Spiritual Practices Purify. Self-Knowledge Permanently Liberates (35)

Summary:

Lesson 35 explains why only Self-Knowledge can remove ignorance. Then outlines 4 stages all humans go through in their spiritual journey. 

Revision:

  • Why is Ishvara key or essential to Enlightenment (moksha)?
    • Ishvara allows you to reconcile many into One: Because you're unable to reconcile differences without Ishvara. If you say “Consciousness is the final reality, and I am that consciousness”, how do you still account for forms? You can't just dismiss them or carelessly say “Forms are nothing but consciousness”. How do you come to that equation? therefore the answer is: You are surrounded by forms. All life is forms. Even concepts are forms. And forms upon analysis, resolve ultimately into Intelligence (Ishvara). And Intelligence itself cannot exist outside a Conscious being, which is known to you right now as the conscious I am. 
    • The World is Ishvara, And Ishvara Has It's Being in Consciousness: If you take Ishvara out, you've also taken out the entire world (which is nothing but manifestation of Ishvara). So brining Ishvara into the equation allows you to systematically collapse the world of forms into Consciousness, rather then just saying it mindlessly, without logically understanding how everything is One.
    • You need Ishvara for My Well-Being: Understanding your true nature requires a purified mind, capable of capturing the final reality. And that is earned through Ishvara‘s grace, which is earned through your sincere efforts, prayer and humility. For example, some have worked on their mind for years, attended thousands of hours worth of spiritual sadhana. And yet, self-knowledge goes over their head. Meaning they're still missing the component of Ishvara‘s grace, which is earned through devotion, sincerity and prayer. So you need Ishvara for your well-being and moksha.
    • You can’t know Awareness without Ishvara, because Awareness is attributeless. You know Awareness through forms. 
    • The question of skipping Ishvara to know Awareness is coming from a lazy, tamasic mind, seeking path of least resistance.
    • If I take out Ishvara from Vedanta, because I’m not comfortable with Ishvara, I convert Vedanta into Dvaita-Advaita.  EG: If you say “I know the Reality” and still feel uncomfortable, that’s Ishvara's feedback something is unresolved.
    • Suppose you discard Ocean (Isvara), and only bring in Water (Consciousness), as in Neo-Vedanta:
      1. You'll need to mentally keep denying forms/difference/laws (Ocean). Yet maturity of mind, which allows it to capture the reality, depends on acknowledging and aligning to the laws. 
        • EG: Tony Parsons of Neo-Vedanta: There’s nothing you can do about moksha. It just happens. Advaita Counters: You’re endowed with free-will, which you can use to collapse possibility of moksha through methodology, self-effort and Ishvara's grace.
      2. You'll be forced to see Water as a mental-image.
    • If want pramana to please your likes-dislikes (what I want to listen to or not), long way to go.  Like me saying “I understand E=MC2; so there's no need to study further, there's no difference between me and scientist who spent 10 years on it”. 
    • Many seekers may have a clear intellectual grasp of the Self as pure Awareness, but if their understanding of Īśvara remains vague or superficial, they will struggle to find lasting peace.A common belief is that God (Īśvara) is directly responsible for everything that happens in the world. However, if a person’s mind is constantly questioning, “Who or what is God?” or “How does Īśvara relate to me and the world?”, this unresolved doubt will continue to disturb their peace. This is because the mind, which is manifestation of Isvara, remains agitated by its ignorance of the whole.The ego (ahaṃkāra), which identifies itself as the doer and enjoyer, resists surrendering its sense of separateness. It fears mokṣa (liberation) because it interprets it as its own negation. The ego cannot bear to dissolve into something it does not understand, nor to dissolve into formlessness (Consciousness). The gap between form and formlessness is far to wide. 

      In the BG, Arjuna represents every spiritual seeker, and Krishna symbolizes Ishvara, patiently guiding Arjuna‘s confused and fearful ego through knowledge. It’s not enough to simply tell Arjuna, “You are Awareness, all is One, and everything else is māyā“ Such statements are partial. They may sound profound, but without a deeper understanding of Ishvara and the nature of maya, the seeker is left with an incomplete picture.

      This is like a pilot who leaves halfway through their training. They may be able to fly the plane, but when real turbulence hits, they realize they lack the knowledge to handle the situation. Similarly, without a complete understanding of Isvara and maya, a seeker may feel peaceful in moments of calm, but when life’s challenges arise, they are forced to confront their incomplete understanding. 

  • Freewill
    • Freedom to EXERCISE one's will. Only to capacity of how educated you are. Lack of education removes options, thus seems like one doesn't have many choices.
    • Free will is expressed when intellect weighs the pros and cons regarding option A, B, C.  This requires thinking.

Bhagavad Gita CH 5, verse 15:

Ignorance of the Higher Self: The Root Cause of All Problems

    • Fundamental Issue: All suffering stems from ignorance of the Higher Self (Ātman).
    • Dream Analogy:
      • A person suffering in a dream seeks advice on how to improve their dream circumstances.
      • In reality, the dreamer is safely lying in bed, unaffected by the dream.
      • The suffering belongs to the lower dream identity (ahaṃkāra), not the true Self.

The Role of the Guru and the Aspirant

    • Dream Guru's Teaching:
      • Guru tells the dream aspirant, “You are actually free of this character.”
      • Aspirant replies, “I don’t feel like it.”
      • Guru responds, “Feelings belong to the dream. The Awareness of those feelings is the dreamer in bed, your Higher Self (Ātman).“
      • Key Message: Worship the Awareness of your feelings and thoughts, not the feelings and thoughts themselves. Stop focusing on “How I feel” or “What I think.”

Cautions to Avoid Misconceptions

    • Caution 1: Misplacing the Higher Self
      • Avoid thinking the Higher Self (Ātman) is located somewhere. It is the awareness in whose presence experiences are revealed each moment.
      • The dreamer (metaphorically equated to the Conscious Being) pervades the entire dream, including the dream guru, the aspirant, and the dream world (jagat).
      • Metaphor: The entire dream is pervaded by the one single dreamer, just as the entire universe is pervaded by Ishvara.  And truth of Ishvara is Brahman. Brahman is the Awareness that makes every character in the dream (including you and me) aware of themselves and the world.
    • Caution 2: Confusing the Ego with Brahman
      • The sense of “I AM” is the ego (ahamkara), not Brahman.
      • Clarification: Brahman is the non-participating, non-interfering, ungraspable principle of Knowledge—the illuminator of the “I AM” experience.

Consequences of Body-Identification

    • Spatial and Temporal Limitations:
      • Identifying with the body binds you to space (travel) and time (life is short, many things to do).
      • This identification keeps you trapped in the cycle of birth and death.

Bhagavad Gita, CH 5, verse 16:

Ignorance as the Cause, Knowledge as the Cure

    • Problem: Ignorance is the root cause of all suffering. Just as bacteria cause physical pain, ignorance causes spiritual suffering.
    • Solution: Remove the ignorance. The “antibiotic” for ignorance is jnanam (Self-Knowledge).

Darkness and Light: The Only True Opposition

    • Darkness as a Disease: Ignorance is like darkness, a condition that needs to be removed.
    • What Removes Darkness?: Only light can remove darkness. No other method—whether chanting, meditating, philosophical discussions, Kundalini practices, affirmations, or asanas—can directly remove darkness.Two Facts Established:
      1. Only light (knowledge) is opposed to darkness (ignorance).
      2. Action (karma) is not opposed to darkness.

Objection: Isn't Advaita Vedanta an Action?

    • Yes, but…: While Advaita Vedanta involves action (study, contemplation), the action itself is not what removes ignorance. The knowledge gained through the action is what dispels ignorance.
      • Example: The action of studying physics removes ignorance of physics. Similarly, the action of studying Vedanta removes ignorance of the Self.
      • Can Mindfulness Remove Self-Ignorance?: No. While mindfulness may sharpen the mind, it cannot remove ignorance of the Self. 

Mokṣa: The Path of Self-Knowledge

    • Karma-yoga, Bhakti, Raja Yoga: While these practices purify the mind and prepare it for knowledge, they do not directly lead to liberation. They are not rejected by Kṛṣṇa or the Vedas, but they are not the final means to mokṣa.
    • Only jñāna-mārga (the path of knowledge) liberates. Just as specific knowledge is needed to remove specific ignorance (e.g., archaeology knowledge won’t remove calculus ignorance), brahmavidyā (knowledge of Brahman) is needed to remove ignorance of the Self.

How to Gain Self-Knowledge?

    • Bhagavad Gītā 4.34: The method is systematic, consistent study of Vedanta, over a length of time, under the guidance of a competent teacher (ācārya).

Bhagavad Gita, CH 5, verse 17:

STAGE 1: Tat Parāyanāḥ – The Desire for Freedom

    • Goal: Realizing that the ultimate purpose of life is to know the Self (Ātman) as independent and complete.
    • Current Problem: The ego (ahaṃkāra) depends on external objects for happiness and security.
      • How to Know This is True for You?:
        1. Do you struggle to accept yourself fully (both good and bad)?
        2. Do you find it difficult to accept your family, partner, or others?
        3. This dissatisfaction arises because the ego seeks to manipulate the world to match its likes (rāga) and dislikes (dveṣa).
    • Key Insight: The desire to change the world is often driven by the ego’s need for self-gratification, not genuine concern for others.
    • Realization: The real struggle is not with the world but with realizing the Self. The dissatisfaction with the world eventually leads to the desire for permanent moksha (liberation). Until then, you were running after temporary mokshas.
      • Ocean Analogy: Just as the ocean doesn’t depend on rivers for its fullness, the wise person knows they are already full, like the ocean. Experiences (like friends, company) are a bonus, but not necessary for completeness.
    • Conclusion: In this stage, one gives up the exhausting effort to change the world and realizes that the true goal is to realize the Self.

STAGE 2: Tad Buddayaḥ – Engaging with the Teachings

    • Goal: Seeking knowledge of Brahman (the ultimate reality) through the study of śāstra.
    • Process: One begins to learn, listen, think about, and meditate upon the teachings of ātma-jñānam (Self-Knowledge).
    • Key Insight: This stage is about intellectual engagement with the teachings, understanding the nature of the Self and the universe.

STAGE 3: Tadātmānaḥ – Shifting Identification

    • Goal: Moving from intellectual understanding to identification with the Self.
    • Problem: Even after knowing the Self, one continues to identify with the ahaṃkāra (the small me, in this vast universe).
      • Why?: Strong habits (deha-vāsanās) keep pulling the mind back to identifying with the body and ego, just like old habits in a long-term relationship are hard to break.
    • Solution: Remind yourself occasionally that you (self) are playing a role of the person called your name, but don’t overthink it while the role is unfolding.

STAGE 4: Tan Niṣṭhāh – Firm Abidance in the Self

    • Goal: Achieving firm abidance in the knowledge that “I am the Consciousness behind the instruments (body, mind, intellect).”
    • Practice: Deliberately practicing objectivity by reminding yourself:
      1. “This body is just incidental equipment I use.”
      2. “These sense organs are instruments of the body.”
      3. “This mind and intellect are media through which ‘I' (Ātman) operate.”
      4. “I am not the instruments; I am the Consciousness behind them.”

Summary of the Four Stages

    1. Tat Parāyanāḥ: Realizing the value of discovering the Higher Self and the desire for freedom.
    2. Tad Buddayaḥ: Engaging with the teachings of Vedanta to understand the nature of the Self.
    3. Tadātmānaḥ: Gradually shifting identification from ego (I'm a single individual) to Self (Ātman) via contemplation.
    4. Tan Niṣṭhāh: Firm abidance in the knowledge that “I am Consciousness” through continuous practice.

The Result: Jīvanmuktiḥ (Liberation While Living)

    • Jñāna-Nirdhūta-Kalmaṣāḥ: One is freed from impurities, washed away by Self-Knowledge.
    • Ajñāna-Samśaya-Viparyayaḥ: Ignorance, doubt are wiped out.
    • Jīvanmuktiḥ: Such a person is liberated while living, free from the cycle of birth and death.
    • Videhamukti: Upon the death of the body, the jīvanmukta is called videhamukti—one who is now, as always, Brahman (limitless awareness and happiness), never again to be conditioned by matter or flesh.

—
Credit for help in Bhagavad Gita teaching is given to Swami Paramarthananda

Recorded 5 Feb, 2019

Lesson 34
Index
Lesson 36

12 Comments

  1. Because ahaṃ kāra (doer/enjoyer) is enjoying retaining it’s separate sense of existence from the WHOLE (Brahman). It can’t bear negating itself for something which it doesn’t have knowledge of.
    This is where I find myself Andre.
    I can’t yet see how an existence without qualities is preferable to one with qualities.
    If Moksa means that after death I will be nothing but awareness, how will I know that I am aware of I no longer have Atman, individualised Brahman that reflects its awareness in the three bodies?
    I know I am missing something really important because the same question keeps occurring to me and I don’t have an answer.

    Reply

    1. ======
      If Moksa means that after death I will be nothing but awareness, how will I know that I am aware of I no longer have Atman, individualised Brahman that reflects its awareness in the three bodies?
      ======

      What is the nature of awareness? Limitlessness.

      What is limitlessness? It means nothing is missing. All knowledge, all power.

      Whereas individual called Robert is limited knowledge, limited power.

      There is misconception that Awareness is empty or nothing.

      We separate “objects” as reality 1. And “awareness” as reality 2.

      Then we can’t imagine reality 2 without reality 1.

      This is incorrect thinking. It’s dividing the ONE reality into TWO (dvaita).

      Everything IS Awareness.

      “Objects” are not separate from Awareness.

      Suppose wood is the final reality…

      Is the chair-object separate from it’s cause, the wood?

      Is the table-object separate from it’s cause, the wood?

      They are names-forms appearing as wood alone. But don’t know it (ajñāni).

      So to compensate their apparent limitation of being one single name-form, the chair marries the table. They accumulate wooden money and takes security in a wooden house. 🙂

      One day the chair breaks (death). The table cries wooden tears.

      Has the chair gone out of wood? No. Where will “it” go when “it” is nothing but the ONE wood… the ONE reality of the entire wooden universe.

      Similarly…

      Mokṣa is understanding that everything that is here is ONE reality appearing as the many. And this ONE doesn’t exclude the person who has this understanding (called jñāni).

      The seeker (chair) is the sought (wood).

      You already ARE the ONE beginningless reality appearing as the entire universe… right now.

      So where is question of “I no longer have Atman”? You are the whole now. You are the one same whole after Robert-form breaks one fine day. Except no longer limited to just Robert body-mind. But remains as the limitless whole, never again to take up a decaying, aging body-mind.

      Reply

  2. Thanks Andre.
    I need to contemplate this.
    My wrong thinking was coming from many years of Buddhist study.
    Inadvertently I have been acquainting Atma with Emptiness.
    Your explanation is clear, but my understanding of it comes and goes like a pulse.
    I will reread many times.

    Reply

    1. It’s actually one of most common misconceptions: If Consciousness is just conscious, then if I die, I won’t be conscious of anything! That doesn’t sound fun. I’d then rather be reborn over and over again.

      Reply

      1. Hi Andre,

        I have read the above exchange of messages several times, but I do not understand how I will feel once “I” and the “Brahman” will be one. Right now, I know I’m the wave. This wave is nothing but water. Once this Wave-water becomes Ocean-water, would I perceive myself as an Ocean?

        For example, if a thorn pricks my toe, I feel it. Similarly, when the thorn pricks my head then I feel it, because the consciousness in my toes and in the head is the same. As an ocean (or consciousness), my size will be as big as this Universe. In this state, I am non dual. I have no body to feel, etc. This ocean is described as SAT-CHIT-ANANDA. I assume that in this state if a thorn pricks the « toes » then «I» the consciousness feels this sting to the «head» of the consciousness.

        In this state, there are no thoughts, no perceptions, no emotions, no memories, etc.
        But I don’t understand how I would feel in that state. Is it dark? Is it as bright as light (maybe I will become a part of light as bright as the sun), is it empty, like space?

        I know that I am conscious in the state of SAT-CHIT-ANANDA, but what am I conscious of to say that I am conscious?

        I hope I am clear and that you will understand my question. Thank you for your answer.

        Reply

        1. Valid question Nicholas. Because if liberation and death of body, means that I will remain as just one monotonous state of beingness, then there’s no motivation to liberate at all. One would rather come back and at least experience color, taste, flavor, relationships, etc.

          There’s 2 ways to answer this. First you’ll have to go by faith, which the mind, as it becomes subtler and subtler, it begins to understand directly even while alive. Second is by experience.

          ===========
          Method 1:
          ===========

          Look at the last word of sat-cit. It’s ananda. Which means fullness. Fulness means “I am the whole, the one from whom the entire universe arises, is being sustained right now, and resolves again and again. I am all knowledge, all power. There is nothing outside of me. Everything is Me alone. Nothing is missing.”

          The statement is a poor attempt to describe what it would “feel” like, as no words can describe that which is limitless. In fact, one’s words can’t even accurately describe what an orange tastes like (only give pointers), let alone communicate that which is beyond time and space, and has no boundaries, infinite.

          ===========
          Method 2:
          ===========

          Meditation leading to Savikalpa and/or nirvikalpa samadhi can provide a glimpse into “fulness”. How so? Anyone who entered either can relate to the non-dual state. However it’s still a “state”, because it happened within time. This method can provide providing a glimpse and some encouragement, but it has no power to remove ignorance.

          (Yes, this author has entered savikalpa and nirvikalpa many times, due to years of Kriya-yoga practice. Thus it gives me relative authority to speak about the limitations of experiential non-dual states).

          ============
          I do not understand how I will feel once “I” and the “Brahman” will be one. R
          ============

          In short, right now: I am. I am. I am. However in addition to the self-evident “I am”, is this body-mind called Nicholas, or Andre, etc.

          Suppose knowledge takes place and the body dies.

          What remains is the exact same I am, I am, I am… that I know myself to be right now. It’s not like there’s suddenly a different “I am” on the other side. Because that would imply extinction of this “I am” on whom there’s a body-mind complex.

          Remember, your self-evident “I am” is Brahman. Everyone knows that I am. Nobody needs to be told that I am.

          And Brahman is the truth of everything, beginningless and eternal. Therefore what remains after death? I. Never again to receive another body-mind. I remain as the CAUSE of the universe, never again an EFFECT (wave).

          Reply

          1. Hi Andre,

            Thank you for your answer. I have two more questions for you to answer :

            – The first question is, in the video above, and at the end, you say that after death, the gross and subtle body dies. This means that the causal body remains and is responsible for the embodiment of another body in an unwise person. However, if I remember correctly, in one of your previous videos, you said that at death, it is only the gross body that dies, and the subtle body is responsible for rebirth. In other words, the mind, intellect, ego, and memory, which belongs to the subtle body, do not die. Which goes to say there is only one causal and one subtle body, and innumerable gross bodies. Please clarify as I am a little confused on this point.

            – My second question is that I realized that I am Atman, who is Brahman or God. I am not the BMI. I am a witness of what is happening in my BMI. Now, having realized that I am Brahman, is it only an intellectual understanding? Do I have to practice to understand that everything is one? If so, what should be done? If a friend of mine in Australia has a headache, will I feel the pain, when I have practically understood that everything is one? Please clarify.

            Many thanks for your answers.

        2. =======================
          The first question is, in the video above, and at the end, you say that after death, the gross and subtle body dies. This means that the causal body remains and is responsible for the embodiment of another body in an unwise person. However, if I remember correctly, in one of your previous videos, you said that at death, it is only the gross body that dies, and the subtle body is responsible for rebirth. In other words, the mind, intellect, ego, and memory, which belongs to the subtle body, do not die. Which goes to say there is only one causal and one subtle body, and innumerable gross bodies. Please clarify as I am a little confused on this point.
          =======================

          1) Throughout Upanishads, there’s 2 views. End of the day doesn’t matter, because point is, the Causal Body is exactly the same.

          View 1: At death, only gross body dies (dissolves into 5 elements). Subtle-body gets reprogrammed with new impressions from Causal Body.

          View 2: At death, gross-body dies. And Subtle-body dies. Then again, pressure from Causal-Body, causes a new subtle-body > gross-body.

          I wouldn’t anymore say that subtle-body dies. But reprogrammed with new impressions. Analogous to upgrading Win 3.1 to Win 11. Sometimes there’s a downgrade. Krishna says, if one never pursues spirituality, then upon death, one can have a upgrade or downgrade; there’s no rules. One can downgrade to body of animal. After all, there’s countless jivas waiting to gain a human body. However if one has begun the journey of reaching the Lord in this lifetime, and makes it an active pursuit, then upon death, there can only be an upgrade. Meaning a more capable subtle-body, sharper, born with more opportunities for growth.

          =======================
          – My second question is that I realized that I am Atman, who is Brahman or God. I am not the BMI. I am a witness of what is happening in my BMI. Now, having realized that I am Brahman, is it only an intellectual understanding? Do I have to practice to understand that everything is one? If so, what should be done? If a friend of mine in Australia has a headache, will I feel the pain, when I have practically understood that everything is one? Please clarify.
          =======================

          2) You can have two waves in the ocean. One wave understands self as wave-ness. Meaning it’s identity is put in it’s ever changing form. Sometimes form is small. Sometimes big. Nature of form is to change. It’s change can’t be stopped. It’s eventual crashing on the ocean shore is inevitable. Thus wave carries an unspoken fear of mortality, and sense of smallness. It looks at other waves around it and can’t stand bigger waves. Then feels good looking at smaller waves. It’s entire life is focused on wave forms.

          Now imagine a wise wave. A liberated wave. It too acknowledges it’s smallness, it’s eventual death when it hits to sea shore. It doesn’t deny it’s wave-ness. It acknowledges the pain-pleasure belonging to wave-ness. However it cognitively brings in one more reality, without which it can’t exist. And this reality called water (Brahman) is the substance of all waves. In fact, it’s the substance of the entire ocean (Ishvara). Neither the wave (jiva) nor the Ocean (ishvara) has it’s reality apart from water (Brahman).

          When the wise wave looks over bigger waves, it appreciates them, because it’s focus is it’s glory of the ocean, whose truth is the water. And my very truth is water.

          It’s identity has shifted from wave-ness to water; the substance of the entire ocean. This gives it an emotional shock absorber when things don’t go well in it’s life. It understands, wave is part of the grand order. It will undergo unpleasant forms. But wherever there is a form, that’s exactly where water is.

          So a wise wave enjoys a certain mental composure owning to their cognitive knowledge. While the wave next to it is still struggling to reconcile reality owing to it’s ignorance of the water as the very self of it’s existence.

          Ignorance is a cognitive matter. Meaning it obtains in the mind. It remains cognitively unaddressed. Therefore solution too must be cognitive.

          I must put a warning on this: When we say it’s cognitive, there’s two ways to interpret it:

          a) The distance between moon and earth is 384,000km. This is type of cognitive knowledge that is subject to memory. It’s something that is produced. Meaning, a moment ago I didn’t know about this fact. Then I’m told. And now I know for the first time this fact.

          b) I am Brahman. This is type of cognitive knowledge that understands even to make the statement “I am brahman”; that depends on a Conscious being who was there before the statement was made, is equally present while the statement is made, and continues after the statement is finished. In this case, the Conscious being is never produced. But the cognitive knowledge makes you see there is something unchanging about your experience. And that unchanging, is Brahman. It was there even in stage of ignorance and confusion.

          Finally, a liberated being doesn’t know about someone else’s headache. Because the liberated being is still carrying a limited instrument called body-mind, which is designed to have limited perception.

          The liberated being has to wait for body to die. Only then, I enjoy total liberation. This is important, as most believe the liberated being, while living is experiencing the entire universe and has access to all-knowledge. This is nonsense. Ask such a person to fly an airplane (since they have access to all-knowledge). They can’t do it.

          Reply

          1. Hi André,
            Thank you very much for this detailed & accurate explanation of my two questions. I have another question for you and I hope I can ask this question, because the question is not about Vedanta. I know I’m slowly but surely progressing through this video series step by step, however, one question has always troubled my mind since I started this study, why doesn’t the Bible talk about the three bodies and the rebirth of the Gross body? Didn’t Jesus talk about rebirth? I went to church but never heard a priest talk about it. I know I’m in the Vedanta class, but I’d appreciate it if you could answer that question.
            Many thanks for your answer.

        3. ===============
          …why doesn’t the Bible talk about the three bodies and the rebirth of the Gross body? Didn’t Jesus talk about rebirth? I went to church but never heard a priest talk about it. I know I’m in the Vedanta class, but I’d appreciate it if you could answer that question.
          ===============

          To answer this, need to contrast Bible to Vedas.

          Vedas is the spiritual literature from which this knowledge you’re learning (3 bodies, rebirth) is coming from.

          Vedas is knowledge not of one seer but hundreds upon hundreds. Seer or rishi is one who “sees” the truth previously missed.

          Here’s example of a “seer or rishi”:

          – Isaac Newton: After observing apple fall from tree, inferred the presence of an unseen force, which he called “gravity”.

          – Kekule: Inside his dream, a benzene molecule appeared to have a ring structure. Upon waking up, he immediately noted this. It was a major breakthrough in chemistry. Now scientists could create new materials from benzine like medicine and plastics.

          Notice how they “saw” what was already present, yet somehow missed by the masses.

          Similarly, Vedas is knowledge of the seers. (That’s why choose that tagline for YesVedanta logo).

          Now getting back to Bible or Quran or Buddhism: Their knowledge comes from teachings and insights of a single seer. That’s simply not enough to cover the vast landscape and nuances of reality.

          Now we can ask ourselves: Do I want to learn from a source coming from a single seer, or source which is compilation of thousands upon thousands of seers?

          Reply

  3. Hi Andre !!
    Greetings
    Can you please let me know what Vedanta or scriptures instructed for sexual enjoy !!
    Is it good or bad ? Is it ok before marriage or prohibited? How to give this knowledge to children when they becomes teens about this sex ? As this is very complex age for teens ,So how to give guidance on this

    Please give guidance!!

    Reply

    1. Tarun, regarding sexuality, that’s person’s choice. Vedanta is neither for, nor against anything. Because things like sexuality are actually value NEUTRAL. It’s only one’s personal likes/dislikes that give it more value then it deserves; thereby giving it unnecessary importance or emphasis in life.

      And in opposite end, some traditions take its value out; thereby calling it “evil/prohibited or to-be-avoided”.

      Both are distortions.

      Furthermore, sex before/after marriage, is not matter of right/wrong. But matter of, what makes sense to the individual according to their culture, and personal views.

      SUMMARY: Vedanta isn’t about creating rigid dictates of “do this, don’t do that”. But rather encouraging you to intelligently pursue things that you value.

      As for giving this knowledge to children, that’s up to each parent/society. Vedanta is about you; not others-out-there (including own family members).

      Reply

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