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devotee
10 December 2009, 01:20 AM
Namaste,

The roots of Advaita is in Vedanta Scriptures. So, in this part we shall discuss the important texts from chosen scriptures.

Let’s start our journey with the Isha Upanishad. I have selected 5 verses here from 4th to 8th for discussion & let's take the first two verses, 4th & 5th first.

I have given translation of words below as per my understanding of Sanskrit & from translations available online. However, if anyone can help in better translation & understanding of the texts, that would be very helpful.

The verses 4 & 5 convey the characteristics of the Self.

Anejadekam manso javiyo, nanaddeva aapnuvanpurvamarshat |
Taddhavato anyaantyeta tishthat, tasminapo maatirashcha dadhaati || 4 ||

Anejad = Unmoving
Ekam = Non-dual, One
Nanaddeva = Na (No) + Anat( other) + Deva (Indriyas, sense organs)
Aapnuvan = reach
Purvam = earlier
Arshat = pierces
Taddhaavato = tat (that) + dhaavato (runs)
Anyaantyeta = Anya (Others) + Antyeta (??? ... couldn't find the translation, can anyone help ?)
Tishthat = standing in one place
Tasminapo = Tasmin api (within that itself )
Maatirah = Air
Dadhaati = supports

4. (The Spirit/Self) is unmoving, one (non-dual), swifter than the mind. The senses do not reach It as It is ever ahead of them. Though Itself standing still It outstrips those who run. In It the (all-pervading) air supports the (activities of) beings.

Tadejati tannaijati taddoore tadwantike |
Tadantrasya sarvasya tadu sarvasyasya bahyatah || 5||

Tat = That
Ejati = moves
Tannaijati = Tat + Na + ejati = That doesn’t move
Taddoore = tat + doore (at far place) = That is far
Tadwantike = tat + awantike = That is near
Tadantarasya = Tat + antarsya = That is within heart of
Sarvasya =all beings
Tadu = tat + u = That alone
Asya = of it
Bahyatah = outside

5. It moves and It moves not; It is far and It is near; It is within all this and It is also outside all this.

==>

What do we gather from these two verses :

a) The Self/Spirit is One i.e. Non-dual
b) It is unmoving & yet swifter than the mind
c) It is not grasped by the senses as it is always ahead of them
d) The all pervading air is within It.
e) It is far & yet it is near. It is within everything & also outside everything

Now something is not clear here.

i) How can anything be unmoving and yet swifter than mind i.e. both moving & non-moving at the same time ? So, does it say that there is actually no distance & time in reality ?
ii) How is it swifter than mind ? Why comparison with mind is done here ? To emphasize on its speed ? But that can’t be because It is essentially non-moving !
iii) How can it be both far & also near ? Doesn’t that mean there is actually nothing as near or far and any illusion of a distance is just an illusion ?
iv) If it is within everything & also outside everything … then it must be everything because it must be present even in the tiniest part of any “thing” & also all that is outside that “thing”?


OM

atanu
10 December 2009, 03:42 AM
Namaste,
The roots of Advaita is in Vedanta Scriptures. So, in this part we shall discuss the important texts from chosen scriptures.
-----
a) The Self/Spirit is One i.e. Non-dual
b) It is unmoving & yet swifter than the mind
c) It is not grasped by the senses as it is always ahead of them
d) The all pervading air is within It.
e) It is far & yet it is near. It is within everything & also outside everything
Now something is not clear here.

i) How can anything be unmoving and yet swifter than mind i.e. both moving & non-moving at the same time ? So, does it say that there is actually no distance & time in reality ?
ii) How is it swifter than mind ? Why comparison with mind is done here ? To emphasize on its speed ? But that can’t be because It is essentially non-moving !
iii) How can it be both far & also near ? Doesn’t that mean there is actually nothing as near or far and any illusion of a distance is just an illusion ?
iv) If it is within everything & also outside everything … then it must be everything because it must be present even in the tiniest part of any “thing” & also all that is outside that “thing”?

OM

Namaste Devotee,

You bring out excellent observations. Whenever some one said "I have come here" "Or I will go now", Shri Ramana said "You have not come here and you are not going anywhere. You saw the body being transported to this place and again away. You are where you are."

Om Namah Shivaya

Ekanta
10 December 2009, 09:28 AM
5. It moves and It moves not; It is far and It is near; It is within all this and It is also outside all this.

Now something is not clear here.

As I get it:
Brahman imagines all this, the imagination is a characteristic inherent in Brahman itself. There has never been anything "created".
Then what is the use talking about space, distance or speed? It can only be relative terms relating to the imagination.
That imagination being real in the sense that its Brahman who is doing the imagination. Unreal in the sense that it has no substance of its own and can not exist without Brahman.

Viewed this way, the quotes makes much sense (at least to me).

saidevo
10 December 2009, 10:59 PM
namaste everyone.

A look at the words derived from the direct root Ish and the allied roots of the name IshA, reveal the all-inclusive nature and stature of Brahman:

iSh--to desire, choose, seek, assent, be favourable; iShaH--one possessed of sap or strength (so the essence), the mouth; iShi or iShI--reed, rush, arrow; iShiraH--fire; iShu: an arrow; and iShudhiH--a quiver (case for holding arrows).

Ish--rule, be master of; have power; own, belong to; IshaH--lord, master; Ishvara--powerful, capable, rich, wealthy;

ISh--to fly away; IShat--a little; IShikA--a painter's brush

vashIkara--making anyone subject to one's will; vashitva--freedom of will, mastery of one's self, power or dominion over, subduing by magical means.

The four verses of IshA upaniShad that Devotee has quoted in his OP, establish the nature and characteristics of Self, juxtaposing contradictory terms:

Verse 4: The Self is
• anejat--unmoving (the root ejr, implies shaking); yet manaso javIyaH--(moves) faster than mind.

• ekam--one, yet there are devAH--gods (here it means the senses), manas--mind, and mAtarishvA--wind, air.

• tiShThat--stands motionless in one place but pervades everything (as stated in verse 1), yet stimulates apaH--activities (literally, water), tasmin--within it, by the mAtarishvA--wind, which it dachAti--supports or allots.

Devotee, anyAn=others, as you have translated, and antyeti=overtakes (ChinmayAnanda)--(derived from atyeSh--to glide over).

"According to ShrI Shankara, mAtarishvA refers to the individuality (jIva), and water (apaH) here means karma. Then it would mean that all activities of all individualised personalities are always within the Self."--ChinmayAnanda

This verse uses a figure of speech (anvarthasaMjnA?) which similar to the oxymoron of the English language, where words contradictory in meaning are juxtaposed to bring out the intended effect, as this famous quote from Tennyson shows:

"His honour rooted in dishonour stood,
And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true."

The modern analogy of the movie and the screen can help us understand the apparently dual nature of the Self.

The movie screen is unmoving (emotionally too), but it plays moving pictures on the screen. The actions might move and shift swiftly from place to place, with the pace of the mind which is the fastest, yet the screen is already there to display the scene. The screen stands motionless, all pervading, and yet supports all actions within itself, creating the atmosphere of the scenes of action. The viewer's senses can never reach the screen, so they are aware of the action only through the mediating mind, and yet the senses perceive only because of the supporting medium of the screen. The mind can reach the screen beyond the action, but is too busy to miss all the action that is taking place.

devotee
12 December 2009, 09:54 PM
Namaste Atanu, Ekanta & Saidevoji,


Whenever some one said "I have come here" "Or I will go now", Shri Ramana said "You have not come here and you are not going anywhere. You saw the body being transported to this place and again away. You are where you are."


Yes, that is a great pointer to the reality from Maharishi Ramana. Thanks for quoting that ! :)


Brahman imagines all this, the imagination is a characteristic inherent in Brahman itself. There has never been anything "created".
Then what is the use talking about space, distance or speed? It can only be relative terms relating to the imagination.
That imagination being real in the sense that its Brahman who is doing the imagination. Unreal in the sense that it has no substance of its own and can not exist without Brahman

That is another analogy to what the creation is. It is equated with the thought/imagination of the Thinker, the dream of the Dreamer. But yes, it cannot be said that it is unreal or unreal. And what exactly is the thought of the thinker ? Let's assume a system where there is nothing & no one except the Thinker ( as the reality is), not even space ... He alone exists ... then is not the thought of the Thinker, Thinker Himself ? Can it be anything different from the Thinker materially ... can the material source of the Thought be different from the Thinker ?



A look at the words derived from the direct root Ish and the allied roots of the name IshA, reveal the all-inclusive nature and stature of Brahman:
........
anyAn=others, as you have translated, and antyeti=overtakes (ChinmayAnanda)--(derived from atyeSh--to glide over).

"According to ShrI Shankara, mAtarishvA refers to the individuality (jIva), and water (apaH) here means karma. Then it would mean that all activities of all individualised personalities are always within the Self."--ChinmayAnanda

Thanks for explanation, Saidevoji ! Yes, Apo used in the verse may also point to Apah as you said and not api (as I assumed) ... on second thought, that appears to be a better translation ( as there is no need to have change in vibhakti here). Truly, who can beat Shankara in understanding the scriptures ? :)

OM

harekrishna
13 December 2009, 08:15 AM
I keep chanting these verses regularly, and here is an attempt at a literal translation. It is kind of amazing, how same verse can be translated in a slightly different variations.

अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद्देवा आप्नुवन्पूर्वमर्षत् ।
तद्धावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठत्तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ॥4॥
अनेजत (Immovable) एकं (One) मनस: (from mind too) जवीय: (faster) न एनत (No other) देवा (god) न (no) आप्रुवन (can know) पूर्वम (before )अर्षत (knowable)।
तत (That) धावत: (faster) अन्य (other) अन्यान (other) अति इति (crosses him) तिष्ठत (even while not moving) तस्मिन (That) अप: (rain) मात:(Vaayu) ईश्वा (gods) दधाति (complete)।
He that is Immovable and One, faster than mind, who no other god can know, who is before anything was know. Even while not moving, He overtakes those running faster, from Whom Vaayu like gods also perform rainfalls.

तदेजति तन्नैजति तद्दूरे तद्वन्तिके ।
तदन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तदु सर्वस्यास्य बाह्यतः ॥५॥
तत (He) एजति (moves) तत (He) न एजति (does not move) तत (He) दूरे (is far) तत (He) अवंतिके (is near)।
तत (He) अंतरस्य (is inside) सर्वस्य (everyone) तदु सर्वस्य अस्य वाह्यत: (yet he is outside everyone) ।
He moves, yet he does not move. He is far, yet he is nearby. He is inside everyone, at the same time he is outside everyone.

As written earlier by other illustrious members, in this shloka, the essence that God is without dualism (dwandwatita) is being propagated. What are these dualisms.
(1) Space - near and far. inside and outside. In our limited understanding these exist, but in God's dimensions, these are all folded in. He is also beyond the physical movements.
(2) Time - I think, the comparison to mind is for this purpose. The concept of time to a large extent, is there in the mind. Depending on the mental status, time goes fast or slow. God-perception is beyond this faculty, and again this dimension if folded in his existence.

Howeve, there is a different take on the cause and effect. These verses are saying that it is enabled by God. So, the rainfall is caused by the actions of devas (need to understand it better). It is enabled, but God does not cause it to change. The karma takes its effect, in Prakriti, laws cause certain actions, and is enabled by God Himself.
HariH Om!
Hare Krishna Verma

devotee
13 December 2009, 10:29 PM
I keep chanting these verses regularly, and here is an attempt at a literal translation. It is kind of amazing, how same verse can be translated in a slightly different variations.

अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद्देवा आप्नुवन्पूर्वमर्षत् ।
तद्धावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठत्तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ॥4॥
अनेजत (Immovable) एकं (One) मनस: (from mind too) जवीय: (faster) न एनत (No other) देवा (god) न (no) आप्रुवन (can know) पूर्वम (before )अर्षत (knowable)।
तत (That) धावत: (faster) अन्य (other) अन्यान (other) अति इति (crosses him) तिष्ठत (even while not moving) तस्मिन (That) अप: (rain) मात:(Vaayu) ईश्वा (gods) दधाति (complete)।
[FONT=Mangal][SIZE=2][FONT=Mangal][SIZE=2]He that is Immovable and One, faster than mind, who no other god can know, who is before anything was know. Even while not moving, He overtakes those running faster, from Whom Vaayu like gods also perform rainfalls.



Namaste HK,

It is true that the Upanishadic texts have been translated in varying ways slightly (not much). Actually, the sanskrit language used in all such texts is too old & many of the words have been replaced by new more common words. Again, there are words which have many different meanings -- called paryayawaaachi words in Sanskrit. In addition to that, there is lot of changes in the forms of the words depending upon sandhi (joining of words), vibhakti used. And on the top of all these, the verses are economical in words & some words are to be supplied to understand the actual meaning of the whole context.

So, my emphasis is to go for the literal translation first & then the figurative one to understand the verses correctly. In your translation you have translated these as :

a) Aapnuvan : You have translated it as "can know". Imo, the literal meaning is obtain, occupy, gain, take possession of, reach etc. & figuratively it also means "know", as you know the thing once you reach it close enough.

b) arshat : I found the literal meaning as "pierce", "perforate", "spear" etc. which again has a figurative meaning as knowing well.

c) dhaavat = Its literal meaning is "run" for sure ... but the use of the words does indicate that "It is faster than the sense organs" & hence use of faster word is also ok.

d) Tasmin = You have translated it as, "that" but it should be "within that ( seventh vibhakti singular number is used for "sah" i.e. he).

e) Maatarishva = This has been translated in a new manner & that too appears to be ok. You have done the "sandhi vichheda" (breaking the joined words back to basic words) as "maatah + Ishva" (wind + God) whereas in my case it has been done as, "Maatarih + eeva" (Wind + itself). However, I found Maatarishvan translated as "wind/air" in Aurobindo's translation which I think is the best. Maatarishvan means which expands in the mother or the container (property of air to expand within the aakaashaa/space wherein it is born) ... coming from the root words of maatah (mother) and ishvan (expansion).

However, the overall translation doesn't vary much.

Thanks for providing a second opinion which is always helpful in understanding the things in a better way. As I said, earlier, the language used is very old & many words used at that time are not in use today. However, if we don't do such analysis, we are not sure which translation to believe & which we should not. I faced somewhat similar problem with Bhagwad Gita translation too which has been modified in one way or the other by people who translated it as per their own understanding. It is ok in most of the cases but there may be one or two critical cases when you want to know what exactly God said because you don't want any dilution of the original meaning.

I intend to go together & understand the things with all of you.

OM

devotee
14 December 2009, 08:23 PM
Namaste,

Lord Krishna has been equated with the milkman, the Upanishads with the cows & Bhagwad Gita has been equated with milk which is milked by Lord Krishna. Let's see how the above wisdom echoes in Bhagwad Gita.

Nityah sarvagatah sthaanuh achalo ayam sanaatanah | BG 2.24 ||

Nityah = permanent (undecaying, indestructible, unchanging)
Sarvagatah = Which is all-pervasive i.e. there is no place where it is not.
Sthaanuh = standstill at one place
Achalo = non-moving
Ayam = This / It
Sanaatanah = eternal

Meaning ; This (Self) is permanent, all pervasive, standstill, non-moving & eternal.

This is to be noted again that It (the Self) is non-moving and all-pervasive. When it is all-pervasive & non-moving, can it be more than one ? It must be One without a second !

Bahirantascha bhootaanaam acharam charameva cha |
Sukshmatvaattadavigyeyam doorashtham chaantike cha tat || BG 2.15 ||

Bahirantah = (that which is) outside & inside (of all beings)
Bhootaanaam = beings
Acharam = non-moving things
Charameva cha = charam (moving beings) + eva (itself) + cha (and) = & itself is the moving beings
Sukshmatvaat = Sukshma (small, tiny, atomic, subtle) + tvaat (by virtue of ) = by virtue of its being very subtle
Avigyeyam = which cannot be known
Doorastham = which is at far off place
Chaantike = cha + antike = and which is very near

Meaning : It (the Self/Brahman) pervades both inside and outside of all beings. It itself is moving & non-moving beings. It is what is far off (from us) & It is what is the nearest.

Let’s notice that the Brahman/Self is called both moving & non-moving in the above verse. It is also said to be the farthest “thing” & also the nearest at the same time.

OM

devotee
16 December 2009, 07:47 AM
Namaste,

Till now we have discussed 2 slokas (verses) of IshA Upanishad. Let's see what the next three verses have to offer :

Yastu sarvaani bhootanyatmanyevanupashyati |
Sarvabhootehsu chaatmaanam tato na vijugupsate || 6 ||


Yastu = Yah + Tu = He alone
Sarvaani = all
bhootanyatmanyevanupashyati = bhootani (beings) + atmani (self) + eva (itself/himself) + anupashyati ( sees) == sees beings as its own self
Sarvabhooteshu = sarva (all) + bhooteshu (in beings) = in all beings
Chaatmaanam = cha (and) + aatmaanam ( self )
Tato = that
na vijugupsate = doesn’t hate

6. And he who sees all beings in his own self and his own self in all beings, he does not feel any revulsion (towards anything).

Yasminsarvaani bhootaanyatmaivabhoodwijaanatah |
Tatra ko mohah kah shoka ekatvamanupashyate || 7 ||

Yasminsarvaani = Yasmin (Within whom) + Sarvaani (all)
Bhootaanyatmaivabhoodwijaantah = bhootani (beings) + aatma (self) + eva (itself/himself) + abhoot (became) + vijaanatah (knows)
Tatra = There
Ko = what
Mohah = delusion/attachment
Shoka = sorrow
Ekatvamanupashyate = ekatvam (One-ness) + anupashyate (sees)

7. When, to one who knows, all beings have, verily, become one with his own self, then what delusion and what sorrow can be to him who has seen the oneness?


The next verse was the most difficult for me to understand. I tried but could not succeed in getting the exact meanings of all the words, though I got the meaning of the verses as a whole. As the roots are not clearly known, the sandhi-vicchheda is also difficult. I would appreciate if anyone can help. I have marked ??? where I am not sure.

Sa paryagaachchhukramkaayamvranamsnaviram suddhampaapviddham |
Kavirmanishini paribhooh swayambhuryathaatthyatorthaan vyaddhaachchhashvatibhyah samaabhyah || 8 ||

Sa = He

Paryagaachchhukramkaayamvranamsnaviram = Paryagaat (filling ??? ) + sukrama (radiant) + akaayam (bodiless) + avranam (invulnerable) + asnaviram (without sinews)

Shuddhampaapviddham = Suddham (pure) + a(not)+paap(evil)+viddham(pierced) (i.e. not pierced/touched by evil)

Kavirmanishini = Kavih (poets/knowledgeable/seer) + manishinih (thinker)
Paribhooh = all-pervading (???)

Swayambhuryathaatthyatorthaan = sawayambhuh (who came into being by itself, self-existent) + yathaatthyatoarthaan (?????)
Vyaddhaachchhashvatibhyah = ???
Samaabhyah = encompasses/covers (???)

8. He has filled all; He is radiant, bodiless, invulnerable, devoid of sinews, pure, untouched by evil. He, the seer, thinker, all-pervading, self-existent has duly ordered the objects according to their natures from years sempiternal.


OM

smaranam
16 December 2009, 02:13 PM
Namaste

The Advaitic Truth echoes so clearly from the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.

Isha Upanishad is beautiful. That 6th shloka sounds so much like Krshna's words in the Gita.

Also, Krshna uses interchangeably , the words AtmA, Brahman' , Kshetradnya, UpadrshtA, Ishwar, SAkshi ....

At the same time He says,
Gita 9.18
gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣī nivāsaḥ śaraṇaḿ suhṛt prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaḿ nidhānaḿ bījam avyayam
I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.

He is Vishwam, Vishnu, VAsudeva.

I like the Kena Upanishad too, ( not to change the topic here )

*** I hope this does not take the thread out of line ***

How subtly it discloses that "we" are dead matter, dolls of straw without the Lord. Not a blade of grass can move without His Will, and yet He pervades all that exists, making it appear that "we" exist.

Kena Upanishad 1.4 - 8

I-4. That which is not uttered by speech, that by which the word is expressed, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.
OR
1-4. That which the speech cannot reveal, but causes the speech to flow, know that alone to be Brahman, not this that you worship here.

I-5. That which one cannot think with the mind, that by which, they say, the mind is thought, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.
OR
1-5. That which mind cannot conceptualize , but by which the mind does conceptualize, know that alone to be Brahman , not this that you worship here.

I-6. 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-Brahman) which is being worshipped.
OR
1-6. That which the eye cannot see, but by which the eye does see, know that alone to be Brahman' , and not this that you worship here.

I-7. That which man does not hear with the ear, that by which man hears [the ear’s hearing] , know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.

I-8. That which man does not smell with the organ of smell, that by which the organ of smell is attracted towards its objects, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.

------------

And by that same note,

I am not this eye, ear, nose, mind, intellect, thought, words(speech), opinions, ...

I am That , Who works thru' these very instruments, which are His filters and reflectors, so they had better be polished clean (of all vikAr , vishay, vAsanA) - these filters and reflectors.

Aham Brahmasmi

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
Hari Om

devotee
16 December 2009, 08:30 PM
Namaste Smaranam,


The Advaitic Truth echoes so clearly from the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.

Isha Upanishad is beautiful. That 6th shloka sounds so much like Krshna's words in the Gita.

Also, Krshna uses interchangeably , the words AtmA, Brahman' , Kshetradnya, UpadrshtA, Ishwar, SAkshi ....

At the same time He says,
Gita 9.18

gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣī nivāsaḥ śaraṇaḿ suhṛt prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaḿ nidhānaḿ bījam avyayam
I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed. He is Vishwam, Vishnu, VAsudeva.

Well said, Smaranam ! There are so much similarities in some of the verses of some Upanishads & those of Bhagwad Gita that no one can deny that Bhagwad Gita is the essence of the Vedanta.


Kena Upanishad 1.4 - 8

I-4. That which is not uttered by speech, that by which the word is expressed, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.
OR
1-4. That which the speech cannot reveal, but causes the speech to flow, know that alone to be Brahman, not this that you worship here.

I-5. That which one cannot think with the mind, that by which, they say, the mind is thought, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.
OR
1-5. That which mind cannot conceptualize , but by which the mind does conceptualize, know that alone to be Brahman , not this that you worship here.

I-6. 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-Brahman) which is being worshipped.
OR
1-6. That which the eye cannot see, but by which the eye does see, know that alone to be Brahman' , and not this that you worship here.

I-7. That which man does not hear with the ear, that by which man hears [the ear’s hearing] , know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.

I-8. That which man does not smell with the organ of smell, that by which the organ of smell is attracted towards its objects, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.

------------

And by that same note,

I am not this eye, ear, nose, mind, intellect, thought, words(speech), opinions, ...

I am That , Who works thru' these very instruments, which are His filters and reflectors, so they had better be polished clean (of all vikAr , vishay, vAsanA) - these filters and reflectors.

Yes, that is a beautiful quote from Kena Upanishad. Your understanding reflected in the highlighted (by me) part is even more beautiful. That echoes in these words too : He (the Brahman) is the Thinker of the thought, the Dreamer of the dream (this world). In fact, I could find similar words in Buddhism too. "How do you think of which alone is the Thinker ?"

OM

devotee
19 December 2009, 09:29 AM
Namaste,

Let's revisit the three verses, 6th, 7th & 8th & analyse :

6. And he who sees all beings in his own self and his own self in all beings, he does
not feel any revulsion (towards anything).
7. When, to one who knows, all beings have, verily, become one with his own self,
then what delusion and what sorrow can be to him who has seen the oneness?
8.He has filled all; He is radiant, bodiless, invulnerable, devoid of sinews, pure, untouched by evil. He, the seer, thinker, all-pervading, self-existent has duly distributed through endless years the objects (their duties) according to their natures.


So, what do these three verses tell us ? :

We can see all beings in our own self and also our own self in all beings.

=> How ? What is this seeing ? Is it imagining those being in my own self and again imagining myself in all beings ? It is difficult. How can we see one in many & many in one ? Is it not logically contradicting ?

It cannot be understood as we understand this world around us. It is slightly difficult. For understanding this complicated theory we use the analogy of the Sea & the Waves … the space & the space within various pots as we have already seen in thread, “Aham Brahmasmi” http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=4824.

This “seeing” is not understanding as the logic given above. This is actual realization of the One-ness. And the verses say that on realization there is no revulsion towards anyone or anything. What happens to our concepts of good & bad ? beautiful & ugly ? sacred & profane ? lovable & hateful ? Sinner and the righteous ? What happens to our moral theories ?

The verse boldly acclaims, “ He doesn’t feel revulsion”.

Does it not mean that our all concepts i.e. good & bad, beautiful & ugly, sacred & profane, lovable & hateful, sinner & righteous etc. lose their meaning in Absolute Reality. Who will hate who … when there is no “other” ?

The 7th verse also says that “there is no delusion or sorrow for him who has seen One-ness”.

Does it not mean that :

The duality is the delusion … duality is the mother of all sorrows & to ferry across the river of delusion and sorrow, we must ride the boat of realization of One-ness ?

The eighth verse tells us that the whole creation is filled with Him (God). He is untainted, self-existent. He is the seer & he alone is the thinker & he has distributed their duties to all in accordance with their nature.

That ends the discussion on some selected verses from Isha Upanishad. I shall take up Katha Upanishad and Bhagwad Gita in next posts onwards.

OM

devotee
21 December 2009, 08:41 AM
Namaste,

On a second thought, I felt it would be better to see how the above 3 verses of Isha Upanishad resonate with some of the verses in Bhagwad Gita. Let's see :

Sarvabhootasthamaatmaanam sarvabhootaani chaatmani |
Eekshate yogayuktaatmaa sarvatra samdarshanah || BG 6.29 ||

Sarvabhootashthamaatmaanam = Sarva (all) + bhootah (beings) + sthama (staying/located) + aatmaanam (self)
Sarvabhootaani = sarva + bhootaani
Chaatmani = cha (and) + aatmani (self)
Eekshate = sees
Yogayuktaatmaa = yogayukta (yogi, who has attained oneness with Self) + aatmaa (self)
Sarvatra = everywhere
Samdarshanah = sama (equally) + darshanah (sees)

Meaning :

The Yogi, who sees Self in all beings & all beings in the Self, sees everything with equanimity.

Aatmaupamyena sarvatra samam pashyati yoarjuna |
Sukham wa yadi va dkukham sa yogi paramo matah || BG 6.32 ||

Aatmaupamyena = aatmaah (self) + api (also) + ena (like)
Paramo = excellent
Matah = considered

(He who) sees everywhere (i.e. in all beings) equanimity like one’s own self, & (that who sees) pleasures and pains with equanimity is considered the excellent yogi.

Yada bhootprithagbhaavmekasthamanupashyati |
Tata eva cha vistaaram brhama sampadyate tadaa ||BG 13.30||

Yadaa = When
Bhootprithagbhaavmekasthamanupashyati = bhoot (being) + prithak (different) + bhaavam (feeling/manifestations ) + ekashtham (situated in One) + anupashyati (sees)
Tata = That
Eva = itself
Cha = and
Vistaaram = expansion
Brahma = Brahman
Sampadyate = attains
Tada = then

Meaning :

When ( a person) sees different manifestations of (all) beings situated in One (Brahman) & only an expansion of the Brahman, then (he) attains Brahman.


--------------------------------------

The Bhagwad Gita says similar things in a slightly different manner. It confirms that all beings are reflected in the Self & the Self is reflected in all beings ... that who sees so ... that who sees that all manifestations in this visual world are only an expansion of the same Brahman/Self, attains Brahman.

OM

brahman
23 December 2009, 03:59 AM
Namaste,

The roots of Advaita is in Vedanta Scriptures. So, in this part we shall discuss the important texts from chosen scriptures.

Let’s start our journey with the Isha Upanishad. I have selected 5 verses here from 4th to 8th for discussion & let's take the first two verses, 4th & 5th first.

I have given translation of words below as per my understanding of Sanskrit & from translations available online. However, if anyone can help in better translation & understanding of the texts, that would be very helpful.

The verses 4 & 5 convey the characteristics of the Self.

Anejadekam manso javiyo, nanaddeva aapnuvanpurvamarshat |
Taddhavato anyaantyeta tishthat, tasminapo maatirashcha dadhaati || 4 ||

Anejad = Unmoving
Ekam = Non-dual, One
Nanaddeva = Na (No) + Anat( other) + Deva (Indriyas, sense organs)
Aapnuvan = reach
Purvam = earlier
Arshat = pierces
Taddhaavato = tat (that) + dhaavato (runs)
Anyaantyeta = Anya (Others) + Antyeta (??? ... couldn't find the translation, can anyone help ?)
Tishthat = standing in one place
Tasminapo = Tasmin api (within that itself )
Maatirah = Air
Dadhaati = supports

4. (The Spirit/Self) is unmoving, one (non-dual), swifter than the mind. The senses do not reach It as It is ever ahead of them. Though Itself standing still It outstrips those who run. In It the (all-pervading) air supports the (activities of) beings.

Tadejati tannaijati taddoore tadwantike |
Tadantrasya sarvasya tadu sarvasyasya bahyatah || 5||

Tat = That
Ejati = moves
Tannaijati = Tat + Na + ejati = That doesn’t move
Taddoore = tat + doore (at far place) = That is far
Tadwantike = tat + awantike = That is near
Tadantarasya = Tat + antarsya = That is within heart of
Sarvasya =all beings
Tadu = tat + u = That alone
Asya = of it
Bahyatah = outside

5. It moves and It moves not; It is far and It is near; It is within all this and It is also outside all this.

==>

What do we gather from these two verses :

a) The Self/Spirit is One i.e. Non-dual
b) It is unmoving & yet swifter than the mind
c) It is not grasped by the senses as it is always ahead of them
d) The all pervading air is within It.
e) It is far & yet it is near. It is within everything & also outside everything




Now something is not clear here.

i) How can anything be unmoving and yet swifter than mind i.e. both moving & non-moving at the same time ? So, does it say that there is actually no distance & time in reality ?

ii) How is it swifter than mind ? Why comparison with mind is done here ? To emphasize on its speed ? But that can’t be because It is essentially non-moving !

iii) How can it be both far & also near ? Doesn’t that mean there is actually nothing as near or far and any illusion of a distance is just an illusion ?


iv) If it is within everything & also outside everything … then it must be everything because it must be present even in the tiniest part of any “thing” & also all that is outside that “thing”?




OM





Devotee,

There is something we need to remember when we talk on sastras.


Imagine you haven’t seen a melon before
Imagine you listen to a wonderful description of it now
But remember, there’s nothing you’ve ever seen or heard that‘s comparable to a melon.
One may now detail the melon so:

Oh! The melon is sweet and juicy; you call it a fruit,
It’s edible too; you call it a vegetable
It’s either round, or spherical or oblong
But it’s certainly heavy; but not as you
What more, it features a green rind with spots or stripes,
And holds red flesh and black seeds
Indigenous to the Mediterranean climate,
The melon is wonderful like you!



it was marvelous for words and you grasp the crumbly fruit. If ever you happen to see it and taste it, the description is probably no surprise to you. You suspect the words you listened to, were adequate or inadequate for comprehension. You are wise, so you start to fathom, to appreciate the melon in more ways you could. All this add up to an explanation on the melon. Good.


Know that this is the same with comprehending Brahman too.
From being unaware, we need to be aware,
to engage ourselves to experience Brahman .
If ever we possessed an experience with Brahman,
Our quest to know the many sastras would be much easier.
We shall now make efforts to describe the Ultimate in our philosophy
But not to conflict with the existing philosophies on the Ultimate.
A little inquiry reveals that the Ultimate has been described in hundreds, if not thousands and thousands of ways. A true philosopher would treat them all accurate and value them all glorious.


Once you experience IT, you would say nothing preached on Brahman is wrong, because all are SAT,
In one way or the other, all those preaching lead you to the Ultimate Truth.

After SEEING the SEEN, out of your apparent interest, you may even use the sastras to cross check whether the SEEN is the same you have already perceived.


But you are now determined, you know it’s nothing to be seen, its all about an experience.


The Upanishads appeal us with a high intellectual competence. If ever I were to suggest someone to read it, I would devotedly ask them to chant it a minimum of hundred thousand times, to comprehend the pramana of Upanishads, especially the Isa. For, the sages have had unique encounters with the Ultimate, have had sat in Nirvana for ages, to be able to resonate their experiences to all those searching for truth. Let us dedicate ourselves completely, to comprehend the truth, the Sabda pramana of it. THAT knowledge is beyond the senses to be explained.





.

devotee
27 December 2009, 02:26 AM
Namaste,


KATHA UPANISHAD and its strong echoes in Bhagwad Gita


Katha Upanishad or Kathoupanishad is a Upanishad in the form of a story. Nachiketa is the truth-seeker & Yama, (the lord of Death also known as Dharmaraaj, Yamaraaj etc.) is the great teacher who explains the highest Truth to Nachiketa.

Nachiketa asks this boon :

Yeyam prete vichikitisa manushyeastityeke, naayamastii chaike |
Etadwidyaamanushishtastvayaaham vraaNaamesha vrastritiyah || 1.20||


There is this doubt about a man when he is dead: Some say that he exists;others, that he does not. This knowledge I like to learn, taught by you. This is the third of my boons.

It is seen that Yama doesn't start telling the Truth so easily to Nachiketa.

He says, “ It is a very subtle thing to understand. Even the “devatas” have doubts over it. So, please ask for any other boon & don’t press me to explain this.”

This becomes a strong reason for Nachiketa to press further. If it was such a difficult subject to understand who can tell it better than Yama Himself ? Where to find a teacher as good as Yama ? Yama tries to evade by offering him the best of worldly things which anyone can aspire to have … a very long & healthy life, wealth of all sorts which a man wants in his life, fair maidens which are not attainable by the mortals etc. etc. ... he says, "O Nachiketa, I will make you the enjoyer of all desires ... but please don't ask me to explain this."

Nachiketa is the true seeker ... he cannot be cajoled by such worldly offers. He declines all temptations steadfastedly & then finally Yama agrees to impart this knowledge (of Self).

There are many verses in this Upanishad which have striking similarity with some of the verses in Bhagwad Gita. So, I will try to show the similar verses together.

Sanskrit used in Katha Upanishad appears slightly easier than in Isha Upanishad.

Chapter-1 2nd Valli

Sarve Veda yatpadamaamananti tapaansi sarvaaNi chayadvadannti |
Yadichchhanto brahmacharyam charanti tatte padam sangraheNa bravimyomityetat ||15||

Yatpadamamananti = yat (which) + padam (goal/state) +aamananti
Tapaani = Austerities
chayadvadanti = cha (and) + yat (which) + vadanti (say)
Yadichchhanto = yat (which) + ichchhanto (desire)
Charanti = go (on the path of)
Tattepadam = tatte (that itself) + padam (state/goal)
sangraheNa = briefly
bravimyomityetat = bravimi ((I shall) state) + ( OM + Iti + etat) = (That is OM)

15. Yama said: The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at and which men desire when they lead the life of continence, I will tell you briefly: it is Om.


Etaddhyevaksharam brahma etaddhyevaksharam param |
Etaddhyevaksharam gyatvaa yo yadichchhasi tasya tat || 16 ||

Etaddhyevaksharam = Etat (that) + dhi (know) + eva (itself/indeed) + Akshram (syllable)
Gyatvaa = on knowing
Yadichchasi = yat (whatever) + ichchasi ((you) desire)


16. Know this syllable (akshar) (Om) as indeed Brahman. Know this syllable (akshar) as the Ultimate. Whosoever knows this syllable (akshar) obtains all that he desires.


0000000000000000000

In the above two verses, Yama declares OM as the ultimate. Whosoever knows it attains all that he desires. If we remember, OM has been declared “SELF” which is all that existed in past, is in present & will be in future … in Maandukya Upanishad. Lord Krishna in Bhagwad Gita says,

“OMityekashram Brahma vyaaharanmaamnusmaran |
Yah prayaati tyajandeham sa yaati parmaam gatim ||” BG 8.13||

OMityekashram = OM + Iti (end, final, only) + eka (One) + askharam (syllable)
Vyaaharanmaamanusmaran = vyaaharan (uttering) + maam (me) + anusmaran (thinking of)
Prayaati = goes (dies)
Tyajndeham = tyajat (leaving) + deham (body)

He who uttering this one syllable Brahman, OM & remembering me leaves this body, attains the ultimate goal.

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Now let's ponder over what we read above :


a) Why this word OM is called the Self, the Brahman and why not any other word ? Did the seers hear this sound ? Is Brahman simply a form of sound ?
b) Again, Yama says, "by knowing this OM, one attains all desires" .... what does it mean ? Can I say that I know OM but my desires are still not fulfilled ?
c) Why did Yama offer all worldly things of desire to Nachiketa ? Why didn't he start telling it all straight way ?

OM

devotee
30 December 2009, 09:18 AM
Namaste,

In the last post I had left some questions to be answered on OM. I am giving my understanding below. Any contribution on this subject will be highly appreciated.


Let’s understand the mystery behind this - ”OM”

What exactly is this OM ? Why the seers preferred this sound & none else ? Let’s see :

a) OM is the most sacred beej mantra in many religions : Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and also in Bon tradition (the ancient religion in Tibet before Buddhism). Some scholars say that the Amen of Christianity & Amin of Islam owe their origin to OM.
b) OM is the primal sound. It doesn’t belong to any one language ... not even Sanskrit. It is called Pranava in Sanskrit. What does this Pranava mean ? The Pranava denotes humming sound, like what comes from the flying swarm of bees or from the working transformer.
c) The OM is composed of four “sounds” :
i) Sound of A
ii) Sound of U
iii) Sound of Ma
iv) Soundless sound which is the substratum of all sounds including OM. It is the silence before & after OM.

Before trying to understand the basics of OM, let’s discuss some basic physics on sound & vibration :

What is sound ? :

Sound is the perception of vibration of medium around us through our ear but actually by our mind. The auditory nerves carry the impulse generated on receiving signals, in the form of vibration of medium around our ear-drum, to our mind. So, sound is associated with vibration. Can there be vibration but no sound ? Yes. Our sense organs have strict limitations & we can hear sounds of vibrations only within a limited range of frequency band-width. So, there are many situations when there are vibrations but we are not able to hear those vibrations, e.g. we cannot hear the sound of vibrations produced by the bats, ants etc.

The whole of this creation is nothing but vibration :

Everything in this universe is in motion. The earth, star, galaxies are moving with great speed. The molecules within any solid, liquid or gaseous substance are vibrating which is known as their intrinsic property as heat. The electrons within nucleus are in constant motion. All types of energy (except potential energy … but that is again vibration at different position) are either due to one motion or the other :

a) Heat : vibration of molecules
b) Kinetic Energy : Motion of particles/objects
c) Electricity : Movement of electrons
d) Light and other Electromagnetic waves : Vibration of Electric & Magnetic fields

We know that all forms of matter can be converted into energy & all forms of energy can be converted into matter. Actually, many scientists have started believing that if we are able to break the sub-atomic particles (quarks/anti-quarks) we would be left only with vibrating electromagnetic fields.

What do the scriptures say ?

The essence of everything which exists is consciousness. It is the vibration of same consciousness which manifests itself as varied things in this universe.

Now when there is vibration, there must be sound whether heard or not. Let’s understand that this vibration is inherent nature of the Consciousness. It is not produced by striking two things. So, the “sound” produced by this beginingless and endless vibration is called, “Anaahat naad” i.e. Sound which is produced without striking two things.

This “sound” can be heard during meditation first when all other worldly noises are cut off. However, after a little practice, a practitioner can hear this sound clearly even when he is not meditating.

The Naada Bindu Upanishad says :

“34. At first, the sounds are like those proceeding from the ocean, clouds, kettle-drum and cataracts; in the middle (stage) those proceeding from Mardala (a musical instrument), bell and horn.
35. At the last stage, those proceeding from tinkling bells, flute, Vina (a musical instrument) and bees. Thus he hears many such sounds more and more subtle.
36. When he comes to that stage when the sound of the great kettle-drum is being heard, he should try to distinguish only sounds more and more subtle.”

These sounds are heard more prominently in the right ear.

The Upanishads also describe this sound as :

“Nirvachhinna tailadhaarmiva” (like) Continuous smooth flowing Oil ), “dirghaghanta nadavat” (The long sound of Gong), “avaachya pranava” (unutterable humming sound)

What do the Great Self-realised Saints say about this Cosmic Sound :

Ramklrishna Paramhans said about this sound :

“ I give the illustration of the sound of a gong: 'tom', t-o-m. It is the merging of the Lila in the Nitya: the gross, the subtle, and the causal merge in the Great Cause; waking, dream, and deep sleep merge in Turiya. …….

I have clearly perceived all these things. It has been revealed to me that there exists an Ocean of Consciousness without limit. From It come all things of the relative plane, and in It they merge again."


Maharishi Paramhans Yogananda says :

“This Cosmic Sound is the lullaby of Cosmic Creation, continuously oozing out of the pores of space like smoothly flowing oil; it is like the peal of a cosmic gong, reverberating, energizing all creation.”


The Sound of OM :

This OM sound matches with the sound of Gong & that is the genesis of this syllable. This is the reason behind making sound of gong/bells during worshipping God because that sound tunes us to the cosmic sound.

This Sound is composed of three different sounds : “A” which is the vibration of the Cosmic Consciousness in waking state (Visva, in this manifested universe), “U” is the vibration of the Cosmic Consciousness in dreaming state (Taijasa, the world before birth & after death), “M” is the vibration of the Cosmic Consciousness in Prajna i.e. God-state & the Silence after & before OM is Turiya which is the substratum of all the three states.

That is why it is said that AUM is whatever is … it is the past, the present & future of all. There is nothing which is not-AUM.

Tuning with OM :

Tuning ourselves with the Cosmic Vibration expands our limited consciousness to Cosmic Consciousness. Maharishi Patanjali advises : “Think of this sound & chant it”.

Sri Ramkrishna Paramhans said, “By following the trail of OM you attain Brahman” .

OM

yajvan
30 December 2009, 11:32 AM
 
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~

Namaste,

We all know of this most auspicious sound aum , oṁ औम् some like ॐ. What possible additional value could I add to this sound... little to none. Yet I found the word to describe it most interesting and thought to offer it for one's consideration. Please add or advance this idea as you wish.


praṇava प्रणव the mystical or sacred syllable, vibration ; aum , oṁऔम् some like ॐ as mentioned above. Yet let's look at its components:
praṇa प्रण is ancient , old (we see this used in purāṇa पुराण belonging to ancient or olden times , ancient , old); Not to be confused with prāṇa प्राण the life breath we think of, but many a ṛṣi connects prāṇa to brahman.
nava नव is new , fresh , recent , young , modern ; also considered praise , celebration.So in the same word, we have ancient, old + new and fresh, at the same time. For me this is the perfect word application for timeless, without bounds or constraints. Both new and old simultaneously is the concept of 'now' for me. Ever present, ubiquitous, far and near at the same time. What other then can this Om be other then brahman?

And within this word we also have the following:

ana अन we know is the breath - as we find in prāṇa - as this too is considered brahman¹.
And nāva नाव is a shout of joy or triumph and also a boat or a ship.This oṁ is a celebration of bhūman, Fullness of Being; and nava आनव is being kind to men or belonging to living men. How great is this brahman, being kind to the family-of-man and all creatures on this good earth to provide the goods/food/tattvas for all ones needs.

Perhaps a bit more esoteric meaning of nāva is a boat or ship to get one across the ocean of birth-and-rebirth or saṁsāra. But where then does the boat take you? To samāveśa¹... the attainment of the original position , absorbtion of individual consciousness into Divine Consciousness, Brahman.

oṁkara or oṁ+kara - kāra कार is the term used in designating a letter or sound or indeclinable¹ word; a song or hymn of praise; The praise of oṁ. And kara कर is the doer , maker , causer , doing , making , causing ; a measure (the breadth of twenty-four thumbs); The 'doing' of praising , oṁ.

...just a thought.


words and references


I have posted this previously, and offer it with some updates.

brahma sūtras 1.1.23( sūtra 23) - ata eva prāṇaḥ
ata eva: for the same reason ( this refers to sutra 1.1.22) ; prāṇaḥ - the breath (also refers to brahman). As prāṇa is described as the cause of the world, such a description can apply to brahman alone. The word ‘prāṇa must be understood as brahman.
This word samāveśa is most interesting to me, sama+veśa . this is how I see it and look for any corrections if my comprehension is blemished. It is a key principle of kaśmir śaivism.
sama is sameness, equivalent , like to or identical or homogeneous with.
and veśa is broken into 've' which is to to weave , interweave , braid; and Sa is eternal happiness , final emancipation;
So this samāveśa is the sameness and homogeneously being weaved into final emancipation i.e. establishment of Brahman within ones Self.
'indeclinable' is without grammatical inflection

devotee
30 December 2009, 08:35 PM
Namaste Yajvan ji,


So in the same word, we have ancient[/FONT], old + new and fresh, at the same time. For me this is the perfect word application for timeless, without bounds or constraints. Both new and old simultaneously is the concept of 'now' for me. Ever present, ubiquitous, far and near at the same time. What other then can this Om be other then brahman?[/SIZE]


That is an excellent understanding of Pranava ! :)

OM

devotee
31 December 2009, 11:36 PM
Namaste,

I think there are some questions which need to be answered before we proceed to other verses. The following post is based on my understanding of Guruji's teachings. Any shortcoming in this post should be attributed only to my poor understanding.

Objection : When we close our ears & start hearing the "Naad Brahman", it can't be a vibration existing outside as our ears are closed. That means I must be hearing sound of some vibration which is produced within. How can it then be the Naad of the Infinite, all that exists ?

Answer : This concept of outside & inside vanishes when we talk of Brahman. There is no separation. It is unbroken uniform continuum. Whatever is outside is inside too. So, the OM vibration which is outside the body is inside too. And it is easy to find out that it is nothing some sound produced due to blood-circulation or working of various organs within the body. These are the sounds heard initially .... we have to discard all these sounds. These sounds are like cacophony whereas the sound of OM has a smooth melody. The sound of bells, sound of Gong, sound of waterfall etc. cannot be produced by those activities within our body.

Objection : OK. But in that case it should be heard all times. Why meditate for that ?

Answer : Yes, this vibration is present all over & can be heard all the time by seekers who have practised a little. However, the need is to hear the subtlest sound which tunes us to the Infinite & be one with that. For that to happen, all noises must be cut off first & we should also strive to attain higher spiritual planes. The various Chakras within our body resonate this sound (like amplifiers) & make it "audible". Depending on our spiritual advancement, gradually our higher Chakras are activated & sound produced by every Chakra is different ... so this sound heard by a practitioner also changes accordingly. Sometimes they are mixed. At initial stage, the sound heard is like humming bees, jingle bells etc. which are sounds produced by our Moolaadhaar Chakra.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Question : Again, Yama says, "by knowing this OM, one attains all desires" .... what does it mean ? Can I say that I know OM but my desires are still not fulfilled ?

Answer : Will my all desires be fulfilled by reading above post which talks about OM ? No ! Reading & listening is different from “knowing”. It is not academic knowing. You cannot truly know a thing unless you become one with that … because all other knowing is tainted by our sense-perceptions. Now, once you become one with OM … you are Self … the omnipotent … what desires can remain to be fulfilled then ?

Question : Why did Yama offer all worldly things of desire to Nachiketa ? Why didn't he start telling it all straight way ?

Answer : There is a danger to teach more than the capacity of the disciple to grasp & hold on to it. You don’t teach a student of primary class about dual nature of light. You don’t tell him that light sometimes deviates from its straight-line path. Why ? Because, this will confuse him.

There is another danger too in this particular case. It can simply feed the ego of an ineligible person. The person who is too much attached with worldly things & is not of sattvik mind, on receiving this highest Truth, may start feeling that he could do anything & get away with it as He is Supreme ! That would not help the seeker … it would simply hasten his downfall.

OM

brahman
03 January 2010, 05:36 AM
[size=3]Namaste,

In the last post I had left some questions to be answered on OM. I am giving my understanding below. Any contribution on this subject will be highly appreciated.






THAT knows, knows THAT, knows within THAT, thus Aumkara


“In the beautiful city of Ayodhya, in the centre of a pavilion set with gems, together with Devi Sita, Bharata, Lakshmana and Satrughna, was Bhagavan Ram seated, glorified day and night by sages like Sanaka, Vasistha and Suka as well as other devotees, unchanging witness of thousands of modifications of the intellect, delighted in contemplating his own form.

Shri. Hanuman asked Lord Shri. Ramachandra: “Oh Lord, what is Kaivalya?

Lord Shri. Ramachandra said: “Oh, my all time dearest devotee, learn Madukya Upanishad, it takes one to kaivalya easily or Mandukya alone is enough for liberation”


Shri Ramachandra added: If the ultimate knowledge is not attained from Mandukya, which is the knowledge of ॐ , then study the Ten Upanishads. Getting knowledge very soon, you will reach my abode.
If certainty is not got even then, study the 32 Upanishads, if not got it from 32 go on with 108.




Amātrascaturtho'vyavahāryah prapancopaśamah sivo'dvaita
evamomkāra ātmaiva, samviśatyātmanatmanam ya evam
veda, ya evam veda.( Mandukya)

The fourth is soundless:
unutterable,
a quieting down of all relative manifestations,
blissful,
peaceful,
non-dual.
Thus, ॐ is the Ātman, verily.

He who knows thus, merges his self in the Self; yea, he who knows thus.



Close your eyes and Let the sabda मं dissolve in the eternity as the sound of a bell get dissolves in the inifinite silence ॐ




.

devotee
17 June 2012, 12:55 AM
Namaste,

Bhagwad Gita tells us, “There is nothing as purifying as Knowledge”. Discussion on scriptures is one of the steps towards (theoretical) Knowledge. AdhyAtmopanishad talks on Advaitic nature of self and Self and advises ways to realise Self.

Some verses from Adhyatmaopanishad :

GhatAkAsham mahAkAshmivAtmAnam mahAkAshe parAtmani |
VilapyAkhandbhAvena tooshNIm bhava sadA mune ||7||
SvaprakAshamadhishThAyam svayam bhUya sadAtmanA |
BrahmANdampi piNdANdam tyajyatAm malabhANdavat||8||
chidAtmani sadAnande dehArUdhmahmdhiyam |
niveshyam lingmutrsrijya kevalobhava sarvadA ||9||
yatraisha jadadAbhAsho darpaNantahpuram yathA |
tadbrahmAhamiti gyAtvA kritkrityo bhAvAnagha ||10||

GhtAkAsham = Ghat (Jar) + AkAsham (space) = Space in the jar
mhAkAshmivAtmAnam = mahAkAsham (the Infinite Space) + iva (alone) + AtmAnam (self)
mahAkAshe parAtmani = into Infinite Space + ParmAtmA (God)
vilApAkhaNdabhAvena = vilApyA (dissolving) + akhaNdabhAvena (without any sense of duality )
tushNIm = peaceful / without any disturbance
bhava = become
sadA = always
mune = O’ Muni (sage)

=> O’ Muni, as space in the jar is dissolved into the Infinite space (on breaking of the jar), so dissolve (your) self into the Infinite God (Self) without any sense of duality and attain everlasting peaceful state.


svaprakAsham = self illuminated (illuminated by itself)
adhisThAyam = the support, the substratum
svayam bhUya sadAtmanA = oneself become Self
BrahmANdamapi = BrahmANada (Universe) too
piNdAdam = body
tyajyatAm = discarding
malabhANdavat = pot filled with excreta

=> Become the self-illumined, the substratum (of all) Self by discarding this body and this universe in the same manner as (one should discard) a pot filled with excreta.


chidAtmani = Self that is consciousness
sadAnande = always in bliss
dehArUdhamahmdhiyam = deharUdha (mounted over the body) + aham (ego, i-ness) + dhiyam (buddhi)
niveshyam = should impose upon
lingamutsrijya = discarding the linga sharira (subtle body)
kevalobhava = be kevala (non-dual Self) --- stay as non-dual Self
sarvadA = always

=> Imposing the ahamKAr (i-ness) mounted upon the body on ever blissful Self that is Consciousness and discarding the subtle body (linga sharIra) stay always as Non-dual Self.

yatraisha = yatra (where) + esha (this)
jagadAbhAso = jagat (world) + AbhAsah = world is perceived (apparently)
darpANtahpuram yathA = darpaNtah (in the mirror) + puram (city)
+ yatha ( As)
tadbrahmAhamiti = tat (that) + Brahman + aham+ iti = I am that Braham alone
gyAtvA = by knowing
kritkrityo = kritkrityah (having attained the ultimate)
bhavAnagha = bhava (become) +anagha (sinless)

=> Knowing that “I am that Brahman” alone, in which this world is perceived, in the same manner as a city is perceived in a mirror, be Kritkritya, O’ sinless !

OM

devotee
17 June 2012, 05:38 AM
Namaste,

Let's analyse the verses we have taken. It gives us useful insight into nature of self (Individualised Consciousness) and Self.

These verses tell us that the relationship between the Jeeva and Brahman is like the space in the jar and the Infinite Space which covers everything. What is the Jar which separates the jar-space (self) from the Infinite space (Self) ? Is it the body ? Is it the subtle body ? What is it that separates Jeeva and Brahman ?

The third verse (verse 9) tells us that i-ness which is superimposed on the body and the linga sharira (subtle body) has to be discarded and has to be superimposed upon ever blissful Consciousness which is the Self. So, that is the root cause of this separateness. The attachment to the body and the lingasharira with i-ness (i.e. ahamkAr) has to be discarded i.e. " I am not this body" and "I am not the subtle body too" this feeling has to be developed.

Once the superimposition of "i" is broken from body and the subtle body, the "i" (self) dissolves into Cosmic "I" (Self) just like the space in the jar dissolves into Infinite Space on breaking of the jar leaving no trace of duality.

How are this world and the Brahman (Self) related to each other ? The fourth (Verse 10) verse tells us that it is like an image of a city perceived in a mirror wherein the Brahman is the mirror and the universe is the city. What does it mean ? Is there a separate universe ? No. It is just like an image perceived on the unchanging mirror. The mirror is the lone reality and the image of the universe is simply perceived due to illusion created by the work of light (MAyA).

OM

Mana
17 June 2012, 06:31 AM
हरिः ओम्


Namaste devotee,


Thank you for this wonderful posting, it is so good to be reminded of the eternal reality of that, we are so quickly drawn back into
a fog of doubt. Without the support and kindness of others.

Like the colours of a rainbow are we separated by mind, just as we perceive a colour as existing it is quite simply, a differing
frequency's of the very same vibration; light.

As it is the very border which separates the self from Brahman, in the knowledge that this is so, how can we not feel love for all?

Especially upon seeing the beauty of mAyA!


praṇāma

mana


ॐ नमः शिवाय
Aum Namaḥ Śivāya

devotee
17 June 2012, 09:10 PM
Namaste Mana,

You have expressed it in very beautiful words. :)

OM

devotee
17 June 2012, 09:14 PM
Namaste,

This i-ness which is imposed on the gross body and the subtle body arises from Avidya which occurs naturally under the action of beginningless MAyA of Brahman is the root cause of all pains and sufferings arising due to apparent separation of Jeeva and the Brahman. If that is so, is it not injustice that the being suffers for something for which it not responsible at all ?

Thoughts ?

OM

Mana
18 June 2012, 11:55 AM
हरिः ओम्


Namaste devotee,


Thank you for your kind words and fascinating conversation, if I might share a few thoughts; justice is fully
dependent upon our own perspective and is as such is a tool of mAyA, what need is there for justice if
conciousness, is one with that of Siva?

Pain is undoubtedly the counter to pleasure and as such we are free to free our selves from it, but not by
ignoring it. Might we conclude that pain is a signal; one that we are free to learn from, or hide from, as we so
choose, is not the tireless pursuit of pleasure to actively hide from ones pain and fears. Effectively, to
construct ones own illusion, your I-ness becomes you; in an objective world.

From what I have seen of astronomy; I can not believe that we are not responsible for the life times in which
we find ourselves; it is our own self awareness that can free us from these confines; as we reflect upon the lot
that we have drawn, we can change this with our own minds, by taking charge of the complex system that we
are and realising that the multitude of signals that make us perceive are only the guides and are not a rigid
train track or a record groove.

We can also call the tune, one must simply learn how to play ...


praṇāma

mana


ॐ नमः शिवाय
Aum Namaḥ Śivāya

Seeker
19 June 2012, 08:20 AM
Namaste,

This i-ness which is imposed on the gross body and the subtle body arises from Avidya which occurs naturally under the action of beginningless MAyA of Brahman is the root cause of all pains and sufferings arising due to apparent separation of Jeeva and the Brahman. If that is so, is it not injustice that the being suffers for something for which it not responsible at all ?

Thoughts ?

OM

Devotee Ji,
Who is the true 'sufferer'? Can He suffer at all? Isnt the feeling that 'sufferer' is the Jeeeva is also part of the the illusion called Maya?

devotee
20 June 2012, 04:59 AM
Namaste Mana, Seeker and all,

Let's see some valuable inputs from both of you :


justice is fully dependent upon our own perspective and is as such is a tool of mAyA, what need is there for justice if consciousness, is one with that of Siva?

So, as the being is one with Shiva there is no other for committing the injustice. That is one way of looking at things and that is right.

Seeker has asked a very important question :


Who is the true 'sufferer'? Can He suffer at all? Isnt the feeling that 'sufferer' is the Jeeeva is also part of the the illusion called Maya?

Asking right questions is very important for only the right questions can lead us to right answers. Actually this question, "Who is the true sufferer ?" is worth exploring.

So, let is try to answer the following questions :

a ) Who is this "being" which suffers ?
b )How is it born & how does it die ? Or is this being eternal ?
c ) How does it suffer and what makes it free from sufferings ?

OM

devotee
15 October 2012, 02:29 AM
Namaste,

These questions remained unanswered in this thread :



a ) Who is this "being" which suffers ?
b ) How is it born & how does it die ? Or is this being eternal ?
c ) How does it suffer and what makes it free from sufferings ?


a) The sufferer is the individualised Consciousness which is like a character acting in a dream. This "being" is imagined/created from the underlying pure consciousness as many imagined characters are created in a dream by the Consciousness of the dreamer. So, in the relative plane of the dream-like existence, the 'being' suffers but the Pure Consciousness which is the substratum of the 'being' remains unaffected, in the same way, as a dreamer is unaffected by the sufferings of the dream characters in his dream.

b) This 'being' has apparent existence under the influence of MAyA i.e. it is a creation of MAyA just like the existence of dream characters in a dream of a dreamer. The dream characters in a dream has their own existence with their own 'i' as they have separate consciousnesses but their consciousnesses are nothing but a reflection of the Consciousness of the dreamer alone. We can clearly see that these consciousnesses don't exist in reality.

c) Within the dream-like existence of this world the 'being' is bound by the laws of the Waking state and Dreaming state (Ref : MAndukya Up.). The sufferings and enjoyment of gross/subtle objects etc. are available to the 'being' as per its own Karmas in that realm.

How does it become free ? It becomes free when it realises that it is nothing but the Self. This realisation comes from grace of God, grace of Guru, Meditation/SamAdhi, renunciation, contemplation on the teachings of the Upanishads and acting accordingly etc.

OM

devotee
25 December 2012, 09:58 AM
Namaste,

MahAnArAyaNa Upanishad which is also available with the name NArAyaNopanishad with some differences is part of AraNyaka part of Krishna Yajurveda. It is the last part of the TaitriyaraNayaka. This Upanishad is also known as YAjnikyupanishad on the ground that YajnAtmA NArAyaNa is considered the seer of this part of the Veda.

Let's see what this Upanishad offers towards our understanding of Advaita :

1.1.7 That alone is Fire, That is Air, That is Sun, that verily is Moon, That alone is shining stars and Ambrosia. That is Food, that is Water and He is the Lord of the creatures.

===> What does it tell us ? It says the same thing as Rig Veda says, "Ekam sad Vipra Bahudha vadanti" ===> that the same Brahman is worshiped in various names and forms.

1.1.11 His form is not to be beheld; none whosoever beholds Him with the eye. Those who meditate on Him with their minds undistracted and fixed in the heart know Him; they become immortal.


===> This verse tells us the way to know Him. It also tells us that Brahman has no form which can be "seen" by our eyes. ... and the way to know Him is to meditate upon Him with our mind.

1.2.6 O' Sun, Hri and Lakshmi are thy consorts, Thyself being BrahmA, Vishnu and Shiva. Day and Night are thy two sides. Asterisms in the sky are thine own form.

====> Sun is NArAyaNa alone and that alone is BrahmA, Vishnu and Shiva, as is evident from the above verse.

1.2.67 That Supreme Light which projected Itself as the Universe like a soaked seed which sprouts -- I am that Supreme Light. I am that Supreme Light of Brahman which shines as the inmost essence of all that exists. In reality, I am the same Infinite Brahman even when I am experiencing myself as finite self due to avidya. Now by the onset of Jnana, I am really that Brahman which is my eternal nature. Therefore, I realise this identity by making myself, the finite self, an oblation into the fire of the Infinite Brahman which I am always. May this oblation be well made.

===> This Universe is non-different from Brahman. I am non-different from Brahman. I have to realise my true nature by making an oblation of my self to the Self/Brahman.

OM

devotee
26 December 2012, 10:50 PM
Namaste,

Proceeding further ...

XII-16. In the citadel of the body there is small sinless and pure lotus of the heart which is the residence of the Supreme. Further in the interior of this small area there is sorrowless AkAsha (space). That is to be meditated upon continually.

===> Here the importance of looking for God within one's own heart is emphasized and which is taught by Advaitic Gurus. The best place to look for God is in our own heart than looking for Him in temples and other places.

XIII-1-3 This universe is truly the Divine person alone. Therefore, it subsists on Him - the self-effulgent Divine being - who has many heads and many eyes, who is the producer of joy for the universe, who exists in the form of the universe, who is NArAyANa (master and cause of humanity), whose forms are various gods, who is imperishable, who is all-surpassing ruler and saviour, who is superior to the world, who is endless and omniform, who is the goal of humanity, who is the destroyer of souls, who is permanent, supremely auspicious and unchanging, who has embodied Himself in man as his support (as the indwelling spirit), who is supremely worthy of being known by the creatures, who is embodied in the universe and who is supreme goal.


===> This verse says very important points which must be noted for the Truth Seekers. It says :

a) The Universe is nothing but Divine person i.e. Brahman alone.
b) His forms are various gods i.e. He alone exists as many gods in vaious forms.
c) He alone is the supreme goal of everyone.

XIII-4-5 NArAyaNa is the supreme Reailty designated as Brahman. NArAyaNa is the highest. NArAyaNa is the supreme light. NArAyaNa is the infinite Self. Whatsoever there is in this world known through perception or known through report, all that is, is pervaded by NArAyaNa within and without. One should meditate upon the Supreme - the limitless, unchanging, all-knowing, cause of happiness of the world. dwelling in the sea of one's own heart, as the goal of all striving. The place for His meditation is the space in the heart -- the heart which is comparable to an inverted lotus bud.

===> NArAyaNa is none but Brahman or Brahman is none but NArAyaNa. He resides in the heart and should be meditated upon in that place.

XIII-12 Paramatman dwells in the middle of the flame (of the great fire in the heart) and He is the four faced creator, Shiva, Vishnu, Indra, the material and efficient cause of the universe and the Supreme Self-luminous Pure Consciousness.

====> This has been stated in this Upanishad earlier too. God Himself is the in-dweller in everyone's heart. He alone is known as BrahmA, Shiva, Vishnu and Indra.

OM

devotee
26 December 2012, 11:46 PM
Namaste ,


As for translation, I have relied upon Swami Vimalananda's translation and he owns it to Sayana's translation.


OM

devotee
27 December 2012, 04:26 AM
Namaste,

This Upanishad praises Brahman, the sole Reality, in many forms and by various names, as we have already seen earlier. I will quote here verses where Brahman has been praised in the forms of Sun God, Shiva, Indra etc.

Brahman as Indra :

VIII-1 The Supreme Being Indra who is most excellent Pranava taught in the Vedas who ensouls the entire universe, who leads the collection of the Vedic utterances in Gayatri and other metres standing in their beginning, who is capable of being attained by worshippers and who is the first in the causal link, taught the contemplative sages the sacred wisdom of Upanishad, Himself being the subject matter of them, in order to strengthen them with the power of knowledge. I salute the gods for removing the obstacles in my path to illumination ( Self-realisation). For the same, I also revere the Manes, the triple regions of Bhuh, Bhuvah and Suvah and the entire Vedas are comprised in OM.

==> Let's mark closely what this verse offers :
a) Indra is none but the Supreme Being i.e. Brahman
b) Indra is Pranava i.e. OM
c) He is the first Cause (of the universe)

Brahman as Sun-God :

XIV-1 Verily Aditya is He. This orb of His gives light and heat. The well-known Rik verses are here, therefore, the orb is the collection of the Riks. He is the abode of the Rik verses. Now, this flame which is shining in the orb of the Sun is the collection of Saman chants; That is the abode of Saman chants. Now, He who is the person in the flame within the orb of the Sun is the collection of Yajus. Thus by these three, the threefold knowledge alone shines. He who is within the Sun is the Golden person.

===> Sun God has been praised as Brahman even in the SamhitA part of the Vedas. This verse just repeats that.

XV-1 The Sun verily is all these - energy, splendour, strength, renown, sight, hearing, body, mind, anger, seer, the Deities Death, Satya, Mitra, Ether and Breath, the Ruler of the world, Prajapati, the Indeterminable One, Happiness, that transcends the senses, truth, food , liberation and immortality, individual soul, the Universe, the acme of bliss and the self-born Brahman. This person in the Sun is eternal. He is the Lord of creatures. He who meditates thus upon Him, attains union with Brahman and lives in the same region of enjoyment with Him, he attains union with Brahman and lives in the same region of enjoyment with Him; He attains union, co-resides and like-enjoyment with these gods in their worlds.

===> Let's mark that Sun alone is various Deities viz. Death, Satya, Mitra, Ether and Breath, the Ruler of the world, the Universe, self-born Brahman etc.

XV-2 Aditya, the supreme cause of the universe, is the giver of light and water and is the source of all energy. He is denoted by the syllable OM.

====> This verse declares Sun-God (called Aditya), as supreme cause of the universe and denotes it with OM … syllable reserved for Brahman.

Lord Shiva as Brahman

XXIII-1 Supreme Brahman, the Absolute Reality, has become an androgynous Person in the form of Umamaheshwara, dark blue and reddish brown in hue, absolutely chaste and possessing uncommon eyes. Salutations to Him alone who is the Soul of the universe or whose form is Universe.

XXiV-1 All this is verily Rudra who is such we offer our salutations. We salute again and again that Being Rudra, who alone is light and the Soul of creatures. The material universe, the created beings and whatever there is manifoldly and profusely created in the past and in the present in the form of the world, all that is indeed this Rudra. Salutations to Rudra who is such.

OM is all

LXVIII-1 OM that is Brahman; OM that is Vayu, OM that is finite self, OM that is Supreme Truth, OM that is all, OM that is multitude of citadels, Salutations to HIm.

===> This verse declares that OM alone is everything and all beings including the gods.

The Supreme Being

LXVIII- 2 That Supreme Being moves inside the heart of created beings possessing manifold forms. O Supreme, Thou art the sacrifice, Thou art the expression Vasat, Thou art Indra, Thou art Rudra, Thu art Brahman, Thou art Prajapati, Thou art That, Thou art water in the rivers and the oceans, Thou art the Sun, Thou art flavour, Thou art ambrosia, Thou art the body of the Vedas, Thou art the three-fold world and Thou art OM.

How to meditate upon Brahman

LXXIX-18 (The seeker) should concentrate his thoughts on Him uttering the syllable OM. This, the syllable OM, verily is the substance of many great Upanishads and a secret guarded by the gods without imparting to the unfit. He who practises meditation on the Supreme thus with the aid of Pranava after Sannyaasa attains to unlimited greatness of the Supreme. Thus the secret knowledge has been imparted.

===> This verse tells us how to attain the Supreme. It tells us that we should meditate on the Supreme with the aid of Pranava (OM).

OM

devotee
27 December 2012, 10:11 PM
Namaste,

Acharya Sriram Sharma, who is considered an incarnation of Kabir, Ramkrishna Paramhansa etc. by his followers (famous as Gayatri Parivaar) was a great scholar of Vedic scriptures. He has translated almost all Upanishads. He has divided the 108 Upanishads into three sections : "Jnana khanda' (The section on imparting Jnana), Brahman Vidya Khanda (The section on Knowledge of Brahman) and the Saadhanaa khanda (The section on Advaita Saadhanaa).

Next, I shall take up some of the important Upanishads from Brahman Vidya Khanda.

OM

ShivaFan
28 December 2012, 01:47 AM
Namaste Devotee and others

I do not know anything, I am just a Bhakta. However, I do enjoy walking into the forest – I use to do that a lot when younger, I am getting a bit older now but sometimes I still do so.

One of the reasons I enjoy doing so, is for some reason whenever I go into the forest, especially if I am alone, I think of the Ramayana. Of course, this is because of Rama and the 14 year exile. But in my mind, as I go around each bend, I think “will Hanuman be standing there?”. I know this sounds strange, but I really think of Hanuman very strongly, it is very real sometimes.

Not far from where my parents live, there is a deep forest trail that actually is quite dangerous in some ways. There is a strong running river just off the trail. The trees are tall and very dense. And there are black bears and mountain lions. I know for a fact I have been watched by the lions, and I have found their fresh tracks and stool droppings. I have heard them. I am not so brave to go about like a “monk”. In fact, I always carry a knife with me, even if I am not in the forest there is a pocket knife in my holding. Unless of course, it is not allowed (airports for example).

I have seen absolute amazing things in the deep forest. I have seen a tarantula migration (a form of a very large spider with hair). I have seen mass salamander migrations. Every sort of animal you can imagine, including bears – and again, though I never encountered a lion face to face, I know without question if and when one was “there” watching, by sound and movement. I have seen every kind of bird you can imagine. Amazing woodpeckers, huge. Wood ducks. I love ravens. But I do not want to bore anyone with animal stories (though the raccoons! Funny!).

When I enter the forest, the forest is an actual presence. Even though it consists of all sorts of trees, animals, nature, weather patterns, cycles, changes, sounds, spirits, it is – its own. I almost wait, and think “will it speak?”. Literally – like a voice might just start speaking.

So even though the forest is many eyes, many heads, and changes and moves about and has many endless and repeating cycles, it is to me, its “own” being. I do not know what its name is. But to me, it is just like a person, but not just like all the souls that live in that person.

All the souls that live in that person are the bears, the lions, the trees, the salamanders, the raccoons, the birds, and I will add even many of the rocks.

So to me, this “Brahman” and “jiva” and all this complicated stuff, isn’t so complicated. The forest is the Purusha. It is my friend. Sometimes it might say “come, come here ShivaFan”. There is no voice, but there is a voice. And then all the friends are there. Even the bad friends, like the lions who watch. They are the jivas.

I go around the next corner, past the big tree. Will Hanuman be there?

Om Namah Sivaya

devotee
29 December 2012, 03:08 AM
Namaste ShivaFan,



I do not know anything, I am just a Bhakta.

God loves His Bhaktas and He is not much bothered if you know Shastras or not as long as you love Him.


So to me, this “Brahman” and “jiva” and all this complicated stuff, isn’t so complicated. The forest is the Purusha. It is my friend. Sometimes it might say “come, come here ShivaFan”. There is no voice, but there is a voice. And then all the friends are there. Even the bad friends, like the lions who watch. They are the jivas.

Yes, it is not complicated as long as we don't try to put it into words. :)

OM

devotee
29 December 2012, 03:35 AM
Namaste,

Maitreya Upanishad is advanced Advaitic Upanishad from SAm Veda. It starts with King Brihdrath's story and then tells us what Lord Shiva told Lord Maitreya on the highest Truth. Let's see some important points stated in chosen verses. I will not be quoting the exact verses for the sake of brevity :

a) Verses 5-18 :

The attachment to subjects of the Indriyas make Jeeva forget its True Nature. The knowledge/Jnana is attained through Tapas and Jnana makes it possible to bring Manas under control and by bringing Manas under control, Atman is attained.

Chitta has Atman as its source. The VAsanAs/Vrittis in Chitta create this SamsArA and by destroying those those Vrittis, it attains peace within its Source, the AtmAn. Therefore, we should make efforts to make the Chitta free from Vrittis. When the Chitta becomes peaceful, man attains the state of eternal bliss.

Attachment to one's Varna, Ashrama, body and progeny is the cause of all sufferings in this SamsAra.

*************************
What does it offer so far ? The verses talk about how the Jeeva forgets its true nature and suffers due to being attached to body/subjects of IndriyAs/Varna/Ashram/relatives. It also tells us that the way to Realise our True Nature lies in VairAgya which would lead to quenching the Vrittis of our Chitta. Once the Vrittis of our Chitta are quenched, it attains peace within its own source, the AtmAn.

*************************
Word Power :

IndriYas === Sense Organs
Chitta === Mind (in some places it is also used for the Sub-conscious part of Mind)
Jeeva = Being which suffers and enjoys in this world and carries its Samskaars from one birth to another
Samskaar = Deep impressions in mind due to thoughts, actions and speech
JnAna = Knowledge (of Self)
AtmAn = Self, Spirit
Vrittis = Mind-waves (disturbances in Chitta)
MAnas = Mind
VairAgya = Non-attachment
SamsAra = World

OM

devotee
31 December 2012, 01:37 AM
Namaste,

The Maitreya Upanishad which we are discussing, is also found with name as Maitri Upanishad. This Upanishad is one of the thirteen main Upanishads.

In the last post we saw that this Upanishad lays a lot of emphasis on controlling mind-waves i.e. the Vrittis of Chitta and that has been stated to be the road to Self-realisation. The Self alone exists. When the mind's chatter stop, the Self shines. Let's see what some of the other Upanishads/Scriptures offer on this issue :

Kathopanishad says :

4.1. The self existent Self created the senses with outgoing tendencies. Therefore we see the external world and not the Self. But the wise turn the senses away from the world and, seeking what is everlasting, realize the Self within.


===> It is the nature of the senses to go and seek their subjects outside. Let's remember that senses are actually in our mind (sense organs only are the instruments to fulfill what the senses desire). Therefore, we suffer from a tendency to look outwards. This tendency has to be reversed and we have to train to look within to realise the Self.

3.5 A mind without the right understanding is uncontrollable like a wild horse that has not been trained.

3.6. But when the mind knows the Self it behaves like a well disciplined horse.

3.7. The thoughtless and impure minds of those who do not know the Self circle endlessly in the whirlpool of samsara.

3.8. But a discriminating mind is a controlled mind and easily realizes the unborn Self.

3.9. With a discriminating intellect in charge of the mind one easily realizes the all pervading Self.

====> Let's mark here that for treading the path of Self-realisation, training of the mind with right understanding and discrimination has been emphasised.

Patanjali Yogsutras

The 2nd verse of 1st Chapter of Yogsutras tells us :

Yogah Chittavritti Nirodhah ====> Yoga is (or means) controlling mind-waves.

Bhagwad Gita

5.27-28 Shutting out all thoughts of external enjoyments, with the gaze fixed on the space between the eye-brows, having regulated the PraNa and the ApaNa breaths flowing within the nostrils, he who has brought his senses, mind and intellect under control. Such a contemplative soul intent on liberation and free from desire, fear and anger, is ever liberated.

6.36 Yoga is difficult to achieve by one whose mind is not controlled by him; however, who has the mind under control, and is ceaselessly striving, it can be easily attained through practice. Such is My conviction.

=====> There are other references too in Bhagwad Gita but the intention is not to quote too much from scriptures but to emphasize upon what is important for Self-Realisationas per scriptures. Patanjali Yogsutras gives very high importance to controlling the mind-waves which are the Vrittis of the Mind/Chitta. Bhagwad Gita buttresses the point that bringing our senses, mind and intellect under control, and being free from desire, fear and anger is a precondition for getting liberated (or Self-realisation).

Word-Power :

Yoga = Yoga means "union". "union" with what ? Union with the Source/God/Self/Brahman. However, this union is not as two separate things are enjoined together ... this union is only figurative. It is Realisation that Jeeva alone is Brahman ... that Brahman was never a separate entity to begin with.

PrANa = The life-giving air breathed into the body
APAna = The dirty air with waste breathed out from the body

OM

devotee
04 January 2013, 09:23 AM
Namaste,

Now we shall move to the second chapter of the Maitreya Upanishad. In this part, Lord Maitreya goes to Kailaash and asks Lord Shiva to impart him the secret of essence of everything (tattva-rahasya). Lord Shiva imparts him the knowledge of Advaita. Some chosen verses are reproduced and discussed here :

• The body is the temple and the Jeeva is none but Shiva. Therefore, one should shed the dirt of ignorance and meditate with “I am That” thought. 2.1


==== > Let us mark here unequivocal assertion by Upanishad that Jeeva alone is Shiva. If we remember Adi Guru Shankaracharya too proclaimed the same Truth echoed in the Upanishads : “Jeevo Brahmaiva Naaparah” (The Jeeva is Brahman alone and none else). In Bhagwad Gita Lord Krishna too says, “ParamAtmeti chApyukto dehesmin purushah parah” (In this body the Purusha is none but God alone).

• Those with doubts cannot be liberated from the cycles of deaths and births. Only the seekers with conviction alone can be successful in that. Therefore, one should have complete faith (on Guru and the Shastras). 2.16


==== > Doubts take us to the path of seeking the Truth. However, we must believe what the Gurus and the scriptures say. We don’t know the Truth ... and we doubt those who know ... then certainly there is no way to attain the Truth.

• Contemplating upon Tattvaas is the best. Contemplating upon the Shastras is the medium. Saadhanaa of Mantras is of lower category and moving around in Teertha is the lowest of all Saadhanaas. 2.21


===== > This statement of this Upanishad may be seen by non-advaitins as sacrilegious. Chanting/meditating on Mantras and going to various Teerthas have been placed at the lowest rank for attaining the Truth which leads us to liberation in this Upanishad. However, as I have stated earlier, this Upanishad is not for the Bhakti-yogis (Non-advaitins) and not for the beginners on the path of Advaita Saadhanaa.

• Worshipping Murtis (vigrah) made of stone, gold or earth gets one the fulfilment of desires but causes one to go into the cycles of births and deaths again and again. Therefore, one should worship the deity within his own heart to avoid re-birth. 2.26


======= > This statement of this Upanishad suggests that one should worship God within his own heart than to worship in objects outside. Though, non-advaitins may not readily accept it but if we see the Veda-smahitaa, Upanishads or the Bhagwad Gita ... we don’t find any suggestion towards worship of the Murtis in the temples. In Bhagwad Gita too, in chapter 6, Lord Krishna suggests meditating upon Self. He mentions again and again in various verses that He is in the heart of every being.

However, it should not be inferred that worshipping Lord’s Murtis in the temples is wrong but it is better to seek God in one’s own heart ... that is the message. This helps in two ways ... the seeker goes inward which is the way to the Self and also makes him see God in all beings. Let’s remember that till we seeking outside, the very act of going out ... makes us restless and away from our own Self. So, the seeking must be inside ourselves and not outside us.

• I alone exist. The other one too is me alone. I am Brahman. I am Guru of all beings. Everything that is in the whole of universe is Me alone. 3.1


===== > This is the stage where the Seeker has attained Self-realisation. At this there is no two at this stage. One alone exists and He is that.

Word-power

Tattva = element, essence, Truth
Rahasya = secret
Therefore, Tattva-rahasya means the secret of the Truth.
Saadhanaa = (spiritual) practice
Murti/Vigrah = Images of God forms in stone, earth, metals etc.
Teertha = Highly sacred places where pilgrims go for seeking blessings of God

OM

devotee
07 January 2013, 12:38 AM
Namaste,

Atharva Veda (both Samhita and Upanisads) is credited with imparting Brahman-Vidya in in a direct, clearer and distinct way. AtmA Upanishad or Atmopanishad is one of the Upanishads belonging to Atharva Veda. We will take a few verses from this Upanishad and see what it adds to our knowledge.
Some important points to note in this Upanishad :

a) It says in the beginning that the Spirit manifests itself in three ways : a) self --- which is this body, the gross form of existence with various limbs and organs b) The Inner self - --- the subtle form of existence with various elements making it like the earth, water, ether, Fire, air, desire, pleasure, pain etc. c) Supreme Self which is imperishable --- It is unborn, deathless, beyond gunas, witness, omnipresent, unthinkable and invisible etc.

===> Let's mark here that the first two ways are perishable and the third is imperishable as the Upanishad too says. Therefore, the first two are sentient and perishable and not the Reality.

b) It enforces the idea of "There is Brahman alone and none else" with examples in subsequent verses. It tells us that this world, the teacher and disciple are non-different from Brahman.

===> This merely emphasizes the non-dual nature of Brahman.

c) It emphasises that the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman. His status is equated with space within the jar and the space outside it. The knower of Brahman becomes one with Brahman as milk in milk, water in water and oil and oil mix without any distinction. Let's see a few verses as exactly appear in this Upanishad :

II-19-20. By fate is the body borne into contexts of experiences at appropriate times. (On the contrary) he who, giving up all migrations, both knowledge and unknowable, stays as the pure unqualified Self, is himself the manifest Shiva. He is the best of all Brahman-Knowers. In life itself the foremost Brahman-Knower is the ever free, he has accomplished his End.

II-22(b)-23. Just as space becomes space itself when the (enclosing) pot perishes, so, when particular cognitions are dissolved, the Brahman-Knower himself becomes nothing but Brahman, as milk poured into milk, oil into oil, and water into water become (milk, oil and water).

II-24(a). Just as, combined, they become one, so does the Atman-knowing sage in the Atman.

====> The "knowledge" makes us one with Brahman. This statement is supported by many other Upanishads. ... and this One-ness leaves no trace of duality ... this has to be noted as clarified by the Upanishad by above examples.

d) The knower of Brahman is free from cycles of births and deaths. Bondage, Liberation are unreal and creation of MAyA :

II-26-27(a). Because that Yogin has become Brahman, how can Brahman be reborn ? Bondage and liberation, set up by Maya, are not real in themselves in relation to the Self, just as the appearance and disappearance of the snake are not in relation to the stir-less rope.

II-28-29. Brahman suffers from no concealment whatsoever. It is uncovered, there being nothing other than It (to cover It). The ideas, ‘it is’ and ‘it is not’, as regards Reality, are only ideas in the intellect. They do not pertain to the eternal Reality. So bondage and liberation are set up by Maya and do not pertain to the Self.

====> Here, the Upanishad denies even concealment of Brahman by MAyA with the simple logic that there is nothing other than Brahman to cover it. Because of use of this logic, MAyA has not been considered as Real. However, this statement must be seen from Absolute point of view otherwise, having a phenomenal world as this would be impossible. From Turiya state, there is nothing different from Brahman which is the sole unchanging reality. So, MAyA covers Brahman only apparently and not really in the three states of MAyic existence.

OM

hinduism♥krishna
09 July 2013, 04:41 AM
great work, devotee.
You explained nicely the oneness of atma and bramha.
we have to break this false jivahood and have to restore our eternal, omnipresent , sat chit anand nature.
Really duality or multiplicity is mithya.I experienced it by steady concentration on the self.

hari govinda hari hari