I couldn’t comprehend the relation of Maya with Brahman. Is it a part of Brahman or is it seperate. If it is seperate from Brahman , won’t there be a duality which is against Advaita? If it is part of Brahman, won’t Brahman also have qualities apart from Sat-Chit-Ananda , because Maya is endowed with Rajas and Tamas as well? Swami Vivekanandji has said in Jnana Yog that our minds are finite and Brahman is infinite ,is it because of this, that this contradiction seems to arise?
Though I have these queries , I still find that Advaita is a most complete explanation of this universe , only because of lack of comprehension I have these queries.
In the Big Bang Theory of Universe, all observable matter was said to originate from a single point . But if we look at this from duality , we still can’t account for empty space (or Akasha), when did the space come into existence is the question that comes to the mind. But Advaita seems to be the answer to this query. That Akasha(i.e space) and Pran (i.e matter) are all one. All part of the absolute.
Answer:
Namaste.
Nice to read your questions with regard to Advaita Philosophy!
Maya means “that which is available for experience but that which does not exist actually, and therefore that which is inexplicable”. Inexplicable means that which can’t be explainable. Can you explain about “mirage water”. Does the mirage water is different from the “sand”, or one with the sand? If it is different from the sand, then you should be able to use it as water for your thirst. If it is one with the sand, then you can’t call it as “mirage water”. You should call it is sand only. The fact is when there is no mirage water at all, then why we should attempt to find a place for it. It is a mere appearance, from the stand point of the fact. What people call as “mirage water” is nothing but sand.
Similarly, you can’t talk about “Maya” which is a mere appearance. Because what the ignorant people call as Maya is nothing but Brahman for the wise-man . The very attempt to find a “place” for Maya shows, that it is taken for granted, that it exists as a second entity. Maya does not exist at all from the Absolute stand point. Wise man does not have any confusion. For him, this Maya is Lord’s power (like the power of a magician) from the Relative stand point of Creation-preservation-destruction. Same Maya does not exist at all from the Absolute stand point.
Don’t try to understand “Maya”. It is neither “existing” nor “non-existing” entity. It does not come under any definition. Without definition, we can’t understand anything as an object. You can’t understand it unless you the Subject recognize your Infinite nature as Brahman.
Moreover, don’t try to understand the Scriptures in an academic way by “self-study”. These academic informations can not solve the human problems. Getting Self-knowledge from the Scriptures depends upon the following questions:
· Are you guided by any Spiritual Teacher?
· Are you a sincere seeker of the Truth?
· Do you have devotion to the Lord, who is the Ultimate Truth of the appearing world?
Therefore, our suggestion is, first of all, find a Gurudev for your spiritual journey.
“Leading a clean life with the practice of moral values, Prayer, Namajapa and Satsangh are means for attaining Gurudev in our spiritual life. Try them and wait for the Lord’s Grace. He will certainly bless you with a Spiritual Teacher. Offer your mind to Him and pray Him to manifest in your mind and make your life a purposeful one and with peace”.
Question: I have read that Mahatma Gandhi had to face a lot of difficulties in the West as he was a vegetarian and most of the restaurants at that time served non-vegetarian food. Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, when in America, used to cook his own food. I am very eager to know how Swami Vivekananda maintained being a strict vegetarian in the West.
My second question is “Is vegetarianism not an indispensable part of monastic and spiritual life”?
Answer: Swami Vivekananda was born in a Bengali family, who were non-vegetarians by birth. So was Swamiji was not a strict Vegetarian. He was not a strict vegetarian. Moreover, whatever food came to him whether vegetarian or non-vegetarian he used to accept it without making much fuss about it. Sri Ramakrishna used to say about his purity that even if he eats pork nothing will happen to him.
Moreover Gandhiji and Srila Prabhupada are vegetarians by birth. So they might have continued to be so in later life period also.
Gita teaches that a spiritual aspirant must eat Satvik food as far as possible. Food of violence is not Satvik food. There are non-vegetarians who are really highly advanced souls in spiritual life. However it is always helpful to take Satvik food. Even vegetarian food should be consumed in moderation at regular intervals and food like salads and fruits should be eaten in plenty. Finally I would like to mention that whatever food suits to ones constitution and easily digestible must be taken but not to satisfy the palate.
Swamiji lived for others sake and being a sannyasin, whatever food he received freely he took for his physical survival. We cannot compare the life style of one Saint with other great personalities. The life of each great ones is unique and we have to take whatever inspires us to lead an unselfish & pure life. Try to understand the great personalities more and more deeply by being yourself unselfish. Read Swamiji’s great life regularly and get inspiration from Him for your glorious future.
Question: Swami Vivekananda has said “….It is only the selfish Brahmins who have introduced into this country the system of hereditary Gurus, which is against the Vedas and against the Shastras. Hence it is that even through their spiritual practice men do not succeed in perfecting themselves or in realizing Brahman.” (VI. 464-65.)
Does swami Vivekananda refer to Guru Parampra here?
What does Swamiji refer to?
Answer: Swamiji’s personality is like a vast ocean, unfathomable and illimitable. If we take his words only in parts, we are bound to miss the true purport. So it is advisable and desirable for us to go through his works comprehensively, coupled with deep thinking.
The answer for the question you have asked partly lies in the two lines just before the very sentences of the passage you have quoted. Therein Swamiji has said: “Only the knowers of Brahman are the spiritual teachers of mankind. This is corroborated by all scriptures and by reason too. It is only the selfish…”
Hence it is evident that Swamiji does not refer to Guru-Parampara. Instead Kula-Guru-Paddhati, the system of hereditary gurus is what is being decried. Elsewhere, Swamiji himself has assertively spoken of the necessity of a Guru-Parampara. For instance,
i) Without an unbroken chain of discipleship – Guru-Parampara – nothing can be done… Nothing, I say, can be done without the chain of discipleship, i.e., the power that is transmitted from the Guru to the disciple and from him to his disciple, and so on. (Ref. CW: VI-265)
ii) A Sadguru is one on whom the spiritual power has descended by Guru-Parampara, or an unbroken chain of discipleship. Ref. CW:V-322 (April 2001 edition)
Now, firstly, we need to mark that Kula-guru-paddhati and Guru-Parampara are poles apart. In Kula-Guru-Paddhati there is no question of competency or eligibility. The son of the former priest becomes the successive Kula-guru. Heredity is the only criteria in Kula-Guru-Paddhati. Whereas, Guru-Parampara means an unbroken chain of Brahmajnanis who have realised their own Infinite Divine Nature.
Secondly, when Swamiji said “Hence it is that even through their spiritual practice men do not succeed in perfecting themselves or in realizing Brahman”, here also he refers to the Brahmin teachers who are selfish. For, true Brahmins, i.e., Brahmins in spirit belong to a different category. They are enlightened souls.
Atri-Smriti says :
It means “By birth a man is born a Shudra, an ignorant man; through purificatory rites he becomes a dwija, the twice-born; through study and knowledge of the scriptures he becomes a vipra, a scholar or a poet; through the realization of the Supreme Spirit he becomes a Brahmana, a knower of Brahman”.
Hence, we see that when Swamiji speaks about the system of hereditary gurus, he does not mean the genuine teacher-disciple tradition. All scriptures and reason too corroborate it, says Swamiji. Yes, we find such references in Kathopanishad, Mundakopanishad, Svetasvataropanishad, etc.
Swami Vivekananda does not speak against Guru Parampara as such. Spiritual practice without yearning or longing to reach the highest goal and without real spiritual experience or insight will result in only mechanical method which could hardly bring illumination. In Bengal province there was the Kulaguru system about which he refuses there. .
Question: When I come across old and disabled people who are begging I do feel empathy towards them and give some money. But after meeting one after the other such people, empathy starts slowing down-thinking for how many people we can contribute like this and I just move on. In mind momentarily I feel guilty for not helping them. It is difficult for me to judge who are really in need? And who are begging just because they are lazy to work. Please let me know how can we contribute for the real needy people?
Answer: We are glad to know that you have empathy for beggars. It means you are able to imagine their sufferings, feelings and experiences etc., you are able to identify with them. Empathy will broaden your heart with compassion and forgiveness.
No doubt beggars are always greedy. But whatever is possible for you to donate, within your limit, please do it without expectation of anything in return and hatred. Swami Vivekananda has taught us, “..do serve the Daridra Narayanas seeing God in them. That is Shiva jnane jiva Seva”.
Please note that whatever service you are doing for poor is for purification of your own mind. Even if you do not help them, Lord will take care of them as he has been doing all these days.
Question: While going to a temple how many times we have to do Pradakshina. What is the procedure to do it?
Answer: While going round the temple or doing the Pradakshina, what is required is concentrating on the Lord and his qualities. Do the Pradakshina alone and don’t take friends and talk worldly things. Think of the Lord and Lord alone and pray o Him for His grace; He should be your companion. You can go round the temple three times. It is not the quantity, i.e., the number of rounds which is important but, the quality is more important and how you concentrate on and pray to the Lord. Every time you should improve the quality.
Answer: There cannot be any universal ‘Objective Standard’; but there is a ‘Subjective Principle’ which underlies the moral codes of all nations. The external duty changes from person to person according to our position in life. That which might be a duty in one condition would not be under other circumstances. All external duty is determined by a man’s relation to his external environment, hence it must necessarily remain relative. But ‘Subjective Principle’ can be universal. And that principle is summed up as “A duty which makes a person to go beyond his own little self and leads him towards the knowledge of his Infinite dimension”..
Answer: The secret of right action lies in our motives and power of application. Power of application means skillfulness in action, knowing how to adjust ourselves quickly, how to perform a task with the least expenditure of energy. By doing small tasks whole-heartedly, with concentration and skillfulness, we evolve within ourselves a power which will enable us later on to perform some great task which now seems like a mountain, inaccessible and unobtainable.
Answer: Modern psychology describes anger as one of the emotional reactions of the fundamental instinct of self-preservation. When the question self-preservation comes a creature reacts either by fight or flight. When it is fight, anger is the prompting emotional reaction. When it is flight, fear is the prompting emotion.
So anger is basic to human nature, as also sexuality and greed for possession. But if man gives free rein to them, he will be reduced to animality.
Generally anger comes when one feels that one has been insulted or injured or in any way harmed by another. These feelings are Vrittis, or modes or waves coming in the mind. Generally when these feelings come we identify ourselves with it, and forget all good sense. They are just like clouds coming over the clear sky. When the cloud comes, the sky looks all dark, though really it is clear. If you train yourself to look at these feelings in a detached way when they overtake your mind, you will be able to establish over them gradually.
In daily life man can exercise control over anger if he observes a few practices. When anger is roused, he should not react by speaking. He should keep quiet, and either repeat the name of God or discriminate.
Question: What is the place of Vedanta (Scriptures) in modern society?
Answer: It is not true that the Vedanta as a subject matter for sannyasins/mendicants and as having no significance for the life of man in this world. This is not a proper view. Bhagavata Gita, a very authoritative text of Vedanta, contains the message delivered by Sri Krishna to Arjuna, who is a normal man with likes and dislikes in life.
Question: Why does man suffer when God has created man in His own image?
Answer: The question is put in Biblical terms. According to the Bible, all the trials and tribulations of mankind are attributed to the ORIGINAL SIN (of the Adam who disobeyed the Divine commandment, which has been inherited by man. This is agreeable to those who accept this theory of Original Sin unquestioningly. To others it seems very queer.
The Hindu mind has thought of it in more philosophical terms. Essentially, man is Divine, which is free from body mind complex, and which is of the nature of pure Consciousness. Due to the ignorance of his real nature, man thinks that he is a body associated with a mind which is full of desires and wants. The mind, which is limited by time and space, struggles to get the freedom from the wants in life by achieving the objects in the world which by themselves are limited by time, space and causality.
So, any amount of acquisition makes him dissatisfied and the struggle goes on in the form of suffering. But when the mind gets maturity through the various situations in life, it turns back to the basic questions like “Am I really a body-mind complex?” “Should I seek worldly objects to the fulfillment in life?”, “Am I not Divine intrinsically?” etc. When these questions arise then the knowledge of our True Nature comes to us by the grace of a Master/Guru.
Then the individual recognizes the fact that there is no suffering at all in the creation of the Merciful God. It is the ignorance of the FACT that “I am Divine”, makes him to identify with the limited and ephemeral body-mind complex is the cause of all sufferings in life.
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