Chaitanyam/Ishwara

Ekam Eva Adwitheeyam Brahma

How is  this 5000-year-old Book useful to us in anyway one could ask? Bhagavatham is not just some story, it explores the human mind as much as the Bhagawath Geeta does. We must keep an open mind to understand the deeper essence, it is hard to accept anything if we approach it with pre-existing ideas we developed over the years. Our tradition is one of the oldest and has stood the test of time. So, lets just walk the path of the experienced Rishis and create our own truth with what we have brought in through our karmas and Vasanas (repercussions of our actions of previous births).

“WHAT REALLY COOKED UP IN THE MINDS OF EARLY MAN?”

They would have gotten curious about 2 things: Nature/Prakriti and Death and its impact on their lives. The fear that this instilled in them could have resulted in the community living. In time the curiosity and inquisitive nature developed, and in search of answers the concept of God could have emerged with them starting to pray to the pancha Bhootha, the 5 elements—that’s Prakrithi. Their curiosity could have deepened when they sought answers to the source of mind/life force (not the mind we always talk about in terms of intellect), for they realised that the physical body returned to its source. The mind/the life force however seemed like an independent entity that did not die with the physical body. Questions like: Why is it that the siblings from the same parentage were different in nature, so the idea of reincarnation took birth probably with this idea. Thus, in time they concluded “that which or who or what (ever) prompts this mind to be awakened, is the source of the mind.” They concluded that the mind wakes up before the body, the prompt is given by a force or energy that which they called the Chaitanyam (loosely translated as lifeforce). That became our God, Brahmam, Satyam/truth.

A dead body does not have a mind. We breath, we dream, we wake up because of the existence of the Chaitanyam. Body is sustained by the pancha Bhootha. Mind is not connected to the physical body and that is what the Rishis realised. Physical death means the body merges into prakriti which is a single most reality we know of. Nature does not return in the same form. Mind should have logically followed the same pattern, but our Rishis understood that it did not. If the Jeevatma has not gone back to its source that means it’s still around, so it will take in on a different form, thus rebirth/punarjanma happens. Swamis explain it in a simple way, if you throw a stone or anything else up in the air, it will come back to the earth because of the power of gravity; Once back to its source, it is stable. So also, once the Chaitanyam reaches its source it will reach that stillness, in that silence.

Adhokshaja is one of Bhagwan Krishna’s name, meaning the Lord who is beyond the cognition and perception of the material senses, it can also be broken down to: aksham-(indriya/senses) mind, ja-to be born, Adho-from inside. Came from Bhagwan, sustained in Bhagwan, and go towards Bhagwan, that is my personal truth.

Maiyeva sakalam jaatham

Mai sarvam prathishtitham

Mai sarvam layam yaathi

Tad bramha adwaya asmyaham

Everything is created out of me; everything exists in me and everything merges unto me at the time of destruction - that non-dual Brahman I am (Kaivalyopanishad)

REBIRTH/PUNARJANMA

The things we experience in this world aren’t the same, the cause of us to be able to enjoy things are not the same either, so the differences are obvious. For example, the Child Prodigies, where does that knowledge come from, because we know for sure that it inborn; for example, Children who understand ragas, how is it that they have this knowledge that a musician can only attain after years of practise. This is what we call the Poorva Janma Vasanas, residues of a previous birth. Science continues to study the brain and its chemical makeup, the genetic memories, Genetic Markers, but I choose to believe this theory of rebirth of that mind/soul/atma/lifeforce who is born to complete its journey. And every journey is different. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa aptly said that our Dharma is the enclosed 4-sided tank that anyone could access.

Mind also has a destination to attain; whatever one may call it: Nirvana, Sayoojyam, Saroopyam, Moksha, Mukti, Layam, and so on. The core reality is that absolute freedom it promises called Swaraad Anadam. Body is not free, as the needs are endless, and it’s depended on different aspects of its existence and so is the case with Prakriti. Everything unfolds in the power of Maya that which ties us all down, resulting in Avivekam. It’s a very subtle aspect. The only condition being the absence of duality. The journey towards Vivekam from Avivekam, that’s when our journey is complete. Though it’s tough getting there, but once you reach the station, taking the ride is as simple as that.

Dharma is a way of life, a lifestyle that helps us, for our mind to reach its source. The lifestyle that leads to the eternal is known as the Sanathana Dharma. “What body to earth is the mind to Chaitanyam!” There are many ways for our minds to reach the Chaitanyam, many ways to one source, one destination. That’s exactly why we were known to have received and accepted any number of paths into our lifestyle, it was a very open-minded system. Every soul had the right to live their truth. Independent thinking was encouraged, nobody was forced to follow anything or anyone. To get cold away we need to go towards warmth. Sadhana is the only path be it any belief system or philosophy. The mind closer to the Chaitanyam, and all you need are 3 ingredients Bhakti, Gyanam, Vairagyam.

Ishwara/Chaitanya is that shakti in us. But unfortunately, we have established within us that the Ishwara is something that is separate from us to whom we pray and limit Ishwara within the idol. The greatest down fall of Sanathana Dharma is that we don’t have a good foothold in the belief system. We are not staunch or confident in what we believe, very fallible in what we say and do. Only way to achieve this in our Kaliyuga is Satsangam and Namasamkeerthanam.

“Bhagwan is not in me, I am in Bhagwan”