Goals for the seeker of spiritual knowledge

Why would someone seek spiritual knowledge? What is or are the goals of a person seeking spiritual knowledge?

To examine this question, we need to first look closer into the generic goals of human endeavor. The Manu Smriti offers a comprehensive classification of the goals of human endeavor, called as Purushaarthaas. These are:

• Artha or Material and physical well-being: This includes all pursuits from acquiring the basic means of survival to wealth and luxury
• Kaama or Emotional and experiential well-being: This includes all pursuits of heart including love, affection, creativity and belongingness
• Dharma or Ethical and Spiritual well-being: This includes all ethical and logical pursuits from the basic performance of one's familial and social responsibilities to more grander and nobler societal contributory efforts.
• Moksha or Liberation from all bindings: This includes everything from the intellectual pursuit to know the purpose of life to achieving the state of total internal freedom.

In some ways, these categories map to the recent motivational theory of Maslow's hierarchy. (You can check more about Maslow's hierarchy at http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html )

With Artha, Kaama and Dharma, we operate at two hierarchical levels. The initial level where we try to meet the basic needs and the next level where we try to flourish.  And,  we are in general forced into action by these three drivers and at the same time in continuous internal conflict engaging in their pursuit. When one is able to recognize the continuous state of flux that these pursuits puts one into, the desire to look beyond them and seek liberation from their clutches, arises.  This, in Vedanta terminology, is called Mumukshutwa. Primarily there are four reasons that trigger this desire.

1. Bandhana or Bondage: The compulsive nature  of desires associated with these three purushaarthaas that forces one to engage in their pursuit even when one wills not to.
2. Dukha or Misery: Suffering from disappointments about unfulfilled desires and experience of undesired events
3. Jara or Decay: The temporal nature of the happiness as well as the general decay of bodily functions with age
4. Marana or Death: The inevitability of one's own death

 Correspondingly four goals emerges from these for the spiritual seeker:

1. How to gain and enjoy absolute internal freedom
2. How to end suffering in life
3. How to deal with or overcome one's own  death
4. How to know the truth behind the mystery of the self, life and the world

In the Hindu philosophy, there is an overarching greater goal that spans these four goals, which is the quest for perfection. Here, perfection means to live a life that is:

• free of conflicts and beneficial to the world
• living without the fear of death
• continuously abiding in a state of being that transcends the limits imposed by prakriti (nature)

In the second chapter of Bhagawad Gita, there is a description of the traits of such a man of perfection. This short section of 18 verses is known as 'sthithaprajna  lakshana' or the 'traits of one who is established in a stable state of consciousness'. Below are some definitions of the 'man of perfection' from that text.

'prajahaati yadaa kaamaan sarvaan paartha manogathaan

Atmanyevaatmana thushtah stithaprjna thadochyate" (B.G Ch. 2, Verse 55)

"O Paartha, he who has eliminated all compulsive desires from his mind and abides with joy  only in his own self, such a person is known as sthithaprajna"

"Dukheshu anudwigna manah sukheshu vigatha sprihah

Veetha raaga bhaya krodhah sthithadheer muniruchyate" (B.G Ch. 2, Verse 56)

"He whose mind is unaffected by misery, not attracted by pleasant experiences, devoid of attachment, fear and anger; such a person is said to be an ascetic with a steady mind"

In Ramayana, the story of Rama is explained to Sage Valmiki by Sage Narada in response to Valmiki's question if such a perfect human existed. Also another key question raised, both in the Bhagawad Gita and Ramayana, is whether such a man of perfection can be a person of this world rather than a recluse who has retired to a hermitage. The answer in both the texts is a resounding  'yes'. However, it is also not an easy journey for one to achieve this state.  The best description of the arduousness of this journey is found in the Kathopanishad where Lord Yama says:

'Uthishtathaa Jagrataa

Praapya varaan nibodhadha

Kshurasya dhaara nisitaa dhurtyaya

Durgam pathastad kavayo vadante" (Kathopanishad, Book 1, Canto 3, Verse 15)

"Arise! Awake! Enlighten yourself from the wise. The knowledgeable ones say that this path is as precarious as traversing the razor's sharp edge, hard to travel and difficult to cross"

If we take a metaphorical view of the story of  Ramayana, we can again see a great view of this magnificent journey beautifully hidden within the epic by Sage Valmiki.

'Rama' in Sankrit means one who dwells, experiences and enjoys. This is the individual soul called as 'jivatma'. Rama receives his education from two teachers, instructional knowledge from Sage Vasishta and experiential knowledge from Sage Viswamitra. Viswamitra helps Rama to seek physical and mental strength (bala and atibala) and helps him to overcome fear of unknown (Thaataki). Viswamitra then unites him with Sita, the purity of heart.  Ready to take charge of own life (crowned an emperor),  the freedom to do so is denied to him by Prakriti (Kaikeyi) and he is banished to explore his own internal world (forest). He takes up this challenge relying on mental focus (Lakshmana) and purity of heart (Sita). The compulsive nature of conscious mind (Ravana) throws the challenge by trying to make the purity of heart subdued to it. Rama seeks the alliance of strict discipline (Sugriva) and devotion (Hanuman) and overcomes the distractive nature of mind (Vaali). He takes the battle to the core of his heart (Lanka) and successfully overcomes the force of subconscious mind (Kumbakarna), deceptiveness of mind (Meghnath) and finally the compulsive nature of mind (Ravana). Rama then establishes Conscience (vibheekshana) as the ruler of heart.  Reunited with purity of heat, Rama now returns to live a life free of conflicts (Rama raajyam). In the end, for the sake of perfection, he abandons even his attachment to purity of heart (abandoning Sita) and finally departs from the world, leaving a legacy of what it means to be a perfect human being.

The story of Ramayana, Rama's ayana or journey, is available to us as a guidance for charting our own individual spiritual journey, encouraging us to make a resolve to seek perfection in our own lives. Emabrk on this journey, if you haven't already!

Happy New Year!

What is Spiritual Knowledge?

In the last couple of blog postings, we had looked into what it means to be spiritual and what virtues one needs to develop to be ready for receiving spiritual knowledge. Let's now take a quick overview of what,  according to Upanishads, is the spiritual knowledge.

Vedanta primarily uses three popular sanskrit synonyms for spiritual knowledge. They are Aatma Vidya (Knowledge of the personal self), Brahma Vidya (Knowledge of Brahman, the cosmic being) and Paraa Vidya (Transcendental knowledge). The spiritual knowledge is also sometimes referenced simply as 'Vidya' to indicate that it is the only true knowledge. Here are few references from vedantic texts about the importance of spiritual knowledge.  In the tenth chapter of Bhagawad Gita, when Sri Krishna lists a series of examples of his glory available for human perception ,  he says 'I am Adhyatma Vidya among all knowledge'. In the Isaavasya Upanishad, the Rishi extolls on the nature of 'Vidya' as the only knowledge that produces non-perishing results (sambhudhi) and says all other knowledge create only perishable results (vinaasam). And, he continues to say that a seeker must understand both these types of  knowledge for his benefit. (sambhudhim cha vinaasam cha yastad etho ubhayam sahah).

The knowledge pertaining to objects  and experiences of the world are called 'Aparaa vidya' (Non-transcendental knowledge), 'bhautika gnana' (knowledge of objects) or simply as 'Avidya' (False knowledge). Before looking into what contrasts these two knowledge, Vidya and Avidya, let's examine the process of knowledge itself.

Knowledge, as we generally understand, essentially involves three components; the object of knowledge, the means of knowledge and the knower who is the subject gaining the knowledge.  The Indian philosophical systems categorizes the means of knowledge into six:

1. Sabda pramana : Verbal or textual knowledge
2. Upamana pramana: Knowledge by comparison; using reference to an already available knowledge.
3. Anupalabdhi pramana: Knowledge by deduction through reference to absence of a known effect.  e.g. "I don't feel heat. The fire must have died"
4. Anumana pramana: deductive knowledge; establishing presence of a likely cause from its known effect that is seen e.g. "I can see smoke; there must be a fire"
5. Arthapathi pramana: postulation or inductive knowledge; a logical hypothesis that must be true in the absence of a better explanation
6. Pratyaksha pramana: direct perception

(Please see the website vmission.org.in/Vedanta/articles/pramanas.htm for detailed information on the pramanas. A previous blog post on "Music takes you to heights that words cannot' also has a discussion on four of these six pramanas)

 All scientific, artistic and ritualistic knowledge are considered 'Avidya' and use one or more of the above means for knowledge. And, please note that this type of knowledge is within the constraints of time as there is a time period when the knowledge was not possessed by the knower as well as there is a point of time at which the knowledge was gained. Also, the results produced by this knowledge are nor permanent and ultimately perish.

The subject of perception of Aatma Vidya is not any external object but the knower himself and the subject-object distinction is absent in it. The only question to answer is, who is this one who is able to know? The Kena upanishad puts this inquiry as "who is the eye of the eye, ear of the ear and mind of the mind?" . And Sri Raman Maharshi famously reduced the entire vedanta inquiry into one question: "who am I?".  In the  13th chapter of Bhagawad Gita, Sri Krishna calls the Atma vidya as 'keshtranja gnana', or 'knowledge of the knower of field' and all other knowledge as 'Kshetra gnana' or ' knowledge of the field of experience'. 

Due to the absence of the subject-object distinction, the six pramanas listed earlier do not directly apply to Aatma Vidya. They can be enablers but not the primary means. Also, the Aatma Vidya is not constrained by time as there is no time when the knowledge was not possessed by the knower. However, there is the time when the knowledge is not available to the knower which is called as 'ignorance'. Removal of this ignorance, or apparent absence of knowledge,  is called self-realization. Atma Vidya is therefore not a new knowledge gained.

The nature of the Aatman or self is defined in Vedanta as 'sat-chit-aanandam' meaning 'existence- awareness- bliss'. Being not constrained by time and devoid of all modifications, Aaatman has no states of past or future and remains in a continuous present state and hence is described as pure existence. The Atman is the one principle that enables all perceptions and is a witness to all knowledge being itself unaffected. Hence it is identified as pure awareness. Aatman, being the single source of all joy experienced by an individual self, is also described as pure bliss.

How could one realize this true nature of one's own self? The method prescribed is simple, though hard to execute: suppress all noise from worldly perceptions, quieten the mind and the glow of Aatman will become visible just as some stars become visible in the night sky when we move to a spot where there is no city light interfering. Sage Patanjali describes this right at the beginning of Yoga sutra where he says, Yoga is the arresting of all movements in consciousness (chitta vritti nirodha) so that the self will abide totally in its own awareness (drashtu swarupe avastaanam) since otherwise the self identifies itself with its means and acts of perception (vritti saarupyam itaratra).  There are many intermediate steps and means to get to this final state that includes control of breath, mental focus, meditation etc. Again, to reiterate, all steps and action are to remove the obstructions to true knowledge revealing itself in the self and not to gain a new knowledge.

Why should one try to gain Aatma vidya ? The best answer to this question is found in the Kathopanishad where lord Yama, the God of Death, tells Nachiketas :

"asabdam asparsam aroopam avyayam thadaa arasam nithyam agandhavacha yad

Anaadyantam mahata param dhruvam nichaapya thanmruthyumukhaad pramuchyate"

" One becomes freed from the jaws of death by knowing That which is soundless, touchless, colorless, undiminishing, tasteless, eternal, odorless, without beginning and without end, distinct from Mahat and ever constant" ( Kathopanishad, Part 1, Canto 3, Sloka 15. Translation from "Eight Upanishads" by Swami Gambhirannanda, published by Advaita Ashrama)

Here is the assurance from God of Death that Aatma vidya frees one from his inescapable jaws. What better motivation could there be!

This in a nut shell is Spiritual knowledge explained as 'Aatma Vidya'. There is a different approach that can be taken from a cosmic point of view, 'Brahma Vidya', that again converges with 'Aatma vidya'. Will keep that topic for a future discussion.

What it means to be 'spiritual'

The words 'spiritual' and 'religious' are sometimes used interchangeably even though they don't actually mean the same. Not everyone who is religious may be spiritual and not everyone who is spiritual be necessarily religious. However, it is way more easier to ascertain whether someone is a religious person as opposed to a spiritual person, the primary reason being the objective nature of the former as opposed to the subjective nature of the latter. While religiosity is about faith, conformance and explicit practices like prayers, visits to the temple, church or any religious site etc.,  spirituality is about a shift in awareness that creates a different experience and insight whether that is with the religious practices or other activities. Being religious does help one in becoming spiritual but more importantly being spiritual makes the religious experience much more richer and meaningful.

Let us look at a transformation that came over Arjuna as explained in the Bhagawad Gita. At the start of Bhagawad Gita, Arjuna becomes despondent of having to engage in the battle with his grandparents, uncles and cousin brothers and laments at length to Sri Krishna about the potential harm his actions could cause to his relatives, society and the world. Almost everything that Arjuna lists as reasons for his argument at this stage are essentially extrinsic in nature. Sri Krishna's response to this lengthy lamenting of Arjuna was a crisp and short admonition for displaying uncharacteristic weakness at a critical juncture that was unbecoming of a great warrior. Krishna's admonition had the desired effect of making Arjuna become  more self-aware and his reasonings more subjective. Arjuna now makes a honest admission that his thinking has been taken over by a 'negative miserly nature' ('karpanya dosha upahata swabhava') and seeks Sri Krishna's help to clear it up for him what his righteous (dharmic)  action should be. And , Sri Krishna  on hearing this admission, commences the lengthy discourse of the Bhagawad Gita that ultimately results in Arjuna  gaining the right perspectives. So, what was the key difference between Arjuna's arguments presented in the first chapter of Bhagawad Gita which got only on admonition from Sri Krishna  and his statements in the second chapter that resulted in the discourse of Bhagawad Gita? One, the self-recognition by Arjuna of his own 'miserly nature', the insecure nature that makes one cling on to possessions and view all things in terms of only gains and losses. Two, Arjuna's explicit commitment to know and do what is Dharma which would ultimately bring him good (sreyas). As soon as Arjuna, who was definitely a religious person but not necessarily spiritual makes this subtle shift, Krishna blesses him with the spiritual knowledge through Bhagawad Gita.
What the above is telling us is that, firstly, the spiritual knowledge is reserved for the spiritual person because in this knowledge, knowing is also becoming ("Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati - The knower of Brahman becomes Brahman"). Others won't recognize this knowledge even if they happen to receive it. Secondly, a spiritual person is one who turns inward, is self-aware of own strengths and shortfalls and thirsts for knowledge that will help him or her change perspectives. And, finally, a spiritual person is more interested in transforming oneself and less concerned with the gain or loss he or she will make in the world.

What then is the measure of a person progressing in spirituality?  It is the connectedness he or she has with fellow beings and the readiness to make self-sacrifices for the sake of Dharma. We have great examples of this in Jesus Christ , Sri Gautama Buddha, Sri Rama etc. When Jesus walked into the Temple of Solomon, drove out the money changers and sellers of doves, he knew very well that these actions would invite serious consequences for him. He still did what he had to for the sake of reestablishing Dharma. When Gautama Buddha walked away in the middle of night from his royal inheritance and family, he certainly had a good idea of the hardships he was welcoming and still did it for the sake of finding the means to end the suffering for fellow beings. In the case of Arjuna,  the sacrifice Krishna demands of Arjuna, of vanquishing the Kaurava army by killing Bhishma and Drona, was far greater than asking him to sacrifice own life because Arjuna would have any day laid down his own life for any one of these people.

The Isavasya Upanishad explains this feeling of connectedness that a realized person has, in two beautiful verses:
"Yastu sarvani bhutani atmanyeva anupasyathi
Sarva bhuteshu cha  atmanam  thatho na vijugupsate " (Isavasya Upanishad, Verse  #5)
 'He who perceives all beings in his own self and his own self in all beings, he carries no hate'.
"Yasmin sarvani bhutani atmaivabhut vijanatah
Tatra ko moha ka soka ekatvam anupasyatah"  (Isavasya Upanishad, Verse  #6)
'When (a realized person) perceives only unity and considers all beings as his own self, there is no more delusion or despair for him'
This is the nature of a truly mature, spiritual person who has become perfect in spiritual knowledge.

So, what is the first step for students of spirituality? In the Taithiriyopanishad towards the end of its first book called Siksha Valli , the Sage instructs the students that while it is important from them to embrace truth (satyam) and engage in reflection (thapah) , it is utmost important for them to make the practice of assimilating the knowledge (swadhyaya) and sharing knowledge (pravachana) as the soul purpose of all their austerities. Sharing assimilated knowledge may be a small step but an important one for a student of spirituality.

With this understanding, the frequent question for each one of us to consider in our spiritual journey is how established have we become in spirituality in terms of our action, attitudes and perceptions. After all, who other than ourselves are in a better position to know it ?

Ten universal virtues to live by: From Patanjali Yogasutra

According to Hinduism,  spirituality is not a mere intellectual exercise but a major personal journey of internal transformation that involves significant change of attitudes, outlooks, beliefs etc. Just as a farmer prepares a field before planting crops, there is a need to prepare one's own self before engaging in spiritual studies. What kind of virtues should one cultivate in preparation for receiving spiritual knowledge? There are many answers to this question that are spread across multiple scriptural texts. Sage Patanjali in Yoga sutra provides a very comprehensive and concise list that appears to trump the rest in its simplicity and directness. Below is a quick overview of these virtues as described in Yoga Sutra.

Patanjali defines these virtues under two separate groups that he calls as the first two 'limbs' (anga) of  the 'eight-limbed' (ashtaanga) Yoga path. These two groups are called Yama and Niyama. Yama are virtues that are of more importance from a social conduct perspective and Niyama are the same from a personal conduct perspective. And, Patanajali reaffirms the universality of these virtues by saying that they are relevant to any one and every one, at all points of time, irrespective of what part of the world or society they belong to.

First the Yama virtues:
1. Ahimsa: Generally translated as 'non-violence'. This virtue is about having an attitude of not causing intentional harm or injury with the intent of personal gain or pleasure.
2. Satyam: 'Truthfulness'.  Keeping one's conscience clear and not engaging in duplicity when dealing with the world.
3. Asteyam: 'Not stealing'. Not being conceit about what one receives or takes from the world and ensuring to give back as much or more than one takes from the world.
4. Aparigraham: 'Non possessiveness'.  Not seeking self-fulfillment or developing enhanced self-images from possession of worldly goods.
5. Brahmacharyam: Generally translated as 'celibacy', this actually means living a spiritual life that is focused on realizing ultimate truth and not being distracted by sensual pleasures.

Next the Niyama virtues:
6. Saucham: Cleanliness. Maintaining both external (bodily) and internal (mental)  cleanliness and having a sense or order in all aspects of life.
7. Santhosham: Contentment. Keeping a happy demeanor, positive outlook and not engaging in negative thinking. Watch this TED talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXy__kBVq1M by Shawn Achor on 'Happiness Advantage' to know more about 'Santhosham' and how it can help even with everyday living.
8. Thapah: Generally translated as maintaining a religious austerity in life, this also means leading a contemplative life. Thapah literally means to generate heat; the internal 'heat' generated from intense thinking that brings about a transformation of character.
9. Swadhyaya: Regular self-education. Relentless engagement in developing one's spiritual knowledge and assimilating that knowledge. This is an extremely important virtue given the vastness of spiritual studies.
10. Iswarapranidhana: Having an attitude of surrender to God. This is a foundational virtue for a spiritual seeker. Sage Patanjali also offers a very interesting definition of 'God' as a supreme being who is unaffected by the divisions of the world, free of expectations of cause and effect and free of all afflictions like ignorance, ego, attachment, hatred and self-preservation. The fully stretched prostration that devotees do in Hindu temples called the 'sashtanga pranama' or prostration involving eight limbs is a great demonstration of Iswarapranidhana. The eight limbs involved in the prostration is indicative of total surrender to God These are:
a. Urasaa - by the torso, meaning all bodily functions
b. Sirasaa - by the head, meaning intellectually
c. Vachasaa - by speech, meaning everything spoken
d. Drishtyaa - by sight, meaning everything seen
e. Manasaa - by mind, meaning emotionally
f. Karnayo - by hearing, meaning everything heard
g. Hastayo - by the hands, meaning all deeds performed
h. Padayo - by the feet, meaning all the travels undertaken

(Special thanks to Sree Aswath for his enlightening teaching that has enabled and inspired me to compile the above information)

Birds of the same feather? - The parallels between Indian and Greek Philosophies

It is very surprising that similar philosophical thought processes evolved in India and Greece around the same time, even though they were separated by great distance. Based on what we know conclusively from history, at least as of now, there was not much of an exchange of ideas between these two cultures until Alexander's invasion of India in 325 BCE. For now we will have to leave to speculation whether there was an actual flow of thoughts between the two cultures or they just happened to develop independently with similarities in thinking patterns.

Let us look at the Greek philosopher Plato, who is believed to have lived at least a century before Alexander. A disciple of Socrates, Plato is undoubtedly considered to have laid the foundations of western philosophy. In his most famous book Republic, Plato discusses (through the dialogues of Socrates) the social structure of an ideal city where three classes of people exist, namely, Guardians, Soldiers and Merchants. The Guardians led by a Philosopher King rules the city, the Soldiers provide protection to the city and enforce the rules and the Merchants manage the economic activities. He then extends this concept to an individual and says the soul has three parts, pictorially represented as a chariot driven by two horses, one white and other black. The lowest part is called 'Appetitive' and is represented by the black horse. The Appetitive part concerns itself with material desires, pulling the person towards more and more sensual experience.  The next higher part is the 'Spirited' represented by the white horse. The Spirited part of the soul concerns itself with emotional satisfaction like honor, recognition etc.  And, the third and highest part is 'Reason' which is represented by the charioteer controlling the chariot driven by the white and black horses. The Reason part of the soul seeks education and knowledge. According to Plato, for a soul to flourish ( i.e.,  to have the virtues of Courage, Wisdom, Justice and Temperance fully manifest),   the Reason has to be in charge, Spirited should work as an ally to Reason and Appetite has to be subservient to both Spirit and Reason.

Now let's look at two texts from India, the Kathopanishad which is not dated and the Ramayana which is believed to be 6th century BCE or earlier. Kathopanishad is from the Yajur Veda and has the same antecedents as the Taithiriyopanishad that I discussed in an earlier blog. In the Kathopanishad the teacher is Yama, the God of death and the student is the young boy Nachiketa who happened to seek Yama out for receiving the teaching on what is the ultimate truth. In the course of his instruction, Yama paints the picture of a chariot: "Know the individual self as the master of the chariot and the body as the chariot. Know the intellect to be the charioteer and the mind as verily the bridle. They call the sense organs the horses.  The man who has as his charioteer a discriminating intellect and who has under control the reins of the mind, attains the end of road." (Translation from Sanskrit are from the book "Eight Upanishads" by Swami Gambhirananda, published by Ramakrishna Mission Advaita Asrama)

So, here is an improved picture over Plato's, adding a rider to the chariot! We see a repeat of the same imagery later on in the Bhagawad Gita also.

Now, let us look at Ramayana which has the status of being the primary epic of south Asia with its influence not limited by the borders of India. The author of Ramayana is Sage Valmiki. Though Ramayana is popular for the divinity of the central character, Lord Rama, we shouldn't overlook the fact that this is a story written by one of the greatest sages of India. He could have very well buried the gems of his philosophical insights under the covers of the story he renders!

In the Ramayana, Valmiki presents the three demonic brothers Ravana, Kumbakarna and Vibheekshana. Ravana, is the ten headed monster who traumatizes the world, has no propriety and chases after anything and everything that he likes to have, whether that was Kubera's flying chariot Pushpaka, the heavenly damsel Rambha or Sita the chaste wife of Rama. Metaphorically the ten heads of Ravana are said to represent the five sense organs (Eyes, Ears, Nose, Touch and Taste) and five organs of action (Hands, Legs, Speech, Sexual and Excretory) and Ravana himself stands for the forceful, impulsive nature of mind that craves for experiences through the sense organs and organs of action. The parallels of this to Plato's concept of Appetitive party of soul is very evident. Kumbakarna is the giant who sleeps for most of the time and wakes up once in a while to fill his stomach or fight a war for Ravana. Called into war, Kumbakarna is unstoppable and fearsome with his strength. The  parallels of characterization of Kumbakarna to Plato's spirited part of soul again is somewhat evident. The name Kumbakarna, in Sanskrit means one with pot shaped ears indicating that he collects what he hears. And, Kumbakarna is asleep most of the time but ferociously unstoppable when he wakes up. Both this are indicative of the nature of subconscious mind. Our subconscious mind is listening all the time, collecting impressions as it listens. Generally asleep but when awakened, the subconscious mind's influence is unstoppable. The third brother Vibheeshana is knowledgaable, full of wisdom and tries his best to dissuade Ravana and Kumbakarna from their evil deeds but unfortunately gets no listening. Again, the Sanskrit name Vibheeshana means one who is unafraid, a poetical way of saying he is always objective in his reasoning. The tale of the three brothers ends with Rama's slaying of Ravana and Kumbakarna and making Vibheeshana the King. With Reason established as King, virtues return to the people of Lanka.

Though similar in their praise of reason, there are obvious differences between the Greek and Indian thinking of what exactly the soul is. While Reason, Spirit and Appetite are parts of soul for Plato (at least in The Republic - there are few variations in other books), the soul is different from these and 'a master of chariot' in the Indian philosophy. However, Plato, Valmiki and the Rishi of Kathopanishad, all of them have the same message for us: establish Reason as the King in our minds and develop the virtue of moderation to keep appetite and spirit in restrain. 

Hindu Religion: A quick aerial survey

The collection of literary material that forms what the world has come to refer to as Hindu Religion, is extremely vast and is not common knowledge even amongst the practitioners of the religion. Here is a bird's eye view of what the Hindu religious scriptures encompass.

1.       Pranava or Aum: Pronounced as 'Om' , the pranava is a combination of sounds  'A' (pronounced as in 'Ahh'), 'U' (pronounced as in 'Ooo') and 'Ma' (pronounced as 'Mah'). Usually all Sanskrit words have an etymological reference to root words or sounds  but in the case of 'Aum'  there is no associated etymology as it is the foundation for all sounds. 'Aum'  is the heart and soul of the entire Veda literature. The Taithiriyopanishad expresses this primordial status of AUM by poetically saying 'Aum which is all encompassing, is the bull of all veda hymns'. Lord Krishna also says in Bhagawad Gita 'I am Pranava in all the Vedas' reinforcing the importance. Metaphorically AUM stands for many 'trios' encountered by us including the three temporal states (past, present and future), three states of being experienced by the individual soul (wakeful, dream and sleep), the three worlds of experience (Bhur, Bhuva and Suva), the three parts of Gayatri meter of hymns, the three aspects of creation (Self, World and God), the three states of being for the universal self (Iswara, Hiranyagarba and Virat)   etc.  However, what is considered to be more important than the sound of AUM is the quality of silence it produces at the end of the chant, representing the fourth state of being  called 'Tureeya avastha' which is pure awareness  that transcends subject-object-knowledge distinction  and space-Time limitations.

2.       Vedas: The Vedas form the foundation of Hindu religion, acting as the source of authority on religious matters.  It can be said that what identifies a person as belonging to Hindu religion is the acceptance of the authority of Vedas in good faith. Developed and retained by an oral education tradition, Vedas are also known as 'Sruthi' meaning 'what was heard'. The Vedas are organized into four collections, namely Rik, Yajus, Saama and Atharva. Each Veda has four parts to it. The first part Samhita contains hymns and statements, the second part Brahmana contains rituals and injunctions generally targeted to the head of household  (Grihasta Asrami), the third part Aranyaka contains rituals and instructions for those who have retired to the forest (Vanaprasta Asrami) and the fourth part Upansishad contains the philosophical instructions on enlightenment (jnana) and path of liberation for the soul (moksha). Being located at the end of the collection, Upanishads are also called as Vedanta (end of Veda) and has also been interpreted as end of conventional knowledge. Upanishads are not strictly contained in one part of the Veda and sometimes dispersed amongst Aranyakas, Brahmanas  and Samhitas. The word Veda literally means knowledge (comes from the root word 'vid' meaning 'to know') and the Vedas are essentially a collection of various knowledge systems.

3.       Vedangas (Limbs of Veda): Based on the topics addressed, the body of Veda literature is said to have six 'limbs'. Vendangas are identified with limbs because they enable a student of Veda to acquire and retain the Vedic knowledge. These are:

a.       Siksha - The art of enunciation

b.      Vyakarana - Grammer

c.       Chandas - Meters for the verses

d.      Nirukta - Etymology

e.      Jyothisha - Knowledge of celestial bodies and luminaries

f.        Kalpa - Procedural instructions for conducting rituals

4.       Veda Sakhas (Branches of Veda): The Veda literature evolved under different schools, each of which was called a Veda Sakha.  A good part of these Veda Sakhas have been lost forever, and of the available the most prominently known are the following:

a.       Rik Veda - Sakala, Sankhyana sakhas; Aitareya and Kausitaki Brahmanas

b.      Yajur Veda - Sukla and Krishna Yajurveda sakhas; Taithiriya and Satapada Brahmanas

c.       Sama Veda -Jaiminiya and  Gautama sakhas

d.      Atharva Veda - Saunaka, Pippalada sakhas; Gopatha Brahmana

5.       Upa Vedas:  A number of sciences dealing with worldly knowledge are attached to Vedas. These include (not limited to):

a.       Ayur Veda - Medicinal science on health

b.      Dhanur Veda - Art of archery

c.       Gandharva Veda - Performing arts

6.       Smritis (Recollections): Smritis are the restatements of the Veda principles by many seers, providing clarifications and elaborations. Smritis were created at different points of time and the authors of the Smiritis interpreted the Veda intent in the context of social practices existing at that time. The most famous of the Smiritis are Manu Smriti and Bhagawad Gita. It is      important to note that whenever there is a conflict between the statements in the Smriti and Veda, the Veda is considered to be the authority. And, Smritis are considered temporal unlike Vedas that are considered to be eternal.

7.       Puranas: The etymology of the word 'purana' is 'pura eve nava' meaning 'what remains new in spite of being aged'. Puranas are collections of mythical, fictional and historical fiction stories that were told with the intent of conveying the philosophical ideas of the Vedas through metaphors. There are 18 puranas, each of them focusing on one or many Saguna Daiva (God or God incarnate with defined qualities). The most important of the Puranas is the Bhagawata Purana that elaborates on the different incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Most of the temple worship currently in practice in Hindu religion are greatly influenced by the Puranas.

8.       Itihasas (Epics): The most popular of all the Hindu religion literature are the two epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Epics differ from Puranas on account of their subject matter being more focused on human kind as opposed to celestial beings. There is hardly any competition to the stature of the Itihasas as the primary set of literature that have shaped the Indian societies and their culture.

9.       Darsanas (Schools of Thought): As opposed to the Itihasas, the Darsanas are the least known component of Hindu religion. Darsanas are various philosophical schools of thought that developed over a period of time and provided the basis for rational analysis of the subject matter of religion, viz., the Self, the Universe, God and relationship between them. The following six Darsanas are formally recognized (the key texts and authors in parenthesis):

a.       Sankhya - Definitive knowledge (Text: Sankhya Karika of Iswarakrishna)

b.      Nyaya - Logical knowledge; (Text: Nyaya sutra of Gautama with Vatsyayana Bashya)

c.       Vaiseshika - Differentiation of qualifiers and characteristics (Text: Vaiseshika sutra of Kanada with Prasastapada Bashya)

d.      Purva Mimasma - Treatise on rituals and benefits (Text: Mimamsa sutra of Jaimini with Slokavartika of Kumarilabhatta)

e.      Yoga - Self-realization through yoga practice; (Text: Yoga Sutra of Patanjali)

f.        Uttara Mimamsa - Treatise on Brahman (Text: Brahma Sutra of Krshnadvaipayana Vyasa)

10.   Other supporting texts: The largest collection of material on Hindu religion will fall into this category that encompasses original works by various saints (prakaranas, satakas, stotras),  commentaries (Bhashya) on original works, supplementary texts (Karikas, Vartikas, Tikas) as well as the entire stotra sahitya (Hymns to deities). Works of Adi Sankaracharya, Ramanuja and Madhwacharya are of special mention in this category.

Sounds like too much to know? Shouldn't be a worry. As Lord Krishna reassures in Bhagawad Gita "swalpam abhyasya dharmasys, thraayate mahato bhayaad" meaning "one can expect to transcend the greatest of all fears by practicing even a slight part of dharma",what is important is not how comprehensive our spiritual knowledge is but how much we have assimilated and integrated it into daily life. Same time, I hope this overview will help you to get a picture of how exhaustive Hindu religion is and what great resources are available within there. 

Five Meditations - From Taithiriyopanishad

Taithiriyopanishad appears in the Krishna Yajurveda Taithiriya Samhita. It is very popular for its poetical and metaphorical treatment of the subject of vedanta and is commonly chanted in many vaishavite temples. 

At the every begiing of the upansihad,  in preparation for the detailed teaching on Brahman that is to follow, the Rishi of the Taithiriyopanishad offers to his students 5 sepaarte topics for their reflection. He calls these as 'mahasamhita', the Great Instructions. As common with many other Upanishadic statements, these instructions also  may not look very meaningful on surface. But on deeper consideration, their brilliance is revealed. Here is one perspective to go beyond the superficial meaning of these topics.

The 5 topics for reflection are:

• Adhilokam - about worlds of experience
• Adhijauthisham - about science of luminaries
• Adhividyam  - about  science of knowledge
• Adhiprajam - about progeny
• Adhyatmam - about self

Each of these topics is presented in a framework that specifies a pre-form (poorvaroopam), a post-form (uttararopam),  the enjoinder (sandhi)  that connects or separates the two forms and a means (sandhanam) for traversing from pre-form to post-form. Here is an overview.

Topic	Pre-form	Post-form	Enjoinder	Means
Adhilokam	Earth (Prithvi)	Heaven (Dyau)	Space (Akasa)	Air (Vayu)
Adhijauthisham	Fire (Agni)	Sun (Aditya)	Water (Apa)	Lightning (Vaidyutha)
Adhividyam	Teacher (Acharya)	Student (Anthevasi)	Knowledge (Vidya)	Deliberation (pravachanam)
Adhiprajam	Mother (Maata)	Father (Pitha)	Child (Praja)	Procreation (Prajananam)
Adhyatmam	Lower Jaw (adhara hanu)	Upper Jaw (uthara hanu)	Word (vak)	Tongue (Jihwa)

Let's take a closer look at each one of them. Please refer to the table above as each topic is discussed.

1. Adhilokam - about the worlds of experience. (Poorvaroopam-Prithvi; Uttararoopam-Dyau; Sandhi-Akasa; Sandhanam-Vayu)  Our current experience is that of this world, which is full of divisions (prithvi - earth:  prithaktvena  means separated or divided and because of the divisive experience it offers, Earth is called prithvi). What we want to change this experience to,  is the illuminated state (Dyau) of Bliss where there are no divisions. What is separating the two states is our cognition of space (akasa). We can overcome this separation in Samadhi using Yoga, control of breath (vayu).
2. Adhijauthisham - about the science of luminaries. (Poorvaroopam-Agni; Uttararoopam-Aditya; Sandhi-Apa; Sandhanam-Vaidyuta) We experience the world through the 'fire' (agni) in our sense organs. Our current identity or state of being is defined based on this experience. Our true state of being is the Awareness (aditya: "yathadityagatam thejam.. thad thejo vidhi mamakam - Know me to be the effulgence that makes the sun illuminate" B.G Ch 15) that powers the sense organs. What separates the two states of being is the continuous stream of Consciousness (Apa).  We can overcome this separation through  visions of self, obtained from right knowledge (vaidyuta - born from vidya, i.e., knowledge)
3. Adhividyam - about science of knowledge. (Poorvaroopam-Acharya; Uttararoopam-Anthevasi; Sandhi-Vidya; Sandhanam-Pravachananam) The initial state of knowledge is when the knowledge is external, as seen with the Teacher who also demonstrates it in practice (Acharya). The transformed state is when the knowledge is internalized, becomes one with the student (anthevasi - one who dwells inside). What separates the two states of being is the external knowledge itself which is to be traversed through deliberation (pravachanam - the act of discourse or deliberation)
4. Adhiprajam - about progeny.(Poorvaroopam-Maata; Uttararoopam-Pita; Sandhi-Praja; Sandhanam-Prajananam)   We are initially what we are born with from the mother (Maata). What we could become is what we are protected, educated and nurtured for by the father (Pita). What separates the two states of being is our strong identification with what we are born with (praja). We can overcome this separation by transforming ourselves (prajananam - procreation; self-transformation in this context)
5. Adhyatmam - about the self. (Poorvaroopam-adhara hanu; Uttararoopam-uttara hanu; Sandhi-vak; Sandhanam-jihwa) We identify and express ourselves with the movements, just as speech is identified with the movement of lower jaw (adhara hanu) that causes it. But this movement  is based on and enabled by our true, motionless state, like the upper jaw (uthara hanu). As Sage Patanjali says in Yogasutra, the 'chitha vritti'  or movement of consciousness, causes the self to be identified  with those movements and with Yoga, the self is able to free itself from this fals identification and realize its observer state. What separates the two states of being is self-expressions (vak - word). We can overcome this separation in meditation where awareness burns like a flame without a wick (Jihwa - in addition to tongue this also means a flame: "yatha deepo nivathastah nengate sopama smrita" - The awareness of a meditator is said to be motionless like a steady flame in a windless environment: BG Ch 6)

Meditated thus, these 5 mediations prepares one for receiving the teaching on Brahman.

(The above has few extrapolations beyond the traditional teaching on the subject. These thoughts were Inspired by a discourse on this topic by Sree Aswath on Nov 10th, 2013)