The truth taught by Guru will mostly be abstract and therefore requires a lot of explanation. The instruction will be handed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. Such experienced truth are recorded in the Vedas.

The truth revealed by the Vedas indicate the goal of human life. Vedas speak of worlds that are beyond the visible universe and say that, after leaving the gross body, the person does not die. Instead he lives there in subtle existence and reaches those worlds wherein he experiences pleasure or pain in accordance to his actions on earth.

in order to enable the human being reach the worlds of pleasure, the Vedas laid down certain conduct and certain karmas. The extent of happiness gained after death is directly proportional to the actions performed on earth.

The Vedas do not stop here. They go further and state that after experiencing happiness in the invisible worlds, the living entity has to return to this world and take up a new body and once again perform action in order to reach those worlds again. This cycle of births and deaths takes place for every living entity.

After going through this cycle life after life, a time will come when discrimination dawns on the entity. He will then discriminate real from unreal, distinguish temporary from permanent. Once this realization dawns, he will no longer be subjected to births and deaths cycle. Instead he will seek and attain eternal freedom from this cycle. This is the goal of life pointed out in the Vedas.

(Bhaktimala April 1982)