Start of something interesting

I ve heard it somewhere that whenever you are not sure whether to say "Nice" or "Ughh" you can always say "Interesting". So this will be that topic which to some is nice and to others 'not their cup of tea'.

It all began with a discussion with my father who nowadays is writing about Patanjali Yoga Sutra. Wiki has more of it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_Sutras_of_Patanjali

Being an avid reader and now a budding writer, I poke my Dad a lot on the foundation of Hindu philosophy and way of thinking etc. Its been one of my favorite topics since childhood, since I always thought that there is more to me than I think there is. And so the discussion begun which I will try to detail out as far as possible.

The topic started with why Hindus do all the rituals when someone passes away. The easy answer and one that appeals to masses is that we need to pacify the dead person's soul and for him to get Moksha, which is like this ultimate resting place. An entirely different discussion started on the Vedic hymns that are chanted in this ritual. By a research done, it was said that the hymns have sound notes that create vibration causing purification of atmosphere. So is there a soul angle to these rites or scientific angle?
So I wondered what exactly does Veda says, which is what I asked my father. Here is what he said: "The Universe is filled with Chaitanya. We have some Chaitanya in us, which is our true self (not our body). This is Vivek. Once we realize this we attain Mukti/Moksha."
Heavy!!

Let's break it. First thing is to realize that our body is not us. Our body is just a medium for us to understand the ultimate truth, mentioned in Vedas. It is difficult to comprehend because we are how we grow up and how we are nurtured. But there is an something in our nature that leads to the ultimate truth.
Secondly, its an evolutionary process, since if as humans we don't realize this, we need to take another birth.
Lastly, its a process defined by you, but driven by surroundings. The one who detaches is the one to understands and attains the final truth.

The scientific angle? The concept of energy.

Vague? Yes. But more to come as I tread my path on the journey to understand Chaitanya.