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Teachings of the Vedas (Part 2 of 3)
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To: alt-hindu@cis.ohio-state.edu
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Subject: Teachings of the Vedas (Part 2 of 3)
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From: susarla@rice.edu (H. Krishna Susarla)
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Date: 20 Jan 1995 23:03:42 GMT
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From news@larry.rice.edu Fri Jan 20 17: 51:10 1995
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: Rice University, Houston, Texas
Teachings of the Vedas (Part 2 of 3)
>From the book "Sri Isopanisad"
By His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International
Used with permission
(Delivered as a lecture by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada on October 6, 1969, at Conway Hall, London, England.)
The Vedas are considered to be the mother, and Brahma is called the
grandfather, the forefather, because he was the first to be instructed in
the Vedic knowledge. In the beginning the first living creature was Brahma.
He received this Vedic knowledge and imparted it to Narada and other
disciples and sons, and they also distributed it to their disciples. In this
way, the Vedic knowledge comes down by disciplic succession. It is also
confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that Vedic knowledge is understood in
this way. If you make experimental endeavor, you come to the same
conclusion, but just to save time you should accept. If you want to know
who your father is and if you accept your mother as the authority, then
whatever she says can be accepted without argument. There are three
kinds of evidence: pratyaksa, anumana and sabda. Pratyaksa means "direct
evidence." Direct evidence is not very good because our senses are not
perfect. We are seeing the sun daily, and it appears to us just like a small
disc, but it is actually far, far larger than many planets. Of what value is
this seeing? Therefore we have to read books; then we can understand
about the sun. So direct experience is not perfect. Then there is an
anumana, inductive knowledge: "It may be like this"-hypothesis. For
instance, Darwin's theory says it may be like this, it may be like that. But
that is not science. That is a suggestion, and it is also not perfect. But if
you receive the knowledge from the authoritative sources, that is perfect.
If you receive a program guide from the radio station authorities, you
accept it. You don't deny it; you don't have to make an experiment,
because it is received from the authoritative sources.
Vedic knowledge is called sabda-pramana. An other name is sruti. Sruti
means that this knowledge has to be received simply by aural reception.
The Vedas instruct that in order to understand transcendental knowledge,
we have to hear from the authority. Transcendental knowledge is
knowledge from beyond this universe. Within this universe is material
knowledge, and beyond this universe is transcendental knowledge. We
cannot even go to the end of the universe, so how can we go to the
spiritual world? Thus to acquire full knowledge is impossible.
There is a spiritual sky. There is another nature, which is beyond
manifestation and nonmanifestation. But how will you know that there is a
sky where the planets and inhabitants are eternal? All this knowledge is
there, but how will you make experiments? It is not possible. Therefore
you have to take the assistance of the Vedas. This is called Vedic
knowledge. In our Krsna consciousness movement we are accepting
knowledge from the highest authority, Krsna. Krsna is accepted as the
highest authority by all classes of men. I am speaking first of the two
classes of transcendentalists. One class of transcendentalists is called
impersonalistic, Mayavadi. They are gener ally known as Vedantists, led by
Sankaracarya. And there is another class of transcendentalists, called
Vaisnavas, like Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu svami. Both the
Sankara-sampradaya and the Vaisnava-sampradaya have accepted Krsna
as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sankaracarya is supposed to be an
impersonalist who preached impersonalism, impersonal Brahman, but it is
a fact that he is a covered personalist. In his commentary on the
Bhagavad-gita he wrote, "Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
is beyond this cosmic manifestation." And then again he confirmed, "That
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, is Krsna. He has come as the
son of Devaki and Vasudeva." He particularly mentioned the names of His
father and mother. So Krsna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of
Godhead by all transcendentalists. There is no doubt about it. Our source
of knowledge in Krsna consciousness is the Bhagavad-gita, which comes
directly from Krsna. We have published the Bhagavad-gita As It Is because
we accept Krsna as He is speaking, without any interpretation. That is
Vedic knowledge. Since the Vedic knowledge is pure, we accept it.
Whatever Krsna says, we accept. This is Krsna consciousness. That saves
much time. If you accept the right authority, or source of knowledge, then
you save much time. For example, there are two systems of knowledge in
the material world: inductive and deductive. From deductive, you accept
that man is mortal. Your father says man is mortal, - your sister says man
is mortal, everyone says man is mortal-but you do not experiment. You
accept it as a fact that man is mortal. If you want to research to find out
whether man is mortal, you have to study each and every man, and you
may come to think that there may be some man who is not dying but you
have not seen him yet. So in this way your research will never be finished.
In Sanskrit this process is called aroha, the ascending process. If you want
to attain knowledge by any personal endeavor, by exercising your
imperfect senses, you will never come to the right conclusions. That is not
possible.
There is a statement in the Brahma-samhita: Just ride on the airplane
which runs at the speed of mind. Our material airplanes can run two
thousand miles per hour, but what is the speed of mind? You are sitting at
home, you immediately think of India - say, ten thousand miles away -
and at once it is in your home. Your mind has gone there. The mindspeed
is so swift. Therefore it is stated, "If you travel at this speed for millions of
years, you'll find that the spiritual sky is unlimited." It is not possible even
to approach it. Therefore, the Vedic injunction is that - one must
approach-the word--compulsory" is used-a bona fide spiritual master, a
guru. And what is the qualification of a spiritual master? He is one who
has rightly heard the Vedic message from the right source. And he must
practically be firmly established in Brahman. These are the two qualities.
Otherwise he is not bona fide.
This Krsna consciousness movement is completely authorized from Vedic
principles. In the Bhagavad- gita Krsna says, "The actual aim of Vedic
research is to find out Krsna. " In the Brahma-samhita it is also stated,
"Krsna, Govinda, has innumerable forms, but they are all one." They are
not like our forms, which are fallible. His form is infallible. My form has a
beginning, but His form has no beginning. It is ananta. And His form-so
many multiforms-has no end. My form is sitting here and not in my
apartment. You are sitting there and not in your apartment. But Krsna can
be everywhere at one time. He can sit down in Goloka Vrndavana, and at
the same time He is everywhere, all-pervading. He is original, the oldest,
but whenever you look at a picture of Krsna you'll find a young boy fifteen
or twenty years old. You will never find an old man. You have seen
pictures of Krsna as a charioteer from the Bhagavad- gita. At that time He
was not less than one hundred years old. He had greatgrandchildren, but
He looked just like a boy. Krsna, God, never becomes old. That is His
supreme power. And if you want to search out Krsna by studying the
Vedic literature, then you will be baffled. It may be possible, but it is very
difficult. But you can very easily learn about Him from His devotee. His
devotee can deliver Him to you: "Here He is, take Him." That is the potency
of Krsna's devotees.
(continued)
