By Madhu Varshney
Hari and I were very pleased to attend the 24th Arya Maha Sammelan held in New Jersey from July 31 to August 3, 2014, organized by Arya Pratinidhi Sabha America and Arya Samajs of Tri-States (New York, New Jersey, & Connecticut).
Below is a summary of the topics that were discussed during the conference.
Vedas the Source of Medical Science by Dr. Ramesh Gupta
Vedic View: Science and Spirituality by Dr. Devbala Ramanathan
Vedas are the source of Physics, chemistry and Mathematics by Sudhir Anand
Vedas: Source of Science of Yog & Arurvedic Medicine by Prof. Arya Shastri, India
Self-Development by Vedic Philosophy by Dharampal Lal Shastri, India
Vedas and World Peace by Dr. Krishna Achaya, Rohtak, India
The Art and the Science of Happiness from Vedic vs. to Modern Philosophy by Dr. Om Sharma
Science of Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation in the Vedas by Dr. Rajinder Gandhi
In the Upanishads, it is mentioned that when thoughts become silent, the soul finds peace in its own source. Lord Krishna, in Bhagavad – Gita, Chapter II, Verse 15, says that the person who is calm and remains unperturbed by either pain or pleasure is the one who attains immortality. Buddha has also described mindfulness in Satipatthana Sutra as “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.”
The Vedic texts have a more holistic approach. They see the mind as an instrument which has the potential to lead a person to eternal happiness or to perpetual suffering.
Mainly there are three entities in spiritual science – Parmatma/God, Aatmaa/soul and Prakriti/matter.
Omen! Every being and every particle (animate or inanimate) of this universe is created, pervaded and sustained by the Supreme Power, Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent Parmatma/God. Enjoy all things given by the Almighty Lord, but do not covet the wealth of any other person.
The God is called as Brahma almost in all Upanishads. Who gives strength to all organs of the body, who knows the mind of everyone, by whom the eye sees, the ear hears and by whom the Praan acts/gets strength, indeed know him only as Brahma.
Everything dwells in him and he lives everywhere. He is the only creator of this Universe. He is one and only one but called by several names.
The purpose in life is liberation from bondage leading to God realization and everlasting ananda (Bless), Four objectives necessary in life (Purushartha) are Dharma (religious and other duties), Artha (Material Prosperity), Kama (satisfactionof desires), and Moksha (salvation). We need to do yajna in self-dedicated work in any activity, Tapa by self-denial and self-centrol of our ahankara (ego), Dhayana (meditation) and attainment of lasting ananda of pure consciousness and connectedness of jeevatma to ultimate Divine Parmatman.
Mind should have a harmonious control over organs of perception and action. Detachment through self-restrains brings happiness. Penance is to keep your mind calm, cool, collected and controlled, and devoid of jealousy, anger and apathy. Let there be no harsh words in your speech, no vanity in your mind, no conscious sinful acts by your deeds and thoughts and no backbiting echoes in your heart. Control your mind to reach your destination; don’t let your mind be a slave to your desires. Continence of mind opens the gates for inner peace by curbing ego and illumination of the self for an everlasting bliss.
From the Vedic point of view, the only way peace can be called real is, if the essential needs of all individuals, families, and societies have been met, live fear less, and have love and respect for all in their day to day life. This state of peace should then be similar to a mother loving her children. Personal peace is dependent on the peace existent in the family
One of the main reasons for the wars is human ego. Vedas tell us to be human, full of qualities.
Those who perceive the same Supreme Being in everyone’s heart, and dwell on positivity and commonness rather than differences are not jealous. They also see that all souls are essentially children of the same god. They see unity, and are neither attached nor unhappy. Vedas tell us that everyone has equal rights to use all products derived from nature, such as air, water, etc. This basically includes everything we ever use in life. Contrary to these actions, bad conducts, selfishness, lust, ignorance, and not following the rules of nature will lead to unhappiness. We should not misuse any natural material.
I have tried to summarize the main gist of all Vedic topics and knowledge as discussed during the Mahasammlas in short.
Om Santih santih santih. May there be peace, peace, peace!
