Spiritual attainment, knowledge of Brahman. (Glossary for the Vahinis)

If one wants to liberate himself and reach God, or if one wants to get rid of the burden of 1ife, one should see that his education and his ‘tapas’ become strong. The combination of education and ‘tapas’ makes man strong and useful.

In this world, Vidya is of two kinds. One is the material Vidya and the other is the spiritual Vidya . We should accept that true Vidya is Brahma Vidya . There are two parts in this word ‘Vidya ‘ and they are ‘vid’ and ‘ya’. When the two root parts of this word join together, we get the word Vidya . ‘Vid’ means brightness or light. ‘Ya’ means that which hands you. That which hands you brightness and light and opens your eyes to wisdom is called ‘Vidya’. Vidya is not that which hands you darkness and ignorance. Avidya denotes darkness. Absence of wisdom means darkness. Vidya denotes light. So, to some extent, we must use Brahma Vidya to remove this cover. Material Vidya is really a branch of Brahman Vidya . Vidya when related to the worldly matters will be used for worldly affairs and comes from Brahma Vidya itself. Just like the ash that comes out of fire, covers the fire itself, so also this material Vidya which comes out of Brahma Vidya covers Brahma Vidya . Like the green precipitate which comes out of water covers the surface of water as thin layer; like the frost that gets its origin in ice, covers the ice and makes it frosty, like the clouds that come from the rays of the sun cover the sun itself, in the same manner, this material which has its origin in Brahma Vidya cover Brahma Vidya itself. Brahma Vidya is solely connected with the knowledge of atma.

Brahma indicates Omnipresence. Brahma also indicates totality and completeness. In its aspects of totality, Brahma Vidya deals with the day material world, the spiritual world and all the ethical aspects of our life. Brahma Vidya is one which also enables us to see the true form of creation. (SSB 1977, pp. 185-186)

Brahma Vidya is something, which will take man to his ultimate destination. In this world and in this spiritual world, in your life now, and after this life, what gives you happiness and bliss is the Brahma Vidya . What we call Brahma Vidya is superior to all other types of education. All types of education are like the rivers while the Brahma Vidya is like the ocean. All the rivers go and merge in the ocean, all types of education lead us to Brahma Vidya . What we call Brahma Vidya demonstrates the aspects of Parabrahman. This teaches you about Parabrahman. But, tapas takes you and merges you in Parabrahman. The ability of an individual to convey the meaning of atma and Parabrahman to the seekers makes him a Guru. A Guru really means a great person. When we talk of the greatness of the Guru, we mean the capacity of the Guru to experience the aspects of Brahman and teach them to others. So, when we talk of the position of the Guru, it cannot mean what we generally talk of today. Here ‘Gukara’ is something, which is above gunas, and ‘Rukara’ signifies something, which is above a form. The Guru must thus be able to experience creation without being affected by the form and the gunas in the creation. We should try, through sadhana to acquire the position of such a Guru. (SSB 1978, pp. 43-44)

The Upanishadic sages (Rishis) collectively confirm the nature of the Highest Principle thus; In the basic depth of this name-form world of change (nama-rupa jagat) there is the One eternal permanent being (Sat). That is the Absolute, the Highest Brahman (Parabrahman). The Highest can be grasped by means of the wisdom of yoga (Jnana yoga). Therefore, Inquire into That; That is Brahman (Thadh vijijnaasasva; thadh Brahma). This is knowledge of Brahman (Brahma vidya) taught by the Upanishads (theVedanta). (DV, p. 71)

The Individual or theJiva, believing that it is divided from the whole, the Universal, is subject to, desire and despair, love and hate, grief and joy. He is attracted by the world of Name and Form. Such a person is characterised as ‘bound’, as baddha. Hence his need for liberation is urgent. and to be liberated he must give up his dependence on Prakriti. The blind cannot be saved by the blind. The destitute cannot be helped out by the destitute. How can a man, himself destitute and helpless, remove the poverty, the suffering and the pain of another? The poor must approach the affluent, the wealthy. The blind must seek the guidance of a person who can see. Those who are bound and blinded by the dualities of Prakriti have to take refuge in the inexhaustible treasure of Compassion, Power, and Wisdom, namely the Divine Atma. Then one can get rid of the destitution of grief, and revel in the wealth of ananda; one can attain the Goal of Human Existence.

The Consummation is reached, the Atmic awareness is won through the grace of Brahman. Wherein is the Atma to be sought? Where does the Atma reside? How can one know the Atman? Adoring the apparently consciousness-less things too as manifestations of the Sovereign Consciousness or Atma helps the process. The Atma Principle can be genuinely understood only by seekers who are grounded in the formless, attributeless Brahman. But, even the Saguna embodiment has the Atmic Reality in full measure. There are many examples to illustrate tbis Truth. Brahma Vidya is another name for understanding and experiencing the Atma as the Brahman, the Individual as the Universal. (Sutra Vahini, pp. 45-46)