The first principle of Vedānta is to inquire into Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth, for the purpose of this discussion, is defined as the source from which everything emanates, or Brahman. The domain of inquiry into Absolute Truth of Vedānta is therefore, in the broadest sense, the field of ontology or the study of origins.

The Domain and Nomenclature of Absolute Truth

athāto brahma-jijñāsā

“Now, therefore, one should inquire about Brahman.” [Vedānta-sutra 1.1.1]

The first principle of Vedānta is to inquire into Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth, for the purpose of this discussion, is defined as the source from which everything emanates, or Brahman.

The domain of inquiry into Absolute Truth of Vedānta is therefore, in the broadest sense, the field of ontology or the study of origins. Absolute Truth corresponds to absolute existence, which is the source of the relative existence described by relative truth. Since Absolute Truth is eternal, it exists a priori and a posteriori relative, limited, temporary existence and relative truth.

Relative truth describes relative existence as a thing in itself, without reference to Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth describes absolute existence, and can also describe relative existence in the context of its proper relation to absolute existence. Absolute Truth therefore is unconditional, all-inclusive and self-referential, whereas relative truth is exclusive, conditional, and dependent for its meaning on the constantly changing conditions of relative existence.

Everything we experience in relative existence has its source in Absolute Truth. Therefore although Absolute Truth is by definition unary and undifferentiated, one without a second, it also contains all attributes of relative existence, including multiplicity, illusion, emanation, energy, form, activity, individuality, personality, identity, desire, consciousness, perception, variety, cause and effect, and paradoxically, also contains all the opposite qualities.

All qualities originate in Absolute Truth, which has no qualities and all qualities simultaneously. After all, the source of everything must contain the qualities and substance of all that emanates from it, and at the same time is beyond all such qualitative and quantitative distinctions. This is certainly paradoxical. Yet in Absolute Truth, these attributes are eternal and unchanging, while in relative existence they are temporary and always in a state of flux.

Absolute Truth is often called ‘spiritual,’ in contradistinction to relative material existence. But this label is itself relative since it is defined in terms of relative, material existence. Therefore we use the term Absolute Truth to refer to the eternal source from which everything emanates.

Material science, speculative philosophy and ordinary theology limit their scope of inquiry to varying degrees of relative truth. Only Vedānta actually treats the science of Absolute Truth in detail. Vedānta is therefore beyond the limitations of the domains of mundane science, philosophy and sectarian theology, for it deals with Absolute Truth on its own level, rather than attempting to extrapolate from relative truth, which of course can only generate more relative truth.

Material science is especially limited in its ability to describe consciousness; since consciousness is an absolute factor, the language of mathematics has no way to quantify it except for zero and infinity. Philosophy and psychology attempt to deal with consciousness indirectly by analyzing it in terms of mental phenomena or systems of morality and ethical values. None of these relative disciplines makes any real attempt to embrace the paradoxes of Absolute Truth, or treat consciousness as a fundamental substance. Therefore anyone who wants to understand consciousness, the most primary and fundamental fact of our existence, must approach Absolute Truth through the study of Vedānta.

Qualifications of the student

Vedānta begins from the assumption that the student is in a position to inquire into the domain of Absolute Truth. This does presuppose certain conditions. The student should be intelligent and sincere, well-versed in the literature of ontological inquiry in general, and Vedic lore in particular. He should be moral and ethical in the ordinarily accepted meaning of the terms, and be inclined by nature to goodness, truthfulness and appreciation of the ontological and aesthetic value of Absolute Truth.

The successful aspirant should also possess purity of mind and heart. This means he should be free from the desire for material gain, and have transcended lust, greed, anger, pride, envy and the desire for dominating others. He should be a pure vegetarian, free from intoxication, illicit sexual habits and gambling.

While mundane scholars and theologians scoff at these requirements for purity, they cannot follow them; nor can they properly understand or explain Vedānta or Absolute Truth, let alone realize it within themselves. The standards of purity are requisites for spiritual initiation into the Vedic guru-disciple lineage, precisely because they prepare one to realize Absolute Truth. In practice, no one can maintain such high standards of purity without the personal instruction of a self-realized soul.

Therefore the most important qualification is that the aspiring student of Vedānta must be in association with a pure soul who has realized Absolute Truth himself, who can initiate and instruct the student by example in the practices and lifestyle required to realize Absolute Truth. Since such realization requires complete concentration of purpose and energy, one must be ready to renounce all activities motivated by relative gain and material enjoyment, and devote oneself fully to Vedānta for the duration of the apprenticeship.

The student must understand that working in the relative conception of life, including study of religious literature, and even ordinary academic or theological study of Vedānta, will not lead him to the desired goal of self-realization and unlimited happiness attainable through proper study of Vedānta. In fact, without the esoteric practices of the Absolute Truth, no one can realize Vedānta. The Vedānta philosophy only provides a transcendental contextual framework in which to hold and evaluate the experiences of direct practice of Absolute Truth.

The esoteric school of the teacher of Vedānta is an extension of Absolute Truth in the relative material world. It partakes of the absolute qualities of Absolute Truth, but these qualities are only reflected, not innate. The school of Vedānta is the form; Absolute Truth is the essence. Without the essence, the form is useless. Without the self-realized teacher, the school is simply another relative manifestation, for the teacher is the representative of Absolute Truth. The student must be careful not to confuse the form with the essence. The great value of association with a self-realized soul is described in the following statement of Bhagavad-gītā [4.34]:

tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.”

The student’s association with the teacher may be in person, or it may be through a more advanced student, or even through a medium such as a recording or a book. The potency of Absolute Truth is such that it may be transmitted through any medium without change. The important thing is the degree of realization of the teacher, since the student cannot attain any realization beyond that of his teacher.

While the qualifications for successful study of Vedānta may seem daunting, they are easily acquired by one who chants the Holy Name of the Lord:

japyenaiva ca saṁsiddhyad
brahmaṇā nātra saṁśayaḥ
kuryād anyan na vā kuryān
maitro brāhmaṇa ucyate

“Whether he performs other rituals and duties or not, one who perfectly chants mantras glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be considered a perfect brāhmaṇa, eligible to understand the Supreme Lord.” [Manu-saṁhitā 2.87]

yan-nāmadheya-śravaṇānukīrtanād
yat-prahvaṇād yat-smaraṇād api kvacit
śvādo 'pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate
kutaḥ punas te bhagavan nu darṣanāt

“To say nothing of the spiritual advancement of persons who see the Supreme Person face-to-face, even a person born in a family of dog-eaters immediately becomes eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices if he once utters the Holy Name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or chants about Him, hears about His pastimes, offers Him obeisances or even remembers Him.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.33.6]

For a detailed explanation of the potency of the Holy Name, please see the Preface to our book Śrī Viṣṇusahasranāma.

Transcendental knowledge

The motivation of the student of Vedānta is crucial to proper understanding. Generally, three kinds of persons inquire into Absolute Truth: those who have performed all kinds of religious duties faithfully, and have come to realize the limitations of institutionalized religion and ritualized spiritual practices; those who compassionately desire the greatest benefit for all living beings; and those who have tasted the bliss of meditation and want to completely renounce the activities of this world to attain full self-realization of Absolute Truth.

People who have performed all kinds of religious rituals and duties gradually come to understand that beyond the rote performance of canonical ritual, there is an inexpressible essence of Absolute Truth. Nevertheless they also experience the inability of such practices to grant more than a hint of this Truth. Therefore they embark on a search for a higher esoteric teaching, and if they are sincere, are awarded the opportunity to inquire into Absolute Truth from a realized teacher.

Those who are involved in teaching, counseling, healing, philanthropy and other forms of welfare work gradually come to understand the limitations of such relative assistance. It is said that one can give a hungry man food, and that will satisfy him today. But teach him to cook, and that will satisfy him for life. Similarly, those who perform relative welfare can see that they cannot provide permanent relief from suffering in that way. Therefore they begin to inquire into Absolute Truth to find a permanent solution to the problems of life, both for themselves and others.

Fortunate people who have attempted to experience Absolute Truth through meditation may also come to understand that without proper guidance and a rich fund of transcendental knowledge, they can make but little progress. Their hit-and-miss experiences of meditation have convinced them that there is a higher reality, but they also realize their own inability to attain steady and complete realization of it. Therefore they also begin the search for a qualified teacher to initiate them into the mysteries of Absolute Truth.

These three kinds of students indirectly understand the nature of Absolute Truth according to their own respective abilities. By their independent efforts they eventually become purified enough to attain the association of a self-realized teacher. Once they enter the esoteric school of the teacher, they can continue to make progress until they have attained full realization of Absolute Truth, and their quest is successful.

These three types of aspirants hold in common the experience that relative methods of approaching Absolute Truth are doomed to failure. While many methods of enhancing knowledge and mitigating suffering exist in the relative world, all of them are limited and temporary. All beings existentially crave the full degree of self-realization; but material welfare work, conventional religious piety and even meditation cannot provide it without transcendental knowledge, initiation into the living tradition of Vedānta and the personal guidance of a self-realized soul. For they do not contain the most nourishing food of Absolute Truth.

Therefore the practical study of Vedānta begins from transcendental knowledge. The first item of transcendental knowledge is that insufficient relative methods provide only limited and temporary results, and to obtain the perfection of Absolute Truth requires methods that are directly absolute. Therefore one should fill his intelligence with the transcendental knowledge described by the absolute nomenclature of Vedānta. We will discuss this point very elaborately in later sections of this book.

We remind the student again that simply comprehending the difference between the relative and the absolute, and developing the qualifications of a student of Vedānta as described above, are insufficient to realize Absolute Truth. However, if one attains the association of a self-realized soul and follows his instructions, then this transcendental realization, ordinarily impossible to attain, becomes easy.

Absolute nomenclature

The most important principle of the philosophy of Vedānta is the nomenclature of Absolute Truth. Certain verbal formulas called mantras express the transcendental potencies of Absolute Truth, and by being initiated into and practicing these mantras, one can realize the qualities of Absolute Truth within oneself.

It may be difficult for the person educated in the relative conceptions of symbology and semantics to comprehend the idea of an absolute nomenclature. In relative existence, all words and symbols are different from the phenomena they represent. For example, one can repeat the word ‘water’ as much as one likes, but this will not quench his thirst.

In relative consciousness, even terms intended to denote various aspects of Absolute Truth commonly are defined in terms of relative existence, and are therefore actually relative terms. For example, the Cambridge International Dictionary of English defines God as “(in esp. Christian, Jewish and Muslim belief) the being which made the universe, the Earth and its people and is believed to have an effect on all things.” Note that here God is defined entirely in terms of relative existence, i.e. the material creation.

However, there does exist a class of absolute terminology that has no referent in relative existence whatsoever, and these terms are the nomenclature of Absolute Truth. In keeping with the undifferentiated quality of absolute existence, these terms are nondifferent from the aspects of Absolute Truth they describe. Experience shows that meditating on the transcendental sounds of mantra can induce realization of Absolute Truth in properly trained practitioners.

The nomenclature of Absolute Truth is a large subject, to which we have already devoted several books. For the purposes of this discussion, the nomenclature of Absolute Truth may be understood to consist of words that have no relative referent. In later sections we will present and explain many specific examples.

Brahman, the origin of everything

Absolute Truth is the origin of everything, both in the absolute and relative realms. The creation, maintenance and destruction of the relative world occur completely within the context of the eternal existence of Absolute Truth.

atha kasmād ucyate brahmeti bṛhanto by asmin guṇāḥ

“From Whom has this universe become manifest? From Brahman, who possesses an abundance of exalted transcendental qualities.” [śruti-śāstra]

Since the entire relative world is an effect, Absolute Truth alone is its cause. The first cause of the relative world cannot be found within the relative existence itself, therefore speculative theories of the origin of the universe attempt to place it in some hypothetical ancient period when conditions were, somehow, different than at present. Nevertheless, matter or energy can never be the cause of itself, since its very existence requires the pre-existence of consciousness, intelligence, space and time, which no theory of the relative realm can explain.

The only explanation for the relative world that makes sense is that it emanates from Absolute Truth, exists within Absolute Truth and is reabsorbed into Absolute Truth at the end. Absolute Truth is described in Vedānta philosophy as bhūma, all-pervading, and ātmā, consciousness or soul. And in the description of Absolute Truth as the source of everything, Vedānta-sutra uses the word yataḥ, ‘from Whom.’

janmādy asya yataḥ

“[Brahman is] He from Whom everything emanates.” [Vedānta-sutra 1.1.2]

Therefore in the ultimate issue, Absolute Truth is not only all-pervading, but also conscious and personal. Actually, it is not possible that Absolute Truth is impersonal, because Absolute Truth is the source of everything, including persons. And how can the source of persons be without the quality of personality? Of course, it is quite possible for Absolute Truth to be simultaneously personal and impersonal without any contradiction, and we will explore this paradox more fully in later sections.

Absolute Truth as the transcendental Supreme Person emanates everything, maintains the existence of everything, and reabsorbs everything relative when it becomes unmanifest. As such, Absolute Truth contains all qualities of all manifestations. Vedānta philosophy calls the reservoir of all qualities Brahman. In this work we use the term Brahman interchangeably with Absolute Truth.

Brahman also indicates an eternal, conscious, unconditionally existing person. Vedānta-sutra uses the term Brahman to indicate the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We therefore prefer Brahman to the Western theological term ‘God’ because as described above, ‘God’ is defined in terms of the relative existence, whereas Brahman explicitly indicates Absolute Truth without any referent to relative existence.

Brahman or Absolute Truth, then, is the subject matter of Vedānta. Regarding the qualities of Brahman, the Vedic literature states:

yo vai bhūma tat sukhaṁ nānyat sukham asti bhūmaiva
sukhaṁ bhūmatveva vijijñāsitavyaḥ

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the source of genuine happiness. Nothing else can bring one actual happiness. Only the Supreme Personality of Godhead can bring one happiness. For this reason one should inquire about the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” [Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.25.1]

ātmā vā are draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo mantavyo
nididhyāsitavyo maitreyi

“O Maitreyī, one should see, hear, remember, and inquire about the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” [Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.4.5]

tam etaṁ vedānuvacanena brāhmaṇā vividisanti
yajñena dānena tapasānaśanena

“The brāhmaṇas strive to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by Vedic study, sacrifice, charity, austerity, and fasting.” [Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.22]

satyena labhayas tapasā hy eṣa ātmā samyak
jñānena brahmacaryeṇa nityam

“By constant truthfulness, transcendental knowledge and austerity, one becomes eligible to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.5]

Therefore we who are suffering an uncertain existence in the relative world can derive all benefit from inquiring into Brahman or Absolute Truth; for Brahman, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the reservoir of all desirable qualities, up to and including complete independence from the relative existence. These qualities are imbibed through transcendental knowledge of Absolute Truth and the esoteric practice of chanting the Holy Name.

The process of self-realization

Knowledge is of two kinds: direct and indirect. Direct knowledge is gathered through the senses, and indirect knowledge is obtained from authorities such as the spiritual teacher, and scriptures such as Vedānta-sutra and the Vedas. In relative consciousness, we cannot have direct knowledge of Absolute Truth, but we can gain indirect knowledge of Brahman through spiritual authorities.

However, by performing the process to attain Brahman received through the process of indirect knowledge, we uncover our original absolute consciousness and perceive Absolute Truth directly through absolute senses. In this way we come to direct knowledge of Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and also become cognizant of our real eternal identity in the absolute existence.

For, while the Supreme Personality of Godhead is certainly the Supreme Brahman, the dependent living entities emanated from Him also have the qualities of Brahman such as consciousness, desire, will, perception, action and intelligence. Therefore we are also Brahman, but we are not identical with the Supreme Brahman. Rather, we living beings are subordinate emanations of the Supreme Brahman. Because we are only infinitesimal individual emanations of Brahman, out of ignorance of our real nature our original absolute identity has become covered by relative existence in the form of the temporary material mind and body.

pṛthag-ātmānaṁ preritaṁ ca matvā
juṣṭas tatas tenāmṛtatvam eti

“When one understands that the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit souls are eternally distinct entities, then he may become qualified for liberation, and live eternally in the spiritual world.” [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.6]

By associating with the qualities of Absolute Truth through the process of transcendental sound vibration, the Holy Name, we can free ourselves from all relative limitations, uncover our original absolute nature and join the Supreme Brahman in eternal existence in the absolute world. This is the aim of Vedānta philosophy and the yoga practices given in the Vedic literature.

 

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