Bob G
28 December 2007, 04:52 PM
From the Khandogya Upanishad:
Chapter XII — The Akasa as Brahman
"1. "The akasa is, verily, greater than fire. For in the akasa exist both the sun and the moon, lightning, stars and fire. It is through the akasa that a person calls another; it is through the akasa that the other hears; it is through the akasa that the person hears back. In the akasa we rejoice when we are together and in the akasa we rejoice not when we are separated. In the akasa everything is born and toward the akasa all things grow. Meditate upon the akasa.
2. "He who meditates on the akasa as Brahman obtains the worlds extending far and wide, luminous, free from pain and spacious; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as the akasa reaches— he who meditates on the akasa as Brahman." Narada said: "Venerable Sir, is there anything greater than the akasa?" "Of course there is something greater than the akasa." "Please tell that to me, venerable Sir."
Chapter XIII — Memory as Brahman
1. "Memory is, verily, greater than the akasa. Therefore even when many people assemble, if they had no memory they would not hear anyone at all, they would not think, they would not understand. But surely, if they had memory, they would hear, think and understand. Through memory one knows one’s sons, through memory one’s cattle. Meditate on memory.
2. "He who meditates on memory as Brahman can, of his own free will, reach as far as memory reaches—he who meditates on memory as Brahman." Narada said: "Venerable Sir, is there anything greater than memory?" "Of course there is something greater than memory." "Please tell that to me, venerable Sir."
Chapter XIV — Hope as Brahman
1. "Hope is, verily, greater than memory. Kindled by hope, a person endowed with memory reads the sacred hymns, performs sacrifices, desires sons and cattle; desires this world and the other. Meditate on hope.
2. "He who meditates on hope as Brahman—all his desires are fulfilled through hope, his prayers are not in vain; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as hope reaches—he who meditates on hope as Brahman." Narada said: "Venerable Sir, is there anything greater than hope?" "Of course there is something greater than hope." "Please tell that to me, venerable Sir."
Chapter XV — The Prana as Brahman
1. "The prana is, verily, greater than hope. As the spokes of a wheel are fastened to the nave, so are all these beginning with the name and ending with hope fastened to the prana. The prana moves by the prana. The prana gives the prana to the prana. The prana is the father, the prana is the mother, the prana is the brother, the prana is the sister, the prana is the teacher, the prana is the brahmin.
2. "If one says something unbecoming to a father, mother, brother, sister, teacher, or brahmin, then people say: ‘Shame on you! Verily, you are a slayer of your father, a slayer of your mother, a slayer of your brother, a slayer of your sister, a slayer of your teacher, a slayer of a brahmin.’
3. "But if; when the prana has departed from them, one shoves them together with a poker and burns every bit of them, no one would say: ‘You are a slayer of your father, a slayer of your mother, a slayer of your brother, a slayer of your sister, a slayer of your teacher, a slayer of a brahmin."
4. "The prana, verily, is all this. He (i.e. the knower of the prana) who sees this, reflects on this, is convinced of this, becomes an ativadi (superior speaker). If people say to such a man: ‘You are an ativadi,’ he may say: ‘Yes, I am an ativadi’; he need not deny it."
Chapter XVI — The Knowledge of the Truth
1. "But in reality he is an ativadi who has become an ativadi by the knowledge of the True." "May I, venerable Sir, become an ativadi by the knowledge of the True." "But one should desire to know the True." "Venerable Sir, I desire to know the True."
Chapter XVII — Truth depends upon Understanding
1. Sanatkumara said: "When one understands the True, only then does one declare the True. One who does not understand the True does not declare It. Only one who understands It declares the True. One must desire to understand this understanding." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand."
Chapter XVIII — Understanding depends upon Reflection
1. "When one reflects, only then does one understand. One Who does not reflect does not understand. Only one who reflects understands. One must desire to understand this reflection." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand reflection."
Chapter XIX — Reflection depends upon Faith
1. "When one has faith, only then does one reflect. One who does not have faith does not reflect. Only one who has faith reflects. One must desire to understand faith." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand faith."
Chapter XX — Faith depends upon Single—Mindedness
1. "When one is single—minded in one’s devotion to the teacher, only then does one have faith. One who does not have single— mindedness does not have faith. Only one who has single— mindedness has faith. One must desire to understand single— mindedness." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand single—mindedness."
Chapter XXI — Single—Mindedness depends upon Concentration
1. "When one performs one’s duties (i.e. practises concentration), only then does one have single—mindedness. One who does not perform his duties does not have single—mindedness. Only one who performs his duties has single—mindedness. One must desire to understand the performance of duties." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand the performance of duties."
Chapter XXII — Concentration depends upon Bliss
1. "When one obtains bliss, only then does one perform one’s duties. One who does not obtain bliss does not perform his duties. Only one who obtains bliss performs his duties. One must desire to understand bliss." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand bliss."
Chapter XXIV — The Infinite is Bliss
1. "The infinite is bliss. There is no bliss in anything finite. Only the Infinite is bliss. One must desire to understand the Infinite." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand the Infinite."
Chapter XXIV — The Infinite and the Finite
1. "Where one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, understands nothing else—that is the Infinite. Where one sees something else, hears something else, understands something else—that is the finite. The Infinite is immortal, the finite mortal." "Venerable Sir, in what does the Infinite find Its support?" "In Its own greatness—or not even in greatness." ..."
Chapter XII — The Akasa as Brahman
"1. "The akasa is, verily, greater than fire. For in the akasa exist both the sun and the moon, lightning, stars and fire. It is through the akasa that a person calls another; it is through the akasa that the other hears; it is through the akasa that the person hears back. In the akasa we rejoice when we are together and in the akasa we rejoice not when we are separated. In the akasa everything is born and toward the akasa all things grow. Meditate upon the akasa.
2. "He who meditates on the akasa as Brahman obtains the worlds extending far and wide, luminous, free from pain and spacious; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as the akasa reaches— he who meditates on the akasa as Brahman." Narada said: "Venerable Sir, is there anything greater than the akasa?" "Of course there is something greater than the akasa." "Please tell that to me, venerable Sir."
Chapter XIII — Memory as Brahman
1. "Memory is, verily, greater than the akasa. Therefore even when many people assemble, if they had no memory they would not hear anyone at all, they would not think, they would not understand. But surely, if they had memory, they would hear, think and understand. Through memory one knows one’s sons, through memory one’s cattle. Meditate on memory.
2. "He who meditates on memory as Brahman can, of his own free will, reach as far as memory reaches—he who meditates on memory as Brahman." Narada said: "Venerable Sir, is there anything greater than memory?" "Of course there is something greater than memory." "Please tell that to me, venerable Sir."
Chapter XIV — Hope as Brahman
1. "Hope is, verily, greater than memory. Kindled by hope, a person endowed with memory reads the sacred hymns, performs sacrifices, desires sons and cattle; desires this world and the other. Meditate on hope.
2. "He who meditates on hope as Brahman—all his desires are fulfilled through hope, his prayers are not in vain; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as hope reaches—he who meditates on hope as Brahman." Narada said: "Venerable Sir, is there anything greater than hope?" "Of course there is something greater than hope." "Please tell that to me, venerable Sir."
Chapter XV — The Prana as Brahman
1. "The prana is, verily, greater than hope. As the spokes of a wheel are fastened to the nave, so are all these beginning with the name and ending with hope fastened to the prana. The prana moves by the prana. The prana gives the prana to the prana. The prana is the father, the prana is the mother, the prana is the brother, the prana is the sister, the prana is the teacher, the prana is the brahmin.
2. "If one says something unbecoming to a father, mother, brother, sister, teacher, or brahmin, then people say: ‘Shame on you! Verily, you are a slayer of your father, a slayer of your mother, a slayer of your brother, a slayer of your sister, a slayer of your teacher, a slayer of a brahmin.’
3. "But if; when the prana has departed from them, one shoves them together with a poker and burns every bit of them, no one would say: ‘You are a slayer of your father, a slayer of your mother, a slayer of your brother, a slayer of your sister, a slayer of your teacher, a slayer of a brahmin."
4. "The prana, verily, is all this. He (i.e. the knower of the prana) who sees this, reflects on this, is convinced of this, becomes an ativadi (superior speaker). If people say to such a man: ‘You are an ativadi,’ he may say: ‘Yes, I am an ativadi’; he need not deny it."
Chapter XVI — The Knowledge of the Truth
1. "But in reality he is an ativadi who has become an ativadi by the knowledge of the True." "May I, venerable Sir, become an ativadi by the knowledge of the True." "But one should desire to know the True." "Venerable Sir, I desire to know the True."
Chapter XVII — Truth depends upon Understanding
1. Sanatkumara said: "When one understands the True, only then does one declare the True. One who does not understand the True does not declare It. Only one who understands It declares the True. One must desire to understand this understanding." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand."
Chapter XVIII — Understanding depends upon Reflection
1. "When one reflects, only then does one understand. One Who does not reflect does not understand. Only one who reflects understands. One must desire to understand this reflection." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand reflection."
Chapter XIX — Reflection depends upon Faith
1. "When one has faith, only then does one reflect. One who does not have faith does not reflect. Only one who has faith reflects. One must desire to understand faith." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand faith."
Chapter XX — Faith depends upon Single—Mindedness
1. "When one is single—minded in one’s devotion to the teacher, only then does one have faith. One who does not have single— mindedness does not have faith. Only one who has single— mindedness has faith. One must desire to understand single— mindedness." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand single—mindedness."
Chapter XXI — Single—Mindedness depends upon Concentration
1. "When one performs one’s duties (i.e. practises concentration), only then does one have single—mindedness. One who does not perform his duties does not have single—mindedness. Only one who performs his duties has single—mindedness. One must desire to understand the performance of duties." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand the performance of duties."
Chapter XXII — Concentration depends upon Bliss
1. "When one obtains bliss, only then does one perform one’s duties. One who does not obtain bliss does not perform his duties. Only one who obtains bliss performs his duties. One must desire to understand bliss." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand bliss."
Chapter XXIV — The Infinite is Bliss
1. "The infinite is bliss. There is no bliss in anything finite. Only the Infinite is bliss. One must desire to understand the Infinite." "Venerable Sir, I desire to understand the Infinite."
Chapter XXIV — The Infinite and the Finite
1. "Where one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, understands nothing else—that is the Infinite. Where one sees something else, hears something else, understands something else—that is the finite. The Infinite is immortal, the finite mortal." "Venerable Sir, in what does the Infinite find Its support?" "In Its own greatness—or not even in greatness." ..."