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Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya Biography

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“Shabda, Transcendent Word, or logos ( λόγος ) in Greek, is the exclusive means by which transcendent truths are revealed. This is the case because shabda, being of the nature of the spiritual, corresponds in essence with the spiritual nature of transcendent truths. It is only via consciousness that we can know consciousness. It is only via spirit that we can know Spirit. It is only via atman (our individual soul) that we can know Brahman (God). It is only through shabda that we can know transcendent truths. Shabda represents the essential nature of spiritual realities as they exist in the form of trans-empirical vibrational frequency (thus Word, logos, etc.). Truth, being an eternal and living reality, can be accessed by human beings who have purified themselves, and who have absorbed their subjective consciousness in the Absolute supreme subjective consciousness (God), to such a degree that qualitative separation between themselves and God has ceased to exist. At this point, the medium (pramana) between knower (pramatr) and object of knowledge (prameya), which in this case is God, has evaporated. Thus, shabda is the only means of knowing in which we transcend even the use of a medium. In such a state of oneness with the Divine, the sage now has the ability both to know the transcendent truth, as well as to reveal the transcendent truth of the Divine for all the world to know. Thus, Veda, or perfect scriptural authority comes into being as a result of such direct, non-mediated insight into the nature of the Divine on the part of the sage. Word, as the eternal transcendent reality revealed to sages in deep states of meditative absorption (samadhi), becomes "the Word" as written scripture when these very same sages then write their realizations down.”

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“The Vedic way calls upon all intelligent human beings to become noble (arya) in the character and behavior. We become noble when we strive to achieve superlative excellence in every aspect of our lives. For the noble person, the ideal of striving for perfection in all things is never a cause for trepidation or excuses. Excellence is our very purpose in living. We live in order to exceed our present state. For the arya (the noble person), the attitude of either being or doing something that is ‘good enough’ can never be good enough. Strive always, and in every facet of your being, to be noble and excellent. Praja Arya Jyotiragrah. ‘The arya are led by the divine light’ (Rig Veda, 7.33.17).”

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“Who among us has never, at some contemplative point in our lives or another, asked the truly big questions, questions about the ultimate meaning of the world we find around us, and of our lives within it? Questioning the reason for our human existence is a very natural pursuit on the part of any intelligent human being (manushya). Indeed, unlike any other species of life, human beings alone have been gifted by God with the unique cognitive ability to engage in self-reflection upon our very own existence as human beings. To be human means to question what it means to be human.”

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“We live in a world that we know is infinitely complex, overpoweringly beautiful, and often times deeply mysterious. From time immemorial, human beings have peered into the heavens and contemplated the meaning of the world around them, and the meaning of their own lives within this world. When we human beings do begin to contemplate the meaning of our reality, there are really only two mutually exclusive conclusions that we can possible come to. And we must choose between one of these two possible explanations. The first way of viewing reality tries to convince us that the world we see around us is ultimately devoid of any real and lasting meaning. That everything happens in a thoroughly random manner. That the world is an inherently chaotic place, without an ultimate purpose, or any higher principle governing what happens in our cosmos or what happens to us. We are alone. This uninspired response to the mysteries of the world around us is the typical secular materialist response. It is the depressing conclusion that the atheist comes to. This atheistic way of viewing reality is now the dominant worldview, purposefully and systematically foisted upon us for over two centuries by those who control public discourse and culture. The second way in which we can choose to see our world tells us just the very opposite of the above pessimistic and ultimately hopeless scenario. This second way envisions the universe around us as being full of deep meaning and alive with exciting possibility. Our cosmos is understood to be a reality in which, while oftentimes seemingly chaotic or confusing at a cursory glance, is in actuality governed by a higher and benevolent intelligence. It is a reality in which a nuanced order, balance, harmony and purpose lay hidden behind every important occurrence. Ours is a cosmos that is ruled by Natural Law. Though each and every one of these eternal principles of this Natural Law are not necessarily all known to us at all times, they are nonetheless discernible by those among us who are wise, patient and sensitive enough to listen to the quiet whispers of nature and to humbly open ourselves to the many lessons to be learned from Her. When we fully realize the nature and power of this Natural Law, and live according to its wise guidance, then we are living in harmony with the cosmos, and we open ourselves to experiencing the peace, health, joy, sense of oneness with all of creation and with every being in creation, and deep sense of meaning that each of us, in our own way, yearns for. This second response to the mystery of our cosmos represents the optimistic and hopeful world-view of Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Natural Way. The spiritual path of Sanatana Dharma, or “The Eternal Natural Way”, is the most ancient spiritual culture and tradition on the earth. Indeed, it is "sanatana", or eternal. To one degree or another, it forms the archetypal antecedent of every other later religion, denomination, and spiritually-minded culture known to humanity.”

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“Before there were any rigidly organized denominations, sects, faiths, or theocratic dogmas in the contemporary normative sense of these terms, there was the Eternal Natural Way. Previous to the concept of wars waged in the name of a jealous god, or the persecution of people who had a differing religious belief, or religion used by evil men to conquer, divide, and subjugate large portions of the human race, there was the Eternal Natural Way. Sanatana Dharma harkens back to a time in human history when spirituality arose naturally as an organic and vital expression of living beings' innate core essence as eternal consciousness expressing itself in the temporal and material world, when sanity and humility ruled the domain of spiritual expression, and when life was lived joyfully in accordance with transcendent Reality. (p. 17)”

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“The word "Hinduism" is not found anywhere in either Vedic or classical Sanskrit, nor in any of the recognized sacred scriptures (shastra) of this spiritual path. Rather, the proper name of this spiritual tradition, the name that is found throughout the scriptures of the tradition, is Sanatana Dharma, or the Eternal Natural Way. Additionally, followers of Sanatana Dharma are not properly referred to as “Hindus”, but as “Dharmis”, or followers of Dharma. (p. 18)”

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“Sanatana Dharma is, as its name implies, the “Eternal Natural Way.” Being a transcendent metaphysical principle and set of eternal natural laws, thus necessitating that Sanatana Dharma transcends both time and space, it preexisted the creation of the material cosmos itself, and it will continue to exist even after the universe itself ceases to be. Sanatana Dharma always was. Sanatana Dharma is. Sanatana Dharma always shall be. (p. 19)”

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“On the question of the nature of the Absolute, Sanatana Dharma falls very clearly under the heading of a monotheistic religion. We believe that there is only one supreme being who is the origin and sustainer of all reality, and that the highest goal (artha) in life is to know, to love, to serve, and to come to a eventual state of intimate communion with the Divine Being, God. (p. 25)”

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“There is no place where God is not. Indeed, for Sanatana Dharma, it is the very presence of God itself within the very core of all things that gives all things their very existence ontologically, and their very raison d'être spiritually. God is present within all of the material creation, within all of nature, in the hearts of every living being, and ever-present within our own essential being as the very Soul of our soul, the very foundation of our being, and the sustainer of our existence. Indeed, it is understood that if you were capable of pointing to anything either perceivable or conceivable in which God were not present - you would actually be pointing to nothing at all! This is the reason why the very highest name for God in the tradition of Sanatana Dharma is the Sanskrit term "Sriman Narayana", or "the Auspicious Sustainer of All Beings." (p 28)”

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“Being the Eternal Natural Way, Sanatana Dharma is a world-view that is universal in nature, and that can be followed by all. It is not relegated only to a particular people, nation, ethnicity or geographical region. Dharma is not a race, a parochial cultural expression, a nationality, or a geographically-bound phenomenon. Rather, Dharma is as universally applicable a truth and a systematic methodology as are the knowledge-revealing intellectual realms of mathematics, science, logic, or philosophy. As a result of the universalism of Dharma, this path is open to any sincere seeker on Earth, regardless of the person's national or ethnic heritage. Sanatana Dharma is not a race, a nationality or an ethnicity. Sanatana Dharma is not Indian, Asian or Eastern. Sanatana Dharma is he Eternal Natural Way, and it is the spiritual inheritance of all living being. (p. 28)”

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“Being the Eternal Natural Way, Sanatana Dharma is a world-view that is universal in nature, and that can be followed by all. It is not relegated only to a particular people, nation, ethnicity or geographical region. Dharma is not a race, a parochial cultural expression, a nationality, or a geographically-bound phenomenon. Rather, Dharma is as universally applicable a truth and a systematic methodology as are the knowledge-revealing intellectual realms of mathematics, science, logic, or philosophy. As a result of the universalism of Dharma, this path is open to any sincere seeker on Earth, regardless of the person's national or ethnic heritage. Sanatana Dharma is not a race, a nationality or an ethnicity. Sanatana Dharma is not Indian, Asian or Eastern. Sanatana Dharma is the Eternal Natural Way, and it is the spiritual inheritance of all living being. (p. 28)”

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“Throughout the unceasing course of human history, there have been a small number of revolutionary ideas that have served to define the nature and shape of an entire era and people. These ground-breaking ideas have been neither parochially limited, nor culturally demarcated in scope, but rather have served as meta-cultural, trans-geographical ideological principles that have assisted in guiding and molding the direction and purpose of entire civilizations and epochs in history. Such world-views are weltanschauung, a German word which has no English equivalent. The closest translation is perhaps the phrase "world-perspective", or a “world-view”. It is a way of perceiving reality, a way of seeing. A weltanschauung can be of either a positive and life-enhancing nature, while others can be devastatingly destructive. Some of the meta-ideas responsible for such civilizational transformation have included the world-altering ideas of theism, science, secularism, materialism, Marxism, hierarchy, equality, and democracy, among others. Of all the known ideological world-views to have arisen in human memory, the ancient principle of Dharma (“Natural Law” one can say) is by far the most important, universal, compelling, and surprisingly least known in our age, of all weltanschauung. It is a world-view that has shaped entire intercontinental civilizations in the ancient past, and that is still making its presence known today. It is also the one world-view destined to shape the future of our new global civilization in the 21 st Century and beyond. (p. 39)”

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“The Vedas were first composed in Sanskrit approximately 3800 BC. Previous to even this time, this literature is known to have been preserved orally, and passed down from generation to generation of priests, seers and sages before finally being committed to writing. Thus, no one can accurately date the antiquity of the Vedas and consequently of Dharma. Dharma is one of the most ancient concepts known to humanity. The word “Dharma” is found repeatedly throughout the entire corpus of the Vedic scriptures, from the earliest Rig Veda to the Bhagavad Gita. There is almost no scripture in the entirety of the Vedic literature where one will not come across the word “Dharma” as the preeminent name of the religio-philosophical world-view taught in these ancient, sacred texts. Sometimes the word “Dharma” is used by itself; at other times it is used in conjunction with other qualifying words, such as “Vaidika Dharma” (Vedic Dharma), “Vishva Dharma” (Global Dharma), “Yoga Dharma” (the Dharma of Union), or more frequently as "Sanatana Dharma" (the Eternal Natural Way). The diversity of adjectival emphases will vary in accordance with the precise context in which the word is used. Of these terms, the name “Sanatana Dharma” has been the most widely used name of the path of Truth, and is used as far back as the Rig Veda (3800 BC), the very earliest scripture of the Indo-European peoples, and the earliest written text known to humanity. It is also the most philosophically profound and conceptually beautiful name for the path of Truth. (p. 42)”

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“Our world, according to Dharma, is a place that is replete with inherent meaning, value, and an intelligent design underlying its physical principles and laws, as well as a transcendent purpose that, while not necessarily discernible via empirical means, nonetheless forms a very concrete spiritual basis of all empirical reality. The material, according to Dharma, finds its origin and sustaining ground in the spiritual. The measurable is grounded upon the infinite. The spiritual necessarily precedes the material. The world is here for a purpose – and that purpose is God’s purpose. The word “dharma”, in this more important philosophical sense, refers to those underlying natural principles that are inherent in the very structure of reality, ordering our world as the metaphysical backdrop to the drama of everyday phenomenal existence, and that has their origin in the causeless will and grace of God. Dharma is Natural Law. Thus, if we needed to render the entire term Sanatana Dharma into English, we can cautiously translate it as „The Eternal Natural Way“. (p. 47)”

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“Dharma has no recognized founder, or prophet, or originator, other than the direct will and causeless overflowing grace of the Absolute. At one time Dharma was the sole expression of humanity’s yearning to stretch its hearts and intellects beyond the known world, and to intimately know and experience the source of all reality. Dharma was humanity’s attempt to incorporate the will of the transcendent Divine into the everyday, phenomenal concerns of this world, and to live and explore politics, economics, the arts, music, philosophy, literary expression, and life itself as an everyday, every-moment celebration of the omnipresent imminence of the Divine. When the rational and divinely inspired laws of Dharma governed the world, spirituality served as a source of unity, tolerance, joy, and mutual understanding. It is only with the later rise of the denominations that religion was then used to divide people, and to aggressively conquer others in the name of a god. Being thus a pre-religious phenomenon, Dharma serves as the spiritual foundation of all later denominational expressions of spirituality, and thus, by extension, as the very source of all important civilizations on earth. Dharma is the common heritage of all humanity, whether or not individual humans today are ready to acknowledge this fact or not. (p. 51)”

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“For the Dharmi, the world around us is seen as being alive with sentiency and personality. Some of this life is readily seen through the senses, while other forms of life exist on more subtle realms and cannot be as readily detected. Consciousness – life – inhabits the four corners of our cosmos in all its myriad forms, and is all meant to be appreciated for its own inherent value. As a result of this unique way of perceiving reality, the Dharmi has deep respect and reverence for his surroundings, including respect for all life-forms, all natural phenomena, as well as for the Earth Herself. The trees, mountains, the oceans, rivers and lakes, the myriad diverse biospheres, and the planets and stars are all seen as being beneficent friends and blessings upon us all. The Dharmi never considers himself to be at war with other species of life, but views the diverse living entities found in nature with love and acceptance. All living beings have an inherent right to life […] In actuality, Dharma teaches us that every corner of the cosmos is filled with consciousness and is alive with personality. The Sun, the Moon, the Earth, the lakes and trees, and Nature herself are all seen as being living persons, with their own will and inherent value, and are accordingly treated with the highest respect. (p. 63 f.)”

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“Truth, including the very highest of spiritual and philosophical truths, can be known to us with ever-increasing depth and clarity. We can know truth, both in theory, as well as through direct experiential insight, by employing the Vedic tools of Yoga and meditation, all under the capable guidance of the Vedic scriptures, the authentic guru, and the power of our own sincerity and direct insight into the nature of the Absolute. This is the Vedic way of knowing. (p. 80)”

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“The eternal flow of Truth is a non-empirically-audible sonic reality that transcends the realm of human sensory purview or intellectual speculation, but that is nonetheless directly accessible to any sincere seeker who eventually reaches the stage of being a liberated yogi. Such transcendent Truth can only be known by purifying oneself through the practices of Yoga, meditation and devotional consciousness (bhakti) toward the Supreme Godhead, and reforming one's character to the point of dissolving illusory ego completely. It is this living, transcendent Truth that the perfected sages encounter in the yogically inspired state of non-mediated spiritual perception of the Absolute.”

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“This transcendent realm of Truth can be compared to the overwhelming majesty and power of a mighty rushing river. That Truth is ever-dynamic, ever-fresh, unalterable, unstoppable, and alive with spiritual power. That river of Truth has the power to quench our thirst and our longing for the nectarean sweetness of Reality unlike anything else in existence. That river of Truth is the only sustenance our soul will ever need. When directly encountered by any liberated yogi, that mighty river of Truth is experienced in its dynamic form. When this very same yogi then reveals this transcendent Truth to others in the material world, however, this dynamic Truth now becomes concretized in the form of the Vedic scriptures (shastra).”

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“The teachings of 1) the Upanishads, coupled with 2) the Bhagavad Gita and 3) the Brahma Sutras, form the scriptural foundation of Vedanta, which constitutes the highest philosophical teachings of Sanatana Dharma. The term "Vedanta" is composed of two Sanskrit words. "Veda" means knowledge, and "anta" means the end, or culmination. Thus, Vedanta represents the "Culmination of all Knowledge". Of the 108 volumes of the Upanishads, several are extremely esoteric, while some are more easily understandable by modern readers. In either case, the only way to fully understand the teachings of both the Upanishads and any other sacred work of the Vedic literature is to study these works under the expert guidance of an authentic and self-realized guru (spiritual master). It is impossible to understand the inner spiritual essence of the Vedic scriptures without the grace of an authorized guru.”

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“The Bhagavad Gita presents us with a unitary system of Yoga, one clear and systematic path, wherein all four Yoga techniques of jnana, karma, bhakti and classical ashtanga are - together – all considered crucial for spiritual realization. These four supposedly different paths, in actuality, represent four aspects of one, unified, integral Yoga system. They are akin to the four sides of a square. If one of the sides of the square is missing, then the very structural integrity and being of the square is itself compromised. Indeed, it no longer is logically qualified as a "square" at all. Similarly, the complete and authentic path of Yoga spirituality must include all these four components of Yoga in order to be fully appreciated. It is true that these four Yogas are linked by their common emphasis on devotional meditation upon, and the ultimate loving absorption of our awareness in, the Absolute. However, it is also inarguably clear that Krishna considers bhakti-yoga, or the discipline of focused devotional consciousness, to be not merely one component of these four branches of Yoga, but as the very essence and goal of all Yoga practice itself. Unlike the other aspects of the Yoga path, bhakti (devotional meditation) is distinguished by the fact that it is not only a means (upaya) for knowing God, but it is simultaneously also the goal (artha) of all human existence. As the means, bhakti designates devotional meditation; as the goal, bhakti means devotional consciousness. At no time does one abandon the practice of bhakti, even upon achieving liberation. Rather, devotional consciousness focused with one-pointed awareness upon the Absolute represents the very goal of the entire Yoga system.”

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“We do not have a soul. Rather we are soul. Our soul is our innermost identity and synonymous with the most intimate level of "I" that we know to be the core of our personhood. Both God (Brahman) and soul (Atman) are of the nature of pure sentient consciousness. Thus, being spiritual, they both transcend matter itself, as well as all the limitations necessarily associated with matter.”

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“God, or Brahman, is the source of all. In the state of illusion, the soul (Atman) sees itself as an exploiter of matter (Jagat), and lives in an unnatural state of illusory separation from God. Thus, the soul psychologically finds himself in a unnatural, unnecessary and discomforting state of self-imposed conflict (virodha) and adversity with God, with other living beings, and with the material world around him. Such an unnatural state is the source of all our suffering. However, in the most ideal of circumstances, God, soul and materiality all exist in harmonious balance, drawn to one another through a metaphysical bond of love, and a unity of transcendent purpose - Atman and Jagat serving Brahman, and Brahman giving Atman and Jagat their sense of purpose and operating as the ontological source and sustaining principle of their very being [...] When we live in such a state of natural balance, we are then living in accordance with Dharma. We are then living our lives naturally and in perfection. (p. 115)”

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“To the sage, the soul of the cow, the soul of the dog, and the soul of the elephant is just as worthy of dignity, respect, and spiritual equality as is the soul contained in the human being. Sama Darshina, or equal spiritual vision, is the highest form of equality toward which we can all aspire – for it sees the inherent equality that exists in the spiritual essence of all living beings. It is, in fact, the only realistic form of equality that we can ever hope for. Seeing all beings as our spiritual brothers and sisters, we will then, by natural extension, offer all people our respect on the political, social, cultural, and economic realms. The truly just society, then, is the Dharmic society, a society comprised of citizens who aspire toward the finer and nobler spiritual aspirations of life, and who thus view the world from a spiritual perspective. That nation which will most justly serve the interests of its people is the Dharma Nation, a nation in which the eternal principles of Dharma serve as the foundational governing philosophy of the state. We must make ourselves truly worthy citizens of God’s eternal Dharma Nation by spiritualizing our own vision and viewing our neighbors and fellow living beings as the atmans they truly are. We must begin the Dharma Revolution in our own lives.”

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“By choosing to perform actions that are either ethically positive or negative, we are choosing at the exact moment of such activities to create our own future states of being. We are choosing to mold our psycho-physical state, our mode of consciousness, our future course of action. The principle of karma teaches us that we have the power through our own present free-will decisions to literally create who and what we will be in the future. Thus, rather than being a doctrine that teaches the importance of "fate", "predestination", or a type of unalterable "destiny", the principle of karma actually teaches us the opposite: That we are radically free beings, with the ability at every given moment to choose to mold ourselves and our individual futures. Karma is thus a doctrine of radical freedom.”

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