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Re: Oblivious to the nature of reality

From the Bhakti List Archives

Venkat Nagarajan • December 1, 1999 


Dear Bhagavatas,
namO nArAyaNA.

Questions:

How do we maintain and sharpen our focus on the ultimate goal and
nature of reality and bring about internal peace (minimize the cyclical
pattern of ups and downs)?  How do we keep the search for
brahmajnana (knowledge of that which is eternal) from beoming like
searching for a needle in a hay stack? 
	
Knowledge is a substance (dravya) that can take on infinitely many
states.  These states (modifications) are brought about by contact with
external objects, both sentient and non-sentient, through the manas and
senses.  Unless we use our free will to channel this dravya (knowledge)
in the right direction we will continue to be dominated by the tendencies
(vasanas) that pull our focus towards the samsaric reality and away
from the ultimate reality.    Without focus, the search for brahmajnana
(knowledge of that which is eternal) will be like searching for a needle in
a hay stack (keep in mind knowledge can take on infinitely many states
not all these states are of interest to one who wants the ultimate fruit
and not transitory fruits.)   

Due to a superficial thought process and haughtiness, most of us who
are born with the advantage of having a greater inclination towards the
truth expounded in the Vedas, do not make avail of the opportunity. 

Why do we Lose focus?

Some thoughts
			
1.  Our line of work does not bring us into contact with substances that
increase the likelihood of modifications that result in an expansion of
knowledge of that which is eternal.  In fact in most case it brings us into
contact with objects that result in contraction of knowledge of that which
is eternal.  Our line of work is against that prescribed in the dharma
sastras.

2.  In our social interactions we associate with all sorts of individuals,
nihilists, atheists, agnostics, pseudo-vedantins, and so on.  All such
interactions are not necessarily bad; however, in general these
interactions are capable of furthering our own delusion.

3.  In our education, we are exposed to many theories that are in stark
contradiction to the Vedantic conception of the nature of reality. We
sometimes go about reconciling all these bounded theories within the
Vedantic framework even when it is not possible. 

Note: I used brahmajnana to denote knowledge of that which is eternal 
please correct me If I am using the term improperly.

ramanuja dasan,
Venkat 
krishNArpaNam
(Venkat Nagarajan) 
Toronto