The universe is a multilayered existence; there are many levels: there
are the molecular, the atomic and the subatomic levels. So also the human
consciousness: though one, yet, it is many. An eight-year-old child in India
was always given the Brahma Gyan first, before any other knowledge. The first
upadesha or formal advice given during the Upanayanam or holy thread ceremony
is called Brahmopadesha, where the highest identity of oneself is revealed as a
secret In this ceremony, the guru, father and mother whisper in the ear of the
child: "You are THAT!" And then all the varnashrama dharmas, or
lesser identities are taught and the duties are promulgated.
The lesser identity is essential to perform limited duties that include those as student, son or daughter, husband or wife, father or mother, professional or citizen. Lesser identities strengthen the 'karta' or doer and enable him to complete the karma. Another utility of lesser identity is to move one from tamoguna to rajoguna and that is how. Krishna reminds Arjuna of his being a warrior and his warrior dharma, again and again after educating him in the Sankhya yoga, the highest knowledge of atma-gyan.
The lesser identity is essential to perform limited duties that include those as student, son or daughter, husband or wife, father or mother, professional or citizen. Lesser identities strengthen the 'karta' or doer and enable him to complete the karma. Another utility of lesser identity is to move one from tamoguna to rajoguna and that is how. Krishna reminds Arjuna of his being a warrior and his warrior dharma, again and again after educating him in the Sankhya yoga, the highest knowledge of atma-gyan.
He tells him about his kshatriya dharma and what people will say if he doesn't do his duty, something that is irrelevant to a Brahmagyani So, to come out of tamoguna, rajoguna is essential. And while moving from rajoguna to satoguna, all identities get dropped. That's why Buddha said the world is all sorrow and misery; so take sanyas. His teachings were simple, plain, convincing, logical and so could be understood far and wide, whereas Krishna's are complicated, confusing and contradictory and so they remained confined to India.
Krishna also says "Anityam Asukham Loka" The universe is anitya, asukha (transient, devoid of happiness) he doesn't say it is dukham and further he says "Imam Prapya" Achieving this, "Bhajaswamam" merge into Me (Gita, Ch 9) In the Vedantic tradition, there are two paths: One is that of negation "neti neti", which the Buddhists have adopted. The other is simply moving beyond negation. That is the path of Taitriya Upanishads, also called the varunya. The varun was given introduction food is.Brahmn, then told Prana Brahmn, without negating the previous.
Then as the higher planes of manobrahma, vigyan-brahma and anandam-brahma are introduced, the previous identities are naturally superseded; no negation is used in this. You don't need to negate being a householder to be a good citizen of your country and you don't need to negate being a good citizen in order to be a world citizen; they all fall in place. The lower identities simply get absorbed and enriched as well. This is incomprehensible for a linear-thinking Occident. The dharmashastras and.Brahmagyanis have all along been guiding when there is a conflict between the dharmas of different identities like between a grihastha-dharma or that of a householder and raja-dharma or that of a citizen.
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