108 Upanishads (The order as given in the Muktika Upanishad) With commentary on the first 10 Upanishads by Sami !irma"ananda #iri$
Hindu Temple, Indonesia
Compiled by Richard Sheppard
But by what means is the Kaivalya kind of oksha !ot" The andukya #panishad is enou!h$ if knowled!e is not !ot from it, then study the Ten #panishads% &ettin! knowled!e very soon, you will reach my abode% If certainty is not !ot even then, study the '( #panishads and stop% If desirin! oksha without the body, read the )*+ #panishads% Hear their order% uktika I-)-(.-(/0% Kaivalya1 2mancipation$ state of absolute independence% oksha1 3iberation%
108 Upanishads )% Isa4 (% Kena4 '% Katha4 8% 9rasna4 :% unda4 .% andukya4 ;% Taittiri4 +%
>abala (;% 7risimhatapini (+% Kala!nirudra (/% aitreya '*% Subala ')% Kshurika '(% antrika ''% Sarvasara '8% 7iralamba ':% Sukarahasya '.% ?a>rasuchika
';% Te>obindu '+% 7adabindu '/% @hyanabindu 8*% Brahmavidya 8)% Ao!atattva 8(% aka 88% Trisikhi 8:% Sita 8.% Ao!achudamani 8;% 7irvana 8+% andalabrahmana 8/% @akshinamurti :*% Sarabha :)% Skanda :(% Tripadvibhuti-ahanarayana :'% aka .;%
4 5 6ollowed by Commentary by Swami 7irmalananda &iri%
;'% navalkya /+% ?araha //% Satyayani )**% Haya!riva )*)% @attatreya )*(% &aruda )*'% Kalisamtarana )*8% =abali )*:% Saubha!yalakshmi )*.% Sarasvatirahasya )*;% Bahvricha )*+% uktika
%savasya Upanishad Translated by Vidyavachaspati V. Panoli
m That is full$ this is full, for0 from the full the full indeed0 arises% Dhen the full is taken from the full, what remains is full indeed% m 9eace 9eace 9eace )% m% oined by the scriptures0 should one yearn to live a hundred years% Thus action notdemons0 bind thee,are theenshrouded doer% Therebyisblindin! no other!loom% way than this%who are the slayers of '% Those worlds of does apatis known as samvalsara year0 their duties% /% Those who worship avidya karma born of i!norance0 !o to pitch darkness, but to a !reater darkness than this !o those who are devoted to ?idya knowled!e of the @evatas0% )*% @ifferent indeed, they say, is have the result attained0 and different indeed, result attained0 by avidya% Thus we heard from by thevidya wise who had eFplained it they to us%say, is the ))% He who knows both vidya and avidya to!ether, transcends mortality throu!h avidya and reaches immortality throu!h vidya% )(% To pitch darkness they !o who worship the #nmanifested 9rakriti0% To a !reater darkness than this
!o those who are devoted to the anifested Hiranya!arbha0% )'% @ifferent indeed, they say, is the result attained0 by the worship of the anifested and different indeed, they say, is the result attained0 by the worship of the #nmanifested% Thus have we heard from the wise who had eFplained it to us% )8% He who knows both the #nmanifested and the destructible Hiranya!arbha0 to!ether, transcends death by the worship of0 the destructible and attains immortality by the worship of 0 the #nmanifested% ):% The face of the Truth ie%, 9urusha in the solar orb0 is veiled by a bri!ht vessel% ayst thou unveil it, Sun, so as to be perceived by me whose dharma is truth% ).% nourisher, pil!rim of the solitude, controller, absorber of all rasas0, offsprin! of 9ra>apati, cast away thy rays, !ather them up and !ive up thy radiatin! brilliance% That form of thine, most !raceful, I may3et behold% in the solarthe orb0, I am% oyin! the fruits of actions% 3iberate us from our deceitful sins% De offer thee ever more our words of adoration% m That is full$ this is full, for0 from the full the full indeed0 arises% Dhen the full is taken from the full, what remains is full indeed% m 9eace 9eace 9eace Here ends the Isavasyopanishad, as contained in the Sukla-Aa>ur-?eda%
%sha Upanishad &ommentary &ommentary on the %savasya Upanishad'by Sami !irma"ananda #iri
Seeing "" Things in #od n instructive story
=ust9urani, beforethe !oin! to India forofthe time in
on philosophy% ne day the local kin! ordered him to appear before him% Dhen he did so, the kin! said1 I have three uestions that puEEle-even torment-me1 Dhere is &od" Dhy donJt I see Him" ust compleF, they were impossible to formulate% In other words1 he did not know the answers% So his eFecution date was set% n the mornin! of that day the BrahminJs teena!e son appeared and asked the kin! if he would release his father if he-the son-would answer the uestions% The kin! a!reed, and the son asked that a container of milk be brou!ht to him% It was done% Then the boy asked that the milk be churned into butter% That, too, was done% The first two of your uestions are now answered, he told the kin!% The kin! ob>ected that he had been !iven no answers, so the son asked1 Dhere was the butter before it was churned" In the milk, replied the kin!% In what part of the milk" asked the boy% In all of it% =ust so, a!reed the boy, and in the same way &od is within all thin!s and pervades all thin!s% Dhy donJt I see Him, then, pressed the kin!% Because you do not JchurnJ your mind and refine your perceptions throu!h meditation% If you do that, you will see &od% But not otherwise% 7ow let my father !o% 7ot at all, insisted the kin!% Aou have not told me what &od does all day% To answer that, said the boy, we will have to chan!e places% Aou come stand here and let me sit on the throne% The reuest was so audacious the kin! complied, and in a moment he was standin! before the enthroned Brahmin boy who told him1 This is the answer% ne moment you were here and I was there% 7ow thin!s are reversed% &od perpetually lifts up and casts down every one of us% In one life we are eFalted and in another we are brou!ht low-oftentimes in a sin!le life this occurs, and even more than once% ur lives are completely in His hand, and He does with us as He wills% The Brahmin was released and his son was !iven many honors and !ifts by the kin!% The Isha #panishad opens with the answer to the uestion as to &odJs whereabouts% e is ithin a""
In the heart of all thin!s, of whatever there is in the universe, dwells the 3ord% Dhatever we eFperience, whether throu!h the inner or outer senses, it is a coverin! of the 3ord Isha0% Since it conceals, it necessarily blinds, confuses, or inhibits us% It is a door closed in our face% Tra!ically, throu!hout lives without number we have not known this simple fact and have as a conseuence believed that the eFperienced, whether ob>ective or sub>ective, is the sole reality and have dissipated life after life in involvement with it to our pain and destruction% < door is never the way out1 the way
out is revealed when the door is moved aside-eliminated% 7ot knowin! this, either, we have clawed, hammered, and hewn at the door-at least in those lives when we were not adulatin! and worshipin! it or callin! it &odJs !reatest !ift to us-to no avail% The root problem is our believin! in the doorJs reality, thinkin! that it is the be!innin!, middle, and end% nly when it disappears will we see the truth that lies beyond thin!s% De must not >ust !et inside thin!s, we must !et to their heart%
9rabhavananda hashowever, conveyed!ives the ultimate messa!e of these words ofust eFpressed, that we should eFperience-not >ust think intellectually-that &od is encompassin! all thin!s, that we should not see thin!s as independent or separate from &od, but as eFistin! within &od% una that the wise see &od in all thin!s and all thin!s in &od% e %S a""
If we accept the fore!oin!, then we will take the neFt step and eFperience that He alone is the reality% This can be understood more than one way% De can conclude that &od alone is real and everythin! else is unreal% The problem with that is our tendency to euate unreal with non-eFistent, and wron!ly belief that everythin! is only an illusion, that it has no reality whatsoever% The !reat non-dual philosopher Shankara eFplained the accurate view by likenin! our eFperience of thin!s to that of a man who sees a rope in dim li!ht and mistakes it for a snake, his mind even supplyin! eyes that !litter and a mouth that hisses at him% Dhen li!ht is brou!ht, he sees that there is no snake, only a rope% The snake was not real, but his impression, however mistaken, was real% The snake was not real, it was noneFistent$ but the impression of the snake was real and did eFist% The rope was the reality and the snake was an illusion overlain on it% In the same way &od is the reality and everythin! else is illusory like the snake% But illusion does @enyin! it !ets&od% us nowhere$ deal with it byunderstandin! seein! throu!h it, by dispellin! it% Then weeFist% will see the reality1
the openin! verse of the upanishad% He alone is real$ He is all thin!s% *e at peace
Dherefore, renouncin! vain appearances, re>oice in him% oice in it$ if we look at ourselves, others, and the world around us we will see only imperfection and be discontent% @epression comes from lookin! in the wron! place% It is the bitter fruit of e!o-involvement, of e!o-obsession% The remedy is not to have hi!h self-esteem but rather to have &od-esteem% oy% Dhat a burden is lifted from those who come to know that &od alone is real and true, and that we need only look to Him% Dhen we look within we find Him as the heart of our selves% De must renounce unreality% ust as those addicted to the hallucinations produced by dru!s have to break away from them and discard them forever% Then we will re>oice in Him% +esire"essness
Covet no manJs wealth% Dhy" Because it does not eFist It is >ust a bubble destined to burst leavin! nothin! in its place% There are no thin!s to covet or possess% They are the fever dreams of illusion from which we must awaken% 7o one really owns anythin!-firstly because the thin! as we perceive it0 does not eFist, and the man does not eFist either$ and neither do we-as least so far as our perceptions of them, it, and me !o% &od and I in space alone
eetin! you here in this way, 6or I have sinned I know full well, ud!ment day" 7ay, those were dreams, the !reat &od said, @reams that have ceased to be% There are no such thin!s as fear or sin, There is no you-you have never beenThere is nothin! at all but e%
,iving a ,ife Worth ,iving o to "ive
Dell may he be content to live a hundred years who acts without attachment who works his work with earnestness, but without desire, not yearnin! for its fruitsGhe, and he alone%L It is !enerally felt that this verseGand other passa!es from scriptures and books on spiritual lifeG indicates that one hundred years is the normal lifespan for a human bein!% n the other hand, the fi!ure of one hundred years may also symboliEe the complete lifespan of a person, however brief or lon!, the idea here bein! that not one moment of our life need be a burden nor should we ever wish to shorten our life by a sin!le breathGthat life should be lived in fulfillment with peace and happiness all the way throu!h% That this is possible has been shown well by the saints and asters of all reli!ions and a!es% De need only know how to do it$ and these words !ive the way% cting ithout attachment and desire
In the Bha!avad &italives Krishna drawsand very clearly for us themay picture of a person who the livessame in anFiety and misery and him who in peace contentment% Both be livin! in eFactly situation, for it is not eFternal conditions that make us happy or miserable, but our reaction to them% Krishna makes it uite plain that the secret of happiness or misery lies in the absence of two thin!s1 attachment and desire% Those who live in attachment to eFternalities, anFious to fulfill desire, must suffer and live in frustration% n the other hand, those who live without e!oic desire are perpetually at peace% !onattachment
Krishna not only holds out the ideal for us, He also tells us how to accomplish it% 9erform every action with your heart fiFed on the Supreme 3ord% Renounce attachment to the fruits% Be even-tempered in success and failure$ for it is this evenness of temper which is meant by yo!a%L (18+0 In the calm of self-surrender you can free yourself from the bonda!e of virtue and vice durin! this very life% @evote yourself, therefore, to reachin! union with Brahman% To unite the heart with Brahman and then to act1 that is the secret of non-attached work%L (1:*0 Dhen your intellect has cleared itself of its delusions, you will become indifferent to the results of all action, present or future%L (1:(0 The world is imprisoned in its own activity, eFcept when actions are performed as worship of &od%
Therefore you must perform every action sacramentally, and be free from all attachments to results%L '1/0 Dhosoever works for me alone, makes me his only !oal and is devoted to me, free from attachment, and without hatred toward any creatureGthat man, 9rince, shall enter into me%L ))1::0 MTherefore, a man should contemplate Brahman until he has sharpened the aFe of his non-attachment% Dith this aFe, he must cut throu!h the firmly-rooted
3est we think that ne!ative or passive indifference is detachment, or that carelessness and shoddiness in our daily work is spiritual-mindednessGa view that prevails in much of the rient and amon! many in the DestGthe #panishad plainly tells us that the wise man works his work with earnestness%L This is really a !reat portion of the Bha!avad &itaNs messa!e1 that we must work with skill to the best of our abilitiesGthat is our partGwhile leavin! the results to &odGthat is His part% In that way we truly are workers to!etherL with &od in our life% Sri Ramakrishna said1 If you can wei!h salt you can wei!h su!ar,L meanin! that if a person is proficient in spiritual life he will be proficient in his outer life as well% That does mean thatthat all they yo!isneed needtotowork become successes in business or someand other profession, but itnot does mean with!reat the full capabilities they possess do absolutely the best they canGand no more$ that is, they need not worry about the results% In this way they will be at peace both internally and eFternally% Without desire
The real cankerworm in the !arden of our life is desire, whether in the form of wantin!, wishin!, yearnin!, desirin!, hopin!, demandin!, or cravin!% Dhether to a little or a !reat de!ree, desire destroys our hearts and our chances for inner peace% @esire is a wastin! fever which drives us onward to spiritual loss% 6or what shall it profit a man, if he shall !ain the whole world, and lose his own soul"L
which thou hast provided" So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward &od%L @esirelessness is not a Eombie-like passivity, a kind of pious ve!etatin!% 6ar from it% Krishna lauds the desireless in these words1 He knows bliss in the oice1 He is unlucky, and does not weep I call him illumined% (1:;0 The tortoise can draw in its le!s1 The seer can draw in his senses% I call him illumined% (1:+0 The abstinent run away from what they desire But carry their desires with them1 Dhen a man enters Reality, He leaves his desires behind him% (1:/0 The desireless who have fulfilled themselves in &od are the most alive, happy, and satisfied of bein!s% Surely theyGand they aloneGare content to live a hundred years%L 6or them there is no talk of death bein! a blessed releaseL which it is not0, for they are already freed in spirit%
Spiritua" Suicides Dorlds there are without suns, covered up with darkness% To these after death !o the i!norant, slayers of the Self%L ?erily, those worlds of the asuras are enveloped in blind darkness$ and thereto they all repair after death who are slayers of oyful life1 seein! the @ivine in all thin!s, and livin! on the earth accordin! to @ivine 3aw% But this is not the only world in which we can find ourself as we move throu!h a cycle of continuous birth and deathGbirth into one world after havin! died out of another, or another birth into the world where we were >ust livin!% Dhen we speak of birthL we usually think only of physical embodiment on this earth% But when we die in this world we are born into an astral world where we remain for some time and then die to that world and become born back into this world%
!eneration thinks it is a !reat advance over previous erasGwe can spend time in a vast array of astral worlds, positive and ne!ative, pleasant and unpleasant% The earth becomes a kind of stable place of return for us% r is it" Many births- many or"ds
ust as sentient bein!s are classified% That does not say much, since each person can have a different set of criteria for such classification% But the masters of wisdom have !enerally a!reed1 there are two basic kinds of peopleGsuras and asuras, those who dwell in the li!ht and those who live in the dark% @ivineL and demonicL are commonly used to translate suraGor devaGand asura% < suraOdeva is in the li!ht, an asura is not% Sometimes a person dwells in the dark by choice, but most often it is a state of i!norance rather than ne!ative volition% Because of this we need to avoid a deva is !ood, asura is badL reaction in all cases, thou!h there are instances when this is accurate, and to repress it would be foolishGand asuric The si.teenth chapter of the *hagavad #ita
9ractically speakin!, howeverGthat is, lookin! at the result of manifestin! those naturesGit is >ust that simple% una1 your birthri!ht is divine% In this world there are two kinds of bein!s1 those whose nature tends toward the @ivine, and those who have the demonic tendencies% I have already described the divine nature to you in some detail% 7ow you shall learn more about the demonic nature% en of demonic nature know neither what they ou!ht to do, nor what they should refrain from doin!% There is no truth in them, or purity, or ri!ht conduct% They maintain that the scriptures are a lie, and that the universe is not based upon a moral law, but !odless, conceived in lust and created by copulation, without cause% Because they believe thisthe in the darkness littleofminds, these de!raded creaturesany do other horrible deeds, attemptin! to destroy world% They of aretheir enemies mankind% Their lust can never be appeased% They are arro!ant, and vain, and drunk with pride% They run blindly after what is evil% The ends they work for are unclean% They are sure that life has only one purpose1
!ratification of the senses% oy the thin!s of this world% I am successful, stron! and happy% Dho is my eual" I am so wealthy and so nobly born% I will sacrifice to the !ods% I will !ive alms% I will make merry%N That is what they say to themselves, in the blindness of their i!norance% They are addicts of sensual pleasure, made restless by their many desires, and cau!ht in the net of delusion% They fall into the filthy hell of their own evil minds% Conceited, hau!hty, foolishly proud, and intoFicated by their wealth, they offer sacrifice to &od in name only, for outward show, without followin! the sacred rituals% These mali!nant creatures are full of e!oism, vanity, lust, wrath, and consciousness of power% They loathe me, and deny my presence both in themselves and in others% They are enemies of all men and of myself$ cruel, despicable and vile% I cast them back, a!ain and a!ain, into the wombs of de!raded parents, sub>ectin! them to the wheel of birth and death%
Dhat are the basic traits that render someone an asura" The #panishad has already !iven them1 )0 spiritual blindness, (0 spiritual darkness, '0 spiritual i!norance, and 80 en!a!in! in deeds that killL the awareness and the freedom of the eternal, immortal, divine self% The first three are what dispose us to the fourth, destructive trait% Krishna has already !iven us uite an eFposition of the ways of the asuric personality, but it can all be summed up in their effect1 the ne!ation of consciousness of the individual spirit% 7ow this point that spiritual i!norance is a matter of unawareness of the individual spirit, our own atman, is particularly important because many asuras think to hide their status under an eFternaliEed cloak of reli!iosity, of supposed belief in and dedication to &od% But this is all nonsense% Saint =ohn the ectin! all other matters as harmful distractions%
Because it is their will, asuras are born over and over in worlds enveloped in blind darknessL at the
time of their death, earthly or astral% 7aturally our thou!hts !o to the ideas of hellL so beloved to all reli!ionists, east and west, whether it is the absurdly simplistic fire pit of Christianity or the horrifically compleF and lurid hells0 of Hinduism, Taoism, or Buddhism% But what is this world in which we presently find ourselvesGa world rava!ed with hatred, violence, disease, cruelty, and a!!ressive i!norance and !reed" The fact that there is also kindness, love, mercy, and toleration in the world makes it even more craEy1 schiEophrenic and schiEophreno!enic makin! us craEy0% 7o wonder The Onion, a satirical ma!aEine, ran an article entitled1 &od @ia!nosed Dith Bipolar @isorder%L It mi!ht seem blasphemous, but it is the preposterous reli!ion prevailin! in the Dest that is blasphemous, and the satire is >ust pointin! it out% Someone once asked 9aramhansa Ao!ananda if he believed in hell% 9aramhansa>i smiled and asked1 Dhere do you think you are"L < very !ood uestion, indeed% De write our own ticket by the way we think and act% 7o amount of rationaliEation or assurance from others will chan!e this fact% If we seek darkness we will find darkness$ if we seek the li!ht we will find the li!ht% 7othin! more$ nothin! less%
The Undivided Unmoving Se"f The teachin!s of the upanishads are the supreme eFpressions of the eternal wisdom, the eternal vision of the ?edic Seers% Conseuently, thou!h simple in their mode of eFpression, they can be eFtremely hard to !rasp% The rishis lived in a state of consciousness almost opposite to that of most of us% But it is possible attainment, and so the wise Aet we need thethat way, need carefullyof look into the upanishadic dictacultivate for that it% !uidance% There!uidance are manyalon! thin!s weand need notto know, but the truths embodied in the upanishads and their inspired summary, the Bha!avad &ita, must be known by all who would ascend to hi!her life% So they merit our intent consideration% The four "eve"s of understanding
@urin! the last week of his earthly life, =esus was in =erusalem at the 9assover season%
and thou!ht it was an an!el speakin!$ some heard an indistinct sound and thou!ht it was thunder$ and others no doubt the ma>ority0 heard nothin! at all% It is not an event that matters as much as our comprehension of it% Aes, that is everythin!1 comprehension% una at Kurukshetra, sayin!1 There are some who have actually looked upon the ust not understood at all% Sri Ramakrishna told about a certain !roup of yo!is who were wont to challen!e a person with the words1 Dhat station are you dwellin! in"L By stationL they meant the habitual state of the individualNs mind% The neFt verse of the Isha #panishad is not easy to !rasp because it speaks of a mode of bein! far different from our usual condition% So it will be a real test as to what stationL of consciousness we are dwellin! in, as we try to decode it% Here it is1 The Self is one% #nmovin!, it moves swifter than thou!ht% The senses do not overtake it, for always it !oes before% Remainin! still, it outstrips all that run% Dithout the Self, there is no life%L The Se"f is one
neL has two meanin!s in 2astern thou!ht1 )0 number and (0 uality% This a very important point, since many controversies have arisen philosophically simply because Destern thinkers tend to limit oneL to a numerical value only% The incredibly bitter and violent controversy over the so-called onophysite heresyL in early Christianity in which tens of thousands of 2!yptians and Syrians were killed by the armies of the ByEantine empire, took place only because the Italian-ByEantines could not !rasp what the hereticsL meant by the simple word monos when applied to spiritual matters% Both meanin!s, number and uality, have si!nificance for us who, like the 6our Kumaras, are intent on the knowin! of the self% The principle that the self is one should set us to thinkin! about our own present self-concept andG perhaps even more importantGthe way we live out our self-concept% any people think one thin! intellectually or at least verbally, for public consumption0 and think another instinctively% 6or eFample, I knew a minister who was once challen!ed by a self-styled atheist who spent about an hour eFpoundin! the truthL of atheism and the folly of theism% Dhen he was finished the minister said1 There are two points about all that you have >ust said% ne1 it is complete nonsense% Two1 you do not believe a word of it yourself%L The man threw his ri!ht hand up in the air and declaimed1 I swear to &od in heaven that I doL Somewhere I have already mentioned that an 2astern Christian theolo!ical student once remarked to me that the worse thin! that had ever happened to Destern Christianity and Destern philosophy in !eneral was the invention of the pie chartLGthose round dia!rams divided into slicesL that pla!ued us throu!hout school in many sub>ects, from mathematics to sociolo!y% 9eople have come to think that they are con!lomerations of pieces that make up a whole, rather than a sin!le homo!enous bein!,L he eFplained% How many times do people speak of havin! several rolesL in life or of wearin! many
hats%L 6ra!mentation is a terrible pla!ue destroyin! our capacity to either see or attain unityinte!ration of our bein!% De think it is all ri!ht to be multiple persons% Dhere this all be!an with us is buried in the past, but the present reality cannot be denied% @rawn out from our center of unity, we say1 I am a businessman, a spouse, a parent, a citiEenPL etc%, rather than1 I am a sin!le person who functions in the area of business, marria!e, parenthood, citiEenshipPL etc% This no small thin!, and certainly not merely a philosophical nicety% This is a serious mental and spiritual disorder% Bein! both fra!mented and dispersed in our ener!ies and awareness, rather than operatin! from a central point of order, the mirror of our life is shattered into innumerable fra!ments that cannot convey any coherent ima!e of our face%L The unity that is the true ima!e is defaced, effaced, and even erasedGas far as our consciousness is concerned, even thou!h our true nature can never be altered in any manner% Stru!!lin! and submer!ed in the illusion of multiplicity, the truth of our unity is far from us% 6or we are not >ust one numerically, absolutely one in nature% Thisthe is an eternal truth meditation% that must be re!ained by us% How to do so" Bywe theare only process that really unifies consciousness1 Unmoving- it moves sifter than thought
How can the self move swifter than thou!ht and yet be unmovin!" This is not some koan-like platitude meant to faEe our mind in relation to self-knowled!e$ it is simple fact% The self, the spirit, is completely outside of time and space which are illusions, anyway0, yet it can scan time and space, movin! backward and forward simply because of the fact that it is one% Bein! one in the truest sense, the self is everywhereGsince there really is no whereL at all% The self is truly Dhole and therefore all-embracin!% It moves swifter than thou!ht, because a thou!ht reuires a timeGhowever smallGto arise or be eFpressed% The self, in contrast, eFists only in the 7ow% The uestions Dhere did I come from"L Dhere am I !oin!"L Dhat was I in the past"L and Dhat shall I be in the future"L are valuable because they set us on the uest to the discovery that we do not come or !o, nor do we have a past or futureGonly a 9resent% Dhen Sri Ramana aharshi was at the end of his physical embodiment he commented1 They say I am M!oin!,N but where shall I !o"L Some years later Sri
The self does not move, but it is always beforeL the uestin! senses in the sense that it is always out of their reach% The andukya #panishad, speakin! of the consciousness of the self, of turiya, describes it as not sub>ective eFperience, nor ob>ective eFperience, nor eFperience intermediate between these two, nor is it a ne!ative condition which is neither consciousness nor unconsciousness% It is not the knowled!e of the senses, nor is it relative knowled!e, nor yet inferential knowled!e% Beyond the senses, beyond the understandin!, beyond all eFpression,Pit is pure unitary consciousness, wherein awareness of the world and of multiplicity is completely obliterated% It is ineffable peace% It is the supreme !ood% It is ne without a second% It is the Self% Know it aloneL Dho can say any more" 2emaining sti""- it outstrips a"" that run
The self is unmovin!, as we have been told% Hence, any movementL is incompatible with it and blots it from our awareness% That which moves cannot possibly perceive it, nor can any process of movement includin! labyrinthine ways of points so much everbe!innin! result in touchin! or seein! Rather, movement the must cease, as 9atan>ali outyo!aL0 in the very of the Ao!a Sutras1it%Ao!a is the cessation of movement in the mind-substance% In other words, when we stop runnin!L we will rest in our self% Without the Se"f- there is no "ife
This is perhaps the hardest lesson for human bein!s to learn1 ithout the !elf" there is no life. De may en!a!e in frantic activity, runnin! here and there and accomplishin!L tremendous thin!s, indul!in! the senses to the maFimum and immersin! ourselves in ambitions, emotions, and relationships,L but throu!h it all the truth is simply this1 we are dead, mere wraiths feedin! desperately on a shadow life that is no life at allGnot even a poor imitation% In the self alone do we find life% How hard this is to learn, and how much harder it is to follow throu!h on, for it inevitably leads to the total renunciation of all that is not the selfGin other words, to the renunciation of everythin! we hold dear and identify with as bein! ours and our selfL when they are no such thin! at all% This is a bitter insi!ht in the be!innin!, but as our inner eye be!ins to ad>ust to the truth of it, we find it the source of !reatest >oy% Dho knows the oy of sattwa% @eep his deli!ht
2ver-absorbed, his eyes on me always, His priEe, his purpose% Dhen a man has achieved non-attachment, self-mastery and freedom from desire throu!h renunciation, he reaches union with Brahman, who is beyond all action%L < !reat deal is involved when we sincerely pray1 3ead me from death to immortality%L
The 3ver45resent Se"f To the i!norant the Self appears to moveGyet it moves not% 6rom the i!norant it is far distantGyet it is near% It is within all, and it is without all%L The Se"f appears to move'yet it moves not
De have >ust covered the fact that, bein! outside of the illusions of time and space, the self neither movesL nor !oes throu!h any type of chan!e whatsoever% Aet it eFperiencesL a multiplicity of eFternalities as the unmovin! witnessGmomentarily cau!ht up in the movie and thinkin! it is inside it and under!oin! the chan!es in the scenario% =ust as ima!inin! seein! or doin! somethin! is not the same as seein! or doin! it, so observin! the motion picture of countless lives with their attendant >oys and sorrows is not the same as actually bein! born, livin!, and dyin! over and over% But we are deluded into thinkin! so, and the upanishadic sa!e is endeavorin! to wake us up, >ust as we awaken someone who is havin! a ni!htmare and callin! out in pain or fear% De, however, havin! become accustomed even addicted0 to the ni!htmare, are a lot more difficult to awaken% %t is far distant'yet it is near
Since the self is eFistin! in eternity, transcendin! any de!ree of relativity, it could not be furtherL away from the relative realm of eFperience not eFistence, because the relative does not actually eFistL at all eFcept as an illusion0% n the other hand, since relativity is only a concept, the self is the nearest possible because it alone is actually present
7othin! can eFist apart from the selfGeven an illusion% < hallucination is a thin!L even thou!h it is solely mental% The self is the substratum upon and within which everythin! subsists, the screen on which the li!ht-and-shadow play of lifeL is pro>ected% It is itself the basis of all that is perceived% 6rom one perspective it can be said that the self consciousness0 is inside everythin!% 6rom another, since it is forever separate from all thin!s, it can be spoken of as outsideGalien toGall thin!s% Dhichever way you say it, the idea is the same1 the self never touches any thin!%L The effect of seeing true
He who sees all bein!s in the Self, and the Self in all bein!s, hates none%L Here we come to the practical application of what the upanishad is tellin! us about the self% This is the inestimable value of the Bha!avad &ita% Dhere the #panishads eFpress spiritual mathematics in a usually abstract manner, the &ita outlines both the upanishadic principles and what the result will be when they are followed or realiEed, definin! spiritual realities in practical, observable terms%0 If we never lose si!ht of the self, then we will be able to perceive what is not the self%
The ""43mbracing Se"f Dhere one sees nothin! but the ne, hears nothin! but the ne, knows nothin! but the neGthere is the Infinite% Dhere one sees another, hears another, knows anotherGthere is the finite% The Infinite is immortal, the finite is mortal%L To the illumined soul, the Self is all% 6or him who sees everywhere oneness, how can there be delusion or !rief" The Self is everywhere% Bri!ht is he, bodiless, without scar of imperfection, without bone, without flesh, pure, untouched by evil% The Seer, the Thinker, the ne who is above all, the Self-2FistentQhe it is that has established perfect order amon! ob>ects and bein!s from be!innin!less time%L The Se"f is everyhere
Bein! outside of time and space the self is both everywhere and nowhereGdependin! on oneNs point of reference% ne thin! is definite1 the self cannot be separated from to any de!ree and is always present in the fullest measure% This bein! so, we need not seek the self, but only reali#e it% De are always seein!, touchin!, and livin! in the self, yet we do not reco!niEe it, >ust as fish have no perception of water because of its intimate and inte!ral connection with them% The self is even more immediate to us than is water to the fish% The most practical application of this truth is simple1 De should always we aware of the self and centered in the self% apa of m% editate on m as the Self%L The Self atman is of the nature of the Syllable m% Thus the Syllable m is the very Self% He who knows It thus enters the Self Supreme Spirit with his self individual spirit%L @irectly realiEe the self by meditatin! on m%L The syllable MmN is the self%L 2arnest seekers who, incessantly and with a steady mind, repeat MmN will attain success% By repetition of the pure MmN the mind is withdrawn from sense ob>ects and becomes one with the Self%L *right is he
In the Katha #panishad it is said of the self1 Him the sun does not illumine, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor the li!htnin!Gnor, verily, fires kindled upon the earth% He is the one li!ht that !ives li!ht to all% $e shining" everything shines.L The self is illumined by no eFternal li!ht, but rather illumines all itself% De could shine the bri!htest of li!hts into the eyes of a dead man and he would see nothin!% But if the self is present to enliven him, then he will% The self is knownGseenGby the self, and therefore it is called swayampra%ash1 self-illumined% Hence only those in contact with their self can be said to possess illumination to any de!ree% Those who under the banner of devotionL obsess on eFternal practices and deities can only dwell in the li!ht that is darkness%L De must seek illumination in the self alone, keepin! in mind that &od is the Self of the self, that to seek one is to seek the other% !u%ram, the word translated bri!ht,L also means pure in the sense of bein! of such perfect clarity that
no li!ht is obscured% 6or it is from the core of the self that the 9ure 3i!ht of &od shines forth% Therefore, as >ust pointed out, to attain self-knowled!e is to realiEe both the atman and the 9aramatman% nly when we are centered in our self can we see &od, and only when we are centered in &od can we truly know our self% In a flawless crystal, what do we see" 7othin!% So also, in the self there is nothin! seen, for all thin!sL are transcended, and pure Bein! alone remains in our consciousness% Dherefore the Chando!ya #panishad tells us1 Dhere one sees nothin! but the ne, hears nothin! but the ne, knows nothin! but the neGthere is the Infinite% Dhere one sees another, hears another, knows anotherGthere is the finite% The Infinite is immortal, the finite is mortal%L *odi"ess
bviously the self is not material, but it is necessary for us to further realiEe that the self never touches materiality, that in never hasL a body in the sense that it is inte!rated with a body and either affects it or is affected by it% This is eFtremely important, for reli!ion and a lot of yo!aL0 usually leads us astray by !ettin! us to be involved in a multitude of activities thatGincludin! intellectual study and conceptualiEationsGare takin! place only in the various bodies koshas0 and therefore have nothin! whatsoever to do with the self, and hence are usually irrelevant% It is true that we need to purify and refine the bodies so they will cease to veil or obscure the self, but we should understand that the entire process takes place outside the self and never affects the self to any de!ree% It is also necessary to comprehend that the self is not really inL the bodyies0 at all, for by its very nature it cannot be encompassed or contained by anythin!, includin! the body% They are contained in me, but I am not in them,L says Krishna% ect the bodiesGsimply have the correct perspective re!ardin! them% Without scar of imperfection
Imperfection can occur only in the level of relativity% Bein! eternally outside of relative eFistence it is not possible for the self to ever be markedL for either !ood or badGneither of which even eFists for the self% In Ao!a Sutra )1(8, 9atan>ali describes the Supreme 3ord, sayin!1 Ishwara is a distinct spirit, untouched by troubles, actions and their results, and latent impressions%L The relevant idea here is that &od is beyond all action and therefore incapable of either incurrin! karma or of bein! conditioned or affected in any way by actionGsince He never acts% 2Factly the same is true of the self% Without bone- ithout f"esh
bviously the self has no bodyGthat has already been saidGso why this statement about the self bein! without bone or flesh" The idea bein! presented is that the self has no innerL or outer%L It has no essence as a substratum or framework skeleton0 which can become the !round or basis of another, eFternal entity that is an eFtension of mutation of itself% The self has neither parts nor appenda!es upadhis0% It is thorou!hly homo!enous and absolutely one% It cannot be moreL itself or lessL itself% There are no !radations or shadin!s in the self% It simply IS% 5ure
De have already considered the purity of the self and need only add one more point1 The self is also pureL because there is nothin! intervenin! between the self and anythin! elseGincludin! &od% It is absolute and direct without admiFture of any kind% Untouched by evi"
bviously the self is untouched by evil, for it is not touched affected0 by anythin! at all or at any time% The Seer
The unwitnessed witness is the self% In truth there is no other witness on the individual level because the senses, mind, and intellect are mere ener!y constructs that have no consciousness of their own% The eye never really sees, nor does the ear hear% 7o more does the brain or intellect% Rather, the spirit that is consciousness witnesses their messa!es, therefore the upanishadic seer said1 The Self is ear of the ear, mind of the mind, speech of speech% He is also breath of the breath, and eye of the eye% Havin! !iven up the false identification of the Self with the senses and the mind, and knowin! the Self to be Brahman, the wise, on departin! this life, become immortal%L oys and suffers The thin!s of the senses% The Thinker
7ot bein! the brain, only its witness and not its possessor, the self is here called the thinkerL only as an attempt to convey the idea that it is the self that both witnesses and knows what it is witnessin!% It is not >ust a screen on which the motion picture of life is pro>ected, nor is it a consciousness of ob>ects alone without co!nition of their nature%
There is nothin! hi!her than the self, nothin! beyond the self% Dhat about &od" &od and the self bein! one, even &od should not be thou!ht of as beyond or above it% 6urther, Brahman is not a thin!L in a
hierarchal chain of bein! that It could possibly be said to be aboveL or belowL any thin! whatsoever% This statement is eFtremely practical, for it is impossible to conduct a spiritual life without the correct perspective1 the spirit is supreme% 7ot only is everythin! lesser that the spirit, in truth everythin! else is nothing in comparison% Those who do not hold this conviction really have no spiritual life in the truest sense% God &irst. God 'lone. This is the only correct perspective% @evotees seek to know him by study, by sacrifice, by continence, by austerity, by detachment% To know him is to become a seer% @esirin! to know him, and him alone, monks renounce the world% RealiEin! the !lory of the Self, the sa!es of old craved not sons nor dau!hters% Dhat have we to do with sons and dau!hters,L they asked, we who have known the Self, we who have achieved the supreme !oal of eFistence"L 7o lon!er desirin! pro!eny, nor wealth, nor life in other worlds, they entered upon the path of complete renunciation%L The Se"f43.istent
The spirit never had a be!innin!% It always was% ects, places, or conditions% therwise we fall into the labyrinth of confusion and false identities e it is that has estab"ished perfect order among ob7ects and beings from beginning"ess time
nce a!ain, the unity-identity of the individual self and the Supreme Self cause the upanishadic rishi to make a statement that applies to both, althou!h we are used to thinkin! only in terms of the ects and bein!s from be!innin!less timeL or at the present moment% This reminds me of an incident in the life of Sri a
prayer and surrender to the divine willL is idiotic and !ets us nowhere% The day we start takin! fullG and eFclusiveGresponsibility for our past, present, and future is the day we will be!in movin! toward real perfection%
5erspective on ,ife The u"" (5urna) picture
To darkness are they doomed who devote themselves only to life in the world, and to a !reater darkness they who devote themselves only to meditation% 3ife in the world alone leads to one result, meditation alone leads to another% So have we heard from the wise% They who devote themselves both to life in the world and to meditation, by life in the world overcome death, and by meditation achieve immortality%L Dise teachers have pointed out that even thou!h non-duality is the actual state of thin!s, in our present condition of bein! netted in aya we need to know that all is one but live as thou!h duality is also real% The world may not be ultimately real, but we need to work throu!h the puEEles presented to us by relative eFperience% Two serious errors can be committed by the thou!htful aspirant1 )0 the conclusion that since none of it is realL nothin! really matters and there is no need for spiritual endeavor$ and (0 the conclusion that since only the spiritual is real we should i!nore the eFternal and the material aspects of life and put all our attention on the inner spiritual side of life% But ri!ht there the error is uncovered, for the spiritual is only a sideL of lifeGas is the materialGand to!ether they make the two-sided whole% r we can look at it in an even better and truer way1 the material is the spiritual and therefore demands and deserves our full attention as well as the obviously spiritual aspects of life% This is the meanin! of the ?edic verse be!innin! purnamadah purnamidam1 That is thehas 6ull, thisout is of thethe 6ull% The 6ull come 6ull% If we take the 6ull from the 6ull It is the 6ull that yet remains% The two are reallyGand alwaysGthe ne% To re>ect or turn from one is to re>ect and turn from the
To darkness are they doomed who devote themselves only to life in the world, and to a !reater darkness they who devote themselves only to meditation%L The 9urna, the 6ull it also means the Complete0 is one, yet it is dual% This makes no sense, but considerin! the limitation of our intellects that should be no surprise% It is our intuition that must come into function when we be!in dealin! with these hi!her spheres of reality% De, too, are dual, bein!
ima!e-replicas of the @ivine ected and the spiritual alone embraced% This produces deep spiritual psychosis, for it is simply impossible to do and also involves a re>ection of an eternal part of ourselves and &od0% Sanatana @harma in contrast makes it clear that the two are really one and must both be cultivatedGaccordin! to the principles of dharma, of courseGfor us to attain the consciousness of perfect unity in ourselves and in &od% Those who devote themselves only to life in the worldL become sunk in the limitations of materiality and addicted to its va!aries% 2!oism and intense selfishness and eFploitation of both the world and those livin! in it with us can be the sole result of such a limited focus% Havin! only a perspective of mortality, the hi!her nature of the individual is suppressed to !ive free rein to the do!-eat-do!, everyman-for-himselfL attitude that must arise from preoccupation with eFternal eFistence% Havin! no idea of the true nature of either the world, ourselves, or our fellow human bein!s, only chaos and destruction can come to us% n the other hand, those who devote themselves only to meditationL or abstract philosophiEin! to the eFclusion of material considerations and practical livin!, come to a worse result1 complete psycholo!ical disinte!ration literally0 and alienation from any form of reality% Hypocrisy also results, because to even eat and drink is to admit the necessity of physicality, and that food must come from somewhere, so dependence on the i!norant and astrayL becomes necessary% It reminds me of a cartoon I saw years a!o in an emi!re Russian newspaper >ust after the #nited States had supplied the Soviet #nion with incredibly hu!e amounts of !rain and saved their economy and the life of millions% Two old ladies sweepin! the street Red Suare% ne was sayin! How to thecan other1 It is >ustify !ood we did not kill all the were Capitalists$ otherwise weinwould have starved to death%L a person livin! off those whose earthly involvement they despise and condemn" The Bha!avad &ita discusses this matter thorou!hly and points out the folly of the spiritualsL who pretend to have transcended worldly concerns% De must function in both matter and spirit% Both elements must be inte!rated throu!h the followin! of dharma to complete the picture and solve the evolutionary puEEle% The material must be spiritualiEed and the spiritual must be materialiEed in the sense of makin! both practical and beneficial to one another% In this endeavor the teachin!s of the Bha!avad &ita are indispensable, for1 3ife in the world alone leads to one result, meditation alone leads to another% So have we heard from the wise%L rom death to immorta"ity
They who devote themselves both to life in the world and to meditation, by life in the world overcome death, and by meditation achieve immortality%L 3ife is not >ust some maEe to be somehow !otten throu!h, or a onopoly board with random advances and re!ressionsGand there is certainly no &et ut of =ail 6ree Rather, life demands the fullest eFercise of the two faculties that mark human bein!s out from the rest of earthly life-forms1 developed reason and intuition% Intelli!ence of the hi!hest order is necessary% This does not mean that the aspirant needs to be an intellectual,L but he must be intelli!ent% Stupid people simply do not make itGmostly because stupid people never seek it% 7or can the seekerNs intelli!ence be kept on the shelf for only occasional
use and amusement% ust intellectually think0 that the two are really one, manifestations of the ne% Havin! seen the ne in all, they have attained immortality even in this mortal life% < final point% 7otice that the upanishadic sa!e speak of bein! devoted to the outer and inner lives% This means steadiness and re!ularity in practice as well as adamant adherence to the reuired disciplines such as yama and niyama% But most important it means wanting, even loving, to lead the outer and inner lives accordin! to the precepts of dharma% There is no place here for !rud!in! admittance of necessity, of stin!y ekin! out of the barest minimum that is reuired, !rumblin! and resentin! and wishin! it need not be so% Such persons should not even try% They are not >ust losers, they are losses% See the perspective of a Christ CrucifiFion was the most horrible of deaths, yet accordin! to Saint 9aul1 =esusP for the (oy that was set before him endured the cross, despisin! the shame%L Dhat a different perspective from the morbid and sentimental carryin!s-on over the passion of =esus that Christians the the world and the linksidol% them to =esus the world, nothin! to them moreen!a!e painfulin% or 3ovin! tra!ic than torture andbody deaththat of that But hastened to theseems mockery, the scour!in!, and the crucifiFion for the (oy that was set before him. 7ot wonder he has been misunderstood and re>ected throu!h the a!es by those who bear his name% 2einforcing the idea
To darkness are they doomed who worship only the body, and to !reater darkness they who worship only the spirit% Dorship of the body alone leads to one result, worship of the spirit leads to another% So have we heard from the wise% They who worship both the body and the spirit, by the body overcome death, and by the spirit achieve immortality%L The basic idea of these verses has already been covered, but we should notice the use of the word worship%L De are used to thinkin! of worship only in relation to &od, but it comes from an older form, worthship, which meant to acknowled!e the value and si!nificance of somethin!% Therefore Swami 9rabhavananda was wise in selectin! this word for his translation% The lesson here is the need to value both body and spirit% I know that =esus said, 7o man can serve two masters1 for either he will hate the one, and love the other$ or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other,L but we are strivin! to be not men but !ods, so we are !oin! to have to mana!e it%
foolish% ewel% Throu!h these means both body and spirit are truly worshipped and immortality is !ained%
Seeing *eyond the Sun Upanishadic tradition
The final four verses of the Isha #panishad are recited at the cremation of bodies in India, and are a prayer for ascension to the hi!her realms that are beyond the compulsion of rebirth in this world% These deal mainly with the sun% Throu!hout history and throu!hout the world the sun has been worshipped or considered a symbol of divinity% The full comprehension of the spiritual nature of the sun was discovered in India untold a!es a!o and embodied in the upanishads% ,ight beyond the "ight
The face of truth is hidden by thy !olden orb, Sun% That do thou remove, in order that I who am devoted to truth may behold its !lory%L The sun illumines us and shows us what we assume to be reality% But actually that seein!L veils the Truth Reality0 behind that veil% Therefore we seek to pierce beyond it% However, the sun actually is that Reality, and we must approach it and petition for the removal of its outer li!ht in order that we may behold its inner 3i!ht% ore on this later%0 The go"den orb
The !olden orbL has more than one meanin!, all of which are si!nificant% )0 The most obvious meanin! of the !olden orb is the sun itself%
evolution% Sunli!ht particularly stimulates the activity of the hi!her centers in the brain, especially that of the pineal !land% 2ven in the depths of the earth a sensitive man can tell when the sun rises and sets above him% The sun appears to illuminate us, but it is a li!ht that covers the 3i!ht in order to lead us to the 3i!ht% De must use it to !o beyond it% (0 ust flow into this world, they also draw upward throu!h the sun and beyond% In the human body the process of eFhalation and inhalation is related to solar ener!y, and much of the solar power on which we subsist is drawn into the body throu!h our breathin!% The solar rays do not >ust strike the surface of our body, but actually penetrate into the physical nerves nadis0% The nadis are also the channels in the astral body that correspond to the physical nerves% =ust as the electrical impulses flow throu!h the physical nerves, the subtle life force, or prana, flows throu!h the subtle nadis and keeps us alive and functionin!% The prana, then, is a vehicle for the solar ener!ies that produce evolution% Dhen the individual comes into manifestation on this earth he passes from the astral world into the material plane by the means of the sun, which is a mass of eFplodin! astralwithin ener!ies, mere flamin! !ases% ust as we use a ladder or stair to ascend and then step beyond it, in the same way the creation is meant to be eventually transcended% De must therefore keep both these aspects in mind while livin! in this world% 80 The !olden orb is also our own mindGthat which perceives the world around us and the intelli!ence which comprehends what is !oin! on and directs our lives accordin!ly% 9otential is not enou!h$ there must be actualiEation% It is our mind alone that can lead us beyond the mind, our intelli!ence alone that can lead us onward to intuition%
eFperience the Self of our self, the 9aramatman% In a sense we transcend the selfGbut of course we do not, since the Supreme Self and our individual self are one% This transcendence must ever be kept in mind, for out of i!norance and even laEiness a lot of people like the idea that we need only enter into the eFperience of our self and that is the end% The same wron!-headed view abro!ates the need for our evolution and assumes that if we must smash the machine we will !et the pictureGor even worse, that there is no picture to see or even a seer to see it% However cleverly this view may be worded or how sophisticated it appears, it is nihilism of the deadliest sort, a ruinous pitfall% .0 The !olden orb is also the evolutionary impulse within all thin!s which, thou!h life itself to the evolvin! spirit, yet ur!es us to continual transcendence of its various sta!es until we transcend it as well% It is a !olden stair that ur!es us onward to the hei!hts where it cannot come% The Supreme Sun
The ultimate &olden rb is the Supreme Self% That is what we are strivin! toward by the five means >ust cited% Bein! transcendent, how shall we reach it" By means of Its immanence within the world in the form of the sacred syllable m, the 9ranava, the 3ife-!iver% That which !lows i%e%, the sun is m,L says the ancient apa and meditation of m ali!ns us with the solar powers that are m and thereby !reatly increase our life force and the evolution of all the levels of our bein!% 2ven as a !reat eFtendin! hi!hway runs between two villa!es, this one and that yonder, even so the rays of the sun !o to both these worlds, this one and that yonder% They start from the yonder sun and enter into the nadis astral nervesL% They start from the nadis and enter into the yonder sun%PDhen a man departs from this body, then he !oes upwards by these very rays or he !oes up with the thou!ht of m% oin m to our breathin! and mer!e it into the pranic flow% This practice conditions our subtle levels so that at the time of death we will be oriented toward the solar powers and can ascend upon themGespecially if we continue our intonations of m even after the body has been dropped% Those intonations will !uarantee our ascent into the solar world% Those who have imbued themselves with the 9ranavic vibrations will enter throu!h the solar !ate, whereas those who have not done so will be shut out by it and compelled to return to earthly rebirth% By means of m he the meditatin! yo!i sees the way, the way alon! which his prana !oes$ therefore one should always repeat It so that he !oes alon! the ri!ht way1 throu!h the heart-!ate, the air-!ate, the !ate which leads upward, and the openin! of the !ate of liberation which is known as the open orb the sun%L Those who continually invoke and meditate upon m durin! their lifetime will remember m at the time of death, and by means of m will ascend to the sun and beyond into the real Beyond%
MIt is said1 MIndeed the sun is this m$N therefore one should meditate and make himself ready to unite himself with it%L Sunli!ht is the radiant form of m% The sun initiates the entire solar system into m% Human bein!s are solar creatures, therefore to intone m is the most natural thin!s they can do% ur ?eda% Krishna states in the Bha!avad &ita1
Simply wantin! a thin! does not make it happen or come to us% In the same way, spiritual daydreamin! is fruitless% Therefore, he who petitions for the removal of the !olden orb describes himself as I who am devoted to truth%L He is one who wishes to pass from the unreal to the Real, to no lon!er live in the ma!ic of aya, but to move onward to the Reality behind all appearance% ust seek truth or think about itGhe is devoted to truth% nly those may behold its !lory%L Stop: so % may #o
nourisher, only seer, controller of allQ illuminin! Sun, fountain of life for all creaturesGwithhold thy li!ht, !ather to!ether thy rays% ay I behold throu!h thy !race thy most blessed form% The Bein! that dwells therein even that Bein! am I%L In Indian philosophy &od is often thou!ht of as other% This verse bears that out, speakin! of the divine as the 7ourisher of all bein!s, the 6ountain of 3ife% &od the other is freuently addressed in Sanskrit hymns as *agata *anani" *agata Palani Gthe Birth!iver and 7ourisher of the world >a!at0% In 2astern Christianity, one title !iven to the ?ir!in other ary is 3ife-!ivin! Sprin!%L &od is also the Seer of
ay I behold throu!h thy !race thy most blessed form%L Two uestions arise or should arise0 at these words% Dhat is the !race of &od" Dhat is the form of &od"
The !race of &od is not some kind of favor or !oodieL dropped into our lap by &od% 7or is !race somethin! occasionally dispensed by &od as a special token to the chosen% 'll that e+ists,either relatively or absolutely,is the grace of God. There is nothin! that is not the !race of &od% If we like, we may say that the !race of &od is the @ivine 9lan for our liberation%
The ina" spiration The poet Brownin! wrote of the end of life for which the first was made%L That is a lovely eFpression, but very few really believe it and therefore rarely think of their lifeNs end% Those of us who seek liberation must from the very be!innin! be lookin! toward the end we desire% In the neFt to the last verse at the close of the Isha #panishad we are !iven the perspective we should be livin! with every moment of our life if we would truly come to a !ood end%L !o
3et my life now mer!e in the all-pervadin! life%
have no life outside that vision% Silly children, we dawdle and dally until the ni!ht falls, that ni!ht in which no man can workL which =esus warned us about% 7ow or neverL happens to be the simple truth% Merging in ,ife
any people want to embrace lifeL so they can e!ocentrically possess it and eFploit it to the full% But they have no idea what life is% =ust the opposite, for what they think is life is really death% The allpervadin! lifeL is the only life, for that is &od% ect a!ain, to possess0, but to mer!e with &od in complete unity-identity% That is, our consciousness must be completely mer!ed in the infinite Consciousness, and irrevocably so% =ust as a cup of water poured into the ocean cannot be drawn back out of the ocean, so we need to attain that state of unity which can never be reversed% any yo!is paddle their feet or !o for a uick dip in the ocean of Satchidananda, but the !oal is to unite with that ocean, to mer!e in it and become totally one with it% Conseuently at ever moment of our life we must be holdin! in mind and livin! out the sankalpa1 3et my life now mer!e in the all-pervadin! life%L Those who are unfit for union with &od become all anFious and even fearful when they hear about mer!in! with the @ivine% will I !o out of eFistence"L they uaver% Dhat will happen to me"L ver and over a!ain they plun!e headlon! into the sea of rebirth, never raisin! such uestions about relative eFistence, but !oin! for itL heedlessly% nly when confronted with &od do they develop prudence and caution% =esus has assured us, thou!h1 Dhosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it$ and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it%L This is because we are truly ne!ativeGthat is, we are absolutely backwards one hundred and ei!hty de!rees% Conseuently what we think will annihilate us will immortaliEe us, whereas what we think will make us live will destroy us% 3ike the !reat master, Ao!ananda, we must pray1 3et me drown in Thine ocean and liveL Understanding the destiny of the body
It is not a simple thin! to rid ourselves of the of billions of lives wherein wemind identified completely with the body% 2ven when we haveconditionin!s evolved enou!h to identify more with the and the spirit, still the body claims the ma>ority of our attentionGand attachment% It is completely refleFive with us, overridin! any emotional or intellectual factors to the contrary% Therefore we must continually affirm in word, attitude, and act1
The blaEin! fire turns wood to ashes1 The fire of knowled!e turns all karmas to ashes% Dhen the brid!esL of all bodies, subtle and !ross, have been burned in the holy fires, then we will pass on into the kin!dom of Infinity that is our eternal birthri!ht% 2emember:
How to kindle the i!norance-consumin! fire" The upanishadic sa!e continues1 mind, remember Brahman% mind, remember thy past deeds% Remember Brahman% Remember thy past deeds%L Remember BrahmanL is eFtremely easy to say, but how is it done" The #panishads do not waste our time, but !o strai!ht to the mark, sayin!1 I will tell you briefly of that &oal which all the ?edas with one voice propound, which all the austerities speak of, and wishin! for Dhich people practice discipline1 It is m%L m is the Supreme Brahman%L &od is the Syllable m%L m is Brahman, the 9rimeval Bein!%L That m is the uintessence of the essences, the Supreme, the hi!hest%L m is Brahman%L una at len!th% In that conversation he told him1 The !ods, rishis, and the na!as, and the asuras, approachin! 9ra>apati the Creator, said to Him1 MTell us the hi!hest !ood%N To them who were inuirin! about the hi!hest !ood, the ?enerable ne said, Mm, which is Brahman in a sin!le Syllable%NL The monosyllable m is the hi!hest Brahman,L said the sa!e anu, and 9atan>ali summed it all up by simply sayin!1 Its repetition and meditation is the way%L To remember Brahman we en!a!e in the >apa and meditation of mGsimple and direct% ne should meditate on this Syllable m%L This m is the best means of attainment and realiEation$ this means is the Hi!her and 3esser Brahman% editatin! on m, one becomes worthy of worship in the world of Brahman%L The Self atman is of the nature of the Syllable m% Thus the Syllable m is the very Self% He who knows It thus enters the Self Supreme Spirit with his self individual spirit%L Takin! as the bow the !reat weapon of the #panishads m, one should place in It the arrow sharpened by meditation% @rawin! It with a mind en!a!ed in the contemplation of That Brahman, beloved, know that Imperishable Brahman as theoftar!et% m is the bow1 aoneNs self, Thus indeed, is the arrow% Brahman is spoken of as the tar!et that% ItThe is toSyllable be hit without makin! mistake% one becomes united with it Brahman as the arrow becomes one with the tar!et% He in Dhom the sky, the earth, and the interspace are woven, as also the mind alon! with all the pranas, know Him alone as the one Self% @ismiss other utterances% This m is the brid!e to immortality% editate on m as the
Self% ay you be successful in crossin! over to the farther shore of darkness%L Then Satyakama, son of Shibi, asked him the Rishi 9ippalada1 M?enerable Sir, what world does he who meditates on m until the end of his life, win by That"N To him, he said1 MIf he meditates on the Supreme Bein! 9arampurusha with the Syllable m, he becomes one with the 3i!ht, the Sun% He is led to the world of Brahman% He sees the 9erson that dwells in the body, Dho is hi!her than the hi!hest life%PThat the wise one attains, even by the mere sound m as support, That Dhich is tranuil, una!in!, immortal, fearless, and supreme%L The knower of the real nature of Brahman that is identical with the 9ranava, should cross all the formidable streams of samsara with the ferryboat of the 9ranava%L He who utters m with the intention MI shall attain BrahmanN does verily attain Brahman%L "ternating remembrance
The thorou!h practicality and !ood sense of dharma is one of its most strikin! features1 it wor%s. ali lists swadhyayaGintrospective selfstudyGas an essential in!redient of yo!a practice% Aet this self-study must be done in the !reater conteFt of divine consciousness1 In thy li!ht shall we see li!ht%L nly in the divine li!ht can we see thin!s as they really are% So we should meditate on Brahman throu!h m, and outside of meditation we should look at our past, comparin! our past deeds and our past states of mind with our present deeds and mental condition% This will reveal to us whether we are truly pro!ressin! or not% I knew a woman who sincerely believed that &od to her to her so cruel sweetly, makin! her feel holy and pure% Thenwas she appearin! would come out in of meditation meditation and and talkin! be unspeakably to her dau!hter, bothsophysically and mentally% In meditation she was an an!el, but outside of meditation she was a devil% Dron! meditation !ives us a wron! ima!e of ourselves, but ri!ht meditation shows us the truth about both &od and ourselves% f course we have to have a correct memory of our past% any people are so blinded to the truth about themselves that when they learn to meditate they start sayin!1 y mind used to be calm, but it has !otten so restless,L or1 I used to be a nice person, but now I am >ust a wreck and fallin! apart%L The reality is that their mind was always restless, but not bein! introspective they did not realiEe it% They were also a complete ruin, mentally and spiritually, but they had no eyes with which to see it% 7ow they do, and they foolishly blame meditation% n the other hand, people who are practicin! a wron! form of meditation or a ri!ht form wron!ly0 do become increasin!ly restless and increasin!ly ne!ative% I know of several kinds of meditation that really do brin! about the mental and spiritual disinte!ration of those who practice them, and often the physical de!eneration, as well% But those who meditate accordin! to the teachin!s of the upanishads will have no problem% 2nd of Isha Commentary1
;ena Upanishad Translated by Vidyavachaspati V. Panoli
m ay my limbs, speech, vital air, eyes, ears, stren!th, ects0" @irected byiswhom does the foremost vitalDished air move" By whom is wished this speech people utter" Dho the radiant bein! that unites the eye and the ear with their ob>ects0" I-(% Because He is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of speech, the vital air of the vital air, and the eye of the eye, the wise, freein! themselves from the identity with the senses0 and
renouncin! the world, become immortal% I-'% The eye does not reach there, nor speech, nor mind, nor do we know Its mature0% Therefore we donNt know how to impart instruction about It0% @istinct indeed is That from the known and distinct from the unknown% Thus have we heard from the ancients who eFpounded It to us% I-8% That which is not uttered by speech, that by which the word is eFpressed, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this non-Brahman0 which is bein! worshiped% I-:% That which one does not think with the mind, that by which, they say, the mind is thou!ht, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this non-Brahman0 which is bein! worshiped% I-.% That which man does not see with the eye, that by which man sees the activities of the eye, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this non-Brahman0 which is bein! worshiped% I-;% That which man does not hear with the ear, that by which man hears the earNs hearin!, know That aloneThat to be Brahman, and not smell this non-Brahman0 is bein! worshiped% I-+% which man does with the or!anwhich of smell, that by which the or!an of smell is attracted towards its ob>ects, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this non-Brahman0 which is bein! worshiped% II-)% If you think, MI know Brahman ri!htlyN, you have known but little of BrahmanNs true0 nature% Dhat you know of His form and what form you know amon! the !ods too is but little0% Therefore Brahman is still to be inuired into by you% I think Brahman is known to me% II-(% I think not I know Brahman ri!htly, nor do I think It is unknown% I know and I do not know also0% He amon! us who knows that knows It Brahman0$ not that It is not known nor that It is known% II-'% It is known to him to whom It is unknown$ he to whom It is known does not know It% It is unknown to those who know, and known to those who know not% II-8% Dhen Brahman is known as the inner Self of co!nition0 in every state of consciousness, It is known in reality, because one thus attains immortality% Throu!h oneNs own Self is attained stren!th and throu!h knowled!e is attained immortality% II-:% Here if one has realiEed, then there is accomplishment% Here if one has not realiEed, then there is utter ruin% Havin! realiEed Brahman in all bein!s, and havin! withdrawn from this world, the wise become immortal% III-)% It is well-known that Brahman indeed achieved victory for the !ods% But in that victory which was BrahmanNs the !ods reveled in >oy% III-(% They thou!ht, urs alone is this victory, ours alone is this !loryL% Brahman knew this their pride and appeared before them, but they knew not who this Aaksha worshipful Bein!0 was% III-'% They said to
III-))% Then the !ods0 said to Indra1 a!hava, know thou this as to who this Aaksha isL% He said10 So be itL% He approached It, but It disappeared from him% III-)(% In that space itself where the Aaksha had disappeared0 Indra approached an eFceedin!ly charmin! woman% To that #ma decked in !old or to the dau!hter of the Himalayas0, he said1 Dho is this Aaksha"L I?-)% She said1 It was Brahman% In the victory that was BrahmanNs you were revelin! in >oyL% Then alone did Indra know for certain that It was Brahman% I?-(% Therefore, these !ods viE%
;ena Upanishad &ommentary &ommentary on the ;ena Upanishad'by Sami !irma"ananda #iri
The Mover of the Moved In the world we see a prime duality1 cause and effect% Aet, we see no cause for the world itself% Inuiry into its cause naturally arises% The laEy and the cowardly insist there is no cause and pursue their eFploitation of the world and its inhabitants% The worthy and the bold, however, seek to know% any are the theories set forth by profound thinkers% But those who have !one beyond thou!ht into pure knowin! have unanimously told us of the cause, and in that insi!ht have also come to perfectly understand the effectGthe world and all within it% The
The Kena #panishad opens with a uestion that is answered in the rest of the upanishad%
The Self is ear of the ear, mind of the mind, speech of speech% He is also breath of the breath, and eye of the eye% Havin! !iven up the false identification of the Self with the senses and the mind, and knowin! the Self to be Brahman, the wise, on departin! this life, become immortal%L The ear, mind, speech, breath, and eye are only instruments, only messen!ers% The one who causes them to function, the hearer of hearin!, the witness of the mind and thou!ht, the understander of speech, the source of the breath and the seer of seein!, is the
Brahman is beyond all sensory perception or intellectual comprehension% Aet we can infer the eFistence of Brahman by that which It causes to occur, by the consciousness that does perceive and comprehend% So in conclusion the upanishad says this, which really needs little comment1 Him the eye does not see, nor the ton!ue eFpress, nor the mind !rasp% Him we neither know nor are able to teach% @ifferent is he from the known, and different is he from the unknown% So have we heard from the wise% That which cannot be eFpressed in words but by which the ton!ue speaks know that to be Brahman% Brahman is not the bein! who is worshiped of men% That which is not comprehended by the mind but by which the mind comprehendsGknow that to be Brahman% Brahman is not the bein! who is worshiped of men% That which is not seen by the eye but by which the eye seesGknow that to be Brahman% Brahman is not the bein! who is worshiped of men% That which is not heard by the ear but by which the ear hearsGknow that to be Brahman% Brahman is not the bein! who is worshiped of men% That which is not drawn by the breath but by which the breath is drawn know that to be Brahman% Brahman is not the bein! who is worshiped of men%L Dhen the upanishad says that we do not know Brahman, it refers to intellectual knowled!e% Therefore, as it continues, we cannot teachL Brahman as an intellectual sub>ect% Dhen it says that is different unknownLob>ect it is not of BrahmanNs unknowability, butBrahman rather that Brahmanfrom is not the an unknown thatspeakin! in time the intellect will come to know% The most strikin! part of this passa!e is the statement that Brahman is not the bein! who is worshiped of men%L This presents two si!nificant points% 6irst, that Brahman is not an ob>ect, but the 2ternal
Sub>ect, and conseuently cannot be worshiped as an ob>ect% Second, menL cannot relate to Brahman at all, but those that have passed beyond all relative identity can eFperience Brahman as their own Self%
;noing that is %gnorance- and Unknoing That is ;noing t the beginning
Brahman is not only everywhere, but actually is all thin!s% This, too, we cannot eFactly comprehend, and to eFpress it simplistically is to make thin!s much worse%0 Because of this, it is easy for those who have eFperienced only a hint of BrahmanGeven a hint of Dhich is tremendousGto say1 7ow I know Brahman%L But that would be like someone who has seen a cup of seawater sayin!1 7ow I have seen the Sea%L If we do not know Brahman fully, we cannot truly say that we know Brahman at all% Aet, there is a knowin! that is beyond the intellect and is both knowin! and unknowin! in an eFperiential sense% This is why a medieval mystical 2n!lish teFt on the knowled!e of &od is called The -loud of n%nowing% Dhen we know Brahman we know that It cannot known in the human sense of knowin!% The same concept is held in 2astern Christianity, where it is said that &od cannot be seen, but you must see &od to realiEe that He cannot be seen% Is all this said to confuse and mystify us" 7o$ but it does have the purpose of our !ivin! up the hopeless attempt to comprehend Brahman intellectually%
So the teacher says that to think we know Brahman when we have >ust !limpsed a hint of Its eFistence is a mistake% The clever student, however, points out that we can dimly know somethin! of Brahman% He then points out that when come to truly know Brahman we will understand that we both know and do not know Brahman, that it is foolish to say either, I know Brahman,L or I do not know Brahman%L In wisdom, the two !o to!ether% If you still do not !et the idea, do not worry% The upanishadic author assumed we mi!ht not, so he !ives us this verse to clear thin!s up1 He truly knows Brahman who knows him as beyond knowled!e$ he who thinks that he knows, knows not% The i!norant think that Brahman is known, but the wise know him to be beyond knowled!e%L 5ractica" e.perience
The knowled!e of Brahman is not an intellectual matter, and neither is it incapacitatin!, despite the common misconception that mystical vision renders us unfit for practical life% So the neFt verse tells us1 He who realiEes the eFistence of Brahman behind every activity of his bein! whether sensin!, perceivin!, or thinkin!Ghe alone !ains immortality% Throu!h knowled!e of Brahman comes power% Throu!h knowled!e of Brahman comes victory over death%L To live in unbroken consciousness of &od is liberation% 3iberation is possible even here in this world, while livin! in the body% 6or the upanishad continues1 Blessed is the man who while he yet lives realiEes Brahman% The man who realiEes him not suffers his !reatest loss% Dhen they depart this life, the wise, who have realiEed Brahman as the Self in all bein!s, become immortal%L
The *"essed Blessed is the man who while he yet lives realiEes Brahman% The man who realiEes him not suffers his !reatest loss% Dhen they depart this life, the wise, who have realiEed Brahman as the Self in all bein!s, become immortal%L Swami 7ikhilananda renders this verse1 If a man knows ust as advances in science, especially in physics and astronomy, reveal the truths intuited by the sa!es of India thousands of years a!o% De need to hold firmly to the fact that we can overcome i!norance and bonda!e in this very lifetime, that we need not think it will take many incarnations to come to enli!htenment% The Bha!avad &ita, particularly, emphasiEes the immediacy of our spiritual potential% 6aithLGanother trait of false reli!ionGis not needed, either% ur practice of yo!a and the resultin! maturation of consciousness will
enable us to see, eFperience, and demonstrate the !reat truths of the upanishads% Dhat about doubts" They mean nothin!, any more than blind beliefs% In some instances, a ne!ative re>ection of truth on the subconscious level masuerades as doubts and can hinder our pro!ress% But honest doubts cannot% I could cite for you many instances in which I not only doubted somethin!, I denied its possibility, but still I came to see for myself the truth of what I had not believed% y practice of yo!a kept pushin! the frontiers of my insi!ht into areas that I had i!norantly thou!ht were superstition or silly%
pproaching *rahman The Kena #panishad is uite brief, and now concludes with a story and a short reflection on the story% Here is the story1 The victory of the gods
nce the !ods won a victory over the demons, and thou!h they had done so only throu!h the power of Brahman, they were eFceedin!ly vain% They thou!ht to themselves, It was we who beat our enemies, and the !lory is ours%L Brahman saw their vanity and appeared before them% But they did not reco!niEe him% Then the other !ods said to the !od of fire1 6ire, find out for us who this mysterious spirit is%L Aes,L said the !od of fire, and approached the spirit% The spirit said to him1 Dho are you"L I am the !od of fire%
Burn this,L said the spirit, placin! a straw before him% The !od of fire fell upon it with all his mi!ht, but could not consume it% So he ran back to the other !ods, and said1 I cannot discover who this mysterious spirit is%L Then said the other !ods to the !od of wind1 Dind, do you find out for us who he is%L Aes,L said the !od of wind, and approached the spirit% The spirit said to him1 Dho are you"L I am the !od of wind%
This is a very strai!htforward account% The !odsL are mostly the intelli!ent faculties of the individual human bein!% The doctrinalL element is very simple1 the senses and mind cannot comprehend Brahman, but Its truth can be revealed by the @ivine 6eminine aspect of &od, ahashakti or
The !od of fire, the !od of wind, and IndraQthese eFcelled the other !ods, for they approached nearest to Brahman and were the first to reco!niEe him%L apa of m hear the inner mental sound% These are three revealers of the presence of the SelfOBrahman% However1 But of all !ods Indra is supreme, for he approached nearest of the three to Brahman and was the first of the three to reco!niEe him%L The etheric body is the nearest to the Self, and its faculty of sound is that which unites our consciousness with Brahman% Thus etheric sound is the supreme !odL by which we reco!niEeLGperceiveGSpirit% *rahman in a""
Brahman and Shakti 9ower0 are in reality one% Sri Ramakrishna often used the simile of fire and its power to burn% 6ire is the 9urusha and the burnin! power is the 9rakriti% It is not amiss to say that 9rakriti is the 2ffect of the presence of BrahmanGis Brahman Itself% The upanishad recapitulates this, sayin!1 This is the truth of Brahman in relation to nature1 whether in the flash of the li!htnin!, or in the wink of the eyes, the power that is shown is the power of Brahman% This is the truth of Brahman in relation to man1 in the motions of the mind, the power that is shown is the power of Brahman% 6or this reason should a man meditate upon Brahman by day and by ni!ht%L Dherefore1 Brahman is the adorable bein! in all bein!s% editate upon him as such% He who meditates upon him as such is honored by all other bein!s%L It is the presence of Brahman which draws us to seek after or value an ob>ect%
It is not for the sake of the wife, my beloved, that the wife is dear, but for the sake of the Self% It is not for the sake of the children, my beloved, that the children are dear, but for the sake of the Self% It is not for the sake of wealth, my beloved, that wealth is dear, but for the sake of the Self% It is not for the sake of the Brahmins, my beloved, that the Brahmins are held in reverence, but for the sake of the Self% It is not for the sake of the Kshatriyas, my beloved, that the Kshatriyas are held in honor, but for the sake of the Self% It is not for the sake of the hi!her worlds, my beloved, that the hi!her worlds are desired, but for the sake of the Self% It is not for the sake of the !ods, my beloved, that the !ods are worshiped, but for the sake of the isSelf% It not for the sake of the creatures, my beloved, that the creatures are priEed, but for the sake of the Self% It is not for the sake of itself, my beloved, that anythin! whatever is esteemed, but for the sake of the Self%L The proof of this is the fact that when we successfully meditate on Brahman other sentient bein!s will sense the presence of Brahman in us and value us accordin!ly% %t is no up to us
The teachin! is wonderful, but it is not enou!h% The student of the upanishadic sa!e intuits this, but comes to a wron! conclusion, askin!1 Sir, teach me more of the knowled!e of Brahman%L But the teacher responds1 I have told you the secret knowled!e%L 7aturally, the student will assumeGas would weGthat the secret knowled!eL is the philosophy about Brahman, etc% Therefore the teacher continues1 uncts% Truth is at its heart to be realiEed by the practitioners% Tapasya, selfmastery, and karma yo!a form the body of the secret knowled!e% There are no effects without a cause% These three causeL the knowin! of Brahman% about which the sa!e concludes1 He who attains to knowled!e of Brahman, bein! freed from all evil, finds the 2ternal, the Supreme%L 2nd of Kena Commentary1
;atha Upanishad Translaetd by Vidyavachaspati V. Panoli
m ay He protect us both to!ether by illuminin! the nature of knowled!e0%
ay He sustain us both by ensurin! the fruits of knowled!e0% ay we attain the vi!our of knowled!e0 to!ether% 3et what we learn enli!hten us% 3et us not hate each other% m 9eace 9eace 9eace )-I-)% ut of desire, so !oes the story, the son of ?a>asrava !ave away all his wealth% He had a son named 7achiketas% )-I-(% Thou!h youn!, faith possessed him as presents were bein! brou!ht$ he thou!ht1 )-I-'% Dater has been drunk for the last time by these cows0, !rass has been eaten for the last time0$ they have yielded all their milk, and are devoid of the power of0 the or!ans% Those worlds are indeed >oylessHe where who offersfather, these% to whom wilt thou !ive me" < second time and a third time )-I-8% then he said!oes to his parent, he said it0% To him he the father0 said, To @eath I !ive thee% )-I-:% f many I !o the first$ of many I !o the middle most% Dhat purpose of Aama could there be which my father0 will !et accomplished today throu!h me" )-I-.% Think how your ancestors behaved$ behold how others now behave% 3ike corn man decays, and like corn he is born a!ain% )-I-;% 3ike ?aisvanara fire0, a Brahmana !uest enters the houses% en offer this to propitiate him% ?aivasvata Aama01 fetch water for him0% )-I-+% Hope, eFpectation, association with the effects of these two0, pleasant discourse, sacrifice, acts of pious liberality, sons and cattle G all these are destroyed in the case of the man of little intellect in whose house a Brahmana dwells without food% )-I-/% Brahmana, since thou, a worshipful !uest, hast dwelt in my house for three ni!hts without food, let me make salutation to thee% Brahmana, may peace be with me% Therefore, ask for three boons in return% )-I-)*% @eath, let &autama my father0 be relieved of the anFiety, let him become calm in mind and free from an!er towards me0, and let him reco!nise me and talk to me when liberated by thee% f the three boons, this is the first I choose% )-I-))% uddalaki, the son of aws of @eath, he will be free from an!er% )-I-)(% There is no fear in heaven$ nor art thou there$ nor is there any fear from old a!e% Transcendin! both hun!er and thirst and risin! above !rief, man re>oices in heaven% )-I-)'% @eath, thou knowest the 6ire that leads to heaven% Instruct me, who am endowed with faith, about that 6ire0 by which those who dwell in heaven attain immortality% This I choose for my second boon% )-I-)8% I will teach thee well$ listen to me and understand, 7achiketas, I know the 6ire that leads to heaven% Know that 6ire which is the means for the attainment of heaven and which is the support of the universe0 and located in the cavity% )-I-):% @eath told him of the 6ire, the source of the worlds, the sort of bricks for raisin! the sacrificial altar0, how many, and how to kindle the fire0 and he 7achiketas0 too repeated it as it was told% Then @eath, becomin! deli!hted over it, said a!ain1 )-I-).% The eFalted one, bein! pleased, said to him1 I !rant thee a!ain another boon now% By thy name itself shall this fire be known$ and accept thou this necklace of manifold forms% )-I-);% Dhoso kindles the 7achiketas fire thrice and becomes united with the three and does the threefold karma, transcends birth and death% Knowin! the omniscient one, born of Brahma, bri!ht and adorable, and realiEin! it, he attains to surpassin! peace% )-I-)+% He who, knowin! the three form of brick etc%,0, piles up the 7achiketa 6ire with this knowled!e, throws off the chains of death even before the body falls off0, and risin! over !rief,
re>oices in heaven% )-I-)/% This is the 6ire, 7achiketas, which leads to heaven and which thou hast chosen for the second boon% f this 6ire, people will speak as thine indeed% 7achiketas, choose the third boon% )-I-(*% This doubt as to what happens to a man after death G some say he is, and some others say he is not, G I shall know bein! tau!ht by thee% f the boons, this is the third boon% )-I-()% 2ven by the !ods this doubt was entertained in days of yore% This topic, bein! subtle, is not easy to comprehend% oy all thy lon!in!s% )-I-(:% Dhat all thin!s there are in the human world which are desirable, but hard to win, pray for all those desirable thin!s accordin! to thy pleasure% Here are these damsels with the chariots and lutes, the like of whom can never be had by men% By them, !iven by me, !et thy services rendered, 7achiketas, do not ask about death% )-I-(.% These, @eath, are ephemeral and they tend to wear out the vi!our of all the senses of man% 2ven the whole life is short indeed% Be thine alone the chariots$ be thine the dance and music% )-I-(;% an cannot be satisfied with wealth% If we need wealth, we shall !et it if we only see thee% De shall live until such time as thou wilt rule% But the boon to be asked for by me0 is that alone% )-I-(+% Havin! !ained contact with the undecayin! and the immortal, what decayin! mortal dwellin! on the earth below who knows the hi!her !oal, will deli!ht in lon! life, after becomin! aware of the transitoriness of0 beauty ?arian0 and sport rati0 and the >oy pramoda0 thereof% )-I-(/% @eath, tell us of that, of the !reat Beyond, about which man entertain doubt% 7achiketas does not pray for any other boon than this which enters into the secret that is hidden% )-II-)% @ifferent is that which is0 preferable$ and different, indeed, is the pleasurable% These two, servin! different purposes, blind man% &ood accrues to him who, of these two, chooses the preferable% He who chooses the pleasurable falls from the !oal% )-II-(% The preferable and the pleasurable approach man% The intelli!ent one eFamines both and separates them% Aea, the intelli!ent one prefers the preferable to the pleasurable, whereas0 the i!norant one selects the pleasurable for the sake of yo!a attainment of that which is not already possessed0 and kshema the preservation of that which is already in possession0% )-II-'% Thou hast relinuished, 7achiketas, all ob>ects of desire, dear and of covetable nature, ponderin! over their worthlessness% Thou hast not accepted the path of wealth in which perish many a mortal% )-II-8% Dhat is known as i!norance and what is known as knowled!e are hi!hly opposed to each other0, and lead to different ways% I consider 7achiketas to be aspirin! after knowled!e, for desires, numerous thou!h they be, did not tear thee away% )-II-:% 3ivin! in the midst of i!norance and deemin! themselves intelli!ent and enli!htened, the i!norant !o round and round sta!!erin! in crooked paths, like the blind led by the blind% )-II-.% The means of attainin! the other world does not become revealed to the non-discriminatin! one who, deluded by wealth, has become ne!li!ent% He who thinks, Mthis world alone is and none elseN comes to my thraldom a!ain and a!ain% )-II-;% f the Self many are not even able to hear$ Him many, thou!h they hear, do not comprehend% Donderful is the eFpounder of the Self and attainer, proficient% The knower of the Self0 tau!ht by an able preceptor is wonderful%
)-II-+% This Self0, if tau!ht by an inferior person, is not easily comprehended, for It is variously thou!ht of% #nless tau!ht by another who is a perceiver of non-difference0 there is no way of comprehendin! It0, for It is not ar!uable and is subtler than subtlety% )-II-/% This knowled!e of the Self0 attained by thee cannot be had throu!h ar!umentation% dearest, this doctrine, only if tau!ht by some teacher other than a lo!ician0, leads to ri!ht knowled!e% , thou art rooted in truth% ay a uestioner be ever like thee, 7achiketas% )-II-)*% I know that the treasure is impermanent, for that which is constant cannot be reached by thin!s which are not constant% Therefore, has the 7achiketa 6ire been kindled by me with impermanent thin!s, and I have attained the eternal% )-II-))% The fulfilment of all desires, the support of the universe, the endless fruits of sacrifice, the other shore of fearlessness, the eFtensive path which is praiseworthy and !reat, as also thy own eFalted0 The stateintelli!ent G seein! all these thou hast, intelli!ent as thou of art,mind boldly )-II-)(% one, knowin! throu!h concentration there>ected Self thatthem0% is hard to perceive, lod!ed in the innermost recess, located in intelli!ence, seated amidst misery, and ancient, abandons >oy and !rief% )-II-)'% Havin! heard this and !rasped it well, the mortal, separatin! the virtuous bein! from the body etc%,0 and attainin! this subtle Self, re>oices havin! obtained that which causes >oy% The abode of Brahman0, I think, is wide open unto 7achiketas% )-II-)8% Tell me of that which thou seest as distinct from virtue, distinct from vice, distinct from effect and cause, distinct from the past and the future% )-II-):% The !oal which all the ?edas eFpound, which all austerities declare, and desirin! which aspirants resort to Brahmacharya, that !oal, I tell thee briefly1 It is this G m% )-II-).% This syllable m0 indeed is the lower0 Brahman$ this syllable indeed is the hi!her Brahman$ whosoever knows this syllable, indeed, attains whatsoever he desires% )-II-);% This support is the best$ this support is the supreme% Knowin! this support one is ma!nified in the world of Brahman% )-II-)+% The intelli!ent Self is not born, nor does It die% It did not come from anywhere, nor did anythin! come from It% It is unborn, eternal, everlastin! and ancient, and is not slain even when the body is slain% )-II-)/% If the slayer thinks that he slays It and if the slain thinks of It as slain, both these do not know, for It does not slay nor is It slain% )-II-(*% The Self that is subtler than the subtle and !reater than the !reat is seated in the heart of every creature% ne who is free from desire sees the !lory of the Self throu!h the tranuility of the mind and senses and becomes absolved from !rief% )-II-()% Dhile sittin!, It !oes far, while lyin! It !oes everywhere% Dho other than me can know that @eity who is >oyful and >oyless% )-II-((% The intelli!ent one havin! known the Self to be bodiless in all0 bodies, to be firmly seated in thin!s that are perishable, and to be !reat and all-pervadin!, does not !rieve% )-II-('% The Self cannot be attained by the study of the ?edas, not by intelli!ence nor by much hearin!% nly by him who seeks to know the Self can It be attained% To him the Self reveals Its own nature% )-II-(8% 7one who has not refrained from bad conduct, whose senses are not under restraint, whose mind is not collected or who does not preserve a tranuil mind, can attain this Self throu!h knowled!e% )-II-(:% The Self to which both the Brahmana and the Kshatriya are food, as it were0, and @eath a soup, how can one know thus where It is% )-III-)% The knowers of Brahman and those who kindle the five fires and propitiate the 7achiketa 6ire thrice, speak of as li!ht and shade, the two that en>oy the results of ri!hteous deeds, enterin! within the body, into the innermost cavity of the heart0, the supreme abode of Brahman0% )-III-(% ay we be able to know the 7achiketa 6ire which is the brid!e for the sacrificers, as also the
imperishable Brahman, fearless, as well as the other shore for those who are desirous of crossin! the ocean of samsara0% )-III-'% Know the Self to be the master of the chariot, and the body to be the chariot% Know the intellect to be the charioteer, and the mind to be the reins% )-III-8% The senses they speak of as the horses$ the ob>ects within their view, the way% Dhen the Self is yoked with the mind and the senses, the wise call It the en>oyer% )-III-:% But whoso is devoid of discrimination and is possessed of a mind ever uncollected G his senses are uncontrollable like the vicious horses of a driver% )-III-.% But whoso is discriminative and possessed of a mind ever collected G his senses are controllable like the !ood horses of a driver% )-III-;% But whoso is devoid of a discriminatin! intellect, possessed of an unrestrained mind and is ever impure, But doeswhoso not attain that !oal,ofbut !oes to samsara% )-III-+% is possessed a discriminatin! intellect and a restrained mind, and is ever pure, attains that !oal from which he is not born a!ain% )-III-/% But the man who has a discriminatin! intellect as his driver, and a controlled-mind as the reins, reaches the end of the path G that supreme state of ?ishnu% )-III-)*% The sensory ob>ects are subtler than the senses, and subtler than the sensory ob>ects is mind% But intellect is subtler than mind and subtler than intellect is ahat the Hiranya!arbha0% )-III-))% The unmanifested avyakta0 is subtler than ahat Hiranya!arbha0 and subtler than the unmanifested is 9urusha% There is nothin! subtler than 9urusha% That is the end, that is the supreme !oal% )-III-)(% This Self hidden in all bein!s does not shine% But by seers of subtle and pointed intellect capable of perceivin! subtle ob>ects, It is seen% )-III-)'% 3et the wise man mer!e speech in his mind, mer!e that mind0 into the intelli!ent self and the intelli!ent self into the ahat% 3et him then0 mer!e the ahat into the peaceful Self% )-III-)8% aws of death% )-III-).% 7arratin! and hearin! this eternal story of 7achiketas told by @eath, the intelli!ent man attains !lory in the world of Brahman% )-III-);% Dhoso, becomin! pure, causes this supreme secret to be recited before am assembly of the Brahmanas, or at the time of Sraddha, that ceremony0 secures for him infinite results, secures infinite results% (-I-)% The self-eFistent damned the out-!oin! senses% Therefore one sees eFternally and not the internal Self% Someone who is0 intelli!ent, with his eyes turned away, desirous of immortality, sees the inner Self% (-I-(% The unintelli!ent !o after outward pleasures$ they fall into the meshes of wide-spread death% But the intelli!ent, havin! known immortality to be constant, never covet here ob>ects that are inconstant% (-I-'% By the self a man knows0 form, taste, odor, sound, touch, and the seFual >oy% Dhat remains here unknowable to the Self0" This verily is that thou seekest0% (-I-8% Knowin! that !reat and all-pervadin! Self by which one sees the ob>ects0 both in the sleep and the wakin! states, the intelli!ent man !rieves no more% (-I-:% Dhoso knows the self closely, the honey-eater, the supporter of the vital airs and the lord of the past and the future, will not henceforward protect himself% This verily is that thou seekest0% (-I-.% He who perceives the 6irst-born that came into bein! from Tapas Brahman0 before the waters, and that, enterin! into the cavity of the heart, is seated there, he perceives that very Brahman% This
verily is that thou seekest0% (-I-;% He who perceives0 this ivas enter the womb for assumin! bodies$ others !o into the unmovin!, in accordance with their karma and with their knowled!e% (-II-+% This 9urusha who is awake when all are asleep, creatin! all thin!s cherished, is certainly pure$ that is Brahman$ that is called the Immortal%
seen by the eyes, so also, the in-dwellin! Self of all bein!s, thou!h one, is not tainted by the sorrows of the world, It bein! eFternal% (-II-)(% 2ternal happiness belon!s to the intelli!ent G not to others G who realiEe in their hearts Him who is one, the controller and the in-dwellin! Self of all bein!s, and who makes the one form manifold% (-II-)'% Dhoso amon! the intelli!ent realiEe the Self in the inner space of the0 heart as the eternal amon! the ephemeral, the consciousness amon! the conscious, who, thou!h one, dispenses the desired ob>ects to many, to them belon!s eternal peace, not to others% (-II-)8% How shall I know that indescribable and supreme Bliss which they think of as MThisN" Is It selfluminous or does It shine distinctly, makin! Itself perceptible to the intellect0, or does It not" (-II-):% There the sun shines not, nor do the moon and the stars, nor do these li!htnin!s% How then0 can this fire shine0" 2verythin! shines after Him that shines% By His li!ht shines all this% (-III-)% This peepul tree with root above and branches down is eternal% That which is its source0 is certainly pure$ that is Brahman and that is called immortal% n that are strun! all the worlds$ none passes beyond that% This verily is that thou seekest0% (-III-(%
ne should, with steadiness, separate Him from oneNs own body as stalk from the un>a !rass% ne should know Him as pure and immortal$ one should know Him as pure and immortal% (-III-)+% 7achiketas then, havin! acuired this knowled!e imparted by @eath, as also the instructions on Ao!a in entirety, attained Brahman havin! become dispassionate and deathless% So does become any one else also who knows the inner Self thus% m ay He protect us both to!ether by illuminin! the nature of knowled!e0% ay He sustain us both by ensurin! the fruits of knowled!e0% ay we attain the vi!our of knowled!e0 to!ether% 3et what we learn enli!hten us% 3et us not hate each other% m 9eace 9eace 9eace Here ends the Kathopanishad, as contained in the Krishna-Aa>ur-?eda%
;atha Upanishad &ommentary &ommentary on the ;atha Upanishad'by Sami !irma"ananda #iri
The 5ast is the uture In very ancient times a man named ?a>rabasa decided to perform a rite intended to !ive the performer !reat merit% The rite entailed the !ivin! away of all the performerNs possessions% However he had no such intention, and instead was !oin! to !ive away only his cattleGand of them only the useless ones1 the old, the barren, the blind, and the lame% His son, 7achiketa, observin! this, came to his father and said1 6ather, do not repent thy vow Consider how it has been with those that have !one before, and how it will be with those that now live% 3ike corn, a man ripens and falls to the !round$ like corn, he sprin!s up a!ain in his season%L There is no use denyin! it1 we all follow in the path of ?a>rabasa on occasion, thou!h some do it more eFuberantly% This is especially deadly in the realm of spiritual life% I well remember when two newly-made Indian friends from South India asked me wonderin!ly1 Dhat is an MIndian !iverN"L Dhen I said it meant someone who promised but did not deliver, or who !ave and back, reallywhite bewildered% ButunderstoodGand when I eFplained thatconfusion it was notthou!ht the Indians who werethen the took !iversL butthey the were deceitful men, they to my it was very funny% Dhen I told them about Honest In>un"L and The only !ood Indian is a dead IndianL they lau!hed till they cried, and thereafter freuently asked1 Honest In>un"L when I told them somethin!%0 It is not funny when we are Indian !iversL in spiritual life, >ust as double-ton!ued and devious with
&od and our own spirit as the politicians were with the 7ative ust too bad% De are very much often eFactly0 like that ourselves% Dhen we think we are not !oin! to have somethin!, or will have no use for it, we !enerously offer it to &od or renounce it% But the moment we see a need or a use for it, then we announce to ourselves that &od would not eFpect us to hand it over or renounce it% any people start out spiritual life with !reat enthusiasm, ready to dedicate and sacrifice in order to attain liberation% But as time !oes by, the sands in the hour!lass of will and interest !row less and less, shiftin! back to the bottom level of e!o and the material life until what remains is so feeble and ne!li!ible it would be better if it, too, were eliminated in honesty% The principle that we reap only and eFactly what we sow is an absolute in spiritual life% Here are Saint 9aulNs words on the sub>ect1 Be not deceived$ &od is not mocked1 for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap% 6or he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption$ but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlastin!% ustice is ineForable% So askin! &od to release us or for!ive us means positively nothin!Git is our own self we are dealin! with and it cannot be !otten around in any de!ree whatsoever% Sad to say, there are many eFamples of those that have !one beforeL who foolishly rene!ed on their own selves and suffered the conseuences, from simple unhappiness to ab>ect and lon!-lastin! misery, and even death% This latter is no eFa!!eration, I know of eFamples myself% If you will eFcuse me, I will not cite any eFamples at all, for it is simply too bleak% =ust do not be one yourself But I will tell you the principle I have seen demonstrated over and over a!ain1 hatever a person abandons his spiritual life to %eep or to gain will be 0usually abruptly or even violently1 ta%en away from him and he will never regain or restart his spiritual life in this incarnation. I have never seen an eFception% 7ever% I
am, however, not speakin! of merely riskin! or retardin! the personal spiritual lifeGwe all do that >ust from makin! mistakes or from silly foiblesGbut of the actual !ivin! up and turnin! from, even re>ectin! of, oneNs spiritual life and obli!ations% This is fatal%0
future lives in which our ne!lect can come to fruition in many formsGall inimical to our further pro!ress% f course, the words of 7achiketa only have meanin! to the wise% una1 2ven a wise man acts accordin! to the tendencies of his own nature%
Seeing +eath- Seeing ,ife =isiting +eath
3on! a!o a man named ?a>rabasa undertook a ritual to !ain divine favor, but deliberately performed it in such a way that only misfortune could accrue to him rather than !ood% His virtuous son, 7achiketa, tried to reason with him, but in response he uttered the curse1 Thee I !ive to @eathL 7achiketa was no ordinary son% He was an accomplished yo!i, one who could penetrate into the unseen worlds, and in keepin! with his un>ust fatherNs un>ust words he went to the realm presided over by Aamara>a, the Kin! of @eath% Aama welcomed him with !reat respect and told 7achiketa to ask three favors from him% Bein! a worthy son of an unworthy father, his first reuest was that his father should suffer no anFiety about his fate, but that his an!er should be appeased so that when 7achiketa returned home his father would acknowled!e and welcome him% Aama a!reed% 7eFt 7achiketa asked to learn the sacrificial rite that leads to heaven% Aama a!reed to that also and tau!ht him% Then Aama asked him to make his third reuest% The upanishadic teFt continues1 oyer will I make thee every beyond !ood thin!% Celestialtomaidens, to behold, such the indeed as were not meant for mortalsQeven these, to!ether with their bri!ht chariots and their musical instruments, will I !ive unto thee, to serve thee% But for the secret of death, 7achiketa, do not askN But 7achiketa stood fast, and said1 MThese thin!s endure only till the morrow, @estroyer of 3ife,
and the pleasures they !ive wear out the senses% Keep thou therefore horses and chariots, keep dance and son!, for thyself% How shall he desire wealth, @eath, who once has seen thy face" 7ay, only the boon that I have chosenGthat only do I ask% Havin! found out the society of the imperishable and the immortal, as in knowin! thee I have done, how shall I, sub>ect to decay and death, and knowin! well the vanity of the fleshGhow shall I wish for lon! life" MTell me, Kin!, the supreme secret re!ardin! which men doubt% 7o other boon will I ask%N Dhereupon the Kin! of @eath, well pleased at heart, be!an to teach 7achiketa the secret of immortality%L The mystery
u!!lin! i!noramuses, but to an eminently ualified inuirer% Aet, testin! the stren!th of 7achiketaNs interest in such a profound matter, he attempted to dissuade him from pressin! the uestion% Dhen that failed, he resorted to that which has effectively deflected seekersL throu!h the history of humanity% He offered him lon!-lived and prosperous pro!eny, vast material wealth and possessions, unlimited pleasure and unlimited power, and finally, dominion over even the subtle worlds and all that is therein% Throu!hout countless a!es the mere promise or prospect of such acuisitions have turned awakenin! consciousnesses from the path of immortality and led them further into the morass of mortal life% But 7achiketa could not be moved from his ori!inal resolve to learn the truth re!ardin! immortality% The Katha #panishad cannot have been unknown to =esus when he lived and studied in India, and it can be speculated that it was in the conteFt of the teachin!s of this upanishad that he asked his disciples1 Dhat is a man profited, if he shall !ain the whole world, and lose his own soul" or what shall a man !ive in eFchan!e for his soul"L I have to admit that when as a primary !rade-schooler I first heard this verse read out in church, I immediately thou!ht1 7o% The real uestion is1 MDhat will a man ta%e in eFchan!e for his soul"NL Throu!h the years I kept uestionin! as to whether thin!s were a blessin! for life or a bribe to embrace inner death% This, too, we see so often% 6rom those early years and even till now I have seen so many bribes offered and taken, all of them cheap and paltry compared to what the seekers would have !ained if they had turned away from the offers%
In 2astern Christian worship the eFclamation 3et us attendL is usually uttered before some special
readin! or prayer is about to be intoned% De should indeed attend to the words of 7achiketa when he replied to AamaNs offer1 These thin!s endure only till the morrow, @estroyer of 3ife, and the pleasures they !ive wear out the senses% Keep thou therefore horses and chariots, keep dance and son!, for thyself% How shall he desire wealth, @eath, who once has seen thy face" 7ay, only the boon that I have chosenGthat only do I ask% Havin! found out the society of the imperishable and the immortal, as in knowin! thee I have done, how shall I, sub>ect to decay and death, and knowin! well the vanity of the fleshGhow shall I wish for lon! life" Tell me, Kin!, the supreme secret re!ardin! which men doubt% 7o other boon will I ask%L In Christianity and Buddhism a !reat deal of emphasis is placed on the memory of death as a universal principle and the particular mortality of each one of us% In the Dest this is superficially shru!!ed off as morbidity and unhealthy,L but it can be salutary indeed% It was only sensible that 7achiketa, havin! come face-to-face with @eath, should disre!ard all that which the human race has been madly seekin! throu!hout its eFistence% 6or in the 2ast includin! Christianity0 only that which lasts forever without any chan!e is considered Real% 2verythin! else is unreal, illusory% Therefore that which can chan!e and pass away is even now essentially nothing% Dho, then, would value any such" There is no need for a len!thy philosophical analysis of psychic niceties or suchlike% The fact of their evanescent nature turns all desired ob>ects to mere fantasies in the consciousness of the wise% Dhereupon the Kin! of @eath, well pleased at heart, be!an to teach 7achiketa the secret of immortality%L
The #ood and the 5"easant The !ood is one thin!$ the pleasant is another% These two, differin! in their ends, both prompt to action% Blessed are they that choose the !ood$ they that choose the pleasant miss the !oal%L How simple and direct these words are Dhen, after years of bein! soaked sometimes drowned0 in mere reli!ion, when I found dharma one of the most beautiful and wonderful thin!s about it was its incredible simplicity% The reli!ion I had had before was simplisticGchildishly soGbut at the same time it was compleF, convoluted and tan!led, because that was state of mind that had produced it and which it produced in those unfortunate enou!h to accept and follow it% any avoided the problem by professin! the reli!ion but not really followin! it%0 In contrast, the profound dharma was also as simple as the !reat ocean, !atherin! all into unity% I had tried readin! Destern philosophers and theolo!ians, and found them impossible to understandGmostly because they were not really sayin! anythin!% The first time I opened a book by Shankara, the !reatest philosopher India has ever produced, it was with real anFiety% Dould I break apart on the rock of his verbia!e" 7ot at all% 2very sentence was so eFuisitely clear, every concept so unbelievably simpleGand eually vast and deep% I understood why1 Shankara %new by his acuisition of @ivine Consciousness% Dhen Shankara talked to me &od was speakin!%
The good and the p"easant
The !ood is one thin!$ the pleasant is another%L This does not have to be the situationGthe problem is in us% Since the !ood dissolves the e!o and frees us from its seemin!ly eternal domination and bonda!e, it is only natural that those who are inured, even addicted, to its rule will find the !ood bitter in the eFtreme% In the closin! chapter of the Bha!avad &ita Krishna speaks of the one who chooses the !ood1 @eep his deli!ht after strict self-schoolin!1 sour toil at first but at last what sweetness, the end of sorrow%L Dho would not choose this" =ust about everybody% Dhy" Because it reuires strict selfschoolin!%L De have to educate and deliver ourselves% 7either &od nor any holy bein! can do it for us% Therefore those who clin! to their e!o-addiction avidly take refu!eL in and surrenderL to and place all my trustL in &od, !ods, !urus, saints, teachers, a reli!ion, and whatever, knowin! at least subconsciously that it will not work, for they alone can do the needful. The Holy nes have already done all they could do for them% They have !iven the messa!e and pointed out the way% 7ow it is their turn to !et to work% therwise nothin! will happen% oyin! pain and avoidin! the real pleasure that is found only in spiritual life% Krishna describes the pleasant as essentially sweet at first but at last how bitter1 that pleasure is poison%L It is not >ust harmfulGit is deadly% Saint I!natius of ects, the pleasures therefrom are like wombs that bear sorrow%They be!in, they are ended% They brin! no deli!ht to the wise% n the other hand1 Self-controlled, cut free from desire, curbin! the heart, and knowin! the
The man of faith, whose heart is devoted, whose senses are mastered1 he finds Brahman% 2nli!htened, he passes at once to the hi!hest, the peace beyond passion% His mind is dead to the touch of the eFternal1 it is alive to the bliss of the
These two, differin! in their ends, both prompt to action%L Both the !ood and the pleasant impel us to actions, but they do so in completely different ways% The !ood points us to the way of benefit in a completely intelli!ent and non-emotional way% 6or eFample, the !ood never motivates us by selfish means such as promisin! reward or threatenin! punishmentGthis is the way of evil, includin! much of reli!ion% The !ood motivates us toward itself simply by revealin! its inherent value% The pleasant is alto!ether different% It only shows us its eFternal appearance% It does not reason with us, but entices or even compels us to seiEe it% The pleasant only shows us its immediate or short-term effect, but completely hides from us its lon!-term effects and blinds us to its inherent defects% The archetypal eFample of this is found in the Bible% There we are told that when the woman saw that the tree was !ood for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat%L Here we see all the problems with the pleasant1 only the eFternal is considered, emotion and instinct come to dominate and eclipse reason, and the ultimate effect is completely unapparent% In sum, the !ood reveals but the pleasant conceals% It is necessary that we see the !ood as truly !ood and the pleasant as harmful and even evil% This is not easy% The bigger picture
ne of the problems with prevailin! reli!ion of all kinds is its incredible small-si!htedness% 3ike the pleasant-oriented and pleasant-obsessed e!o which it supports and feeds, it is concerned with only the moment at hand or with !oals that are utterly irrelevant to the real nature of the human bein!% Dhen we understand whoOwhat we really are, then alone can we comprehend what is the sole purpose of our eFistence1 conscious union with the
In the twenty-fifth chapter of the &ospel of atthew we find a parable about foolish and wise souls% ost of us do not really care if we are foolish, >ust as lon! as no one labels us so% But we should care, and so the upanishad continues its teachin!, sayin!1 Both the !ood and the pleasant present themselves to men% The wise, havin! eFamined both, distin!uish the one from the other% The wise prefer the !ood to the pleasant$ the foolish, driven by fleshly desires, prefer the pleasant to the !ood%L There is a lot of truth in these few lines, some of it embarrassin!, but nevertheless beneficial for us% The !ood is not the pleasant, even in philosophy%0
Both the !ood and the pleasant present themselves to men%L Dhatever may be the eFcuses we may make for ourselves, even portrayin! ourselves as weak or victims, no one, 7 72, forces anythin! upon us in life, however much it may seem otherwise% Rather, the !ood and the pleasant simply present themselvesL to us% De are totally responsible for our response to them, althou!h, like ust the opposite, in reality all thin!sL are completely neutralGit is our response to them that really !ives them any character such as !ood, bad, destructive, positive, etc% < little thou!ht will show this% The deadliest poison is harmless if we do not make contact with it% Conversely, the best medicine is worthless if we do not consume it% r think of this1 !arba!e seems heavenly food to a starvin! person, but not to someone who is well fed$ a childNs toy means nothin! to a mature adult% 7othin! has an innate ability to draw or force usGall the drawin! and forcin! is in our own mind as it responds to the ob>ect% De can blame no one at any time% It is all in us% If there are no !rass seeds in the soil no !rass will !row% The seeds have to be in us to sprout and !row and bear fruit as thinkin!, willin!, and actin!% The wise, havin! eFamined both, distin!uish the one from the other%L ?iveka, the ability to distin!uish between the real and the unreal, between the true and the false, between the transient and the permanent, is indispensable for the serious spiritual aspirant% The wise possess and eFercise this faculty, the eye of wisdom, by deeply eFaminin! whatever is presented to them and discernin! whether it is the !ood or the merely pleasant they are bein! confronted with% Intelli!ence comes into the fore!round, feelin! and emotion bein! banished from the mental field alto!ether% Human bein!s operate either rationally or instinctually-emotionally% The wise are rational at all times%
If two people are walkin!, one toward the north and the other toward the south, the difference between them is very littleG>ust the direction they are facin!% But in the matter of the wise and the foolish the differences are profound, for they are rooted in their very bein!, especially the mind and intellect% 2ven as a child I always thou!ht that the statement of
Dallowin! in the sty of their comfortin! and indul!ent reli!ion, they cast many a contemptuous and secretly !uilty0 !lance at those who are not so, and create many a bon mot about their unnatural denial and repressionsL hintin! of sinister implications for those who run away from lifeL and refuse to face themselves,L and eFpect too much from themselves and others%L But they are still only talkin! pi!s% 2ven thou!h they like to say they are only humanL and that &od understands they are% @riven by pleasureOpain, their humanity becomes submer!ed in the animality impressed in their subconscious by millions of incarnations in subhuman forms% erely possessin! a human body is no !uarantee of humanity% The redoubtable @r% Bronner in a conversation with one of the monks of our ashram referred to some people as not yet H#<7L He was ri!ht% < house does not make a home and a human body does not make a human% Humanity only dawns when intelli!ence dominates and wisdom is !ained% De need not be intellectual in the academic sense, but we must be intelli!ent% Then if we use our intelli!ence there is a chance we may become wise and thereby cross the !reat !ulf% The p"ain facts
Chances are 7achiketa never !ot voted most popularL of anythin! and may not even have been a !ood miFer%L But Aama assessed him uite hi!hly, sayin!1 Thou, 7achiketa, havin! looked upon fleshly desires, deli!htful to the senses, hast renounced them all% Thou hast turned from the miry way wherein many a man wallows%L 7ow this is a thumbnail portrait of a wise human bein!, but it is a test of the wise and the foolish% The wise will accept it and the foolish will not% So we should take a suare look at it and our reaction will tell us which we are% 6irst of all, 7achiketa is not naive or innocent%L He knows what is !oin! on, even if most thin!s should not be !oin! on% He has not turned away, but has deeply looked into the desires of the flesh and the deli!hts of the senses% He knows what the fake life of the foolish is all about, and he has renounced it <33Gnot >ust a little bit or even most, but the whole mess% Dhy" Because he does not identify with the flesh and the senses, but with the intelli!ence and his true self that is pure consciousness% He knows he is not the perishable body% Thou hast turned from the miry way wherein many a man wallows,L says Aama% 7achiketa sees that the world of body-sense enslavement is a suffocatin! bo!Gnot >ust u!ly and repulsive to the wise, but deadly% He knows, with =esus, that1 Ae cannot serve &od and mammon%L He also knows that in reality once a person has reached the level of human evolution he cannot really live like an animal without dire conseuences, includin! terrible sufferin!%
ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him%L oy that was set before him endured the cross, despisin! the shame, and is set down at the ri!ht hand of the throne of &od%L =ust think1 the (oy% This should be our perspective, too%
The Way of %gnorance The To Ways
Aama, the Kin! of @eath, praises 7achiketa, sayin!1 6ar from each other, and leadin! to different ends, are i!norance and knowled!e% Thee, 7achiketa, I re!ard as one who aspires after knowled!e, for a multitude of pleasant ob>ects were unable to tempt thee%L It is interestin! to note that the concept of Two Days of human life are to be found in all reli!ious traditions% =esus spoke of the Broad Day and the Strait Day, and when they met in =erusalem and issued a >oint spiritual letter, his apostles be!an by sayin! there are two Days in this world% 3on! before that, the Katha #panishad spoke of the Day of I!norance and the Day of Knowled!e% The Day of I!norance is the sub>ect of the three verses we will be considerin!, but first Aama tells us the key trait of one who aspires to knowled!e1 he cannot be tempted by the pleasant% This is because he sees its nature and its results% The pursuers of the Day of I!norance are not such as 7achiketa, and Aama now tells us about them and the results of their walkin! in that Day% The Way of o""y
3ivin! in the abyss of i!norance yet wise in their own conceit, deluded fools !o round and round, the blind led by the blind%L That certainly is plain speakin! 3et us !o throu!h this verse bit by bit% 2iving in the abyss of ignorance% This word abyssL is very disturbin! in this conteFt% It indicates that
the condition of i!norance is profoundGnot somethin! than can easily be removed or escaped% Rather, the person is sunk deep into the darkness of i!norance, so deep that he cannot see anythin! but darkness, so deep that he can hardly be eFtricated from itGat least in this life% It is not that his condition is utterly hopeless, but that he simply has neither awareness nor interest% If that dawns, he is on his way out of the abyss% But most of the time it does not happen% In a routine of the 6iresi!n Theatre, a disease is described with the concludin! words1 The only cure for which is death%L In many actually most0 cases of abysmal i!norance this is the truth% The individual reuires another birth before he can arise from the depths% #ntil then he should be left alone% 3et wise in their own conceit % Somewhere I read the words1 The problem with i!norance is that it picks
up confidence as it !oes alon!%L Since i!norance is a by-product of e!o, as i!norance increases so does e!otism% Increasin! in this alternatin! cycle, invincible arro!ance and invincible i!norance arise, take hold and consume the i!norant person% ever This see is really an u!ly picture$ but an accurate one% Thinkin! themselves wise, how can the i!norant the truth about themselvesGboth the hi!her and the lower selvesGand try to rectify themselves" They cannot% 7ot content to revel in their private kin!dom of i!norance, they then set about to a!!ressively eFpand it throu!h influence of others%
u!ly but accurate% 3ivin! in the fantasy-land of e!o, they sink deeper, believin! that they are risin!% 4eluded fools go round and round% Cyclin! in confusion, the foolish spiral downward, seemin! to !o
up and down but really only !oin! down and down% In their minds they veer back and forth, up and down, a!itatin! themselves and others, but in actuality they >ust keep on sinkin!% Because of this they continually !o round and round in the wheel of birth and death, perpetually bound to the torture wheel of samsaraGand revelin! in every moment% They have discovered the secret of happiness in this world1 unconsciousness% The blind led by the blind% I!norance as well as misery loves company, in fact needs it desperately and
thrives on it% Supportin! each other they stumble throu!h this world until death claims them and they !et to do it all overGand over and over% Dhen they are not bein! the leader and the led, they are the pusher and the pushed, the dominatin! and the dominated, the victimiEer and the victimGalternatin! in these two roles, they reel onward and downward% *"ind to eternity
To the thou!htless youth, deceived by the vanity of earthly possessions, the path that leads to the eternal abode is not revealed% This world alone is real5 there is no hereafterGthinkin! thus, he falls a!ain and a!ain, birth after birth, into my >aws%L Rendered heedless of the truth about his condition throu!h involvement with materialityGboth his body and ob>ects in the worldGand deluded by what he thinks is !oin! on, the i!norant never sees the way beyond the abyss in which he dwells% He simply cannot see it, >ust as we cannot hear freuencies beyond the ran!e of our hearin! or see thin!s beyond the ran!e of our si!ht% He is deaf and blind to spirit in all its aspects% 2ven if by some chance he should seek the way, if he finds it he will not know it, nor if he come face to face with the way will he realiEe it% =ust the opposite% He will despise and deny it, even denouncin! it as delusive or evil% n the other hand, he will eFult in devilish reli!ion, teachers, and practices, seekin! them out and devotin! himself to them% 3et me !ive two eFamples I know of personally% < !reat master used to plead with a youn! man to learn meditation, assurin! him that his pro!ress would be rapid and he would be liberated in this life% But he did not !et initiated% Dhen the master was about to leave his body he told his disciples that if the man ever came to the ashram and eFpressed an interest, one of them was to initiate him immediately% He never did% But a doEen or so years later one of the bi!!est frauds the yo!a worldL has ever produced came to town char!in! money for a worthless techniue% The man was in poor financial condition, and could not really afford it, but he immediately slapped down the cash and !ot initiated into nothin!% Two Buddhist friends of mine visit a prison and instruct the inmates in Buddhist philosophy and spiritual practice% They are practicers of the 9ure 3and School of Buddhism% Dhenever they try to !et the prisoners to chant the liberatin! name of
livin! in the >aws of death% If we do the same, then we are fools% If we do not, then we are wise%
The Mystery of the Se"f Seein! is not always seein! and hearin! is not always hearin!% In some instances it is misperception, and in others it is no perception at all% This is illustrated by an incident from the life of =esus% Dhile speakin! to the people, he prayed1 6ather, !lorify thy name% Then came there a voice from heaven, sayin!, I have both !lorified it, and will !lorify it a!ain% The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered1 others said,
To many it is not !iven to hear of the Self%L ost peopleGby far the most peopleGhave never heard of the Self and&od never in this h, yes, they hearbut about immortal a ofG tyrannical willwill reward or lifetime% punish accordin! to Hiswill whim, thean real nature ofsoulOspirit that spiritthat as part and therefore one withGthe Supreme Reality and therefore supreme reality itself, eternal, immortal, and indivisible, will never be even hinted at nor will they come up with the concept on their own% 6urther, it will not be even su!!ested to them, either from within or without, that the spirit nature is the SelfG nothin! moreGand is the only true identity they can ever have% Bein! unchan!in!, this Self cannot be affected or chan!ed by anythin!Gno, not even by &od% It is what it is, >ust as much as &od is what He is% It is, therefore, not only the most worthwhile thin! for us to !et involved with, it is the only thin! we can possibly be involved with% 2verythin! else is illusion% This !lorious truth of the Self, known only to the seers of Sanatana @harma there are others in various reli!ions that hold this, but they are looked upon as mavericks and heretics by those !roups0, must be the sole perspective in which we view our present situation as consciousnesses eFperiencin! the process of evolution% It is the ever-shiftin! dance of prakriti to which we have become attached that evolves$ we are ever the same, ever the ne%0 3ivin! in the silence of i!norance, what can they do" 7ot much, obviously% The uncomprehending
any, thou!h they hear of it, do not understand it%L This is true of many who, thou!h ostensibly adherents to Sanatana @harma, really do not !et the ideaGespecially about the Self% These are those that
freuent temples, ashrams and saints as a kind of insurance a!ainst calamity and trouble% Then there are those that only run to those holy places when problems arise% bviously they have no de!ree of comprehension re!ardin! the Self% 7either do most who profess to understand the Self% This is seen by their words and deeds% If someone believes the buildin! is on fire we can tell it by their attempts to !et out% Similarly, if someone believes in the truth about the Self they will order their entire lives accordin!lyGnot >ust assent to the concept% To %now the Self, to enter into the fullness of its consciousness and bein!, will be the focus of their life and thou!ht% Sri Ramakrishna often said that if a thief learned of a !reat treasure bein! kept in the room neFt to where he was livin!, he would not be able to sleep for thinkin! about how to break throu!h the wall and !et it% In the same way, those who really understand about the wonder of the Self will not rest until they have re0claimed the Treasure for themselves% Spiritual purification and spiritual practice are the means for breakin! throu!h the wall and claimin! the priEe% De have a dilemma here, also1 nly those who understand about the self will be motivated to en!a!e in tapasya to realiEe it fully$ yet only those who are en!a!ed in tapasya can have any !limmer of the self and be motivated to practice The solution lies in the fact that in time the Self be!ins to ur!e us to its realiEation, that we will intuit the presence of the Self and start movin! toward the point where, when we hear about it, we will accept and act upon what we hear% It is interestin! to see that Aama does not mention those who re>ect or deny the truth of the Self%
De >oke sometimes about the eFa!!erations of the theatrical and motion picture industries% It is colossal a!nificent The !reatest everL and suchlike continually pour out in conversation and $ollywood, assures us that out there youNre MterrificN if youNre !ood%L advertisements% The son!, @ivinity, on the other hand, has a somewhat different viewpoint, so Aama tells 7achiketa1 Donderful is he who speaks of it%L He is not speakin! of a parrot, a spiritual phono!raph, but of one who speaks with awakened awarenessGeven if not from perfect knowled!e or realiEation% 6or out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh%L The implication here is that we should seek out and only listen to those who speak of the Self, from the Self, and in the perspective of the Self% Theolo!y is usually only so much distractin! noise, and so is most reli!iousL and spiritualL talk% Buddha likened a true teacher or teachin! to a fin!er pointin! at the moonGonly that which points us to our own Reality is itself real and worthwhile% Such a teacher or teachin! is wonderful indeed% %nte""igent
The word stupidL !ets tossed about in casual conversation as much as does wonderful,L and no one relishes bein! thou!ht stupid% 6ew care whether they actually are stupid, >ust as lon! as nobody notices or points it out%0 Aama, with his very definite perspective, assures 7achiketa that the intelli!ent person is the one who pursues knowled!e of the Self% This is done in two ways1 listenin! to or readin! the teachin!s about the Self of those who have themselves known the self, andGmost importantlyGby actively seekin! to know oneNs own Self throu!h careful analysis swadhyaya0 and spiritual practices, most especially meditation% This latter point is very necessary for us to !rasp% Intellectually intelli!ent people love learnin!Gand they should% However, it is easy to fall into the trap of studyin! all the theory and not !ettin! down to any practice to determine the validity of the theory%
Saint Silouan of apa and meditation in order to know the SelfGnot >ust know about the Self% In the Dest it is a common error to assume that knowin! about somethin! is the same thin! as knowin! it% ore than once I have read in catechisms that knowin! &od is accomplished by readin! the catechism That is stupid% *"essed
To be wonderful and intelli!ent is !ood, but to be blessed is the ideal% So Aama concludes1 Blessed is he who, tau!ht by a !ood teacher, is able to understand it%L This is because a !ood teacher does not >ust impart theoretical knowled!e, but reveals to the student the practical means by which he can open his understandin! throu!h meditation to behold and know the Self% Krishna, bein! the Supreme Teacher, instructs una in the &ita about meditation, sayin!1 If he practices meditation in this manner, his heart will become pure%L He must bePunited constantly with me in his meditation%L The practice of serenity, sympathy, meditation upon the ects, and inte!rity of motive, is called austerity of the mind%L ake a habit of practicin! meditation, and do not let your mind be distracted% In this way you will come finally to the 3ord, who is the li!ht-!iver, the hi!hest of the hi!h%L
o to 3ither ;no or !ot ;no the Se"f ,et the student (ho is often a buyer) beare
The truth of the Self cannot be fully understood when tau!ht by an i!norant man, for opinions re!ardin! it, not founded in knowled!e, vary one from another% Subtler than the subtlest is this Self, and beyond all lo!ic% Tau!ht by a teacher who knows the Self and Brahman as one, a man leaves vain theory behind and attains to truth%L By the truth of the SelfL is meant both the philosophical, scriptural truth and the direct perception of the truth eFperienced in meditation% However Aama is at this point speakin! more on the side of learnin! the intellectual truth about the Self, its nature, and its possibility of realiEation% De all know the incredible and impenetrable tan!le of theolo!ies that constitute what most people think are the reli!ions of the world% The reason for this is simple1 most almost all0 teachers of reli!ion are fundamentally i!norant% I!norant not in the intellectual sense, but in the intuitive sense% Since we do need an intellectual road map to help us in our search for direct eFperience of the Self, this is a serious matter% 6or an attempt to fi!ure out the truth of the Self in a purely theoretical manner will only add to the prevailin! confusion% De will >ust become one more voice in the cacophony of i!norant reli!ion or philosophy% 7othin! is worse than an i!noramus that believes he has an inside track%L
psychic abilities and really did work miracles% This boy became his student and ended up bein! >ailed as an accomplice in the manNs murder of someone he considered a black ma!ician%L This is a rather drastic eFample, but frankly it is much less destructive in the lon! run than involvement with many contemporary teachers, some of the worst of whom are in the yo!a world% To be confused is worse than bein! merely i!norant, and bein! flawed and distorted by wron! yo!a practices is even worse% *eyond the inte""ect
Subtler than the subtlest is this Self, and beyond all lo!ic,L says Aama% Bein! subtler than the subtlest, the Self cannot possibly be perceived by any senseGincludin! those of the subtle bodiesGor conceived of by even the hi!hest and subtle reaches of the intellect% Aet, the Self can be known% This is possible only when tau!ht by a teacher who knows the Self and Brahman as one, a man leaves vain theory behind and attains to truthL throu!h the practice of meditation, instruction in which a ualified teacher will !ive% This really marks out the knowled!ous teacher from the i!norant teacher% The i!norant teacher will only eFpound theory, provin!L what he teaches by intellectual means% The worthy teacher may say much the same words, but will point the student to the means by which he can attain the vision of the Self% He will establish the student in the practice of correct meditation, without which nothin! that is real can possibly be known% < bit more% Aama tells us that the teacher should be one who %nowsGnot a rhetorician or theoretician% 7ow it is impossible for us to look into the consciousness of a teacher, so how will we know he has real knowled!e" De cannot in an absolute sense, but Aama !ives us a trait that at least assures us the teacher is not alto!ether astray1 He will affirm the oneness of the Self and Brahman% 7o matter how cleverly, convincin!ly, and cutely he may speak, however much he may appeal to our emotions and deluded intellects, if he does not insist on the unity of the Self and Brahman, sayin! with the Chando!ya #panishad THust tellwe us even this fact, in theacceptin! means toa find it out ourself% These two traits must be present before be!inhetoinstructs think about teacher asfor a valid !uide% The ultimate test of a teacher is our own capacity, made accessible to us by his instruction, to leave all speculation behind and enter into the Reality that is both Brahman and the Self while remainin! ever ne% Then all the !ods and sa!es will say of us what Aama said of 7achiketa1 The awakenin! which thou hast known does not come throu!h the intellect, but rather, in fullest measure, from the lips of the wise% Beloved 7achiketa, blessed, blessed art thou, because thou seekest the 2ternal% Dould that I had more pupils like theeL
rom the Unrea" to the 2ea" 3terna" va"ues
There is an obscure 9rotestant son! entitled Dith 2ternityNs ?alues in ?iew%L usically it is not much, but philosophically it is profound% De are not temporal, mortal bein!s, and if we live our life as thou!h we were, then only confusion and chaos can result% Instead we must see ourselves as eternal bein!s presently dreamin! the dream of evolutionGa dream whose culmination is awakenin!, toward which all of our attention and awareness should be focused% 7achiketa knew this, but Aama underlined it, tellin! him1 Dell I know that earthly treasure lasts but till the morrow% 6or did not I myself, wishin! to be Kin! of
@eath, make sacrifice with fire" But the sacrifice was a fleetin! thin!, performed with fleetin! ob>ects, and small is my reward, seein! that only for a moment will my rei!n endure%L Dhat are a billion years compared to eternity" 7ot even a !limmer% Dhy, then, do we scramble after such short-lived earthly !oals, !oals that even if attained prove to be worthless since they vanish away so uickly" Dhy do we continually deny our eternity and affirm the delusion of temporality" Because we identify thorou!hly with that which is temporal and finite% *uddha and to foo"s
Buddha once encountered two deluded ascetics% ne always behaved like a do! and the other like a water buffalo% 7o eFplanation is !iven for their behavior% 9erhaps it related to some deity worshipped by them% 6or eFample, a do! would be related to Bhairava, a form of Shiva, and a water buffalo to the !oddess @ur!a% However it mi!ht be, they wanted to know from Buddha what the results of their way of life would be% He refused to answer, but they kept insistin!, so he told them plainly that if they were lucky they would be reborn as a do! and a water buffalo, and if they were unlucky they would find themselves in astral hells correspondin! to their aberrative life and thou!ht% ust like them, eFcept we are hypocrites, claimin! to believe in the eternal, unconditioned Self and actin! >ust the opposite% The di"emma of the gods
It is true that there is nothin! on this earth we cannot attain if we put forth the effort% In previous creations human bein!s performed elaborate rituals to become !odsL in this creation, includin! Brahma the creator% They succeeded, and the result was that they suffer more pain and anFiety than human bein!s do and are more sub>ect to mental aberrations than humans% 6urthermore, they are bound until the end of this creation cycle to fulfil their offices and can in no way shirk or abandon them% So they are more bound than any human bein! could ever be% In other words, their heaven has turned out to be a hell% Still their main anFiety is fear over fallin! from their eFalted status and returnin! to human form% They have learned nothin! from their eFperience% @o we"0 metaphysica" fact
But the sacrifice was a fleetin! thin!, performed with fleetin! ob>ects, and small is my reward, seein! that only for a moment will my rei!n endure%L Dithin this lament of Aama is embedded a profound truth re!ardin! spiritual life% nly the spirit is eternal and everlastin!% 2verythin! else, however hi!hly evolved or sacred, is temporal and impermanent% However lon!-lived they may be, in time they will dissolve back into the primal ener!y of manifestation and we will lose themGnever really havin! hadL them at all% Conseuently, the wise seek only for the eternal spirit, thou!h usin! the material and the temporal to aid them in their search% 6or eFample, physical health is not enli!htenment, but it certainly makes the enli!htenment process easier% aterial sufficiency relieves us from anFiety and helps us pursue spiritual life without distraction%
SadhanaL means spiritual practice that leads to the revelation of the Real Sat0% The temporal does not lead to the eternal, therefore real sadhana must be!in and end in spirit consciousness% 7o material procedure is sadhana, nor is any eFternally-oriented practice sadhana% The only true sadhana is the turnin! inward of the mind and the perception of the inmost spirit% In other words, meditation alone is sadhanaGmeditation free of all mechanics and !immicks, simple and direct, leadin! to the ultimate Simplicity that is the Self% De must be!in with spirit if we are to end with spirit% That is why 9atan>ali briefly outlines the nature of &od, tellin! us that His manifestin! Dord is m,L and concludin!1 Its >apa and meditation is The Day%L 6or constant >apaOmeditation utiliEin! the 2ternal m will render us an Infinite Reward% In >ust a few more verses the Katha #panishad encapsulates it thus1 f that !oal which all the ?edas declare, which is implicit in all penances, and in pursuit of which men lead lives of continence and service, of that will I briefly speak% It isG% This syllable is Brahman% This syllable is indeed supreme% He who knows it obtains his desire% It is the stron!est support% It is the hi!hest symbol% He who knows it is reverenced as a knower of Brahman%L The truth
ects for which all men lon!, the celestial pleasures they hope to !ain by reli!ious rites, the most sou!ht-after of miraculous powersQall these were within thy !rasp% But all these, with firm resolve, thou hast renounced%L To enter into 3ife we turn away from all fulfillments of material and temporal desires, no lon!er attracted by their false !litter% 7or do we aspire to some heaven or heavenly pleasures offered to us by e!o-oriented reli!ionGthin!s that also end as painfully as the >oys of earth% 2ven miracles mean nothin! to us, for they occur only in the realm of duality, the realm of death% Where is ,ife/
Seein! that 7achiketa was yearnin! to pass from death to Immortality, Aama continues1 The ancient, efful!ent bein!, the indwellin! Spirit, subtle, deep-hidden in the lotus of the heart, is hard to know% But the wise man, followin! the path of meditation, knows him, and is freed alike from pleasure and from pain%L 6irst of all, before analyEin! this, it must be realiEed that Aama is talkin! about us% Certainly, we are finite and &od is infinite, but substantially essentially0 we are the same% So Aama is talkin! about our true nature in these amaEin! words, and we should consider them accordin!ly% ncient
puranam Purana Purusha De is called thecommentary , thethat ust mean incredibly old, but everlasting% That is, we, too, are primeval bein!s% There was never a time when I did not eFist, nor you, nor any of these kin!s% 7or is there any future in which we shall cease to be,L Krishna tells una in the &ita%
ur eternity is very hard for us to !rasp even theoretically because we have been cau!ht in the timespace web for a!es beyond calculation% Creations have come and !one as we barely crawled alon! the evolutionary path% De >ust cannot conceive of eternity, for it is not time without end, it is that state of bein! which lies beyond time%
4evam means shinin! one%L De are ourselves the li!ht that shines in darknessL for we are a livin!
part of the 3i!ht of 3ife% Conseuently we must turn within for illumination% #ntil we are perfected in that in-turnin! we do need some eFternal li!hts such as holy books and teachers, but it is unwise to become dependent on any outer source of knowled!e% 2ventually we must !et it all from within, havin! become swayampra%ash, self-illumined% Certainly we should be discontented with our present i!norant and bound state of bein!, but there is no room here for condemnin! or loathin! ourselves for bein! sinners, weak, foolish, etc% ur discontent with our present state should arise from our conviction that we are ourselves divineGfor devam means that as well% De are livin! far beneath our selves% Knowin! that, we should turn around, stop our descent, and be!in ascendin! to our real placeGfar beyond any childish heaven or relative condition of any type however eFalted% Since we are self-efful!ent, all !uidance must eventually come from within% De may not be able to tap the inner li!ht ri!ht now to the needed de!ree, but in time our atma alone must be our !uide throu!h and beyond this life% De must learn to rely on our capacity for pure Knowin!% ust is as the shinin! li!ht, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day%L %nde""ing Spirit
Indwellin! spiritL not only tells us that we are pure consciousness by nature, but the important fact that our consciousness is the noumenon which dwells at the heart of all phenomena% That wherever there is any thin!L there are we as the reality that is the substratum of all eFistenceGeven of illusion% That is why we find our selves if we pierce the veil of illusion or look within% De are omnipresent% Subt"e
De do not perceive the Self because our conditionin!s from aeons of relative eFistence has coarsened our perceptions% 2Fperiencin! materiality over and over and over a!ain has oriented and confined our awareness to the !rossest levels of eFistence% 6urther, it has oriented and confined our awareness to eFternalities% ali in Ao!a Sutras (1'*,'( lists the necessary means for the physical and psychic refinement without which the Self cannot be realiEed to any de!ree% They are1 0 ury, harmlessness (0 Satya1 truthfulness, honesty '0
Dhy are we out of touch with &od and our Self" Because we are skimmin! on the surface of thin!sL while Reality is deep-hidden in the lotus of the heartLGthe Core of
De have all eFperienced !ettin! a mistaken idea or impression stuck in our head that we could not !et rid of even when we knew better% The same is true of habit patterns% 3ivin! in conditioned eFistence we ourselves have become conditionedGor at least we identify with the conditionin!s of the ever-shiftin! mind% This is the only reason that the Self is hard to know% It has nothin! to do with the nature of the Self, but with the conditionin! of the mindGconditionin! resultin! from billions and billions of lifetimes as everythin! from an atom of hydro!en onward to where we are now% It is not easy to undo in a few years what we have taken thousands of creation cycles to build up Aet it can be done and will be done in time% De >ust have to understand the way thin!s work and that it will take time% 7evertheless, the words hard to knowL assure us that the Self can be known% The ay and its effects
But the wise man, followin! the path of meditation, knows him, and is freed alike from pleasure and from pain%L It is the path of meditation that leads to Self-knowled!e, none other% The uncontrolled mind @oes not !uess that the ect to reaction to pleasure and pain% The bonds of his flesh are broken% He is lucky, and does not re>oice1 He is unlucky, and does not weep% I call him illumined% To obey the oy$ Sorrow melts Into that clear peace1 His uiet mind Is soon established in peace%
inding the Treasure
happiness is an inalienable ri!ht for every human bein!% But see how miserable people really are beneath the frantic veneer of the pursuit of happiness in an ever-chan!in! and pain-producin! world% The problem" De are lookin! in the wron! direction% De are seekin! outward when we should be seekin! inward% De are seekin! the non-self instead of the Self% 6rom the Katha #panishad we learn the ri!ht line of action% The man who has learned that the Self is separate from the body, the senses, and the mind, and has fully known him, the soul of truth, the subtle principleGsuch a man verily attains to him, and is eFceedin! !lad, because he has found the source and dwellin! place of all felicity% Truly do I believe, 7achiketa, that for thee the !ates of >oy stand open%L Separate
The Self is separate from the body, the senses, and the mind%L Therefore the body, senses, and mind cannot even seeL the Self as an ob>ect, and certainly cannot possibly eFperience the Self to any de!ree% The happiness eFperienced by body, senses, and mind is not true happiness at all, but an approFimation, a sham that distracts us from the real thin!, inevitably leadin! us to frustration and all-around misery% This must be learned% Then the Self itself must be known% Sou" of truth- subt"e princip"e
The Self is the very soul of Truth, of Reality% It is not >ust the basis of reality, it IS reality%
Aama then tells us an important fact1 the Self is the source of all and the dwellin! place of all felicity% 7owsource this isofmost aretosayin! that the comprehension% Self is all there really is, and then eFplained we hear that the all%Lintri!uin!% This is theDekey true non-dual Sri Ramakrishna thatitatis first we follow the path of ne!ation sayin! 7ot this, not that,L the idea bein! that everythin! we can see or think of is not the Real% But when we come to the real end of that approachGwhich is not >ust intellection or mind-!amin!, but the inner path of meditationGand turn back we will say <33 thisL That is, we will see that everythin! is the Real, that the unreal was only our way of seein! and mis0understandin! it% The whole world, said Sri Ramakrishna, will then be seen as a mart of >oy%L #nless this is understood at the be!innin! we will end up bein! >ust another dyspeptic world-and-lifedenyin! !rouch, claimin! that our dryness and !rimness is >nana wisdom0% There is a state beyond bliss, you know,L !rated one of them to a friend of mine who dared to find >oy in the Self% India abounds with these anatmic misfits and we have plenty of them in the Dest, too% ne is too many%0 oy% The conc"usion
7o one is eFcluded from this !lorious truth, it eFtends to all and is vital to all in an eual de!ree% 7o one is nearer or farer from the SelfGit embraces all% This is the real &ospelGthe 2van!elion, the &ood
7ews humanity needs so desperately1 Truly, for thee the !ates of >oy stand open%L 3et us pass throu!h them
The Transcendent 2ea"ity of the Se"f 9reviously Aama has spoken to 7achiketa of the manner to eFperience the Self that is immanent in all that is%L 7ow he completes the picture by an eFposition of the Transcendent and the means to realiEe It% He does this in response to 7achiketaNs uestion1 Teach me, Kin!, I beseech thee, whatsoever thou knowest to be beyond ri!ht and wron!, beyond cause and effect, beyond past, present, and future%L He desires to know about the Transcendental Reality that is beyond all ualities or desi!nations%
2verythin! in manifestation is dual% This is the truth for every aspect of life% There is an interestin! divinatory process known as The
until the answer is subliminally known% The purpose of uestionin!, then, is to brin! out on the conscious level what is known unconsciously% Dhen we seemin!ly ask another to teach us we are really seekin! to stimulate and brin! forth our own knowled!e% That is why the wise have assured their students that in time they would be able to find the answers within themselvesGit is only a matter of developin! intuition throu!h clarifyin! the mind% It is very common to hear someone demand1 Dhy did you ask me if you are not !oin! to accept what I tell you"L The reply should be1 So I can fi!ure the answer out for myself%L The very fact that we re>ect a !iven answer indicates that we think we do know what is the truth about the matter% therwise we would mindlessly accept what we are told% any do, alas%0 It is all inside us% uestionin! reveals the ripenin! of our innate knowled!e% Knowin! this, =esus said1
already knows% *eyond right and rong
The moment we enter dualityGrelative eFistenceGwe become sub>ect to the situation that some thou!hts, words, and acts will impel us onward to hi!her consciousness and others will impel us to lower consciousness% 7o matter where we may beL at the moment, it cannot be permanent% By the nature of thin!s we will keep movin! up and down, back and forth% Dhenever we think we have attained some stability it is only a matter of the movement bein! so slow it is imperceptible to us% De are always in dan!er of incurrin! sufferin! because of this% In truth, sufferin! is inevitable, for even risin! reuires effort and unsureness or doubt as to the success of our endeavor% una1 Both the !ood and the pleasant present themselves to men% The wise, havin! eFamined both, distin!uish the one from the other% The wise prefer the !ood to the pleasant$ the foolish, driven by fleshly desires, prefer the pleasant to the !ood%L The dan!er is obvious% 7achiketa intuits that this terrible dra!!in! back and forth, this dilemma inherent in eFistence,L can come to an endGnot in the realm of relative eFistence, but in its transcendence% RealiEin! the truth that tryin! to rise aboveL any of the dualities is as foolish as tryin! to make dry water or cold fire, is a tremendous breakthrou!h for the developin! consciousness and indicates that the end of the search is near% Some of our monks visited a !reat saint in the Himalayan foothills and spoke with him about spiritual life% He told them1 Aour uestions show that you are not far from the &oal%L *eyond cause and effect
In i!norant reli!ion sinL and ri!hteousnessL occupy a !reat deal of attention, not necessarily because of a sincere desire to be virtuous, but because of their effects% @esire and fear motivate the reli!ionistG at least mentally and emotionallyGfor sin !ets punished and ri!hteousness !ets rewarded% 9unishment hurts and reward feels !ood% 9unishment takes away and reward supplies% The dispenser of reward and punishment is some kind or many kinds0 of deity who, bein! an eFtension of the i!norant e!os of the adherents of the reli!ion, >ud!es !ood and bad on the basis of I likeL and I donNt like,L I wantL and I donNt want%L &ood sense and practicality have nothin! to do with it% The deity is either pleased or displeased and acts accordin!ly% To complicate matters, the deity can be placated if sinned a!ainstL and, bein! mollified by !rovelin! and penitence, will reward the sinner as much as if he had been virtuousGmaybe even more, so the deityNs loveL and mercyL can be revealed% De see this behavior in human bein!s all the time1 tears, apolo!y and self-casti!ation not only stop the an!er or displeasure, they evoke a tenderness and openness that should sensibly only be evoked by ri!ht conduct% So in evil reli!ion for i!norance is evil0, despite the assurance that virtue is rewarded, we see that sin and repentance are rewarded and the sinner assured of salvation% Such a reli!ion becomes a livin! hell populated and promoted by livin! demons% Iout eFpect >ust about everyoneust as much desired and feared as any heaven or hell proffered by Destern reli!ion" I knew a man that had a metaphysical bookstore% Shopliftin! was a real problem% 7ow, if he had put a si!n on the door so the departin! malefactors would have read somethin! like1
Thou shalt not steal,L or The soul that sinneth it shall die,L or Know thou that &od will brin! thee into >ud!ment,L it would have had no resultGperhaps even the opposite% 6or after all, were not his customers beyond all thatL =udeo-Christian ne!ativity" Indeed they were So he did this% He put a si!n on the door for all to see as they departed sayin!1 Shopliftin! is Bad Karma%L 7early every day that si!n stopped at least one person% ost sheepishly shuffled back to the shelf and sneaked the book back% Some actually came to the owner and !ave him the book alon! with an apolo!y% Dhy" Had he evoked their hi!her moral sensibilities" 7ot a bit% They had traded fear of sin and hell for fear of bad karma and retributionGmaybe even a bad rebirth% The e!o was still in the driverNs seat, and uite liable to stay there for a lon! time% Karma may be more scientificL a concept than sin, punishment, and hell, but the fear en!endered is >ust as e!oic, and therefore >ust as ne!ative and ultimately i!norant% 7achiketa had a clear vision of thin!s% The problem was not tears or smiles, but the 3ust want to !et away from the noise and damp of the ocean of samsara, he wanted to !et away from the ocean itself% < >ail cell may be miserable or luFurious, but it is still a prison% 7achiketa aspired to freedom% He wished to attain that which was beyond cause and effect, not >ust a means of avoidin! them% This is one of the reasons why reli!ion is usually so pointless1 it attempts to make the fire stop burnin! rather than showin! the way out of the confla!ration% It seeks to make bonda!e palatable, pleasin! to both the e!ocentric deity and the e!ocentric devotee% < confederacy of dunces, indeed% *eyond past- present- and future
y first readin! of the Bha!avad &ita revealed to me somethin! I had intuited all my life1 the fundamental truth that space and time are utter illusions, basic delusions of human consciousness% Dhat a relief So when in three or four days I heard one of the most intelli!ent of my university professors remark that time and space were the two fundamental realities, you can ima!ine how much I appreciated the &ita for clearin! that nonsense up for me% I appreciated myself, too, for bein! so clever as to understand it%0 The time-space continuum is a torment to the awakened consciousness, for it is the basis for the eFistence of cause and effect and therefore of ri!ht and wron!% It is impermanence itself, the root cause of all sufferin!, fear, anFiety, and instability% Since we have been immersed in relativity for creation cycles beyond number, we find ourselves in a present whose vast roots are thorou!hly unknown, and whose effects will create an unknown future that will be a fusion of the past and the present present%L #ncertainty and confusion are the results of even a small attempt to make sense of the whole thin!% ust drown once and have it over with% De drown dailyGevery moment, actually% nly the stupid or the willfully i!norant do not see this% How can we blame those who take refu!e in illusion, whatever the form" They do not need an analysis or >ud!ment of their predicament$ they need a way out% 7achiketa is askin! for that, not for more philosophy or eFposition of the problem% Transcendent being
There nota astate placeL beyond and wron!, cause and effect, beyond present, and future,isbut of being thatri!ht transcends them%beyond 7achiketa sou!ht to become an past, alto!ether different order of bein!, to enter into the state of Brahman Itself% Knowin! this to be so, Aama does not hesitate, but literally spells it out% He be!ins1 f that !oal which all the ?edas declare, which is implicit in all penances, and in pursuit of which
men lead lives of continence and service, of that will I briefly speak%L #oa"
That which 7achiketa seeks is not an abstraction but a positive reality known to Aama% 9erhaps the most heartenin! thin! that can be said about That Dhich Is is the fact that it is The &oal% Its attainment is not only possible, it is inevitable% The entire field of relative eFistence, however much we have dama!ed or corrupted it, and it in turn has dama!ed or corrupted us, has a sin!le purpose1 the attainment of Brahman and the conseuent liberation of the uestin! spirit atman0% This is what everythin! is all about% So no wonder we have made such a mess of thin!sGliterally% 7ot knowin! either their or our purpose, what else could be the result" De are like the character in the Doody
By vedasL Aama means the teachin!s of illumined sa!es re!ardin! the nature of Brahman and the way to conscious union with Brahman% 6or vedaL means knowled!e or wisdom% ur, and
The word rather poorly translated here as penancesL is tapasya% 3iterally it means the !eneration of heat or ener!y, but is always used in a symbolic manner, referrin! to spiritual practice and its effect, especially the roastin! of karmic seeds, the burnin! up of karma% Tapasya means a practicalGi%e%, resultproducin!Gspiritual discipline which culminates in spiritual evolution and enli!htenment% The important idea in AamaNs words are that our spiritual practice must be con!ruent with the nature of &od% Thou!h tapasya implies a discipline, it cannot >ust be some type of militaristic coercion or mortificationL of the body and mind that are often nothin! more than an eFpression of self-loathin!% The reli!ions of the world abound in admiration for those who torture the body and mind, attainin! abnormal psychic states foolishly mistaken for spiritual attainment% But accordin! to Aama, the &oal must be implicit in all disciplines% That is, the disciplines themselves must embody the nature of &odG and our own selves, as well% < person unfamiliar with spiritual truth should be able throu!h analysis of authentic practice to actually come to understand the truth re!ardin! the nature of both the seeker and the &oal% If a spiritual practice cannot impart this knowled!e by its very mechanics, then it is invalid and cannot possibly lead to the &oal% 6or this is a very valuable fact1 only that practice which from the very first moment puts us in touch with &od and be!ins to reveal our true nature is !enuine yo!a%
else is illusion% That is why Krishna says1 Dhat is manNs will and how shall he use it" 3et him put forth its power to uncover the
The upanishads teach us the truth of the unity of the atman and Brahman% Therefore that truth is known as advaita, not two,L meanin! that there is no separation of the atman and Brahman at any time% Simplistic thinkers, especially in the Dest, immediately be!in to decry the idea of tapasya, yo!a, or any other discipline, insistin! very shrilly that there is no need for such, that to en!a!e in spiritual practice is to affirm a delusion of separation between us and &od% They usually end up denyin! that either we or &od even eFist, advocatin! a kind of petulant, bullyin! nihilism, remindin! any sensible person of KrishnaNs indictment1 These mali!nant creatures are full of e!oism, vanity, lust, wrath, and consciousness of power% They loathe me, and deny my presence both in themselves and in others% They are enemies of all men and of myself%L @rastic words, these, but they address a drastic mental and spiritual aberration% Read the entire siFteenth chapter of the Bha!avad &ita for a full outline of such kinds of people% This is but one of the reasons why a continual study of the &ita is necessary for those who do not wish to !o or be led0 astray in their spiritual pursuit% 7o student of the &ita could ever fall into such absurd pitfalls as these advaitansL whose only unity is their absorption in the illusion of the e!o% The truth is that the realiEation of &od not only can but must be pursued% De do not pursue &od, understand, for &od is everywhere and always one with us% Rather, we pursue the revelation of that eternal oneness and its manifestation on all levels of our present eFistence% Re!ardin! this, a yo!i-adept of the twentieth century, @r% I% K% Taimni, remarked in his book The !cience of 3oga1 ectin! it% It is a uestion of choosin! it now or in some future life% It is a uestion of !ainin! enli!htenment as soon as possible and avoidin! the sufferin! in the future or postponin! the effort and !oin! throu!h further sufferin! which is unnecessary and avoidable% This is the meanin! of Ao!a Sutra (1).1 MThe misery which is not yet come can and is to be avoided%N 7o va!ue promise of an uncertain postmortem happiness this, but a definite scientific assertion of a fact verified by the eFperience of innumerable yo!is, saints, and sa!es who have trodden the path of yo!a throu!hout the a!es%L
It is absolutely sure1 Seek, and ye shall find%L *rahmacharya
Brahmacharyam is the word Swami 9rabhavananda translates as lives of continence and service%L Radhakrishnan renders it the life of a reli!ious student,L and Swami Sivananda1 life of a brahmacharin%L In India the first sta!e of life is thatisofseFual a student, a brahmachari% The brahmacharistudent leads a life of discipline, the core of which continenceGa concept utterly lackin! in other cultures as their present disinte!ration reveals% He also serves his teacher in a practical way, for the ideal environment of the brahmacharya ashram is rural, a forest settin! bein! the ideal%
simplicity% The students of a teacher helped out in the day-to-day routine reuired by such a lifestyle% But Aama is not confinin! brahmacharya to the studentNs sta!e of life, and in modern times,L whatever the a!e or outer circumstances of the seeker, it would consist of both self control abstinence0 and practical positive action, includin! selfless service% I once saw a cartoon in which a drunk was lyin! in a !utter and askin! a Salvation
It is most si!nificant that Aama says he will briefly speak of the &oal% Dhy is this" Because the &oal is Brahman, and Brahman can only be spoken of very briefly% This is because Brahman is eFceedin!ly simple, in fact the only really simple incompleF0 thin!L there is%
This syllable is Brahman% This syllable is indeed supreme% He who knows it obtains his desire%L m is Brahman% It is not a symbol of Brahman, It IS Brahman% m is not even a wordGIt is the very presence of Brahman% m is not counted amon! words,L said Sri Ramakrishna% It is not a word, it is &od Himself,L said Swami ?ivekananda% This assertion is borne out by the fact that in Sanskrit m is not treated as a wordGthat is, It does not !o throu!h any chan!es in form accordin! to its !rammatical position or status% It has no plural, possessive, sub>ective, ob>ective, or ad>ectival forms% It is always >ust mL and nothin! else% I could cite a !reat many authoritative statements affirmin! the divine nature of m, but I recommend our publication, The Glories and Powers of Om , which contains under many headin!s the scriptural statements on m% bviously m is supreme, bein! Itself the Supreme% But Aama has made this seemin!ly obvious comment to convey the fact that m is the supreme means to the realiEation of the Supreme% There is nothin! hi!her than m, nor is there any means of spiritual cultivation hi!her than m% That is why 9atan>ali simply said1 Its repetition and meditation is the way%L
Aama then tells 7achiketa that he who knows m obtains whatever he desires% any upanishads state that m encompasses all eFistence and therefore literally is all thin!s, that all thin!s are formed of m >ust as all clay pots are made of the sin!le substance, clay% Since all thin!s are contained in m, it can only follow that he who truly %nows m by unitin! his consciousness with It throu!h Its >apa and meditation shall attain all that he desires as a matter of course% Such a wise one, will of course desire only That which fulfills all desire1 Brahman% Commentin! on this very verse, Swami ?ivekananda said1
It is the stron!est support% It is the hi!hest symbol% He who knows it is reverenced as a knower of Brahman%L The need for security is fundamental to human eFistence% This is especially true in relation to spiritual life% 2ven a little observation reveals how incredibly fra!ile spiritual consciousness and spiritual activity is in human life, for everythin! militates a!ainst it and overwhelms it% bservin! this, =esusN disciples asked him1 3ord, are there few that be saved"L una1 Dho cares to seek for that perfect freedom" ne man, perhaps, in many thousands% Then tell me how many of those who seek freedom shall know the total truth of my bein!" 9erhaps one only%L Dith this perspective, Aama tells 7achiketa that m is the stron!est and hi!hest support% Swami 9abhavananda translated alambana the second time as symbolL no doubt thinkin! of m as an ob>ect of meditation%
He who knows It is reverenced as a knower of Brahman%L Some translators render this1 He who knows It is revered in the world of Brahman%L 6or a knower of m is translated into that world, havin! been transmuted into Brahman throu!h m% It is no wonder, then, that the undaka #panishad says about m1 @ismiss other utterances% This is the brid!e to immortality%L 6m is our se"f (atman)
How can m have such an incredible effect upon us" Because we are m% It is our own self atman0% The Self, whose symbol is , is the omniscient 3ord% He is not born% He does not die% He is neither cause nor effect% This
Buddha with heavy euipment% Somethin! went wron! and the ima!e was dropped% To their astonishment the plaster, which was only a layer a few inches thick, broke and fell off, revealin! that the ima!e was solid !old Centuries before it had been covered with plaster to protect it from thieves% Today it is considered the sin!le most valuable ima!e of Buddha in the world% De are like that% < layer of relative eFistence has been plastered onto our consciousness for so lon! that we think we are the plaster% Dhen the plaster was broken the ima!e was revealed to be !old, and when our plasterL is broken we shall be revealed as parts of Brahman, waves of the ne cean of Bein!% De shall then know that we are not born, we do not die, we are neither cause nor effect$ we are unborn, imperishable, eternal, unaffected by any conditions of the body whatsoever% 6or as Shankara san!1 I am not the mind, intellect, thou!ht, or e!o$ 7ot hearin!, not tastin!, not smellin!, not seein!$ I am not the elementsGether, earth, fire, air1 I am the form of Conscious Bliss1 I am Spirit I am neither 9rana, nor the five vital airs$ 7or the seven components of the !ross body$ 7or the subtle bodies$ nor or!ans of action1 I am the form of Conscious Bliss1 I am Spirit I have no aversion, clin!in!, !reed, delusion$ 7o envy or pride, and no duty or purpose$ I have no desire, and I have no freedom1 I am the form of Conscious Bliss1 I am Spirit I have no merit or sin, nor pleasure or pain$ 7o mantra, pil!rima!e, ?eda or sacrifice$ 7ot en>oyin!, en>oyable, or en>oyer1 I am the form of Conscious Bliss1 I am Spirit I have no death or fear, no distinction of caste$ 7either father, nor mother, nor do I have birth$ 7o friend or relation, !uru or disciple1 I am the form of Conscious Bliss1 I am Spirit I am without attributes$ I am without form$ I am all-pervadin!, I am omnipresent$ By senses untouched, neither free, nor knowable1 I am the form of Conscious Bliss1 I am Spirit De do not really need to become immortal and eternal, for we are that already% Instead we need to !et beyond the illusory consciousness of birth and death, cause and effect, and the entire ran!e of relative eFistence% The >apa and meditation of m is the Day%
The %mmorta" Se"f Aama has >ust told 7achiketa that thou!h the body be destroyed, he the Self is not killed%L Then he continues1 If the slayer think that he slays, if the slain think that he is slain, neither of them knows the truth% The Self slays not, nor is he slain%L Before considerin! this upanishadic passa!e, here is what the
Bha!avad &ita, the !reat di!est of the upanishads, has to say about this1 Bodies are said to die, but That which possesses the body is eternal% It cannot be limited, or destroyed% PSome say this ust as keenly as do those who really are paupers% Dhen they awake, the mental pain disperses, but it was no less real% This is somethin! we often miss when we subscribe to the theory of aya% The eFperiences, such as birth, death, and disease, may be illusion, but the sufferin! they produce is not% It is real% The !rief we feel at the death of a loved one is real, even if the death is not% That is why the !an%hya 7ari%a, the basic teFt of the Sankhya philosophy upon which the Ao!a philosophy is based, opens with a discussion of sufferin! as our problem% Certainly, illusion should be dispelled, but that will not take care of the deeper problem1 our capacity for sufferin!% It is foolish and callous to bully those who suffer by eFpoundin! on the unreality of that to which they are reactin!% 6or there is no thin! or situation which can make us suffer% Sufferin! is our reaction to those thin!s% Dhen we reach the state where we no lon!er reactGfor pleasure is as destructive as painGthen we will be free% 9atan>aliNs dictum that yo!a is the cessation of modifications of the chitta does not refer at all to restless thou!hts in the superficial mind% He is speakin! of the capacity for any kind of reactivity to outer stimuli% It is when we are unreactin! and restin! in our true self that we are in the state of Ao!a% To merely fiddle around with the shallow thinkin! mind, believin! that calmin! it makes us yo!is, is deludin! ourselves% ur problem is far, far !reater and deeper than >ittery thou!hts% It is the capacity for sufferin! and for bein! deluded% To be awake in the fullest sense is to be incapable of sleep and dream% I am speakin! metaphysically%0 ust suppose or believeGthis, then nothin! can move us from the state of peace that is a uality of our true self% 6ortunately for us all, the cliche about There is nau!ht but thinkin! makes it so,L is bunkum, another Destern truthL that mercifully is false% The body can be slain and can be a slayer% Bein! part of the dream, it really acts and is acted upon in the dream conteFt% The dreamer, however is not part of the dream, even when it pro>ects an ima!e of itself into the dream and slays or is slain% 7othin! eFternal can affect or chan!e the internal reality% ect the idea that we can be slain% Aet we accept the concept that we can be slayers, and make a !reat to-do about sinL and karma%L Is not that so" Because we want to control the behavior of others by promisin! rewards and threatenin! punishments, we have literally bou!ht into this delusion and traded on it for life after life, foolin! even ourselves% Thou!h we find the truth in the upanishads or the &ita, we still keep on worryin! about purifyin!
ourselves and clearin! out our karma% Half-deluded, we stumble on, distractin! ourselves from the real !oal, sinkin! deeper into the morass% Consider the lives of saints% So many of them have been !reat sinners, even murderers, or incredibly i!norant, and yet we see them either instantly enterin! into the state of holiness or rocketin! to it in a short time% The reason is simple1 they had never committed a sin in their eternal lives% 3ike @avid, they awoke and found themselves with &od%
The %nde""ing Se"f Smaller than the smallest, !reater than the !reatest, this Self forever dwells within the hearts of all% Dhen a man is free from desire, his mind and senses purified, he beholds the !lory of the Self and is without sorrow%L So Aama now tells 7achiketa% Sma""er than the sma""est- greater than the greatest
De tend to think of infinity as boundlessly lar!e, when in actuality that which is infinite transcends space and can therefore not be measured in any manner% It cannot be small or lar!e% Dhich is why there is no thin! too small or to !reat for &od to be involved with% The Self, bein! a part of &od, is likewise beyond measurement% It is neither small nor lar!e, !ross nor subtle% In fact, the Self is simply beyond description% De can only talk around it, not really eFpress its mystery% This Se"f forever de""s ithin the hearts of a""
However, there are some thin!s that can be said about the presence of the Self, therefore Aama does tell 7achiketa that this Self forever dwells within the hearts of all%L The Self is eternal% It has no be!innin! and it can never have an end% Dhatever it is, it has been forever% Dhat it is not, it shall never be% De say this !libly, but usually do not believe, and rarely manifest it% 7evertheless, it is bedrock truth% The Self, bein! beyond time and space, cannot possibly be anywhere% Aet we readily say that it is within% This is as close to the truth about the Self as we can !et% ectively is aya, illusion% That which we cannot see, but which we can beL is the Self, the all-pervadin! sub>ect% This all sounds wonderful, but what possible meanin! can it have if we do not eFperience this !lorious truth for ourselves" 7othin!, obviously% So Aama proceeds to tell 7achiketa how the Self can be realiEed% When a man is free from desire
To be truly free from desire is to be incapable of desire% To not be desirin! anythin! at the moment is not what is spoken of here% De mistakenly think that if we can become indifferent to all thin!s and
want nothin! we will be free from desire% But we will still be in the condition where desire is possibleG even if it be in the futureGor even a future life% To desire somethin! we have to feel inadeuate, but even more fundamentally, we have to have ob>ective consciousness and a belief in the reality of the ob>ects perceived, and a belief that in some way we can enter into relation with those ob>ects, that we can affect them and they can affect us% Dhat a heap of delusions @esire is only a symptom of profound i!norance and delusion% In itself it is no more the problem than red blotches on the skin are the disease we call measles% See" De even name a disease as the symptoms%0 However, true desirelessnessGand that is what Aama is speakin! aboutGis the state of the liberated, those who know the Self% is mind and senses purified
< few years a!o a valuable book was published by the Sri Ramakrishna ath in adras1 a translation of the !an%hya 7ari%a by Swami ?irupakshananda% In the 9ublisherNs 7ote we find this1 ?edanta takes off to ethereal hei!hts only from the !ranite platform provided by Sankhya%P7ot only ?edanta, but also modern science, cannot be understood in all their nuances without a firm !rasp of the Sankhyan tenets%L ects and withdraws it as the ever-evolvin! creation% In the same way each individual purusha is eternally associated with prakriti on the microcosmic level and en!a!es in a series of incarnations, evolvin! the personal prakriti to the point where it becomes a perfect mirror of the individual purusha and there is a practical separation between the two, >ust as on the cosmic level% 3et us not for!et1 9atan>ali defines yo!a liberation0 as a condition of the chittaGof our personal prakritiGnot a simple intellectual insi!ht or realiEation%L The essence is this1 2ach one of us is evolvin! our own prakriti, >ust as &od is evolvin! the universe% The difference is that &od is not cau!ht in the drama, and we are% Sankhya states that we must learn to separate our consciousness from its enmeshment in prakriti, but that is only the preparation% Then we must en!a!e in the process of brin!in! our prakriti to a state of perfection in which it no lon!er produces butri!inal becomes6ace% a permanently uiescent reflection of purushaGof our true Self, which Buddhismwaves, calls our That process is Ao!a, and Aama has this in mind when he speaks of the seeker havin! his mind and senses purified%L erely readin! a few books and hearin! a few lectures on the nature of the Self will not do it% De must focus our attention onOin the ener!y fields we call mindL and sensesL and
completely repolariEe and reconstruct them% Be ye transformed by the renewin! of your mind,L wrote Saint 9aul% 9atan>ali speaks of the process of kriya yo!a, the yo!a of purification, consistin! of austerity tapasya0, self-study, and devotin! the life to &od% Aama, Saint 9aul, 9atan>ali, and Krishna all tell us the same thin!1 Become a yo!i%L e beho"ds the g"ory of the Se"f
The Self cannot be intellectually conceived or spoken about, but it can be seenGand thereby fully knownGby the purified consciousness%
How could there be sorrow or any sli!htest form of sufferin! or discontent for those who behold that !lory and realiEe that they are themselves that !lory" It can be said of such a one, as una said of Krishna1 Aou know yourself throu!h yourself alone%L oy$ sorrow melts into that clear peace1 his uiet mind is soon established in peace%P7ow that he holds it the knowled!e of the Self, he knows this treasure above all others1 faith so certain shall never be shaken by heaviest sorrow%PDho knows the oy of sattwa% @eep his deli!ht after strict self-schoolin!1 sour toil at first but at last what sweetness, the end of sorrow%L
The 6mnipresent Se"f Thou!h seated, he travels far$ thou!h at rest, he moves all thin!s% Dho but the purest of the pure can realiEe this 2fful!ent Bein!, who is >oy and who is beyond >oy%L Aama continues instructin! 7achiketa on the nature of the Self% Bein! a hi!hly developed bein!, 7achiketa had doubtless intuited most of this already, but for us who were raised in the dry !ulch of the Dest and its reli!ionsL his words are profoundly stirrin!Gastoundin!, actually% Dho could believe that in this chaotic world there were everGand still areGsa!es who by direct eFperience have seen and spoken these truths" De should analyEe them carefully, not for mere philosophical eFactitude, but for a !ood, >oyful revel in knowin! the facts at last% Unmoving- he moves
Bein! rooted in Infinity and thereby beyond space, the Self can never !oL anywhere% Dhen we speak of the atma descendin! into relative eFistence or comin! into matter, we are only describin! the mayic eFperience that is itself nothin! more than a trainin! movie% If we see a motion picture about 2urope, we do not think we have actually been thereGyet, we did see 2urope% In the same way, under the spell of aya we have all kinds of eFperiences, yet they are mere appearance only%
the picture pro>ected onto the formless screen of consciousness that is our Self% So, !oin! nowhere, the Self !oesL everywhere% Bein! no thin!, the Self becomesL all thin!s% @oin! nothin!, the Self doesL everythin!% This is the way of it% Unmoved- he is the mover
7othin! affects the Self, but the Self affects all situations and thin!s% Sankhya philosophy postulates that althou!h 9rakriti never touches the 9urusha, it is the proFimity of the 9urusha that causes 9rakriti to move and manifest in manifold ways% In the Dest we find the eFpressions uncaused CauseL and unmoved over%L These apply to the individual Self as much as to &od% There is a very practical application of this fact% Bein! under the spell of aya we think1
De have a terrible conditionin!% De believe that all knowled!e must come from outside ourselves, that we are blanks that need to be written on% In contemporary ust !otrather up onthan a horse and rode% Theown she commented1 2veryone thinks they have totobe to do anythin!, learnin! on their by eFperience%L This spills over into our philosophical life, too% De think we are dummies that have to have every nuance, every subtle point, tau!ht to usGand even worse, that they all have to be embodied in technical terms% It is only sensible to inuire about these thin!s from those with more eFperience and knowled!e than ourselves, but childish dependence is no wisdom at all% @r% Spock be!an one of his books my tellin! new mothers that they knew much more about carin! for babies than they thou!ht they did, and to trust their inner feelin!s on the matter% This caused uite a stir% I was only a child at the time, and yet the ripples of consternation even reached me throu!h a ma!aEine review of his revolutionaryL book% De have no confidence, and spiritual laEiness often compounds the problem% 6or some reason Swami 9rabhavananda>i !ives us this translation1 Dho but the purest of the pure can realiEe this 2fful!ent Bein!%L That is so lofty, so noble, that frankly it paralyEes our aspiration completely% I am not Mthe purest of the pure,N so how can I know the Self" I will have to ask others to !ive me hints about it%L But that is very mistaken% The actual upanishadic uestion is1 Dho else but myself can know that radiant one devam,L the Self" This is not >ust an inspirin! thou!ht, it is perfect !ood sense% Being the Self, who else but I can %now my Self" thers may see the divine in me, but I alone can %now the divine in me% In the Chando!ya #panishad we have the thrillin! story of #ddalaka instructin! Svetaketu on the nature of the Self, sayin! to him over and over1 Thou art That%L But however stirrin! that account may
be, #ddalaka is only tellin! him about the Self% It is up to Svetaketu to %now the Self% Someone can brin! us strawberries, show them to us, and even put them in our mouths, but we alone can know their tasteGno one can taste them for us% In the same way, millions may tell us about our Self, but we alone can really know It% It be!ins and ends with us% Self-knowled!e is the most natural thin! for us all% De are workin! very hard to produce and maintain the unnatural state of not knowin! the Self% nce we !et sensible and literally wise upL thin!s will chan!e% ?oy and beyond
The self is this 2fful!ent Bein!, who is >oy and who is beyond >oy%L De are ourselves devasG!ods% There is no happiness or >oy anywhere but in ourselves, for we are not happy or >oyful by nature, we oy% The idea is that >oy is the permanent, eternal, condition of our true Self% The word translated >oyL in this verse is mada, which means deli!ht, intoFication, and eFhilaration% To deli!ht in our Self is the ultimate en>oyment% In the last essay I mentioned that it is said that Shiva sits immersed in samadhi, but occasionally awakens, arises, and dances in ecstasy, eFclaimin! over and over1 Dho I am Dho I amL This is deli!ht in the self% Aet, Aama says that the Self re>oices and re>oices not%L He is tryin! to convey that the deli!ht in the Self is not deli!ht in an ob>ect, but is totally sub>ective and inward-turned% This is very important, for as the yo!i develops throu!h his sadhana, his prakriti-nature be!ins to reflect his inner >oy more and more, and he can start deli!htin! in the deli!ht-reflection rather than in the real thin!, and come to the conclusion that he has already attained the state Aama is speakin! about% This is the state of shuddhasattwa, of eFtreme purity of the chitta, the mind-substance of the yo!i% If he is not careful, he will mistake the mirror ima!e for his true faceL and believe he has attained what still lies before him% Innumerable are the yo!is who have been deluded in this way and become trapped in the subtlest reaches of aya% That is why 3ord Krishna said1 How hard to break throu!h is this, my aya, made of the !unasL 6or to deli!ht in the mere picture of the >oy that is the Self is to still be trapped in ob>ective, outward-turned consciousness% oy is inward, inward his peace, and his vision inward shall come to Brahman and know nirvana% How do we avoid mistakin! the ima!e for the reality" By continuin! to practice meditation and other spiritual disciplines until the moment the body drops off ' sure sign of a deluded individual is the belief that he has gone beyond the need for meditation and other spiritual practices% Baba no lon!er needs to meditate%L Baba has transcended these thin!s lon! a!o%L Baba is always in That, so such thin!s are unnecessary for him%L Aou can put aL in place of BabaL if need be%0 But what about Saha>a 7irvikalpa Samadhi" Aes% Dhat about it" < very famous Indian !uru of the twentieth century believed that he had attained saha>a nirvikalpa samadhi, so he announced that he no lon!er needed to meditate, since there was nothin! more it could do for him% Dhile his disciples meditated, he stayed in his room and fiddled around with this and that% a 7irvikalpa Samadhi Baba started attendin! the meditation sessions and meditatin! also%
monk% He was ei!hty years of a!e, yet he went forth and be!!ed for his food every dayGno one brou!ht specially-prepared !oodies for him% He lived outdoors, under a tree, not in a special retreatL desi!ned by a renowned architect-disciple% He dressed in the simple, minimal clothin! of a monk, not in some eFpensive ri!s donated by disciples to eFpress their devotion%L He walked everywhere he went% He did not ride in some cart or chariot provided by a rich patron out of consideration for his a!e%
The Sorro"ess Se"f 6ormless is he, thou!h inhabitin! form% In the midst of the fleetin! he abides forever%
'shariram sharireshuGthe bodiless within bodiesGsuch is the Self% Thou!h ever without a bodyL or
ad>unct in any form as far as its true nature is concerned0, yet all bodies are inhabited by the Self% There is no form in which the Self, the 6ormless, does not dwell% Dho can number the forms in which we have manifested from the be!innin! of our evolutionary pere!rinations in relativity, yet we have slipped away from each embodiment as bodiless as we were from the first% Bein! one with Brahman, it can be said of the Self as well as of Brahman1 2verywhere are His hands, eyes, feet$ His heads and His faces1 This whole world is His ear$ He eFists, encompassin! all thin!s$ @oin! the tasks of each sense, yet Himself devoid of the senses1 Standin! apart, He sustains1 He is free from the !unas but feels them% He is within and without1 He lives in the live and the lifeless1 Subtle beyond mindNs !rasp$ so near us, so utterly distant1 #ndivided, He seems to divide into ob>ects and creatures$ Sendin! creation forth from Himself, He upholds and withdraws it$ 3i!ht of all li!hts, He abides beyond our i!norant darkness$ UKnowled!e, the one thin! real we may study or know, the heartNs dweller% %n the midst of the f"eeting he abides forever
'navastheshv8 avasthitamGthe stable amon! the unstable, the unchan!in! amon! the ever-chan!in!Gso
is the Self% 6or aeons we are entertained with the ever-shiftin! kaleidoscope of ayaNs web% 6inally we are no lon!er entertained by it, but wearied% Aet we find ourselves addicted to it% nly in the be!innin! do addicts love their addiction% In time they come to loathe it, yet refuse to even hear of riddin! themselves of it% ust touch them, and their enslavement would be !one forever% 3earnin! of this, we naturally !lorify Sri Ramakrishna for his power of merciful deliverance, but we must not overlook the !reat truth it demonstrates1 It was the nature of those people to be free% therwise he
could not have freed them% If we would seek freedom, then, we must seek it only in the Self%
Time and space bein! mira!es, the Self is everywhere% Infinity is not bi!nessL so bi! it cannot be calculated, it is beyond measurin! because it transcends the modes of measurable bein!% It is simply another mode of eFistence alto!ether% The truth is, the atman, like the 9aramatman is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent% This latter is easy, since the Self never doesL anythin!%0 So there is no place where the Self is not present% It !oes everywhere without movin!% Supreme
The Self is supreme, but not in the sense of earthly entities% It is all-embracin!% 7ot only is there nothin! above it, there is nothin! beneath it, for such states are not nativeGand therefore impossibleGto it% But aya is doin! a superb >ob at convincin! us otherwise and foolin! us into thinkin! that the purpose of both material life and sadhana is to eFpand in the illusory realms of conditioned eFistence, to become lar!e or small, to enter in or departGnone of which are even possible for the Self% Simply hearin! about the Self can make us more i!norant than we were before if we interpret the Self in terms of samsaric delusion% The ise
The wise are those who know the Self as it is%
They transcend all !rief by removin! their center of awareness from the realm in which sufferin! is possible% Sufferin! bein! an illusion, they need only awaken from the dream and abide in the Real% This is not a ne!ative state, for it is not >ust a removal of sorrow, but the enterin! into the bliss that is the nature of the Self%
Who &an ;no the Se"f/ The sense of nonsense
I once read a lon! and rather tedious essay on ShakespeareNs policy of puttin! discomfitin! truths into the mouths of fools so people could scorn them and not !et upset with him for unmaskin! their folly% It often happens that what people hope is >ust funL or nonsenseL is really insi!htful commentary on their foibles% The happens very often in poetry, for everybody knows we need not take poetry seriously% 2dward 3ear, who protected himself by first claimin! that he wrote nonsense verse,L made some profound observations on life% Some of his limericks have a lot to say about how life should be lived% ne of his wisest works was a poem entitled The =umblies,L in which he tells us at the end of every verse1 6ar and few, far and few,
Their heads are !reen, and their hands are blue,
9erhaps as he3ord, wroteare thethere poem, thou!ht the followin! fromunto the &ospel of Saint 3uke1inThen said one 3ear, unto him, few that beofsaved" ect of what is reuired to know the Self%
I was fortunate some years back to live near an ideal Brahmin scholar, a professor of mathematics at a university% To!ether we formed a Hindu 9arishad to help Indian residents stay focused on Sanatana @harma while livin! in the Dest%
them is detrimental, provin! the truth of the statement that1 the letter kills, but the spirit !ives life%L De must !et behind the words of even illumined masters and tap the Source of those words% Sri Ramakrishna freuently pointed out that almanacs predict rainfall, but you cannot !et a drop by sueeEin! them, however hard% In the same way, intense study of scriptures cannot !ive a drop of spiritual life, for no book can reveal That which lies beyond all we think or know% !ot through subt"ety of the inte""ect
De cannot possibly fi!ure out the nature of anythin!, much less the Self, by mere intellection% This is not the fault of the mind, any more than it is the fault of a blender that you cannot !et television pro!rams throu!h it% There is absolutely no faculty which can perceive or reveal the Self% The Self alonewe knows Itself% ust sooflon! shall be frustratedGor worse, is no instrument, however no capacity the mind, however refined, that can reveal the Self% Aet, the purified intellect buddhi0 can intuit the presence of the Self and even some of its traits, and this is !ood, but this is not Self-knowled!e% any intelli!ent people with hi!hly developed intellects mistake this intuition for direct eFperience and knowled!e% This is a subtle trap we must avoid dili!ently% How could we know if we have fallen into the trap rather than risen into the 3i!ht" That, actually is easy to determine% If we can tal% about what we perceive" and define it" then it is not the !elf, but only our approFimation% That which lies within the ran!e of speech lies outside the Self% 7o matter how near we can come to the Self, it is not the same as knowin! the Self% 6or when the Self is revealed, all knowin!L not only ceases, it becomes impossible% Intelli!ence should not be confused with intellectuality% Intelli!ence is a help to the revelation of the Self, but intellectuality is an insurmountable hindrance% That is why =esus said to &od1 Thou hast hid these thin!s from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes%L To demonstrate this vividly, =esus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, ?erily I say unto you, 2Fcept ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kin!dom of heaven%L Think how direct and uncomplicated a childNs mind usually is%
?yasa was the !reatest sa!e of post-?edic India, codifier of the ?edas, commentator on the Ao!a Sutras, author of the ahabharata which includes the Bha!avad &ita0, and the Brahma Sutras ?edanta Sutras0% ?ast as his writin!s were, hummed up everythin! that was tau!ht by these holy books, sayin!1 I shall tell you in half a verse sloka0 what has been written in tens of millions of books1 Brahman is real% The world is unreal% The >iva individual spirit is none other than Brahman% That is it% So when the future Swami Turiyananda told Sri Ramakrishna that he studied ?edanta for several hours a day, the !reat aster was astonished% uotin! the words of ?yasa, he asked1 How can you spend hours studyin! somethin! so simple" Dhat more is there to say"L Turiyananda !ot the idea behind the idea and himself became a knower of the Self%
AamaNs words of seemin! ne!ation are really uite positive, for he then tells 7achiketa1 But by him who lon!s for him is he known% ?erily unto him does the Self reveal his true bein!%L This is a remarkable statement% There are no tools or !immicks that can mechanically lead us to the vision of the Self% Certainly there are methods that aid in our searchGthat is what yo!a is all about% But it is a mistake to think that a techniue can be applied like a crowbar to break open the inner treasury and loot the the attitude of most seekers%L0 ethods, such yo!aTheir meditation0, worship, andvault% !ood ivatman by its nature can know the 9aramatman%
Aama lists mere intellectual study, the heapin! up of eFtraneous knowled!eL which by its character is eFternal and superficial as an obstacleGnot so much in itself, but by the illusion of knowled!e that arises in the self-satisfied mind of the knower%L AamaNs assertion shows how mistaken it is to translate swadhyaya self-study0 as study of scripturesL when we encounter it in the Ao!a Sutras%
The Kena #panishad eFamines this matter, sayin!1 He by whom Brahman is not known, knows It$ he by whom It is known, knows It not% It is not known by those who know It$ It is known by those who do not know It%L bviously the word knowL has two meanin!s here% ne is the mere intellection about
Brahman, the other is knowled!e derived from the direct eFperience of Brahman, from conscious union with Brahman% There is a knowin! that is unknowin! and an unknowin! that is knowin!% That is why Swami 9rabhavananda renders the Kena verse1 He truly knows Brahman who knows him as beyond knowled!e$ he who thinks that he knows, knows not% The i!norant think that Brahman is known, but the wise know him to be beyond knowled!e%L 5ersisting in evi"
2vil in all forms must be abandoned if the Self, which is all !ood, is to be known% This should not be hard to understand, but many deny it anyway, or try to skirt around it% f them =esus said1 They have their rewardLGa false security that is really the sleep of death%L But for us who wish to live it is important to determine what is !ood and what is evil, what is ri!ht and what is wron!% Sanatana @harma has a concept of ri!ht and wron! uniue amon! the world reli!ions% The others teach that somethin! is ri!ht or wron! because their &od or 9rophet has said so in their infallible scriptures% It is in the Bible,L It is in the Vendud!e for themselves% Thou!h we can certainly determine whether the ?edic scriptures consider somethin! harmful or helpful, we should look upon the list as neither eFhaustive or even bindin!% Sanatana @harma is anava @harmaG human dharma% ust waits to be fulfilled% ,ack of sense contro"
The senses must be controlled, but we usually mistake the way to do so% The upanishads use the simile of horses pullin! a chariot, and we mistake that, too, thinkin! it a symbol of incredible forces to be overcome% But we need not think of it so drastically% Before you control a horse, you tame it% So before we control the senses we tameL them throu!h purification% Sadhana is the only way% editation alone purifies in a lastin! manner%
2est"essness of mind
Restlessness of mind is itself !reat sufferin!% Aama says that a uiet mind is indispensable to selfknowled!e% Here is what Krishna has to say about it1 If a yo!i has perfect control over his mind, and stru!!les continually in this way to unite himself with Brahman, he will come at last to the crownin! peace of 7irvana, the peace that is in me%L Dhen can a man be said to have achieved union with Brahman" Dhen his mind is under perfect control and freed from all desires, so that he becomes absorbed in the
Dithout meditation, where is peace" Dithout peace, where is happiness"L The sine 9ua non of self-knowled!e is meditation% The Self is ever-present but we do not perceive it because our vision is obscured by the illusion known as aya%
The Self can be known by those who truly desire to know%
The ""4&onsuming Se"f Somewhere alon! the lineGperhaps when they stopped killin! their own people for sacrificial victims and committin! !enocide for the !lory of their !odsGthe reli!ion of Desterners lost its vi!or% SpiritualL came to be euated with the insubstantial and ethereal, de!eneratin! in time into an airy and vaporous sentimentalism of the sickliest character% 3an!uishin! in love for &od became an ideal alon! with nobly bearin! the terrible burdens &od threw onto a !roanin! and !rovelin! humanity% The keynote of all this was passivity, and not a passivity born of true coura!e or nobility, but from a crushin! sense of impotence and hopelessness% Hell became eFalted to heaven, and the contempt of a capricious and tyrannical &od became @ivine 3ove, a love that demanded placation and acceptanceobedience% This became &od of love hated a lotand more thin!s than and basically tolerated nothin!% reli!ion in time >ust like him, so did many of he hisliked devoteesGin attitude and deed% Since His he was the ideal 6ather, they be!an treatin! their children >ust as he did his% Contemporary Destern society is the result% 2ven the rebellion a!ainst this madness is as hateful, i!norant, and repressive as that which is bein! supposedly re>ected% nly the pious cover is discarded$ the evil core flourishes% The utter
insubstantiality of the spirituelL has become a lo!ical doorway to denial of any spiritual reality% In the 2ast India0 thin!s are fundamentally different, even if some of the sillier ways of Destern reli!ion are also to be found there, particularly in the bhakti movement%L The concept of the Self as identified with the Supreme Self rather than a creation whose tenuous eFistence is continually threatened by the possibility of divine wrath, has produced a psycholo!y and a society the reverse of that found in the Dest% The Self is as eternal and immovable as &odGbecause it is one with &od% ected the i!norant reli!ion of her childhood, but now she had an intelli!ent basis for her re>ection% 6ortunately it took the form of affirmation rather than ne!ation% She had seen clearly when nine or so that she and all her sisters and brother0 would die youn! of the same disease tuberculosis0, and had written a poem about it% Dhen death was only a matter of weeks away, she wrote this final poem1 7o coward soul is mine, 7o trembler in the worldNs storm-troubled sphere1 I see HeavenNs !lories shine,
AamaNs analysis of the Self has had a very lo!ical pro!ression% Then he tosses out to 7achiketa a sin!le incredible sentence1 To him Brahmins and Kshatriyas are but food, and death itself a condiment%L unaNs vision of the #niversal Self in the eleventh chapter of the Bha!avad &ita% Since the individual atman and the 9aramatman are one they have the same ualities% =ust as una saw that all thin!s emanate from the Supreme and are reabsorbed in the SupremeGare eatenL by It, so it is with the Self% ects% #nconditioned, the Self manifests countless ualities% Remainin! what it is, the Self appears to be all that it is not%
The +ivine %nde""ers Both the individual self and the #niversal Self have entered the cave of the heart, the abode of the ost Hi!h, but the knowers of Brahman and the householders who perform the fire sacrifices see a difference between them as between sunshine and shadow%L The to se"ves
There two many individual selves who and the one Self% #panishad likens are them to selvesGthe two birds of the same appearance sit in the#niversal same tree% 6irstThe weundaka come to know the individual self, and that enables us to attain the knowled!e of the
It is easy to see that the individual Self abides inGand asGthe heart hridaya0, but when we look at the vast manifestation of Cosmic 3ife we call creationL it is natural for our awareness to be drawn outward and thereby for!et that the Supreme Self is ri!ht there inside in the same space akasha0% The 9aramatman is not in the cave of our heart only incidentally, since It is everywhere, but that is Its abode, its native place,L Its center% Its manifestation can be found everywhere, but It can be found
only in the cave of the heart% nly that yo!i Dhose >oy is inward, Inward his peace, una, become a yo!i% How foolish to climb mountains, delve into the earth, wander across the plains, or cross the seas, thinkin! to find the
There are those who know Brahman directly and those who possess a secondary knowled!e based on intuition resultin! from their seekin! of Brahman% Thou!h only the first really know Brahman, yet the othersN knowin! aboutL Brahman is of such a character that it can lead them on to the direct knowled!e of the illumined% Both of these have the same understandin! without contradiction% Therefore the 6inders never disdain the Seekers% The difference
Dhat do the 6inders and Seekers know" That the atman and the 9aramatman, thou!h one, are as differentitasmeans sunshine shadow% But in theonly sense of bein! antithetical to as onea shadow another% Rather, that and the individual SelfnoteFists because the opposite SupremeorSelf eFists, >ust can only eFist because of the li!ht% ivatman0 is a reflection of the Supreme Self 9aramatman0% 3ater, Aama will say1 He shinin!, everythin! shines%L The aspiration
Since the fore!oin! is true, the neFt verse of the upanishad says1 ay we perform the 7achiketa Sacrifice, which brid!es the world of sufferin!% ay we know the imperishable Brahman, who is fearless, and who is the end and refu!e of those who seek liberation%L Dhat is the 7achiketa Sacrifice" It is not a secret fire ritual that produces a ma!ical enli!htenment% The 7achiketa Sacrifice is the determined search for knowled!e >nana0 which stops not until the &oal is reached% That is this the correct understandin! is demonstrated by the results desired by the sacrificer1 the knowled!e of Brahman% The search for union with &od is the brid!e which we cross to be free from this world of sufferin!% Seekin! &od is itself the !uarantee that we shall find Him% any who lack confidence worry as to whether they can succeed in spiritual life, if they are ready,L and so forth% But the very fact that they wish to find &od means that they have already travelled far alon! the path in previous lives% therwise they would sleep alon! with most of the world% 6or the man who has once asked the way to Brahman !oes further than any mere fulfiller of the ?edic rituals%L The scriptures declare that merit can be
acuired by studyin! the ?edas, performin! ritualistic sacrifices, practisin! austerities and !ivin! alms% But the yo!i who has understood this teachin! of mine will !ain more than any who do these thin!s% He will reach that universal source, which is the uttermost abode of &od%L Truly, ay we know the imperishable Brahman, who is fearless, and who is the end and refu!e of those who seek liberation%L
The &hariot 9erhaps the most perfect simile of our condition as human bein!s as we meander throu!h the labyrinth of continual birth and death is that !iven in the Katha #panishad, and it is worthy of careful analysis% Know that the Self is the rider, and the body the chariot$ that the intellect is the charioteer, and the mind the reins%L The first idea set forth in this verse is the completely inactive role of the individual Self atman0% The other in!redientsL in the list are actively involved in livin!L but the atman is absolutely beyond any activity, and is merely the observer% This is because its nature is pure consciousnessGand nothin! else% *ody4chariot
The body is the chariot, a con!lomerate of parts without any consciousness or will of its own% @id anyone else out thereL !row up hearin! certain fundamentalists say1 I donNt sin but my body sinsL"0 Aet, bein! pervaded by the intellect buddhi0 it does seem to have a mind of its own%L It does not, but it is an eFtension-eFpression of the mind and as such has !reat relevance to the spiritual aspirant% Sri Ramakrishna used to study the physical confi!uration of newcomers and thereby determine their spiritual ualifications% So we must think of the body as an inert thin!% It is alive, but alive throu!h the indwellin! spirit% De may not be the body, but the body is certainly an eFpression of ourself% The body is not only the vehicle of our accumulated karmas it is the embodiment of them% ur karmas are incarnated in the body much more than is the Self% %nte""ect4charioteer
The intellect is the charioteer%L ur movement throu!h lifeL is solely throu!h the a!ency of the intellect, the buddhi% This is why Krishna speaks of Buddhi Ao!a as the process of liberation% Ao!a is solely under the supervision of the buddhi% Ao!a takes place both throu!h the buddhi and within the buddhi% This !ives us a tremendous insi!ht into the nature of liberation1 it is totally a matter of intellect, of reconstruction of awareness% The wise certainly undertake many eFternal, even physical, disciplines to assist in their practice of yo!a, but all of these are intended to affect the buddhi in its strivin! towards enli!htenment% Since the buddhi is the charioteer, its uality determines everythin! in life% The cultivation of our buddhi, then, must be the focus of our sadhana%
invited to speak to a yo!a !roup in Tokyo% This !roup tau!ht and practiced only Hatha Ao!a asanas and pranayama0%
The senses, say the wise, are the horses$ the roads they travel are the maEes of desire%L It is the senses that dra! the chariot of the body alon! accordin! to their impulses% If the buddhi is weak or underdeveloped, the mind which is driven by pain-pleasure motivation alone takes complete char!e in !ivin! full reinL to the senses% Havin! no intelli!ence they plun!e onward, ever seekin! fulfillment and, not findin! it, hurtlin! even further on the paths of unreason and folly% 6or the roads they travel are the maEes of desireL rather than intelli!ence%
Dho am I"L is the !ate to real understandin!, for it sets us seekin! true knowled!e% oyer when he is united with the body, the senses, and the mind%L De certainly do not en>oy a !reat deal of our eFperiences inOthrou!h the body, so perhaps a better translation of bhokta is eFperiencerL rather than en>oyer% The ma>or idea in this verse is that the Self is the actionless consciousness that eFperiences the intellect, mind, senses, and body% ects, !unas are merely attachin! themselves to !unas% Knowin! this, he does not become attached to his actions%L Aou dream you are the doer%L 3et the wise man know these !unas alone as the doers of every action$ let him learn to know That Dhich is beyond them, also%L There is more material like this, but the sum is1 The truly admirable man controls his senses by the power of his will%L This is because1 The senses are said to be hi!her than the sense-ob>ects% The mind is hi!her than the senses% The intelli!ent will is hi!her than the mind% Dhat is hi!her than the intelli!ent will" The
The practica" app"ication
Dhen a man lacks discrimination and his mind is uncontrolled, his senses are unmana!eable, like the restive horses of a charioteer% But when a man has discrimination and his mind is controlled, his senses, like the well-broken horses of a charioteer, li!htly obey the rein%L ourney, the supreme abode of ?ishnu, the all pervadin!%L
The &hariot@s ?ourney The upanishadic seers have >ust told us that the Self in the body is like a driver in a chariot% 7ow they set the intended >ourney before us% The senses derive from physical ob>ects, physical ob>ects from mind, mind from intellect, intellect from e!o, e!o from the unmanifested seed, and the unmanifested seed from BrahmanGthe #ncaused Cause% Brahman is the end of the >ourney% Brahman is the supreme !oal%L It is the !enealo!y of perception that is bein! outlined here, for if we reverse the order of perception we will come to perceive the Source, the 2ternal Ditness Itself% This verse, then, is a eFposition of the chain, or pro!ression of consciousness% ects ivas0% In that case we !et1 The Self The unmanifested yet out-turned will-ener!y The sense of I amL The intellect The mind The senses The sense or!ans% y list is more literal than that of Swami 9rabhavananda% It is not more meritorious when considerin! the Cosmos, but it is better when lookin! at the situation of the individual bein!% Havin! descended the ladder, how do we !et back upGespecially sense we have no memory of how we
mana!ed the descent" 3uckily for us the yo!is of India fi!ured that out for us untold eons a!o, and it works as well today as it did then% editation is the way of ascent back to awareness of the Self% It is possible to work our way back up the ladder, for the run!sL are not disparate elements but evolutes or emanations of those above them% If all the run!s, includin! the senses themselves, were not eFtensions of the Self, we could not reach back to the Self% This is as true on the microcosmic level as it is on the macrocosmic% 6ortunately Brahman has not fallenL and for!otten Itself, but It, too, withdraws and pro>ects himself as creationGas we do ourselves by comin! into manifestation and eventually into physical birth%
Brahman is the end of the >ourney% Brahman is the supreme !oal%L But the simple sayin! counts for little% So the upanishad continues1 This Brahman, this Self, deep-hidden in all bein!s, is not revealed to all$ but to the seers, pure in heart, concentrated in mindGto them is he revealed%L Dho sees Brahman" The su%shma:darshibhihGthose who can see the subtle, the inmost Reality% How, then, can we become seers of the Subtle" By continually developin! our capacity for inner perception and simultaneously refinin! our inner faculties% To do that we must !o insideL in meditation and work with our inner mechanism called the antah%arana by the yo!is%
The senses of the wise man obey his mind, his mind obeys his intellect, his intellect obeys his e!o, and his e!o obeys the Self%L This, too, is the productOeffect of meditation editation is the establishin! of order within and without% Marching orders:
The verse continues1 3ike the sharp ed!e of a raEor, the sa!es say, is the path% 7arrow it is, and difficult to treadL Immediately we think of =esus words1 2nter ye in at the strait !ate1 for wide is the !ate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which !o in thereat1 because
strait is the !ate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it%L Because popular reli!ion, despite its attempt to entice followers, continually implies or outri!ht states that spiritual life is hard I !rew up with this in fundamentalist 9rotestantism and found it outra!eous0, we tend to look at the principles of Sanatana @harma with a tainted perspective% The upanishad is not tellin! us in the manner of Destern reli!ion how hard it will be to follow the way of life% The clue to difficulty in spiritual is found in the description of the path as like the sharp ed!e of a raEor%L The idea is that the path is eFtremely subtleGnot arduous% But that makes it all the more difficult, even impossible, for those of coarse minds% This, and this alone, is what makes the path hard to tread% 7o spiritual discipline comes near to bein! as hard as the thin!s human bein!s commonly do every day to !et the thin!s want%
The absolute necessity for refinement of perception throu!h refinement of all the levels of our bein! is revealed by the nature of the pathNs !oal1 Soundless, formless, intan!ible, undyin!, tasteless, odorless, without be!innin!, without end, eternal, immutable, beyond nature, is the Self% Knowin! him as such, one is freed from death%L De must become able to hear Silence, see the 6ormless, touch the #ntouchable, live to the Immortal, taste the Tasteless, perceive the fra!rance of the dorless, and transcend all relative measure, and even relativity itself% Such a state is verily inconceivable to us at the present% But it can be achieved throu!h yo!a% 3et us arise, awake, pass from death unto life, and lay hold of Immortality%
The #"orious Way The Katha #panishad is now !oin! to elaborate on the path so we can better understand how to >ourney upon it% The Self-2Fistent made the senses turn outward%
The first thin! this verse teaches us is that the @ivine Itself has caused our consciousness to turn outward% This is not the result of any ne!ative force or fallL on our part% The fall took place as a
wron! response to the outward turn%0 Dhat was the purpose of our turnin! outward" 2volution% De had to enter into relative eFistence and run the maEe of ever-ascendin! evolution in order to satisfy our innate ur!e for infinity% 6or more on this, see %0 Conseuently, there is nothin! wron! with the senses turnin! outward$ the problem is when the sense become locked in eFternaliEin!% The purpose of our enterin! the field of evolutionary life was for us to eFperience the many shades of evolvin! consciousness while never losin! awareness of our true nature or identifyin! with the costumes we constantly donned and put off as the a!es pro!ressed% However it may have been intended, the situation has horribly chan!ed, makin! us blind to inner realities% Sunk in awareness of seemin! mortality, human bein!s either seek to distract themselves from the terror and pain which arises from their delusion, or they seek some way to attain immortality% Both searches are based on delusion, so they can only fail% De need not become immortal, but must realiEe our present, eternal immortal nature% Those who shut their eyesGtheir consciousnessGto the false appearances of eFternal eFistence and turn within discover the truth of their immortality% 7o lon!er do they think that the solution is to be found in some eFternal factor, but clearly see that their own Self is the wondrous answer% The foo"ish and the ise
6ools follow the desires of the flesh and fall into the snare of all-encompassin! death$ but the wise, knowin! the Self as eternal, seek not the thin!s that pass away%L In its true state, relative eFistence is a vast field of life, but when it is overlain with the veneer of our inner delusions, it becomes death to us% That which is meant to eFpand our consciousness and free us into Infinity becomes a prison, a killer of our soulGand this is all our doin!% The world remains what it ever was, but we have lost si!ht of its nature >ust as we have become blind to our own Self% The ur!e to eFpansion of consciousness throu!h upward-movin! evolution becomes distorted into a myriad desires arisin! from our false identity with the body and its illusory mortality% SeiEe the momentL is our despairin! cry% Seekin! to live, we plun!e ourselves into the snare of allencompassin! death%L The wise, who have come to know their immortality throu!h the direct eFperience produced only0 by meditation, turn from the snare and seek only that which cannot pass away because it has never come into bein! at some point in time, but is immortalGlike us% In other words, we seek the kin!dom of &od that is nothin! less than &odGand our own Self% There is a seekin! that is necessary, but a seekin! for deepenin! consciousness rather than for somethin! that is not already ours% De must not fall into the facile illusion that we have nothin! to do or attain% Certainly there is nothin! ob>ective to be done or attained, but in the sub>ective realm of Consciousness there is literally 2verythin! to be sou!ht and attained% Strive without ceasin! to know the
To ;no The Se"f +efining the Se"f
Recently I read of a yo!i who was asked, Dhat is the Self"L The yo!i answered1 The one who knows the mind%L How simple
He throu!h whom man sees, tastes, smells, hears, feels, and en>oys, is the omniscient 3ord%L ust the @ivine 9ower% ur consciousness is the Consciousness of &od, the finite drawn from the Infinite, as the wave draws its eFistence from the ocean% It is a !rave error to decry the eFperience of our senses as either illusory or somehow de!radin!% It is our response to sensory eFperience that is often illusory or de!radin!% But we are at every moment livin! in and by &od% But &od is not >ust the 9ower by which we live, and move, and have our bein!%L He, verily, is the immortal Self% Knowin! him, one knows all thin!s%L He is the all-embracin! Consciousness within our consciousness and within all thin!s% If we come to knowGenter into the bein! ofGthat Infinite ne we shall know with His knowin!, and therefore know all thin!s% oyer of the fruits of action, is the SelfGever present within, lord of time, past and futureGcasts out all fear% 6or this Self is the immortal Self%L Dhat an incredible statement De are thinkin! that we are poor, mortal bein!s swept alon! by forces alien to us and totally beyond our control, when all the time we are the masters of past and future%
He who sees the 6irst-BornQborn of the mind of Brahma, born before the creation of watersGand sees him inhabitin! the lotus of the heart, livin! amon! physical elements, sees Brahman indeed% 6or this 6irst-Born is the immortal Self%L The only way to see trueL is to see The True% Dhen we turn within, to the core of our bein!, there we will not only find the individual self, the >iva or atman, but we will find its ori!in, the Supreme Self, the 9aramatman, the eternal Brahman% This is the true vision of &odGthat in which the two are seen to be ne, althou!h their distinction is eternal% The word bornL is misleadin!, for the Self is never born% There does come a time when it becomes manifest in relative creation, but it eFisted before that birth%L It is not even ri!ht to say that &od is our ori!in,L for the Self is co-eternal with &od% una1 There was never a time when I did not eFist, nor you, nor any of these kin!s% 7or is there any future in which we shall cease to be%L The a""4embracing Se"f
It is no news to us that &od not only is within all thin!s but in an ineffable way IS all thin!s% But there is a further fact1 De, too, embrace all the levels of bein! on the finite level, >ust as does &od on the infinite level% So the upanishads further says1 That bein! who is the power of all powers, and is born as such, who embodies himself in the elements and in them eFists, and who has entered the lotus of the heart, is the immortal Self%L
connection whatever with the ener!ies of prakriti% Rather, as with &od, those ener!ies are our own eFpanded and froEenL ener!ies that in time are to be revealed as consciousness and assimilated into our SelfGfrom which they have never really been separate% 2verythin! is consciousness% In the final sense there is no matter or ener!y at all% Aet, at the moment we find ourselves in the seemin!ly manifold condition that is necessary for our evolution and ultimate freedom% De not only mistake our own nature, we mistake the nature of &od as well% De are ourselves the power of all powers,L havin! willin!ly embodied ourselves in subtle and !ross matter while still livin! essentially in the lotus of the heart%L How then can we consider ourselves the servants or slaves of any bein!Gincludin! &od" There is no work of &odL in this world for us to doGonly our work, the ascension to perfect freedom% There is a theism that is bonda!e and a theism that is freedom% De must discriminate between the two% The source
Because it fits better with the fore!oin!, let us skip a verse and read1 That in which the sun rises and in which it sets, that which is the source of all the powers of nature and of the senses, that which nothin! can transcendGthat is the immortal Self%L The Self and the Supreme Self are both the Chidakasha, the Sky or 2ther of Consciousness in which the sun of manifested life rises and sets% The wakin!, dreamin!, and deep sleep states take place within the consciousness that is the Self% The eFperience of birth and death likewise take place within the Self% The Self is, like the Supreme Self, the source of the ener!ies that manifest as the various levels of the subtle and !ross bodies which we are presently evolvin! until they manifest as the spirit-self% 7othin! is ever destroyed, but is resolved back into its ori!in, the spirit% This is the !reat and awesome assertion of the upanishads% 7othin! is beyond or hi!her than the SelfGnot even &od, for &od and the Self are essentially one, as are ocean the andpain the waves% as wechan!e% dream ofBut separation, lon! will continue to come !o, the sufferin! and fear
The 5oer of 3n"ightenment
The mind may be compared to a firestick, the syllable to another% Rub the two sticks to!ether by repeatin! the sacred syllable and meditatin! on Brahman, and the flame of knowled!e will be kindled in your heart and all impurities will be burnt away%L 6ire, thou!h present in the firesticks, is not perceived until one stick is rubbed a!ainst another% The Self is like that fire1 it is realiEed in the body by meditation on the sacred syllable %L 7ot only is the will to practice meditation produced by meditation on m, so is the !oalGenli!htenment% 3ike a child well !uarded in the wombL The propensity toward the @ivine is rare, and it is also fra!ile because the downward pull accumulated in thousands of previous lives threaten its very eFistence% Conseuently, the wise sadhaka !uards it well once it arises, ensurin! that it can !row unhindered and in time come forth as the liberatin! force we need to be successful yo!is% The observance of Aama and 7iyama are absolutely essential in this, as is the need to reorder oneNs life so as not to put this developin! power in dan!er of harm or destruction% Dorshiped day by day by awakened soulsL The idea of the previous section is bein! continued% The awakened thou!h no yet enli!htened0 soul cherishes the yo!ic will, and realiEes that it is a worshipful thin!Gthe &odward-tendin! divine power of the divine Self that moves within him like an embryo within the womb% @ay by day he worships it by usin! it to meditate% Those who offer oblations in sacrificial fireL Those who are consciously en!a!in! in Ishwarapranidhana, the offerin! of the life to &od, eFtend the power of their spiritual will beyond the practice of meditation into every moment of their life and activity, usin! it to accomplish a spiritualiEed mode of life% Here, too, the necessity for reorderin! the life of the sadhaka is evident% ay that divine
The %nfinite Se"f Dhat is within us is also without% Dhat is without is also within% He who sees difference between what is within and what is without !oes evermore from death to death%L These words have various levels of meanin!, and we should consider them all% Microcosms
any years a!o, @r% =udith Tyber!, a disciple of Sri
those terms% I eFperienced myself as everythin! that eFisted within the relative material universe% r so it seemed, for the human body is a miniature universe, a microcosmic model of the macrocosm% The physical human body is a reflection of the universal womb that conceived it% I had eFperienced the subtle level of the physical body that is its ideational i%e%, causal0 blueprint% n that level it can be eFperienced as a map of the material creation% In this matter, it was crucial that I not mistake the copy for the ri!inal and think I was an infinite bein! or had attained Cosmic Consciousness% It was acrocosmic ConsciousnessGnot an insi!nificant eFperience, but certainly not the final step in evolution% s above- so be"o
In the Hermetic the ancient editerranean worldofthere was a principle1 below%L That is, 9hilosophy this materialofplane of eFistence is a mirrorin! hi!her levels of bein!
The outer is the inner$ the inner is the outer% De have touched on this sli!htly% It is of inestimable importance to realiEe that our outer life is but a mirror ima!e of our inner life, that whatever is takin! place in our eFternal body and environment is happenin! in the depths of our mind% So by studyin! and analyEin! our outer life we come to !au!e the true character of our inner life% This is not palatable to the e!o, for it means that our misfortunes are our own doin! and reveal our inner ne!ativity%
It alsoand necessary our inner virtuous and outerway% lives
make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below%L The inner and outer 2ea"ity
&od is the inner, and &od is the outer% He who sees difference between what is within and what is without !oes evermore from death to death%L De are bound to the cycle of perpetual births and deaths until we see &od, both within and withoutGuntil we know that &od is the sole reality of both the worldL and ourselves% In that vision we become immortal% The !reat Swami Sivananda wrote the followin! eFpressin! this truth1 Dhen I surveyed from oy and in !lee, In sickness and in sorrow, only &od I saw% In birds and do!s, in stones and trees, In flowers and fruits, in the sun, moon and stars, only &od I saw% In the rosy cheeks of Kashmiri ladies, In the black faces of oyed the @ivine
=esus, who said1 Blessed are the pure in heart1 for they shall see &od,L had learned this well in India% 6or the neFt verse of the Katha #panishad tells us1 By the purified mind alone is the indivisible Brahman to be attained% Brahman alone isGnothin! else is% He who sees the manifold universe, and not the one reality, !oes evermore from death to death%L The necessary purification is profound, for Saint =ohn tells us1 2very man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he &od is pure%L Those whose minds have been made pure in the
contemplation of &od automatically see Him% ali eFplains1 &od is a SpiritP%PHis desi!nator is m% Its constant repetition and meditation is the way% 6rom it result the disappearance of obstacles and the turnin! inward of consciousness%L
The +e""er in the eart 6or numberless a!es, in the rest of the world people were intent on the awesome !reatness of &odGand nothin! more% Dhereas in India the sa!es were intent on the awesome !reatness of both the individual and the #niversal Selves% 9erceivin! their unity, they understood that whatever can be said about one can be said about the other% Thus their teachin!s are a uniue revelation of the true nature of us all% Dithout this self-understandin!, our life is nothin! but confusion with a few random stumblin!s into insi!ht% It is an absolute necessity that we comprehend the upanishadic teachin!s and strive to !ain the upanishadic vision% In the lotus of the heart That bein!, of the siEe of a thumb, dwells deep within the heart% He is the lord of time, past and future% Havin! attained him, one fears no more% He, verily, is the immortal Self%L This verse tells us several thin!s about our true Self% That bein!, of the siEe of a thumb, dwells deep within the heart% Since the Self transcends space, how can it ishave a measurable siEe" It cannot%inShankara in his commentary that the lotus thesiEe heart of the siEe of a thumb% 2Fistin! the spaceeFplains within the lotus of the heart, the Self hasofthe of a thumb, >ust like space eFistin! in a section of a bamboo that is of the siEe of a thumb%L =ust as water fillin! a vessel sunk in the ocean has volume and shape, in the same way the Self seems to have a shape and a measure% But once the vessel is broken, the shape and volume of the water cease to be, and so it is with the Self% Incarnate in a body, the Self pervades it and reflects it, but upon the dissolution of the body those seemin! conditions cease instantly, for they have no ob>ective reality% So it is not the Self that is really of the siEe of a thumb, but rather the lotus of the heart within which it momentarily dwells% De should not mistake the lotus of the heart for the or!an that pumps blood throu!h the body% The real lotus of the heart is the core of the Thousand-9etalled 3otus, the Sahasrara located in the head% This thumb-shaped nucleus is also referred to in yo!ic teachin!s as the 3in!a in the head%L @eep within the heartL indicates that the Self is the inmost level of our bein!, our absolute essence beyond which we simply do not eFist% It also indicates that to know ourself we must meditate and penetrate deep into our consciousness% There is no other way% He is the lord of time, past and future% It is a !rave error to think that we are helpless flotsam and >etsam on the bosom of the ocean of Relativity, bein! moved about by forces such as karma, our thou!hts, and even &od% It is our own Self that determines whatever happens to us and is the sole controller of our past, present, and future% 3ook at the chaotic lives of those who trust in &odL and
surrender to the @ivine Dill%L They rationaliEe their disordered state by sayin! they have peace of mind throu!h their attitude, but that is a poor substitute for the truth% 3ook at how many people die peacefully% 9eace counts for little when it is nothin! more than an opiate% De must stop livin! a lie% It is not our karma, our thinkin!, or even &od that ordains our life% It is our Self% aws of sorrow and death% nly when the unity of our Self is knownGboth in the fact of its unitary state of bein! and its eternal oneness with BrahmanGwill the earthward pull disappear alon! with the compulsion to continual rebirth% If a man sees Brahman in every action, He will find Brahman%L It is as simple as that% 2ver the same
with Brahman%L De and Brahman are one Substance% There is no difference% De are not creations,L we are be!innin!less and endless, co-eternal with &od% Knowin! this makes all the differenceGthe only difference we need% Brahman is 9ure Bein! and we are 9ure Bein!% #nitin! with Brahman we remain what we always have been, but no lon!er sub>ect to i!norance and delusion%
The *irth"ess Se"f The sub>ecttoof the Selfthe is virtually ineFhaustible% It is the sole ob>ect of the upanishads% So Aamara> continues eFpound Self to 7achiketa% To the Birthless, the li!ht of whose consciousness forever shines, belon!s the city of eleven !ates% He who meditates on the ruler of that city knows no more sorrow% He attains liberation, and for him there can no lon!er be birth or death% 6or the ruler of that city is the immortal Self%L This verse tells us many aspects of the Self, each of which should be scrutiniEed in turn% *irth"ess
< cornerstone of 2astern wisdom is the understandin! that verbal formulas can never encompass the truth, but can only be hints, albeit eFcellent hintsGthat truth is always beyond books, concepts, and words$ that in time the aspirant must pass beyond them into the level of spiritual intuition in which direct knowled!e is possible% Aet it is understood that the aspirant will not be able to fully translate such direct knowled!e into words%
&od cannot be defined, but it can be said that &od is 3i!htGeven more, that &od is the 3i!ht that is 3ife% In other words, &od is Conscious 3i!ht%
ur divine nature may be obscured to our earthly eyes in the way that clouds can hide the sun and even make the earth dark% But the sun ever shines% 7i!ht occurs because of the turnin! of the earth, and spiritual i!norance and darkness arise because our awareness is turned wron!% Aet, as Buddha said1 Turn around and lo The ther Shore%L
The human body is usually called the city of nine !atesL for the nine apertures of the body, but here it has the number eleven% Shankara says this is because the navel and the Brahmarandhra, the soft spotL at the crown of the head are also bein! counted as !ates% This is appropriate, as before birth we are nourished throu!h the navel, and at death we often depart throu!h the Brahmarandhra% The important point that is bein! made here is in contradistinction to reli!ions other than Hinduism, and even to the attitudes found today in contemporary Indian philosophy% 6or it is commonly thou!ht very spiritualL to disre!ard the body, push it aside in our consciousness, and despise it as a liability and even a prison% But the upanishad tells us that the body is not alien to the Self atman0, but rather belon!s to the Self, >ust as the cosmos belon!s to &odGand is in a sense the bodyL of &od% It is important to continually keep in mind that whatever can be said of &od can usually be said about the individual bein!, as well%0 The body is ours, and is fundamentally a mirrorin! of our personal consciousness, which is why we can le!itimately speak of the body-mind connection%L The body is the vehicle throu!h which the individual evolves durin! the span of life on earth, and must be taken into serious account by the yo!i who will discover that the body can eFert a necessary effect on the mind% 6or eFample, the yo!i meditates and discovers that the process of yo!a takes place in the thousand-petalled lotus of the brain% 6or, as 9aramhansa 7ityananda said1 a yo!i in the brain center%PDhat is called Ra>a Ao!a is above the neck%L 6urthermore, the yo!i >oins the >apa repetition0 of m to the breathGa physical process known as pranayama% The yo!i who observes will discover that the diet of the physical body is also the diet of the mind, that whatever is eaten physically will have an effect mentally% ne who does not know this is no yo!i at all% !o more sorro
He who meditates on the ruler of that city knows no more sorrow%L Dhen we meditate on our Self, our atman, we will end all sorrow% The &ita says of the yo!i who meditates on the Self1 To obey the oy$ sorrow melts into that clear peace1 his uiet mind is soon established in peace%L Dhen, throu!h the practice of yo!a, the mind ceases its restless movements, and becomes still, he realiEes the ect1 The Self is of the nature of the Syllable m%L @irectly realiEe the self by meditatin! on m%L The Self is of the nature of the Syllable m% Thus the Syllable m is the very Self%L editate on m as the Self%L m is the atman himself%L m is a sin!le syllable that is of the nature of the Self%Pm is the true form of the Self%L 3iberationGno lon!er birth or death He attains liberation, and for him there can no lon!er be birth or death%L There is no need for commentary, but here is some corroboration1 Know this
6or the ruler of that city is the immortal Self%L The &ita encapsulates it perfectly1 This wisdom have tau!ht willmelead to immortality% faithful it with devotion, takin!true me for their Ihi!hest aim% To theyyou surrender heart andThe mind% Theypractice are eFceedin!ly dear to me%L 6or I am Brahman within this body, life immortal that shall not perish1 I am the Truth and the =oy for ever%L
The Shining Se"f The immortal Self is the sun shinin! in the sky, he is the breeEe blowin! in space, he is the fire burnin! on the altar, he is the !uest dwellin! in the house$ he is in all men, he is in the !ods, he is in the ether, he is wherever there is truth$ he is the fish that is born in water, he is the plant that !rows in the soil, he is the river that !ushes from the mountainGhe, the chan!eless reality, the illimitableL Dhere in all the scriptures of the world can we find such a thrillin! statementGthrillin! and !lorious because it is TR#2" The to that are 6ne
To fully comprehend the teachin!s of the upanishadic sa!es we must keep in mind that whatever can be said of the 9aramatman on the cosmic, universal level can usually also be said of the >ivatman on the level of our individual life within the cosmos% So the upanishads are describin! not only &od, the Supreme Spirit, but the nature of our own individual spirit% What is needed
There is another, essential, side to this upanishadic statementGand indeed to all scriptural teachin!sGthat must be kept in mind at all times in our study1 De must e+perience and %now the realities spoken of by the sa!es% They did not write down their perceptions for us to merely accept them and be intellectually convinced of their veracity% Rather, they wrote them down as si!nposts so we could check our own perceptions a!ainst them% 7ever did they mean for their writin!s to become do!mas and doctrines% They assume that their readers will be yo!is like themselves, sadhaka-pil!rims pressin! on toward the ultimate frontiers of consciousness% This is the absolutely uniue character of the basic teFts of Sanatana @harma% ali we learn what conduct limits and clouds the consciousness of the aspirin! yo!i% If we wish to i!nore his counsel, that is our own concern% 7o one will call us to account for our heedlessness eFcept our own Self% Those who are fit to be yo!is >oyfully learn what to cultivate and what to avoid, and live accordin!ly% Those who dra! their feet, si!h, and sullenly demand miti!ations, are simply not fit for yo!a and should occupy themselves in other areas% This is why =esus asked1 Dhich of you, intendin! to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it" 3est haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it be!in to mock him, sayin!, This man be!an to build, and was not able to finish%L adhi%arinGualified and worthy, fit for yo!a and capable of its total practice% =esus 2very yo!i must said1 Come untobeme, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will !ive you rest% Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me$ for I am meek and lowly in heart1 and ye shall find rest unto your souls% 6or my yoke is easy, and my burden is li!ht%L It is interestin! that he likens spiritual life to the cumbersome wooden yoke of oFen or bullocks, assurin! us that it will be restful and easy and li!ht to bear% How is
this" To a stron! oF or bullock the heaviest of yokes will be of no conseuence% So if we are the kind of people for whom yo!a is intended, its reuirements and disciplines will be li!ht and easeful% But if, instead of bein! oFen or bullocks we are do!s and swineGsymbols used by =esus for the unworthyGthe li!ht and easyL yoke will break our backs This is why some people should take up bowlin! or surfin! and for!et reli!ion alto!ether, what to say of yo!a% 6or the serious seekers, thou!h, the ancient rishis hold back nothin!, but !ive the full picture of the Self% The immorta" Se"f
The self can appear please note I say appearL0 to enter into numberless conditions and interior states% It even eFperiences of Itbirths deaths, yetyo!i It never dies,afor immortality is a that he is fundamental trait ofmillions Its nature% is notand easy, but the mustreally cultivate continual awareness Immortal Bein!Gnever anythin! less, and never anythin! moreGand order his life accordin!ly% I do not mean by this that he denies his present seemin!0 condition, but that, as Ao!ananda continually advised, he is always aware that he is only sittin! in the motion picture theatre of the cosmos watchin! a movie that, cosmic as its scope may be, can be wiped away in a moment, that only he and the other viewers are real, that all must eventually leave the theater and !o home to Infinity% How splendid are the truths of the ?edanta The sun
The Self is the source of all li!htGthe Inner 3i!ht of Consciousness that illumines all thin!s% 6or outside the Self there is no perception of even the bri!htest of material suns% It is the presence of the Self that produces awareness of all phenomena% utside the Self nothin! at all eFists% Dithin the Self is everythin!% Shining in the sky
The Self shines in the skyL of the Chidakasha, the subtle 2ther
The Self is also that power which moves within the Chidakasha as the wind moves within earthly space%
The Self is the transmutin! force of Cosmic 6ire on the altar of the universe% In India of the upanishadic rishis there were no temples, nor were there any eFternal reli!ious rites other than the sandhya mornin! and evenin! salutations of the sun0 and the havan, the fire ritual in which by the a!ency of consecrated fire the offerin!s were transformed into subtle ener!y forms and transferred into hi!her worlds% The Self, then is the ultimate transmutin! power which evolves both the cosmos and the personal ener!ies of the individual spirits within it% The entire universe is an altar in which, throu!h the power of the Self, all thin!s are offerin!s untoGand intoGInfinite Bein!%
The guest de""ing in the house
ectin! thin!,L there is the Self% Aet, since no thin!s are permanent, the Self is only a momentary &uestGbut none the less real for that% %n a"" men
Dhat is meanin!ful to us is the truth that the Self is the dweller in all consciousness bein!s% iva is nothin! but Brahman%L %n the gods
In the upanishads, !odsL mean not only hi!hly evolved bein!s that can control the forces of nature, etc%, !odsL are also our hi!her faculties of perception which illumine our awareness of both the inner and outer worlds% Here the idea is that the Self is the enlivenin! power by which our hi!her faculties function% %n the ether
The 2ther, the Chidakasha, is the natural home of the Self% nly in this inmost level of bein! can the Self be always perceived% In the lesser levels we usually loseL the Self by losin! perception of It% How can we establish ourselves in etheric awarenessL" Throu!h the uniue property of akasha1 soundG specifically, throu!h >apa and also meditation as 9atan>ali statedus1inthe Ao!a Sutras% InGBy the ?edanta Sutras of thethe sa!e ?yasa calledof them, Brahma Sutras0has he tells 'navrittih shabdai sound vibration one becomes liberated%L Wherever there is truth
Dherever there is true knowin!, there the Self is operative as the Sun of Consciousness, revealin! both relative and absolute truth% 6or Truth is Its nature% < popular Sanskrit ada!e is1 Truth alone conuers,L meanin! that victory over i!norance and bonda!e is found only in the Self, the ultimate Truth% The fish that is born in ater
2!otism is a prime train of human bein!sGusually in the form of outri!ht arro!ance% In reli!ion this manifests in the insistence that human bein!s are superior to all other bein!s% 2ven in India we have the idea that even the !ods pray for human birthL because supposedly only human bein!s can be enli!htened% In Christianity there is an insistence that human bein!s are hi!her than an!els because they alone can be savedL throu!h Christ% In the most i!norant of reli!ions there is the insistence that only human bein!s are immortal and that animals are some kind of animated machines, that human bein!s alone are in the ima!e of &odL and suchlike% Therefore the upanishad tells us the truth1 that even in the dullest of animalsGthe fishGthe Self is present, that the fish is the Self in manifestation, as are we%
The p"ant that gros in the soi"
3est we confine the Self to animal life, the upanishad further tells us that plants are dwellin!places of the Self, too% The river that gushes from the mountain
2ually wonderful is the truth that we are beyond limitation, that infinite are our possibilitiesGfor we are the Infinite Self% The ca""
Those who embodied their realiEations in the upanishads did not do so to furnish us with a bundle of beliefs to take on faithL and wran!le over% Their intention was to spur us onward to attain the same vision as they possessed, to be sa!es eual with them, no lon!er servantsL but friends%L Their call to us is the same as that of Swami ?ivekananda, who continually eFhorted his hearers1
The ,ife4#iving Se"f =ust as children babble on aimlessly about thin!s they do not understand, so we do the same, thou!h in a more sophisticated way, especially in reli!ion and philosophy% So the three verses relatin! to the Self and life are very much needed by us% 6irst the upanishad tells us1 He, the adorable one, seated in the heart, is the power that !ives breath% #nto him all the senses do homa!e%L dorab"e
The word 9rabhavananda translates adorableL is vamanam, which means adorable, dear, and pleasin!% These epithets are traditionally used in relation to Shiva, the symbol of the atman and atmic consciousness% This is important, for the Self is not >ust Truth or RealityGa mere abstractionGbut when eFperienced as either the individual Self or the Supreme Self produces in us a personal response, literally the response of bhakti devotion0 and even prema love0% In contemporary India there is the idea that bhakti and prema can only be eFperienced toward a bein! that possesses form rupa0 or ualities !una0Gthat it is impossible to have these responses to Brahman the transcendent Bein!% But in the upanishads and the &ita we are constantly eFhorted to love BrahmanGnot >ust some formsL of BrahmanGand the atman% This also indicates that the ancient upanishadic sa!es did not believe that the
Rather, they considered that, althou!h anythin! said would be only approFimations of divine realities, still human bein!s could conceive of &od in at least a dim way%
&od and the Self are seated in the heart, as the upanishads and the &ita continually emphasiEe% There they abide permanentlyGit is not a matter of occasional visitations% Knowin! this, =esus said1 Behold, the kin!dom of &od is within you%L This, too, is a matter of direct eFperience% Saint 3uke used the for yourself word idouGin other words, thatblindlyGhe the kin!dom of &od within you%L notonly somethin! =esus wants us to !ee believe and act on wants us toiseFperience thisThis truth,is for eFperience produces lastin! effects%
The heart is the throne of &od and the throne of the divine Self% Dhen =esus says1 To him that overcometh will I !rant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my 6ather in his throne,L he is speakin! of our heartGnot his% ur heart and the heart of &od are not the same, but they are 72% 5oer that gives breath
The upanishads literally say that it is the Self which produces our inhalations and eFhalations% Dho could live, who could breathe, if that blissful self dwelt not within the lotus of the heart"L The Self is the breath of the breath%L The breaths are the Real, and their Reality is the Self%L He who breathes in with your breathin! in is your Self% He who breathes out with your breathin! out is your Self%L 6rom him is born the breath%L The shinin!, immortal person who is breath is the Self, is Brahman%L Dhich is the one &od" The breath% He is Brahman%L In the spiritual teFts of India the word hridayaGheartGmeans not >ust the heart, or core, but also is said to indicate the space akasha0 where the inbreath and outbreath mer!eGthe ultimate heart% This is why yo!a must involve workin! with the inhalin! and eFhalation breaths in the form of subtle pranayama% The breath is the Supreme Brahman% The breath never deserts him who, knowin! thus, meditates upon it% Havin! become a !od, he !oes to the !ods%L They who know the breath of the breathPhave realiEed the ancient, primordial Brahman%L The senses do homage
In the primal teFts of Sanatana @harma we find references to !odsL devas0% In modern Hinduism we find a panorama of all kinds of !ods, demi!ods, and suchlike, so it is supposed that the ancient tests refer to them when speakin! of devas%L But a simple perusal of the conteFt of those references reveal that the upanishadic sa!es meant the senses >nanendriyas0, not some kind of eFternal deific intelli!ences% The senses do homa!eL in the sense that in the evolved individual they draw near to upasate0 and become mer!ed in the Self, which is their source% 7owtothis tells the us two interestin! and usually unsuspected thin!s% 6irst, that it is natural for the Self control senses, not to be their slave% Second, it is completely natural for the senses to move inward toward the Self and eFperience the Self by unitin! with It% 7either of these is our present eFperience% Rather, we consider it normal for the Self to be bound by the senses, and for it to reuire !reat stru!!le to turn them inward and brin! them to
eFperience of the Self% 2vidently we have lived in a subnormal condition so lon! that we have come to think subnormality is normal% De are like the drunk man who was walkin! alon! with one foot on the sidewalk and the other down in the street% Dhen someone stopped him and asked why he was walkin! that way, he burst into tears and answered1 Thank &od I thou!ht I was a cripple%L Basically, the Self is the !oal of all% The essence
The upanishad then asks1 Dhat can remain when the dweller in this body leaves the out!rown shell, since he is, verily, the immortal Self"L The answer is uite simple1 nothin! but the body remains, for the Self is as different from the body as the pearl is from the oyster and its shell% The departure of the Self produces death and decay, for it is the Self alone that !ivesGand isGlife, the sustenance of the body% =esus, Himself a yo!i havin! lived over half of his life in India, said1 an shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of &od%L That is, we live not on matter, but on the very 3ife of &odGbecause matter is only a modification of that 3ife 2ner!y% The upanishadG which =esus would have knownGeFpresses the same idea by sayin!1 an does not live by breath alone, but by him in whom is the power of breath%L It is not breath that makes us liveGthou!h breath is the basis of our bodyNs metabolism% This is why yo!is can live without the physical act of breathin!% Dhat we cannot do without, and by which we do live is Him who is the source of breath, especially in His primeval form1 m, the 9ranava, the 3ife&iver, the Dord of 3ife% Throu!h the repetition and meditation of m as recommended by 9atan>ali we enter into communication with the 3ord, Ishwara, and then into unity with Him% 6or in him we live, and move, and have our bein!%L
The *rahman3terna" and the Se"f *rahman'The 3terna" Se"f uFtaposition1 Brahman and the Self after death of the body0% The upanishad puts these to!ether because Brahman and the Self are one, and after death the spirit recovers the memory of its immortalityGits eternity% ne with Brahman, the Self yet eFperiences many chan!es% Those chan!es may only be appearances, but they are nonetheless real, and profoundly affect the Self in its evolutionary >ourney% So they need to be set forth% The ignorant
f those i!norant of the Self, some enter into bein!s possessed of wombs, others enter into plantsG accordin! to their deeds and the !rowth of their intelli!ence%L Here weand have a most interestin! thin!%ofInstead of discussin! the worlds entered by the spiritbein! after bodilya!ain death, their nature as reflections the spiritNs karma, physical rebirth is immediately spoken of% This is because it takes a !oodly de!ree of evolution for the subtle worlds to have meanin! for the developin! spirit% The undeveloped learn neither from earthly or astral eFperiences% 6urther, many of them simply !o to sleep at the moment of death and awaken only at the moment of birth% The
period of time in between does not eFist for them in any meanin!ful sense% In his commentary on this verse Shankara cites another upanishadic statement1 Creatures are born in accordance with their knowled!e%L 6or evolution is a matter of knowin! >nana0% The spirits that are unaware of their true nature come back into two !eneral cate!ories1 into livin! or!anisms that !estate them in some form or other, and plant life% bviously, very little !oes on in the life of the plant as far as consciousness is concerned% nly those who are bornL and live a life with some de!ree of control over a body vehicle can develop their consciousness to any si!nificant eFtent% Implicit in this verse is the principle of the transmi!ration of the atman from lower to hi!her forms of life% De start out as atoms of hydro!en, move into mineral forms, then plant forms, then livin!L or!anisms, and then into the human body from which we shall eventually evolve into forms in hi!her worlds% 6or most of the time evolution is automatic and incredibly slow% But at some point we become capable of directin! and enhancin! our evolutionary movement%
That which is awake in us even while we sleep, shapin! in dream the ob>ects of our desireGthat indeed is pure, that is Brahman, and that verily is called the Immortal% a!rat wakin!0, swapna dreamin!0, sushupti dreamless sleep0, and turiya, the pure consciousness that witnesses the first three% Turiya is the state proper to the SelfGactually is the SelfGwhich is why this verse speaks of It as that which is awake in us even while we sleep%L Shapin! in dream the ob>ects of our desire%L But there is more to this Self than consciousness% It is also creative power%
ect which it consumes, so the Self, thou!h one, takes the shape of every ob>ect in which it dwells% ect which it enters, so the Self, thou!h one, takes the shape of every ob>ect in which it dwells%L 2ach individual Self inhabits a vast number of body-vehicles as it moves up the ladder of evolution to the Hi!hest% 6or a detailed study of this, see %0
ects to the seer, is not harmed by the sinful eye, nor by the impurities of the ob>ects it !aEes on, so the one Self, dwellin! in all, is not touched by the evils of the world% 6or he transcends all%L Havin! spoken to us of the fact that the Self somehow takes on the form of its many incarnational forms, the upanishad remindsorus that the Selfwhatsoever% is nonetheless absolutely unmarked that formationL and under!oes no alteration conditionin! 2ven while immanent in by relative eFistence, the Self remains essentially transcendent, in the same relation to its incarnate form as is Brahman to the universe% The divine eye of the Self illumines all thin!s yet is affected by none% *"iss and peace
He is one, the lord and innermost Self of all$ of one form, he makes of himself many forms% To him who sees the Self revealed in his own heart belon!s eternal blissGto none else, to none elseL The Self is ever the aster, however much the forms inhabited by the Self may be bound% The Self is the essential principle of the eFistence of all those forms, always remainin! one and unchan!ed% He alone who beholds the Self inOas the core of his bein! possesses eternal bliss% Intelli!ence of the intelli!ent, eternal amon! the transient, he, thou!h one, makes possible the desires of many% To him who sees the Self revealed in his own heart belon!s eternal peaceGto none else, to none elseL Consciousness of the conscious, the eternal link between all the temporal bodies Its inhabits, the Self it is that which makes possible the desires of manyL throu!h countless incarnations% He alone who beholds the Self inOas the core of his bein! possesses eternal peace%
The 2adiant Se"f Aamara> has presented his student with a !reat deal of philosophical knowled!e re!ardin! the Self% This is all valuable, but 7achiketa feels impelled to ask a uestion, without the answer to which all the teachin! on the Self means nothin!% He asks1 How Kin!, shall I find that blissful Self, supreme, ineffable, who is attained by the wise" @oes he shine by himself, or does he reflect anotherNs li!ht"L It is pointless to hear about the Self if we do not know how to find the Self% It is true that in metaphysical realms the ma>ority of people are enamored of theory and discussion without practical application, but the wise see thin!s differently% 7achiketa has already !rasped the fundamental nature of the Self% *"issfu"
oy% In this perspective we see that all bein!s are in search of the Self, for It alone is of the nature of >oy% nce a person !rasps this factGreally !rasps itGhe can only seek for the Self, all else bein! seen as insi!nificant% In the Brihadaranyaka #panishad we find the followin! relevant eFposition1 LIt is not for the sake of the husband, my beloved, that the husband is dear, but for the sake of the Self% LIt is not for the sake of the wife, my beloved, that the wife is dear, but for the sake of the Self% LIt is not for the sake of the children, my beloved, that the children are dear, but for the sake of the Self% LIt is not for the sake of wealth, my beloved, that wealth is dear, but for the sake of the Self% LIt is not for the sake of the Brahmins, my beloved, that the Brahmins are held in reverence, but for the sake of the Self% LIt is not for the sake of the Kshatriyas, my beloved, that the Kshatriyas are held in honor, but for the sake of the Self% LIt is not for the sake of the hi!her worlds, my beloved, that the hi!her worlds are desired, but for the sake of the Self% LIt is not for the sake of the !ods, my beloved, that the !ods are worshiped, but for the sake of the Self% LIt is not for the sake of the creatures, my beloved, that the creatures are priEed, but for the sake of the Self% LIt is not for the sake of itself, my beloved, that anythin! whatever is esteemed, but for the sake of the Self% LThe Self, aitreyi, is to be known% Hear about it, reflect upon it, meditate upon it% By knowin! the Self, my beloved, throu!h hearin!, reflection, and meditation, one comes to know all thin!s%L Supreme
The Self is supremeGthere is nothin! that is hi!her or more desirable than the Self$ there is nothin! that eFists beyond the Self% It is supreme because It is 2Fistence Itself% There is no reality other than the Self% De must seek the Self because only the Self can be attainedGeverythin! else is a mira!e% %neffab"e
The Self cannot be defined or evaluated in the terms of relative eFistence or relative ob>ectsGnone of
which eFist outside the Self% Conseuently the Self cannot be intellectually understood or even defined% 7evertheless, the Self can be known in a manner beyond any ordinary knowin!, for It can be eFperienced as both ob>ect and sub>ectGa uality uniue to Itself% ttained by the ise
The Self is attainable% Those who at present are i!norant of the Self can become knowers of the Self% ali% necessary
7achiketa has declared the Self to be Supreme, yet he prudently follows that statement with a uestion to dispel any possibility that he may be misunderstandin! AamaNs teachin!1 @oes the Self shine by Itself, is 3i!ht Its essential nature, or does It reflect anotherNs li!ht" This is a most crucial inuiry% Is the Self 3i!ht, or is Its li!ht drawn from a source other than the Self% This is a uestion that penetrates to the foundations of the cosmos, demandin! a clear insi!ht% The sub"ime anser
Him the sun does not illumine, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor the li!htnin!Gnor, verily, fires kindled upon the earth% He is the one li!ht that !ives li!ht to all% He shinin!, everythin! shines%L So Aama answers his worthy pupilNs worthy uestion% 7othin! of heaven or earth illumines the Self or causes It to be radiant% Rather, It is swayamprakashG self-luminous% 6urthermore, it is the Self that illumines all bein!s% He is the one li!ht that !ives li!ht to all%L The Self is the essential nature of all sentient bein!s that shineL with consciousness% He shinin!, everythin! shines%L
The Universa" Tree This universe is a tree eternally eFistin!, its root aloft its branches spread below% The pure root of the tree is Brahman, the immortal, in whom the three worlds have their bein!, whom none can transcend, who is verily the Self%L 3ittle needs to be said about this verse, its meanin! is uite obvious% De can, however, infer a si!nificant principle1 all thin!s are rooted above in the Supreme Consciousness, in Brahman% 2verythin! has Brahman for its essential Bein!% 6rom this we !et the Hermetic principle1
simply san!1 6or with thee is the fountain of life1 in thy li!ht shall we see li!ht%L Brahman is the ultimate state and sta!e of bein!% There is no transcendin! Brahman, for Brahman is truly the Self of all% 6rom this we see the principle only comparatively0 recently discovered by science1 that in essence all thin!s are immortal, that there is not a sin!le atomic particle in creation that can !o out of eFistence, that the chan!es we think are death and birth are only rearran!ements of the livin! ener!ies of which all consist% yogic aspect
Thou!h yo!a is not the sub>ect of this verse, we can eFtract some important yo!ic information from it% Since we are miniature cosmoses, little universes, our ori!in is also aboveL in the root ball of the brain, the Thousand-petalled 3otus, the Sahasrara% Therefore, to eFperience that Source, in meditation we orient our attention toward the head, and we invoke the pure rootL of our bein! in the form of m, which is the same as Brahman% The fear"ess Source
The whole universe came forth from Brahman and moves in Brahman% i!hty and awful is he, like to a thunderbolt crashin! loud throu!h the heavens% 6or those who attain him death has no terror%L
In fear of him fire burns, the sun shines, the rains fall, the winds blow, and death kills% Katha #panishad (1'1'0 Here, too, a state of ecstatic awe and wonder is meant% In older 2n!lish, which 9rabhavananda is usin!, fearL meant to be filled with awe and respectGnot to be afraid% So when we read in the older Bible translations that we should fear &od we are actually bein! told to reverence &od% In awesome reverence of Brahman the creation responds to the Supreme DillGfor it is itself an eFtension of Brahman, as already said%
If a man fail to attain Brahman before he casts off his body, he must a!ain put on a body in the world of created thin!s%L
9erfect knowled!e of Brahman resultin! from total union of our consciousness with BrahmanNs Consciousness is the only passport beyond this worldGor any worlds of relative eFistence% Knowled!e is the root determinant of our rebirth or our freedom from rebirth% This is why most reli!ion is so uselessGit deals with !oodL and bad,L with truthL and error,L on the tiny level of individual human mentalities% The infinite scope of Brahmic Consciousness simply does not come into its purview% Human bein!s waste lifetimes with such mundane reli!ions that only pro!ram them for more and more births upon this earth% 2ven their ideas of the afterlife and heavenL only condition them for more birth and bonda!e% @e!enerate Christianity, especially, with its doctrine of physical resurrection and immortality instills material consciousness in its adherents, condemnin! them to the wheel of perpetual birth and death% Thinkin! they are creatures,L they sink into the ua!mire of creation%L
In oneNs own soul Brahman is realiEed clearly, as if seen in a mirror% In the heaven of Brahma also is Brahman realiEed clearly, as one distin!uishes li!ht from darkness% In the world of the fathers he is beheld as in a dream% In the world of an!els he appears as if reflected in water%L 6irst, this verse should put the lie to the absurd claim in contemporary Hinduism that enli!htenment is impossible unless the individual is born on earth in a human body% Dhat is the truth is the fact that the hi!hest realm of relativity, the heaven of Brahma Brahmaloka0 is the only one in which the capacity for realiEin! Brahman is inherent in the form proper to that world% In all other worlds the incarnational form is the bar to such realiEation, for in the minds of the inhabitants of those worlds Brahman appears only as a dream or a reflection in water% The most important fact, thou!h, is the statement that Brahman can be seenL and eFperienced in the Self of each one of usGno matter what world we may or may not inhabit% De need not aspire to ascend to any other world, thinkin! that incarnation there is necessary for our spiritual liberation% 7ot at all% Dhatever world we may be in, whatever form we may find ourselves incarnate in, we can realiEe Brahman perfectly% Dhy" Because our Self is one with Brahman% This is why we sometimes read in the lore of India about animals that at their death attained moksha liberation0% It is all in the knowin!, the >nana%
ierarchy of &onsciousness The senses
The senses have separate ori!in in their several ob>ects% They may be active, as in the wakin! state, or they may be inactive, as in sleep% He who knows them to be distinct from the chan!eless Self !rieves no more%L If a lost person could somehow be lifted up hi!h and see his surroundin!s from that perspective, he could easily see his way out of his confusion% In the same way, those who are lost in the >un!le of the senses can find their way by heedin! the wisdom of the upanishads% Sense eFperience is >ust thatGthe eFperiences of the senses themselves% The Self witnesses these eFperiences and thinks that it is really under!oin! them and bein! affected by them% This produces !reat fear and sufferin!, what to say of the mountain-hi!h heaps of illusions and delusions those
eFperiences produceGnot in the Self, but in the mind% The Self, however, attributes these thin!s to itself and fears and suffers even more% Dhether the senses are active or inactive, the potential sufferin! is ever there% If, however, we can realiEe that such perceptions are utterly separate from us, from our Self, all fear and sorrow cease forever% But we must realiEe that truth, not >ust accept it or act as thou!h it is so% In other words, we must become yo!is, for only yo!is realiEe the truth of the Self and the error of the 7ot-Self% The hierarchy
ected by the mind rather than the real Self% 2!oL is in manifestation whenever IL is said or claimed by anythin! other than the spirit-self% The unmanifested seed, the 9rimal CauseL is 9rabhavanandaNs translation of two terms1 ahat Tattwa0 and
Beyond all these various levels that are the machinery of the individual and the cosmos is That which is the Supreme, the Source of all% Re!ardin! That, the upanishad continues1
But how do we know this SelfGnot merely hear about It or believe in It, but truly know it by direct eFperience" 7one beholds him with the eyes, for he is without visible form% Aet in the heart is he revealed, throu!h self-control and meditation% Those who know him become immortal%L
Dhat could be simpler" De enter into the heart, into the Chidakasha not the physical or!an called the heartL0 that is at the core of our bein!% There the Self is revealed to the disciplined meditator% Immortality is the result of such knowin!% The upanishad continues with a description of the process that leads to Self-knowled!e% Dhen all the senses are stilled, when the mind is at rest, when the intellect wavers notGthen, say the wise, is reached the hi!hest state%L This is eFtremely, e+tremely important% Because of the raEEamataEE of the Ao!a Carnival that has been riotin! on from the last century, nearly everyone thinks that the hi!hest state involves chills and thrills in the form of inner sensory eFperiences of cataclysmic proportion, includin! openin! of chakrasL and risin! of kundalini%L 7otice that the upanishad says nothin! like thatGnor does the &ita or the Ao!a Sutras% Dhat it does tell us is that the pure consciousness that is Reality is eFperienced when all the senses are stilled, when the mind is at rest, when the intellect wavers not%L That, and that alone, is the hi!hest state which in time becomes permanent and is itself liberation% Coga
bviously much that is called yo!a is not yo!a at all% This is brou!ht out by the neFt verse1 This calm of the senses and the mind has been defined as yo!a% He who attains it is freed from delusion% In one not freed from delusion this calm is uncertain, unreal1 it comes and !oes%L The state of calm, or steadiness sthiram0 in awareness of awareness itself, is yo!a% This frees us from delusion because it makes us aware of our true nature as the Self% In those who have not attained perfection this state comes and !oes% The upanishad tells us this so we will not be foolish enou!h to think that eFperiencin! it once or even a few times is enou!h and wron!ly think we are enli!htened% 9eople claim enli!htenment on the basis of much less%0 De must practice dili!ently to become permanently established in it% ect of this stateGwhich he called sthirattwaGin the told &itaabout commentary, I would liketeachin! to repeaton it here% Ao!ira> Shyama Charan 3ahiri ahasaya continually eFpounded the idea that the !oal of yo!a is to be established in sthirattwa, in perfect tranuility% < !roup of spiritual leaders from Calcutta once conspired a!ainst 3ahiri ahasay% They invited him to >oin in an evenin! discussion on spiritual matters% 3ahiri ahasay accepted the invitation and accordin!ly attended the meetin!% The conspirators had well prepared themselves to trap 3ahiri ahasay% 6or eFample, if 3ahiri ahasay were to eFpress his preference for a particular deity, or Istadev, Mdesired 3ord,N then a particular leader would find eFception to that choice% In fact, each member of the !roup selected a particular 4evata, MdeityN such as 3ord ?ishnu, 3ord Krishna, 3ord Siva, the &oddess Kali the @ivine other0 and prepared to debate and challen!e 3ahiri ahasayNs choice%
Istadev, desired deity"LN 3ahiri ahasay turned his head towards him and looked at him in the same
way, while keepin! his peace% 6inally, a third !entleman asked him, MCan you tell us upon which deity usually you meditate"N 3ahiri ahasay faced him and said very !ently, MI meditate on !thirattva Tranuility0%N The !entleman replied that he did not understand what was meant by this% 3ahiri ahasay continued to observe silence%
Brahman words cannot reveal, mind cannot reach, eyes cannot see% How then, save throu!h those who know him, can he be known"L Brahman can only be truly known by direct eFperience in meditation% This verse is not speakin! of that ultimate knowin!, but of the knowin! aboutL Brahman so wethis canknowin!, be stimulated to our seekmind Brahman% 2mpty words and intellectual ponderin!s cannot brin! about nor can and senses% But those who know of BrahmanGeven imperfectlyGpossess a spiritual power in their presence and in their words which convey an intuitive !limmer of the reality of Brahman% That !limmer, enterin! into our hearts throu!h contact with them, causes our inmost awareness to awaken, arise, and respond, and seek the full realiEation of Brahman for ourselves% This is why the company of sadhakas is essential for the uestin! soul% It is like one candle li!htin! another% The to se"ves
There are two selves, the apparent self and the real Self% f these it is the real Self, and he alone, who must be felt as truly eFistin!% To the man who has felt him as truly eFistin! he reveals his innermost nature%L It is common in Destern metaphysical thou!ht to speak of the lower selfL that is not truly the Self, but the lesser aspects of human eFistence, and the hi!her selfL that is the real Self% De must distin!uish between the two, and this impossible without enou!h inner development makin! possible the intuition of thetoSelf, even It istonot directlya yo!i known% ne who has this intuition, intelli!ent, willthe thenSelf be!in seek know the ifSelf, become in some manner% To such a oneifwho perseveres, willto be revealed in Its fulness%
rom Morta"ity to %mmorta"ity 3ead me from death to immortalityL is part of a prayer at the be!innin! of the Brihadaranyaka #panishad% In this final part of the Katha #panishad we are !iven practical understandin! of the way in which immortality is !ained% The mortal in whose heart desire is dead becomes immortal% The mortal in whose heart the knots of i!norance are untied becomes immortal% These are the hi!hest truths tau!ht in the scriptures%L Dhen desire dies, when i!norance drops away, immortality is revealed% 9ractically speakin!, we becomeL immortal, but in reality we have always been immortal% Aet, like a millionaire who thinks he is a pauper, our immortality is of little meanin! to us until we come to realiEe and eFperience it% 6urthermore, the upanishad tells us that in essence this truth is the only spiritual teachin! there isGnot >ust the hi!hest truthsL as 9rabhavananda renders it%% Shankara says that this is the only teachin! in all the upanishads, however varyin! the approaches may be% The aspirant must not lose himself in philosophical byways, includin! those set forth in mountains of books on Ao!a and ?edanta% He must keep his vision clear and focused by understandin! that liberation is the only pointL the upanishads ever make% ttaining immorta"ity
It is easy to tell ourselves to rid ourselves of desire and i!norance, but how is that to be done, especially since we have been in the !rip of these two o!res for creation cycles" The upanishad !ives us the yo!ic key to risin! above desire and i!norance into immortality1 Radiatin! from the lotus of the heart there are a hundred and one nerves% ne of these ascends toward the thousand-petaled lotus in the brain% If, when a man comes to die, his vital force passes upward and out throu!h thisanother nerve, plane he attains immortality$ butand if his vital force passes outand throu!h another nerve, he !oes to one or of mortal eFistence remains sub>ect to birth death%L It is noteworthy that this comes at the very end of the upanishad% Ao!ananda used to say1 Ao!a is the be!innin! of the end%L So it is appropriate that after all the philosophical eFposition the yo!a teachin! should be !iven% By heartL is meant the hubGlocated in the midst of the upper trunk of the bodyGof subtle passa!es known as nadis here translated nervesL0 throu!h which the life force prana0 circulates throu!hout the !ross and subtle bodies, >ust as the blood circulates from the heart throu!h the veins of the physical body% ne hundred of these nadis direct the life force to the life processes of the bodies and are the forces of embodiment% ne, uniue, nadi, however, rises directly upward from the heart-hub into the head% This nadi rises from the heart directly into the headGit is not the passa!e in the midst of the spine%0 If at the time of death the departin! spirit leaves throu!h that channel, he !ains immortality% But if his consciousness attaches itself to any of the hundred other nadis he will be impelled into the subtle worlds that lead ineForably back to incarnation in relativity% In every meditation, byand intonin! m in time theinto breath activate this channel, causin! thetoward life force to spontaneously effortlessly, flow with upward thewe thousand-petalled lotus in the head the divine radiance that shines above and upon the upper levels of the brain-lotus% That @ivine 3i!ht is the essence of m, the 3ife-&ivin! Dord, the 9ranava% Then at the end of life, havin! prepared himself by this practice, sittin! in meditation the yo!i ascends upward from the body into the realm of
immortality% The Supreme 5erson
Dho is liberated in this manner" In conclusion to his teachin!, Aama tells 7achiketa1 The Supreme 9erson, of the siEe of a thumb, the innermost Self, dwells forever in the heart of all bein!s%
7ow the upanishadic sa!e !ives us a final assurance1 7achiketa, havin! learned from the !od this knowled!e and the whole process of yo!a, was freed from impurities and from death, and was united with Brahman% Thus will it be with another also if he know the innermost Self%L 2nd of Katha Commentary1
5rasna Upanishad Translated by !wami Gambhirananda Published by 'dvaita 'shram" 7ol%atta
m !ods, may we hear auspicious words with the ears$ Dhile en!a!ed in sacrifices, ay we see auspicious thin!s with the eyes$ Dhile praisin! the !ods with steady limbs, ay we en>oy a life that is beneficial to the !ods% ay Indra of ancient fame be auspicious to us$ ay the supremely Be propitious to us$ rich or all-knowin!0 9usa !od of the earth0 ay &aruda, the destroyer of evil, Be well disposed towards us$ ay Brihaspati ensure our welfare% m 9eace 9eace 9eace I-)1 Sukesa, son of Bharadva>a$ Satyakama, so of Sibi$ the !randson of Surya, born of the family of &ar!a$ Kausalya, so of
!ross, as distin!uished from that subtle0, is certainly food of the subtle0% I-.1 7ow then, the fact that the sun, while risin!, enters into the eastern direction, thereby it absorbs into its rays all the creatures in the east% That it enters into the south, that it enters into the west, that it enters into the north, that it reaches the nadir and the Eenith, that it enters the intermediate points of the Eodiac, that it illumines all, thereby it absorbs all livin! thin!s into its rays% I-;1 That very one rises up who is 9rana and fire, who is identified with all creatures, and who is possessed of all forms% This very one, that has been referred to, is spoken of by the mantra1 I-+1 The realisers of Brahman0 knew the one that is possessed of all forms, full of rays, endowed with illumination, the resort of all, the sin!le li!ht of all0, and the radiator of heat% It is the sun that rises G the sun that possesses a thousand rays, eFists in a hundred forms and is the life of all creatures% I-/1 The year is verily the 3ord of creatures% f Him there are two Courses, the Southern and the 7orthern%of
II-:1 This one i%e% 9rana0 burns as fire, this one is the sun, this one is cloud, this one is Indra and air, this one is the earth and food% This !od is the !ross and the subtle, as well as that which is nectar% II-.1 3ike spokes on the hub of a chariot wheel, are fiFed on 9rana all thin!s G riks, ya>us, samas, sacrifice, Kshatriya and Brahmana% II-;1 It is you who move about in the womb as the 3ord of creation, and it is you who take birth after the ima!e of the parents% 9rana, it is for you, who reside with the or!ans, that all these creatures carry presents% II-+1 Aou are the best transmitter of libation0 to the celestials% Aou are the food-offerin! to the anes that precedes other offerin!s% Aou are the ri!ht conduct of the or!ans that constitute the essence of the body and are known as the ust as a mother does her sons, and ordain for us splendour and intelli!ence% III-)1 Then Kausalya, son of ust so 9rana en!a!es the other or!ans separately% III-:1 He places
I?-)1 Then the !randson of Surya, born of the family of &ar!a, asked him, adorable sir, which are the or!ans that !o to sleep in this person " Dhich keep awake in him " Dhich is the deity who eFperiences dream " To whom occurs this happiness " In whom do all !et mer!ed" I?-(1 To him he said, &ar!ya, >ust as all the rays of the settin! sun become unified in this orb of li!ht, and they disperse from the sun as it rises up a!ain, similarly all that becomes unified in the hi!h deity, the mind% Hence this person does not then hear, does not see, does not smell, does not taste, does not touch, does not speak, does not !rasp, does not en>oy, does not e>ect, does not move% 9eople say, He is sleepin!%L I?-'1 It is the fires i%e% the functions resemblin! fire0 of 9rana that really keep awake in this city of the body% That which is this ust so all these proceed to the supreme Self% I?-+1 2arth and the rudiment of earth, water and the rudiment of water, fire and the rudiment of fire, space and the rudiment of space, the or!an and ob>ect of vision, the or!an and ob>ect of hearin!, the or!an and ob>ect of smell, the or!an and ob>ect of taste, the or!an and ob>ect of touch, the or!an and content of speech, the hands and the ob>ect !rasped, seF and en>oyment, the or!an of eFcretion and the eFcreta, the feet and the space trodden, the mind and the content of thou!ht, understandin! and the content of understandin!, e!oism and the content of e!oism, awareness and the content of awareness, the shinin! skin and the ob>ect revealed by that, 9rana and all that has to be held by 9rana% I?-/1
mind% By the Aa>ur mantras he is lifted to the intermediate space, the world of the oon% Havin! eFperienced !reatness in the lunar world, he turns round a!ain% ?-:1 oined, one to another, are not diver!ently applied to different ob>ects, and are applied to the three courses of action G eFternal, internal and intermediate G that are properly resorted to, then the man of enli!htenment does not shake i%e% remains undisturbed0% ?-;1 The intelli!ent know this world that is attainable by the Rik mantras, the intermediate space achievable by the Aa>ur mantras, and that which is reached by the Sama mantras% The enli!htened man attains that threefold0 world throu!h m alone$ and throu!h m as an aid, he reaches that also which is the supreme Reality that is uiet and beyond old a!e, death and fear% ?I-)1 Then Sukesa, son of Bharadva>a, asked him, ?enerable sir, Hiranyanabha, a prince of Kosala, approached me and put this uestion, MBharadva>a, do you know the 9urusha possessed of siFteen limbs "N To that prince I said, MI do not know him% Had I known him why should I not have told you " oy a life that is beneficial to the !ods% ay Indra of ancient fame be auspicious to us$ ay the supremely rich or all-knowin!0 9usa !od of the earth0 Be propitious to us$ ay &aruda, the destroyer of evil,
Be well disposed towards us$ ay Brihaspati ensure our welfare% m 9eace 9eace 9eace Here ends the 9rasnopanishad, included in the
5rashna Upanishad &ommentary &ommentary on the 5rashna Upanishad'by Sami !irma"ananda #iri
The 2ight *eginning This upanishad, the 9rashna #panishad, is called The uestion 9rashna0 #panishad because of its format of uestion and answer throu!hout% But the first two verses set the sta!e for the reader, and also indicate what is needed for a successful uest after the knowled!e of BrahmanGat least that which can be tau!ht and comprehended intellectually% The seekers
Sukesha, Satyakama, &ar!ya, Kousalya, Bhar!ava, and Kabandhi, devotees and seekers after the truth of the supreme Brahman, with faith and humility approached the sa!e 9ippalada%L Because it would have no meanin! for Destern readers, Swami 9rabhavananda has omitted the parenta!e and family ties of these siF seekers% 7evertheless, their listin! is si!nificant, for a yo!i must have psycholo!ical ancestorsL in the form of inner spiritual ualities that will help him to persevere in yo!a practice% Besides a !ood inner back!round, the upanishad cites four !ood traits needed by every aspirant to hi!her evolution1 devotion in the sense of dedication, desire to know &od, faith, and humility% @edication is needful, for it keeps us steady when we encounter sna!s and obstacles in our path, and it keeps us ploddin! alon! in times of dryness and uncertainty% It ensures that we will persevere in our efforts to attain spiritual hei!hts% It is easy to for!et why we ori!inally took up spiritual life and wander into byways of lesser endeavor% This is why many become tan!led up in eFternalities of reli!ion, wran!lin! over philosophical concepts, enamored of control others under pretence ofbut reli!ious discipline%and
persevere in search of somethin! about which they have no inner assurance" De need the convictionfaith that &od is real and can be known% Saint 9aul encapsulated the whole matter when he wrote1 He that cometh to &od must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that dili!ently seek him%L
Said the sa!e1 M9ractice austerity, continence, faith for a year$ then ask what uestions you wish% If I can, I will answer%NL 7ow this is the way of a real teacher of Brahma>nana% He tells what they must do and what he will then do% There is a story told in India of a youn! man who came to a !uru and asked to learn from him% The !uru told him what he would have to do to ualify himself% 7ot very happy with the list, he asked what the !uru would do in all that time% Dhen told that the !uru would teach him occasionally, as he would deem appropriate, the would-be disciple remarked1 Dhy donNt you make me a !uru, instead$ that sounds a lot easier%L Aes, indeed% any approach a teacher while livin! in a fantasy world pro>ected by their over-confident e!o% If the teacher is as false as they and conforms to the fantasy, they are happy% But if the teacher is real, and dares to speak to them realistically about the means and the !oal, they are most displeased% De are not of this type, hopefully, so let us look at the reuirements 9ippalada sets forth% )0 Spiritual discipline tapasya0, most particularly the practice of meditation% (0 Control of the senses brahmacharya0, especially continence% '0 6aith in the teachin! of the upanishadic sa!es re!ardin! the Supreme &oal, the possibility of attainin! It, and their assertions as to the means of attainment% These are absolute necessitiesGand they must be unwaverin!ly practiced and held to for a si!nificant len!th of time before the seeker can possibly be mentally and spiritually capable of comprehendin! the wisdom of the sa!es% 6irst the students must be ualified, otherwise a ualified teacher will be of no use to them at all% The teacher
Then ask what uestions you wish% If I can, I will answer%L This promise contains two ma>or ualities of an authentic spiritual teacher% 6irst, the teacher will accept and consider whatever the student asks% He will not shru! off even the
silliest inuiry, nor will he re>ect the studentNs uestionin! of the veracity or value of what he believes or teaches% This is one of the most !lorious characteristics of Sanatana @harmaGit has no fear of honest inuiry and honest doubt% 7ot bein! insecure, the teacher of @harma is not disturbed by uestionin! or statements of disbelief% < friend of mine told me that she uit bein! a Christian when, as a teena!er, she dared to eFpress doubts to her parish priest% He raved at her and threatened hell, sayin! that to even ask for eFplanation of the mysteriesL was a sin and an insult to &od% So she walked away and never went back% ver siFty years 0 later she came into the orbit of Sanatana @harma, asked all her uestions, and received answers that restored her faith in =esusGbut not in Churchianity% In true @harma we find the key to understandin! the teachin!s of all the asters of all the a!es% I have found throu!hout nearly fifty years that Sanatana @harma illumines their words to a de!ree that their professed followers and ismsL cannot even dream of% Those who would follow =esus and Buddha, need to seek out the same source from which they drew their teachin!s1 Sanatana @harma% Then, like them, they can become Sanatana @harmis and thereby become their true disciples% Sanatana @harma eFpands their horiEons to embrace all truth wherever it may be found% It is true that of late there have arisen bi!ots in India who speak as hatefully and i!norantly about other reli!ions as those reli!ions speak of others% But they are not Sanatana @harmis, for the @harma has no place for hate, i!norance, and sectarianism% ust as we find that sometimes we cannot find a word to eFpress what we know well inwardly% ust does not know the answer to somethin!% nly a fool thinks he is omniscient, and only a fake wants others to think he is% In my encounters with teachers, the person nearest to bein! all-knowin! was Swami Sivananda, and he was known to reply1 I really donNt knowL to certain uestions% But he certainly knew the way to &od, as the lives of his disciples attest% Sometimes a aster does not know the answer to a uestion because it is trivial and foolish, and his mind is free from triviality and foolishness%0 So we have seen the two elements needed for a meanin!ful eFchan!e of uestions and answers1 worthy uestioners and worthy answerers%
The ather and Mother of "" by Swami Nirmalananda Giri
apatiGBrahma The 3ord of CreationLGdid not create the world in the manner understood in the Dest, rather, he manifested it from the primal ener!y known as 9rakriti by the power of his meditation% This was no new occurrence, for the pro>ection and withdrawal of the cosmos in precise cycles has
been !oin! on from eternity% =ust as wind movin! over water causes it to take on a multitude of waveforms, so does the creative thou!ht of Brahma% In &enesis we are told1 In the be!innin! &od created the heaven and the earth%
2ven more, nearly all reli!ions have had some idea about the ori!inal 6ather and other bein! the sun and moon respectively% 9rana, the primal ener!y, is the sun$ and Rayi, the form-!ivin! substance, is the moon% Be it known that all this universe, that which is !ross and that which is subtle, is one with Rayi% Therefore is Rayi omnipresent% In like manner is the universe one with 9rana%L 7othin! can eFist without dualityG9rana and RayiGat the root of their manifestation, and they are still bein! maintained by them% In India they knew from the be!innin! that the sun and moon were essential even for plant life% In the Dest, also, people have known for hundreds, if not thousands, of years that althou!h the li!ht and heat of the sun causes the !ermination of seeds, it is the moon that !uides their !rowth, and wise !ardeners plant accordin! to the lunar cycles% De even have the term plantin! moon%L 2ven more, all thin!sL are the embodiment of 9rana and Rayi% The universe is 9rana and Rayi% SpiritG9aramatman and
9rana and Rayi, unitin!, divide the year% Two are the paths of the sunGtwo are the paths that men travel after death% These are the southern and the northern% Those who desire offsprin! and are devoted to alms!ivin! and rituals, considerin! these the hi!hest accomplishment, attain the world of the moon and are born a!ain on earth% They travel by the southern path, which is the path of the fathers, and is indeed Rayi, the maker of forms%L There are two paths that can be taken after death1 the path that leads to eFpandin! life in hi!her realms of eFistence and the path that leads back to the world of material embodimentGthe paths of 9rana and Rayi% The yearL spoken here is not the earthly measure of time based on the movement of the earth around the sun, althou!h it is believed to be so in the de!eneracy of contemporary Hinduism% Rather, it is the cyclic manifestation of prana within the subtle, mental bodies of each one of us% The southernL path is the part of the cycle in which the prana becomes more embedded or !roundedL in the consciousness of formGthe body% n the other hand, the northernL path is the part of the cycle in which the prana becomes increasin!ly active in the spiritual levels of our bein!, causin! the consciousness to rise to hi!her de!rees% The supposed south and north movement of the sun has nothin! whatsoever to do with this, even thou!h it is commonly thou!ht so at this time% The moonL is a symbol of the material creation which is but a reflection of hi!her re!ions of consciousness, >ust as the moon has no li!ht of its own, but only reflects the li!ht of the sun% The path of rebirth
Those who desire offsprin! and are devoted to alms!ivin! and rituals, considerin! these the hi!hest accomplishment, attain the world of the moon and are born a!ain on earth% They travel by the southern path, which is the path of the fathers, and is indeed Rayi, the maker of forms%L This is uite clear1 those who are addicted to family life and eFternal reli!ion are impelled by their own earthly desires to be reborn on earth% 6or such desires are rooted in earthly eFperience and perpetuate it% The path of "iberation
But those who are devoted to the worship of the Self, by means of austerity, continence, faith, and knowled!e, !o by the northern path and attain the world of the sun% The sun, the li!ht, is indeed the source of all ener!y% It is immortal, beyond fear$ it is the supreme !oal% 6or him who !oes to the sun there is no more birth nor death% The sun ends birth and death%L 3ater in the fifth section of this upanishad it will be eFplained that by meditation on m a yo!i will be united with the solar li!ht and ascend to the realiEation of Brahman% But ri!ht now the necessary ad>uncts to such a meditation are enumerated1 austerity tapasya, continence brahmacharya, faith shraddha, and knowled!e vidya% Those who prepare themselves by these practicesGin con>unction with meditation on mGwill ascend to the solar world and, freed from the compulsion to rebirth, will pass onward to the transcendental realm of Brahman% In the mechanism of the universe there are many wheels within wheels as in clockwork% So the upanishad thenthespeaks of Its thedark month as reflection 9rana Rayi >ust like year1 9rana and Rayi, unitin!, form month% fortni!ht is Rayi,ofand its and bri!ht fortni!ht is the 9rana% Sa!es perform their devotional rites in the li!ht, with knowled!e$ fools, in the dark, with i!norance%L Here, too, the material lunar phases are not bein! spoken of, but rather the inner cycles of spiritual awareness and spiritual i!norance% The wise do not act blindly, even in spiritual practice, but with
understandin! of how and why they should en!a!e in meditation and worship% Because they lack the reuisite insi!ht, the i!norant en!a!e in superstition, even if eFternally they seem to be doin! the same as the wise% Dithout inner awakenin! all is hopeless, and awakenin! is a matter of evolution% It cannot come from an eFternal source% This is why ordinary propa!andiEin! reli!ion plun!es people deeper into i!norance and folly% #ntil the inner consciousness be!ins to manifest only error can be the fruition of any reli!ion% This is why Sanatana @harma never en!a!es in any form of missionary persuasion or coercion%
7ow a very interestin! symbol is introduced1 6ood is 9rana and Rayi% 6rom food is produced seed, and from seed, in turn, are born all creatures%L 7ikhilananda translates this verse1 6ood, verily, is 9ra>apati the Creator% 6rom that comes semen retas$ from semen are all these creatures born%L The idea here is that 9rana and 6orm, the two aspects of 9ra>apati, are manifestin! as foodGnot >ust food that is eaten and di!ested, but rather all thin!s that enterL the sentient bein!Ns life and mind and shape him% The body is formed of nothin! but food, and the same is true of the four subtler bodies as well% The mind and the senses eatL also% So we can realiEe that &od is not only the source of all, but the manifester, sustainer, and evolver of all% There is nothin! around us that is not divine manifestation% This is the vision the yo!i strives for%
7ow it is time to !et down to the solid facts, to the only sensible conclusions that can be drawn if we accept all the upanishad has been sayin! to us1 Those who worship the world of creation produce children$ but those alone attain the world of Brahman who are steadfast in continence, meditation, and truthfulness%L &uilty, insecure people are always demandin! assurance and approval from others% They usually !et it from those eually !uilty or eually foolish0, and evade facin! the truth about themselves% In the lon! run such avoidance does absolutely no !ood, but bein! people who live in the moment they are satisfied with the deception% This especially manifests in those who worship the world of creationL and materiality by their insistin! on bein! assured that ascetic life is not necessary or superior to their maya-mired mode of eFistence% They bullyin!ly demand this assurance from supposed spiritual teachers and especially monastics0 employin! a variety of ways to !et what they want% But the upanishadic sa!es are lon! departed from this world, and their words have been preserved for thousands of years% Dhat they say can be i!nored, but it cannot be denied% Dorld worshippers become !ears in societyL and immerse themselves in material involvement with
the worldNs !oods,L livin! as they please in e!ocentric, self-pleasin! modes of life% They may not en!ender actual children now they have learned to frustrate the natural conseuences of seF, but the resultin! consciousness will be the same% 3ivin! as they pleaseL they are bound by the hopes and >oysL of earthly life, creatin! for themselves a !uaranteed return to the realm of death that is this world% Sri Ramakrishna used to say1 There is no substance at all in worldly life%L
The 5oers That Make Us *e 2ach of us is both Dho and Dhat% The Dho is simple to define1 IndividualiEed Consciousness or >ivatmanGIndividualiEed Self% The Dhat, on the other hands is uite compleF, which is why we have !otten lost in it and confused for lifetimes beyond number% The first step in learnin! how to undo this dilemma is learnin! what is keepin! it !oin!% 6or that reason1 Then Bhar!ava approached the teacher and asked1 MHoly sir, how many several powers hold to!ether this body" Dhich of them are most manifest in it" ailers are and especially who the !overnor of the >ail may be% So1 6ur makeup
MThe powers,N replied the sa!e, Mare ether, air, fire, water, earthGthese bein! the five elements which compose the body$ and, besides these, speech, mind, eye, ear, and the rest of the sense or!ans% nce these powers made the boastful assertion1 De hold the body to!ether and support itLNL 9rashna #panishad (1(0 The five elements panchabhuta0 are forms of cosmic ener!y which make up the various bodies of the human bein!, includin! the five senses% They are not passive, but are livin! and movin! powers% However, Bhar!ava has asked which powers hold to!ether the body, which itself is formed of the elemental forces% nly one of them is the cohesive force which keeps the others in its ma!netic field and enables them to assume form and function within that form% To illustrate this, 9ippalada !ave him a parable, sayin! that once all the elements claimed to be the dominant force in the body% 5rana
Dhereupon 9rana, the primal ener!y, supreme over them all, said to them1 M@o not deceive yourselves% It is I alone, fivefold, would not believe him%L dividin! 9rashnamyself #panishad (1'0 who hold to!ether this body and support it%N But they 2ven the smallest particle of the cosmos is the #niversal 3ife in manifestation%
De see from this that the five elements are modifications of the cosmic life, the 9rana ?ishwaprana0,
that althou!h the body seems to be formed only of the five elements, the 9rana itself is the underlyin! substratum as the ocean is to the waves% The body, then, is really nothin! but 9rana, as is anythin! else in the realm of relative eFistence% 2ven the smallest particle of the cosmos is the #niversal 3ife in manifestation% ust a device in a fable, but is an indication that since all thin!s are manifestations of Cosmic 3ife they can take on a seemin!ly independent life and even consciousness0 of their own% This is a fundamental trait of aya, the Cosmic Illusion, one which lies at the root of most confusion and i!norance% The proof
9rana,all to the >ustify he intended leave the But as he rose to be !oin!, rest himself, realiEed made that ifas heifwent they alsotowould havebody% to depart with him$and andappeared as 9rana a!ain seated himself, the rest found their respective places% oins his inner intonations of m to his breath in the hi!hest form of pranayama% 9ranayama is accomplished by effortlessly breathin! and >oinin! to it the repetition of the sacred m%
That which causes all theso pranas prostrate themselves mer!ed in the the Supreme Soul1 &od, as to to attain identity with Him,before is forand that!et reason known as 9aramatman the 9ranava%L oinin! to it the repetition of the sacred m%L Ao!a ?ashishtha :1;+0 The poers of 5rana
He who controls 9rana controls all since 9rana is all% Therefore the elements praised 9rana, sayin!1 Mur, the all sacrifices, the of Kshatriyas, andis the Brahmins% M 9rana, lord of creation, thou movest in the womb, and art born a!ain% To thee who, as breath, dwellest in the body, all creatures brin! offerin!s%
MThou, as fire, dost carry oblations to the !ods$ and throu!h thee the fathers receive their offerin!s% To every or!an of sense thou !ivest its function% M9rana, thou art the creator$ thou art the destroyer by thy prowess$ and thou art the protector% Thou movest in the sky as the sun, and lord of li!hts art thou% M9rana, when thou showerest down rain, thy creatures re>oice, hopin! that they will find food, as much as they desire% MThou art purity itself, thou art the master of all that eFists, thou art fire, the eater of offerin!s% De, the or!ans of sense, offer to thee thy foodGto thee, the father of all% MThat power of thine which dwells in speech, in the ear, and in the eye, and which pervades the heartGmake that propitious, and forsake us not% MDhatsoever eFists in the universe is dependent on thee, 9rana% 9rotect us as a mother protects her children% &rant us prosperity and !rant us wisdom%NL 9rashna #panishad (1:-)'0 bviously, then, the yo!i cannot ne!lect the cultivation of 9rana and 9ranava to!ether%
5ranaD %ts istory and !ature Sanatana @harma is not a shut up and believe and obeyL reli!ion% Those who follow the 2ternal @harma must !ain the fullest knowled!e of how thin!s work, for without that knowled!e mastery will be impossible%
Dhen it was the turn of Kousalya, he put this uestion1 aster, of what is 9rana born$ how does he enter the body$ how does he live there after dividin! himself$ how does he !o out$ how does he eFperience what is outside$ and how does he hold to!ether the body, the senses, and the mind"L 9rashna #panishad '1)0
To which the sa!e replied1 Kousalya, you ask very difficult uestions$ but since you are a sincere seeker after the truth of Brahman, I must answer%L 9rashna #panishad '1(0 This I have seen for myself in India% The !reat saints >ust will not bother with the idly curious and the hopelessly shallow% But they will !ladly speak with those who are seekin! the knowled!e of Reality% nce I made the mistake of takin! a Destern spiritual wanderer to meet aitri @evi, a beloved saint in 7ew @elhi% Dhen he told her he wanted to ask a uestion she replied in Hindi1 I do not speak 2n!lish%L Dhen he asked if someone could translate his uestions she a!ain responded1 I do not speak 2n!lish%L So I said to him uietly1 Tell me your uestion and I will ask it%L 6or uite some time he
would softly tell me his uestions and I would ask themGin 2n!lishGand she would readily answer throu!h a translator% I appreciated her kindness to me, but I also decided to never a!ain bother her with roamabouts% ther saints I met would do the sameGsome more diplomatically, others not so tactful% De should learn from this and uestion ourselves as to why we seekL and even why we study1 To eventually reach the knowled!e of &od, or >ust to cram more ideas in our head to show how wiseL we are" Ao!ananda often spoke of those who had spiritual indi!estionL from crammin! useless philosophy into their minds% But Kousalya is a worthy uestioner, so the sa!e replies1 5rana in us
9rana is born of the Self% 3ike a man and his shadow, the Self and 9rana are inseparable% 9rana enters the body at birth, that the desires of the mind, continuin! from past lives, may be fulfilled%L 9rashna #panishad '1'0 =ust as the cosmos is an eFtension of the Consciousness that is Brahman, in the same way our individual prana is an eFtension of our Self atman0% It is inseparable from the Self because it is the Self% This is the authentic non-duality advaita0 of the upanishads, not a ne!ation or denial of either 9rakriti or prana% Seein! them as separate from Spirit, and therefore dual, is the errorGnot acknowled!in! their intimate reality% 9rana provides the continuity between our present and past livesGboth minds and bodies% It is also the force that enables the continuation of our evolution from past lives, carries us throu!h this present life and throu!h future ones as well% 9rana truly is 3ife itself% This verse also tells us that karma is a matter of the mind, and not some eFternal force% Chan!e the mind and you chan!e the karmaGor even dissolve it% It need never eFtend into our eFternal eFistence% Dorkin! out karmaL not a compellin! De arethat never to karma% are karma% its creators and its masters, at leastispotentially% But wenecessity% have for!otten factslaves and lost controlDe of our It must be re!ained if we would be free% %ts associates
Prana1 the prana that moves upward$ (0 'pana1 The prana that moves downward, producin! the eFcretory functions in !eneral% '0 Vyana1 The prana that holds prana and apana to!ether and produces circulation in the body% 80 !amana1 The prana the carries the !rosser material of food to the apana and brin!s the subtler material to each limb$ the !eneral force of di!estion% 80 dana1 The prana which
brin!s up or carries down what has been drunk or eaten$ the !eneral force of assimilation% If this is kept in mind the followin! will be more comprehensible and meanin!ful% The Prana himself dwells in eye, ear, mouth, and nose$ the 'pana, which is the second 9rana, rules the or!ans of eFcretion and !eneration$ the !amana, which is the third 9rana, inhabits the navel and !overns di!estion and assimilation%
The Self dwells in the lotus of the heart, whence radiate a hundred and one nerves nadis% 6rom each of these proceed one hundred others, which are smaller, and from each of these, a!ain, seventy-two thousand others, which are smaller still% In all these moves the Vyana, which is the fourth 9rana% ect to birth and death%L Katha #panishad (1'1).0 Here is what I wrote in comment on this verse1 By MheartN is meant the hubGlocated in the midst of the upper trunk of the bodyGof subtle passa!es known as nadis here translated MnervesN0 throu!h which the life force prana0 circulates throu!hout the !ross and subtle bodies, >ust as the blood circulates from the heart throu!h the veins of the physical body% ne hundred of these nadis direct the life force to the life processes of the bodies and are the forces of embodiment% ne, uniue, nadi, however, rises directly upward from the heart-hub into the head% This nadi rises from the heart directly into the headGit is not the passa!e in the midst of the spine%0 If at the time of death the departin! spirit leaves throu!h that channel, he !ains immortality% But if his consciousness attaches itself to any of the hundred other nadis he will be impelled into the subtle worlds that lead ineForably back to incarnation in relativity% In every meditation, by intonin! m in time with the breath we activate this channel, causin! the life force to spontaneously and effortlessly, flow upward into the thousand-petalled lotus in the head toward the divine radiance that shines above and upon the upper levels of the brain-lotus% That @ivine 3i!ht is the essence of m, the 3ife-&ivin! Dord, the 9ranava% Then at the end of life, havin! prepared himself by this practice, sittin! in meditation the yo!i ascends upward from the body into the realm of immortality%L &osmic prana
Since each of us is a reflection of the universe, there is a cosmic pranic arran!ement also, so the sa!e continues1 The sun is the 9rana of the universe% It rises to help the 9rana in the eye of man to see% The power of earth maintains the
when a man leaves his body, he must depart with his consciousness absorbed in me% Then he will be united with me% Be certain of that% Dhatever a man remembers at the last, when he is leavin! the body, will be realiEed by him in the hereafter$ because that will be what his mind has most constantly dwelt on, durin! this life% Therefore you must remember me at all times, and do your duty% If your mind and heart are set upon me constantly, you will come to me% 7ever doubt this% ake a habit of practicin! meditation, and do not let your mind be distracted% In this way you will come finally to the 3ord, who is the li!ht-!iver, the hi!hest of the hi!h%L 9rashna #panishad '1:-+0 This is why the >apa and meditation of m is The Day,L as 9atan>ali states in the Ao!a Sutras )1(+0 The knoing of 5ranaD immorta"ity
The importance of sa!e, knowin! the functions of 9rana by direct eFperienceGthrou!h yo!a practiceGis summed up by the sayin!1 The pro!eny of him who knows 9rana as I have revealed him to you is never cut off$ and he himself becomes immortal% It was said of old1 One who %nows the Prana,whence he has his source" how he enters the body" how he lives there after dividing himself five:fold" what are his inner wor%ings;such an one attains to immortality" yea" even to immortality%L 9rashna #panishad '1)), )(0
6or, as the other upanishads declare1 9rana is Brahman%
The Witnessing Se"f The one in the three
&ar!ya then asked1 Master, when a manNs body sleeps, who is it within that sleeps, and who is awake, and who is dreamin!" Dho then eFperiences happiness, and with whom are all the sense or!ans united"NL9rashna #panishad 81)0
Moy, we say that he sleeps% nly the 9ranas are then awake in the body, and the mind is led nearer to the Self%NL 9rashna #panishad 81(-80 9rana is the primal life-force or vital ener!y% The prana that manifests in the evolvin! universe also manifests in the evolvin! body of each human bein!% In the body there are five basic forms of prana1 )0 9rana, the prana that moves upward$ (0
brin!s up or carries down what has been drunk or eaten$ the !eneral force of assimilation% The pranas also correspond to the five elements1 earth prithvi0, water apa0, fire te>as0, air vayu0, and ether akasha0% ne of these five elements is the foundation for one of the five senses1 earth5smell, water5taste, fire5si!ht, air5touch, and ether5hearin!Ospeech% In the wakin! state all the pranas are uite active and fundamentally outflowin!, even those that maintain the internal functions of the body bein! eFternaliEed throu!h bein! eFpended in the fulfillment of their tasks% But in sleep they withdraw into the inner reservoirs of the body and the state of sleep occurs% n the subtlest ener!y level they withdraw into the manas, the ener!y field we call the mind% 6or the mind is the hi!hest sense,L bein! the sum and !oal of them all% It is not amiss to say that the senses serve the mindGat least when the ri!ht order prevails% therwise they dra! the mind helplessly alon! addictin! and enslavin! it% Breakin! the web of this addiction-slavery is then impossible without the practice of pranayamaGcontrol and refinement of the pranas% 6or this reason all viable spiritual traditions have methods that involve breathGthe most ob>ective manifestation of pranaG to some de!ree% Dhen the pranas withdraw into the mind, their distractin! activities lessenGunless they occupy and overwhelm the mind with constant and vivid dreamin!% DhenOIf the mind is thus !ranted a reprieve from their clamor, it be!ins to sense what is behind it, >ust as it is behind the senses% The mind is the witness of the senses, but it is also witnessed% That ultimate witness is the Self% Therefore the upanishad says that in sleep the mind is led nearer to the Self%L +reams and dream"essness
Dhere do dreams come from" &ar!ya has not asked, but 9ippalada tells him1 Dhile in dream, the mind revives its past impressions% Dhatever it has seen, it sees a!ain$ whatever it has heard, it hears a!ain$ whatever it has en>oyed in various countries and in various uarters of the earth, it en>oys a!ain% Dhat has been seen and not seen, heard and not heard, en>oyed and not en>oyed, both the real and the unreal, it sees$ yea, it sees all%L 9rashna #panishad 81:0 2veryone is creative in the dream state, thou!h some are definitely better writerOdirectors of their inner movies than others% He continues1 Dhen the mind is overpowered by deep slumber, it dreams no more% It rests happily in the body%L 9rashna #panishad 81.0 6rom the very first yo!is have spoken of the importance of the dreamless, deep sleep state they call sushupti% This is because in dreamless sleep we are aware of awareness itself with no interference from the senses% De are aware deep within ourselves, aware of our nature as simple, pure consciousness% @reamless sleep is also proof that the Self eFists% 6or althou!h no ob>ects are presented to the mind, there is a witness of that non-eFperiencin!% therwise we would not awaken and say1 I slept but had no dreams at all%L Instead we would not know any time had passed, would not know that we had been asleep% That witness which co!niEes the wakin!, dream, and dreamless states is the oy ananda0 that is the nature of the Self% It is eFtremely valuable because it shows us that when all sensory eFperience is !one beyond there yet remains the truth of ourselves in the form of pure, unconditioned consciousness that is the Self% In deep meditation we enter this state intentionally and be!in workin! our inner transformation from
this center by the subtle intonations of m% To the Se"f
He who knows the immutable, the pure, the shadowless, the bodiless, the colorless, attains to Brahman, my friend% Such an one becomes all-knowin!, and he dwells in all bein!s% f him it is written1 MHe who knows that immutable Self, wherein live the mind, the senses, the pranas, the elementsGverily such an one knows all thin!s, and realiEes the Self in all%NL 9rashna #panishad 81)*, ))0 This is most important, for it indicates that first we know the SelfGthe individual Self, the >ivatmanGand then we are enabled to know the Supreme Self, the 9aramatman1 Brahman%
the Infinite% Pure% 2ver only itself, never really bein! influenced or chan!ed by any thin! whatsoever% #ntainted by
any contact, for it is untouchable% !hadowless% The Self is 9ure 3i!ht within which there is no shadow of darkness or differentiation% It is
always eFactly what it is Bodiless% It is perfectly non-dual% It is neither inside or outside of any thin!% It cannot be contained% It is
absolutely one, havin! nothin! appended to it or necessary to it%
-olorless% It has no ualitiesL or characteristicsL but is always I <% The three !unas are not present
in it, nor are any !radations of any kind% It is indescribable%
Meditation on 6m So far the uestions put to 9ippalada have been about the components of the human or!anism which both empower and limit it% In the last section the sub>ect of the Self was consideredGspecifically the nature of the Self and the results of knowin! the Self% 7ow we approach the sub>ect of the way in which the Self is known% Dithout knowin! this, all the fore!oin! teachin! is pointless% ,ife and death
Dhereupon Satyakama, comin! near to the master, said1 ?enerable sir, if a man meditate upon the syllable all his life, what shall be his reward after death"L 9rashna #panishad :1)0 Satyakama understood that what really mattered was not short-term !ain in this life, but the state of consciousness that would determine where the individual would !o after death when stripped of body, possessions, relationships, and all that is of the earth, earthlyLGwhen he has nothin! but his de!ree of evolution to determine his future% So he wants to know what will be the result of meditatin! on m throu!hout oneNs life% 3iterally, the intense meditation Sanskrit teFts asks >ayati0 what will the result ofmeditation% abhidhyana0 onwe m, and what world loka0 will be won bybe means of that 6or the world in which find ourselves after death reveals our fundamental state of consciousness% The supreme attainment
ust a means of eFpression adopted for the limitations of our human intellects% 9resently it is commonly assumedGerroneouslyGthat there is one way to meditate on 7ir!una Brahman and another way to meditate on Sa!una Brahman% But this was not so in the upanishadic era, as can be
seen from the teFts cited in both m Ao!a and The Dord That Is &od% It was understood that m is allinclusive, since It is Brahman Itself% Conseuently, meditation on m is meditation on both 7ir!una and Sa!una Brahman% ur perceptions will be accordin! to whichever aspect we wish to contact% ccording to our knoing
It also depends on our eFperience-knowle!e of m, not mere intellectual ideas% 6or 9ippalada then says1 If he meditate upon with but little knowled!e of its meanin!, but nevertheless is enli!htened thereby, upon his death he will be immediately born a!ain on this earth, and durin! his new life he will be devoted to austerity, continence, and faith, and will attain to spiritual !reatness%L 9rashna #panishad :1'0 That is, if for whatever reasons the yo!i !ains but little eFperience-knowled!e of m, still he will be enli!htened by it to some de!ree% This bein! so, he will not spend a lon! period in the astral world, but will uickly be reborn so he can take up yo!a a!ain and make better pro!ress than he did before% To ensure this, in his new life he will be devoted to austerity, continence, and faith, and will attain to spiritual !reatness%L If, a!ain, he meditate upon with a !reater knowled!e of its meanin!, upon his death he will ascend to the lunar heaven, and after he has partaken of its pleasures will return a!ain to earth%L 9rashna #panishad :180 The lunar heavenL is the astral world in which the yo!i eFperiences !reat happiness and even power accordin! to the immense stren!th of positive karma which is en!endered by the practice of yo!a% Aet he will in time take birth a!ain on the earth% But if he meditate upon in the full consciousness that it is one with &od, upon his death he will be united with the li!ht that is in the sun, he will be freed from evil, even as a snake is freed from its slou!h, and he will ascend to &odNs dwellin! place% There he will realiEe Brahman, who evermore abides in the heart of all bein!sGBrahman SupremeL 9rashna #panishad :1:0 Those who eFperience in meditation that m truly is @ivinity ItselfGis their own @ivine SelfGwill be freed from the compulsion to earthly rebirth as well as all that has bound them to lower thin!s and, united with the 3i!ht of Spirit that invisibly shines upon us throu!h the intermediary of the sun, will ascend to the hei!hts of eFistence and beyond into the transcendent Bein! of 7ir!una Brahman% Then 9ippalada cites two verses even older than the upanishads that encapsulate all this1 Concernin! the sacred syllable it is written1 The syllable , when it is not fully understood, does not lead beyond mortality% Dhen it is fully understood, and meditation is therefore ri!htly directed, a man is freed from fear, whether he be awake, dreamin!, or sleepin! the dreamless sleep, and attains to Brahman% By virtue of a little understandin! of a man returns to earth after death% By virtue of a !reater understandin! he attains to the celestial sphere% By virtue of a complete understandin! he learns what is known only to the seers% The sa!e, with the help of , reaches Brahman, the fearless, the undecayin!, the immortalL 9rashna #panishad :1., ;0
Where is the Se"f/
3astly, Sukesa approached the sa!e and said1 MHoly sir, Hiranyanabha, prince of Kosala, once asked me this uestion1 Sukesa, do you know the Self and his siFteen parts"LL I replied, I do not% Surely, if I had known them, I should have tau!ht them to you% I will not lie, for he who lies perishes, root and all%LL The prince silently mounted his chariot and went away% So now I ask of thee, Dhere is the
Self"NL 9rashna #panishad .1)0 This is an introduction to the actual teachin!s of this section, but it contains a couple of interestin! points% Si.teen parts
The Self is said in this verse to have siFteen parts%L Aet the Self is one, so how can this be" The upanishad is referrin! to the eFtensionsL or instruments of the Self by means of which it manifests within relative eFistence% They will be enumerated shortly% Spiritua" honesty
It is impressive when a spiritual teacher honestly admits to not knowin! somethin!% In a filmed interview, Carl =un! was asked what he thou!ht some dream symbol meant% He lau!hed and said1 I havenNt the faintest ideaL 2nd of uestion Here we see the inte!rity of Sukesha who readily admitted not knowin! the answer to a uestion% ali, and here we see why% This should be taken to heart by us throu!hout our life% Sri Ramakrishna said that a person can realiEe &od by scrupulously adherin! to truth% bode of the Se"f
Dhere is the Self" The sa!e replied1 y child, within this body dwells the Self, from whom spran! the siFteen parts of the universe$ and in this manner they came into bein!%L 9rashna #panishad .1(0 How precious, then, is the human body
If, creatin!, I enter my creation, the Self reflected, what is there to bind me to it$ what is there to !o out from it when I !o out, to stay within it when I stay"L 9rashna #panishad .1'0 This is a problem for both the infinite and the finite Selves% 9onderin! thus, and in answer to his thou!ht, he made 9rana$ and from 9rana he made desire$ and from desire he made ether, air, fire, water, earth, the senses, the mind, and food$ and from food he made vi!or, penance, the ?edas, the sacrificial rites, and all the worlds% Thereafter, in the worlds, he created names%
&od%us
substanceL of relative eFistence% 4esire% 7eFt came the power of intention or aspiration% 6or unless we are motivated with the idea that
somethin! can be attained, we will not act% So the power to desire or willGand thereby to shape and work with the cosmic pranaGis absolutely necessary for anythin! to happen%L @esireL is the eFplanatory translation of 9rabhavananda, and I think it is the best one% But the actual word in the Sanskrit is shraddhaGfaith% This was used, Shankara says, to mean a stimulus to the individual spirits >ivas0% That is, subliminally all of us know that we have come from &od and are intended to return to &od% Dith this aspiration as the deepest impulse of our bein!, we are movin! up the evolutionary path, ever onward, however many delays our i!norance and laEiness may brin! about% /ther" air" fire" water" earthGthe !reat primal elements and all their variations down to their material
manifestations% The senses%
or!ans of perception >nanendriyas01 ear, skin, eye, ton!ue, and nose, but Shankara feels and so do I0 that it no doubt includes the five or!ans of action karmendriyas01 voice, hand, foot, or!an of eFcretion, and the or!an of !eneration% The indriyas are here bein! thou!ht of as wrappin!sL of the individual consciousness as well as bein! instruments of bodily function% 6ind% The indriyas are unconscious% That which activates them is the mind which both perceives and
acts throu!h them% &ood% By this term is meant all that !oes to affect the evolvin! consciousness, from physical food to
psycholo!ical and intellectual impressions that shape and move our development either forward or backward, accordin! to their character% That this is so is demonstrated by those thin!s that are said to be madeL from food1 Vigor% ?irya is the stren!th and ener!y than manifests in body, mind, and intellectGespecially as will
power in the yo!i% Penance% Tapasya is practical spiritual disciplines, such as moral observances, self-purification, and the
practice of meditation% Vedas% The word is not ?eda, but mantraGwords of power which produce chan!es spiritually, mentally
and physically by their repetition% 6rom vi!or comes the capacity for spiritual discipline, which is manifested in the form of the repetition >apa0 and meditation dhyana0 centered on mantras, especially the Supreme antra1 m% !acrificial rites% This is not only an interpretive translation, it is a very narrowin! one% The actual word is %armaGa very wide and far-reachin! matter, indeed% Here it means the law of actionOreaction which
fuels the very eFistence of the world and our bodies within it% Karma causes the manifestation of the cosmos and impels all sentient bein!s to take incarnation within it in forms appropriate to their level of consciousness and the nature of their past deeds, both physical and mental% Certainly merit-producin! actions are part of karma, but karma is much more% 'll many worlds lokas0 are produced in response to the varyin! de!rees of evolution andthe pastworlds karma% The of the sentient bein!s within them%
philosophy does not postulate that everythin! is ideationGthou!ht% But the primeval sa!es of India perceived throu!h their meditation that the thou!htform, the idea that is the matriF around which the
body-vehicle of any manifested entity forms itself is that entityNs name%L In the depths of their meditation the sa!es perceived the primal thou!ht of each thin!%L Since everythin! is formed of vibration, they translated that into spoken forms% In all other lan!ua!es a word is >ust an a!reed-upon symbol of an ob>ect, but in Sanskrit each word is a sound-form of the basic ener!y pattern of the desi!nated ob>ect% Sanskrit is a kind of sonic physicsGcreative speech% 6or that reason Sanskrit script is call @evana!ariGThe City of the &odsGmeanin! that the divine powers manifestin! as all ob>ects dwellL in the Sanskrit words% In the subtle levels of bein! the Sanskrit word IS the thin! desi!nated by the word% That is why it is stated that the 7ame of &od IS &od m is @ivinity Itself% See the section entitled The &lories and 9owers of m in Om 3oga and The ord That Is God%0 These are the siFteen parts of the cosmic and the individual Selves% The #reat 2eturn
ectin! from the Self, who is the hub of the wheel% The Self is the !oal of knowled!e% Know him and !o beyond death%NL 9rashna #panishad .1:, .0 There is an important principle here1 ections of our mindGpro>ections that can be reabsorbed in the state of perfect knowin!% The macrocosm and the microcosm are both properL to Spirit and spirit% They are not impositions or prisons thou!h we make them so0, but rays of the Self% They eFist because we eFist% The only path to the Self is that of knowled!e% nce that arises within us, death dissolves and immortality alone remains% The right ending
The sa!e concluded, sayin!1 Dhat I have told you is all that can be said about the Self, the Supreme Brahman% Beyond this there is nau!ht%L 9rashna #panishad .1;0 So anythin! more we may say, that has not already been said in the upanishads and the &ita0, will really be nothin!Gworthless and pointless, if not outri!ht self-deception% This merits bein! taken to heart% De should toss away our books of idle philosophy and speculation and become !enuine yo!is% Then we will truly know That Dhich Is To Be Known% So1 The disciples worshiped the sa!e, and said1 Aou are indeed our father% Aou have led us beyond the sea of i!norance% De bow down to all the !reat seers beisance to the !reat seersL Those whousteach us the truthThey of theareSelfGand more1 the way to realiEeand theall SelfGthey are our be!ettin! in Knowled!e% worthy of worship archanam0 honor% They aretrue the fathers, !ods that lead us to &od%
Mundaka Upanishad Translated by !wami Gambhirananda Published by 'dvaita 'shram" 7ol%atta
m !ods, may we hear auspicious words with the ears$ Dhile en!a!ed in sacrifices, ay we see auspicious thin!s with the eyes$ Dhile praisin! the !ods with steady limbs, ay we en>oy a life that is beneficial to the !ods% ay Indra of ancient fame be auspicious to us$ ay the supremely Be propitious to us$ rich or all-knowin!0 9usa !od of the earth0 ay &aruda, the destroyer of evil, Be well disposed towards us$ ay Brihaspati ensure our welfare% m 9eace 9eace 9eace I-i-)1 m Brahma, the creator of the #niverse and the protector of the world, was the first amon! the !ods to manifest Himself% To His eldest son a% He of the line of Bharadva>a handed down to ur-?eda, Sama-?eda,
I-i-.1 By the hi!her knowled!e0 the wise realiEe everywhere that which cannot be perceived and !rasped, which is without source, features, eyes, and ears, which has neither hands nor feet, which is eternal, multiformed, all-pervasive, eFtremely subtle, and undiminishin! and which is the source of all% I-i-;1 ava and Sulohita and that which is Sudhumravarna, as also Sphulin!ini, and the shinin! ?isvaruchi G these are the seven flamin! ton!ues% I-ii-:1 These oblations turn into the rays of the sun and takin! him up they lead him, who performs the rites in these shinin! flames at the proper time, to where the sin!le lord of the !ods presides over all% I-ii-.1 Sayin!, MCome, comeN, utterin! pleasin! words such as, MThis is your well-earned, virtuous path which leads to heavenN, and offerin! him adoration, the scintillatin! oblations carry the sacrificer alon! the rays of the sun% I-ii-;1 Since these ei!hteen constituents of a sacrifice, on whom the inferior karma has been said to rest, are perishable because of their fra!ility, therefore those i!norant people who !et elated with the idea MThis is the cause of0 blissN, under!o old a!e and death over a!ain% I-ii-+1 Remainin! within the fold of i!norance and thinkin!, MDe are ourselves wise and learnedN, the fools, while bein! buffeted very much, ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone% I-ii-/1 Continuin! diversely in the midst of i!norance, the unenli!htened take airs by thinkin!, MDe have attained the !oal%N Since the men, en!a!ed in karma, do not understand the truth0 under the influence of attachment, thereby they become afflicted with sorrow and are deprived of heaven on the eFhaustion of the results of karma% I-ii-)*1 The deluded fools, believin! the rites inculcated by the ?edas and the Smritis to be the hi!hest, do not understand the other thin! that leads to0 liberation% They, havin! en>oyed the fruits of actions0 in the abode of pleasure on the hei!hts of heaven, enter this world or an inferior one% I-ii-))1 Those who live in the forest, while be!!in! for alms G viE% those forest-dwellers and hermits0 who resort to the duties of their respective sta!es of life as well as to meditation G and the learned householders0 who have their senses under control G they0 after becomin! freed from dirt, !o by the path of the sun to where lives that 9urusha, immortal and undecayin! by nature% I-ii-)(1 < Brahmana should resort to renunciation after eFaminin! the worlds acuired throu!h karma, with the help of this maFim1 MThere is nothin! here0 that is not the result of karma$ so what is the need of performin!0 karma "N 6or knowin! that Reality he should !o, with sacrificial fa!!ots in hand, only to a teacher versed in the ?edas and absorbed in Brahman% I-ii-)'1 To him who has approached duly, whose heart is calm and whose outer or!ans are under
control, that man of enli!htenment should adeuately impart that knowled!e of Brahman by which one realiEes the true and imperishable 9urusha% II-i-)1 That thin! that is such, is true% ur mantras, initiation, all the sacrifices G whether with or without the sacrificial stake G offerin!s to Brahmanas, the year, the sacrificer, and the worlds where the moon sacrifices all0 and where the sun shines0% II-i-;1 uice, by virtue of which the internal self verily eFists in the midst of the elements% II-i-)*1 The 9urusha alone is all this G comprisin!0 karma and knowled!e% He who knows this supreme, immortal Brahman, eFistin! in the heart, destroys here the knot of i!norance, !ood-lookin! one II-ii-)1 It is0 efful!ent, near at hand, and well known as movin! in the heart, and It is0 the !reat !oal% n It are fiFed all these that move, breathe, and wink or do not wink% Know this ne which comprises the !ross and the subtle, which is beyond the ordinary knowled!e of creatures, and which is the most desirable and the hi!hest of all% II-ii-(1 That which is bri!ht and is subtler than the subtle, and that on which are fiFed all the worlds as well as the dwellers of the worlds, is this immutable Brahman$ It is this vital force$ It, a!ain, is speech and mind% This 2ntity, that is such, is true% It is immortal% It is to be penetrated, !ood-lookin! one, shoot at It0% II-ii-'1 Takin! hold of the bow, the !reat weapon familiar in the #panishads, one should fiF on it an arrow sharpened with meditation% @rawin! the strin!, !ood-lookin! one, hit that very tar!et that is the Imperishable, with the mind absorbed in Its thou!ht% II-ii-81 m is the bow$ the soul is the arrow$ and Brahman is called its tar!et% It is to be hit by an unerrin! man% ne should become one with It >ust like an arrow% II-ii-:1 Know that Self alone that is one without a second, on which are strun! heaven, the earth and the inter-space, the mind and the vital forces to!ether with all the other or!ans$ and !ive up all other talks% This is the brid!e leadin! to immortality% II-ii-.1 Dithin that heart0 in which are fiFed the nerves like the spokes on the hub of a chariot wheel,
moves this aforesaid Self by becomin! multiformed% editate on the Self thus with the help of m% ay you be free from hindrances in !oin! to the other shore beyond darkness% II-ii-;1 That Self which is omniscient in !eneral and all-knowin! in detail and which has such !lory in this world G that Self, which is of this kind G is seated in the space within the luminous city of Brahman% It is conditioned by the mind, It is the carrier of the vital forces and the body, It is seated in food by placin! the intellect in the cavity of the heart0% Throu!h their knowled!e, the discriminatin! people realiEe that Self as eFistin! in Its fullness everywhere G the Self that shines surpassin!ly as blissfulness and immortality% II-ii-+1 Dhen that Self, which is both the hi!h and the low, is realiEed, the knot of the heart !ets united, all doubts become solved, and all oneNs actions become dissipated% II-ii-/1 In of theli!hts% supreme, sheath Brahman, fromrealiEe% taints and without parts% It is pure, and is the 3i!ht It is bri!ht that which theisknowers offree the Self II-ii-)*1 There the sun does not shine, nor the moon or the stars$ nor do these flashes of li!htnin! shine there% How can this fire do so " 2verythin! shines accordin! as He does so$ by His li!ht all this shines diversely% II-ii-))1 oyable thin!s which he covets% Therefore one, desirous of prosperity, should adore the knower of the Self%
III-ii-)1 He knows this supreme abode, this Brahman, in which is placed the #niverse and which shines holy% Those wise ones indeed, who havin! become desireless, worship this enli!htened0 person, transcend this human seed% III-ii-(1 He who covets the desirable thin!s, while broodin! on the virtues0, is born amidst those very surroundin!s alon! with the desires% But for one who has !ot his wishes fulfilled and who is Selfpoised, all the lon!in!s vanish even here% III-ii-'1 This Self is not attained throu!h study, nor throu!h the intellect, nor throu!h much hearin!% The very Self which this one i%e% the aspirant0 seeks is attainable throu!h that fact of seekin!$ this Self of his reveals Its own nature% III-ii-81 This Self is not attained by one devoid of stren!th, nor throu!h delusion, nor throu!h knowled!e unassociated with monasticism% But the Self of that knower, who strives throu!h these means, enters the abode is Brahman% III-ii-:1 Havin!into attained this, that the seers become contented with their knowled!e, established in the Self, freed from attachment, and composed% Havin! realiEed the all-pervasive ne everywhere, these discriminatin! people, ever mer!ed in contemplation, enter into the oy a life that is beneficial to the !ods% ay Indra of ancient fame be auspicious to us$ ay the supremely rich or all-knowin!0 9usa !od of the earth0 Be propitious to us$ ay &aruda, the destroyer of evil, Be well disposed towards us$ ay Brihaspati ensure our welfare% m 9eace 9eace 9eace Here ends the undakopanishad, included in the
Mundaka Upanishad &ommentary &ommentary on the Mundaka Upanishad'by Sami !irma"ananda #iri
;noing the ,, It is an interestin! trait of the Destern mind that it wants encapsulations of thin!s, lists of essentials,L advice on shortcuts,L and what is the one thin!"PL in every department of life and thou!ht% Dhether this is a desire for efficiency or a form of intellectual minimalism or outri!ht laEiness is hard to sayG chances are it varies from person to person% 7evertheless, !ettin! to the heart of the matterL is somethin! dear to the heart of
ector of the three worlds, awoke to find himself in infinite, empty space%
To
knowled!e% But Sounaka has a very salutary impatience and ambition% He wants to know what is the one thin! which, bein! known, causes all to be known% This is both a wise uest and a wise attitude% 3ittle Red Ridin! Hood ended up in the wolfNs stomach because she dawdled on the way instead of !oin! strai!ht to her destination% If we look at the history of reli!ions we will find that the countries which produce the most enli!htened persons are those countries which have produced empires% 6or when such people turn to spiritual life they !o after the loftiest spiritual attainmentsGthey become imperialists of the spirit They seek out the most direct wayPand !o there% Sounaka is one of themG and hopefully so are we% Knowled!e is the sub>ect of the uestion, so ur, and the
7ow we should look at this very carefully% 6irst of all, who do we believe" Dhen I first emer!ed from the deadly cocoon of fundamentalist 9rotestantism my intellectual world was uite simpleGsimplistic, actually% 6ortunately I first read the Bha!avad &ita and then 'utobiography of a 3ogi% The neFt step was to !et out of my deadly environment, so within a few months I was on the plane to California and wider horiEons% But I discovered in a short time that wider horiEons can have a drawback% I be!an encounterin! >ust about every shade of philosophical and reli!ious thou!ht and attitude, most of them incompatible with each other%
The lower, they say, is the knowled!e of scriptures, ritual, philosophic, eFpression and suchlikeG includin!, by the way, astrolo!y% 9lease note that they do not denounce these thin!s as useless or as i!norance% They are definitely said to be knowled!e, and a sensible person appreciates and learns them to a reasonable and practical de!ree% But it must be understood that the essential, the hi!her is knowled!e of that by which one knows the chan!eless realityLGBrahman% The knowled!e which enables us to Know is to be sou!ht for and priEed above all else% Dhile writin! this previous sentence I could clearly hear in memory the recorded voice of Ao!ananda sayin!1 I walked my feet off from Cape Cormorin to the HimalayasL in search of the knowled!e that would reveal &od to him% The lesser knowled!e tells us only of that which chan!es, includin! our own short physical life% But the hi!her knowled!e brin!s us to the Chan!eless Reality% By this is fully revealed to the wise that which transcends the senses, which is uncaused, which is indefinable, which has neither eyes nor ears, neither hands nor feet, which is all-pervadin!, subtler than the subtlestGthe everlastin!, the source of all%L undaka #panishad )1)1.0 The
Dhat about this world in which we find ourselves" Is it to be despised as worthless and antithetical to Brahman, our &oal" 3est we think such a foolish thin! ective thin!% So it is illusion and i!norance we must decry, but never find fault with the world$ for the world is Brahman% In both instances, rope and tree, we may eFperience !reat fear% But the moment we see them for what they really are, our fear evaporates and we are at peace% This is how it is with us and this world% ur illusions fill us with terrible fears and anFieties, all of which will be dispelled when we see its actual nature as Brahman% 7o wonder, then, that Krishna told una1 2ven a little of this dharma delivers you from !reat fear%L Bha!avad &ita (18*0 The chain of causation
The sa!e now !ives us an outline of the process of the emanation of the world from Brahman% Brahman willed that it should be so, and brou!ht forth out of himself the material cause of the universe$ from this came the primal ener!y, and from the primal ener!y mind, from mind the subtle elements, from the subtle elements the many worlds, and from the acts performed by bein!s in the many worlds the chain of cause and effectGthe reward and punishment of works%L undaka #panishad )1)1+0
Creation is also spoken of as eFpansions from Brahman, and that is the mode here% Brahman first eFpands as primordial matter, than as primordial ener!y% 6rom this comes the intelli!ence inherent in creation, then the elements, and the various worlds in which they predominate% The final in!redient, thou!h, comes from the sentient bein!s within the universe1 karma% &od supplies the sta!e and we supply the actions and reactions which unfold upon the sta!e% Brahman sees all, knows all$ he is knowled!e itself% f him are born cosmic intelli!ence, name, form, and the material cause of all created bein!s and thin!s%L undaka #panishad )1)1/0 7o wonder, then, that in the &ita, that !reat di!est of the upanishads, we find the words1 Brahman is the ritual, Brahman is the offerin!, Brahman is he who offers to the fire that is Brahman% If a man sees Brahman in every action, He will find Brahman%L Bha!avad &ita 81(80 Seein! is freein!%
+e"usion and %gnorance De usually think of delusion and i!norance in terms of ordinaryL life and its situations% Those who are more occupied with spiritualL matters assume that they are beyond such, but ect to birth and death%L undaka #panishad )1(1;% Swami 9rabhavananda has omitted verses ) to . of this section as they enumerate various technical aspects of ?edic sacrifices% ?erse seven be!ins the philosophical eFposition of the eFternal rites%0 Swami 7ikhilananda translates a bit more literally1 6rail indeed are those rafts of sacrifices, therefore they are destructible% 6ools who re>oice in them as the Hi!hest &ood fall victims a!ain and a!ain to old a!e and death%L Back they must turn to the mortal pathway, sub>ect still to birth and to dyin!,L Bha!avad &ita /1'0 says the &ita on the same sub>ect% ;arma and re"igion
I think >ust about everybody puts karma into two lumps1 &ood Karma and Bad Karma% But that is not very satisfactory% Karma, like all of life, has many nuances and can vary !reatly% Some karma, for eFample, creates more karma, and some actually dissolves karma% 6or eFample, Sri Ramakrishna said that all spiritual practices are part of Karma Ao!a, but they deliver us from karma% There are material, mental, and spiritual karmas% The material and mental karmas impel us to more of the same, whether !ood or bad% But spiritual karma enables us to rise above the material and mental planes and free ourselves from karmic bonda!e% ust about sums up the motives of all the reli!ions of the world, includin! that of modern India%
round% #reat suffering
So there are aspects of reli!ion we should avoid adamantly% therwise1 3ivin! in the abyss of i!norance, yet wise in their own conceit, the deluded !o round and round, like the blind led by the blind%L undaka #panishad )1(1+0 They be blind leaders of the blind%
oyed in heaven the reward of their !ood works, they enter a!ain into the world of mortals%L undaka #panishad )1(1)*0 Rituals of worship and !ood deeds certainly produce !ood karma, but that is not the force that lifts us above samsara, the ever-turnin! wheel of birth and death% If our reli!ion consists only of outer observances it will condition our consciousness even more to identify with the material level of eFistence%
will find ourselves shuttled ri!ht back to earth on completion of our !ood heaven karma%L
Wisdom and Truth The ise
7o one likes to be thou!ht stupid, and all like to be thou!ht intelli!ent% 2ven better is it to be thou!ht wise% f course, in all a!es there have been the fools that preferred to be coolL or sharpL or neatL or such idiotic eFpressions% The sad thin! is that the vast ma>ority want to be thou!ht of as smart or wise, but only a small percenta!e care whether they really are smart or wise% The upanishad is meant for these latter people, so the sa!e continues1 But wise, self-controlled, and tranuil souls, who are contented in spirit, and who practice austerity and meditation in solitude and silence, are freed from all impurity, and attain by the path of liberation to the immortal, the truly eFistin!, the chan!eless Self%L undaka #panishad )1(1))0 3et us look at the traits of the wise% They are disciplined, and so are self-controlled%
7ow a look at some Sanskrit terms will be helpful to us% The wise are said to be aranyeGlivin! in the forest% as0 that fills the proficient yo!i% In the Chando!ya #panishad, when a youn! man returns from a lon! period of tapasya, his teacher said to him1 y son, your face shines like one who knows Brahman%L Chando!ya #panishad81)81(0 This is the effect of tapahshraddha%
The wise are vidvamsahGlearned% They not only practice, they study and learn and assimilate what they have learned% There is no place in spiritual life for pious i!norance% Sentimental dummies are not devotees,L they are fools% ustbut written, insistin! loyalL andamount in tuneL cultists read nothin! but what the cult authoriEes, so the dupes will not !et confused%L This only reveals their predatory cruelty% Their protectionL of their sheepL is nothin! less than the protective custodyL of the 7aEi death camps% They fear that if their followers become informed as to the real nature of traditional philosophy and yo!a they will realiEe they are bein! lied to, and will sensibly !o elsewhere and find real truth% ective1 vira(ahGbeyond free from0 ra>as% This may seem odd, but those of you who have been yo!is for some years will remember how at the be!innin! of your yo!a daysL you were very ra>asic in your approach% 6irst of all, you wanted to tell everyone about it, and you went around accumulatin! spiritual stuffL of all kinds% Aou really be!an to star in your own spiritual movie, and you made uite an epic% Aour motives were perfectly all ri!ht, even laudable, but they were ra>asic, filled with activity and passionL for !ettin! on to the &oal% as fiEEles out so does their impetus toward &od% ost abandon any form of spiritual life, while others settle down to a comfortable and ineffectual life in some yo!a cult that makes them feel secure and one of the chosen%L But what is needed is for the ra>asic heat to mutate into the steady warmth and radiance of sattwa% Then the aspiration and involvement actually increases, but in a fully effectual way, an increasin!ly interior way% Spiritual life chan!es over from a compulsion to an intelli!ent choice% Spiritual restlessness becomes steadiness in spiritual practice and development% &od is no lon!er the brass rin! to strain at but an everpresent Reality whose perception keeps on increasin! in a naturally supernatural way%
#etting in 5erspective any thin!s are needed in life, but none more important than an overview, a perspective on the values of life% This is true for everyone, so the sa!e now speaks of it in a spiritual conteFt% 3et a man devoted to spiritual life eFamine carefully the ephemeral nature of such en>oyment, whether here or hereafter, as may be won by !ood works, and so realiEe that it is not by works that one !ains the 2ternal% 3et him !ive no thou!ht to transient thin!s, but, absorbed in meditation, let him renounce the world% If he would know the 2ternal, let him humbly approach a &uru devoted to Brahman and wellversed in the scriptures%L undaka #panishad )1(1)(0 This needs to be looked at bit by bit%
2et a man devoted to spiritual life e+amine carefully the ephemeral nature of such en(oyment" whether here or hereafter" as may be won by good wor%s" and so reali#e that it is not by wor%s that one gains the /ternal. Back in hi!h school I came across an ei!hteenth-century collection of humor and satire% I
have for!otten most of it, but there was one story about a man who fell in love with a woman he often saw at the theater% That was when all li!htin! came from candles, and in that li!ht she looked stunnin!ly beautiful% He !ot the coura!e to ask her if he could visit her at home in the daytime% She a!reed, and in the dayli!ht he saw that she was horrible-lookin!, incredibly old, wore a wi! and loads of make-up% He fell out of love instantly It is the same with this and all other worlds and the en>oyments they offer in return for !ood karma% It is all deathly illusion% Dhat we need is the li!ht of spiritual day% Seein! the world clearly is the only lastin! antidote for the poison of worldliness% 6irst we approach the matter intellectually% =ust the fact of inevitable death should be!in to turn us from attachment, and the fact that nothin! lasts should seal our disillusionment% Aet, old habits do indeed die hard, and there is no habit as stron!ly entrenched as attraction to the world and its promises% So discipline is needed% 2et him give no thought to transient things. The wise aspirant must eFert his will and refuse to even
!ive a thou!ht to the !ood thin!sL offered by the world, !ood thin!sL that will melt away in time, and that often prove to be anythin! but !ood% 3ook at those that have worldly success% isery and confusion is their daily bread, but those who envy them are convinced that they alone have found the way to happiness% De must in contrast refuse to even look at the mira!es held out to us by the world and our own habit-deluded mind% How will we cure the mind of its awful addictions" By bein!P 'bsorbed in meditation. 6or meditation cures the fevers of the mind and heart and dispels the
hallucinations produced by illusions and desires% The only way to be absorbed in meditation is to be constantly cultivatin! interior consciousness even outside of meditation% ur whole life must become a meditation process% 2et him renounce the world. The Sanskrit word nirvedam does not really mean renunciation, thou!h many translators use that term%
moved by somethin!Gin this case the world and its ways% It is an inner state, a condition of the mind very akin to the non-arisin! nirodha0 of mental reactions vrittih0 spoken about in the Ao!a Sutras as bein! the state of yo!a% Dhen your intellect has cleared itself of its delusions, you will become indifferent to the results of all action, present or future%L Bha!avad &ita (1:(0 ust for the askin! or wishin!, so
If he would %now the /ternal" let him humbly approach a Guru devoted to Brahman and well:versed in the scriptures% The ideal of the upanishads often differs from that of later Indian thou!ht which is not
based on wisdom but on whimsyGand often on theatrical effect% Today there is a lot of talk about how valueless a teacher is who only knows the scriptures but has no inner realiEation, and how wonderful is the illiterateGor one who is i!norant of the scripturesGbut who has spiritual knowled!e% This is silly% 6irst of all, a scholar can tell you what the !reat masters of the spiritual life tau!ht in the scriptures, and you can learn from them >ust as you would if they were still on earth% Aou cannot !et spirituality from books, it is true, but you can !et spiritual instruction that will lead to the acuisition of spirituality% n the other hand, what kind of a person, supposedly intent on !ainin! spiritual knowled!e, will choose to remain i!norant" Consider Sri Ramana aharshi% He had no interest in academic matters, but after !oin! to
knowled!e of the holy writin!s and is also BrahmanishthamGestablished in the eFperiential knowled!e of Brahman% Such a teacher is rare, but we should accept no lesser teacher% If we find such a one we must learn all we can and then apply it% If we cannot find one, then we should dili!ently study the words of realiEed masters and follow them% The ahayana Buddhists say a very wonderful thin!1 Dhenever someone resolves to seek enli!htenment a host of buddhas and bodhisattwas immediately become aware of it and be!in blessin! and !uidin! him% Real masters never die, so we can become their disciples no matter how lon! a!o they lived in a physical body% This is especially true of three !reat asters who both teach and save even now1 Krishna, Buddha, and =esus% ne who sincerely, with ri!ht intention, takes refu!e in them and prays for !uidance will find they respond% Such a one will need to act on what he already knows if he hopes to !ain further understandin!%
6rigin and 2eturn The Imperishable is the Real%
There are three points bein! made here that are the bedrock of upanishadic philosophy% 6irst, all bein!s that eFistGpast, present, futureGare of the same nature, even the same substance, as Brahman% Second, all forms modes of eFistence0, thou!h ever-chan!in!, proceed from the #nchan!in!, #nchan!eable% This seemin! contradiction is made possible by the illusory power of aya% That is, the chan!in! forms are illusory while the essential bein!, the SelfO
Self-luminous is that Bein!, and formless% He dwells within all and without all% He is unborn, pure, !reater than the !reatest, without breath, without mind%L undaka #panishad (1)1(0 9ervadin! all, both Brahman and the
and reapin! of karma in previous lives, in reality none of this takes place in an absolute, ob>ective sense% Rather, it is the power of aya that produces these appearances% ects, to!ether with their awareness of these ob>ects%
;noing #od bout #od
6urther description of Brahman is now to be !iven alon! with instructions on how to know Brahman% The upanishad is so clear, and the concepts have been referred to before, so some verses hardly need more than a sentence of comment% Self-luminous is Brahman, ever present in the hearts of all% He is the refu!e of all, he is the supreme !oal% In him eFists all that moves and breathes% In him eFists all that is% He is both that which is !ross and that which is subtle%
Havin! hopefully convinced us of the value of seekin! &od 0 the sa!e is !oin! to tell us how to find &od by tellin! us the actual means1 ust like an arrow%L This is really a description of meditation, so each point is si!nificant% Ta%ing hold of the bow 0Om is the bow1 % Ri!ht away we are bein! !iven a most valuable instruction in
meditation% De take holdL of m by intonin! It within% ur practice must not be passive, but calmly activeGwe are always to be in char!e by takin! hold of m and applyin! it in meditation throu!h the !eneration subtle mfor Ao!a, Its impels Theorythe andarrow 9ractice%0 active of stren!th, m is of indicated byofIts bein!sound% calledSee a bow, a bow to its The tar!et% It ischaracter a matter of power% In the Ri! ?eda we find the &ayatri antra, a !reat prayer for enli!htenment1 De meditate on the Spiritual 2fful!ence of that Supreme @ivine Reality% ay That impel us toward It%L m is the force that impels us toward @ivinity%
That is the Great eapon familiar in the panishads % m is not >ust a weapon amon! many, It is the
&reat Deapon for conuerin! i!norance that is referred to throu!hout the #panishads% This is not a matter of opinion or discussion% In the eleven basic upanishads, the &ita, and the Ao!a Sutras the only mantra recommended is m, and the only meditation set forth is the meditation on m%
very consciousness, is to be united with m in calm and whole-hearted attention% This can only be done by bein! purified by constant meditationL accordin! to ShankaraNs commentary% So meditation is itself the way to become proficient in meditation% The simple fact that we are meditatin! is assurance that we shall become more and more proficient in it% Dhen that proficiency is !ained, then we will easily unite our consciousness with m%
4rawing the string with a mind absorbed in Its thought% Throu!h constant meditation we develop the
ability to fill our awareness with the inner intonations of m which act like the strin! of a bow to the mind that is fiFed on It% $it that very target that is the Immutable 0Brahman1% De do not start out small and work up to bi!!er
thin!s% 6rom the first we aim at Brahman% By means of this determination Brahman alone will be realiEed by us without wanderin! into the psychic byways that can confuse and delude the wanderin! meditator who does not know the method of the upanishads% It is to be hit by an unerring man% The idea here is that the one who can successfully hitL the tar!et of
Brahman is one who has no distractions or waverin!s, whose mind remains firmly established in the >apa and meditation of m% There is a kind of parable about this in the ahabharata% In 3oga 's ' niversal !cience, Swami Krishnananda tells it this way1 Those who are familiar with the ahabharata know the story of the tournament arran!ed by una% una said, MI see only the black spot% I see nothin! else%N MAes, you are the manN said @ronacharya, MHit itN unaNs concentration was so intense that he could see only the black spot% He could not see even the eye of the bird there, let alone the bird and the tree and the people around% That was una%L
What e i"" perceive in that union
h that I knew where I mi!ht find him that I mi!ht come even to his seatL =ob ('1' 0 lamented the Biblical =ob% If he had access to the upanishads as we do, he would have found the answer in the neFt verse1 Dithin the lotus of the heart he dwells, where, like the spokes of a wheel in its hub, the nerves meet% editate on him as % 2asily mayest thou cross the sea of darkness%L undaka #panishad (1(1.0 &ambhirananda1 Dith that hub in which are fiFed the nerves nadis like the spokes on the hub of a chariot wheel, moves this aforesaid Self by becomin! multiformed% editate on the Self thus with the help of m% y you be free from hindrances in !oin! to the other shore beyond darkness%L ali says re!ardin! m1 Its constant repetition and meditation is the way% 6rom it result the disappearance of obstacles and the turnin! inward of consciousness%L The same thin! is said in the ?araha and Ao!a Tattwa B0 #panishads% More about the heart
Dhen the upanishads speak of the heartL they do not mean the physical or!an that pumps blood, but the center of our bein! where the Self ever dwells% The sa!e now speaks more about this spiritual heart% This Self, who understands all, who knows all, and whose !lory is manifest in the universe, lives within the lotus of the heart, the bri!ht throne of Brahman% By the pure in heart is he known% The Self eFists in man, within the lotus of the heart, and is the master of his life and of his body% Dith mind illumined by the power of meditation, the wise know him, the blissful, the immortal%L undaka #panishad (1(1;0 There is a !reat deal to learn from this verse% Since the Self understands and knows all, to be truly knowled!ous and wise all we need do is shift our awareness into our own Self%
Chidakasha, the Space of Consciousness% Both &od and the individual Self dwell there% In the Sanskrit teFt there is the eFpression BrahmapuriGthe City of &odGused for this spiritual heart% It further says that &od and the Self are known by centerin! our awareness in this heart% It is meditation which illumines the mind and enables us to see and know this blissful, immortal Self all around us, in everythin!% This is livin! The knot of the heart, which is i!norance, is loosed, all doubts are dissolved, all evil effects of deeds are destroyed, when he who is both personal and impersonal is realiEed%L undaka #panishad (1(1+0 Dhen we enter into the consciousness of our individual spirit and the Infinite Spirit, the blindin! veil of i!norance will dissolve away alon! with all the bonds of karma% In li!ht the efful!ent heart dwells whoundaka is passionless and indivisible% He!reater is pure,!oal he is the of li!hts%lotus Himofthetheknowers of theBrahman, Self attain%L #panishad (1(1/0 Dhat can we have than this" The ,ight of "ights
In summation of this section, the sa!e says1 Him the sun does not illumine, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor the li!htnin!Gnor, verily, fires kindled upon the earth% He is the one li!ht that !ives li!ht to all% He shinin!, everythin! shines% This immortal Brahman is before, this immortal Brahman is behind, this immortal Brahman eFtends to the ri!ht and to the left, above and below% ?erily, all is Brahman, and Brahman is supreme%L undaka #panishad (1(1)*, ))0 These thrillin! words need no commentGonly response%
The To Se"ves
Cross-eyed people see a sin!le ob>ect as two% In the same way the i!norant see the ne as many% Aet, there is a perverse spiritual cross-eyedness which works >ust the opposite, makin! its victims see two as one% This is the disease of half-baked ?edanta that is merely conceptual and not based on the eFperience that only yo!a imparts% There is no such thin! as a !enuine ?edantist who is not first and foremost a Ao!i% ivatmanGthe Supreme Self and the individual SelfGtheir unity and their distinction, and their relationship with each other% Here, too, only the yo!i will really understand what is bein! said% 3ike two birds of !olden pluma!e, inseparable companions, the individual self and the immortal Self are perched on the branches of the selfsame tree% The former tastes of the sweet and bitter fruits of the tree$ the latter, tastin! of neither, calmly observes%L undaka #panishad '1)1)0 This is a case where the Sanskrit ori!inal !ives very precise information which is necessary for us to carefully peruse% therwise we will miss some remarkable truths% Three
This verse !ives us three words in relation to the two birdsLGthe two Selves1 suparna, sayu(a, and sa%haya% Suparna means intimately related, the idea bein! that the individual Self and the Cosmic Self eFist in an eternal relation% Sayu>a means bein! in a state of unionGperpetual union, as Shankara points out in his commentary% < secondary meanin! of sayu>a is bein! in the same placeGthat the two Selves
are inseparable, are ever present to one another% ivatman and 9aramatman% The selfsame treeL is the bodyGand by eFtension, the cosmos% The form of every sentient bein! has two indwellersGthe two Selves% However, they do not have the same eFperience of the tree% The individual, the >iva, tastesL the fruit of the tree in the form of the inner and outer senses, and accordin! to the uality of that eFperience is made happy, unhappy, contented, discontentedGand so forth% The individual under!oesL eFperience% The Supreme Self, on the other hand, tastin! of neither sweet or bitter eFperiences, calmly observes%L &od eFperiences bein! in all forms and is aware of all that the individual spirit eFperiences, yet, as a more literal translation says, He looks on without eatin!LG without bein! affected or conditioned by it% But he does know eFactly the effect and conditionin! that accrues to the individual Self% He is eFperiencin! ri!ht alon! with us, but unlike us is not pulled into a mistaken identity with the body-mind and its eFperiences% The prob"em and the so"ution
n the other hand1 The individual self, deluded by for!etfulness of his identity with the divine Self, bewildered by his e!o, !rieves and is sad% But when he reco!niEes the worshipful 3ord as his own true Self, and beholds his !lory, he !rieves no more%L undaka #panishad '1)1(0 This is uite interpretive, thou!h correctly so% The literal translation of Swami &ambhirananda is1 n the same tree, the individual soul remains drowned, as it were$ and so it moans, bein! worried by its impotence% Dhen it sees thus the other, the adored 3ord, and His !lory, then it becomes liberated from sorrow%L De are drowned, submer!ed, in the deadly ocean of samsara, of continual birth, death, unsurety, pain, and confusion% Shankara points out that the individual is overwhelmed with confusion because it cannot understand whatdown, is really happenin! to shore it, andand why% =ust like aout piece of driftwood the heavin! is lifted up and thrown onto the then pulled to sea a!ain% So iton!rieves at its sea, it helplessness and hopelessness% iva reco!niEes that ShivaGthe
meanin! is absolute unityGand therefore absolute identifyGwith the oy is in the Self, he serves the 3ord in all% Such as he, indeed, are the true knowers of Brahman%L undaka #panishad '1)180 o to do it
more absurd to en!a!e in a meditation practice that i!nores the body and the necessity for its purification and spiritual empowerment% =ust for!ettin! about the material side of thin!s and flyin! off into pure spirit is an appealin! ideaGthe problem is, it is mistaken and can never work% However lon! or short a >ourney, it always be!ins ri!ht from the point where we are% ust see It% The mon%s% The word rather poorly translated as monkL is yati, which actually means a wanderer% This
is because in the ancient times in India the wanderin! ascetics who moved about teachin! dharma were !iven this title% They were not monks or sannyasis in the later sense% bviously they were not married, as their mode of life prevented that, and their life was dedicated to spiritual discipline and teachin!% 7evertheless, they were not considered outside society as the sadhu is today in India% They were simply those who sacrificed personal life to serve others% It was a noble way of life, but not a separation% The ori!inal Christian ascetics were >ust the same% They wore ordinary clothes and were considered Christian laity% The only distinctive thin! about them was their way of life% The men usually lived on the ed!e of towns, usually as hermits% The women lived to!ether in houses within the town for mutual protection% In the eyes of everyone they were pious bachelors and spinsters, not at all distinct from other Christians in an official sense%
point, those who have reco!niEed that they have no roots in the world, only in &od% The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world%L &alatians .1)80 ourney homeGto Brahman% 'ttenuated blemishes% The upanishad has a very informative eFpression1 %shinadoshahGthose whose
mental defects such as an!er, etc%, have become si!nificantly lessened% 2ventually they will be totally eliminated, but even now such persons are capable of the be!innin! sta!es of knowin! the Self% This is important, because we tend to think that until we are absolutely perfect we cannot know either &od or our Self% This is not so% =ust as the sky becomes li!htened even before the sun appears above the horiEon, so it is with those yo!is who earnestly strive for realiEation% The elementary sta!es of enli!htenment dawn for them% -omplete %nowledge% !amyag:(nanena, complete insi!ht into the nature of the Self both intellectually
and intuitively, also enables us to be!in eFperiencin! the realities of the Self% f course this cannot occur outside of yo!a practice that is disciplined and steady% Practiced constantly% Some translators think this word nityamGperpetualGrefers to continence
brahmacharya0, but others think it refers to constant and uninterrupted observance of all the virtues and practices listed in this verse% That is lo!ical, because a break in any of these will set back the sadhaka to a si!nificant de!ree, and in some cases can destroy the possibility of his continuance in sadhana by turnin! his mind away from the Real to the unreal% This is, however, particularly true about brahmacharya as is seen over and over% In 'utobiography of a 3ogi, Ao!ananda relates this sad but tellin! incident1 < year later after enterin! the ashram, Kumar set out for a visit to his childhood home% He i!nored the uiet disapproval of Sri Aukteswar, who never authoritatively controlled his disciplesN movements% n the boyNs return to Serampore in a few months, a chan!e was unpleasantly apparent% &one was the stately Kumar with serenely !lowin! face% nly an undistin!uished peasant stood before us, one who had lately acuired a number of evil habits% aster summoned me and brokenheartedly discussed the fact that the boy was now unsuited to the monastic hermita!e life% Mukunda, I will leave it to you to instruct Kumar to leave the ashram tomorrow$ I canNt do itN Tears stood in Sri AukteswarNs eyes, but he controlled himself uickly% MThe boy would never have fallen to these depths had he listened to me and not !one away to miF with undesirable companions% He has re>ected my protection$ the callous world must be his !uru still%NL This narrative is particularly ironic, since KumarL means a youn! male vir!in% 7ow all this is eFtremely to the point, with no fud!in! under the !uise of diplomacy or moderation% 9erhaps that is why the sa!e then says to us1 Truth alone succeeds, not untruth% By truthfulness the path of felicity is opened up, the path which is taken by the sa!es, freed from cravin!s, and which leads them to truthNs eternal abode%L undaka #panishad '1)1.0 nce a!ain Swami &ambhirananda helps us understand1 Truth alone wins, and not untruth% By truth is maintained for ever the path called @evayana, by which the desireless seers ascend to where eFists the supreme treasure attainable throu!h truth%L Sri Ramakrishna often said that &od is realiEed if one holds fast to truth% If there is no strictness in observin! truth everythin! is !radually lost%L
Shinin! nes,L is opened throu!h truth% Truth in this conteFt has a much hi!her and wider meanin! than mere accuracy or honesty in speech% It means to be a livin! embodiment of the truth of our Self-nature, and eventually to be a virtual incarnation of the realiEed Truth1 &od, the supreme treasure attainable throu!h truth%L
The #od Within- The Sage Without #od
Brahman is supreme$ he is self-luminous, he is beyond all thou!ht% Subtler than the subtlest is he, farther than the farthest, nearer than the nearest% He resides in the lotus of the heart of every bein!%L undaka #panishad '1)1;0 This is&od the !reat mystery of the is subtle subtlety, yet eFists eually in the most tan!ible% is utterly beyond us,@ivine% and yet Itnearer to usbeyond than can be eFpressed% This latter fact is a foundation-stone of spiritual life% The more we can turn inward, the deeper we can penetrate into our own essential bein!, the closer we will come to &od% Ao!a is an absolute necessity% Thou!h 9rabhavananda uses the eFpression lotus of the heart,L the Sanskrit teFt has guhayamGin the cave,L referrin! to the absolute core of our bein!% The eyes do not see him, speech cannot utter him, the senses cannot reach him% He is to be attained neither by austerity nor by sacrificial rites% Dhen throu!h discrimination the heart has become pure, then, in meditation, the Impersonal Self is revealed%L undaka #panishad '1)1+0 7o action or feelin! or ideas can reveal &od to us% But when the heart has become purified by the spiritual insi!ht that only meditation can produce, then in meditation itself &od is revealed% 6or1 The subtle Self within the livin! and breathin! body is realiEed in that pure consciousness wherein is no dualityGthat consciousness by which the heart beats and the senses perform their office%L undaka #panishad '1)1/0 editation is the be!innin!, middle, and end of spiritual life% There is a remarkable statement made hereGthat the same consciousness which even now causes the body, senses, and mind to function is the same consciousness in which the @ivine ?ision takes place% So we need not try to turn ourselves into somethin! other than what we are% De need only use it to free ourselves into Spirit% 6or that which binds also frees% This is the uniue understandin! of the ancient sa!es in India, an understandin! needed by the whole world% The sage
The Dest may have no history of such !reat wisdom, but we have a little platitude that can say much1 The proof of the puddin! is in the eatin!%L oyments, whether of desires, or of ob>ects of desire, whatever thou!ht arises in the heart of the sa!e is fulfilled% Therefore let him who seeks his own !ood revere and worship the sa!e%L undaka #panishad '1)1)*0 This tells us two thin!s% 6irst, whatever the liberated sa!e thinks of, wills, or desires, that comes about% 2Famples of this are !iven in nani for &od% Dhen we want to learn somethin! we !o to an eFpert% In the same way, those seekin! the knowled!e of &od should
seek out the teachin!s of !reat masters of past and present% If very fortunate, the seeker will meet such a person in the flesh and have personal interchan!e with him% The mere presence of such a !reat soul can transform our thinkin! and awaken our consciousness% If we follow the instructions of an enli!htened person re!ardin! our inner development we will come to the eFact same state of consciousness revealed in him% Remember, true masters never die% They can bless and !uide those who approach them in their hearts% ften this is sufficient for the seeker, and can be much safer than followin! a physically embodied teacher, for often sentimentality and emotional pro>ection completely blind the seeker to the realityOunreality of the teacher% I personally knew !urus whose presence was stunnin!, even supernatural, but after their physical death they vanished from the earth plane, leavin! their followers empty% But I also knew teachers who became more intimately present to seekers after their physical form had departed, provin! themselves to truly be one with the Immortal and mnipresent% Those who meditate can attune themselves to such masters and benefit from their very real presence% How can we tell a true master" < true master keeps pointin! their students away from themselves to &od, the only &oal% ust for the personality of Ao!ananda eventually left the spiritual life as well as the ashram, but those who came for &od remained steadfast in both% I think we can conclude that real disciples are as rare as real !urus The upanishad is not talkin! to spiritual fool-arounds, but to the worthy, those who wish, in the actual words of the upanishad, to transcend the seed of human birthLGthe e!o% To kinds of seekers
Since the sa!e ects, comes to yearn for them, is born here and there, a!ain and a!ain, driven by his desire% But he who has realiEed the Self, and thus satisfied all hun!er, attains to liberation even in this life%L undaka #panishad '1(1(0 The Sanskrit implies that those in the !rip of
desire are born where the ob>ects of desire are to be found, and brin! the desire for them alon!% It does not say that the ob>ects are obtained, however, and we see that this is a continual torment for human bein!sGwantin! somethin! but not able to !et it% To be in such a situation will only condition the mind more and more toward !raspin! at the thin!s desired% ect is then !otten and either lost, or in dan!er of loss, or proves to be disappointin! or misery-producin!% Such is the dilemma of those who desire% There is no use askin! silly uestions like1 How do I kill desire"L or1 How do I !et rid of the e!o"L Aou do not kill desire or discard the e!o, for that is a ne!ative approach that by its nature will not work% Rather you take the positive approach1 I SH<33 realiEe the Self%L 6or realiEation of the Self alone can uench all desire and dissolve the e!o% #ntil then we i!nore the clamor of desires, disre!ard the demands of the e!o, and sin!le-mindedly !o after the Self% ust mere wishin!% 7o one seeks for &od who is not already able to find &od, for it is the very nearness of &od that prompts his seekin!% Seekin! &od is a !uarantee, a symptom, of sure attainment% It is also the thin! which enables the Self to reveal Itself to him% The Self is not to be known by the weak, nor by the thou!htless, nor by those who do not ri!htly meditate% But by the ri!htly meditative, the thou!htful, and the stron!, he is fully known%L undaka #panishad '1(180 Too many meanin!s are bein! missed by this translation% Here it is literally1 This Self is not attained by one devoid of stren!th, nor throu!h delusion produced by false eFperience, nor throu!h tapasya devoid of correspondin! eFternals% But the Self of the man of knowled!e who strives with dili!ence throu!h these means stren!th, clarity of si!ht and mind, and a life ordered in conformity to tapasya enters the abode of Brahman%L There is a lot to think over here% The p"ain truths
Those devoid of the stren!th imparted by the strict observance of yama and niyama cannot possibly know the Self% Both yama and niyama should be listed here for our most serious consideration% Aama Restraint0 consists of ahimsa non-violence, non-in>ury, harmlessness0, satya truthfulness, honestyG i%e%, non-lyin!0, asteya non-stealin!, honesty, non-misappropriativeness0, brahmacharya seFual continence and control of all the senses0, and apari!raha non-possessiveness, non-!reed, nonselfishness, non-acuisitiveness0% 7iyama bservance0 consists of shaucha purity, cleanliness0, santosha contentment, peacefulness0, tapas austerity, practicalGi%e%, result-producin!Gspiritual discipline0, swadhyaya self-study, spiritual study0, and Ishwarapranidhana offerin! of oneNs life to &od0% < !reat deal of people, includin! yo!is, are simply deluded, mostly because they follow false teachin!s and teachers whose errors actively harm them or cause them to sta!nate spiritually% 7o matter how dedicated they may be, or even how disciplined, they cannot know the Self because their intellects are
confused and distortedGespecially by their aberrant meditation practices% 3ucky are those yo!a dudsL who merely ve!etate% But neither reach the &oal% It is utterly useless to en!a!e in meditation without makin! the life correspond to the sole purpose of meditation1 liberation of the spirit% Ao!a has been propa!ated here in the Dest for a little over a hundred years, and see how little !ood and how much devastation and delusion has resulted% The reason is supremely simple1 yama and niyama are not followed, and in many instances the fake !urus actually tell their dupes that yama and niyama are unnecessary% I cannot calculate how many tan!ledminded yo!isL have boasted to me that they do not need to be ve!etarians% If a survey is taken of almost any yo!a !roup, over half will be livin! to!ether in a relationshipL without bein! married, and those who are married have no idea of the need for brahmacharya in marria!e eFcept for the conception of childrenGand even then, not unrestrained% Sri Ramakrishna said that after the birth of two children the parents should live in chastity% In my commentary on the &ita I wrote the followin! that is most relevant here1 The @harma Shastras which describe the correct life of non-monastics are uite eFplicit about the need for husband and wife to lead lives of continence% See how the yo!i parents of 9aramhansa Ao!ananda lived it as presented in
ai" To the Sages: Havin! known the Self, the sa!es are filled with >oy% Blessed are they, tranuil of mind, free from passion% RealiEin! everywhere the all-pervadin! Brahman, deeply absorbed in contemplation of his bein!, they enter into him, the Self of all%L undaka #panishad '1(1:0 Dhat an inspirin! description% These are the thin!s that should motivate us, not such cheap thin!s as promises of heaven and threats of hell, or bribes of !ood thin!sL and power%L To at last be ourselves as we really are, to end all stru!!le with unreality and i!noranceGthis is the worthy aim% The only worthy prayer is that of =esus1 6ather, !lorify thou me with thine own self with the !lory which I had with thee before the world was%L =ohn );1:0 o to become a sage
How do the sa!es !et that way" Havin! fully ascertained and realiEed the truth of ?edanta, havin! established themselves in purity of conduct by followin! the yo!a of renunciation, these !reat ones
attain to immortality in this very life$ and when their bodies fall away from them at death, they attain to liberation%L undaka #panishad '1(1.0 $aving fully ascertained and reali#ed the truth of Vedanta% 6irst the ?edantic truthsGthe teachin!s
found in the upanishadsGare carefully read and pondered% But this is not enou!hGin fact it is worthless unless they !o on to realiEe those truths throu!h meditation, for it is this realiEation which is of supreme value, and the wise dili!ently seek it% $aving established themselves in purity of conduct% 7ot wantin! empty theory, the wise understand that
their lives must be disciplined for the purification of their outer actions and inner consciousness% oreover, they !round themselves immovably in that purity% &ollowing the yoga of renunciation neitherit
eFternals sannyasa0 while fiFin! the mind on the 2ternal yo!a0% Immortality in this very life% Those who follow this path of the sa!es will realiEe their nature as
immortality itself% They will not attain it, they will recover and manifest it% 7or will this happen in some va!ue heavenly realm, but ri!ht here and now% 't death" they attain to liberation% 6or them there is no lon!er any need for future birth in the material
plane% ust liberated from the earth, they are liberated from all worldsL and enter The Real as their eternal abode% The "iberation process
Dhen death overtakes the body, the vital ener!y enters the cosmic source, the senses dissolve in their cause, and karmas and the individual soul are lost in Brahman, the pure, the chan!eless%
3et the truth of Brahman be tau!ht only to those who obey his law, who are devoted to him, and who are pure in heart% To the impure let it never be tau!ht%L undaka #panishad '1(1)*0 In India everyone knows the basic principles of Brahmavidya% The sa!e is not recommendin! secrecy, but warnin! us away from wastin! our time with people who are wilfully disualifyin! themselves for spiritual life% So who are ualified adhikari0 to receive detailed instruction in the eternal truths" Here is
a much more literal and complete translation of the verse with some very interestin! symbols1 To them alone should one eFpound this knowled!e of Brahman who are en!a!ed in the practice of purificatory disciplines, versed in the ?edas, and devoted to Brahman, who personally sacrifice to the fire called 2karshi with faith, and by whom has been duly accomplished the vow of holdin! fire on the head%L /ngaged in the practice of purificatory disciplines% The word translated by this phrase is %riyavantah,
which means those who are en!a!ed in the practice of kriyas% In the broad sense a kriya is any practice that entails doin! somethin!, because the root of kriya is %ri, which means I do%L
disciplines and practices they en>oin%
manifested in the cosmos, yet who are actively seekin! to know the transcendent Brahman beyond the cosmos% In other words, the prevailin! idea that one is either intent on Sa!una or 7ir!una BrahmanG only one aspect to the eFclusion of the otherGis mistaken% That the worthy seeker starts from where he finds himselfGin the realm of Ishwara, the creationGbut strives to know That which lies beyond, as well% This is the real yo!a of synthesis%L ho personally sacrifice to the fire called /%arshi with faith% In the
sacred fire called ekarshi,L but in this verse the reference is to the sole fireLGthe fireL that is Brahman% 6or ekarshi can be a contraction of eka-rishi,L the sole Seer%
carryin! the holy fire in the head% That is, one who has established the @ivine 6ire of BrahmanrealiEation within himself, who ever carries Brahman in his headLGhis consciousness% There will not be a !reat number of students if these criteria are followed, but we must make sure that we are amon! them% The sum and substance
In conclusion the upanishad eFclaims1 Hail to the sa!es Hail to the illumined souls This truth of Brahman was tau!ht in ancient times to Shounaka by
Mandukya Upanishad Translated by Vidyavachaspati V. Panoli
m !ods, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious$ ay we see with our eyes what is auspicious$ ay we, while offerin! our praise to !ods Dith our bodies stron! of limbs, 2n>oy the life which the !ods are pleased to !rant us% ay Indra of !reat fame be well disposed to us$ ay the all-knowin! or immensely wealthy0 9usha be propitious to us$ ay Brihaspati &aruda, the!rant vanuisher of miseries, be well pleased with us$ ay us all prosperity% m 9eace 9eace 9eace )% oys the !ross ob>ects, is the first uarter% 8% The Self0 seated in the state of dream and called Tai>asa who, possessed of the consciousness of the interior, and seven limbs and nineteen mouths, en>oys the subtle ob>ects, is the second uarter% :% Dhere the sleeper desires not a thin! of en>oyment and sees not any dream, that state is deep sleep% The Self0 seated in the state of deep sleep and called 9ra>na, in whom everythin! is unified, who is dense with consciousness, who is full of bliss, who is certainly the en>oyer of bliss, and who is the door to the knowled!e of the precedin! two states0, is the third uarter% .% This is the 3ord of all$ this is omniscient$ this is the in-dwellin! controller of all0$ this is the source and indeed the ori!in and dissolution of all bein!s% ;% The 6ourth is thou!ht of as that which is not conscious of the internal world, nor conscious of the eFternal world, nor conscious of both the worlds, nor dense with consciousness, nor simple consciousness, nor unconsciousness, which is unseen, actionless, incomprehensible, uninferable, unthinkable, indescribable, whose proof consists in the identity of the Self in all states0, in which all phenomena come to a cessation, and which is unchan!in!, auspicious, and non-dual% That is the Self$
that is to be known% +% That same Self, from the point of view of the syllable, is m, and viewed from the stand point of the letters, the uarters are the letters, and the letters are the uarters% The letters are a, u and m% /% ?aisvanara seated in the wakin! state is the first letter a, owin! to its all-pervasiveness or bein! the first% He who knows thus verily accomplishes all lon!in!s and becomes the first% )*% Tai>asa seated in the dream is u, the second letter of m0, owin! to the similarity of eFcellence or intermediate position% He who knows thus verily advances the bounds of his knowled!e and becomes eual to all0 and none who is not a knower of Brahman is born in his family% ))% 9ra>na seated in the state of deep sleep is m, the third letter of m0, because of his bein! the measure or the entity wherein all become absorbed% He who knows thus measures all this and absorbs all% )(% cessation That which letters world, parts0 the is the 6ourth, beyond throu!h the of isthewithout phenomenal auspicious and the apprehension non-dual% Thus m isordinary certainlymeans, the Self% He who knows thus enters the Self by the Self% m !ods, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious$ ay we see with our eyes what is auspicious$ ay we, while offerin! our praise to !ods Dith our bodies stron! of limbs, 2n>oy the life which the !ods are pleased to !rant us% ay Indra of !reat fame be well disposed to us$ ay the all-knowin! or immensely wealthy0 9usha be propitious to us$ ay &aruda, the vanuisher of miseries, be well pleased with us$ ay Brihaspati !rant us all prosperity% m 9eace 9eace 9eace Here ends the andukyopanishad, as contained in the oyed in the wakin! state0 all ob>ects of en>oyment that are !ross, and who a!ain, after havin! drunk in the state of dream0 all ob>ects born of desire and illumined by the intellect, reposes while eFperiencin! bliss Himself and makin! us all en>oy by His own0 aya, and who, throu!h an attribution of aya, is the fourth in number, and is supreme, immortal and unborn% (% ay he, the Self of the universe, dwellin! in the fourth state, protect us, who, after havin! en>oyed in the wakin! state0 the !ross en>oyments resultin! from virtue and vice, en>oys a!ain in the dream state0 the other subtle ob>ects which are created by His own intelli!ence and illumined by His own li!ht, and who, after havin! absorbed all of them !radually into Himself and havin! abandoned all distinctions, becomes devoid of attributes% I-)% ?isva havin! eFterior consciousness is all-pervadin!, whereas Tai>asa has interior consciousness, and 9ra>na, similarly is dense with consciousness% Thus the ne alone is re!arded in there ways% I-(% ?isva is seen in the ri!ht eye which is its seat of eFperience, whereas Tai>asa is inside the mind and 9ra>na is in the space inside the heart% In these three ways he dwells in the body% I-'% ?isva is ever the en>oyer of the !ross, tai>asa of the subtle, and, similarly, 9ra>na of bliss% Know therefore0 the en>oyment in three ways%
I-8%The !rass satisfies ?isva, the subtle satisfies Tai>asa and, similarly, !ladness satisfies 9ra>na% Know therefore0 the satisfaction in three ways% I-:% He who knows these two, viE that which is shown to be the thin! to be en>oyed and that which is shown0 to be the en>oyer, in the three states, does not become affected, even thou!h en>oyin!% I-.% It is a settled fact that comin! into bein! can be said only of positive entities that eFist% 9rana creates all$ and 9urusha creates the conscious bein!s separately% I-;% Those who think of creation hold it as the manifestation of &odJs power$ while others re!ard creation as same as dream and illusion% I-+% Creation is the mere will of the 3ord, say those who thou!ht out well the process of0 creation, but those who rely upon time hold that the birth of bein!s is from time% I-/% Some others hold that creation is for the en>oyment of &od0, yet others say that it is for His sport% But it is the very nature of the resplendent Bein!, for0 what desire can he have whose desire is all fulfilled" I-)*% Turiya, the 3ord powerful to brin! about the cessation of all sorrows, is imperishable, is re!arded as the non-dual 3ord of all entities, and is all-pervadin!% I-))% ?isva and Tai>asa are re!arded as conditioned by cause and effect% 9ra>na is conditioned by cause% But these two viE cause and effect0 do not eFist in Turiya% I-)(% 9ra>na knows neither himself nor others, neither truth nor untruth% But that Turiya is ever the all seer% I-)'% The non-co!nition of duality is common to both 9ra>na and Turiya% 9ra>na is possessed of sleep of the nature of cause, whereas that sleep does not eFist in Turiya% I-)8% The first two viE ?isva and tai>asa0 are associated with dream and sleep, but 9ra>na is associated0 with sleep devoid of dream% The knowers of Brahman do not see either sleep or dream in Turiya% I-):% @ream belon!s to him who perceives wron!ly and sleep to him who knows not Reality% Dhen the false notion of these two comes to an end, the state of Turiya is attained% I-).% Dhen the individual Self, sleepin! under the influence of aya that is be!innin!less, is awakened, then he realises Turiya that is0 unborn, sleepless, dreamless and non-dual% I-);% If a phenomenal world were to eFist, it should, no doubt, cease to be% This duality is but an illusion$ in reality it is non-dual% I-)+% The notion such as the teacher, the tau!ht and the scripture0 will disappear, if anyone had ima!ined it% This notion of the teacher etc%,0 is for the purpose of instruction% Dhen the Truth is0 realised, duality does not eFist% I-)/% Dhen the identity of ?isva with the letter a is meant, ie%, when the identity of ?isva with the letter a is admitted, the common feature of bein! the first is seen to be obvious, as also the common feature of all-pervasiveness% I-(*% In the event of Tai>asa bein! apprehended as identical with u, ie, when the identity of tai>asa with the letter u is admitted, the common feature of superiority is seen clearly and so, too, is the intermediate position% I-()% In the even of 9ra>na bein! apprehended as identical with m, ie, when the identity of 9ra>na with the letter m is admitted, the common feature of bein! the measure is seen to be obvious and so too is the common feature of absorption% I-((% He who knows conclusively the common similarities in the three states, becomes worthy of worship and adoration by all bein!s, and is also a !reat sa!e% I-('% The letter a leads to ?isva and the letter u to Tai>asa% na% 6or the one who is free from letters, there is no attainment% I-(8% m should be known, uarter by uarter% It is beyond doubt that the uarters of the self0 are the letters of m0% Havin! known m, uarter by uarter, one should not think of anythin! else% I-(:% 3et the mind be fiFed on m, for m is Brahman, the fearless% 6or him who us ever fiFed on m,
there is no fear anywhere% I-(.% m is indeed the lower Brahman$ m is also0 re!arded as the hi!her Brahman0% m is without a cause, without interior and eFterior, without effect, and is undecayin!% I-(;% m is indeed the be!innin!, middle and end of everythin!% Havin! known m thus, one attains immediately the identity with the self% I-(+% ne should know m to be the 3ord dwellin! in the hearts of all% havin! known the all-pervasive m, the intelli!ent one does not !rieve% I-(/% He by whom is known m which is without measure and possessed of infinite ma!nitude and which is auspicious, since all duality ceases in it, is a sa!e and none else% II% ?ects in a dream because they are located within the body0 and also0 because they are confined within a limited space% II-(% Since the period is short, one does not !o to the place and see% ects even in the wakin! state% =ust as they are unreal in dream, so also are they unreal in the wakin! state% the ob>ects in dream0 differ owin! to the location within the body owin! to the spatial limitation% II-:% The wise say that the states of wakin! and dream are same, in view of the similarity of the ob>ects seen in both the states0 and in view of the well-known !round of inference% II-.% That which is non-eFistent in the be!innin! and at the end is definitely so in the present ie%, in the middle0% The ob>ects, thou!h they bear the mark of the unreal, appear as thou!h real% II-;% Their utility is opposed in dream% therefore, on the !round of havin! a be!innin! and an end, they are re!arded as definitely unreal% II-+% To see0 unusual thin!s in dream0 is indeed an attribute of the dreamer >ust as it is in the case of those who dwell in heaven% These he perceives by !oin! there, even as one, well instructed, does in this world% II-/% 2ven in dream what is ima!ined by the mind chitta0 within is unreal, while what is !rasped outside by the mind is real% But both these are seen to be unreal% II-)*% 2ven in the wakin! state what is ima!ined by the mind within is unreal, while what is !rasped by the mind outside is real% It is reasonable to hold both these to be unreal% II-))% If the ob>ects of both the states be unreal, who comprehends all these and who a!ain ima!ines them" II-)(% The self-luminous Self, by Its own aya ima!ines Itself by Itself and It alone co!nises all ob>ects% This is a settled fact of the ?edanta-teFts% II-)'% The 3ord ima!ined in diverse forms the worldly ob>ects eFistin! in the mind% Dith the mind turned outward, He ima!ines diversely permanent ob>ects as also impermanent thin!s0% Thus the 3ord ima!ines% II-)8% Thin!s that eFist within as lon! as the thou!ht lasts and thin!s that are eFternal and conform to two points of time, are all ima!inations alone% The distinction between them0 is caused by nothin! else% II-):% The ob>ects that seem to be unmanifested within the mind, and those that seem to be manifested without, are all mere ima!inations, their distinction bein! the difference in the sense-or!ans% II-).% 6irst of all, He ima!ines the =iva individual soul0 and then He ima!ines0 various ob>ects, eFternal and internal%
snake, a water-line, etc%, so too is the Self ima!ined as various thin!s0% II-)+% ects like prana etc% This is the aya of the luminous ne by which It itself is deluded, as it where0% II-(*% The knowers of 9rana hold 9rana to be the cause of the world0, which the knowers of the elements re!ard the elements to be the cause0% ualities are the cause0, say the knowers of uality, whereas the knowers of cate!ory consider cate!ories to be so0% II-()% The knowers of the uarters such as ?isva0 hold the uarters to be the cause0, while the knowers of sensory ob>ects re!ard sensory ob>ects to be the cause0% the worlds are real0, say the knowers of the worlds, and the knowers of the !ods consider the !ods to be so0% II-((% well-versed in the ?edic holdhold the ?edas to beto real0, while whereas the sacrificers subscribewith it to the Those sacrifices% Those who know thelore en>oyer the en>oyer be real0, those familiar the en>oyable thin!s think of them to be real0% II-('% Subtlety is real0, say those who know the subtlety, while those familiar with the !ross re!ard it to be so% Reality is0 possessed of a form, say the worshippers of &od with form, while the worshippers of the formless hold the reality0 to be formless% II-(8% The astrolo!ers hold time to be real0, while the knowers of directions consider directions to be so0% Those stiff in debate affirm that disputations lead to the reality0, whereas those who aspire after the worlds consider them to be real0% II-(:% The knowers of the mind hold it to be the Self0, while the knowers of the intellect re!ard it to be so0% The knowers of the heart ascribe reality to it0, whereas it is attributed to virtue and vice by those who know them% II-(.% Some say that twenty-five cate!ories constitute the reality0, whereas others speak of twenty-siF% ect sees that alone as the reality0% That ob>ect, too, becomin! one with him, protects him% That state of bein! en!rossed culminates in his self-identity with the ob>ect shown% II-'*% By these thin!s that are non-separate from the Self0, this Self is manifested as thou!h separate% He who knows this truly comprehends the meanin! of the ?edas0 without entertainin! any doubt% II-')% =ust as dream and ma!ic, as well as a city in the sky, are seen to be unreal0, so too, is this universe seen to be unreal0 from the ?edanta-teFts by the wise% II-'(% There is no dissolution, no ori!ination, none in bonda!e, none possessed of the means of liberation, none desirous of liberation, and none liberated% This is the ultimate truth% II-''% This Self0 is ima!ined to be unreal ob>ects and also to be non-dual% The ob>ects are also ima!ined on the non-dual Self0% therefore non-duality is auspicious% II-'8% This world0 viewed on the basis of the Self, is not different% 7either does it ever eFist independent by itself nor is anythin! different or non-different from the Self0% Thus know the knowers of Truth% II-':% By the sa!es who are free from attachment, fear and an!er and well-versed in the ?edas is realised this Self which is beyond all ima!inations, in which the phenomenal world ceases to eFist and which is non-dual%
II-'.% Therefore, havin! known it thus, one should fiF oneNs memory on non-duality ie%, should !ive undivided attention0% Havin! attained the non-dual, one should conduct oneself as thou!h one were a dullard% II-';% The ascetic should be free from praise and salutation and also from rituals% The body and the Self should be his support and he should depend upon what chance brin!s% II-'+% Havin! perceived Truth internally and havin! perceived it eFternally, one should become identified with Truth, should derive deli!ht from Truth, and should never deviate from Truth% III% <@?ust as the infinite0 ether eFists in the form of ether confined within >ars% Similarly, It is said to be eFistin! as the a!!re!ate of bodies, even as ether eFists like >ars etc% This is the illustration with re!ard to birth% III-8% =ust as when the >ars etc%, cease to eFist, the ether etc%, confined within them become mer!ed in the infinite ether, so also the individual souls become mer!ed in the Self here% III-:% =ust as when the ether confined within a particular >ar contains dust and smoke, that is not the case with all >ars, in the same way, all the individual souls are not associated with happiness etc% III-.% Thou!h forms, functions and names differ here and there in respect of the ether contained by >ars etc%,0, yet this causes no differences in the ether% Similar is the conclusion with re!ard to individual souls% III-;% ar is not a modification nor a part of the infinite0 ether, so an individual soul is never a modification nor a part of the supreme0 Self% III-+% =ust as to the children the sky becomes soiled by dirt, so too, to the unwise the Self becomes tainted by impurities% III-/% The Self, in re!ard to Its death and birth, !oin! and comin!, and Its eFistence in all the bodies, is not dissimilar to ether% III-)*% ust0 a means to reveal the idea of identity0% But multiplicity does not eFist in any manner% III-).% There are three sta!es of life G low, medium, and hi!h% This meditation is en>oined for their sake out of compassion% III-);% The dualists, firmly settled in their own doctrine which is arrived at by their own conclusions, contradict one another% But this view of the non-dualist0 is in no conflict with them%
III-)+% 7on-duality is indeed the supreme Reality, inasmuch as duality is said to be its product% 6or them duality constitutes both the Real and the unreal0% Hence this our view0 is not opposed to theirs0% III-)/% This unborn Self0 under!oes modification throu!h aya and not in any other way% 6or, if the modifications are to be a reality, the immortal would tend to be mortal% III-(*% The disputants think of the very unborn Self on terms of birth% How can the Self that is unborn and immortal tend towards mortality" III-()% The immortal can never become mortal% So, too mortal can never become immortal% 6or a chan!e in oneNs nature cannot ever take place in any manner% III-((% How can the entity that is immortal remain unchan!ed accordin! to one to whom a thin! that is immortal by nature can be born, since it is a product in his view0 " III-('% The sruti favours eually the creation in reality and throu!h aya% That which is settled by the sruti and supported bysays, reasonin! and not anythin! III-(8% Since the sruti Thereisistrue, no multiplicity here,else% the 3ord, owin! to aya, is seen diversely0, and The Self, thou!h unborn, appears to be born in many ways0, it becomes obvious that He is born throu!h aya% III-(:% By the censure of the worship of0 Hiranya!arbha is ne!ated creation% By the statement, Dho will cause it to be born", is denied causality% III-(.% n the !round of non-apprehension of Brahman0, all the precedin! instruction for Its comprehension0 is ne!ated by the sruti, This Self is that which has been declared as M7ot this, not thisN% Hence the unborn Self becomes revealed by Itself% III-(;% Birth of that which eFists occurs only throu!h aya and not in reality% He who thinks that somethin! is born in reality, should know0 that that which is already born is re0born% III-(+% The birth of that which is non-eFistent cannot occur either throu!h aya or in reality, for a son of a barren woman cannot be born either throu!h aya or in reality% III-(/% ects to be perceived% III-''% The knowers of Brahman0 say that the knowled!e which is free from ima!ination, and unborn is not distinct from the knowable% The knowled!e of which Brahman is the sole ob>ect is unborn and everlastin!% The unborn Self0 is known by the knowled!e that is0 unborn% III-'8% The behaviour of the mind thus0 restrained, which is free from all ima!ination and which is endowed with discrimination, should be noticed% The mind in deep sleep is of a different character and is not like that when it is under restraint0% III-':% The mind becomes dissolved in deep sleep, but when under restraint, it doesnNt become dissolved% That mind0 alone becomes Brahman, the fearless, endowed with the li!ht that is Consciousness on all sides% III-'.% Brahman is0 birthless, sleepless, dreamless, nameless, formless, ever-resplendent and omniscient% ection% Then knowled!e, rooted in the Self, attains the state of birthlessness and sameness% III-'/% This Ao!a that is said to be not in touch with anythin! is hard to be perceived by anyone of the
Ao!is, for the Ao!is who behold fear in what is fearless, are afraid of it% III-8*% 6or all the Ao!is, fearlessness, cessation of misery, awareness and everlastin! peace, depend upon the control of their mind% III-8)% By a tireless effort such as that by which the emptyin! of an ocean, drop by drop, is aimed at with the help of the ed!e of a Kusa !rass, the conuest of the mind will become possible throu!h absence of de>ection% III-8(% Dith the proper0 means one should brin! under restraint the mind that is torn amid desire and en>oyment% 2ven when the mind is well settled down in sleep, it should be brou!ht under restraint, for sleep is as harmful as desire% III-8'% Rememberin! that everythin! is productive of !rief, one should withdraw oneNs mind0 from the en>oyment of the ob>ects of desire% Similarly0, rememberin! that everythin! is the unborn Brahman, one does notmind certainly ie%, duality0% III-88% The that issee in the deepborn sleep should be awakened and the mind that is distracted should be brou!ht back to tranuillity a!ain% ne should know the mind as passion-tin!ed, and should not disturb it when it has attained the state of euillibrium% III-8:% In that state one should not en>oy the happiness, but should, by means of discrimination, become unattached% Dhen the mind that has become still tends towards wanderin!, it should be unified with the self0 with efforts% III-8.% Dhen the mind does not become mer!ed nor distracted a!ain, when it becomes motionless and does not make appearances as ob>ects0, then it verily becomes Brahman% III-8;% That hi!hest Bliss eFists in oneNs own Self% It is calm, identical with liberation, indescribable, and unborn% Since It is one with the unborn knowable Brahman0, the knowers of Brahman speak of It as the mniscient Brahman0% III-8+% 7o =iva individual soul0, whichsoever, is born% It has no cause of birth0% Such bein! the case0, this is the hi!hest Truth where nothin! is born whatsoever% I?% <3ect of knowled!e% I?-(% I bow down to that Ao!a which is devoid of touch with anythin! that implies relationship0, which conduces to the happiness of all bein!s and is beneficial, and which is free from dispute and contradiction and is tau!ht by the scriptures% I?-'% Certain disputants postulate the birth of an entity already eFistin!, while some others, proud of their intelli!ence, and opposin! amon! themselves, postulate the birth of what is not eFistin! already% I?-8% That which already eFists cannot be born and that which does not eFist also cannot be born% Those who ar!ue thus are none but non-dualists and proclaim only the birthlessness% I?-:% De approve the birthlessness revealed by them% De do not uarrel with them% 7ow, learn this which is free from all disputes% I?-.% The disputants think of the self on terms of birth% How can the Self that is unborn and immortal tend towards mortality% I?-;% The immortal can never become mortal% So, too the mortal can never become immortal% 6or a chan!e in oneNs nature cannot ever take place in any manner% I?-+% How can the entity that is immortal remain unchan!ed accordin! to one in whose view a thin! that is immortal by nature can be born, since it is an effect in his view0 " I?-/% By the term nature is to be known that which comes into bein! throu!h ri!ht attainments, which is intrinsic, inborn, and non-produced, and which does not !ive up its character% I?-)*%
becomin! absorbed in that thou!ht, they deviate from that nature0% I?-))% ect to modification be eternal " I?-)(% If in your view0 the effect is non-different from the cause and if, for that reason, the effect also is unborn, how can the cause be eternal, since it is non-different from the effect that under!oes birth " I?-)'% He who holds the view that the effect is born from an unborn cause, has no eFample to be cited0% If the born effect is viewed as born from another born thin!, it leads to ad infinitum% I?-)8% How can they, who hold that the effect is the source of the cause and the cause is the source of the effect, assert be!innin!lessness for cause and effect " I?-):% ust as a father mi!ht be born of a son% I?-).% If cause and effect be possible, the is order in which they ori!inate0 has to found by the you, for if they ori!inate simultaneously, there no relationship between the two, as be is the caseout with horns of a cow% I?-);% Aour cause that is produced from an effect cannot be established% How will a cause, that is itself not established, produce an effect " I?-)+% If the cause emer!es from the effect and if the effect emer!es from the cause, which of the two has arisen first on which depends the emer!ence of the other " I?-)/% Aour inability to reply0 tantamounts to i!norance, or there will be a difference in the order of succession postulated by you0% Thus indeed is the absence of birth revealed by the wise in all manner% I?-(*% Dhat is called the illustration of a seed and a sprout is always eual to the ma>or term yet to be proved0% The middle term viE%, the illustration0 that is eual to the unproved ma>or term, cannot be applied for establishin! a proposition yet to be proved% I?-()% The i!norance re!ardin! antecedence and succession reveals birthlessness% 6rom a thin! that is born, why is it that its antecedent cause is not comprehended " I?-((% 7othin! whatsoever is born either of itself or of somethin! else% Similarly, nothin! whatsoever is born whether it be eFistent or non-eFistent or both eFistent and non-eFistent% I?-('% < cause is not born of an effect that is be!innin!less, nor does an effect take birth naturally from a cause that is be!innin!less0% 6or that which has no cause has no birth also% I?-(8% Knowled!e has its ob>ect, since otherwise it brin!s about the destruction of duality% Besides, from the eFperience of pain, the eFistence of eFternal ob>ects, as upheld by the system of thou!ht of the opponents, is admitted% I?-(:% In accordance with the perception of the cause of knowled!e, the latter is deemed to be based on eFternal ob>ects% But from the point of view of reality, the eFternal0 cause is re!arded as no cause% I?-(.% Consciousness is not in contact with ob>ects nor is it in contact with the appearances of ob>ects% 6or the ob>ect is certainly non-eFistent and the ideas constitutin!0 the appearances of ob>ect are not separate from consciousness% I?-(;% Consciousness does not ever come in contact with ob>ects in the three periods of time% Dithout a cause ie%, eFternal ob>ect0 how can there be its false apprehension " I?-(+% Therefore consciousness is not born, nor are thin!s perceived by it born% Those who perceive it as havin! birth, may as well see footprints in the sky% I?-(/% Since it is the birthless that is born in the view of the disputants0, birthlessness is its nature% Hence deviation from this nature can happen in no way whatsoever% I?-'*% If transmi!ratory eFistence be be!innin!less, its termination will not be reached% ects, althou!h similar to the unreal, look as thou!h real% I?-'(% Their utility is opposed in dream% Therefore, for the reasons of their havin! a be!innin! and an end, they are definitely remembered to be unreal%
I?-''%ects are unreal in dream, inasmuch as they are seen within the body% In this narrow space, how is the vision of creatures possible " I?-'8% It is not reasonable to say that ob>ects in dream are seen by actually0 !oin! to them, since it runs counter to the re!ulation of time that is needed for the >ourney% 6urther, none, when awake, remains in the place of dream% I?-':% In dream0 what has been discussed with friends and others and settled0 is not resorted to when awake% Dhatsoever is acuired in dream*, too, is not seen when awake% I?-'.% ects0 in dream is >ust like that in the wakin! state, the former is thou!ht of as bein! caused by the latter% Such bein! the case, the wakin! state is considered to be real for thatSuch dreamer I?-'+% birthalone% is not established, everythin! is said to be unborn% Besides, it is not possible for the unreal to be born from the real, in any way whatsoever% I?-'/% Havin! seen unreal thin!s in the wakin! state, one, deeply impressed, sees those very thin!s in dream% 3ikewise, havin! seen unreal ob>ects in dream, one does not see them when awake% I?-8*% There is no non-eFistent that serves as the cause of the non-eFistent, in the same way as the eFistent does not serve as the cause of the non-eFistent% There is no real entity that serves as the cause of another real entity% How can the unreal be the product of the real " I?-8)% =ust as one, for want of discrimination, takes unthinkable ob>ects in the wakin! state as real, so too, in dream, one sees thin!s in that state alone, for want of discrimination% I?-8(% 6or those who, from their own eFperience and ri!ht conduct, believe in the eFistence of substantiality, and who are ever afraid of the birthless, instruction re!ardin! birth has been imparted by the wise% I?-8'% 6or those who, for fear of the #nborn, and also owin! to their perception of duality0, deviate from the ri!ht path, the evil sprin!in! up from acceptance of birth creation0, does not accrue% The evil effect, if there be any, will be but little% I?-88% =ust as an elephant ma!ically con>ured up is called an elephant by relyin! on perception and ri!ht conduct, similarly, for reasons of perception and ri!ht conduct a thin! is said to be eFistin!% I?-8:% That which bears semblance of birth, appears as thou!h movin!, and, similarly seems to be a thin! of attributes0, is Consciousness that is birthless, unmovin! and non-material, serene and nondual% I?-8.% Thus Consciousness is unborn$ thus the souls are re!arded to be unborn% Those who realise thus certainly do not fall into misfortune% I?-8;% =ust as the fire-brand set in motion appears as strai!ht, crooked etc%, similarly, the vibration of Consciousness appears as the perceiver and the perceived% I?-8+% =ust as the fire-brand devoid of motion is without appearances and birth, so also Consciousness devoid of vibration is without appearances and birth% I?-8/% Dhen the fire-brand is in motion, the appearances do not come from elsewhere% 7either do they, when the fire-brand is free from motion, !o elsewhere, nor do they enter into it% I?-:*% They did not !o out of the fire-brand owin! to their not bein! of the nature of substance% In the case of Consciousness, too, the appearances must be the same, for as appearance there can be no distinction% I?-:)% Dhen Consciousness is in motion, the appearances do not come from elsewhere% 7either do they, when the Consciousness is free from motion, !o elsewhere, nor do they enter a!ain into It% I?-:(% They did not !o out of Consciousness owin! to their not bein! of the nature of substance, for they ever remain incomprehensible on account of the absence of relation of effect and cause% I?-:'% < substance could be the cause of a substance and another could be the cause of any other thin!% But the souls cannot be re!arded either as substances or as some other thin! different from all else%
I?-:8% Thus eFternal ob>ects are not born of Consciousness$ nor is Consciousness born of eFternal ob>ects% Thus have the wise settled the birthlessness of cause and effect% I?-::% ect throu!h aya% ects% I?-.*% In the case of all birthless entities the terms permanent and non-permanent can have no application% Dhere words fail to describe, no entity can be spoken of in a discriminative manner% I?-.)% ect of perception to that dreamer alone% I?-.:% The man in the wakin! state, as he wanders in the places of the wakin! state, always sees the creatures born from e!!s or from moisture as eFistin! in all the ten directions% I?-..% These creatures0, perceptible to the consciousness of the man in the wakin! state, have no eFistence apart from his consciousness% So also, this consciousness of the man in the wakin! state is admitted to be the ob>ect of perception to that man of the wakin! state alone% I?-.;% Both these are perceptible to each other% @oes it eFist" To such a uestion0 7o is said by way of answer0% Both these are devoid of valid proof, and each can be perceived only throu!h the idea of the other% I?-.+% =ust as a creature seen in dream takes birth and dies, so also do all these creatures come into bein! and disappear% I?-./% =ust as a creature con>ured up by ma!ic takes birth and dies, so also do all these creatures come into bein! and disappear% I?-;*% =ust as an artificial creature brou!ht into bein! by incantation and medicine0, takes birth and dies, so also do all these creatures come into bein! and disappear% I?-;)% 7o creature whichsoever is born, nor is there any source for it% This is that supreme truth where nothin! is born whatsoever% I?-;(% This duality consistin! in the sub>ect-ob>ect relationship is nothin! but the vibration of Consciousness% ect and is, therefore, declared to be ever unattached% I?-;'% That which eFists by virtue of bein! an ima!ined empirical view, does not eFist in reality%
the soul is unborn$ but from the point of view of supreme Reality, it is not even unborn% I?-;:% There is a mere fascination for unreal thin!s, thou!h there eFists no duality% Havin! realised the absence of duality, one is not born a!ain for want of a cause% I?-;.% Dhen there are no causes G superior, inferior or medium G then Consciousness does not take birth% How can there be any result when the cause is absent% I?-;;% The birthlessness of Consciousness which is free from causes is constant and absolute, for all this ie%, duality and birth0 was an ob>ect of perception to It which had been unborn even before0% I?-;+% Havin! realised the Truth that is uncaused and havin! abstained from obtainin! any further cause, one attains the state of fearlessness that is devoid of !rief and delusion kama0% I?-;/% win! to fascination for unreal ob>ects, Consciousness en!a!es Itself in thin!s that are eually unreal% n realisation of the non-eFistence of ob>ects, Consciousness, becomin! free from attachment, abstainsThen, fromthere them0% I?-+*% follows a state of stillness, when the Consciousness has become free from attachment and does not en!a!e Itself in unreal thin!s0% That is the ob>ect of vision to the wise% That is the supreme0 state on non-distinction, and that is birthless and non-dual% I?-+)% This is birthless, sleepless, dreamless, and self-luminous% 6or this 2ntity the Self0 is ever luminous by Its very nature% I?-+(% win! to the 3ordNs fondness for any ob>ect whatsoever, he becomes ever veiled effortlessly, and is unveiled every time with strenuous effort% I?-+'% < man of puerile ima!ination definitely covers the Self by affirmin! that It eFists, eFists not, 2Fists and eFists not, or a!ain, eFists not, eFists not, and by possessin! such views as that It is0 chan!in! and unchan!in!, both chan!in! and unchan!in! and non-eFistent% I?-+8% These are the four alternative views, owin! to a fascination for which the 3ord becomes ever hidden% He is the all-seer by whom is the 3ord perceived as untouched by these% I?-+:% Havin! attained omniscience in its entirety, as well as the non-dual state of Brahmanhood that is devoid of be!innin!, middle, and end, does anyone wish anythin! thereafter " I?-+.% This is the humility of the Brahmanas$ this is said to be their natural control% Since, by nature, they have conuered the senses, this is their restraint% Havin! known thus, the enli!htened one becomes rooted in tranuillity% I?-+;% The duality that is co-eFistent with both ob>ect and its0 perception is said to be the ordinary wakin!0 state% That state where there is only perception without the actual presence of an0 ob>ect is said to be the ordinary dream0 state% I?-++% The state devoid of ob>ect and devoid of perception is re!arded as eFtraordinary% Thus have the wise for ever declared knowled!e, ob>ect, and the knowable% I?-+/% n acuirin! knowled!e of the threefold ob>ects0 and on knowin! the ob>ects in succession, there follows conseuently, for the man of !reat intellect here, the state of omniscience for ever% I?-/*% Those which are to be abandoned, realised, adopted, and made ineffective should be known first% f these, the three, eFceptin! the thin! to be realised, are re!arded as mere ima!inations born of i!norance% I?-/)% It should be known that all souls are, by nature, similar to ether, and eternal% There is no diversity anywhere amon! them, even an iota of it% I?-/(%
I?-/:% They who have well-settled convictions re!ardin! that which is unborn and ever the same,indeed are possessed of !reat knowled!e in this world% But the common man cannot comprehend it% I?-/.% The knowled!e eFistin! in the birthless souls is re!arded unborn and unrelated% Inasmuch as the knowled!e has no relation with other ob>ects, it is declared to be unattached% I?-/;% If there be birth for a thin!, however insi!nificant it may be, non-attachment shall never be possible for the i!norant man% Dhat to speak then0 of the destruction of coverin! for him " I?-/+% ects% ects% This fact was not mentioned by the Buddha% I?-)**% Havin! realised the non-dual is hard serene,we offer our salutations to It, asstate bestthat as we can% to perceive, deep, unborn, uniform and m !ods, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious$ ay we see with our eyes what is auspicious$ ay we, while offerin! our praise to !ods Dith our bodies stron! of limbs, 2n>oy the life which the !ods are pleased to !rant us% ay Indra of !reat fame be well disposed to us$ ay the all-knowin! or immensely wealthy0 9usha be propitious to us$ ay &aruda, the vanuisher of miseries, be well pleased with us$ ay Brihaspati !rant us all prosperity% m 9eace 9eace 9eace Here ends the andukyopanishad, included in the
Mandukya Upanishad &ommentary &ommentary on the Mandukya Upanishad'by Sami !irma"ananda #iri
The Shabda *rahmanD 6m m is a principal sub>ect in the eleven ma>or upanishads, but the entire andukya #panishad is dedicated to an eFplanation of Its meanin! for the sadhaka% It wastes no time, but starts ri!ht at the pinnacle, sayin!1 The syllable , which shall is theeFist imperishable is the universe%transcends Dhatsoever has eFisted, whatsoever eFists, whatsoever hereafter,Brahman, is %
The four aspects of the Se"f
The first aspect of the Self is the universal person, the collective symbol of created bein!s, in his physical natureQ?aiswanara% ?aiswanara is awake, and is conscious only of eFternal ob>ects% He has seven members% The heavens are his head, the sun his eyes, air his breath, fire his heart, water his belly, earth his feet, and space his body% He has nineteen instruments of knowled!e1 five or!ans of sense, five or!ans of action, five functions of the breath, to!ether with mind, intellect, heart, and e!o% He is the en>oyer of the pleasures of sense%L andukya #panishad '0 This is an eFtremely eFplanatory translation, but all correct% The last statement1 He is the en>oyer of the pleasures of senseL should really be1 He is the eFperiencer of material thin!s%L ther than that, all is well, the idea bein! that &od encompasses all perceptible bein!% Tai7asa
The second aspect of the Self is the universal person in his mental natureGTai>asa% Tai>asa has seven members and nineteen instruments of knowled!e% He is dreamin!, and is conscious only of his dreams% In this state he is the en>oyer of the subtle impressions in his mind of the deeds he has done in the past%L andukya #panishad 80 Subconsciousness is the sprin!board from which all present action stems% De speak of karma and samskara, the deeds of past lives and their effects, as producin! all that we now eFperience% asa and ?aiswanara is impossible% They are really only two aspects of a sin!le thin!% 6urther, there is a third aspect throu!h which the unity of consciousness manifests itself1 9ra>na% 5ra7na
The third aspect of the Self is the universal person in dreamless sleepG9ra>na% 9ra>na dreams not% He is without desire% oyable
thin! and does not see any dream% The third uarter is 9ra>na who has deep sleep as his sphere, in whom everythin! becomes undifferentiated, who is a mass of mere consciousness, who abounds in bliss, who is surely an en>oyer of bliss, and who is the doorway to the eFperience of the dream and wakin! states%L Dhat we have here is a picture of the third layer of eFperience that underlies the conscious and subconscious levels of the mind% 7ot only is this layer undifferentiated because it is the raw material out of which the other two emer!e, it is also the level of assimilation in which the chan!es of the two resolve back into their basic constituents% Therefore1 9ra>na is the lord of all% He knows all thin!s% He is the dweller in the hearts of all% He is the ori!in of all% He is the end of all%L andukya #panishad .0 This is all true, and is a very eFact description of our own personal level of pra>na as well as the universal 9ra>na% This verse really sounds like a eulo!istic definition of &od in ordinary theistic reli!ion% But Sanatana @harma is not ordinary reli!ion, so it !oes much further, far beyond the vistas of the worldNs reli!ionsLGa kind of 6reudian slip in its way, indicatin! that they sprin! from the world, from world-based consciousness% Rather the upanishad tells us of a fourth level of Bein!% TuriyaD The Se"f
The 6ourth, say the wise, is not sub>ective eFperience, nor ob>ective eFperience, nor eFperience intermediate between these two, nor is it a ne!ative condition which is neither consciousness nor unconsciousness% It is not the knowled!e of the senses, nor is it relative knowled!e, nor yet inferential knowled!e% Beyond the senses, beyond the understandin!, beyond all eFpression, is The 6ourth% It is pure unitary consciousness, wherein awareness of the world and of multiplicity is completely obliterated% It is ineffable peace% It is the supreme !ood% It is ne without a second% It is the Self% Know it aloneL andukya #panishad ;0 This is rather a hu!e lump for the intelli!ence to chew, swallow, and assimilate, because it mostly consists of what the mysterious 6ourthGthe TuriyaGis not% 5roof
There is one point that for some reason is omitted i!nored0 by 9rabhavananda and other translators% In this verse the Self is said to be e%a atma pratyaya saram% Some translators have rendered it to mean that the Turiya is the essence, the sole factor, of the Self% ect1 It is the Self% Know it aloneL 6m
The upanishad is not dispensin! mere theory to us, but knowled!e meant to be put into practice and proven by that practice% So it continues1 This Self, beyond all words, is the syllable % This syllable, thou!h indivisible, consists of three lettersQ<-#-%L andukya #panishad +0 The Self, the
we can eFperience the truth and be freed from the effects of i!norance1 karma and rebirth% m is the means of eFperience and freedom% m is also considered to be formed of the three letters a, u, and m, which represent the three states of wakin!, dreamin!, and dreamless sleep respectively, as well as the physical, astral, and causal levels of eFistence% In Sanskrit, when a and u are combined they produce the sound of o% However, this only applies to verbal speech% In mental speakin!L we make the pure sound of o, not a and u to!ether% So inwardly m is only two letters, not three% 7evertheless, the upanishad is considerin! the three-letter form because m contains within Itself the three states of conscious that have been discussed, and m is the way to access and unify the three% ?aiswanara, the Self as the universal person in his physical bein!, corresponds to the first letterG<% Dhosoever knows ?aiswanara obtains what he desires, and becomes the first amon! men%L andukya #panishad /0 He who masters the wakin! state throu!h the >apa and meditation of m also masters the material world and becomes himself a master amon! menGnot of men, but among men, for sa!es have no wish to control others thou!h they !ladly tell us how to control ourselves% The desires of such masters are fulfilled because they are intimately connected with the very essence of creation and whatever they think can be realiEed% This is how they work miracles, even creatin! thin!s if needed% Tai>asa, the Self as the universal person in his mental bein!, corresponds to the second letterQ#% Tai>asa and the letter # both stand in dream, between wakin! and sleepin!% Dhosoever knows Tai>asa !rows in wisdom, and is hi!hly honored%L andukya #panishad )*0 Sanskrit is capable of more than one interpretation, and this verse can also say two very interestin! thin!s1 )0 Such a master increases the knowled!e of humanity and even !ives inner momentum to assist uestin! souls to access knowled!e, and (0 he becomes one with all human bein!s in the sense that when they meet him they feel that his is one with themGone of themGand they are so attuned and comfortable with him that they feel he is virtually their own self% This is seen in the !reat saints% Dhether a be!!ar or a kin! approaches them, they feel that they are their dear and their own% I saw and eFperienced this for myself with Swami Sivananda%thou!h His !reatness was cosmic$ he him% was aHow virtual !odtimes uponIthe earth$ and yet,atI felt at ease with himGeven I was always in awe of many have sat lookin! his so radiant countenance and thou!ht1 If there is anyone in this world who loves me, it is this man%L f course he was manL only in form% Dithin he was the divine Self% Aet he was so accessible and so easy to communicate with% He was as close to me as my SelfGfor he was one with That Dhich is my Self% It is important for us in the Dest to understand this aspect of holy people because we are so brainwashed with the idea of power and control and much more impressed with the power to curse than the power to bless% Rebuke, curse, deprecate, punish, torment, and destroyGthese are the waysL of the Destern &odL who fortunately is a blasphemy and not a reality% 7o wonder =esus said1 any will say to me in that day, 3ord, 3ord, have we not prophesied in thy name" and in thy name have cast out devils" and in thy name done many wonderful works" ust as it is to the conscious, so throu!h m the master yo!i knows all about himself and has no illusions about himself% He also knows all about others and understands them% 7o one can fool him% I saw this in Sivananda, as well% He was always so kind, and often humorous, but he went ri!ht to the truth of thin!s in relation to peopleNs foibles% 9ra>na, the Self as the universal person in dreamless sleep, corresponds to the third letterQ% He is the ori!in and the end of all% Dhosoever knows 9ra>na knows all thin!s%L andukya #panishad ))0 Bein! one with the source and the ultimate !oal of all, a self-realiEed bein! is omniscient because he
ever dwells at the core of allGpast, present, and future% %n conc"usion
Havin! said all these amaEin! thin!s, the upanishad brin!s us back to the heart of it all1 m% The 6ourth, the Self, is , the indivisible syllable% This syllable is unutterable, and beyond mind% In it the manifold universe disappears% It is the supreme !oodGne without a second% Dhosoever knows , the Self, becomes the Self%L andukya #panishad )(0 &ambhirananda1 The partless m is TuriyaGbeyond all conventional dealin!s, the limit of the ne!ation of the phenomenal world, the auspicious, and the non-dual% m is thus the Self to be sure% He who knows thus enters the Self throu!h his Self%L The partless Om% In its attempt to convey to our human intellects a bit of the !lory of m, the
upanishad has considered It as havin! four aspects or parts,L but in reality It is without parts, bein! absolutely unitary in Its nature% So the upanishad reminds us of this lest we mistake its intent and meanin!% =ust as we sometimes have to speak inaccurately to children to !et our ideas across, so has the upanishad done with us% But now it corrects any wron! impression we may have !otten% Beyond all conventional dealings% Swami 7ikhilananda renders this1 without relationship,L meanin!
that we cannot dealL with &od as we do with a material ob>ect or another human bein!% 7or can it be spoken about as It really is, for It lies beyond phenomenaGalthou!h It is the source of phenomena% De cannot relateL to &od, but we can know our oneness with &od when we ourselves pass beyond all dual relationships% The limit of the negation of the phenomenal world% De must realiEe that the Self is absolutely like
nothin! we know in relative eFistence, and therefore It is beyond the reach of any words% That is the intellectual side of the situation% n the metaphysical side we have to ne!ate all thin!sL from our consciousness that we find in the phenomenal world% The auspicious% 3est we think this is a losin! or a !ivin! up of somethin! worthwhile, the upanishad
tells us that the Self is the truly auspicious, the truly fortunate, and producin! !ood fortune% De really only !ive up and ne!ate a mira!e in eFchan!e for The Real% The non:dual% The Real bein! non-dual, we discover that It is us So we not only !ain everythin!, we
eFperience it as bein! us% De reco!niEe ourselves as truly bein! the kin!dom, the power, and the !lory%L Om is thus the !elf to be sure% m reveals the truth of what the upanishad is tellin! us% m is not a
symbol or desi!nator of the Self, It IS the Self% This can be known% $e who %nows thus enters the !elf through his !elf% De enter into our true Bein! throu!h the >apa and
meditation of mGwhich is our eternal Self% There is no !reater or hi!her knowled!e than the knowled!e of m%
Taittiriya Upanishad Translated by !wami Gambhirananda Published by 'dvaita 'shram" 7ol%atta
m ay He protect us both to!ether$ may He nourish us both to!ether$ ay we work con>ointly with !reat ener!y, ay our study be vi!orous and effective$ ay we not mutually dispute or may we not hate any0% m 3et there be 9eace in me 3et there be 9eace in my environment 3et there be 9eace in the forces that act on me Siksha ?alli I-i-)1 ay itra be blissful to us% ay ?aruna be blissful to us% ay uFtaposition% Thus has been spoken the chapter on pronunciation% I-iii-)1 ay we both attain fame to!ether% ay spiritual pre-eminence be vouchsafed to both of us to!ether% 7ow therefore, we shall state the meditation on >uFtaposition throu!h five cate!ories G relatin! to the worlds, to the shinin! thin!s, to knowled!e, to pro!eny, and to the body% These, they call the !reat >uFtapositions% 7ow then, as re!ards the meditation on the worlds% The earth is the first letter% Heaven the last letter% sky meetin!-place% I-iii-(-81is?ayu is the link%The This is is thethemeditation with re!ard to the worlds% Then follows the meditation with re!ard to the shinin! thin!s% 6ire is the first letter% The sun is the last letter% Dater is the rallyin! point% 3i!htnin! is the link% This is the meditation with re!ard to the shinin! thin!s% Then follows the meditation with re!ard to knowled!e% The teacher is the first letter% The student is the last letter%
Knowled!e is the meetin!-place% Instruction is the link% This is the meditation with re!ard to knowled!e% Then follows the meditation with re!ard to pro!eny% The mother is the first letter% The father is the last letter% The pro!eny is the focal point% &eneration is the link% This is the meditation with re!ard to pro!eny% Then follows the meditation with re!ard to the individual0 body% The lower >aw is the first letter% The upper >aw is the last letter% Speech is the meetin!-place% The ton!ue is the link% This is the meditation with re!ard to the individual0 body% These are the !reat >uFtapositions% uFtapositions, as they are eFplained, becomes con>oined with pro!eny, animals, the splendour of holiness, edible food, and the heavenly world% I-iv-)-(1 The m that is the most eFalted in the ?edas, that pervades all worlds, and that emer!ed from the immortal ?edas as their uintessence, may he m that is Indra0, the supreme 3ord, !ratify me with intelli!ence% 3ord,may mayI Ihear be the receptacle ay bodyofbeBrahman1 fit$ may my be surpassin!ly sweet$ much throu!hoftheimmortality% ears% Aou are themy sheath youton!ue are covered by worldly0 wisdom% 9rotect what I have heard% Then vouchsafe to me who am her i%e% 9rosperityNs0 own, that 9rosperity which brin!s, increases, and accomplishes uickly for me clothes, cattle, food, and drink for ever, and which is associated with furry and other animals% Svaha% ay the Brahmacharins i%e% students0 come to me from all sides% Svaha% ay the Brahmacharins come to me in various ways% Svaha% ay the Brahmacharins come to me in the proper way% Svaha% ay the Brahmacharins have physical self-control% Svaha% ay the Brahmacharins have mental self-control% Svaha% I-iv-'1 ay I become famous amon! people% Svaha% ay I become praiseworthy amon! the wealthy% Svaha% adorable ne, may I enter into you, such as you are% Svaha% venerable ne, you, such as you are, enter into me% Svaha% adorable ne, who are !reatly diversified, may I purify my sins in you% Svaha% ur-?eda% I-v-'1 aha is Brahman i%e% m0, for by Brahman m0, indeed, are all the ?edas nourished% Bhuh, indeed, is 9rana$ Bhuvah is
I-vii-)1 The earth, sky, heaven, the primary uarters, and the intermediate uarters$ fire, air, the sun, the moon, and the stars$ water, herbs, trees, sky, and ?irat G these relate to natural factors% Then follow the individual ones1 9rana, ?yana, ust as Brahmanas do, who may happen to be there and who are able deliberators, who are adepts in those duties and customs, who are not directed by others, who are not cruel, and who are desirous of merit% Then, as for the accused people, you should behave with re!ard to them >ust as the Brahmanas do, who may happen to be there and who are able deliberators, who are adepts in those
duties and customs, who are not directed by others, who are not cruel, who are desirous of merit% This is the in>unction% This is the instruction% This is the secret of the ?edas% This is divine behest% This is how the meditation is to be done% This is how this must be meditated on% I-Fii-)1 ay itra be blissful to us% ay ?aruna be blissful to us% ay oys, as identified with the all - knowin! Brahman, all desirable thin!s simultaneously% 6rom that Brahman, which is the Self, was produced space% 6rom space emer!ed air% 6rom air was born fire% 6rom fire was created water% 6rom water spran! up earth% 6rom earth were born the herbs% 6rom the herbs was produced food% 6rom food was born man% That man, such as he is, is a product of the essence of food% f him this indeed, is the head, this is the southern side$ this is the northern side$ this is the Self$ this is the stabilisin! tail% Here is a verse pertainin! to that very fact1 II-ii-)1 ur-mantras are the head% The Ri!-mantras are the ri!ht side, the Sama-mantras are the left side, the Brahmana portion is the self trunk0, the mantras seen by ected to fear at any time if one knows the Bliss that is Brahman failin! to reach which Brahman, as conditioned by the mind0, words, alon! with the mind, turn back% f that precedin! vital0 one, this mental one is verily the embodied self%
mental body, there is another internal self constituted by valid knowled!e% By that one is this one filled up% This one as aforesaid, has verily a human shape% It is humanly shaped in accordance with the human shape of the earlier one% f him faith is verily the head$ ri!hteousness is the ri!ht side$ truth is the left side$ concentration is the self trunk0$ the principle, called0 ahat, is the stabilisin! tail% 9ertainin! to this, here is a verse1 II-v-)1 Knowled!e actualises a sacrifice, and it eFecutes the duties as well% oys all en>oyable thin!s% f that precedin! mental0 one this co!nitive one0 is verily the embodied self% oyment humanly shaped in accordance withisthe shape of theasearlier one% has f him >oya is verilyshape% the head, is the ri!ht side, hilarity thehuman left side$ bliss is the self trunk0% Brahman is the tail that stabilises% oy$ for one becomes happy by comin! in contact with that source of >oy% Dho, indeed, will inhale, and who will eFhale, if this Bliss be not there in the supreme space within the heart0% This one, indeed, enlivens people0% 6or whenever an aspirant !ets fearlessly established in this un-perceivable, bodiless, ineFpressible, and un-supportin! Brahman, he reaches the state of fearlessness% 6or, whenever the aspirant creates the sli!htest difference in It, he is smitten with fear% 7evertheless, that very Brahman is a terror to the so-called0 learned man who lacks the unitive outlook% Illustrative of this is this verse here1 II-viii-)-81 ut of His fear the Dind blows% ut of fear the Sun rises% ut of His fear runs 6ire, as also Indra, and @eath, the fifth% This, then, is an evaluation of that Bliss1 Suppose there is a youn! man G in the prime of life, !ood, learned, most eFpeditious, most stron!ly built, and most ener!etic% Suppose there lies this earth for him filled with wealth% This will be one unit of human >oy% If this human >oy be multiplied a hundred times, it is one >oy of the man-&andharvas, and so also of a follower of the ?edas unaffected by desires% If this >oy of the man-&andharvas be multiplied a hundred times, it is one >oy of the divine-&andharvas, and so also of a follower of the ?edas unaffected by desires% If the >oy of the divine-&andharvas be increased a hundredfold, it is one >oy of the manes whose world is everlastin!, and so also of a follower of the ?edas unaffected by desires% If the >oy of the manes that dwell in the everlastin! world be increased a hundredfold, it is one
>oy of those that are born as !ods in heaven, and so also of a follower of the ?edas untouched by desires% If the >oy of those that are born as !ods in heaven be multiplied a hundredfold, it is one >oy of the !ods called the Karma-@evas, who reach the !ods throu!h ?edic rites, and so also of a follower of the ?edas unaffected by desires% If the >oy of the !ods, called the Karma-@evas, be multiplied a hundredfold, it is one >oy of the !ods, and so also of a follower of the ?edas untarnished by desires% If the >oy of the !ods be increased a hundred times, it is one >oy of Indra, and so also of a follower of the ?edas unaffected by desires% If the >oy of Indra be multiplied a hundredfold, it is one >oy of Brihaspati and so also of a follower of the ?edas unaffected by desires% If the >oy of Brihaspati be increased a hundred times, it is one >oy of ?irat, and so also of a follower of the ?edas untarnished by desires% If the >oy of ?irat be multiplied a hundred times, it is one >oy of Hiranya!arbha, and so also of a follower of the ?edas unsullied by desires% II-viii-:1 He after that isdesistin! here in the human person,this andself Hemade that isofthere the sun, one% He of who knows thus attains, from this world, food,inattains thisare self made vital force, attains this self made of mind, attains this self made of intelli!ence, attains this self made of bliss% 2Fpressive of this there occurs this verse1 II-iF-)1 The enli!htened man is not afraid of anythin! after realisin! that Bliss of Brahman, failin! to reach which, words turn back alon! with the mind% Him, indeed, this remorse does not afflict1 Dhy did I not perform !ood deeds, and why did I perform bad deeds " He who is thus enli!htened stren!thens the Self with which these two are identical$ for it is he, indeed, who knows thus, that can stren!then the Self which these two really are% This is the secret teachin!% Bhri!u ?alli III-i-)1 Bhri!u, the well-known son of ?aruna, approached his father ?aruna with the formal0 reuest, , revered sir, teach me BrahmanL% To him he ?aruna0 said this1 6ood, vital force, eye, ear, mind, speech G these are the aids to knowled!e of Brahman0L% To him he ?aruna0 said1 Crave to know that from which all these bein!s take birth, that by which they live after bein! born, that towards which they move and into which they mer!e% That is BrahmanL% He practised concentration% He, havin! practised concentration, III-ii-)1 He realised food i%e% ?irat, the !ross Cosmic person0 as Brahman% 6or it is verily from food that all these bein!s take birth, on food they subsist after bein! born and they move towards and mer!e into food% Havin! realised that, he a!ain approached his father ?aruna with the formal0 reuest% , revered sir, teach me BrahmanL% To him he ?aruna0 said1 Crave to know Brahman throu!h concentration$ concentration is BrahmanL% He practised concentration% He, havin! practised concentration, III-iii-)1 He knew the vital force as Brahman$ for from the vital force, indeed, sprin! all these bein!s$ havin! come into bein!, they live throu!h the vital force$ they move towards and enter into the vital force, Havin! known thus, he a!ain approached his father ?aruna with the formal0 reuest% , revered sir, teach me BrahmanL% To him he ?aruna0 said1 Crave to know Brahman throu!h concentration$ concentration is BrahmanL% He practised concentration% Havin! practised concentration, III-iv-)1 He knew mind as Brahman$ for from mind, indeed, sprin! all these bein!s$ havin! been born, they are sustained by mind$ and they move towards and mer!e into mind% Havin! known that, he a!ain approached his father ?aruna with the formal0 reuest% , revered sir, teach me BrahmanL% To him he ?aruna0 said1 Crave to know Brahman throu!h concentration$ concentration is BrahmanL% He practised concentration% Havin! practised concentration,
III-v-)1 He knew knowled!e as Brahman$ for from knowled!e, indeed, sprin! all these bein!s$ havin! been born, they are sustained by knowled!e$ they move towards and mer!e in knowled!e% Havin! known that, he a!ain approached his father ?aruna with the formal0 reuest% , revered sir, teach me BrahmanL% To him he ?aruna0 said1 Crave to know Brahman throu!h concentration$ concentration is BrahmanL% He practised concentration% Havin! practised concentration, III-vi-)1 He knew Bliss as Brahman$ for from Bliss, indeed, all these bein!s ori!inate$ Havin! been born, they are sustained by Bliss$ they move towards and mer!e in Bliss% This knowled!e realised by Bhri!u and imparted by ?aruna starts from the food-self and0 terminates in the supreme Bliss0, established in the cavity of the heart% He who knows thus becomes firmly established$ he becomes the possessorand of food the eater of food$ and he becomes !reat in pro!eny, cattle and the lustre of holiness, !reatand in !lory% III-vii-)1 His vow is that, he should not deprecate food% The vital force is verily the food, and the body is the eater$ for the vital force is lod!ed in the body% oy in the !enerative or!an$ as everythin! in space% ne should meditate on that Brahman as the support$ thereby one becomes supported% ne should meditate on that Brahman as !reat$ thereby one becomes !reat% ne should meditate on It as thinkin!$ thereby one becomes able to
think% ne should meditate on It as bowin! down$ thereby the en>oyable thin!s bow down to one% ne should meditate on It as the most eFalted$ Thereby one becomes eFalted% ne should meditate on It as BrahmanNs medium of destruction$ thereby the adversaries that envy such a one die, and so do the enemies whom this one dislikes% This bein! that is in the human personality, and the bein! that is there in the sun are one% III-F-:-.1 He who knows thus, attains, after desistin! from this world, this self made of food% ust I am% I, food as I am, eat him up who eats food without offerin!% I defeat i%e% en!ulf0 the entire universe% ur efful!ence is like that of the sun% This is the #panishad% m ay He protect us both to!ether$ may He nourish us both to!ether$ ay we work con>ointly with !reat ener!y, ay our study be vi!orous and effective$ ay we not mutually dispute or may we not hate any0% m 3et there be 9eace in me 3et there be 9eace in my environment 3et there be 9eace in the forces that act on me Here ends the Taittiriyopanishad, included in the Krishna-Aa>ur-?eda%
Taittiriya Upanishad &ommentary &ommentary on the Taittiriya Upanishad'by Sami !irma"ananda #iri
2ef"ections 6n *rahman In his translations of some upanishads Swami 9rabhavananda omitted parts that were in such obscure lan!ua!e that any attempt at translation would really only be speculation% He also omitted very repetitious passa!es and those that dwelt with matters irrelevant to the knowled!e of Brahman and the Self% I think that if you !et complete translations of those you will see he was uite >ustified in this% umpin! around%
Thou art indeed>
Thou art indeed the manifested Brahman% f thee will I speak% Thee will I proclaim in my thou!hts as true% Thee will I proclaim on my lips as true%L Taittiriya #panishad )1)1)0 This fervent profession of faith and fidelity seems uite simple, but when we consider what it entails, it is a hi!h aspiration indeed% It is also strikin!ly in contrast to most of the upanishads, which continually insist on the transcendence of Brahman and the impossibility of comprehendin! or speakin! of It% Dhile typin! in the for!oin! sentence my memory reached back to a time of blessed tranuility in the sacred city of Sukhtal in north India% Tradition says that the supreme aster Sukhadeva, the illumined son of ?yasa, came to Sukhtal and tau!ht the dyin! Kin! 9arikshit the principles of Self-knowled!e and liberation% centuriesne laterofI the was!reat in Sukhtal at a spiritualalso !atherin! Samyan Saptah0 under the ae!is of Sri aany i was very happy, as he could cuddle and talk to the little calf that was tethered nearby% ust one piece of practical advice that would help them live their lives and remember &od% They have come here at !reat inconvenience and eFpense, leavin! their homes and work behind, seekin! ways to keep from drownin! in the world% ust tell them the world is no more than a dream and to for!et it How could they for!et it" How many children must they have to care for and how many debts and obli!ations" Dhat is wron! with you" Dhy canNt you tell them how to better their lives and rise above their worries and fears" Aou eFpect them to honor and support you, but what use are you to anybody" Aou should be ashamedL He lau!hed and concluded1 So their 7on-dual MrealiEationN and philosophy went out the window and they !ot very interested in a dualistic battle with me% If it had not been for ata>i bein! there I would have !otten some blowsL The thou!ht of the frail saint bein! assailed by the bi! BabasL who were as robust as their tempers, was not a happy one% But my dear friend was uite content with the situation, bein! firmly committed to the !ood sense embodied in this openin! verse of the upanishad% Dhat the Taittiriya #panishad now will do is balance out the very true, thou!h one-sided, teachin!s of some of the other upanishads re!ardin! the nature of
Brahman and the world% Thou art indeed the manifested Brahman% 6irst we must understand that the cosmos is 7T aya%
aya is the illusion in our mind as to the nature of the cosmos and our relation to it% aya is a product of our i!norance, it is our wron! seein! and actin!% The world out thereL is not aya% aya is the world in hereLGin our mind% aya is the product of e!o% nce this inner veil has been destroyed, then we see the world as &od in manifestation% In reaction we then eFult with the upanishadic sa!e, also sayin!1 Thou art indeed the manifested BrahmanL Of thee will I spea%. This will consist of two ways of speakin!1 denyin! what the world is not and
affirmin! what the world is% De will speak of the reality of the world as Brahman% De will also speak of the unreality in the minds of i!norant human bein!s and eFplain its nature as delusion% 6urther, we will speak of the nature of the world as an evolutionary ladder, and eFplain how it is used by the yo!i as the means of freedom and ascent% Thee will I proclaim in my thoughts as true. De will see and know in our minds that which is real in the
world, always aware that it is not the worldL at all, but @ivinity Itself% This is a matter of knowin!, not mere speakin! or speculatin!% Thee will I proclaim on my lips as true %
important point here is that we must know before we speak% therwise our words are >ust empty noise% The true Knower revels in the affirmation eFpressed in this first verse%
!ecessary ,essons 5rotection
ust humansGseek for security, for safety% ShelterL means a lot more than a placeone out assurance of the rain%ofItsafety, is commonly there is safety in numbers, but that it not true% There is only and the said neFtthat verse eFpresses it ri!htly1 ay truth protect me, may it protect my teacher, may it protect us both% ay !lory come to us both% ay the li!ht of Brahman shine in us both%L Taittiriya #panishad )1)1), )1'1)0 !atyam means truth, both relative and absolute, truthfulness, and Brahman Dho is The Truth%
bviously, this verse is referrin! mostly to Brahman, but simple truth in the sense of accuracy and honesty is also implied% If Truth is possessed by both student and teachin!, then it only follows that renown yashah0 and the splendor of Brahman Brahma:varchasam0 will accrue to them as well% "esson on 6m
Thou art Brahman, one with the syllable , which is in all scripturesGthe supreme syllable, the mother of all sound% @o thou stren!then me with true wisdom% ay I, 3ord, realiEe the Immortal% ay my body be stron! and whole$ may my ton!ue be sweet$ may my ears hear only praise of thee% The syllable is verily thine ima!e% Throu!h this syllable thou mayest be attained% Thou art beyond the !rasp of the intellect% ?ouchsafe that I for!et not what I have learned in the scriptures%L Taittiriya #panishad )181)0 This verse and those followin! are addressed to the Infinite, to Brahman, but there is a purpose for openin! with a declaration that Brahman and m are the same1 what is !oin! to be petitioned for can be attained throu!h the >apa and meditation of m% De should look at these verses in that conteFt%
Thou art Brahman" one with the syllable O6" which is in all scriptures,the supreme syllable" the mother of all sound. The more literal description is1 The m that is the most eFalted in the ?edas, that
pervades all words, and that emer!ed from the immortal ?edas as their uintessence%L m is the crown >ewel of the ?edasGwhich includes the upanishads% ali tells us that the >apa and meditation of m is the way to the hi!hest realiEation% Ao!a Sutras )1(+0 r that the undaka #panishad ur!es us to dismiss other utterances%L undaka #panishad (%(%:0 De should let !o of the chitter-chatter of the mind and its irrelevant thou!hts repeat m% 6or the undaka #panishad says in the neFt part of the verse1 This m isand theconstantly brid!e to immortality%L 4o thou strengthen me with true wisdom. True wisdom is knowled!e of the True Sat0, the knowled!e
of &od% 7othin! can impart such knowled!e but &odGand m is &od% So It is the only way to that knowled!e% m is that one thin! which, when knownPall is known%L 6ay I" O 2ord" reali#e the Immortal. Here, too, m is the means% Swami &ambhirananda renders this
phrase1 ay I be the receptacle of immortality%L If we continually fill our consciousness with the invocation of m we shall be vessels of immortality, of Brahman% 6ay my body be strong and whole5 may my tongue be sweet5 may my ears hear only praise of thee.
Throu!h m even our eFternal, material life becomes spiritually !lorified% The syllable O6 is verily thine image. Through this syllable thou mayest be attained. There is no need
for comment on thisGwhat we need is eFperience of its truth throu!h our own spiritual practice% Thou art beyond the grasp of the intellect. Vouchsafe that I forget not what I have learned in the scriptures. Since the nature of BrahmanGand therefore of m, as wellGis beyond conception and words,
it is only natural that we keep for!ettin! the Truth of them both, >ust as una kept for!ettin! the true nature of Krishna% Since ri!ht now we are not consciously established in the Bein! of BrahmanOm, the fact keeps slippin! away from us% 6or that reason we need to set the scriptural statements re!ardin! m most firmly in our minds% 6or the moment, at least, we need to let the sacred teFts rememberL for us% Thou art the source of all happiness and of all prosperity% @o thou come to me as the !oddess of prosperity and shower thy blessin!s upon me% ay the seekers after truth !ather round me, may they come from everywhere, that I may teach them thy word%L Taittiriya #panishad )181(0 m is the anifester of all, so It is the source of all abundance, spiritual and material% 3akshmi, the &oddess of 9rosperity, is, like all the other !ods,L a symbol of m%
Thou art the refu!e of those who surrender themselves to thee% Reveal thyself to me% ake me thine own% I take my refu!e in thee%L Taittiriya #panishad )181'0 This says a lot1 6ay I be a glory among men. This is not a bid for fame as some translators think%
9rabhavananda understands, our desire must be to manifest !lorious humanity on our way to divinity% 2ven if no one knows we eFist, we can still throu!h our sadhana be a !lory amon! men%L That is a worthy ambition, realiEed throu!h m% 6ay I be richer than the richest. This is done by possessin! everythin! in Infinite Consciousness% Dhat
is mere moneyGor even a mere universeGin comparison to that" m is Infinite Consciousness% 6ay I enter into thee" O 2ord5 and mayest thou reveal thyself unto me.
into Thee%of the ?enerable enterwith into me%L Thism is &ambhiranandaNs eetin! Twain%Lne, De unite m and unites with us% renderin!% This is the !reat Purified am I by thy touch" O 2ord of manifold forms.
m This Syllable is Brahman% PDith freuent application of this divine sound he washes away the stains of the soul%L ust as an arrow shot from a bow !ets transfiFed in the tar!et%L Shankara, -ommentary on the 6unda%a panishad0 Thou art the refuge of those who surrender themselves to thee. m is the safe haven of the sadhaka% =eveal thyself to me. It is by the eFperiencin! of m in its hi!her and hi!her subtler and subtler0 forms
that It is fully revealed and united with in meditation% 6a%e me thine own% By endin! all separation from Thee% Thou!h we ask the divine blessin! for this, it
is our effort that enables the 9ranava to truly be The Dord of 3ife for us% I ta%e my refuge in thee. apa-tapa$ >apa-tapa% By holdin! on to
m as dear lifeL we enter into 3ife Itself% "esson on *rahman
7ow Brahman is addressed in words of those that have crossed the sea of samsara and entered the harbor of the Supreme Self% Rather than obscure them with comments, I will !ive them >ust as they are for your inspiration% Thou art the 3ord, immortal, self-luminous, and of !olden efful!ence, within the lotus of every heart% Dithin the heart art thou revealed to those that seek thee%L Taittiriya #panishad )1.1)0 He who dwells in thee becomes kin! over himself% He controls his wanderin! thou!hts% He becomes master of his speech and of all his or!ans of sense% He becomes master of his intellect% Thou art Brahman, whose form is invisible, like ether$ whose Self is truth% Thou art perfect peace and immortality, the solace of life, the deli!ht of the mind% ay I worship theeL Taittiriya #panishad )1.1(0 m is Brahman% is all% He who meditates on attains to Brahman%L Taittiriya #panishad )%+%)0 Havin! attained to Brahman, a sa!e declared1 I am life% y !lory is like the mountain peak% I am established in the purity of Brahman% I have attained the freedom of the Self% I am Brahman, self-luminous, the bri!htest treasure% I am endowed with wisdom% I am immortal, imperishable%L Taittiriya #panishad )%)*%)0 "esson on "earning
To conclude the first part adhyaya0 of the upanishad, we are !iven a four-verse eFhortation to a student who is departin! from the teacherNs house after the completion of his study% It is fittin! for all who are involved in the worldL or society to any de!ree to take these words to heart% 6or without them we will lose our way, however much we may have read and learned% 3et your conduct be marked by ri!ht action, includin! study and teachin! of the scriptures$ by truthfulness in word, deed, and thou!ht$ by self-denial the practice of austerity$ and self-control$ by performance of the everyday dutiesand of life with a cheerful heart by andpoise an unattached mind% Speak the truth% @o your duty% @o not ne!lect the study of the scriptures% @o not cut the thread of pro!eny% Swerve not from truth% @eviate not from the path of !ood% Revere !reatness%L Taittiriya #panishad )1))1)0 If we seriously intend to !et anywhere in spiritual life, these principles will !uarantee our successGas surely as their ne!lect or omission will !uarantee our failure% Spiritual life is not a lark or a bit of spice to add to life% y intention was to warn people away from wastin! their time with yo!a if they intended to live a life incompatible with yo!aNs fundamental character% But I soon realiEed that it would be a waste of time to write a book for spiritual idlers and dabblers who really would not care whether they succeeded or failedGthey >ust wanted a diversion and somethin! to impress others with, a topic for conversation% But now is the time for the facts to be set forth% I hope the authority of the upanishads will carry sufficient wei!ht% 2et your conduct be mar%ed by right action. There could be many lists of what constitutes ri!ht action,
but the best is that of 9atan>ali the master yo!i1 )% ury, harmlessness%
(% Satya1 truthfulness, honesty% '% ust some noble or sentimental vowin! of our life to &od, but a very real and practical manner of orderin! our life so that every moment brin!s us closer to &odrealiEation, to union with &od% Including study and teaching of the scriptures% Bein! >ustly weary of bein! beaten over the head by
The Dord of &od,L both Desterners and iddle-2asterners naturally shy away from the idea of scriptural authority, whether the Torah, the Bible, or the Koran% But they misunderstand the very motivation behind reverence for scriptures in the 2ast% Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism do not respect their spiritual teFts because of who has spoken them or written them down% Rather, the value of the scriptures rest solely upon their practical valueGnothin! else% 6or them, a principle is not true >ust because it is written in a holy book, rather it was written in the holy book because it was the truthGa truth an because can be put to the test and demonstrated be true% 6or eFample, water not hydro!en oFy!en a science book says so$ the booktosays so because it is true% Theisonly reason weand who follow 2astern reli!ions uote scriptures is because they say it so wellGoften much clearer than we could on our own% The upanishads and the Bha!avad &ita are masterpieces of concise eFpression% Dorlds of meanin! often lie within a sin!le phrase, even a sin!le word% The bottom line is this1 the 2astern scriptures DRK% 6or thousands of years multitudes have proven in their own life that 9atan>aliNs list has practical value%
must live !odly%L By self:denial. Here, too, the 2ast means somethin! totally different from the ne!ative mortificationL
of Destern reli!ion that is nothin! more than an eFpression of self-loathin!, a declaration of human vilenessL rather than the divine nature we rientalsL know to be the truth of ourselves% In the 2ast, self-denialL means discipline and control of the e!oic impulses to indul!ence and laEiness% It means not slippin! into the morass of sensuality and selfishness% Basically it is i!norin! the false e!o to foster the true Self, the Spirit% 'nd the practice of austerity. This is not mortificationL or penanceL either% Tapasya is any practice
which rouses up and eFpresses our inner virtue, which clears the way for the revelation of our divine nature% It is not self-denialL in the Destern sense, it is Self-affirmation throu!h spiritual practices that produce results in freein! us from i!norance and limitation% By poise and self:control. I cannot recall ever hearin! anyone eFhort someone to cultivate di!nity, we
are so obsessed with the plain folksL syndrome that we euate with democracy% How it can be considered a compliment to refer to someone as bein! comfortable as an old shoeL is uite beyond meGperhaps an indication of my 2astern samskaras% The sadhaka should have di!nity and even an intelli!ent reserve in dealin! with others% This should arise from respect, both for himself and for others% De need not be artificial and put on airs, actin! like 3ady BottomleyNs plush horseL a favorite eFpression of my father0, but we should act with self-respect and awareness% It was called circumspectionL in a more sensible era%0
possible only for a yo!i% Cheerfulness is a natural side-effect of valid yo!a practice% Dhen you see a yo!iL that is not happy and optimistic, then either the yo!a is no !ood or it is not bein! practiced% I am not speakin! of the manic behavior of some yo!isL that were either cracked before they started yo!a or the yo!a cracked them% I am referrin! to those that lau!h raucously at the sli!htest eFpression of humor, or !rinOsmile all the time no matter what% These are the yo!a clownsL whose motto seems to be Happy, Happy, =oy, =oy%L I heard of a man who once remarked to some of these yo!a-hebephrenics1 Aou know, the way you all smile all the time is spooky%L Dhen they responded by !rinnin! all the more he insisted1 7o, I mean itGIT IS R2<33A S9KAL0 or factor% ali claims that
a person who speaks absolute truth at absolutely all times will find that whatever he says will come to be% Here is an eFample from the first chapter of the first edition of ar of ointment% I smeared a bit of the salve on my forearm% MDhy do you use medicine on a healthy arm"N MDell, Sis, I feel I am !oin! to have a boil tomorrow% I am testin! your ointment on the spot where the boil will appear%N MAou little liarN MSis, donNt call me a liar until you see what happens in the mornin!%N Indi!nation filled me% #ma was unimpressed, and thrice repeated her taunt%
ornin! found me with a stalwart boil on the indicated spot$ the dimensions of #maNs boil had doubled% Dith a shriek, my sister rushed to other% Mukunda has become a necromancerN &ravely, other instructed me never to use the power of words for doin! harm% I have always remembered her counsel, and followed it% y boil was sur!ically treated% < noticeable scar, left by the doctorNs incision, is present today% n my ri!ht forearm is a constant reminder of the power in manNs sheer word% Those simple and apparently harmless phrases to #ma, spoken with deep concentration, had possessed sufficient hidden force to eFplode like bombs and produce definite, thou!h in>urious, effects% I understood, later, that the eFplosive vibratory power in speech could be wisely directed to free oneNs life from difficulties, and thus operate without scar or rebuke%L 4o your duty. @harmaGhere translated dutyLGis the way of life in accordance with the deep
wellsprin!s of our personalityGkarma and samskaras% These comprise our fundamental nature, our prakriti% Throu!h our personal dharma, our swadharma, we most uickly unfold our inner potential and stimulate our spiritual consciousness% It is so much more than a mere observance of ri!ht and wron!,L do and donNt%L So important is dharma, that the &ita tells us1 It is better to do your own duty, however imperfectly, than to assume the duties of another person, however successfully% 9refer to die doin! your own duty1 the duty of another will brin! you into !reat spiritual dan!er%L Bha!avad &ita '1':0 This is obviously a very serious matter 4o not neglect the study of the scriptures. This is not >ust a helpful hint, it is a ma>or spiritual principle%
True dharma is a lifelon! study, and dharma is perfectly eFpressed in the eleven ma>or upanishads the Isha, Kena, Katha, 9rashna, undaka, andukya, Taittiriya,
misperception that the teachin!s of the upanishads are somehow the property of monasticsGthat monastics are at the top of the spiritual hierarchy in Indian spiritual tradition% 7T S% 7ot one sa!e mentioned in the upanishads was monastic, nor was a sin!le author of the scriptures listed in the fore!oin! para!raph a monastic% Sanatana @harma is founded upon the vision of the rishisGnone of whom were monastics% Sanatana @harma propounds four ways of life that are fittin! for seekers after liberation% nly one is that of the totally committed monastic% It is certainly true that throu!h the centuries monastics have been a ma>or factor in the propa!ation of dharma, that the three schools of ?edanta were formulated definitively by monastics% Shankara, whose commentaries are mentioned also in the fore!oin! list of philosophical works, was a monk of monks% 7evertheless, the life of the rishis, who were married and in the world,L is the norm of Sanatana @harma%
monastic% Dhat does the thread of pro!enyL have to do with this" The clear implication is that a Sanatana @harmi one who follows Sanatana @harma0 is duty-bound to marry, have children, and raise those children to also follow dharmaGand yo!a% The eFceptions are those that become monastics from their youth or who have some impediment to leadin! a normal married life% 6ootloose and fancy freeL is not the way of the rishis% There you will see that Sanatana @harmis are directed to have children, alon! with instructions on how to preserve brahmacharya in marria!e 0% These are not the rules for monks, nor were they written by monks, as is clear% Behold for yourself how hi!h the ideal is for <33 Sanatana @harmis, whatever their sta!e of life ashrama0% Those who do not want to bother should leave dharma alone and >oin some cheap reli!ion that lets them do as they please% There is a lot of it about% !werve not from truth. 9atan>ali says that the need for absolute truthfulness is not conditioned by
class, place, time or occasion, and eFtendin! to all sta!es%L ne si!n of a sociopath is the belief that he is not bound by the rules but is a law unto himself% There are a lot of spiritual sociopaths, but we cannot be one and survive spiritually% That is why the neFt counsel is1
4eviate not from the path of good. The !oodL is learned by studyin! the scriptures and associatin!
with the !oodGthe !odly%
who bow can rise% Those who cannot see !reatness in others have no !reatness in themselves%
3et your mother be a !od to you$ let your father be a !od to you$ let your teacher be a !od to you$ let your !uest also be a !od to you% @o only such actions as are blameless% ust covered, so we will look at the earlier ones% 6irst, the word translated !odL is deva% $ere is the definition !iven in < Brief Sanskrit &lossary1 4eva1 M< shinin! one,N a !odG!reater or lesser in the evolutionary hierarchy$ a semi-divine or celestial bein! with !reat powers, and therefore a M!od%N Sometimes called a demi-!od% @evas are the demi!ods presidin! over various powers of material and psychic nature%L
There are many who do !oodL !rud!in!ly as thou!h takin! bitter medicine, or with a kind of weary after all itNs my dutyL attitude% any treat the ob>ects of their careL or charity in a rude and contemptuous manner or adopt the attitude of an eFasperated adult toward a worrisome or recalcitrant child% This is not dharma% So the upanishad continues1 Dhatever you !ive to others, !ive with love and respect% &ifts must be !iven in abundance, with >oy, humility, and compassion%L Taittiriya #panishad )1))1'0 This is a hi!h ideal, but I have seen it done in both
ud!ment, and devoted to truth% Thus conduct yourself always% This is the in>unction, this is the teachin!, and this is the command of the scriptures%L Taittiriya #panishad )1))180 Scriptures are important, but they are sometimes abstract, whereas the lives of saints show us eFactly how thin!s should be done% If we can have access to a livin! saint who will advise us, then we are most fortunate% But if not, we should seek out and read the lives of saints of all traditions and learn how to live% ften we may not at all care for the formal theolo!y of a particular saintNs reli!ious tradition, but his life transcends such thin!s and shows how to live in a divine manner% @o not for!et1 many saints have been persecuted by their own reli!ionGeven martyred% So we need not accept the reli!ion when we honor the saint%0 &uileless, of !ood >ud!ment, and devoted to truthLGsuch are the saints%
The Source and the #oa" *rahman
He who knows Brahman attains the supreme !oal% Brahman is the abidin! reality, he is pure knowled!e, and he is infinity% He who knows that Brahman dwells within the lotus of the heart becomes one with him and en>oys all blessin!s%L Taittiriya #panishad (1)1)a0 This verse contains the famous formula1 !atyam" (nanam" anantam BrahmanGBrahman is Reality, Knowled!e, and Infinity%L The rest of the verse is self-eFplanatory, eFcept the Sanskrit says that the liberated one knows Brahman as eFistin! in the intellect buddhi in the supreme space in the heart%L This is the seat of m% ood
ut of Brahman, who is the Self, came ether$ out of ether, air$ out of air, fire$ out of fire, water$ out of water, earth$ out of earth, ve!etation$ out of ve!etation, food$ out of food, the body of man% The body of man, composed of the essence of food, is the physical sheath of the Self%L Taittiriya #panishad (1)1)b0 There are a few listin!s in the upanishads of the emanation-sta!es of creation, for it is essential to realiEe that everythin! has come from Brahman and shall return to Brahman% 7aturally they are broadG
very broadGoutlines, for the manifestation of relativity has countless subtle sta!es% 6irst there comes the !reat elements, forerunners of the elements here on the physical level% Dhen the physical planets are fully formed, then ve!etation appears, and then human bein!s as abodes of the Self% Implied here is the principle that ve!etables are the natural and intended food of human bein!sGcertainly of those who intend to manifest the Self% The &ita and upanishads say a !reat deal about food because the mind is formed of the subtle essence of food% ?e!etarian diet is a cornerstone of humanity, and a necessary factor in the aspiration to divinity% 7o serious aspirant can afford to i!nore this or attempt to% So the upanishad continues1 6rom food are born all creatures, which live upon food and after death return to food% 6ood is the chief of all thin!s% It is therefore said to be medicine for all diseases of the body% Those who worship food as Brahman !ain all material ob>ects% 6rom food are born all bein!s which, bein! born, !row by food% ust somethin! material that an or!anism subsists on, but includes everythin! that !oes to affect any sentient bein!% Thou!hts and feelin!s are food, and all life-eFperiences are food% Intuitions are food% f course some are positive and some are ne!ative, but they all !o to feedL the evolvin! consciousness% But frankly if we donNt start with the re!ulation of physical food we need not bother with the metaphysical food% 6ood, physical and subtle, is the medicine for all ills% This the Indian sa!es knew lon! before nutritionists or naturopaths eFisted% I was fortunate to know a truly !reat man, @r% =osef 3ennin!er, who could cure any disease with diet alone% He was never wron! and he never failed to cure anyone who followed his instructions% He even saved peopleNs livesGpeople that I knew% @iet is everythin!Gthis I learned from him much better than from any yo!i% Dhen we realiEe that Brahman is the ultimate foodL then our spiritual health is assured% Dhen we live in harmony with Brahman, all !ood comes to us on all levels of our eFistence% =ust as bodies are absorbed in the earth from which they and their food came, so finally we are absorbed into our ori!inal Source to life foreverL in the !reatest sense% The *odies of the *odi"ess
@ifferent from the physical sheath is the vital sheath% This is encased in the physical sheath and has the same form% Throu!h this the senses perform their office% 6rom this men and beasts derive their life% This determines the len!th of life of all creatures% He who worships the vital sheath as Brahman lives to complete his span of life% This sheath is the livin! self of the physical sheath% @ifferent from the vital sheath is the mental sheath% This is encased in the vital sheath and has the same form%L Taittiriya #panishad (1'1)0 =ust as &od has encased himself in various layers of manifestation, so has the Self% So knowled!e of these sheaths koshas0 is worthwhile% The pranic and menta" (manasic) bodies
Inside the physical body is the pranic body, the body of life-force% Dithout the pranic body the physical body cannot live% The pranic body is also the most ob>ective astral body, and when seen looks >ust like
the physical body% ected from the physical while the person still lives in embodiment, however, it looks >ust like the physical body at that time% Dithin the pranic body the currents of life-force move in subtle channels that correspond to the physical nerves% In Sanskrit both the physical and pranic nervesL are called nadis% The pranic body draws its substance from food, sunli!ht, and air% This latter is one of the reasons yo!is pay attention to both diet and breathin!% Health of the pranic body can produce health of the material body% The pranic body does indeed determine both the health and the len!th of life of the physical body% 9rana is the very 3ife of &od in manifestation, so we live in and by the @ivine 3ife% In a sense, the pranic body is the selfL of the physical% It is the link between the physical sense or!ans and the sensory mind, or manas, which is the mental sheath spoken of neFt% This body also has the form of the embodied person, but is more radiant than the pranic sheath% It, too, is astral, and draws a !reat deal of its vitality from the pranic body% Their "imitation
These three bodies are mostly inte!rated with earthly eFperienceGthat is their purpose% 6or this reason they perceive only the sli!htest hints of spiritual bein!Gof Spirit Itself% Therefore the upanishad interposes this statement1 Dords cannot eFpress the bliss of Brahman, mind cannot reach it% The sa!e, who knows it, is freed from fear%L Taittiriya #panishad (181)0 This is tremendous information for the yo!i% 6irst, it tells him that any words about Brahman and Brahman-eFperience worthless, even deceptive, sinceit Ittells cannot about, nor can sensory mind perceiveare Brahman in Its pure Bein!% 7eFt him be thatspoken those who know this the truth will be freed from !reat fear and doubts% This is because i!norant people continually mistake physical, pranic, and mental phenomena for spiritual phenomena, Then, when the flawsGand sometimes outri!ht false characterGof those phenomena are discovered, the sincere seeker is thrown into doubt, fear, and confusion% @isillusionment with these thin!s sometimes cause the person to forsake spiritual life alto!ether% f course, spiritual life is impossible on those levels, so they never really had oneGbut they aspired to do so% De are bein! warned by the upanishad to not make similar mistakes% The yo!i must continually live hi!her than these three levels% He must realiEe that they are delusive to a hi!h de!ree% 7evertheless they are vehicles of the divine Self and must be cared for% The mental sheath is the livin! self of the vital sheath%L Taittiriya #panishad (181(0 The mental sheath draws much of its power from the pranic sheath, as I said, but it !reatly controls the pranic sheath and empowers it by directin! it% 6or eFample, when the sensory mind sees attractive food, it stimulates the pranic sheath to be!in the process of physical di!estion% Dhen it perceives somethin! pleasant the two other bodies are likewise affected, and when it perceives somethin! fearful or lifethreatenin! its effects are sometimes cataclysmic% The inte""ectua" body
@ifferent from the mental sheath is the intellectual sheath% This is encased in the mental sheath and has the same form%
nanamaya kosha, the intellectual sheath, that is also called the buddhi, the intellect% This controls the three lower sheaths throu!h intelli!ent understandin!% 3i!ht strikes the eye and imprints an ima!e of a tree on the retina, the nerves, physical and pranic, convey impulses to the physical and astral brains, the intellect perceives it and says1 That is a treeGa maple tree%L Dithout this function of the buddhi, we would not be human bein!s at all% The intellectual sheath is not astral but causal% If we saw it, we would see li!htGusually formless, but on the lesser levels it could have the !eneral outline of the human body% The senses are messen!ers to the intellect, its servants, actually% The wise yo!i does not identify himself with the other sheaths,L but centers his awareness in and directs his life mostly from the buddhi%
@ifferent from the intellectual sheath is the sheath of the e!o% This sheath is encased in the intellectual sheath and has the same form%L Taittiriya #panishad (1:1(a0 The completion of the body compleF is the hi!hest body, the anandamaya kosha which is the seat of will and the sense of asmitaGI eFist%L The intellect may know it is seein! a tree, but the will decides whether or not to keep lookin! at it% In this way it fully controls the lesser levels% It both brin!s them into function and stops their actions% =ust as the buddhi makes us intelli!ent human bein!s, the willbody makes us effective human bein!s% The anandamaya kosha is the subtlest causal level, so subtle that it touchesL and partakes of the nature of the spirit-self% 6unctionally speakin!, it is a miFture of subtle ener!y and pure consciousnessGthou!h it not really, since beyond all sheaths Self%Lof Taittiriya #panishad (1:1(b0 Sometimes we have toisspeak inaccurately to !et across at leastisathe shadow hi!her realities% ;arma
These five bodies correspond to the five elements1 earth, water, fire, air, and ether% They also correspond to five levels of eFistence1 bhuh, bhuvah, swah, maha, and >ana lokas%
Beyond the sheaths is the Self, and beyond the Self as Its inmost bein! is Brahman% Brahman is the basis of all and IS all, as the upanishad will soon discuss% This bein! so1 ?ain and useless becomes his life who thinks of Brahman as noneFistent% He alone who knows Brahman as eFistent truly lives%L Taittiriya #panishad (1.1)a0 Interestin!ly, the upanishad literally says1 If anyone knows Brahman as non-eFistent, he himself becomes non-eFistent%L How many times do people knowL somethin! that is completely wron!% ur belief in &od must not be based on our i!norant mind like the unbelief of the atheist% I have known of people who became atheists when tra!edy entered their lives, and I have known people who became believers when tra!edy came into their lives% 7either their unbelief nor their belief really amounted to anythin!% 9eople who come to believe in &od as a kind of last resort are like conuered enemies, not free and loyal citiEens of the kin!dom of &od% De should not believe in &od, we should %now that &od eFists% There is a deep intuition of the eFistence of &od in each one of us that comes from our spirit-self% But because of the mental debris we have accumulated in this and prior lives it has become !reatly attenuated, distorted, or even obliterated% nana% So the upanishad finally says1 Surely at death a foolish man does not attain Brahman, but only a wise man%L Taittiriya #panishad (1.1)b0
*rahman- &reation- and Us *rahman and creation
7ow we are ready for the sub>ect of the creation and its implications for both &od and human bein!s% @esirin! that he should become many, that he should make of himself many forms, Brahman meditated% editatin!, he created all thin!s% Creatin! all thin!s, he entered into everythin!% 2nterin! into all thin!s, he became that which has shape and that which is shapeless$ he became that which can be defined and that which cannot be defined$ he became that which has support and that which has not support$ he became that which is conscious and that which is not conscious$ he became that which is !ross and that which is subtle% He became all thin!s whatsoever1 therefore the wise call him the Real%L Taittiriya #panishad (1.1)c0 4esiring that he should become many" that he should ma%e of himself many forms" Brahman meditated. 6editating" he created all things. Certainly the ne cannot become two, much less many% But he can
eFperience multiplicity throu!h his omniscience% So he willed, and all thin!s came into bein! throu!h
his innate omnipotence% But it was totally an ideational process% The Cosmic @reamer pro>ected the cosmic dream% Then1 -reating all things" he entered into everything. /ntering into all things" he became?all things whatsoever) therefore the wise call him the =eal% 9ervadin! all thin!s throu!h his omnipresence he
became aware of them and eFperienced bein!L them >ust as in dream we take on many identities and forms that constantly chan!e until we awaken% Brahman, in contrast, is always awake and knows what isL and is not%L There is nothin! that Brahman has not become, described and indescribable, sentient and insentient% Brahman isL all thin!s% Swami &ambhiranandaNs more literal translation brin!s about a point to be noted% He wished, M3et me be many, let me be born%NL The Birthless actually under!oes birth% 'nd the same is true of us. De have neither birth nor death% 2Fperience is not realityGthis we must learn% Concernin! which truth it is written1 Before creation came into eFistence, Brahman eFisted as the #nmanifest% 6rom the #nmanifest he created the manifest% 6rom himself he brou!ht forth himself% Hence he is known as the Self-2Fistent%L Taittiriya #panishad (1;1)a0 &ambhiranandaNs more literal translation !ives us a better idea1 In the be!innin! all this was but the unmanifested Brahman% 6rom that emer!ed the manifested% That Brahman created Itself by Itself% Therefore It is called the self-creatorL There is really no need for comment% nd us
The Self-2Fistent is the essence of all felicity% Dho could live, who could breathe, if that blissful Self dwelt not within the lotus of the heart" He it is that !ives >oy%L Taittiriya #panishad (1;1)b0 &ambhirananda1 That which is known as the self-creator is verily the source of >oy$ for one becomes happy by comin! in contact that space sourcewithin of >oy% the Dho, indeed, who will eFhale, if this Bliss be not there in the with supreme heart% Thiswill one,inhale, indeedand enlivens%L One becomes happy by coming in contact with that source of (oy. Brahman is of the nature of bliss itself" the source of (oy to all beings. It is clear and simple1 by comin! in contact with that source of >oy
we will be >oyful% < lot of people are hyper and hysterical, and some are so heedless and unaware that they are happyL like villa!e idiots% But only those who consciously contact Brahman throu!h meditation are truly happy and have inner >oyGthe only kind that is real and lastin!% Seekin! happiness in anythin! but &od can only lead to unhappiness% How many deliriously happyL people have we seen endin! up in what =ohn Bunyan calls The !lough of 4espond in 9il!rimNs 9ro!ress" Their false >oy evaporates so very uickly% Then they !o runnin! after another mira!e%
Chidakasha, the principle tattwa0 of Conscious 2ther, the abode of the Self% This is why all liberatin! yo!a involves breath% 6or if breath arises from the Source, it will take us to that Supreme Bliss if we understand how to work with it% See the chapter Breath and Sound in editation in Om 3oga%0 ;noing *rahman
This one" indeed enlivens. This is why >ust a few verses back the upanishad says1 ?ain and useless
becomes his life who thinks of Brahman as noneFistent% He alone who knows Brahman as eFistent truly lives%L This is bedrock truth% That is why yo!a is the 9ath to 3ife% The perseverin! yo!i eFperiences
ever-increasin! life on all levels of his bein!% The path of the >ust is as the shinin! li!ht, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day%L 9roverbs 81)+0 Dhen a man finds his eFistence and unity in the SelfGwho is the basis of life, who is beyond the senses, who is formless, ineFpressible, beyond all predicatesGthen alone does he transcend fear% So lon! as there is the least idea of separation from him, there is fear% To the man who thinks himself learned, yet knows not himself as Brahman, Brahman, who drives away all fear, appears as fear itself%L Taittiriya #panishad (1;1)c0 De reach fearlessness when we know our unity with the Self and Brahman% To attain this fearlessness our consciousness must become more and more centered in That which is formless, ineFpressible, beyond all predicates%L Dhile livin! in this world we must inwardly dwell in the Transcendent Reality that is Brahman, that is our Self% 6or so lon! as there is the least idea of separation from him, there is fearLGand with !ood cause% The life separated from &od is no life at all, but a mira!e of sufferin!, chan!e, decay, and death% 9erhaps one of the saddest truths in any of the upanishads is this1 To the man who thinks himself learned, yet knows not himself as Brahman, Brahman, who drives away all fear, appears as fear itself%L De see this all the time% Intelli!ent people fear the idea of livin! in the state of unity with &od lest they lose their individuality%L They clin! to death and call it life while avoidin! life as thou!h it were death% How will they !et out of that state" nly by a lot of buffetin! by what they call life% It is not &od who punishes and forsakes us because of this wron! choiceGit is the false world that does so from life to life% Aet we !rasp in desperation for more of its fake appearances and run from our only 3ife% In my early teens I spoke with a friend about how wonderful it was to free oneself of the !ood thin!s of lifeL and turn to the nly 3ife% hL he eFclaimed, if I lived like that I would feel like I was in prisonL So he chose what the world told him was real livin!,L and now he is a broken, miserable old man with nothin! but alcoholism and seFual deviance as his companions% He chose imprisonment, and will no doubt do so in future lives, for enslavement becomes a habit hard to break% Concernin! which truth it is written1 Throu!h fear of Brahman the wind blows and the sun shines$ throu!h fear of him Indra, the !od of rain, oy, but outside of which there can be nothin! but fear% Measuring the 7oy
In the seventh verse this uestion was set forth1 Dho could live, who could breathe, if that blissful Self dwelt not within the lotus of the heart" He it is that !ives >oy% 7ow the upanishad takes up that sub>ect of the >oy of the Self% f what nature is this >oy" Consider the lot of a youn! man, noble, well-read, intelli!ent, stron!, healthy, with all the wealth of the world at his command% oy as one unit% ne hundred times that >oy is one unit of the >oy of &andharvas1 but no less >oy than &andharvas has the seer to whom the Self has been revealed, and who is without cravin!%
ne hundred times the >oy of &andharvas is one unit of the >oy of celestial &andharvas1 but no less >oy than celestial &andharvas has the sa!e to whom the Self has been revealed, and who is without cravin!% ne hundred times the >oy of celestial &andharvas is one unit of the >oy of the 9itris in their paradise1 but no less >oy than the 9itris in their paradise has the sa!e to whom the Self has been revealed, and who is without cravin!% ne hundred times the >oy of the 9itris in their paradise is one unit of the >oy of the @evas1 but no less >oy than the @evas has the sa!e to whom the Self has been revealed, and who is without cravin!% ne hundred times@evas the >oy thesa!e @evas is one unit of the of the karma and @evas1 no less >oy than the karma hasofthe to whom the Self has>oy been revealed, whobut is without cravin!% ne hundred times the >oy of the karma @evas is one unit of the >oy of the rulin! @evas1 but no less >oy than the rulin! @evas has the sa!e to whom the Self has been revealed, and who is without cravin!% ne hundred times the >oy of the rulin! @evas is one unit of the >oy of Indra1 but no less >oy than Indra has the sa!e to whom the Self has been revealed, and who is without cravin!% ne hundred times the >oy of Indra is one unit of the >oy of Brihaspati1 but no less >oy than Brihaspati has the sa!e to whom the Self has been revealed, and who is without cravin!% ne hundred times the >oy of Brihaspati is one unit of the >oy of 9ra>apati1 but no less >oy than 9ra>apati has the sa!e to whom the Self has been revealed, and who is without cravin!% ne hundred times the >oy of 9ra>apati is one unit of the >oy of Brahma1 but no less >oy than Brahma has the seer to whom the Self has been revealed, and who is without cravin!%L Taittiriya #panishad (1+1(-80 =oy comes from knowin! the Self and becomin! free of all desire throu!h the fulfillment that comes from union with Brahman% 2ising into 7oy
He who is the Self in man, and he who is the Self in the sun, are one% ?erily, he who knows this truth overcomes the world$ he transcends the physical sheath, he transcends the vital sheath, he transcends the mental sheath, he transcends the intellectual sheath, he transcends the sheath of the e!o%L Taittiriya #panishad (1+1:0 This is the real oyisofnot Brahman, which words cannot eFpress cannot reach,He is free fear% distressed by the thou!ht, Dhy did Iand notthe do mind what is ri!ht" Dhy did I do what is wron!"L He who knows the >oy of Brahman, knowin! both !ood and evil, transcends both% Taittiriya #panishad (1/1)0 He who knows Brahman is freed from all karmic bonds and knows that what he did and did not do will
