Category: Recent Works

After Sidhhartha realized that the path to enlightenment wasn’t in selfindulgence or self-torture, he sat under the Bodhi Tree, also known as Sri Maha Bodhi, meditating until he found enlightenment and became Buddha (the Enlightened One). Buddha wanted to share his wisdom with others, thus at The Deer Park in Sarnath delivered his first teachings, urging his followers to follow the Middle Way and avoid extremes. He taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which lead to enlightenment and freedom from suffering. This marked the establishment of the order of monks. This event is marked in the religious texts as ‘Dharmachakra pravartan’ or The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of the Dhamma/religion.

After Sidhhartha realized that the path to enlightenment wasn’t in selfindulgence or self-torture, he sat under the Bodhi Tree, also known as Sri Maha Bodhi, meditating until he found enlightenment and became Buddha (the Enlightened One). Buddha wanted to share his wisdom with others, thus at The Deer Park in Sarnath delivered his first teachings, urging his followers to follow the Middle Way and avoid extremes. He taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which lead to enlightenment and freedom from suffering. This marked the establishment of the order of monks. This event is marked in the religious texts as ‘Dharmachakra pravartan’ or The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of the Dhamma/religion.

Once, as Prince Siddhartha sat meditating beneath the Bodhi tree, he had subjected his body to extreme fasting and was on the brink of death. Sujata, a kind-hearted woman who lived near the Bodhi tree, had offered him sweet rice pudding when he was on the verge of death from starvation. The Buddha gratefully accepted her offering and ate the sweet pudding, which gave him the strength to continue his meditation. Despite his physical weakness, he persisted in his quest for enlightenment. On his way to enlightenment he was faced with obstructions and temptations caused by demon Mara, his army and three daughters. With sheer willpower and unwavering focus, he continued to meditate until he finally achieved enlightenment and became the Buddha. Later Buddha began his first teaching by telling his listeners to take the middle way, the middle path between extreme asceticism on one hand and sensual indulgence on the other. This exhortation to moderation underlies much of Buddhist thought through the centuries and across traditions.

Prince Sidhharth’s father, the king, was determined that his son becomes a great ruler and tried to shield Prince Siddhartha from harsh realities of life. However, Siddhartha understood sufferings to be an inevitable part of life. Siddhartha was filled with a sense of urgency to find out what lay at the root of human suffering. One night, while everyone in the palace was sleeping, Siddhartha asked Chhandak to prepare his horse, Kanthaka. While waiting, he entered the room where his wife Yasodhara and newborn son Rahula slept. Filled with loving-kindness, he pledged to return to them after his quest to understand the nature of suffering and how to escape from it, was over. Under the cover of night, Prince Siddhartha mounted Kanthaka and, accompanied by Chhandak, left the city of Kapilavastu. He was 29-year-old at that time. At a river some distance from the city, he shed his rich attire and donned the robes of a monk. He then instructed Chhandak to return with the horse to the palace. Though at first resistant, Chhandak and Kanthaka eventually complied with Siddhartha’s orders. As the prince walked out of sight, Chhandak and Kanthaka watched with tears in their eyes. Overwhelmed with sorrow, Kanthaka’s heart gave out, and he died on the spot

Queen Maya of the Sakya clan had a dream of a snow-white elephant entering her right side. Soothsayers predicted that she would conceive a special prince, and indeed, she got pregnant. While on her way to her homeland to give birth, Queen Maya stopped at a beautiful forest called Lumbini. While she stood upright and held onto the branch of a sal tree (in the posture adopted by mothers of all buddhas), the child came forth from under her right arm. The newborn Prince took seven steps, and at each step, a lotus flower bloomed to receive his feet. At the last step, the Prince declared himself as the ‘Honoured One’ between heaven and earth. He was named Sidhharth and at the time of his birth, seers foretold that he would either become a great king or an enlightened teacher.

Even after getting precious human birth, it is rare to find a person who has the quest of self-realisation. Sri Adi Shankaracharya goes on to say that rarer still is mumuksutva, the desire to realise one’s divinity. Bhagvadgita (7:3) says: manusyānām sahasresu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānām kaścin mām vetti tattvatah Only a tiny portion of the innumerable souls are fortunate to get a human birth. Amongst them, only a minuscule strive for spiritual perfection. In Vedic literature it is mentioned: āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narānām dharmo hi tesām adhiko viśeso dharmena hīnāh paśubhih samānāh Eating, sleeping, mating and defense-these four principles are common to both human beings and animals. The distinction between human life and animal life is “Dharma” (individual’s life path and purpose). In other words, it is the ability to ask philosophical questions like “Who am I? What is the essence and purpose of the physical world? – something that animals do not possess. Hence our scriptures call it the rarest and most difficult to receive because of the spiritual potential hidden in every human to be able to embark on the path of spiritual realization. Out of millions, an exceptionally rare person strives to purify the self or the soul. This process involves eliminating impurities such as desires, attachments and ego, which obstruct one’s realization of one’s true divine nature.

Vedic scriptures proclaim that out of 84 Lakhs (8.4 million) species born on earth, human birth is the rarest and the most precious as only human birth gives valuable opportunity for spiritual enlightenment and liberation (breaking free from the repeated and painful cycle of birth and death). Sri Adi Shankaracharya in his work Vivekacūdāmani begins his discourse by saying jantūnām narajanma durlabham’ – of all the creatures, human birth is the rarest.

The concept of the eternal soul (Atman) having a temporary human experience (Jiva) is central to many teachings found in Vedic literature. Even the Western philosophers accept that “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” In summary, the Vedic concept of the eternal soul (Atman) having a temporary human experience (Jiva) underscores the profound nature of human life. It encourages individuals to recognize their divine essence, seek spiritual growth, and ultimately transcend the cycle of birth and death to reunite with the eternal and divine source, often referred to as Brahman or God. This philosophy serves as a foundation for many spiritual practices and beliefs within Vedic and other related traditions.

Vedic texts do explore numerous dimensions of existence and reality through its rich philosophy and spirituality, such as the concept of Atman (the individual soul) and Brahman (the ultimate reality), the different layers of consciousness, and various states of existence. As per Vedic understanding, soul after getting Moksha reaches the seventh level. The highest level, the 10th Dimension (5th sub-level), is known as Goloka Dham. Only a select few souls devoted to Krishna Bhakti have the potential to ascend to these sublevels within the 10th dimension. In Bhagavadgita (verse 8.15) Lord Krishna says that after attaining Me (My abode), the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.

The Bhagavad Gita addresses the concept of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, which is central to the Vedic philosophy and is known as “Samsara”. This cycle is based on the idea that the soul (Atman) is eternal but becomes entangled in a cycle of reincarnation, moving from one body to another after death. Throughout the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna imparts spiritual wisdom and guidance to break painful circle of repeated births and deaths and to attain spiritual enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Lord Krishna explains the significance of various paths to spiritual enlightenment and suggests that the path of devotion (Bhakti Yoga) is the most accessible and effective for many individuals. The four paths mentioned in Bhagavadgita are: 1. Path of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga) 2. Path of Devotion (Bhakti Yoga) 3. Path of Action (Karma Yoga) 4. Path of Meditation (Dhyana Yoga) Lord Krishna’s teaching in the Bhagavad Gita acknowledges the diversity of human temperament and provides different paths for seekers to choose from based on their inclinations and capabilities.