by Michael Mamas | Monday, September 15, 2014 | Clarifying Confusion, Spiritual Evolution, The Veda |
If you think this quote from Mundaka Upanishad undermines Vedic knowledge in any way, then you do not understand the quote. It is speaking of the sublime and subtle relationship between the Pure Absolute and the finest finest level of existence. It is a beautiful commentary on the structure of existence. This topic seems to keep coming up which is why this is posted here. To those that seem to lose sight of the importance or even the possibility of their awakening to the Absolute, I would say read this quote. To those who would not understand or appreciate the profound value of reason, Vedic literature, and the Vedic rituals, I would say that you too do not understand this quote.
My life is one of dedication to knowledge… both aspects of knowledge. We are all in great debt to the Pandits and scholars who preserve and share Vedic knowledge. You must of course, keep your ‘eye on the ball’ as you pursue the Self… the ‘higher Knowledge’ that is spoken of in the quote… enlightenment. When held and understood properly, you understand the exquisite relationship between the two. Each honors and reveres the other.
Directly experience the Self through PROPER meditation. Learn and practice the
Surya Ram Meditation and Surya Ram Meditation with Advanced Technique…From Mundaka Upanishad:
1)
This Self cannot be obtained by studying the scriptures,
nor through the use of reason,
nor from the words of others
-no matter what they say.
By the grace of the Self is the Self known,
The Self reveals Itself.
2)
‘Those who know Brahman,’ Angiras replied,
‘say that there are two kinds of knowledge,
– the higher and the lower.
The lower is that of the four Vedas
– Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva,
and of the accompanying sciences:
pronunciation, ritual, grammar,
etymology, metre, and astrology.
But higher is that through which the Eternal
is directly experienced.
3)
But verily, these rituals are unsafe boats
They cannot reach the farthest shore.
The Vedic sciences are but the lower
The ignorant,
who take them as the higher,
sink once more into old age and death.
Though they think themselves wise and learned
they are fools lost in ignorance,
a prey to suffering,
wandering without direction,
like the blind led by the blind.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Tuesday, August 5, 2014 | Clarifying Confusion, Spiritual Evolution, The Veda |
It is pandemic. It is an aspect of the human condition. People look for perfection in the relative. This is such a beautiful thing. Everything is gravitating back to the one source, the Divine. However, as has been said, “Do not look for perfection in the relative. It is not there.” The relative is, by definition, relative. It is not absolute. The relative is the field of imperfection. It was born out of Perfection, Pure Consciousness, the Absolute, but it is not the Absolute. When Consciousness becomes conscious of itself and incorrectly views itself as other, duality (relativity) is born.
The Veda is the field of perfection. Yet once it is viewed in relative terms, that view is imperfect… dualistic, relative. It is essential to understand this. Otherwise, you cling to relativity as perfection. Isn’t this a beautiful and profound yet delicate topic? The Absolute, by definition, transcends ALL ‘things’… even, dare I say it, scripture. This is not to say that scripture is not precious, sacred, and in a relative sense certainly Divine. But it points in the direction of the Absolute, like a reflection in a mirror or an echo. It is not the Absolute. Religions point in the direction of the Absolute. But they are not the Absolute.
Truth is absolute. Even the nearest we can come to the Absolute in the relative is not Absolute. To think it is Absolute, prompts people to cling to it as the Absolute and thereby resist transcending relativity which is the ultimate ‘goal’ of religion, and in fact , of life. This is the meaning of ‘to be in the world, but not of it’. This creates a tug of war between the Devas, who embody the Absolute, and the Asuras, who cling to its echo. Echoes of Truth, perceived as Truth, hold Truth at bay. This is why it is said that the Veda dwells not in books, but in the awareness of those who have awoken to the Absolute, i.e., the enlightened.
For a temple to be a Vedic temple, it must stand strong as a representative of the most profound truth. It must hold true to such understanding. Few understand that Truth. But that understanding is what upholds and keeps the temple aligned with the deepest Truth of life. The custodians of the temple unceasingly aspire to that which transcends even the most sublime aspects of relativity. You are one with the Absolute. All relativity is born out of that… out of who and what you truly are… beyond samskaras, beyond conditioning. The supreme culmination of spirituality, of life, is to awaken to that. Some may call this Vedanta, but to cling to a perspective on Vedanta Is to miss its deepest message, its deepest Truth.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Saturday, August 2, 2014 | Clarifying Confusion |
Below is a very nice video about the Swastika as a symbol in Hinduism of purity, the Divine, etc. It speaks of the Nazi misuse of the symbol. As well done as the video is, to my mind a very important component is missing. This component is not only essential in a very literal sense, but is also missing in most discussions of Vedic Knowledge.
This essential point is that just as gravity or electricity is not a symbol, the swastika is not a symbol. The swastika is structured in the very nature of existence. It is an aspect of the very mechanic of nature. It is as if woven into the fabric underlying all of existence. It does not simply symbolize that, it IS that, just as the nuts and bolts in a car do not symbolize the structure of the car. The nuts and bolts are an essential aspect of the structure of the car.
So what does it mean to live in harmony with nature… in harmony with life? It means to live a life in harmony with the very structure of nature. As if to say not to deny gravity or electricity, but instead to live in harmony with it. To think of such things as merely symbols is to greatly compromise their significance. The fact that the swastika was used in such a horrendous manner by the Nazis only shows how out of alignment the world has been with nature.
Imagine a level of life when the deep underlying structure of nature is spontaneously known and lived. When all aspects of Vedic Knowledge are found within ones awareness, not out of habit or cultural orientation, but from inner knowing… inner wakefulness.
The more these things are represented on the surface with symbols and images, the better. However, the real value is that they are understood deeply as something that transcends religion in the traditional sense of the word ‘religion’. Instead they are directly experienced as eternal truths of nature… similar to how you might view gravity or electricity, only deeper and therefore more profound and meaningful. The various deities, pujas, havans, pradakshina, etc.… all these things must be understood, not as symbols but as technologies of Vedic science. It must not be based upon mere faith, just as your relationship with science is not based upon faith. It is one thing to say you know that, it is another to perceive it directly. That is the difference between knowing and Knowing.
All religions of the world dance around the underlying Truth of nature as echoes of Truth. But echoes of Truth can hold Truth at bay, if we cling to them simplistically. This is why I distinguish between the terms ‘Hindu’ and ‘Vedic’. Hinduism is a religion. Religions point in the direction of Vedic, but as it says in the Veda, real Knowledge only dwells in the awareness of the enlightened. Like everything in life, it is not just the things in life, it is your relationship with those things that make all the difference. Take care, lest that which is right under your nose will slip right through your fingers.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Saturday, July 19, 2014 | Clarifying Confusion |
Recently, in a talk I gave, the point was made that Vedic Knowledge has the ability to align humanity with the laws of nature. In that case, there would be no war, famine, pollution, etc. Because these things exist, even in India which is the Land of the Veda, it is clear that the Knowledge is not being upheld properly… even in India. Below I will paraphrase questions that were submitted regarding this.
Q: Although India is a land of Vedas, unfortunately in this KALI YUGA there is BAD even in INDIA. Isn’t that why there is bad in India today?
A: Yes, that is true. The lack of proper implementation of Vedic Knowledge correlates with the time of Kali Yuga. However, we must not use the fact that it is Kali Yuga to just give up on these matters. Even in Kali Yuga, the knowledge exists and can be found, enlivened, purified, and utilized. As Lord Krishna said, a period of Sat Yuga can emerge in the midst of Kali Yuga. It is up to us to bring it forth. The fact that there is suffering in India stands as proof that this has not been done sufficiently. As Adi Shankara said, the knowledge must be purified by every generation. This knowledge is subtle… necessarily as subtle as nature itself because that is what it is… nature. We must be diligent about aligning with that knowledge. Concurrently, we can understand that the task is formidable, particularly in Kali Yuga. It seems many people throughout history feel they have the answers. However, particularly in Kali Yuga, that is quite rare…. wisdom is quite rare. And it is good to keep in mind that, as I say, the flip side of the coin of wisdom is humility.
Q: Why Can’t Nature/God/Consciousness be only GOOD. Why should there be BAD at all right from the BIG BANG? (Creation of universe). I find it hard to digest in order for GOOD to exist there should be BAD. Why can’t people just live in plain peace? Why the negativity?
A: This question comes up often. I could answer simplistically but that is often done by many and is not, to my mind, at all satisfying. However, to answer it with depth requires a level of understanding of the nature of existence that few are willing to take the time to really comprehend. It is best responded to in a lecture format where questions can be asked and confusions clarified. If those points are not understood, the reader will likely reject what they do not understand as being false, and stop reading! However, I will attempt to convey it here.
Existence is a reality continuum. There are an infinite number of simultaneously valid, yet contradictory realities. For example, you and I are one. As it says in the Vedas, “I am that. Thou art that. All of this is nothing but that.” At the same time, you are you and I am me. We are separate and different. Simultaneous yet contradictory realities. The extent and details of this principle are vast and merit many talks. However, I trust that this is enough said to convey the point I need to make here. Namely, that this question can be answered many ways. If you were to choose one way, the best would be the way that satisfies the person asking the question.
As an example, allow me to answer it this way: There is nothing other than oneness… pure consciousness. Ancient rishis, as well as many modern physicists, agree upon that. In other words, relative existence is an illusion… maya. It is all founded upon, if you will, a mistake. I know that idea upsets some people, but that is only because of the connotations they place on the word ‘mistake’. It is a beautiful thing really. The grandeur of what unfolds from consciousness interacting with itself to create the universe is marvelous, beautiful, profound, and filled with meaning and significance. That is still another lecture in and of itself.
Now, inherent in that mistake is imperfection. That is why some saints have referred to relative existence as a field of imperfection. There is no absolute within it… that is what ‘relative’ means. The absolute is transcendental… it transcends the relative. So now, in the relative, we have varying degrees of imperfection, i.e. varying degrees of what we understand to be good and bad. So in a nutshell, good and bad emerge from the very nature of existence. In fact, without bad, there would be no illusion and this world would cease to exist. See?
Other examples: Manifestation occurred because the Absolute wanted to explore its own nature.
Another example: Nothing exists. It is maya. It all nets out to ‘no-thing-ness’. To illustrate, zero is the sum of a negative one plus a positive one. They cancel out to zero. The world needs two poles to spin around. As the rose blossom gets large, the thorns too get large. In Kali Yuga, bad is found in the hearts and minds of people. In other ages, it is found in demons hidden deep in the forest. See?
We could go on and on with examples from the infinite number of realities that co-exist. It is a folly of humanity that people look for the one reality that answers all questions. It does not exist. Yet all realities unify into a wholeness. That wholeness is bliss… fulfillment. Do not look for it on the surface of life. It is not there. It is found in the depth of your being. Unity is not unification with the things you think of as good. Unity is the unification of all that is. Once you are enlightened, you understand everything. You stand under in humility. As it is said, when the mango tree becomes full of fruit, the branches naturally bow down in humility and touch the earth.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Sunday, July 13, 2014 | Clarifying Confusion |
I received the following lovely note (… paraphrased):
Dear Maharishi,
My husband and I just want to let you know, we feel sad because we did not reach out to you on Guru Purnima. We just want to let you know we are always thinking of you.
To which I respond:
No problem at all.
With all the activity and events this year, I decided to make Guru Purnima a very inward and quiet event. It was sublime.
We did a Guru havan in the morning with the Sarvadevata Havan after a morning talk. After the havan I was surprised with a very sweet offering and some lovely words.
Everyone was on their own at night… Walking in the moonlight, sitting, talking amongst themselves, reflecting…Malkosh played at midnight… echoing softly through the mountains… Beautiful.
The entire day was lovely, but for me, most sublime was sitting in my back yard by myself at around 2 or 3 AM in the full moonlight… not a sound… It has been a wonderful year…
Jai Guru Dev
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
