Vedic religion, a way of life

CHENNAI, MARCH 21. Human beings differ from other living beings as their personality is much more complex and hence the process of growth in their case involves an integrated development of the different aspects of their nature. Some forms of growth are natural, for example, physical growth, which enables a child to grow into an adult. In human beings even after reaching adulthood there seems to be room for further growth as it is obvious that there are other aspects which need development to enable them to deal with life in the world.

This fact is apparent when we see that mere physical maturity does not equip an individual to deal with the emotional ups and downs he faces in life situations. If a person needs to be in charge of his life then he must equip himself to deal with all situations with poise. The Vedic scriptures deal with the wisdom which can enable man to learn this important lesson of life. Mere learning is not sufficient and wisdom must translate into action in human lives by creating a conducive environment.

In his discourse on ``Culture, Religion and Self-growth'', Swami Dayananda Saraswati said that the wisdom of the Vedas was manifest in our day-to-day life, as our culture. Whenever there is a religiosity involved in a culture we term it religion but we cannot separate the two; so religion becomes a way of life which we commonly understand as culture. In Vedic culture the wisdom that the entire manifestation is God, permeates all human actions.

If we consider the simple task of preparation of food and partaking it in this culture, it is common knowledge that it is prepared in all purity and offered to God first. Not only to God, it is offered to other living beings also and only then is it eaten. Even the act of eating commences with a purificatory ritual and it is to the indwelling Lord to whom the food is offered because the physiological process of digestion and assimilation is sustained by the life process (Prana).

Hence the act of eating becomes a sacrifice. God is manifest not only as the physical world but also as the vital life force in His creation. The offering of food to God before partaking it teaches the truth that human agency comes into the whole picture. We depend on nature to sustain ourselves and we acknowledge this in the basic act of eating food.

There is a profound truth which is expressed in every simple act in our culture and we are the inheritors of this wisdom of the sages of yore. Vedic culture and religion are meant for the growth of the individual to the critical level where fullness (Purna) is reached - a stage which cannot be improved upon.

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