{"id":1136,"date":"2025-05-04T15:16:05","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T19:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/?p=1136"},"modified":"2025-09-20T17:03:53","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T21:03:53","slug":"what-are-we-made-of-continuing-the-journey-from-kathopanishad-may-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/?p=1136","title":{"rendered":"What Are We Made Of? \u2013 Continuing the Journey from Kathopanishad (May 2025)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the last month\u2019s assignment, we journeyed into the powerful and thought-provoking story of Nachiketa from the Kathopanishad<\/em>. We saw how, even as a young boy, Nachiketa dared to ask big questions about life, family, and the truth beyond death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His three boons weren\u2019t for gold or palaces, but for peace in the family, knowledge for society, and truth for himself. That last one\u2014about death and what lies beyond it\u2014led us to the mystery of the soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s continue that thread this month and try to understand what the Vedas, especially the Rigveda<\/em>, say about the soul. This month\u2019s assignment is The Three Eternal Entities (Soul, Nature, and Super Consciousness).<\/strong> For this, we\u2019ll look at some deep insights from the Rigved\u0101di Bh\u0101\u1e63ya Bh\u016bmik\u0101<\/em>, written by Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are wondering why you should worry about it, the answer is when we begin to understand what we are truly made of, we also begin to understand how to live\u2014not in fear or confusion, but with purpose and peace. The ancient Rishis and Swami Dayanand didn\u2019t give us myths to blindly believe; they gave us a deep, logical path to reflect on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Three Eternal Truths<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rig Ved explains that there are three eternal things in this universe. They were never created and will never be destroyed. These are: \u0100tm\u0101 (Soul)<\/strong>, Param\u0101tm\u0101 (Supreme Soul or God)<\/strong>, and Prakriti (Nature or Matter)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u0100tm\u0101<\/strong>, or the soul, is your true self\u2014not the body, not even the mind. It is eternal, indestructible, and full of awareness. The soul can think, feel, choose, and grow. Just as a driver operates a car to move around, the soul uses the body to experience life. When the body dies, the soul moves on, continuing its journey. Known as j\u012bv\u0101tm\u0101<\/em>, the individual soul is the spark of life present in all living beings, even plants. These souls are countless\u2014immense in number but not infinite. Each one is pure and inherently free, yet bound to face the consequences of its actions, known as karma. The soul is never created and never destroyed. When it leaves one body at death, it takes another according to its karma, continuing the cycle of birth and rebirth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Param\u0101tm\u0101<\/strong>, or the Supreme Soul, refers to God\u2014the eternal, formless, all-knowing presence who is distinct from both individual souls and nature. Unlike us, who must learn and evolve, God is complete in knowledge and remains unchanged by the actions of others or the shifts in nature. According to Swami Dayanand, God is the source of all wisdom, power, and justice, acting as a witness, guide, and judge for all beings. Param\u0101tm\u0101 is the ultimate authority and energy behind the creation, maintenance, and dissolution of the universe. Though God governs the cosmos and sets everything into motion through divine law, He remains separate from the material world and is never subject to birth or death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prakriti<\/strong>, or Nature, is the third eternal reality. It includes everything that has form. All physical objects are made of Prakriti. But here\u2019s an important point: Prakriti is not alive. It cannot think or feel. By itself, it\u2019s like a box of building blocks\u2014useful, but inactive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what about plants and animals? Aren\u2019t they alive? Yes\u2014and that leads to a fascinating insight from the Rigveda<\/em> and Swami Dayanand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swami Dayanand explained that while Prakriti forms the body of a plant or animal, life begins only when a soul (\u0100tm\u0101) enters that body<\/strong>. So a tree may seem to grow and respond to sunlight, but that is because there is a soul within it\u2014though with very limited awareness. Plant life is a very basic form of existence, where the soul has just enough consciousness to support growth and reproduction. It doesn\u2019t reflect or reason like humans do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, only in a human birth<\/strong> does the soul gain full awareness, the power to ask questions, seek knowledge, and choose right from wrong. That\u2019s why, in Vedic thought, human life is considered precious\u2014it\u2019s the only state where the soul can truly grow, improve, and aim for liberation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even the “intelligence” we observe in nature\u2014like how birds migrate or flowers bloom\u2014is not coming from Prakriti itself. These are patterns built into nature by Param\u0101tm\u0101, running under perfect laws. The soul gives life to the body, and God gives purpose and order to the universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s Bring It All Together<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember Nachiketa\u2019s question? \u201cWhat happens after death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To explore that question, we need to understand these three eternal realities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • The body is made of Prakriti<\/strong> and one day perishes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The \u0100tm\u0101<\/strong>, or soul, moves on and takes another form.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Param\u0101tm\u0101<\/strong>, or God, is the eternal witness and judge of our actions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    When we deeply understand this, it changes how we live. We stop worrying only about appearances and start focusing on our inner growth. We begin to value truth, kindness, and knowledge. And we become more aware of the consequences of our actions\u2014even those no one else sees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This understanding doesn\u2019t lead us away from life \u2014 it helps us embrace it more wisely, with courage and clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This Month\u2019s Assignment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s reflect deeply on what we\u2019ve learned. Here are some questions to guide your thoughts and writing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. What do you think is the difference between your body and your soul?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. If the soul is eternal, what should we focus on in life \u2014 temporary things or eternal growth? Why?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Why do you think Swami Dayanand emphasized understanding God (Param\u0101tm\u0101) as formless and all-knowing?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Can you think of examples where people confuse the body with the real self? What happens because of that confusion?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Imagine Prakriti as a box of Lego blocks, and your soul as the builder. What kind of world would you build?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. Why is it important to understand the difference between \u0100tm\u0101, Param\u0101tm\u0101, and Prakriti while growing up?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    7. Swami Dayanand believed that knowledge and truth should guide our lives. Do you agree? Why or why not?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Note: The above points are for inspiration; you do not have to answer every question. Just pick whatever questions resonate with you the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Keep the Assignment Short and Sweet. Remember, we want to hear from YOU! So, please keep your response short and sweet \u2013 no more than 4 minutes of writing. This will help us stay on track and make sure everyone has time to share their thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When we begin to understand what we are truly made of, we also begin to understand how to live\u2014not in fear or confusion, but with purpose and peace. The ancient Rishis and Swami Dayanand didn\u2019t give us myths to blindly believe; they gave us a deep, logical path to reflect on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Happy thinking, happy writing, happy growing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Regards,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Harsh Mendiratta<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      www.hawan.net<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      In the last month\u2019s assignment, we journeyed into the powerful and thought-provoking story of Nachiketa from the Kathopanishad. We saw how, even as a young boy, Nachiketa dared to ask big questions about life, family, and the truth beyond death. His three boons weren\u2019t for gold or palaces, but for peace in the family, knowledge for society, and truth for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1137,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-34","category-monthly-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1136"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1140,"href":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1136\/revisions\/1140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawan.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}