The sounds of the Upaniṣads are thought to have been un-authored and then discovered in meditation by sages, who later wrote them down, much like mathematical equations that describe the mysteries of the physical world are often thought to be discovered by mathematicians rather than invented by them. These sounds—śruti—of Eastern revelation were first reasoned about in the Vedānta-sūtra in an effort to discover their concordance. These cryptic sūtras of the legendary Vyāsa represent the earliest form of theology, or systematic reasoning as to the significance of revelation. About them, much has been said over the centuries—much worth listening to.

Such sounds of revelation represent a response to the question that human life constitutes. The question is “Why?”—a question concerning purpose, value, meaning, and so on—a qualitative question. This is not a question that the natural world unto itself can answer, because it does not pertain to our limited natural/biological sense of self and its “how” questions—how to biologically survive. These “how” questions are all quantitative in nature and are related only to the objective world. “Why” questions, on the other hand, are qualitative and pertain to consciousness and its sense of self and purpose.

Experience does not arise out of nonexperience. Consciousness—the seat of experience—does not arise from the brain, wherein, try as we may, we cannot find the neural seat and source of our sense of self. The questions that consciousness asks are about itself, and answers to these questions must come from beyond the physical world and rather from the realm of consciousness proper. These answers come from our source, and they tell us that we are more than what meets the eye and mind. We are not a thing, nor are we a thought. We are. And more than this, we can love and love universally. Compassion for all beings is just the beginning of the possibilities that lie within distinguishing our self from our body and mind and that arise from being in touch with our source. In further yogic pursuit of that source, we can enter into an intimate relationship in transcendence and taste bhakti-rasa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The sounds of the śruti and ongoing revelation as to their significance hold such promise for us. Listen and know. Listen and love.