Part 5 - The Third Principle

The natural doubt that comes by now is that scope of knowledge is virtually infinite in expanse and depth. Even terrorists learn a lot, thieves learn a lot. We cannot stop learning even for a moment until our sense organs are active and mind is working. Each sensory input processed by the brain is a new learning. Thus learning and knowledge acquisition is already a natural process. Does it then mean that I should keep learning every other thing, which is already the default process and will that keep giving me more and more bliss?

The answer is both yes and no. The very mechanics of acquiring new skills or knowledge does provide bliss, regardless of what it is, so far the mind is trained to aspire for it. More actively you pursue it, and more the bliss. However, our goal is to reach ultimate bliss. So unless the knowledge acquired lead us further to the highway of ultimate bliss, we may be wasting our time. And any form of wastage again brings the forces of death and sorrow to fore. Put simply, not all methods and forms of knowledge acquisition lead us to highway.

This is like the game of 'Prince of Persia' that we used to play in the nineties. The Prince is trapped in a labyrinth and has to come out its different levels within thirty minutes and defeat the vizier who has kidnapped the princess. Now its a fun fighting with the guards and defeating them. Its also a fun jumping around and breaking walls and ceiling around, drinking magic potions and roaming about. But time is limited. So one has to smartly optimize his efforts and defeat only those guards, and move only in those alleys that lead to the goal. Now this game is a gross simplification of the real-game that we are playing. But the lesson is amply clear - act with a sense of direction.

The entire Vedas are a guidebook to help us in this game. As we shall understand the fundamental concepts, the direction would become clearer. But to summarize the suspense ahead - we all are intrigued by certain fundamental questions. Science, religion, philosophy - all seem to be attempts to answer them. None are able to answer them adequately. However they do seem to refute several assumptions made by each of them. Vedas provide a clue to them and lay a framework to seek these answers - a very scientific and logical framework indeed, and leave the rest for our own exploration.

The Vedic message is clear - the purpose of life is to seek answers to these fundamental questions and the state of ultimate bliss shall come the moment we are able to realize these answers.

The Basic question is only one.

The rest are mere expansions of this basic question. And the process of exploration of answers to these questions form the direction of our knowledge seeking. Anything and everything that leads us to answers to these questions is towards the path of bliss. Everything else is a waste of time and move towards sorrow and death.

So this is the basic question:
WHO AM I?

And the associated fundamental questions are:
WHERE DID I COME FROM?
WHERE WILL I GO?
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS LIFE?