By: Devakinanda Pasupuleti
There is a day and night difference between the preaching that 'you are the sinner and our son of God was crucified for your sins' versus our Vedic and Upanishadic declarations that tatvamasi (you are that-Brahman), and Aham Brahmāsmi (I am Brahman). When you hear every day that you are a sinner, it feels like somebody is pouring hot liquid lead in your ears. On the other hand, when you hear that 'tvameva pratyaksha Brhamāsmi' (you are the perceivable Brahman), your mind feels happy and content. Our Upanishads also added that 'pūrṇatvāṫ purushah aham pūrṇah'; 'ātmā śuḋḋha chaitanya svarūpah'; 'ātmah satyajnā jnāna anṫa sarva kāraṇa pūrṇah' (all meaning- you are the Self', and Ātman is Brahman').The Vedas declare that- 'you are that Brahman you have been looking for all along'.
The Vedas declare that the human is the most superior birth out of all the 8.4 million living species and is suitable to achieve mokṣham (liberation). The human body is equipped with the body, mind and intellect faculties (kāryā kāraṇa saṇghāṫa), which helps us in this spiritual practice. It is surprising to learn that, even deities don't have that opportunity and have to come back from heaven and higher tiers once their puṇyam (results of virtuous deeds) is exhausted. A Hindu theist is one who takes the Vedas as pramāṇās (means of knowledge), and acknowledges that Vedas are the Brahman, and Brahman is the Vedas. The Shrutis say that 'tat antike' meaning- you are the ātma ṫaṫvam. It wants you to realize the omnipresent nature of the ātma and declares 'Īśāvāśya miḋam sarvam' meaning- 'everything is Lord Parameswara's form and nothing is outside of him'. Similarly, whatever name or form you perceive, there is only Brahman. This is ṫaṫvajnānam, meaning- spiritual wisdom. In the Srimaḋ BhagavadGīta, Lord Shri Krishṇa says that 'there is no difference between him and the Jnāni'.
As you can see, all our scriptures, and sacred texts declare that you happened to be the Brahman and because of the veil of ignorance about our body, we do not recognize that truth. No single doctrine of ours says that you are a sinner, as other religions ingrain the minds of their followers.
Our Sanātana Dharma declares that human birth is superior to all other living beings and hence, our land is the 'Mānavoṫṫamajanmaprakatiṫa Bhūmi'.
***
