The One Road That Leads to the Goal
Shikha Tulshan
Aurangabad (Maharashtra)
Hari Aum,
My humble prostrations at the Holy Feet.
I was blessed to be part of the online Call Talk – “Nescience to Enlightenment” by Her Holiness Guru Maa Purnanandaji. Below is my humble attempt to express my little understanding of the profound topic.
Rohan – “Jeff sir’s knowledge in Nuclear Science is unmatched!”
Mona – True indeed! His wife is also very knowledgeable. She has spent her entire life researching on Quantum Physics and won so many awards. I wonder if I can ever know what I want to do in my life!
Rohan – “Well! I know what I am made for. I am born to be a great lawyer!”
Is this truly knowing? From the viewpoint of Spirituality, knowledge of the ‘Self’ is the only true knowledge, in which lies the fulfilment or culmination of human life. It is such an irony that “Existence” alone is, and in our ignorance we are not aware of this “Existence”. This is ‘nescience’.
‘Conscience’ deals with knowledge of Existence.
In Science - ‘Objective Science’ deals with acquiring knowledge of the objective world that we perceive around and ‘Subjective science’ takes us from ignorance of our own selves to the knowledge of who we are. It is this subjective science that we are talking about, which is the road map for our journey to the Ultimate Goal, our purpose of human existence. On our journey to realizing who we are, subjective science also helps us to keep the right relation with the relatively real world around us which is due to the super imposition of false over Reality.
Subjective science or Scriptures are conclusions, methodically laid down by our ancient Seers, the great Rishis of their experiments with Life. It is the final Statement, The ‘Mahavakya’ of the Vedas. The 28th Mantra of the 3rd section of the Madhukand from Brihadaranyak Upanishad belonging to the Shukla Yajur Ved gives us the all purifying Mantra ‘Tamaso Maa Jyotirgamaya’. In our institute of Subjective Science (SISS) too, we chant this Mantra with the Mantras previous and after as follows –
AUM!
Asato Maa Sadgamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotirgamaya
Mrityormaa Amritam Gamaya, where AUM indicates That WHOLE where I need to return. It is the Satchidanand on Which having super imposed the false, I come to apparently live as a limited ignorant entity.
When That whole I already am, then what is stopping me from realizing That which I am? It is Tamas – darkness (nescience). This darkness is my self-imposed darkness and not due to any external objects or elements. I take birth lives after lives, living intellectually blind to Truth and remain in ignorance for aeons till the time I choose to remain in darkness. At the mental level it is seen as delusion and at the physical level it reflects as inertia (alasya or pramaad).
The teachings of Shastras is the only boat that can take us across the ocean of ignorance. But the lakshyaarth of the Scriptures can be deciphered and explained only by a Sadguru to the ignorant us to help us come out of this darkness into effulgence. Scriptures have instructions for disciplining at all levels.
To do our daily duties ordained and duties on special occasions in the manner prescribed, we are whipped to come out of physical inertia to look into treating the emotional being.
Disciplining at emotional level calls for taming the mind, as, an uncontrolled, un-channelized mind is a huge hurdle to progress in any field. Sreemad Bhagawad Geeta by Lord Himself is a complete manual for Arjun vishaad, despondency at the mental level, which made him deviate and run away from his duties, despite being a cultured human with good virtues.
At the intellectual level, to bow down and come under the grace of Guru is mandatory, as ego (ignorance) cannot reject itself. Verse 7 from chapter 2 of Sreemad Bhagawad Geeta, indicates complete surrender of Arjun ji, at the Feet of Lord Krishna to pull him out of this mental despondency due to intellectual dimness.
May we too, as guided by our Guru, pray with honesty and sincerity by understanding the Religious implications of the forth coming important festival Deepawali and uplift our mind and intellect to gather the Spiritual fragrance. May Goddess Lakshmi ji and Lord Ganesh ji bless us with virtues required for a new beginning of creating a pure haven within, to worship Lord Sree Ram signifying pure Effulgence.
Gratitude at the Feet of Gurumaa and to Chaitanya ji, for bringing me on this sacred path and inspiring me by Their higher living.
Hari Aum.