The Tenets of Vedic Path
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How does one learn the teachings of your tradition? - ie, through sacred texts, through mentors, through meditation?
The essential method of spiritual enlightenment as presented by the Vedic teachings is through the bona fide spiritual master’s personal relationship with the inquisitive and sincere student. This is summarized nicely in the Bhagavad-gita;
“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.”
Sincere inquiry and realized knowledge are the bedrock of all enlightened educational processes, and this simple method is the foundation of the Vedic tradition.
However, as in any tradition, one must be careful to seek out a qualified teacher (guru) who will present knowledge of the Supreme Absolute Truth without adulteration. To that end, the Veda’s instruct that there must be a check and balance system wherein the instruction of the current spiritual teacher, the prior saints and sages, and the scriptures are in harmony as to the ultimate goal of spiritual realization.
Additionally, the bona fide initiator of one into the discipline of true spiritual enlightenment and practice must himself be fully qualified by personal spiritual discipline devoid of affection for enjoyment on the material plane. He must be one who is truly situated in transcendent consciousness by both thought and deed.
Does your tradition accept an authoritative body or council? If so, how active are they in the every day life of the practitioner?
The ultimate authority in the Vedic tradition is the teacher, better referred to as the spiritual master or guru. The sincere student follows the directions and teachings of their guru, taking them as his very life and soul. But this is not a blind following, but rather a loving relationship between the sincerely inquisitive disciple and the realized master.
The spiritual master is accepted as the external representative of the Supreme Lord Himself, and is extended the same level of adoration and worship. Therefore the loving bond between student and master is both very respectful and very intimate, steeped with both true humility and genuine compassion.
Does your spiritual tradition acknowledge a higher power? If so, what is the nature of this higher power? Is it a personal divine being or a non-personal energy or state. How do you refer to this higher power?
The Veda’s teach that the Supreme Absolute Truth is realized in three aspects:
1) the all-pervasive spiritual energy
2) the localized divinity which resides within the heart of all living entities
3) ultimately, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the source of all
That Supreme Personality of Godhead is known by hundreds and thousands of various names which speak to His unlimited divine qualities, manifestations and potencies: Jehovah Elohim - the Self-Existent One; Yeshua - the Savior; Allah - the Being who is perfect in every way; Buddha - One who is fully Enlightened. He is the possessor of all strength, all beauty, all knowledge, all wealth, all fame and all renunciation and is, therefore, known as Bhagavan. He is the provider of all sense pleasure for all living entities and is therefore known as Govinda. He is the most attractive and is therefore called Krishna. As there is no limit to His divine attributes and manifestations, there is no limit to the various transcendental nomenclatures attributed to His Supreme Personality in various religions, scriptures and cultures throughout the unlimited universes.
What is the relationship between Divinity and humanity?
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the source of all. We are all but a spark of His splendor. It is our nature to serve Him, not in a forced way, but out of love. This is our nature - to serve out of love, to give our heart fully to the source of all love. This human birth affords us the opportunity to reawaken our dormant love for the Supreme, a love that is there fully but which is covered over by so many lifetimes of wanting to lord it over material nature and enjoy independently. He is simply waiting, patiently, for us to turn once again to Him and offer our love, the only thing that is truly ours to give.
That love exists in five different “flavors” or tastes - rasa’s or spiritual exchanges - that one can have with the Supreme Lord.
Neutrality, being in awe and reverence of the Lord
Servitude, rendering personal service to the Lord
Friendship, serving the Lord as an intimate friend
Parental, serving the Lord as His parent
Conjugal, serving the Lord as an intimate lover
Although the above mentioned personal relationships with the Lord are progressively more intimate, every living entity is fully satisfied in whatever relationship they personally have on the spiritual platform.
Before one can enter into their loving relationship with the Supreme Lord they must come to the state of pure unalloyed loving service devoid of any mundane desire for sense gratification on the material platform.
What is the relationship between humans, animals, plants and elements?
All living entities are separated expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully spiritual and non-different from the Supreme Lord in quality, they are quantitatively all infinitesimal parts and parcels of the Lord. Due to our infinitesimal nature and our desire to enjoy independent of our eternal loving relationship with the Lord on the spiritual platform, we are prone to become covered by the Lord’s deluding material energy. This misuse of our minute independence results in our misidentification with the external material energy and acceptance of a material body as our true self. Because of this material bodily misidentification we are subjected to various illusory suffering, specifically birth, death, old age and disease. These material conditions are foreign to our true spiritual nature of eternity, knowledge and blissful existence.
All living entities are qualitatively equal on the spiritual platform, it is only due to bodily identification and the karmic interaction of the three modes of the Lords external material energy that we accept various bodies in the 8,400,000 various species of life - birds, beasts, aquatics, plants, reptiles, and humans.
In your tradition, is there a conception of matter and of spirit, and if so, what is the relationship between the two? If not, please explain how you see it.
The teachings of the Veda’s provide comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of the Supreme Lord’s various energies, both material and spiritual. A complete understanding of the material elements - earth, water, fire, air, either, mind, intelligence and false ego, is provided along with their creation, interaction and annihilation. The creation of the material universal manifestation, how it is fully maintained and supervised under the direction of the Supreme, and ultimately how it is wound up prior to the next creation is fully explained.
Vedic knowledge informs us that the Supreme Lord glances over His material energy, thereby setting the whole external material manifestation into motion. At that time He impregnates the living entities within the material world by His transcendental glance.
Ultimately the errant spirit soul within the external material energy, due to desire to experience enjoyment separate from his loving exchange with the Lord, is meant to revive his eternal loving relationship with the Supreme Lord by spiritual contact initiated by contact with the Lord’s bona fide spiritual representative, the spiritual master.
Is there something that stands out to you that people "outside" of your tradition misunderstand about your tradition. If so, please set us straight.
Often people misidentify the Hindu practice of worshiping many material gods, demigods in charge of the administration of the Lord’s external material energy, as a polytheistic belief in many Gods. Although the Vedas do provide direction for such worship of various demigods for material gain and benediction, ultimately the heart of Vedic understanding stresses rejection of such materially motivated worship in favor of full surrender and selfless service to the one source of all, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The essential method of spiritual enlightenment as presented by the Vedic teachings is through the bona fide spiritual master’s personal relationship with the inquisitive and sincere student. This is summarized nicely in the Bhagavad-gita;
“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.”
Sincere inquiry and realized knowledge are the bedrock of all enlightened educational processes, and this simple method is the foundation of the Vedic tradition.
However, as in any tradition, one must be careful to seek out a qualified teacher (guru) who will present knowledge of the Supreme Absolute Truth without adulteration. To that end, the Veda’s instruct that there must be a check and balance system wherein the instruction of the current spiritual teacher, the prior saints and sages, and the scriptures are in harmony as to the ultimate goal of spiritual realization.
Additionally, the bona fide initiator of one into the discipline of true spiritual enlightenment and practice must himself be fully qualified by personal spiritual discipline devoid of affection for enjoyment on the material plane. He must be one who is truly situated in transcendent consciousness by both thought and deed.
Does your tradition accept an authoritative body or council? If so, how active are they in the every day life of the practitioner?
The ultimate authority in the Vedic tradition is the teacher, better referred to as the spiritual master or guru. The sincere student follows the directions and teachings of their guru, taking them as his very life and soul. But this is not a blind following, but rather a loving relationship between the sincerely inquisitive disciple and the realized master.
The spiritual master is accepted as the external representative of the Supreme Lord Himself, and is extended the same level of adoration and worship. Therefore the loving bond between student and master is both very respectful and very intimate, steeped with both true humility and genuine compassion.
Does your spiritual tradition acknowledge a higher power? If so, what is the nature of this higher power? Is it a personal divine being or a non-personal energy or state. How do you refer to this higher power?
The Veda’s teach that the Supreme Absolute Truth is realized in three aspects:
1) the all-pervasive spiritual energy
2) the localized divinity which resides within the heart of all living entities
3) ultimately, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the source of all
That Supreme Personality of Godhead is known by hundreds and thousands of various names which speak to His unlimited divine qualities, manifestations and potencies: Jehovah Elohim - the Self-Existent One; Yeshua - the Savior; Allah - the Being who is perfect in every way; Buddha - One who is fully Enlightened. He is the possessor of all strength, all beauty, all knowledge, all wealth, all fame and all renunciation and is, therefore, known as Bhagavan. He is the provider of all sense pleasure for all living entities and is therefore known as Govinda. He is the most attractive and is therefore called Krishna. As there is no limit to His divine attributes and manifestations, there is no limit to the various transcendental nomenclatures attributed to His Supreme Personality in various religions, scriptures and cultures throughout the unlimited universes.
What is the relationship between Divinity and humanity?
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the source of all. We are all but a spark of His splendor. It is our nature to serve Him, not in a forced way, but out of love. This is our nature - to serve out of love, to give our heart fully to the source of all love. This human birth affords us the opportunity to reawaken our dormant love for the Supreme, a love that is there fully but which is covered over by so many lifetimes of wanting to lord it over material nature and enjoy independently. He is simply waiting, patiently, for us to turn once again to Him and offer our love, the only thing that is truly ours to give.
That love exists in five different “flavors” or tastes - rasa’s or spiritual exchanges - that one can have with the Supreme Lord.
Neutrality, being in awe and reverence of the Lord
Servitude, rendering personal service to the Lord
Friendship, serving the Lord as an intimate friend
Parental, serving the Lord as His parent
Conjugal, serving the Lord as an intimate lover
Although the above mentioned personal relationships with the Lord are progressively more intimate, every living entity is fully satisfied in whatever relationship they personally have on the spiritual platform.
Before one can enter into their loving relationship with the Supreme Lord they must come to the state of pure unalloyed loving service devoid of any mundane desire for sense gratification on the material platform.
What is the relationship between humans, animals, plants and elements?
All living entities are separated expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully spiritual and non-different from the Supreme Lord in quality, they are quantitatively all infinitesimal parts and parcels of the Lord. Due to our infinitesimal nature and our desire to enjoy independent of our eternal loving relationship with the Lord on the spiritual platform, we are prone to become covered by the Lord’s deluding material energy. This misuse of our minute independence results in our misidentification with the external material energy and acceptance of a material body as our true self. Because of this material bodily misidentification we are subjected to various illusory suffering, specifically birth, death, old age and disease. These material conditions are foreign to our true spiritual nature of eternity, knowledge and blissful existence.
All living entities are qualitatively equal on the spiritual platform, it is only due to bodily identification and the karmic interaction of the three modes of the Lords external material energy that we accept various bodies in the 8,400,000 various species of life - birds, beasts, aquatics, plants, reptiles, and humans.
In your tradition, is there a conception of matter and of spirit, and if so, what is the relationship between the two? If not, please explain how you see it.
The teachings of the Veda’s provide comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of the Supreme Lord’s various energies, both material and spiritual. A complete understanding of the material elements - earth, water, fire, air, either, mind, intelligence and false ego, is provided along with their creation, interaction and annihilation. The creation of the material universal manifestation, how it is fully maintained and supervised under the direction of the Supreme, and ultimately how it is wound up prior to the next creation is fully explained.
Vedic knowledge informs us that the Supreme Lord glances over His material energy, thereby setting the whole external material manifestation into motion. At that time He impregnates the living entities within the material world by His transcendental glance.
Ultimately the errant spirit soul within the external material energy, due to desire to experience enjoyment separate from his loving exchange with the Lord, is meant to revive his eternal loving relationship with the Supreme Lord by spiritual contact initiated by contact with the Lord’s bona fide spiritual representative, the spiritual master.
Is there something that stands out to you that people "outside" of your tradition misunderstand about your tradition. If so, please set us straight.
Often people misidentify the Hindu practice of worshiping many material gods, demigods in charge of the administration of the Lord’s external material energy, as a polytheistic belief in many Gods. Although the Vedas do provide direction for such worship of various demigods for material gain and benediction, ultimately the heart of Vedic understanding stresses rejection of such materially motivated worship in favor of full surrender and selfless service to the one source of all, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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