Eastern religion Essay

Transcendentalism denotes an abstract thought composed of several layers of meaning. The Oxford Companion to Philosophy states, â€Å"Transcendentalism is belief in the existence of things that transcend sense-experience, or more reflectively, belief in the possibility of transcendent metaphysics† (pp-878).   In the religious sense, it can be defined as the quest for reality through spiritual intuition and/or those qualities unique to the creator of all natural things (God). There are many transcendental traits of available in the Upanishads, the Vedas, the Gita and remarkable contribution of great persons like Maharishi ji, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.   Lord Krishna reveals transcendental knowledge in Bhagwat Gita as under. Transcendental knowledge – the spiritual knowledge of the soul, of God, and of their relationship is both purifying and liberating. Such knowledge is the fruit of selfless devotional action (karma-yoga) (Bhagawat Gita, chapter 13 to 15). 1) Lord Chaitanya instructed the mass of people in the Sankhya philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which maintains that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously one with and different from His creation. Lord Chaitanya taught this philosophy through the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. He taught that the holy name of the Lord is the sound incarnation of the Lord and that since he Lord is the absolute whole, there is no difference between His holy name and His transcendental form. Thus by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can directly associate with the Supreme Lord by sound vibration. As one practices this sound vibration, he passes through three stages of development: the offensive stage, the clearing stage and the transcendental stage. In the offensive stage one may desire all kinds of material happiness, but in the second stage one becomes clear of all material contamination. When one is situated on the transcendental stage, he attains the most coveted position – the stage of loving God. Lord Chaitanya taught that this is the highest stage of perfection for human beings. 2) Maharishiji contributed a great Transdental meditation tequenique. The Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique is a simple, natural, effortless procedure whereby the mind easily and naturally arrives at the source of thought, the settled state of the mind — Transcendental Consciousness — pure consciousness, self-referral consciousness, which is the source of all creative processes. Transcendental meditation technique, the individual’s awareness settles down and experiences a unique state of restful alertness. As the body becomes deeply relaxed, the mind transcends all mental activity to experience the simplest form of awareness, Transcendental Consciousness, where consciousness is open to itself. This is the self-referral state of consciousness. The experience of Transcendental Consciousness develops the individual’s latent creative potential while dissolving accumulated stress and fatigue through the deep rest gained during the practice. Reference: Bhagawat Gita; Chapter 13 – 15 Gyan; Maharishi Sanwatsar-51; 2006