Action and devotion must be integrated. A life without action is no life. Nature is always active and dynamic. All our internal organs are continuously functioning. The external world is ordered as day and night, the cycles of the seasons, and the movement of the stars and planets. The operation and function of human organs and the three states of life waking, dreaming, and deep sleep-are ordered. When disorder arises, discomfort, disease, and difficulty will manifest. Overseeing external nature, we find certain rules, principles, and guiding forces that science calls the laws of nature. Understanding these principles expands the domain of human knowledge.
Internally, we want to understand the body and its functions, so we can take care of it. However, we also need higher knowledge regarding the inner aspects of life. We need knowledge of the mind, emotion, ego, and the like. But knowledge does not end here. We must seek the source of peace and happiness; we must discover how to live a life of perfect joy and bliss. This is the esoteric spiritual knowledge. Spiritual knowledge opens the eyes with wonder, then a gradual experience of the divine power evolves, which is behind everything. This knowledge tunes us with God. From such knowledge, humility and thanksgiving develop and appear daily. Life becomes a journey of love and devotion.
Three aspects of human life-action, knowledge, and love can be explained as the efficiency of the hands, head, and heart. The efficiency of our hands is in action. Developing expertise in the head is knowledge, and excellence in the heart is love or devotion. When these three are integrated, a person becomes enlightened or realized. Since time immemorial, the Vedic rishis sought harmony between inner and outer living, balancing the external world and inner life. Inner contentment and contemplative living resulted in a minimal use of nature.
Just as fire hides in wood and manifests when in contact with live fire, similarly, the Vedanta is hidden in the Vedas. When sincere seekers come in contact with a guru-preceptor, and their service and humility arouse love and compassion in the beloved teacher's mind and heart, the practical teachings in the Vedas are revealed. As a result, seekers are inspired by the teachings, and with practice seckers are realized.
The Holy Bible (John 8:32) says, "You should know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Truth is the only way to freedom. The Upanishads (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3:8) emphasize na anyah panthalt: "There is no other way." Where falsehood and hypocrisy reign, we are far from the truth. Where truth is strong, simplicity thrives. Where truth endures, love is prolific, and God's communion is fostered because God is Truth.
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