What is the Fivefold Path?

The Eternal Principles of religion (Satya Dharma) were revealed at the time of creation.

They are summarized in five words:

• Yajnya : Purification of pranic content of the atmosphere through the agency of fire. This leads to purification of the mind.
• Daan : Sharing of assets in a spirit of humility to reduce attachment.
• Tapa : Self discipline, austerities, penance of body, mind and speech for fruition of thy affirmations.
• Karma : Good action, virtuous deeds for self-purification.
• Swadhyaya : Study of Self. Who am I? For liberation.

This is the Fivefold Path. The same message was reiterated by all messengers of God in words suited to the conditions in which they manifested.

Everyone wants to be happy and everyone is trying to be happy in his own way. However, if you ask someone, “Have you met anyone who is happy all the time?” The answer will be no. You ask again, “Have you heard of anyone who is happy all the time?” And the answer will be again no. Is it not surprising that although every human being is attempting to be happy we hardly ever hear of a single person who is happy? The reason is not difficult to understand. On the day, we are born as humans we inherit all that is required to become happy but we have forgotten this inheritance. It is like the son of a millionaire begging for a dollar, not knowing his father.

If you keep your happiness dependent on some future event it clearly means that you refuse to become happy in the present. The event that you hope or expect to come about may or may not come about after all and you will continue to be unhappy. Out of several things that you desire you are going to get only a few and if you go into the habit of keeping your happiness dependent on the gratification of some desire you are never going to be happy.

Destiny unfolds various events in our lives according to the law of Karma, the law of “reap as you sow.” However, we can train the mind to change its reactions to the circumstances presented to us in life. Happiness depends on the reactions of our mind to circumstances outside and hence, training the mind to transform itself constitutes the core of discipline on the Divine Path. One can say that there is nothing spiritual about it. If you want to make the journey of life an endeavour of joy, it is easy to understand that some discipline is required. The discipline has to be simple, scientific and also within the reach of the average person. The Fivefold Path of the Vedas presented in these pages takes into consideration all these aspects relating to psychosomatic man. It is presented ready to serve like instant coffee or a T.V. dinner. It is offered as a package deal to suit all requirements. It is the basis of the teachings of all saints and prophets. Train the mind to change its attitudes and happiness dawns.

LET US LEARN TO FILL THIS MOMENT WITH LOVE AND NOTHING ELSE IS REQUIRED.
LET US FILL ALL THE SPHERES WITH LOVE.

Mind may be a cruel tyrant. Let us train it to become an obedient servant. One may wave palms or sing psalms but unless one starts practicing “Love thy neighbour AS THYSELF” no progress can come. This is the fundamental teaching of ancient wisdom.

The word Divine in English comes from the Sanskrit verb “DYU” meaning to shine. In Sanskrit, it is DEVAYAN PANTH. In English, it is DIVINE PATH. It means Path of Light. The discipline that transforms the mind from an instrument of bondage into an instrument of Divine unfoldment is the Fivefold Path. With renewal of the mind knowledge dawns. This is the Path of Light, the Divine Path.

All this knowledge is given through the Vedas. It is in Sanskrit language. Sanskrit is the mother of all European and other languages. The word VEDAS comes from the Sanskrit verb “VID” meaning to know. The English word “WIT” comes from the same Sanskrit root. All languages of the world have words coming from Sanskrit. There is not a single word in Sanskrit which comes from any other language. Knowledge of various sciences was first given through the Vedas. Astronomy, biology, bioenergy, medicine, bacteriology and several other sciences are given through this ancient wisdom. Unless we are prepared to divest ourselves of superstitions and prejudices we will not truly benefit from the storehouse of Vedic knowledge. A scientist of late twentieth century is in a better position to understand the wisdom of the Vedas than anyone else. If you look at the picture of the universe given by the astronomer of late twentieth century you will notice that he is veering in the direction of Vedic knowledge. The same is the case when the scientist pronounced the principle of indeterminacy or photographed the bioplasma body or recognised the interplay of subtler energies. A beginning in this direction was made when the scientist recognised the limitations of human reason. Methods of experimental science have blasted the imaginary walls separating the so-called spiritual from the material. The future scientist will have to be a Yogi to delve deep into the mystery of Creation. The time has come when the terms Immanence and Transcendence will form part of the universe of discourse of the scientist. The days for the parochial religionist are numbered and henceforth, the Light of Knowledge will illuminate all human minds.

The time is most opportune for us to follow the blueprint of cosmic wisdom given through the Vedas, the most ancient wisdom known to the human race. This knowledge is not a monopoly of any country or community. It is the common patrimony of the human race given through a language as old as creation.
It is idle to talk about post-dated heaven if you cannot be happy here and now. Nature has no favorites and you reap as you sow.

The Fivefold Path of Vedic wisdom is the blueprint for happy living on earth. The path is chartered. However, each one of us has to do the mapping. What religion calls GRACE is merely the operation of the fundamental law of cosmic scriptures which states, “Take care of your Karma and the rest will take care of itself.”
Give your mind the total coloration of LOVE. This is the DIVINE PATH, the Path of Light.

THE FIVEFOLD PATH

* Practice AGNIHOTRA  – for purification of the atmosphere which leads to unburdening the mind.

* Practice DAAN – (sharing of assets in a spirit of humility) for reducing attachment to worldly possessions.

* Practice TAPA – (self-discipline) for fruition of thy affirmations.

* Practice KARMA – (good actions without attachment to the fruit thereof) for self-purification.

* Practice SWADHYAYA – (self-study, Who am I?) for liberation.

This is the Fivefold Path. Start the spiritual discipline today. The span of life will not be extended. What is given unto you is to utilize wisely every moment of your existence. Let us engage ourselves in meritorious deeds without expectation of reward in the form of name or fame. We can live only in the present moment. The past is no more. The future is yet to be. Do not waste precious moments in trivia.
Practice the Fivefold Path and you become a better member of your family or community. You will become a more righteous Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Zoroastrian, Sikh, Jain, whatever be your formal religious label. You may be an atheist or an agnostic, you will benefit by practicing the Fivefold Path. The Fivefold Path sets up life patterns based on biopsychological techniques given through Vedic knowledge. You need not carry the hypothesis of God to practice the Fivefold Path. You start the practice and knowledge will be unfolded to you from within. Believe only what you experience. This is the approach of a true scientist.

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