I was asked questions along the lines of:
Q: I heard someone at Mount Soma say that this is a Vedic center and has nothing to do with Hinduism, and the two have no connection. I feel that is false. Would you explain this?
To which I respond:
A: I essentially agree with you. It boils down to definition. The Veda is Nature. All religions relate to Nature with varying degrees of clarity. I like to say that when the Master speaks, it immediately ceases to be what the Master said and becomes what the listener heard, and therein lies the birth of religion… echoes of Truth perceived to be Truth. Adi Shankara said the knowledge must be purified generation after generation.
Knowledge, real KNOWLEDGE is not contained in books. It is contained in the awareness of the Enlightened… the Seers. Religions… all religions… are only echoes of Truth. When the subtlety is lost, a great deal is lost… like a musical instrument out of tune. It is the task of every generation to retune the instrument. The closer you are to Truth, the more powerful you become. The more powerful you are, the greater the damage that can be done. If you are going to run off the road, better to do it in a child’s wagon than in a Porsche. See? It is gratifying that even the Hindu community is rising up in response to my words in agreement that the superstition and distortions of Truth must be purified out.
Personally, I would not say that Mount Soma has nothing to do with Hinduism or any other religion for that matter. It has everything to do with the essence of every religion. The similarities with Hinduism are obvious and need not even be stated because they are so obvious. However, as with many things, the subtle difference makes all the difference. So, it is extremely important to be very attentive to the subtle difference and not allow things to get blurred. As I say, a cell phone must be built exactly right to work. Rearrange one diode or transistor and it does not work properly. When principles of Vedic technology are discarded as old fashioned or unnecessary, it can compromise everything.
Q: To the best of my understanding, Vedic is based on Vedas alone and it later evolved into what is now called Hinduism, which is what’s known as the “Upanishads.” Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita which is part of the Mahabharata) is not part of the 4 Vedas, as it came much later. Please talk about this, if you would.
A: The Veda is eternal, regardless of when a particular aspect of it was cognized. The structure of the Veda is a profoundly beautiful topic. I intend someday to offer a course on that… what the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Upanishads, Mantras, Brahmanas, Upangas, Itihasas, Puranas, etc. are. But right now, I am primarily focused on conveying the basics to the world.
I don’t know if I will express this clearly with words. What I felt reading this entry gave great clarity as to what you are bringing forth in existence at this time. With much gratitude to your efforts and your presence. In my heart I still call you Michael for my beloved teacher that I first met at what seems to be like ‘before all this’ and I call you Maharishiji for respect of who you are and what you bring forth.
As always… Beautiful blog.
Lovely! Thank you. I miss Mt. Soma and being in your presence.
Thank you
It is a great day!
Thank you again, but especially for taking the time and care to thoughtfully lay this out…
“…the subtle difference makes all the difference. So, it is extremely important to be very attentive to the subtle difference and not allow things to get blurred.”
Humbling to pause and consider what I miss…
I feel very fortunate to have a living guru who is able to directly address our questions in our unraveling and learning. The Austin Hindu temple honors a guru that passed over 100 years ago, so the knowledge can only be contained in books and oral tradition. I did wonder about the sweet energy I felt emanating from the statue of him as the devotees of this temple offered prasad and fanned him to sleep-on the same day as the Hanuman Kumbabhishekam was started at Mount Soma. I wonder if I was feeling into the amazing energy of the day, or in how a murti can contain an essence and an energy for evolution.
The whole concept of “Spiritual Community,” “Religious Community,” “Hindu Community,” “Vedic Community” is so interesting. What do any of these things really mean? What label best fits Mount Soma and how is it different from the other labels?
If we think back 5 years to 2009, which really isn’t that long ago, I don’t think any visitor to Mount Soma would have thought of us as a Hindu Community. What a difference the surface makes. Now pretty much every visitor thinks of us as a Hindu Community, and it can be incredibly difficult to explain the difference. Hopefully this blog can help us to better convey that understanding.
Jai Guru Dev
Dave,
Patience is just impatience tempered by reality. How true it is that people only hear what they are open to hearing. We just do what we do and do not fuss about it. Ice melts over time.