THE CENTRAL DECLARATION OF VEDANTA

[Ms Tercy Lonan]

THE CENTRAL DECLARATION OF VEDANTA
The central declaration, the central experience of Vedanta is the immortality of the Self in
the individual. It is the divinity of the innermost Spirit indwelling the material body, the physical
body—ajo nityah sasvato’yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire (Unborn, eternal, changeless
and ancient, the Self is not killed when the body is killed). This is the culminating declaration about
the immortal, imperishable nature of the Spirit within, the third dimension of man, the other two
being the physical and the psychological. The spiritual dimension, the real dimension, is something
that is immortal, imperishable, eternal and divine. To be established in this truth of our real nature is
to grow in strength day after day, is to grow in fearlessness day after day, is to grow in a state of
unperturbable stability day after day.
And it is only when you are established in this interior state of stability that you can truly act
in an effective manner in this outer world. In all changing circumstances, trying to act in a way that
the situation requires at that particular point in time, be daksha (proficient, apt). Always be in a state
of full knowledge, full awareness, that there is something else that is acting, a mechanism is acting.
Be established in the knowledge: “The forces that operate the mechanism are the three-fold gunas,
which are a part of prakriti to which this mechanism belongs; whereas, within that I am the
unaffected witnessing consciousness. I am the witness. I apparently do, but in the midst of my
apparent doing, I am really the actionless witness beyond time and space. Indriyas act amidst their
objects. The three gunas are doing many things. But seated in their midst, I am the silent,
unaffected, detached witnessing consciousness.” This is the secret of true karma yoga. It is the
secret of apparently being active as the situation demands and yet at the same time being fully aware
of what you are, never losing the awareness of your true transcendental nature, which is beyond the
body, senses, prana, mind and intellect.