Thoughts of Vedanta

Divine Life Society Publication:  - Jnana Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda

VEDANTA is that sublime philosophy which teaches that the individual soul is identical with the Supreme Soul and removes the illusion of the Jiva. Vedanta is the science of Atman that helps the aspirants to eradicate fear, sorrow, grief, delusion and to realize the Self. Vedanta is that magnanimous philosophy which raises the ignorant Jiva to the sublime heights of Brahmanhood. Mere theorizing of Vedantic principles will not do. You should live in the spirit of Vedanta. You should become a practical Vedantin. You should realize this Atman which Vedanta treats of. Then only you will become a liberated sage.

Brahman or Atman or the Supreme Self is self-luminous. Brahman cannot be manifested by anything else. Brahman manifests everything. The doctrine of self-luminosity is one of the foundational tenets of Vedanta. Atman gives light to the sun, moon, stars, lightning, fire intellect and senses. By the light of the Atman all these shine but they cannot illumine the Atman.

The ultimate principle or Atman or Brahman which is formless, colorless, fearless, timeless, spaceless, limitless, attributeless, endless and beginningless shines eternally and everywhere behind the names and forms. Vedanta treats of this ultimate Truth or Supreme Principle.

This world of names and forms is constantly changing. At the back of the ever-changing objects there is the changeless, eternal, immortal Brahman or the Supreme Self. He who realizes this Brahman attains Immortality, Freedom and Eternal Bliss.

Naturally the mind runs towards objects of the world. You will have to turn the mind inwards towards the Self (Atman) through Vairagya and Abhyasa (dispassion and practice). Constant practice is necessary to make the mind rest in the Self for ever.

Tear into pieces the veil of ignorance. Catch the fickle deer 'the mind' with the snare of enquiry and Brahma Chintan. Mount on the elephant of Self-knowledge and roam about freely in the hilly tracts on the highest peak of Supreme Wisdom of the Self.

Shake off the bonds of Karma through discrimination, dispassion and non-attachment. Know the secret of true bliss through concentration and meditation. Root out the passion. Embrace Peace. Enjoy the glory of Self-Bliss. Delight in the Self within.

Abandon thoughts of this little body. Rise above the worldly thoughts. Live always in the All-blissful Self. Thou art the sun, fire, sky, stars, mountains, oceans and rivers. The whole world is your body. The whole wealth of the world is yours. The whole world is your Lila. Maya is your illusory power. Exercise your power of Sat-Sankalpa. She is ever ready to fulfil your wishes. Thou art immortal, beginningless and endless. Death, sickness, sorrow, sin, old age, cannot touch thee. Feel the majesty of thy real nature. Feel, feel that thou art the all-pervading, imperishable, diseaseless, fearless Atman. Rest in that stupendous ocean of peace. Be perfectly happy.

Learn to discriminate between the permanent and the impermanent. Behold the Self in all beings and in all objects. Names and forms are illusory. Therefore sublate them. Feel that there is nothing but the Self. Share what you have, physical, mental, moral, or spiritual, with all. Serve the Self in all. Feel when you serve others that you are serving your own Self. 'Love thy neighbor as thyself'. Melt all illusory differences. Fix the mind on the Self when you work. This is practical Vedanta. Put these things in practice in the daily battle of life. You will shine as a dynamic Yogi or a Jivanmukta.

OM is a symbol of Brahman. Meditate constantly on OM with Bhava and Meaning and realize the Self.

The illumined sage whose mind is merged in his true nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda, who has conquered the enemy 'ignorance', who is destitute of 'I'-ness and 'mine'-ness, who has rooted out pride, selfishness, love, envy and hatred, rejoices in the ocean of boundless bliss.

A Jivanmukta or liberated sage sees only Brahman everywhere. All names and forms vanish. A worldly man beholds the illusory forms only.

The Jivanmukta has his upper shoulder as his pillow, the sky as his covering, the earth as his bed. He embraces renunciation and sleeps fearlessly anywhere without any anxiety and enjoys the supreme bliss of the Self or the unalloyed felicity of the Atman.

Feel your oneness with all. Feel your oneness with the sun, sky, wind, flowers, trees, buds, animals, stones, rivers and ocean. Realize the oneness of life, unity of consciousness. Behold the one homogeneous Self everywhere, in all beings, animals and plants.

Rise above the conventional distinctions of mundane life. Abandon the lower nature. Assume your true nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda. Meditate on the true principle of Brahman. Dispel the cloud of ignorance by the dawn of Jnana-Surya, the sun of knowledge. Extricate yourself from the three bodies and the five sheaths. Dwell in the abode of Supreme Peace. Revel in the ocean of boundless joy, O Ram!

 Excerpts from:

Thoughts Of Vedanta - Jnana Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda

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