Vedic Wisdom
The Vedas are the oldest written text on our planet. They date back to the beginning of ancient Vedic civilization of India and are the earliest literary records of the whole Aryan race. They have been passed through oral tradition for over 100,000 years. They came to us in written form between 5-6,000 years ago.
The main purpose of the Vedic literature is to establish knowledge of the Absolute Truth and the process for attaining the highest levels of self-realization. To do that it must, and does, contain the elementary as well as most advanced forms of spiritual knowledge.
Vedas teach: "As far as material necessities are concerned, the human civilization at the present moment is very much advanced in living comfortably, but still we are not happy, because we are missing the point. The root cause of our dissatisfaction is that our dormant loving propensity has not been fulfilled despite our great advancement in the materialistic way of life.
At the present moment we are inventing so many ways to utilize our propensity to love, but factually we are missing the real point: Absolute. Missing Absolute means missing one’s self also. Real self-realization and realization of Absolute go together simultaneously. For example, seeing oneself in the morning means seeing the sunrise also; without seeing the sunshine no one can see himself. Similarly, unless one has realized Absolute there is no question of self-realization.
The Vedas teach how to stimulate through Bhakti Yoga process our original love for Absolute and how to be situated in that position where we can enjoy our blissful life. It is the science of loving every one of the living entities perfectly by the easy method of loving Absolute. Thus Bhakti Yoga teaches how to turn the one switch that will immediately brighten everything, everywhere and make everyone happy."
Spirit Soul
The consciousness is the proof of the presence of the soul, as sunshine or light is the proof of the presence of the sun. When the soul is present in the body, there is consciousness all over the body, and as soon as the soul has passed from the body there is no more consciousness.
Law of Karma
Karma is the cosmic law of action and reaction. Under its control we souls in the material world reap good or bad results according to each act we perform.
Reincarnation
Since every living entity is an individual soul, each is changing his body every moment, manifesting sometimes as a child, sometimes as a youth, and sometimes as an old man. Yet the same spirit soul is there and does not undergo any change. This individual soul finally changes the body at death and transmigrates to another body.
Three modes of material nature
The Vedas describe three forces, or modes, whose influence pervades the universe: goodness, passion, and ignorance. “Mode” is a translation of the Sanskrit word guna, which literally means “rope,” implying that goodness, passion, and ignorance are the ropes that bind us souls to the material world.
Ultimate goal of life
The ultimate goal of human life is to achieve immortality. Nobody wants to die. Nobody wants to become an old man. Nobody wants to become diseased. This is our natural inclination. Why? Because originally, in our spiritual form, there is no birth, no death, no old age, no disease. Therefore by practice of self-realization, one can achieve the ultimate goal of life, namely, liberation from the material struggle for existence.
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
is a jewel of Vedic literature. The Gita lucidly explains the nature of consciousness, the self, and the universe. The essence of India’s spiritual wisdom, it answers questions posed by philosophers for centuries.
“When doubts haunt me, when disappoints stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day.”
Mohandas K.Gandhi