Miscellaneous - Religion   

Truth of the self

CHENNAI: Spiritual knowledge spans both material sciences and philosophical thought and cannot be established through logic or intellectual arguments. The Upanishads are accepted as authoritative sources that throw light on transcendental truth and they claim that the Supreme Being has become the whole world and hence is the ultimate source material of the entire universe. All our bodies (man, animals or celestials) come from the original cause that is the unmanifested Parkriti. Once the soul enters a body, it takes a form, becomes manifest and leads a temporary life. At death, it reaches the unmanifested state. It travels through various births (dwelling in different bodies) and attains salvation only when it escapes the trap of birth.

The common analogy to illustrate this truth is that of clay that is the source material to make dolls and objects (toys, figurines, plants, fruits or any object) of different shapes, sizes and forms. When the created objects are broken or destroyed, what remains is the original source material. Swami Gautamananda drew attention to the comprehensive exposition about the science of the philosophy of life in the Bhagavad Gita by Lord Krishna that motivates individuals to recognise their innate power of consciousness so that the spiritual path becomes clearer.

The subtle nature of the Atman makes its presence felt all over but remains beyond the grasp of the sense organs that are used to identify and experience the external world. The Atman transcends life and death while every embodied being is subject to grief and sorrow. Because of ignorance (Avidya) the Jivatma is affected by material happenings and forgets its purpose in life.

The Atman remains incomprehensible since it is not to be known by any ordinary means of knowledge. Even the mind that is responsible for the thinking capacity in human beings cannot explain the Atman. Awareness of the Atman takes place in calmness when the mind’s activity ceases and all the senses are put to rest. That the inner self remains the same, regardless of the fact that the body undergoes changes between birth and death, is then recognised.

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