Materialism and Spirituality are poles apart!

I googled to try finding out the timeline as to when the Vedas actually got codified into
written form.

The search lead me to one blog: https://bhuwanchand.wordpress.com with the post

titled: Hindu Scriptures (a): Some interesting questions about Hinduism… (Part
6).

This post is based on my reply (under moderation at the time of writing my post) in that blog
to that post. My gut feeling is that my post is likely to be moderated by the so call author of
that post.

There are also other “interesting” entries like “Bucket list” and “The ten things” the details of
which are mentioned below:

1. Bucket list: https://bhuwanchand.wordpress.com/about/my-bucket-list/ (this is where

I commented yesterday night and not approved by the author yet)
2. The 10 things: https://bhuwanchand.wordpress.com/about/the-ten-things/ (My focus
is on his 10th thing)
3. Hindu Scriptures (a): Some interesting questions about Hinduism… (Part
6): https://bhuwanchand.wordpress.com/2013/12/02/hindu-scriptures-a-some-
interesting-questions-about-hinduism-part-6/ – This is where I mentioned my same
comments as this post is of most relevance.

My reply goes like this to that post and this is the subject matter of this blog entry.

————–

“It all looks like you have a lot of western influence when it comes to Indian spiritual aspects.
I can see it by your “possessions” as well in your bucket list. You are not to be blamed for this
for the average Indian has been brainwashed by the Britishers during their invasion and
occupation for 200+ years. But now is the era of knowledge revolution and this stupidity
cannot last long!

Who are they to date our history or comment on our scriptures? None of them have lived the
life of our great sages and yogis to impart us the absolute truth that has been revealed by our
sages to us. All the interpretations of western Indologists are speculations and obnoxious
with vested interests barring a few. That accounts for hardly less than 1% who have genuinely
embraced Vedic culture like Stephan
Knapp(https://stephenknapp.wordpress.com/about-stephen-knapp/), David
Frawley (https://www.vedanet.com/) and a few others.

A vast majority of our ancient literatures is residing in the libraries of America, Great Britain
and Germany and Nordic countries with access barred to us. They have learnt Sanskrit to
suit their vested interests and most of the so-called inventions as mentioned by them are
already in the Vedas. I can give ample proof but that is not the scope right now.

First you mentioned the date of “composing” of scriptures

in https://bhuwanchand.wordpress.com/2013/12/02/hindu-scriptures-a-some-interesting-
questions-about-hinduism-part-6/ which is not correct and far from truth.
I quote from your post: “”Scholars have determined that the Rig Veda, the oldest of the four
Vedas, was composed about 1500 B.C., and codified about 600 B.C. It is unknown when it
was finally committed to writing, but this probably was at some point after 300 B.C. ” –

It follows the misinterpretation and intended misdirection by the western Indologists. No

sane Indian can forget the words of Macaulay on his understanding of the Indian culture to
the British parliament and the subsequent breakdown of the entire fabric of our societal
organisation and our moral values during the next 200 odd years. (I hate to call this person
“Lord” and he may be a Lord in UK but for us he is a murderer of our culture and values
through crooked means – Only the title Lord can be attributed to Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva
and Lord Brahma and none qualified to have this title)

I would like to understand:

What do you mean by “composed”?

What do you mean by “codified”?

Can you give the list of “Scholars” who have determined the timeline of Vedas?

Writing “probably” after 300 BC? – probably? Does this make any sense? what probability
0% to 100%? when it is probable can any sane person accept that as truth?

Max Mueller might be the first one in the list of Indologists followed by many others. His
foolish concept of “Aryan Invasion Theory” has been disputed and disproved not only by our
own Indian scholars who did painstaking research but also with the help of likeminded
Westerners (David Frawley – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qych3WYNViA).
So what authenticity can be there in whatever these Indologists are saying? Only those
ignorant people who have relinquished our literatures at the cost of mundane materialistic
pleasures from western civilization can succumb to that.

Vedas are divine revelations that are timeless, ageless, brought down by memory for
countless generations that has no beginning or end. Only if one can understand the process
of creation as per Vedas and Puranas can one understand that. The so called progressive
western folks are coming back to us to the very few people who still live an austere life and
have realised the truth to understand the purpose of life. The ISKCON revolution during
1960s and 1970s in the United States of America and other western countries cannot be
forgotten. But WE?

Veda Vyas recognising the advent of Kali Yuga, the dark age organised the vedas and brought
it into writing more than 5000 years ago for the benefit of common man. The symptoms of
Kali yoga have been predicted and mentioned in Shrimad Bhagavatam that was composed by
Veda Vyas more than 5000 years back. Dear fellow readers may refer Canto 12 Chapter 2 of
Shrimad Bhagavatam for more details. (https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/12/2)

For the sake of welfare of humanity, Veda Vyas decided Vedas has to be coded into writing
because during the kali age, the people will be short lived, have poor memory, will be
gluttons, will indulge in all sorts of evil activities due to the prominence of alcoholism,
gambling, meat eating, prostitution and greed for gold – all primary characteristics of rajasic
and tamasic qualities that is prevalent in the age of Kali. Don’t we realise that we are all
witnessing them now?

It’s your materialistic bucket list and its open advertisement that got to be private and not
disclosed in a public forum. The materialistic possessions are here today and gone tomorrow.
If at all you do something for the society it will be automatically known to the world. There is
no need for any self-advertisement for that. Even if it is not known, positive karma will be
accumulated.

My humble suggestion is to read our authentic scriptures like Shrimad Bhagavatam and
Bhagavat Gita from Mahatmas who have come through the line of disciplic succession.
Otherwise all we are left is mere speculations for they are esoteric and can be understood
only through realised people who have seen the truth. Not doing this will likely to mislead
people and will also land the commentator in more bad karma as misinterpretation and
blasphemes which is more dangerous than not doing anything.

All our scriptures have mentioned that Materialism and Spiritualism are not two sides of the
same coin and hence can never go together.

If you have read Yaksha Prashna section of Mahabharat – Yaksha asks Maharaj Yudhishtra:

What is the greatest wonder?

Yudhishthira replied, ” Day after day countless people die. Yet the living wish to live forever.
O Lord, what can be a greater wonder?”

The impermanence of life is only permanent.

By following materialistic pursuits, the real purpose of life is forgotten. The real purpose of
life is unfulfilled and we fall again into the cycle of birth and death. Not only that, we
accumulate a lot more karma (good or bad) and that will take a lot more births (and deaths)
to relinquish and go back to the eternal abode which has to be our original place of residence.

I also say “Vichar Karo” (to contemplate) just like Sri Krishna mentioned in every episode of
The Mahabharat telecasted at star plus after his gyan(knowledge) on the incidents in that
particular episode.

By writing in a public blog everyone is entitled to have their opinions. All opinions are to be
honoured as everyone has their own perspectives and it is to be respected. The question of
ego or acceptance or non-acceptance does not come into picture as long as what is written is
relevant to what is posted so that it is of benefit to the fellow readers and bloggers. I am sure
what I am writing is most relevant and also very much required.

One final thing I would like to mention:

Definition of “blog” by http://www.dictionary.com:

noun

a website containing a writer’s or group of writers’ own experiences, observations, opinions,

etc., and often having images and links to other websites.

Unfortunately, i found entries in your blog are copy-pasted from unauthentic sources and
not much of originality (particularly this present post).

Your 10th statement in the list of 10 things clearly indicate that.

I quote for our fellow readers:

“10. Religion is just a part of life, not the whole life in itself : Like many other things in our
life, is just a part of our life, it’s not the life itself. It doesn’t mean that just by being religious
we can clean our soul. Try to limit it to the acceptable bare minimum. No need to give up
one’s beliefs, but also should not be considered as Everything of life.”

On seeing your posts on spirituality and religion, it only reminds me of my favourite quote in
Shrimad Bhagavatam when Jad Bharath was instructing King Rahoguna:

Canto 5 Chapter 11 Text 1:

(https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/5/11/1/)

“The brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata said: My dear King, although you are not at all experienced,
you are trying to speak like a very experienced man. Consequently, you cannot be considered
an experienced person. An experienced person does not speak the way you are speaking
about the relationship between a master and a servant or about material pains and pleasures.
These are simply external activities. Any advanced, experienced man, considering the
Absolute Truth, does not talk in this way.”

All Vedic literatures conclude that the individual soul is always clear and transcendental
since it is a part and parcel of supreme soul. The supreme soul (Paramatma) resides together
with the individual soul in the heart but as a witness. It is only due to the contact with
material nature, Maya that the individual soul loses its originality by giving too much
importance to it i.e. the external world. By directing the soul through the process of self-
realisation the soul gets freedom from this bondage and attains supreme bliss.

According to any follower of Santana Dharma (Hinduism) – Religion is a way of life and not
a time pass like going to a particular religious institution on a holiday etc.

For a change :), Encyclopaedia Britannica gives a good description of Sanatana Dharma
(Hinduism):

See https://www.britannica.com/topic/sanatana-dharma

” sanatana dharma consists of virtues such as honesty, refraining from injuring living beings,
purity, goodwill, mercy, patience, forbearance, self-restraint, generosity, and asceticism. ” –

Do you think this is just a part of life and not the whole life?

“Phir Vichar Karo” (Contemplate again!)

Hare Krishna! Jai Shree Ram!”

All comments are most welcome.

Rajini