Moment to Speak

Brahman , or Cosmic Self, or Absolute Existence, or Ultimate Reality, or Truth, is Supreme Bliss. Brahman is transcendent as well as immanent. It is beyond human comprehension, eternal, infinite, self-effulgent, formless, attributeless, and not bound by the limitations of time, space, and causation. The quest of  Brahman is a spiritual journey aimed at realising one's unity with ultimate reality. It is a process of self-discovery and spiritual development, often involving practices like meditation, yoga, and the study of scriptures. It is a path of self-enquiry, where one seeks to understand one's true nature and overcome the limitations of self-ego emanating from the body-mind-intellect complex and attachment. The enquiry of Brahman , according to Swami Sivananda (Brahmasutras: Text, Word-to-Word Meaning and Commentary, Chapter-1, Section-1), does not depend on the performance of any act. One must know and realise eternal Brahman. Then only one will attain eternal bliss, fr...

In the Yoga-Vasistha, the concepts of unity and duality are central to understanding Reality and the path to Moksha , or liberation. The text Yoga-Vasistha is attributed to Maharshi Valmiki, the author of Ramayana. Maharshi Valmiki, in the Yoga-Vasistha texts, presents conversations between Maharshi Vasistha and Bhagwan Sri Rama, discussing how the unchanging and limitless nature of Consciousness, known as Brahman or Cosmic Self, shows up as the separate world we experience. The Yoga-Vasistha asserts that this duality is ultimately an illusion, a mental construction, or projection of the mind, and that true understanding lies in realising the underlying unity. It postulates that our perception of a separate, dualistic world is a mental conditioning resulting from Avidya , or ignorance. This phrenic mode leads us to falsely perceive a separation between ourselves and the world, creating a sense of duality in our experience. It contends that Ultimate Reality is one, indivisible, imperis...

The Universal Toleration, a key aspect of Yoga Vasistha ( Yoga-Vasistha , Book VII - Nirvana prakarana, part 2, chapter CXCVIII - Excellence of Universal Toleration) advocates for a path of compassion, self-control, forbeareance, dispassion and equanimity as a means to move-up in the elevatory journey towards Moksha , or liberation. It says constrain yourself to yourself, view the phenomenal as they are of themselves, and without any concern with himself. Regard all in the one and same light with yourself, and observe a universal benevolence towards all beings, and then place your reliance on your own equanimity, conduct yourself safely and securely everywhere. Know the plan of your even-mindedness, to be productive of the fruits of purest and most delicious taste; and bearing the blossoms of unbounded prosperity, and the flowers of our unfading good fortune. Humbleness of disposition, yields the fruit of universal benevolence, and makes the prosperity of the whole world wait at it...

Sage Ashtavakra, during his discourses ( Ashtavakra Gita , 12.3) with Sage King Janaka, pronounces, 'Seeing all change, I stay as I am,' or 'I am established.' It signifies that Atman , or Self, remains unchanged while witnessing the phenomenal world's constant changes. It suggests this reflects self-realisation, where one understands Atman , or Self, as eternal, immutable, imperishable, infinite, unattached, and unaffected by transience and the state of opposites. That way, it teaches detachment, equanimity, forbearance, peace, and liberation. It emphasises the practice of tolerance, or forgiveness; sincerity, or straightforwardness; compassion; contentment; and truthfulness, like nectar. It signifies recognising that all things are subject to arising, changing, and passing away, which is their inherent nature ( Ashtavakra Gita 11.1-8). Unmoved and undistracted, realising that being, non-being and transformation are of the very nature of things, one easily finds...

The Yoga-Vasistha of Maharishi Valmiki is a discourse between Maharishi Vasistha and Sri Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, of Ramayana fame. The Yoga-Vasistha teaches that the world as we perceive it is a temporary dream or illusion created by the mind, and liberation comes from realising the true nature of reality as pure consciousness. The text is structured into six prakaranas: Vairagya (dispassion), Mumuksu vyavahara (qualifications of the seeker), Utpatti (creation), Sthiti (existence), Upasama (dissolution), and Nirvana (liberation). It emphasises the illusory nature of the phenomenal world and the importance of self-awareness, yoga, and self-knowledge for realising moksha, or liberation. It stresses self-effort, discrimination, self-enquiry, detachment from desires, and the importance of a qualified teacher in guiding one towards self-realisation. The text also explores the nature of mind, the nature of consciousness, the illusion of separateness, the path to enduri...

The statement by Ramana Maharshi , "Be as you are," (Be As You Are, Ramana Maharshi ), is an averment to recognise and abide by one's true nature, which he describes as pure awareness or consciousness. This journey is not about attaining a new state but about realising what is already present within, hidden beneath the veil of Avidya, or ignorance . Our own Avidya veils us so that we remain unaware of the thought-manufacturing mind's inherent natural tendency to move outward into the phenomenal world. That is why all of our scriptures, including the Upanishads and the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, prophetically assert that we should realise the 'I', or Atman , within ourselves. The Srimad Bhagavad Gita (6.34-35) says the mind is very restless, turbulent, strong, and obstinate and is indeed very difficult to restrain. However, one can control it through practice and detachment. The Bhagavad Gita (6.6) says that the mind is a friend to those who have conquered it. ...

The Ashtavakra Gita , a dialogue between Sage Ashtavakra and Sage King Janaka, explores the nature of Atman (Self), self-realisation and liberation. It teaches the oneness of existence and the non-duality of Atman (Self) and Brahman (Cosmic Self, or Absolute Existence, or Ultimate Reality). At the heart of the Ashtavakra Gita is the belief that Atman is beyond the body, mind, intellect and senses. It presents the idea that human suffering stems from identifying with the transient aspects of existence, ego and the phenomenal world, rather than realising the eternal, uncaused, unchanged, unmoved, unfettered, and undecayed nature of Atman . It focuses on the nature of Atman , the illusory nature of the external world, and the path to Moksha ,  or liberation. Atman , or Self, is the all-pervading, unchanging Brahman . It is the subject that remains constant, but the objects are subject to changes due to birth, growth and decay. It emphasises the oneness of all beings and the in...

The Vedantic scriptures annunciate the unmanifest as Brahman , the Supreme Being. In the Upanishads, Brahman is described as all-encompassing, full in every respect and beyond, unmanifest, Ultimate Reality, Absolute Truth,  Absolute Existence, and experienced Reality. The Ishavasya Upanishad (introductory invocation Om Shanti mantra) and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (5.1.1) invoke: oṃ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidam pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate . pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate  oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ .. That is the whole. This is the whole. The whole comes from the whole. When the whole is removed from the whole, the whole remains the same." In essence, it emphasises the advaita (non-dualistic) nature of reality, where the divine is not separate from the manifest but rather permeates it. It highlights the interconnectedness and unity of everything. By removing the concept of separation, the Upanishads emphasise that the unmanifest Brahman is present within all phenomena a...