Gold is the substratum on which ornaments are superimposed. Gold alone manifests as various ornaments. The ignorant tend to overlook the substratum as they focus on names and forms. Similarly, the world is simply a superimposition on the eternal, all-pervading…
Primary identification of an individual is with his physical body. He also considers wealth and beings as his possessions. He acts with vanity over his youth, accumulated wealth and retinue. However, these are susceptible to being lost in a jiffy.…
Two types of causes are essential for any creation: the material cause and the efficient cause. In the case of a pot, clay is the material cause, and the potter is the efficient cause. If both causes are the same,…
Traffic between an individual and the world involves receiving stimuli, having mental reactions and responding to the world. The regulation of these processes begins with Satsang, which means the company of good people. In a broader sense, Satsang encompasses good…
The survival and stable state of mind of plants and animals entirely depend on the world. A human being, however, is inherently designed to be independent of the world. Self-sufficiency in a human and his dependence on the world are…
Samsara is a term often used to describe one’s family or the world. Essentially, it refers to the terrestrial entanglement to which one mentally binds oneself. Although it is captivating initially, it becomes difficult to free oneself later. It even…
Religion serves as a tool for personal development. Spiritual growth happens when religion is practised with courage and conviction. Humans need to develop and apply their intellect through independent thinking and questioning life experiences. Often, religious teachers simply repeat ideas,…
The practice of knowledge involves negation and assertion, culminating in meditation. Meditation is the process of focusing the mind on a single thought to the exclusion of other thoughts. The question arises: How can the thought of the Self eliminate…
Verses 6, 7, and 8 of Bhaja Govindam highlight the negative effects of attachment at the levels of the body, mind and intellect. People mainly identify with their gross body, and concerns about its well-being are common as long as…
Verses 2 and 3 emphasize the importance of knowledge of Self. Action cannot eliminate ignorance because ignorance arises from it and is opposed to knowledge. Only knowledge can dispel ignorance, just as light can eliminate darkness. A single flash of…