Vedic Philosophy Essay, Research Paper

Vedic philosophy, based on my understanding, has two main concepts. The first is the human?s real nature is divine and the second concept is that the aim of human life is to realize this divinity.

In order to explain what I have understood, I must explain each of the concepts separately. The Vedas assert that the universe perceived by the senses is not real. This is called Maya. Maya means that the perception of a person not ?self-realized? is not real because such a person associates himself with his emotions, and his ego. Since we are unable to perceive the world as a reality (which is unchanged in time and space) and that all beings are inter-related, the vedic says that the world we perceive is an illusion. The vedic wisdom implies that the world is not unreal like the birth of a child, but the world is unreal like mistaking of a rope to be a snake.

Vedic wisdom also goes on to say that beneath this outward changing appearance lies an fundamental reality which is supreme, called Brahman. Vedic wisdom tells us that since Brahman is beyond the senses, not being able to detect an underlying reality does not prove anything. The purpose of human life is to realize this underlying reality. It is refers to the essential nature present in every human being as Atman (which is called God immanent). Why do we want to realize Atman? To answer why, we have to find an alternate purpose. Of course if there is no reason to seek a new purpose if one is satisfied with his life. Majority of people get a job, make money, strive to become beautiful, strive to become strong, have children, and become famous. But does anybody really become satisfied with all this? Of course not, one always wants more since the desire is endless. Therefore desire can be satisfied only by the infinite.