Veda means original knowledge and truth. Vedic means of the original Knowledge and Truth. The Lord, who ever resides in his own blissful abode of Vaikuntha (means "free from anxiety"), the Spiritual World, creates Jiva Souls, small Souls, That is us, from the light that shines forth from his divine body. Those spiritual sparks are at first undifferentiated from each other and are called Tathasta Shakti or the marginal potency of the Lord.

At that stage we are like pencil rays of light all side by side floating in undifferentiated bliss, but inactive and not fully conscious. In that blissful, peaceful state, an agitation can come, which makes the Jiva Soul want differentiation and action. Thus, we enter this plane, known as the material world, where the external potency of the Lord surrounds us on all sides, as our own bodies and as the environment, the Universe.

The purpose of coming here is to play out parts in a drama and learn thereby, it is essentially a school. The lessons are hard, and often painful. What we are learning is your position and our relationships, or sambandha gyan, with everything. Nature, being perfectly under the constant, perfect control of an absolutely benevolent divinity, is perfect in gradually raising our consciousness through the process of "touch burn don’t touch it again". Everything is working that way, there are easy lessons, and there are hard lessons. Ultimately, the Soul must learn that she is Prakriti, not Purusha. This means that we are subordinate, yet fully provided for, participants in a play, which is for the pleasure of the Purusha, and that is God himself, Krishna, who is Purush, Uttama, or the Supreme Enjoyer.

When Lord Brahma creates the Universe under the instructions of Vishnu, at that time Brahma receives full knowledge about basically everything. He receives, for example, complete information on how to create the material world. The best scriptural resource we have that narrates to us the very primeval interaction between Vishnu and Brahma at the time of creation is the Brahma Samhita. That great scripture, spoken by Lord Brahma, gives detailed information as to what were the main points, the main knowledge was that was given to Brahma via the Gayatri Mantra.

Part of that was the knowledge of Astrology. Brahma actually creates the material world under the direction and authority of Vishnu. Brahma directly knows the controlling systems put in place here because he put them there, even though the power comes from Vishnu. So, Brahma gave Jyotish Vidya to his sons such as Narada Muni, the Four Kumaras, and so on, who in turn gave it to their disciples, such as Vyasadeva.

That knowledge was passed down through “disciplic” succession until around the start of Kali Yuga because that is when books become required because human memorization ability decreases to a large degree. Previously Brahmin children had to simply memorize everything. So anyway, around the beginning of Kali Yuga sages such as Parashara and Vyasadeva created so many books so that Vedic knowledge, the original knowledge, would not be lost in this Kali Yuga.

It is a big hassle to make books, even for great sages. It is not pleasant to sit and write and write and write. You just want to give codes, to make sure the essential is not lost. However, what this means is that there is much detail that is not in the books. However, the sincere seeker who has a natural insight into things Vedic will be able to discover that, which is not literally given. Because of possessing the proper mood of service and submission to the great truth, many hidden things become revealed to the heart of such a surrendered Soul.

Please indulge me a few more points: I have been around this Vedic path for quite some time now and I have seen and heard it correctly and incorrectly perceived and reflected by others. For example, Vedic scripture is NOT myth. While there may be interpolations, exaggerations, and the like, the basic punch of it all is true. There is a personal God, there is a creator, the Vedic times did happen, the battle of Kurukshetra took place, Krishna really lived, as did Lord Ramachandra, etc. Lord Ganesh is not an energy nor a myth, he is a real being who can stand in front of you and chew you out for insubordination should he so desire!

Why not believe? Look at yourself in the mirror. Do you not see an amazing creation? Isn’t it weird and wonderful? Two eyes that roll around, one nose, a mouth, a genital, the whole thing is so strange and bizarre! Why can’t there also be a human with what we call an elephant’s head? Is it impossible to you? Have you ever seen a hammerhead shark? Can you believe how shocking that must have been for persons to see those weird creatures for the 1st time having never heard that they existed?

When it is foggy, we forget that the Sun is shining above the clouds. On mountaintops, it is often sunny when the valley is fogged over, similarly, just because the coverings of this Universe obstruct and limit our vision does not mean there is nothing beyond. So, why not believe? Why can’t a benevolent God and cast of DemiGods such as Lord Ganesh exist? Is there something that says we must be the only great things around?

It is rather sane to believe in the Vedic version, and rather insane to not believe. That is my carefully considered opinion. That we are in school learning to become fully trained, willing and detached players in the Lord’s eternal pastimes or Lila is wholly believable, whereas the dialectical materialist or "scientific" atheism is rather unbelievable to me. Where did it all begin? They can NEVER answer that! Big Bang? Ridiculous!

The other thing I wish to say is that the correct Vedic understanding is never sectarian, dogmatic, or fixed, and, any follower of the Vedas must be loving and kind. Ahimsa, or non- violence is a primary principle. If you want to be happy, definitely spread happiness, give protection, and serve more than you receive. Definitely, be a vegetarian. You cannot feel God in yourself in you kill to eat unless absolutely necessary for survival. Give up being a party to the killing of innocent animals. Learn how to cook enough variety of vegetarian dishes that you do not miss meat. That is possible, and you need to do it. To be a truly great Soul who can read Karma and help others, you cannot be involved in such base Karma yourself. It will definitely block your vision.

In the beginning of the Parashara Hora Shastra and other classics there are always verses describing who can and cannot be taught astrology. Astrologers are advised by the great sages, who must be followed, NOT to teach this divine science to those who are faithless, who do not love and follow the Vedic path, or who are not surrendered, or who are simply not qualified with the requisite intelligence in the areas of math, calculation, space and time, etc. In the West, these admonitions are not being followed, and anyone can buy the books, buy the programs, go to the seminars, and learn Jyotish. This is not good, and yet from another angle, we can say that at least it is spreading, there must be mercy before law is applied. If the Vedas are not allowed to come to the West freely, they may never come at all, and that would be worse than misuse, I agree.

However, if you are sincere and serious about being granted entrance into the deeper truths, then you should not apply such leniency to yourself. That is for rationalizing the misuse by other beginners, but do you forever count yourself in that group? Don't! Move on, take responsibility, become a member of the more sincere group who actually want for their own selves to become pleasing to the hidden, yet very real and seeing, Guru Varga (which means the Great Masters of truth and religion as one entity).

I encourage you to read the Shrimad Bhagavatam (which is also known as the Bhagavat Purana) as translated by Bhaktivedanta Swami. It is, as a presentation of this most important Purana, very good at getting across the correct mood of submission and surrender to the Lord, and the whole Vedic truth and path. Therefore, I recommend reading it and trying to understand deeply, and follow. Please do that for the perfection of your life.

Try to live cleanly, free from drugs, meat, and gross engagements of all kinds. Become a Brahmin in action, clean, merciful, tolerant, ever learning good things, helpful to all, and devoted to truth. The four pillars of religion or Dharma are: Truthfulness, Mercifulness, Cleanliness, and Austerity. Practice these.

Do not try to get everything you desire (austerity). You will simply become a materialist who is too overwhelmed by their temporary body and it is temporary desires. Be satisfied with what comes without too much endeavor.

Be merciful to all living beings. Ask much of yourself, but be kind to others while gently encouraging them to raise their own standards.

Be clean in as many ways as you can, health, bodily, eating, thinking, and speaking. Associating with the Tamasic Guna is dirty so avoid it. The lower you associate, the lower you are, so associate with cleanliness.

Be honest and truthful, that is said by scripture to be the last leg of Dharma left in this Kali Yuga.