Posted on 09/04/2006 8:36:21 PM PDT by voletti
Another point about understanding the Vedic writings is that one cannot understand the deeper meanings by mere scholarship or curiosity. That is why traditionally before reading them, one performs some ceremony honoring them - offering some flower or incence, and reciting prayers. They are never to touch the ground, or any dirty thing, for instance.
One is enjoined to practice the instructions contained, not just read them in a superficial manner. The understanding of sublime spiritual truth goes much deeper than the flickering mind, and actually opens the spiritual heart within. A scholar or reader who has no faith in the Divine but rather views his own mind as supreme will never understand what he reads - because the inner truth will not be revealed to him, it will not live in him.
Even language can change, and with disastrous consequences.
The Islamic story about the 72 virgins, if read in what folks think is Arabic, is rather strange, but it does say in Heaven you will get 72 virgins. However, if you read it with the meanings current at the time it was written, but in Aramaic (as that language was spoken in Damascus), it's really about a bunch of seedless ripe dessert grapes.
Not that language changes to that degree in India, but maybe it does!
Only 72 grapes? For all eternity? ;-)
Regarding the meanings of words, Sanskrit is almost a coded language - one word can have many meanings. (Sutra means "code".) For instance, atma - self - can mean the eternal soul (as in jivatma), the body (occasionally), the mind, or the Supreme Soul (as in Paramatma). Totally different meanings.
That is why Vedic literature can never be properly understood by mere superficial or scholarly readings. It must be studied with a devotional mentality, under the guidance of realized souls. The meaning becomes revealed from within, that's why repeated readings divulge greater and greater understanding. It is realized knowledge, as opposed to theoretical knowledge. Vijnana as opposed to mere jnana. Such understanding is compared to a ripe mango being handed down through the tree by hand - it is delivered to someone on the ground intact.
Thought you might like a ping to the continuing discussion.
Take it from me, there's not as much there as you imagine, although there more there than would seem possible from that early time.
I suspect the folks who lived within the framework of literature before writing came along really had to organize the stuff in their minds so that the obscure ends could be connected.
In that way they could derive "knowledge" and "wisdom" ~ so it's worth reading today ~ albeit with guidance.
The Hindu "guru" system has no real counterpart in Christianity, but we are enjoined to study the scriptures together ~ not off by ourselves.
Stupid Arabs thought it was about sex! Boy are they gonna' be fooled (if any of them ever figure out how to get there).
What? Why?
Why do they feel guilty? That's because they're Jains.
These are givens ~ I like Jains but they have some strange beliefs.
For that effort she won a 27 pound turkey for Thanksgiving.
She was distraught.
Are you sure the UN didn't have anything to do with that 'wandering'?
/ sarc
"The Hindus there get along well with the Brits "
While that maybe so but Britain is not the best place for Hindus. The worst thing to be is to be a Hindu in UK. You get f@#ked by both the Whites and the Muslims. The only thing worse then being a Hindu in UK is to be a Hindu in Bangladesh or Pakistan. BTW my cousins live in Bradford.
I'm going to be posting an article I hope in the next 2 -3 weeks, originally it was going to be about the Golden Age of Kali Yuga, but has expanded... It's hard to write because there is so much, and one thing leads to another. Also, I've been awfully busy for weeks, but should be easing off in the next week. I have a small pinglist of people who were interested in the topic, I can add your name if you want.
I don't know if this is what you were thinking of or not.
Oh, I haven't read that book. Way behind on my reading. Hope to rectify that soon.
BTW, the Vedas state that each and every soul is eternal, without beginning or end, and therefore the concept of young or old soul is meaningless. From the Vedic POV. Never created, always existing - like sunlight emanating from the sun.
They ran out of souls/spirits/hearts/minds to recycle back in the Middle Ages so they had to make some more.
Prosperty ruined the deal!
Well, it was good while it lasted eh?!
We should have known when the Muslims insisted on the partition of Imperial India that the world was in for a rough patch with them.
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