Ignorance is the root of all misery
Human life is a story of the alternating patterns of duality, of happiness and suffering, joy and misery, ups and downs. There is not a single life without this admixture, without this pair of opposites. This is the law of life. Though the Atman is identical to the Brahman who is ever-radiant and blissful, the Jiva (individual) suffers because he is entrapped by the limiting adjuncts (upadhis) of body and mind. The infinite seems to be entrapped by the finite body and mind. Misery is not natural to the Jiva. It comes to experience a state of misery because of its association with a body.
• So the cause of misery is a body
• The body (birth) is due to karma (previous actions)
• Karma arises from attachment and hate, by preference to certain objects and aversion to some.
• Attachment and hate arise from Egocentricity (sense of 'I' and 'Mine')
• Egocentricity comes from indiscrimination or lack of discernment.
• Indiscrimination, from ignorance of your true nature, that you are one with the Brahman
The cessation of suffering
The root cause of all suffering and Karma is ignorance. The only way to go beyond this is to bring the light of knowledge. The first step in this direction is to change one's attitude, to retrace one's steps along the same path that we have come. In other words, the only solution is to go back to our cosmic roots, to become one with the Cosmic Consciousness. That is liberation; that is moksha, salvation, whatever you call it. This birth affords us a chance to exhaust our karmic debts, so that we may be free. Jyotisha is the light that reveals this great truth to us so that we may be free. A sincere study of Jyotisha can be a great spiritual education; a Sadhana in itself, for it partly reveals the eternal mysteries of the cosmos to us. It leads us to the unknown through the known. It guides us out through the intricate labyrinth that life is, with its myriad pairs of duality. It shows us the way and ultimately sets us free, by taking us back to our cosmic roots.
There is great joy in the knowledge of Jyotisha, provided one is truly grounded in Yoga Vedanta. Jyotisha is a pratyaksha sastra, a practical science, the eye of the Veda. A jyotishi has access to one of the best languages of Nature. Whether we perceive ourselves as helpless victims or witnesses or insignificant specks or rejoice in this grand play, depends on our world view. While the existentialist astrologer has this frustration of being a helpless observer, the jyotishi who is firmly grounded in Yoga Vedanta views it differently. ' Seeing' or 'experiencing' how jyotisha works, is like watching Prakriti (Nature) in Her grandeur. Everything feels like a play. It is inspiring to be part of this grand cosmic play, this play of Consciousness ('Chidvilasa')! Once you really experience astrology this way, life is no more a suffering. There is neither sin nor virtue in being part of this. Neither is knowledge burdensome. You rejoice in everything.
Human life is a story of the alternating patterns of duality, of happiness and suffering, joy and misery, ups and downs. There is not a single life without this admixture, without this pair of opposites. This is the law of life. Though the Atman is identical to the Brahman who is ever-radiant and blissful, the Jiva (individual) suffers because he is entrapped by the limiting adjuncts (upadhis) of body and mind. The infinite seems to be entrapped by the finite body and mind. Misery is not natural to the Jiva. It comes to experience a state of misery because of its association with a body.
• So the cause of misery is a body
• The body (birth) is due to karma (previous actions)
• Karma arises from attachment and hate, by preference to certain objects and aversion to some.
• Attachment and hate arise from Egocentricity (sense of 'I' and 'Mine')
• Egocentricity comes from indiscrimination or lack of discernment.
• Indiscrimination, from ignorance of your true nature, that you are one with the Brahman
The cessation of suffering
The root cause of all suffering and Karma is ignorance. The only way to go beyond this is to bring the light of knowledge. The first step in this direction is to change one's attitude, to retrace one's steps along the same path that we have come. In other words, the only solution is to go back to our cosmic roots, to become one with the Cosmic Consciousness. That is liberation; that is moksha, salvation, whatever you call it. This birth affords us a chance to exhaust our karmic debts, so that we may be free. Jyotisha is the light that reveals this great truth to us so that we may be free. A sincere study of Jyotisha can be a great spiritual education; a Sadhana in itself, for it partly reveals the eternal mysteries of the cosmos to us. It leads us to the unknown through the known. It guides us out through the intricate labyrinth that life is, with its myriad pairs of duality. It shows us the way and ultimately sets us free, by taking us back to our cosmic roots.
There is great joy in the knowledge of Jyotisha, provided one is truly grounded in Yoga Vedanta. Jyotisha is a pratyaksha sastra, a practical science, the eye of the Veda. A jyotishi has access to one of the best languages of Nature. Whether we perceive ourselves as helpless victims or witnesses or insignificant specks or rejoice in this grand play, depends on our world view. While the existentialist astrologer has this frustration of being a helpless observer, the jyotishi who is firmly grounded in Yoga Vedanta views it differently. ' Seeing' or 'experiencing' how jyotisha works, is like watching Prakriti (Nature) in Her grandeur. Everything feels like a play. It is inspiring to be part of this grand cosmic play, this play of Consciousness ('Chidvilasa')! Once you really experience astrology this way, life is no more a suffering. There is neither sin nor virtue in being part of this. Neither is knowledge burdensome. You rejoice in everything.
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