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Nature of Ved(a)
Nature of Ved(a)
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by Pawan Varma
Aom Namah Shivaya.
Vedas are knowledge.
This statement is fundmental to understanding the Vedas, their origins,
their language, and all the various RELIGIONS that have come out of them. A
common misconception is that the Vedas were *developed* by a group of people,
in some manner similar to the writing of other literature. Another common
misconception is that the Vedas are HINDU texts (and consequently religious
in nature). A third common misconception is that the Vedas cannot be fully
understood because parts of the original manuscripts were lost or damaged
over the years (millenia). And a total lack of understanding exists
concerning the oral transmission of the Vedas before they were written back
in the 3rd millenum BC.
Vedas are knowledge. They do not *contain* knowledge; they *are*
knowledge. The distinction is important and will be elaborated on shortly.
For now, however, it is more important to understand the nature of the
knowledge that is Veda.
Knowledge gives us the tools necessary for living in harmony with the
environment, within our society, with God, and with ourselves. Using our
knowledge of the world around us, we can (and do) try to build a better life
for ourselves and for our neighbours. But where is this knowledge and how
do we acquire it?
This is Veda. Knowledge of how the universe functions is Veda. The
knowledge required to live in harmony with Nature is Veda. The knowledge
to live in accordance with the Will of God is Veda. Life has many aspects:
Spiritual, Mental, Physical, Social, etc. Veda is the knowledge of all of
these aspects, and inherent is the knowledge of how to harmoniously bring
together all of these aspects.
Veda is structured. To sustain life, there must be structure and
reliability in the way things happen. Thus, there are four Vedas: RgVeda,
Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda. Sama Veda does not *contain* knowledge
pertaining to sound (vibrations, wave properties); it *IS* this knowledge.
When we speak a language, we utilize Sama Veda. The biggest problem in
learning about the Vedas is that many people have the conception of the Vedas
as *books*. But it is important to understand that the Vedas existed much
before books were written. (More about the structure in a future post)
This point becomes important in answering the second part of the question
raised: "... how do we acquire it [knowledge]". Observation, experience,
questioning. If we want to know how a bird flies, we watch a bird in flight.
We watch it take off, we watch it flap its wings, we watch it glide, we watch
it land. After the initial, superficial observations, we realize that there
is more. We notice the muscle contractions and muscular strength necessary
to lift the bird, we notice the formation of the wings, we notice the air
currents on which the bird is gliding. And as we keep noticing, we become
aware that with every movement of the bird's wings, we can almost feel the
muscles moving the wings, we can almost feel the air that is pushed down in
order to lift up the bird, we can almost feel the lifting and gliding and
falling that comes with flight.
Our knowledge of how birds fly becomes more refined and more complete as
we delve deeper into the subject. At the same time, the more refined our
perception becomes, the more personal such knowledge becomes. This is how
one gets to know Veda.
Veda is knowledge. It is the knowledge of the Universe and how it
functions. It is the knowledge of all aspects of knowledge. It is the full
and inherent knowledge of how one lives in harmony with Nature, with God, and
with oneself. Veda exists because the universe exists; and it is there to
be discovered by anyone who is willing to look.
More than mere intellectual comprehension, Veda is experience of life.
For all the objectivity involved in knowing how birds fly, actual experience
of flight adds unimagined dimensions to the knowledge. Gross and subtle
aspects of the experience of flight bring the knowledge to life, and give
personal connection to the knowledge of flight. Veda is grounded in personal
experience.
The origins of the Vedas can be found in the experiences of the universe
by Rishis throughout the ages. Our example above was a simple example of a
bird in flight. But more refined perceptions of the laws of Nature are the
basis for the four Vedas. How does a seed become a flower? Why is one flower
different from another? Which laws of Nature directly affect the development
of a flower? How is this relevant to me?
When you look at a rose, you see the petals, the leaves, the stem. But
do you see the sap that is common to all parts of the flower? If you did,
you would notice that the sap permeates all parts of the rose. It transforms
itself into a petal or a leaf, as if following a blueprint. Along with the
flower and the sap, do you also see this structure? Keeping the same point of
view, but looking around you, do you see the structure of the world around you?
Do you see the structure that led to your becoming a human? How refined is
your perception of your universe?
The truth of the matter, and any Rishi or Physicist will verify, is that
at very subtle levels of life, there is no difference between you and the rose
you were just looking at. For the Physicist, at the sub-atomic level, no one
can tell whether we are looking at a person or a rose. For the Rishi, all
that we see is nothing but Brahm (God); therefore, at the finest level of
reality, you ARE the rose that you were looking at and you ARE you and you ARE
God.
Understanding the Vedas means experiencing Veda (knowledge). Deeper,
more refined experience of the universe is the only way to understand the
Vedas. Reading the RgVeda, trying to make sense of a dead language, and
trying to comprehend intricate passages may yield some results; but these will
be shallow and meaningless. The Vedas CAN be understood. But the only way to
truly understand them is to experience Nature at the most profound level that
you can; and then to refine your perceptions even further.
At some point, you will notice that Sanskrit, as found in the Vedas, is
no mystery. Form does have meaning -- the word 'agni' provides a personal
experience that can only be 'fire'. Translations become meaningless because
the Vedas themselves communicate the experience of all aspects of Nature.
Religion makes sense because it is an expression of the joy of discovering
God.
Up to this point, there was no mention of religion in the context of the
Vedas. This is their true nature. To say that the Vedas are "Hindu" texts is
to betray ignorance regarding their nature. But to say that thousands of
religions, which are today lumped under the term "Hinduism", come OUT of the
Vedas is accurate.
Religion carries with it social and political burdens, which are evident
with "Hinduism". Religions change, and anything that changes also dies. But
what is eternal is Veda. "Hinduism" has survived for millenia because it was
based in Veda and experience of Veda was strong enough to sustain the various
religions. Today, we are witnessing an upsurge of interest in Veda. It is
not surprising, therefore, that we are also seeing a rise in the "Hindu"
religions.
In a future article, I will detail the effects of a rise in interest in
Veda. Again, there is structure in these effects. The purpose of this
article, however, is to examine the Nature of Veda, which we have just done.
Veda is knowledge. To look at them as religious texts, *developed* by
people millenia ago, or as historical documents, is simply false. To say
that they cannot be fully understood because pieces of them were lost betrays
complete ignorance as to the nature of Veda. Back in the days before the Vedas
were written in book form, many people had developed their perception to a
point where it was possible to experience Veda. At this time, it was pointless
to write them down. But times change, and it became necessary to commit Veda
to written form.
The oral tradition of the past is practically gone. Understanding of
Veda is distorted and extremely low. I hope that this and other articles
inspire others to learn more about the Vedas or about India's culture. Even
though the Vedas are not religious, India is the place which has kept Veda
alive, and "Hindu" religions are the direct results of Veda.
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