Nov 9
A History Lesson
With the advent of Buddhism in India, for many, many years, the Vedic lore of performing Poojas and Yagyas was lost. Buddhism said that all these rituals didn’t make any sense, and that all you need to do for Enlightenment was to meditate and drop everything else.
For many hundreds of years there was hardly any Pooja or Yagya in India where a huge amount of people had adopted the Buddhist way of life.
Then a couple who were childless for many years, prayed to the Lord and asked the boon of a child. The Lord appeared before them and gave them a choice between two children, a mediocre child who would have a long life or a brilliant short lived child. They chose the brilliant child. And He was born. His name, Adi Shankaracharya. Though “officially” He is supposed to have been born around 700 AD. Research done by Dr. B. K Hari (a far more India friendly person, of the Bharth Gyan fame… if you ever get a chance to listen to his lectures on the History of India and other stuff, drop everything and go! 
) however places His birth sometime 400 to 700 BC! Guruji had also mentioned this that Adi Shankaracharya was born many years Before Christ… So that’s open (at least for some people) to debate
Adi Shankaracharya’s life is one miracle after another and makes for some very interesting reading. He re initiated India into the Vedic Lore and thanks to him, the lost Knowledge of the Vedas found new life. Through brilliant debate he defeated the most renowned of Buddhist scholars. Lord Buddha had said that there is Nothing. He meditated, went deep and found that there was Nothing. Adi Shankaracharya countered this with saying ok, you meditated and went deep and found nothing, right? Well, who was experiencing that Nothingness? That is the One. And so was born the Advaita philosophy: That there is only One.
He traveled the length and breath of India and with the help of His four beloved Disciples Padmapada, Hasta Malaka, Vartikakara and Trotakacharya established the four Matths, one each in each direction. Now known as the Shankaracharya Matths. Each mutt was assigned one Veda. The matths are Jyothir Matth at Badrinath in northern India with Atharva Veda, Sarada Matth at Sringeri in southern India with Yajur Veda, Govardhan Matth at Jaganath Puri in eastern India with Rig Veda and Kalika Matth at Dwarka in western India with Sama Veda.
The next post is all about the four disciples … watch out for it
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa
(10 votes, average: 4.70 out of 5)
Bauuuuuuuuuuuuu…………
Sahi post hai…..like yesterdays QA session with pune volunteers in mumbai…I was there too sitting behind and asked a few Quests yesterday and you cleared my doubts like anything….I will need such gyan sessions from you to love myself more and more “appun great hai”
analysis paralysis…. :):):)……..sahi hai bauuuuuu
kp posting and plz post the next post ASAP plz do not make us wait till thursday………. :):)
Now that sounds intresting
wow ! thankyou!
Lord Buddha had said that there is Nothing. He meditated, went deep and found that there was Nothing. Adi Shankaracharya countered this with saying ok, you meditated and went deep and found nothing, right? Well, who was experiencing that Nothingness? That is the One. And so was born the Advaita philosophy: That there is only One.
Top of it all!!!
we would love to hear it!! Awesome..
JGD
JGD Bawa ! Beautiful Post ! I remember watching this movie “Adi Sankara” by GV Iyer . http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085138/
Brilliant Movie. First one I saw that focuses totally on the knowledge aspect and not so much the historical aspect of Adi Sankara’s life through beautiful symbolisms.
Jai Guru Dev,
Was just humming the guru parampara chant..!
Dear Bawa,
Amazing knowledge. Just one important correction I would like to make. Advaita was definitely not born with Shankara. Advaita is clearly a part of the Vedas - but yes, Shankara did consolidate Advaita and bring it to the public, and revived the ancient vedic path (as you explained).
Below are 4 verses from the 4 different vedas stating the advaita principle (cut-and-paste from wikepedia):
(1) Rig Veda - “Consciousness is Brahman”
(2) Yajur Veda - “I am Brahman”
(3) Sama Veda - “That thou art”
(4) Atharva Veda - “This atman is Brahman”
Thanks for sharing and looking forward to the rest of the series.
Jai Gurudev
Janardhan
Eagerly waiting for the next post…
hi bau,
can u comment on why buddha told to drop many practices of Hinduism like pujas and yagnas.
was Buddha atheist or theist?
the role of art of living in combining goods of various religions. Like we do meditation, perform pujas,chanting is also encouraged. Please comment more on this.
I would love to hear your comments.
People in Buddha’s time were utterly stuck in the Karma Kanda, all the rituals etc … and this was actually keeping them away from the Ultimate … so He trashed all that and founded Buddhism … However, the Vedic Lore has its own tremendous value and needed to be reinstated into the Country and Adi Shankaracharya did that
Wow! Shankaracharya was needed!!
Supppperrr .. !!
I just love the history posts of urs .. they are so knowledgeable and insightful!!
Jai Gurudev!
much needed lesson
looking forward to the next in the series!!
Dear Bawa,
How can one forget the classical song AKILANDESWARI written by ADI Shankracharya sung by M.S. Subbhalakshmi .Most of the houses in south india these songs would be heard in Tape recorder early in the morning. Infact one of my favourite song too. Most of the songs what he wrote was in the praise of DEVI LAKSHMI . His Slokams and songs have a deep impact on human mind. No wonder INDIA is called “LAND OF SPIRITUALITY”
Luv U Bawa
Sudha.P
Thanks a lot for sharing the knowledge Bawa!
Bawa! One of my friend has a problem. She is basically a musician(Hindustani Vocalist) who married a dental doctor last year December. They married with mutual acceptance and love. After marriage, that doctor still wants to live a bachelor life. His mother is no more and his father is living alone. This guy lived with his friends before marriage. After marriage also he use to stay late away from home. He is not returning to home for more than a day. When she ask him to come early, he says he need freedom. He shouldn’t be asked any question on his action. She waited for sometime to get this resolved but it never. He already has a habit of smoking, drinking etc., He now says that he is not willing to live with her. He asks her to marry someone and same he will be. He is not matured enough to decide what he wants. He is a foot ball of his friends thoughts. My friend suffers a lot. I want him to attend Art of Living course. But he knows that I am her friend. He denies all the requests that comes from her end. Simply ignorant. What shall we do Bawa? Please help Bawa.
Tell her to ditch him and move on to someone who can appreciate her and not want his “freedom”
really nice…looking forward for the next post
Ok a mutt is a mixed breed dog (or at least that’s the meaning I know) but what’s a matth?
Dear Baljinder, Matth is a Sanskrit word
Oh I see, no wonder I didn’t know… thanks
So what does it mean/represent?
As per my knowledge Matths means Ashram.
Hi dear baljinder,
Math is some what similar to Ashram , U know
Mutt can also be a person who is stupid
Eagerly looking forward to the next post on Thursday (or earlier!), Bawa n Dinesh!
Jai guru dev.
Hi Bawa & Dinesh!
Thanks! Looking forward to the next.. Tc
‘That there is only ONE’ … and I am HE … Tat vam asi…. Recollect Guruji saying that this is the most important knowledge that we could impart to kids during the process of education. Isn’t our spiritual heritage a tremendous force of power and beauty..? Like the simplicity with which you have presented such profound knowledge… Bawa
Jai Gurudev
Love,
Sudha
Very interesting
Met Guruji today…
Wow.. Amazing post.. Bawa, do we have Vedas in English or Hindi.? I would love to read them..
There are translations … but really, they are extremely tough to read
Jai Gurudev Bau
Nice reading.
Looking forward for rest of posts in this series.
Thanks
Ajay
PS: Shouldn’t the name be D K Hari in place of B K Hari as you have mentioned in the post.
Dinesh says its D K … somehow i always thought it was B K
jgd bau
Can u please suggest a small interesting book from where i can know more about vedas.Or why dont u write one in your fantastic style.
I have gleaned all that i know mainly from what Guruji talks and some from what Dinesh has read
Also from Amar Chitra Katha 
:)
But, its a nice idea… will think about it
SImply Beautiful. Adi shankara has always been so inpiring to read about.He was a perfect blend of a modern outlook yet deep rooted prfound knowledge of teh ancient texts.
Jai Gurudev !!!
Bau thanks so much for the knowlwedge infact after you discussed in your session at Vasind Ashram I was going to ask you to post it on the blog & you had done it already.
Thanks
very good insight into history!!!
So, finally comes the article!
I don’t fully understand this. Both Buddha and Adi Shankaracharya were Avtaars. Then why is it that one Avtaar had to remove the influence of other Avtaar’s work?
An Avatar will come and at different times, will do whatever is needed… Guru Brahma (Guru is Creator), Guru Vishnu (Guru sustains), Guru Devo Maheshwaraha (Guru is the Destroyer)
You cannot apply logic to the actions of a Guru or an Avatar, they will always do whatever it is that is required … they have very long vision and an UnEnlightened individual will not even begin to understand their actions
Dear bawa ji, Nice to read about ancient Hindu mythology……….Anxiously waiting for the rest of the article.
Jai gurudev bau! looking forward to the forthcoming posts!
@Ajay: spot on. It is D.K.Hari bau!
Jgd Bau!
Fantastic post as usual! You really know how to keep the suspense amongst the readers!
Love
Meghana
JGD bau,
I am all excited to read the next posts. you are an amazing storyteller.
Raghav
Dear Bau/Bhaiyya
That was too fascinating for a history chapter…
In school days we would doze off listening to one word of history…
Now i can go on and on and on…
it is amazing how the tides have turned…
Guruji has made the seemingly boring subjects intriguing!
JGD
Kumar
hi all,
can some of you comment on my previous comment (comment no.2). I would love to hear your views as well.
“Buddhism said that all these rituals didn’t make any sense, and that all you need to do for Enlightenment was to meditate and drop everything else.”
“Lord Buddha had said that there is Nothing. He meditated, went deep and found that there was Nothing”.
the question is… HOW?? just how do you come to these conclusions?
have you read or experienced enough? i seriously doubt.
Wow!!..Really nice to know that..Waiting for the next post..
Interesting!! btw i reallly like that picture u uploaded !!
waiting for ur next post
Thanks for sharing Bauu. Waiting for the remaining part…
Nice one, Bau….
Waiting for your next post on this…
Bau..
Just a visited Dwarka 2 days back,… What a perfect time to receive the story.. Waiting for the next posts..
Jaigurudeva
This is the one from youth ashram sessions.
previously, i use to enjoy a lot reading the blogs by u 2 and rajesh bhaiya. every morning with a new sensation. but 2 days ago i returned from the inaugural function of my maternal uncle and i have been feeling so low. i am also not able to feel the connection with HIM which i always use to. I don’t know what has happened to me. despite of it that i didn’t boozed and had non- vegetarian eating like my cousins but still i am not comfortable. when i think more over it i start weeping like a stupid gal. i don’t know how to overcome it.
Sometimes just being in place like that can sap your energy … dont bother about it, do your Kriya for a few days and you will be fine again
And remember whether you feel the connection with Guruji or not, its always there
“whether you feel the connection with Guruji or not, its always there”.. Wonderful!!
Wherever we go, guruji’s ‘Network’ follows :).
thats superb !!..
may be your intelligence is parallel to his …
does your mother have some story about your birth??
[...] Adi Shankaracharya brought back the Vedic Lore to India by masterfully defeating in debate renowned Buddhist scholars of that time. He spread the Vedic way of life along the length and breath of India and established the four matths with the help of His four beloved disciples. [...]
What is meant by ‘Each mutt was assigned one Veda’? Does it mean that each of the disciples propagated the teachings of the veda that he was assigned? Does it mean then, that the teachings of aol spring from the atharva veda?
also, curious to know abt the lineage of the other disciples…
Yes bau same questions as suparna running in my head, pls elaborate , would be delighted to know more.
jai gurudeva
Siddharth shukla
bawa your show on etv was ammmaaaazingggggggggggggg!!!
I m in a job where we live together in a hall. The companions smoke , have drinks , non veg & remain busy in complaining about colleagues . Though i accept all this happily but the company does effect naa? I surrender all this to my Bosom my dear Guruji. Should i quit the job because it is a 24 hour duty & i have done YLTP. jgd love u BAWA
as Guruji would say, Choice is yours, blessings are mine