Know who you are to enjoy peace of mind, says SWAMI PARTHASARATHY

Vedanta literally means culmination of knowledge. Veda means knowledge, anta means end, so Vedanta means the knowledge of your real Self. The Self within is supreme, although obscured by the body, mind and intellect. You are aware of the body, mind and intellect but not of your real Self. Vedanta helps you unfold the Self and discover the true nature of your inherent being. Your real being is Divine; you are the abode of absolute peace and bliss.

Humanity is unaware of the intrinsic wealth within. People seek happiness and enjoyment in the external world. They are governed universally, by two motivations: to acquire wealth and to enjoy what is acquired. Many of us are propelled by these two forces; few realise that there can be no satiation or fulfillment through acquisition or enjoyment, through external pursuits.

Anatomy Of An Experience
Life is defined in Sanskrit as anubhava dhara, stream of experiences; as long as experiences flow, there is life. When the flow ceases, life becomes extinct. An experience is, therefore, a unit of life. It constitutes two factors, subject and object. The individual is the subject; the world is the object. When you experience the world around you, the subject meets the object, and you gain an experience; the flow of experiences is life.

One class of thinkers worked upon the object — the world — to provide humanity with greater peace and happiness. They were the scientists. Science has made a colossal contribution to human welfare. It has developed the world to near perfection, with press-button comforts. Nevertheless, people are not as happy as they should be. In a perfected world, there seems to be only worry and anxiety, suffering and sorrow everywhere. That is a paradox. Another class of thinkers investigated the cause of the paradox. They were the ancient sages living in the Himalayas. These great philosophers analysed the anatomy of an experience and discovered that the subject, the individual was unattended as well as neglected, while the world was taken care of by science.

Consequently, the unprepared individual lived in stress and strain in a world of plenty and prosperity. The sages, thus, focussed their attention on the subject, the individual and gave the sublime philosophy of Vedanta — the knowledge designed to rehabilitate the individual to perfection.

Choice Of Action
Subjective development prepares the individual to meet challenges of the objective world. Human beings alone face the dilemma of choosing their actions or choices that they have to make every moment of their life. All other species have a preset programme of action. They do not have the problem of choosing their action. A tiger cannot become a vegetarian, nor does a cow become a meat-eater. They are constrained to follow a course of action to suit their particular nature. Vedanta equips you with the knowledge to make the right choice of action. It also provides you with the plan of action — a plan you can apply in your home, business, society — just about everywhere. It gives you a practical way of life to satisfy your material and spiritual needs. You enjoy prosperity with peace.

The Eternities: Vedanta Treatise.