Thursday, April 16, 2015

BRAHMAN OF VEDANTA By Swami Sivananda

BRAHMAN OF VEDANTA

Brahman cannot be approached by argument. He is unknowable. He is without any limiting adjunct. He is the source of the world, Vedas, body, mind and prana (vital energy, life).

Brahman is the only abode of eternal peace and purity. He is the instrumental and material cause for the universe, though He Himself is causeless because He is beginningless and endless. He is one without a second. He is attributeless. He is free from birth and death.

Brahman is absolute, infinite. He is the Supreme Being. He is the highest Self. He has no attachment; He has no connection with anything He has no connection with bodies, minds, etc. This is his supreme yoga which ordinary mortals can hardly understand.

Brahman dwells in every heart. He is boundless, unfathomable and immeasurable. There is neither subtle desire nor craving nor sense hankering in Brahman. He is an embodiment of purity. His name or symbol is Om. He is the silent witness of the activities of the world and the activities of all minds. He is imperishable.

Brahman is absolute consciousness, the indwelling atman. He is the one great indivisible bliss Sat-chit-ananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss). He is awake when people sleep at night. He is the passive spectator of this world show or cosmic bioscope. The aspirant finds full and eternal satisfaction in Brahman. All his desires melt away like mist or snow before the rising sun.

There is something behind life, matter, energy, mind that is the ultimate reality it is eternal and unchanging. The finite mind cannot solve certain problems of life and the riddle of the universe. On account of egoism we persist in our vain researches and experiments. But our boasted intellect has failed to satisfy our yearnings and equip us with real knowledge that will dispel our ignorance and give us real peace of mind.

We bow our heads before the inner ruler who dwells in the chambers of our hearts, who is the source of matter, life, energy and mind, who is immortal, eternal, bliss absolute, knowledge absolute and existence absolute. May He now give us real enlightenment. May He grant us that highest knowledge of Self through which alone we can get full knowledge of all secular sciences. Our silent salutations to that highest Self, the Brahman of the vedanta.

Peace, Love, Harmony