Katha Upanishad

[atanu]

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Om �po jyotih rasomritam brahma
bh�r bhuvas suvar om

Om, the Water, the Light, the very Essence in which we exist, the Absolute, the physical world, the astral realm, the mental realm,

all are Om.

Namaste,

Om is that shanti (peace) which again is this world.

Om

[syvedi40]

Nameste Mirabhi and other learned friends,

I would like to add some response to your question:

�And It exists also without.� seems to say that Atman also exists without entering a physical body, which is to say that Atman is the imperishable supreme Brahman. How can this be? Isn�t God much much more than the imperfect soul residing within the physical body? Or perhaps It becomes imperfect at the moment It begins to reside in the physical body? Or perhaps Atman is not imperfect is my misunderstanding?

If I may ask, would someone be willing to give your understanding of these verses?

Before I go into details I would like to mention the general concept of Hinduism as I understand. To be borne as a human being is a privilege and a God given opportunity to enable a soul to study, think and conduct atma vichara to attain moksha. Nobody knows when a soul will attain moksha or realise self. As per our general thinking if one does good things he gets purified according to the effects of the deed. Realising Self depends on whether a person gets a proper Guru who can guide him towards the ultimate goal. Here we have to mark the word "Realising Self" which implies Self is all the time resides in us and we fail to understand this.

Coming back to your question whether the soul becomes imperfect when it starts residing in a physical body, I shall quote here what Bruhadarnaya Upanisad says about how soul leaves one body and goes into another:

NEXT LIFE

• Just as a leech dwelling in the grass goes to the end of the grass catches another support and withdraws itself (there), so does this self set aside the present body - make it senseless - take up a new body and withdraw itself (there). (4.4.3)
• Just a s a goldsmith, taking apart a little quantity of gold, moulds another - a newer and better - form, even so does this self, setting this body aside - making it senseless - create another - a newer and better - form fit for the manes, or the celestial minstrels, or the Gods, or Viraj, or Hiranyagarbha, or other beings. (4.4.5)
• This same self is verily Brahman, as also associated with the mind, with vital force, with the eyes, with ears, with earth, with water, with the air, with the ether, with fire and what is other than fire, with desire and with want of desire, with anger and with the absence of anger, with righteousness and unrighteousness and with all. Thus it is (proved) that it is associated with what is perceived and with what is inferred. (4.4.5)
• As it does and as it acts, so it becomes: The doer of good becomes good, and the doer of evil becomes evil; it becomes virtuous through a virtuous act and vicious through a vicious act. (4.4.5)

As a person does more and more acts (Here one has to remember what Lord Krishna says that yagna done for the betterment of people as a whole and not for individual's benefit purifies the man - Karma Yoga) he gets elevated to a higher level of consciousness. The more he strives in this direction the more he nears the goal.

One may ask why we could not understand that the self is within us the answer is in Sloka 12 of Ch1. Valli 3

Lord Yama (I would not like to call him "Death" which I feel irreverential to a God appointed to do his duty and who is supposed to be the repository of all Dharmas) says to Naciketas:

The atma which hides in all beings (not only human beings) is not understood easily. Only people who have "sukshma buddhi" and "sukshma darsh" (I fail to translate in English, it is not keen intellect or keen eyesight, the abilities he mentions about are beyond the physical eyesight or intelligence as we normally know) could understand this self in the beings.

How to realise Self or Atman or Brahman?

Again in Sloka 9 of Ch1.Valli 3 Lord Yama says"

Whoever is able to keep his mind in proper course like a expert driver of Rath keeps his horses under control, reaches the goal (of Realising Self)

[soham3]

What is important is ' aparoksha anubhooti ' or direct experience rather than big talks, lectures and dissertations. They say half-filled pitcher makes more sound than a fully filled pitcher.
Use breath & mantra to transcend the mind.

[yajvan]

Hari om
~~~~~

What is important is ' aparoksha anubhooti ' or direct experience rather than big talks, lectures and dissertations. They say half-filled pitcher makes more sound than a fully filled pitcher.
Use breath & mantra to transcend the mind.

Namaste,
of this

experience rather than big talks, lectures and dissertations

there is no doubt of its value to the sadhu.

Yet, knowledge is the greatest purifier. And ignorance is also removed with discussion, conversation, probing and even vikikitsA or doubts and suspicion can assist the truly interested. Removing a thorn with a thorn as the wise say.

It is knowledge with experience of transcending that brings the greater good.

You can restrain your breath a 1000 times daily but ignornace will not vanish without the wisdom of the Upanishads... svami Sivananda commenting on the Mundaka Upanishad