Thoughts of Vedanta

Thoughts of Vedanta

by Swami Sivananda

VEDANTA is that sublime philosophy which teaches that the individual soul is identical with the Supreme Soul and removes the illusion of the Jiva. Vedanta is the science of Atman that helps the aspirants to eradicate fear, sorrow, grief, delusion and to realise the Self. Vedanta is that magnanimous philosophy which raises the ignorant Jiva to the sublime heights of Brahmanhood. Vedanta is a panacea for all human ailments. Vedanta is a sovereign specific for the disease of birth and death. Mere theorising of Vedantic principles will not do. You should live in the spirit of Vedanta. You should become a practical Vedantin. You should realise this Atman which Vedanta treats of. Then only you will become a liberated sage.

Brahman or Atman or the Supreme Self is self-luminous. Brahman cannot be manifested by anything else. Brahman manifests everything. The doctrine of self-luminosity is one of the foundational tenets on which the entire edifice of Vedanta is constructed. Atman gives light to the sun, moon, stars, lightning, fire intellect and senses. by the light of the Atman all these shine but they cannot illumine the Atman.

The ultimate principle or Atman or Brahman which is formless, colourless, fearless, timeless, spaceless, limitless, attributeless, endless and beginningless shines eternally and everywhere behind the names and forms. Vedanta treats of this ultimate Truth or Supreme Principle.

This world of names and forms is constantly changing. Seas dry up and vast sandy deserts come into being in their place. Elevations become depressions and depressions become elevations. Sand becomes stone and stone becomes sand. Blocks of stones become lime and lime becomes dust. Forests become model towns and cities become deserted places. Grass becomes blood; blood becomes milk; milk again becomes blood; blood becomes flesh. A young man becomes an old man and a beautiful girl becomes an ugly woman. A fat man becomes thin and a thin girl becomes a fat woman. A zamindar becomes a beggar and a beggar becomes a zamindar. At the back of these ever-changing objects there is the changeless, eternal, immortal Brahman or the Supreme Self. He who realises this Brahman attains Immortality, Freedom and Eternal Bliss.

Naturally the mind runs towards objects of the world. The usual flow of the mental current is towards worldly objects. You will have to turn the mind inwards towards the Self through Vairagya and Abhyasa (dispassion and practice). In the beginning the mind will run towards the worldly objects again and again even if it is turned towards the Atman. Constant practice is necessary to make the mind rest in the Self for ever.

Tear into pieces the veil of ignorance. Catch the fickle deer ‘the mind’ with the snare of enquiry and Brahma Chintan. Mount on the elephant of Self-knowledge and roam about freely in the hilly tracts on the highest peak of Supreme Wisdom of the Self.

Shake off the bonds of Karma through discrimination, dispassion and non-attachment. Know the secret of true bliss through concentration and meditation. Root out the passion. Embrace Peace. Enjoy the glory of Self-Bliss. Delight in the Self within.

Abandon thoughts of this little body. Rise above the worldly thoughts. Live always in the All-blissful Self. Thou art the sun, fire, sky, stars, mountains, oceans and rivers. The whole world is your body. The whole wealth of the world is yours. The whole world is your Lila. Maya is your illusory power. Exercise your power of Sat-Sankalpa. She is ever ready to fulfil your wishes. Thou art immortal, beginningless and endless. Death, sickness, sorrow, sin, old age, cannot touch thee. Feel the majesty of thy real nature. Feel, feel that thou art the all-pervading, imperishable, diseaseless, fearless Atman. Rest in that stupendous ocean of peace. Be perfectly happy.

Learn to discriminate between the permanent and the impermanent. Behold the Self in all beings and in all objects. Names and forms are illusory. Therefore sublate them. Feel that there is nothing but the Self. Share what you have, physical, mental, moral, or spiritual, with all. Serve the Self in all. Feel when you serve others that you are serving your own Self. ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself’. Melt all illusory differences. Remove all barriers that separate man from man. Mix with all. Embrace all. Destroy the sex-idea and body-idea by constantly thinking on the Self or the sexless and bodiless Atman. Fix the mind on the Self when you work. This is practical Vedanta. This is the essence of the teachings of the Upanishads and sages of yore. This is real, eternal life is the Atman. Put these things in practice in the daily battle of life. You will shine as a dynamic Yogi or a Jivanmukta. There is no doubt about this. There is no doubt about this.

OM is a symbol of Brahman. OM or Pranava is a sparkling ferry-boat for men who have fallen into the never-ending ocean of mundane life. Many have crossed this ocean of Samsara with the help of this ferry-boat. You can also do so if you will. Meditate constantly on OM with Bhava and Meaning and realise the Self.

That illumined sage whose mind is merged in his true nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda, who has conquered the enemy ‘ignorance’, who is destitute of ‘I’-ness and ‘mine’-ness, who has rooted out pride, selfishness, love, envy and hatred, rejoices in the ocean of boundless bliss.

A cat made up of sugar is a real cat for a child. Sugar does not appear for the child as it is swallowed up by the cat. The cat has concealed the sugar. For an adult it is just sugar only. The sugar has swallowed up the cat. Even so for a Jivanmukta or liberated sage, Brahman swallows all illusory names and forms. He sees only Brahman everywhere. All names and forms vanish. For a worldly man, the names and forms have swallowed up or concealed Brahman. He beholds the illusory forms only.

The Jivanmukta has his upper shoulder as his pillow, the sky as his covering, the earth as his bed. He embraces renunciation as his wife and sleeps fearlessly anywhere without any anxiety and enjoys the supreme bliss of the Self or the unalloyed felicity of the Atman.

O Ram! In essence thou art the Light of lights. Thou art the source for everything. Thou art the infinite power-house. Thou art the Beauty of beauties. It is thy effulgent light that lends life and lustre to the Himalayan snow peaks, sun, moon, stars, flowers and trees, the great scientists, poets, orators, politicians, scholars, philosophers and doctors. Thou art that power which moves the steam-engine, aeroplanes, steamers, railway engines, motor-cars, etc. Thou art the beauty at sunset, brilliance in the diamond, the sweet charming smile in young maiden, strength in athletes, endurance in ascetics and intelligence in geniuses. Thou art above, below, to the right, to the left, in front, behind and everywhere. Thy sweet effulgent, majestic, magnanimous presence shines. Feel this. Realise this. Rejoice in the Self. Move about with perfect joy. Get yourself saturated with deep abiding peace.

Thou art the peasant and the king. Thou art the rogue and the saint. Thou art the maiden and the youth. Thou art the child and the father. Thou art the seed and the fruit. Thou art the five elements and their combinations. Thou art the ocean and the rivers. Thou art ugliness and beauty. Thou art merit and demerit. The whole universe is within you. Feel this. Realise this through silent meditation.

Through thy light the sun shines, intellect functions and senses operate. Through thy power the fire burns. Through thy Shakti the wind blows, rivers flow towards the sea, magnet attracts the iron, flower blossoms and atoms move. Thou art electricity, magnetism and ultra-violet rays.

Feel your oneness with all. Feel your oneness with the sun, sky, wind, flowers, trees, buds, animals, stones, rivers and ocean. Realise the oneness of life, unity of consciousness. Behold the one homogeneous Self everywhere, in all beings, animals and plants.

Rise above the conventional distinctions of mundane life. Abandon the lower nature. Assume your true nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda. Meditate on the true principle of Brahman. Dispel the cloud of ignorance by the dawn of Jnana-Surya, the sun of knowledge. Extricate yourself from the three bodies and the five sheaths. Dwells in the abode of Supreme Peace. Revel in the ocean of boundless joy, O Ram!

Thoughts of Vedanta – Wisdom, Self-Knowledge, and the Vision of Oneness

Thoughts of Vedanta are not ordinary ideas that come and go in the mind. They are deep reflections that guide the seeker toward truth, peace, and liberation. Vedanta teaches that the real self is not the body, mind, senses, ego, name, form, or personality. The true self is pure consciousness, eternal, peaceful, and ever free. To think along Vedantic lines is to slowly rise above ignorance and live with higher awareness.

The first thought of Vedanta is discrimination. A seeker must ask, “What is permanent and what is temporary? What is real and what is passing? Who am I truly?” The body changes, thoughts change, emotions change, wealth changes, relationships change, and worldly situations change. The witnessing consciousness alone remains unchanged through all experiences. This understanding is the beginning of wisdom.

Thoughts of Vedanta remind us that attachment to temporary things creates sorrow. The world gives experiences, duties, relationships, and lessons, but it cannot give permanent happiness. Pleasure comes and goes. Praise comes and goes. Success comes and goes. If the mind depends completely on these changing things, peace becomes impossible. Vedanta teaches detachment with understanding, not hatred.

Another important thought is that the self is the witness. The body is observed, so it cannot be the final observer. Thoughts are known, so they cannot be the knower. Emotions rise and fall, so they cannot be the real self. Even the ego that says “I am doing” is noticed by awareness. The witness is silent, steady, and untouched by the movements of the mind.

Vedanta also teaches the unity of Atman and Brahman. Atman is the inner self, and Brahman is the supreme reality. Though they appear different from the ordinary point of view, their essence is one pure consciousness. This truth is expressed through great declarations such as “Tat Tvam Asi” and “Aham Brahmasmi.” These are not statements of pride; they are statements that dissolve ego and reveal truth.

Thoughts of Vedanta help remove fear. Fear comes from identification with the body, mind, possessions, relationships, and social identity. When a person thinks, “I am only this body,” death becomes terrifying. When they think, “I am only this mind,” every emotion becomes a burden. But when the seeker reflects on the self as pure consciousness, fear slowly loses its power.

Vedanta also gives a practical thought for daily life: work without selfish attachment. Action is necessary, but bondage comes from ego and craving for results. Perform duties sincerely, serve others, and offer the fruits of action to the Divine. When work is done as worship, it purifies the heart and reduces anxiety. This is Vedanta in action.

Another powerful Vedantic thought is “Neti, Neti,” meaning “not this, not this.” The seeker reflects: I am not the body, not the senses, not the breath, not the mind, not the intellect, not the ego, not pleasure, not pain, not birth, and not death. This negation is not emptiness. It removes false identification and points toward the pure awareness that remains.

Thoughts of Vedanta are also thoughts of compassion. If the same self shines in all beings, then hatred, cruelty, pride, and selfishness lose their foundation. Differences of body, language, religion, caste, wealth, and culture are outer differences. The inner reality is one. This vision gives rise to kindness, forgiveness, respect, and universal love.

Meditation is necessary to deepen Vedantic thought. Reading and thinking are useful, but the mind must become quiet. Sit daily, observe the body, breath, thoughts, and emotions. Notice that everything observed is changing. Rest in the awareness that knows them. This practice gradually turns Vedantic thought into living experience.

Vedanta also teaches that happiness is within. People search for peace in objects, achievements, relationships, and pleasures. But these give only temporary satisfaction. Real happiness is the nature of the self. When desire becomes quiet and the mind becomes pure, inner bliss begins to shine. The seeker realizes that peace was never outside; it was hidden by restlessness.

Thoughts of Vedanta must be supported by purity. A mind filled with anger, greed, jealousy, pride, and selfish desire cannot understand subtle truth clearly. Truthfulness, self-control, humility, compassion, moderation, devotion, and selfless service make the mind fit for knowledge. Purity is the soil in which Vedantic wisdom grows.

Vedanta is not meant only for monks, scholars, or philosophers. A student, householder, worker, parent, teacher, or leader can live by Vedantic thoughts. Speak truthfully, act selflessly, control anger, reduce desire, meditate daily, serve others, and remember the witness. In this way, ordinary life becomes spiritual practice.

The thoughts of Vedanta also teach balance. Life brings gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, success and failure. A seeker should not be shaken by every change. They should act wisely and remain inwardly steady. This equanimity comes when the mind remembers that all experiences are passing, while the self is unchanged.

A Guru and scriptures help refine Vedantic thought. The Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and teachings of realized masters guide the seeker toward correct understanding. But study should not create pride. It should create humility, sincerity, and longing for realization. The highest knowledge is not for display; it is for freedom from ignorance.

In the end, Thoughts of Vedanta are thoughts that lead the mind from darkness to light. They teach discrimination, detachment, self-inquiry, witness-consciousness, compassion, meditation, and the unity of Atman and Brahman. When these thoughts are repeated, reflected upon, and lived daily, they purify the mind and awaken the heart. Vedantic thought finally becomes Vedantic realization, and the seeker rests in peace, wisdom, and inner freedom.

Light of Vedanta