An Introduction to the Brahma Sutras.1

An Introduction to the Brahma Sutras 2
( Swami Probuddhananda Puri classes)

We are moving towards that state when we will be assured about the Self, how to get assured? we have to know that and then we have to get established there. But distractions sometimes do comes, we have to know why they come, why do we tend away from the truth? It comes because of our weakness. But, the moment we start to know where do we stand now, we will see that these weakness would be gone. The weakness comes because we are used to think that we are weak. We have been told earlier that we cannot do anything, Have a normal life as others have, nothing more can be done, this is the common dialogue that everybody of us have heard. We grow up hearing all these weak thoughts. People like Swami Vivekananda or Sankaracharyya or all those enlightened people say, no, no. You have infinite capability within yourself. You have infinite strength within you. Believe in this, you are the son of the bliss, you are the son of the immortal. You have no death. Fear not, go beyond death. Only by knowing that entity or existence, which person, the person whom the Vedas refer to be as the Purusa or the Man, whose body color is like that of the sun, by knowing that person alone can one go beyond death. So, our work is only to know the truth, that self and while we approach it, many other things may come, but we have to cross them and reach our goal.
So, here we start, the first aphorism, Athata Brahma Jignyasa. Before coming to this, I want to give you some brief idea about the vedas. The Vedas are divided into two parts, the first part is the Karma Kandya and the other is the Jyana kandya. The karma Kandya in brief means all type of works in this world, science, religion, politics, warfare, medicine etc etc, whatever work it is, its under the karma Kandya. The sole aim of the Karma Kandya is to achieve heaven or swarga. Its also called Purva Mimansha. The nest is the Jnana Kandya or Upanishads or Vedanta which talks about the knowledge of the Self. It talks about supreme or complete liberation, it doesnt talk about achieving Heaven because Heaven also is a temporary thing. There is another place beyond the heaven, a person who goes there, never comes back. A person who goes to heaven should come back again, but a person who goes there where he knows His self never comes back, he gets liberated from the cycle of birth and death. That is the ultimate attainment. Samadhi. In samadhi does one attains that state. So, the subject of the vedanta or the upanishads is the brahman or the Self. Its also called the Uttar Mimansha. A person who is within the limitations of the Purva Mimansha, after completing everything, from becomig a house holder, to the scientists, businessman, a king or a brahmin or prist etc realizes that the effects of this works are very temporary and full of sufferings. It doesnt give him that infinite results what he had been looking for. But because I am infinite, I will always look for infinite happiness or joy, or peace. So, then, after realising the falsehood of the Karma Kandya, he elevates Himself to the Vedanta, and then for the first time, he questions - Tell me about the Self. Athata Brahma Jignyasa, means now the enquiry of the Self or Brahman had started.