So why is this something everyone wants to know or should know? Firstly, it answers the most important questions - questions that have not been satisfactorily answered by modern science or scientists. Let us take a deeper look at each of the questions, answers and implications.
First: Who am I? Some of the previous blogs clearly established that the "I" refers to the Jeevatma who is the owner of this physical body that we see. Brain and Mind are all part of this physical body or its extentions that will be destroyed when the Jeevatma leaves the body. What goes with the Jeevatma from body to body is Karma and Vasana. Birth and death are nothing but Jeevatma acquiring a body and Jeevatma leaving the body. The body is composed of things that exist in nature. It may therefore be said that birth is nothing but Jeevatma acquiring relationship with "nature" (Prakirti-sambandam). Please note that Jeevatma is composed of "happiness" and "knowledge". It is not matter and therefore cannot be sensed by sense organs. Now, that which cannot be sensed by sense organs or logically derived thereof (i.e knowledge acquired through sense-organ-based experience) cannot be known through science or rationality. Therefore, the Jeevatma cannot be known through science or rationality. In fact, anything that is eternal cannot be known through science and rationality as "time" is one of its (science's) essential coordinates.
What then are the sources through which one can know the Jeevatma?
Only through scriptures/words.
Whose words do I trust? There are many scriptures? Which one?
Those words that are not uttered by an unfriendly (one who is not a well-wisher) person.
Why?
Words uttered by an unfriendly person are straight-away discounted 100% as the person does is not a well-wisher, meaning he/she does not have an interest in our well-being.
Who qualifies as such a person?
Rishis of the yester-years performed their duties exclusively for "public-good". They wrote the scriptures for us without vested interest. Therefore they qualify.
What are these scriptures?
The Vedas (because they were uttered by Brahma the secondary creator having received directly from the primary Creator Sriman Narayana) and its derivatives - the upanishads, the Itihasas, the Puranas, the six vedangas, and the fifth vedas - the Nalayira Divya Prabandam, Works of the Acharyas in explaining the content of the vedas and Azhwar's works.
Who is God?
Again based on the above discussion, since God is eternal and cannot be known to science or rationality, He must be known only through words of scriptures as established above. The 5 levels in which God exists has been explained. Most important for us the human beings presently living on earth is the "Archa Avatara" - God living amidst us in the form of the murtis in the temples, and in Salagrama stones - why?
Because the other forms cannot be known through sense organs and therefore through science or rationality.
Purpose of Life.
This is an important question that confronts a lot of human beings in present world. Each one has his/her own goals and think achieving that is the purpose of their life. These goals broadly fall under one of the first three categories stated in the Hindu shastras - Dharma, Artha, or Kama. Let us briefly discuss what these are:
Dharma essentially is the fundamental need for a "level playing field" that can be used to pursue wealth or material acquisition (Artha), and fulfillment of desires (Kama). Note that unlike popular interpretation, Kama is not desire for sex...kama is desire. Desire for material wealth, and fame are also Kama. But alas, the human mind is so deceptive that it is capable of creating an endless list of Artha and Kama that the human being is drowned in the pursuit of that list. And with each passing day, that list only grows!!! When the end is near, the human being is still in the pursuit of that list - his/her mind endlessly occupied even on death-bed thinking about unfulfilled kama.
To be continued...
First: Who am I? Some of the previous blogs clearly established that the "I" refers to the Jeevatma who is the owner of this physical body that we see. Brain and Mind are all part of this physical body or its extentions that will be destroyed when the Jeevatma leaves the body. What goes with the Jeevatma from body to body is Karma and Vasana. Birth and death are nothing but Jeevatma acquiring a body and Jeevatma leaving the body. The body is composed of things that exist in nature. It may therefore be said that birth is nothing but Jeevatma acquiring relationship with "nature" (Prakirti-sambandam). Please note that Jeevatma is composed of "happiness" and "knowledge". It is not matter and therefore cannot be sensed by sense organs. Now, that which cannot be sensed by sense organs or logically derived thereof (i.e knowledge acquired through sense-organ-based experience) cannot be known through science or rationality. Therefore, the Jeevatma cannot be known through science or rationality. In fact, anything that is eternal cannot be known through science and rationality as "time" is one of its (science's) essential coordinates.
What then are the sources through which one can know the Jeevatma?
Only through scriptures/words.
Whose words do I trust? There are many scriptures? Which one?
Those words that are not uttered by an unfriendly (one who is not a well-wisher) person.
Why?
Words uttered by an unfriendly person are straight-away discounted 100% as the person does is not a well-wisher, meaning he/she does not have an interest in our well-being.
Who qualifies as such a person?
Rishis of the yester-years performed their duties exclusively for "public-good". They wrote the scriptures for us without vested interest. Therefore they qualify.
What are these scriptures?
The Vedas (because they were uttered by Brahma the secondary creator having received directly from the primary Creator Sriman Narayana) and its derivatives - the upanishads, the Itihasas, the Puranas, the six vedangas, and the fifth vedas - the Nalayira Divya Prabandam, Works of the Acharyas in explaining the content of the vedas and Azhwar's works.
Who is God?
Again based on the above discussion, since God is eternal and cannot be known to science or rationality, He must be known only through words of scriptures as established above. The 5 levels in which God exists has been explained. Most important for us the human beings presently living on earth is the "Archa Avatara" - God living amidst us in the form of the murtis in the temples, and in Salagrama stones - why?
Because the other forms cannot be known through sense organs and therefore through science or rationality.
Purpose of Life.
This is an important question that confronts a lot of human beings in present world. Each one has his/her own goals and think achieving that is the purpose of their life. These goals broadly fall under one of the first three categories stated in the Hindu shastras - Dharma, Artha, or Kama. Let us briefly discuss what these are:
Dharma essentially is the fundamental need for a "level playing field" that can be used to pursue wealth or material acquisition (Artha), and fulfillment of desires (Kama). Note that unlike popular interpretation, Kama is not desire for sex...kama is desire. Desire for material wealth, and fame are also Kama. But alas, the human mind is so deceptive that it is capable of creating an endless list of Artha and Kama that the human being is drowned in the pursuit of that list. And with each passing day, that list only grows!!! When the end is near, the human being is still in the pursuit of that list - his/her mind endlessly occupied even on death-bed thinking about unfulfilled kama.
To be continued...
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