Bharatham : Uthishtatha-Jagratha : (wef-05/11/2012. )

Monotheism and Polytheism Reconciled Part-14. Our scientists of the inner realm of the Spirit loudly proclaimed : "We have come across the thing to be known, knowing which everything else becomes known. It is of the nature of consciousness, awareness." The greatest of all knowledge is that which makes all knowledge possible, that is the alpha, the source. May you become thus blessed with that supreme experience beyond all things perceived by the senses, thought of by the mind, inferred by the intellect, felt in the deepest depths of your feelingful heart. Beyond all this is something indescribable, imponderable, which makes all these things possible—the awareness and the consciousness which says that I am. May divine grace and the benedictions of the Master grant us that experience of pure consciousness. That consciousness is your identity. That consciousness you are. For other than That you cannot be anything else. Because that consciousness is supr...

Monotheism and Polytheism Reconciled Part-13. But for awareness, nothing can be cognised. But for awareness, no knowledge is possible. Knowledge itself has as its basis the knower. The knower can be the knower only if It is a centre of luminous awareness, knowing all things. It shines everywhere as awareness—prajnanam brahma. That ultimate Reality is awareness, consciousness, which existing all things become known to exist. Without consciousness there would be nothing, no knowledge. Nothing is possible. Because the irreducible, axiomatic reality or the truth is that there is a great awareness—chaitanyam sashvatam santam vyomatitam niranjnanam (…who is pure Consciousness, eternal, peaceful, beyond ether, and untainted). Beyond all categories, beyond all phenomena there is pure consciousness, which alone knows everything and is able to proclaim anything and everything. Sri Swami Chidananda To be continued  ......

Monotheism and Polytheism Reconciled Part-12. Modern science prides itself in being impartial observers and relentless pursuers of truth. They want facts, facts that are verifiable, tangible, reproducible any number of times given the same circumstances. So they say, "We are the seekers of truth. We are in search of practical realities, of verifiable and provable facts, not in presumptions or assumptions." They are seekers in pursuit of tangible facts, and they have marvellously succeeded in making themselves aware of ever so many facts in ever so many fields of human knowledge in this outer universe. But our ancients experienced something without which no other experience is possible. They declared, "We have not bothered ourselves about searching, observing, experiencing and becoming aware of facts in this passing projection or manifestation. We have made our quest in another dimension of the human being, and we have discovered the fact of awareness....

Monotheism and Polytheism Reconciled Part-11. May the divine grace of the Supreme Being and the loving and compassionate benedictions of the Holy Master grant that we many all live a life of simplicity and dignity, truthfulness and fearlessness, compassion and loving kindness—a life of ceaseless remembrance of God and continuous inner meditation in the midst of outer physical action and activity! May God and Gurudev give us the gift of a synthesis of the inner and the outer. May they grant us their insight that there is neither the inner nor the outer, but there is only one single undivided God-principle to which everything is an inseparable part of Itself. It is in dualities that we have inner and outer—action and inaction, remembrance and forgetfulness. In that state of absolute faith in the non-dual, all-pervading presence of the one Reality that is subtler than the subtlest, the self-created delusion of distinctions and the self-created delusion of the dual thron...

Monotheism and Polytheism Reconciled Part-10. Hindus who say that Siva is different from Vishnu or the Supreme Parama Sivam is different from the Supreme Para Brahman of Vedanta do not have a full knowledge of their own religion. They are demonstrating a narrow and bigoted view which is contrary to the spirit of real Hinduism which is broad-hearted and tolerant. They do a disservice to Hindu religious unity by their emphasising superficial diversity in appearance instead of emphasising the essential unity of the Reality. Let me assure you that Goddesses Sarasvati, Parvati, Lakshmi, Durga, Kali, Bhavani and Lord Siva, Narayana, Brahman, Rama, Krishna, Dattatreya, Hanuman, Garuda, Kartikeya are all Divine forms that are in reality the One and the same Universal Spirit. They are all one. There is neither difference nor antagonism between them. It is not only childish but also foolish to deny this truth. You must be wise and recognise the fact that as a Hindu you k...

Monotheism and Polytheism Reconciled Part-9. Hence, my young friends, learn to recognise that in and through these various Divine Forms, you are really worshiping only the One Supreme God or the One Almighty Universal Soul (Param Atma). You are not worshiping many different gods. No matter by what names you call and address the Supreme Being, these names do not affect His eternal, non-dual nature. Adoration offered to any of these forms of the Hindu Divinities (Devatas) is directed really towards the one eternal Reality. Even when ignorant worshiper does not know this and thinks otherwise, nevertheless, he is worshiping the One non-dual Supreme Divine Spirit which is the same Para Brahmam of the Vedas or Parama Sivam of the Saiva Siddhanta or Bhagavan or Kadavul of the Bhaktas. Just as when you take a sea bath at the beach, no matter whether you bathed in Tonga beach or Durban beach or the beach in East London or in Port Elizabeth, what you have done is that you ha...

Monotheism and Polytheism Reconciled Part-8. A jeweller makes numerous ornaments like ear rings, necklace, watch chain, bracelet, ring etc. having different outer shapes and names. But it is seen that the one precious metal gold alone has assumed these distinct forms to fulfil different functions or serve different purposes of the wearer. Take another example. A father of a family, he may be a professor in a college where he is also the Vice-Principal. When he goes to the college he wears a distinct formal style of dress as required by his status and position as a college professor and an official in his administration, while at home he is relaxed in informal type of dress. Moreover, he is no longer regarded as a professor or treated as a Vice-Principal. He is now Daddy to his children. He is husband to the mother of the children. If his old father and mother are living with them, he is a son to them. He is regarded as a brother if his parents have other c...