THE VEDANTA ... 3

THE VEDANTA ... 3

The spiritual progress of the common man, mired as he is in material life, is akin to the advance of an anchored boat through the waters. Prayers, pilgrimage, fasting, charity, preaching invitation to people to join the faith and, above all, the amplified affirmation of allegiance to the one God -- none of these can make a person spiritual, intensely selfish as these practices are in terms of immediate and eventual intent. 

Spirituality calls for perfect purity, constant continence which is the cornerstone of character-building and the perfecting of subtle concentration in the absence of which ritual observances become routine religiosity that bear no semblance to real spirituality. Hence, the lay person's progress through a lifetime of pious practices is pitifully puny. He goes through routine rounds each day, brainwashing himself unto divine submission till he has surrendered his faculties so to his God of corrosive conception that he is no more himself but has become the bondman of his medieval Master, ready to carry out His bidding whatever it may be. Such a way of living is certainly no kin to spirituality and small wonder it is that neither is any mention to be found of real spirituality in the sacred texts of these tribal cults.

The Vedanta, however, goes way beyond these material observances and lays before man the philosophy of life in its essence, the science of the Spirit. It has no God, no Messiah, Messenger, Prophet or Divine Incarnation to venerate or worship, no holy book to go by its letters, no Heaven, no Hell, no Saviour from sin -- for it recognises no sin but error --, no Hereafter, Day of Judgement, reward or retribution. It only has the living being as its focus -- from the amoeba to the Buddha --, affirming in trumpet voice its imperishable glory, divine destiny devoid of aught of earth and its continuing contamination postmortem. 

The Vedanta is the philosophical body of the highest spiritual discoveries made by ancient Hindu seers who are called Rishis, the word meaning a seer of transcendental Truth, a mantra-drashtaa (seer of spiritual laws). This is the ultimate religion of man for it helps evolve phenomenal man to the Absolute Man.

The Vedanta is the future religion of thinking humanity, so affirmed Swami Vivekananda. 

Written by Sugata Bose