ATMA Session 2. discovering the root

Story of 4 wivesReal inquiriesSearch for HappinessIncredible Material AdvancementStill a pinprick somewhere..Defining Real Problems

Common to All No one wants it No one can avoid it

The special prerogative of Human Life Rise above the struggle for

Eating, Sleeping, Mating, Defending Being a sophisticated Animal

Athato Brahma Jijnasa Inquire into the real problems of life

What are these problems? Birth, Death, Old Age, Disease Miseries caused by

• Body and Mind• Other Living Entities• Nature

Why is no one able to avoid these problems? Why is it designed this way? Do you want to know?

Theory

HumanBrain

The Most Sophisticated Computer in the Universe

The human brain can store

more information than all the

libraries in the world.

-Dr Richard Restak, MD Author, The Brain

The human brain is made of a trilliion brain cells.

…and each one of theseis more powerfuland sophisticated

than most computers around the planet today.

- Dr. Tony BuzonBritish Psychologist, educator

& author.

Who made thenatural

intelligenceof this incredibly

complex computer:

THE HUMAN BRAIN

Look at the groundreality

WHO DECIDES ?

We choose• A job

• A wife or a husband

• The type of car

• An apartment

• And many more things

We don’t choose

• Our parents• Our beauty• Our intelligence• Our birth..

WHO CHOOSES ?AND ON

WHAT BASIS ?

IS IT BY CHANCE?

We see order and systematic arrangement in the universe…

Laws of Mechanics

Laws of Physical Optics

Laws of thermodynamics

Macro world

Precise laws of mathematical accuracy govern this world

Precise laws of mathematical accuracy govern this world Micro world

How can our birth, beauty, intelligence… only be random events ?

Isn’t there a law that governs these ?

“There is a perfect brain behind all the

natural physical laws.”

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein

Kelvin

Definition of God• Cause of all causes and the ultimate source

of everything that exists– Sarva Karana Karanam

• Everything comes from something• Have you ever seen anything come from nothing?• So does everything come from something or

everything come from nothing?• That something is God!

– Parent of all parents..– Chicken or egg?

• Source of both!

Definition of God

• Supreme Proprietor– Examples

• Who is the proprietor of my house?– Me, The Govt (It changes too..)

• Fighting for a seat in the train even after its gone..• Court cases for Ancestral property for generations..

• Supreme Enjoyer– Examples

• Hotel owner – The real enjoyer, others are cooperators

Definition of God

• Supreme Controller– Am I the controller?

• Of my family– I am the master of this house. I have my wife’s permission

to say so • Of my body

– Hair growth– Restroom

Definition of God

• It is all or none! There can be only one!– You can Enjoy if you are the Proprietor– Proof of Proprietorship is Control

– I own the car, but I don’t have the key..

– You can get Control only if you have Created something• You cant change the laws of nature

– Reverse Gravity?» You can discover them. Cant change them

– You can change laws you have made, but those should also be under superior laws

» Laws of Housing Society, under the laws of the State

Summary• Who is Behind All This? Does God Exist?

– Creation implies a Creator– Laws imply a Lawmaker– Nothing orderly happens by Chance!

• Definition of God– Supreme Source of Everything– Supreme Controller– Supreme Proprietor– Supreme Enjoyer

Two Systems of Gaining knowledge

1. Inductive

2. Deductive

Inductive (Ascending)

(Aaroh Padhati)

Trying to find the truth by one’s own

endeavor or speculation

Deductive (Descending)(Avaroh Padhati)

To learn the truth by accepting an

authority & inquiring from him

How can an ant living in one corner of this classroom know

about...

Logically speaking ant can never know through its own

efforts through ASCENDING PROCESS of acquiring

knowledge

Its tooooo... small & has limited sense

perception

Ground Reality...

Then how can we go about understanding GOD who is creator of infinite gigantic UNIVERSES?

...Give a chance to the descending method of acquiring knowledge

Our proposal..

Process of acquiring knowledgeBG 4.34

tad viddhi pranipātenaparipraśnena sevayā

upadeksyanti te jñānamjñāninas tattva-darśinah

Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him

submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart

knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.

Hearing from Spiritual Authority

• Saves Time and Inconvenience• Our best choice!

Test of Authority

• Opinion does not change• It has stood the test of time

– It has not been proven wrong

Composed by sagesWording may change from age to age

Revealed absolute Truth Every word unchanged eternally

sisters sisters sisters

RajasicRajasic

VEDIC KNOWLEDGEVEDIC KNOWLEDGE

SRUTISRUTI SMRTISMRTI

UPAVEDASDhanurveda

Ayurveda, etc.

UPAVEDASDhanurveda

Ayurveda, etc.

VEDASRg, Yajur,

Sama, Atharva

VEDASRg, Yajur,

Sama, AtharvaVEDANGASVEDANGAS ItihasasItihasasPuranasPuranas Six DarshanasSix Darshanas

TantrasSpoken by LordSiva to Parvati

TantrasSpoken by LordSiva to Parvati

Ritual SutrasConnected to

Kalpa-vedanga

Ritual SutrasConnected to

Kalpa-vedangaPancaratrasPancaratras

Srauta Sutrasexplains

public yajnas

Srauta Sutrasexplains

public yajnas

Grhya Sutrasexplains

home yajnas

Grhya Sutrasexplains

home yajnas

Dharma SutrasLaw books

Dharma SutrasLaw books

Vedanta(Vyasa)

(Metaphysics)theology ofUpanisads

Vedanta(Vyasa)

(Metaphysics)theology ofUpanisads

Mimamsa(Jaimini)

(Hermeneutics)interpreting

scriptural texts

Mimamsa(Jaimini)

(Hermeneutics)interpreting

scriptural texts

Nyaya(Gautama)

(Epistemology, logic)philosophy of

knowledgeincluding logic

Nyaya(Gautama)

(Epistemology, logic)philosophy of

knowledgeincluding logic

Vaisesika(Kanada)

(Metaphysics)philosophy of

existence

Vaisesika(Kanada)

(Metaphysics)philosophy of

existence

Yoga(Patanjali)(Sadhana)

Yoga(Patanjali)(Sadhana)

Sankhya(Atheist Kapila)(Metaphysics)

Sankhya(Atheist Kapila)(Metaphysics)

Dharma Sastrasincluding Manu-

samhita and others

Dharma Sastrasincluding Manu-

samhita and others

18 MajorBased on Modes

18 MajorBased on Modes

18 MinorBased on Modes

18 MinorBased on Modes

Samhitasmantras

Samhitasmantras

Brahmanasritual explanation

of mantras

Brahmanasritual explanation

of mantras

Aranyakasesoteric explanation

of mantras

Aranyakasesoteric explanation

of mantras

UpanisadsJnana-kanda

philosophy of Brahman

UpanisadsJnana-kanda

philosophy of Brahman

Kalparitual details

Kalparitual details

Siksapronunciation

Siksapronunciation

Vyakaranagrammar

Vyakaranagrammar

NiruktaetymologyNirukta

etymology

Chandasmeters

Chandasmeters

Jyotisaastronomy-time

calculation

Jyotisaastronomy-time

calculation

Vaisnavaworship

Vaisnavaworship

TamasicTamasic

SattvicSattvic

Why Different Scriptures?

Apparently Different

The Essence is the Same

The Essence

1. God is One, the Source of Everything

2. Obedience to the Laws of God

3. Service to God

4. Love of God

5. Return to the Kingdom of God

The Essence

1. ‘Love Thy God with all thy soul and all thy might’ (Bible)

2. The word Islam means ‘Complete surrender’3. ‘Sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam

vraja’ (Bhagavad Gita)Abandon all varieties of religion and just Surrender to Me’

• Glorification of Holy Name • 99 names of Allah• 1000 names of Visnu• ‘Hallowed by Thy Name’ (Bible)

• Srimad Bhagavad Gita (Law Book)

• Srimad Bhagvatam (Law Journal)

sarvopanisado gavodogdha gopala-

nandanahpartho vatsah su-dhir

bhoktadugdham gitamrtam

mahatThis Gitopanisad is just like a cow, and the Lord is famous as cow boy, and He was milking this cow. Sarvopanisada: It is the essence of all Upanisads, and represented as the cow. And the Lord being expert cow boy, He is milking the cow. And partha vatsa: And Arjuna is just like the calf. Su-dhir bhokta: And learned scholars and pure devotees they are to take this milk. dugdham gitamrtam mahat. The nectar, the milk of Bhagavad-gita, is meant for learned devotees.

Summary• Who is Behind All This? Does God Exist?

– Creation implies a Creator– Laws imply a Lawmaker– Nothing orderly happens by Chance!

• Definition of God– Supreme Source of Everything– Supreme Controller– Supreme Proprietor– Supreme Enjoyer

• How do I know about Him?– Pratyaksha (Inductive)– Anuman (Inductive)– Shabda (Deductive)

• Vedas – The Ultimate Body of knowledge– Describe the Absolute Truth– Stood the Test of Time

• Different Scriptures– The essence is the same

• The Summary of the Vedas– Bhagavad Gita (Law Book)– Srimad Bhagavatam (Law Journal)