ESSAYS

The Causal Body or the subtlest layer of individual consisting of beginningless ignorance; the seed cause or manifestation of the gross and subtle bodies that veils the Self.

In the tradition of Advaita Vedanta, nididhyāsana is the ripening of spiritual knowledge into living realization. It is not about acquiring new information or achieving extraordinary mystical experiences, but about standing steadfast in what has already been seen: I am That. It is the third phase after śravaṇa (hearing the teachings) and manana (removing doubts through reflection) in Vedanta's method of Self-inquiry.

If the universe was built so that God could play (the “lila” theory), then why all the pain, sorrow and suffering? The Self isn’t here to play because the Self has no desires or attributes. Also, if God created the universe for play, why did he make our happiness so temporary? Why not make it easy and provide infinite pleasure for everyone?  

Part of Vedanta’s final stage, a stage that includes ongoing meditation on the teachings, is acceptance of the world as it is. It’s easy to read the news headlines and get sucked into the world’s drama.

The truth that Vedanta teaches makes more sense when juxtaposed with how the individual experiences life on a daily basis. Zoomed-in, life on the surface is never what it seems. It’s only when we’re able to zoom out and look at things from a 40,000 foot view that we are able see the truth. Here are some example

In passing conversation about the recent death of a loved one, someone casually says to me they believe they will go to heaven after they...