Sanatana Dharma classifies human life into 4 primary motivations – dharma, artha, kama and moksha. Of these Moksha represents the ultimate spiritual condition, often loosely refered to as liberation or enligtenment or moving out of this cycle of endless rebirth. The word Adhyatma is defined as belonging to the Self, transcendental, or Supreme Spirit. The study of Adhytma is spirituality, and the quality that is imbibed in an individual engaged in the pursuit of Adhytama Vidya [transcendental knowledge] is known as Adhyatmikta.
How old is Sanatana Dharma? What are the different paths within the fold? How old are the gods? According to the Vedic analysis of Sri Aurobindo, there are three fundamental ideas in the Vedic corpus – Satyam (Truth), Ritam (right) and Brhat (Vast) – which are fundamental to the growth and evolution of a human being, both individually and as a society. Satyam is the knowledge of the Truth as it is, Ritam is right action born from that knowledge, and Brhat is a state of limitlessness. While they appear as three seperate words when vocalized, their interplay is fundamental to a holistic spiritual development, and one does not function properly without appropriate integration of the other two. What was Ritam in the Veda-s became Dharma in the post-vedic era. But Dharma is also a dynamic idea, the most useful defintion of which comes from the colloquy of Kurukshetra where the Divine Teacher speaks to the human disciple. Brhat is the condition of transcending all limitations, for limitations breed partiality, and partiality distorts the vision of Satyam or Truth. And this turn leads to wrong action, an error in following Ritam or Dharma and this further restricts the individual’s spiritual development. Thus on this trinity of fundamental ideas all later development of religion and spirituality flowered in this subcontinent.
How then do the variety of gods then fit in this schema, what is their dharma, what paths do they lead seekers through? What about the different kinds of spiritual experience that a sadhaka encounters on the path? How does Tantra rediscover the vedantic truths? And finally, how do we relive those teachings of our ancient masters in today’s world? In Adhytamikta we try to bring you all these and much more, inspired from teachings and experiences of great saints, distilled from the long-standing practices that have survived millenniums and passed on carefully from Guru to Sishya, and gathered from our individual spiritual explorations. This is not a forum for the orthodox, neither for the compulsive heterodox, nor for the atheist. Only those who are governed by a deep fundamental desire for the Divine experience, may find resonance with the thoughts and posts in Adhyatmikta. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad masterfully declares our collective goal:
asato mā sad gamaya,
tamaso mā jyotir gamaya,
mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya,
Om shanti~ shanti~ shanti hi
Lead me from darkness to light,
Lead me from death to the immortality
Om peace peace peace
