Vedanta is both a spiritual and religious system, which aims for the inward transformation of the human condition from its crude primitive inclinations to the realisation of its Divine potential. From all the manifest creations of the beautiful galaxies and universes, the wonderful array of plant and animal life forms, the human birth is considered to be rare and special. Human beings have this immense potential for spiritual development and growth, for the evolution of the faculties of thinking and feeling and to aspire for the final goal of existence. Therefore human beings, unlike plants and animals, have a greater need for a spiritual scheme. Nature is invested with meaning and purpose and is not haphazard as some interpret it to be. In nature lie the glorious discoveries of the human potentiality and destiny. The Divine path is not parallel to or transcendent to nature but an integral part of it. Therefore, it is natural for human beings to follow a Divine path for self-actualisation. Vedanta recognises the connection of the human birth, nature, the divine path and the goal of existence. All these are inextricably connected with the Absolute Reality, which Vedanta calls “Brahman”.
The Spiritual scheme of Vedanta considers the human frame, together with its psychological and cognitive faculties as a manifestation of Divine Consciousness. This means that the human being is essentially of Divine substance. However, due to contact with the material nature, the human condition becomes enveloped with the limited existence of material nature and expresses weaknesses and imperfections as a result of this false association. The spiritual scheme of Vedanta encourages us to recognise the weaknesses within and realise the imperfections that is the source of the sorrows and tragedies that grip life. It implores us to overcome the weakness of the flesh and respond to the deeper call, the celestial song of the soul. Therefore, there is a need for continuous spiritual growth and development. Spiritual growth and development is a life long commitment and not just a superficial commitment to organisational aims and objectives or the holding of an office position within a spiritual organisation. Genuine spiritual growth is the basis for the lowest living entity or the lowest human condition, with all its weaknesses and imperfections, to evolve towards the grand aim of life, which is Perfection.
The great plan of Nature is no different from the spiritual scheme of Vedanta because both aim to bring the external environmental conditions under control, so that the amount of awareness of the intensity of Divine consciousness within us is increased. The conscious awareness of the inherent divinity within is part of an integrated lifestyle. The spiritual scheme of Vedanta does not require us to abandon the duties and responsibilities of this mundane existence as a means for sustainable conscious awareness of our inherent Divinity. Therefore, the integrated lifestyle, together with the modes of material existence at a level of spiritual purity is a Vedantic approach for sustainable conscious awareness of our inherent Divinity. Human beings have discriminative powers and a rational intellect to produce a highly evolved capacity for the sustainable conscious awareness of our inherent divinity. These discriminative energies are able to drive the power of choice and together with the rational intellect, we will be able to realise the limitations of the objectives of the material existence and strive for the full Light of Eternal Knowledge.
The material existence, as an expression of a limited existence, is the root of our colossal lethargy and inertia. We cannot live in denial of the fact that we are steeped in inertia and have only become respondents to the exaggerated happenings of life. We tend to procure material enjoyments considering it as the essential quest of the human condition. We are driven by our fears, feelings and impulses and have incapacitated our power of intellectual discrimination. This has never been part of the great plan of nature and it is contrary to the spiritual scheme of Vedanta. The spiritual scheme of Vedanta requires us to rise above the basic necessities of life and be motivated by the power of intellectual discrimination and understanding. We cannot become indifferent to the deeper call, the celestial song of the soul. We must develop maximum capacity for our spiritual growth and development through the systematic study of our scriptures and through striving to live its ideals. The goal of this spiritual growth and development is to overcome the weakness of the flesh, to overcome the weaknesses and imperfections of this limited existence, which is dragging the human condition in lethargy and inertia.
Process of self-realisation is integral to the spiritual scheme of Vedanta, which is rooted in the spiritual growth and development of the human condition. This process urges the human condition to radically rise above the material processes of just procuring and hoarding, eating and indulging, breeding and dying. Vedanta makes us aware of the Cosmic Mind and the relation of the process of self-realisation to it. Through the process of self-realisation we transcend the limited faculties of mind and intellect and arrive at a new definition of the concept of the Self. Our feelings and impulses or our egocentric expressions no longer define us but we are defined in relation to the Cosmic Mind. This new understanding or conscious awareness of the “Self” allows us to transcend the different planes of conscious existence and to establish the “Self” in the Oneness of Truth. This is the grand aim of the spiritual scheme of Vedanta.
In conclusion, the spiritual scheme of Vedanta is universal and is designed for the human condition. It is not rooted in dogma or sectarian ideologies, rather it is derived from the practical experiences of the seers of truth. Spiritual growth and development is an essential part of spirituality or/and religion. The evolution of the human condition from the baser instinctive impulses and cravings through a process of self-realisation to rising to God-hood is central to the spiritual scheme of Vedanta. This is what adds to the relevance of Vedanta for this age and time.
Brother Haridas Archarya
