"COMMENTARY ON 'THE KENA UPANISHAD'" BY SRI ANIRVAN, TRANSLATED BY SRI GAUTAM DHARMAPAL, COPYRIGHT
PART ONE
It has been already said that Kenopanishad is in form of a dialogue between the disciple and the teacher. The Upanishad begins with a question of the disciple. After that we see him only twice. But in the few words he speaks we get a beautiful impression of a well-versed inquistive heart.
The method of dialogue was not a speciality for Upanishads only. The old nomenclature for an enquiry about Brahman was “brahmodya” dialogue about Brahman or “Vakovakya” – taking or discussion about. This may be in question- answer format between the knowers of truth or between a knower and an enquirer. There are many illustrations of both in the Samhitas. Enquiry about the mystery of the universe is a peculiarity of the intelligent mind. This also takes form of an enquiry to inner deity as we see it in this agein the case of Sri Rama Krishna – always enquiring the mother about all matters.
One who knows not or understands not was called “pak”. The enquiry that rises in him is due to the influence of the supreme deity – who is Intelligence or knowledge absolute. The influx of the divine, as it helps in the development and the nourishment of all the parts of thebeing, so also awakenes the spirit of enquiry. The spirit of enquiry is not aroused here from doubt or sophistry. It is aroused to understand or to gather true knowledge; from mimamsa. Vedic inquiry of truth is not mere speculation or sophistry. It is an effort to arrive at a definite understanding, a judgement or a theory. European hypothesis about this is misdirected and misguided.
The student has come to the teacher’s house as a alibate to realize and attain Brahman. He is neither an agnostic nor a slanderer of the deity – “devanid”. He is rather a “devayni”, one who desires, wants to realize the divine. He is in fact part and parcel of the divine. He has heard that the divine is realizable to the direct vision of the awakened consciousness. He also knows about the “brahmapurusha’s”. The sense gods within who help in the realization of Brahman. His inquiry now is, how to transform these Gods – brahma-purushas- into Brahman. The God or the supreme deity. From this inquiry begins the Upanishad –
Kenesitam patati prisitam manal
Kena pranah prathamat praiti yuktah
Kenesitam vacam imam vadanti
Caksuh srotram ka u deva yunakti |
Propelled by whom the mind is directed to its object? By who yoked the First Life-breath – Prana – move forward on its patha? By whom impelled is this word that men speak? Who is the God that directs the eye and the ear to their workings?
The question comes from a well-read person – it is full of technical terminology then used. According to Yagnavalkya, the disciple in the case is like Janaka “adhita – Veda Uktopanishad” a person who has mastered the Vedas and has also heard the Upanishadik Knowledge. Whatever he has heard so far, he wants to confirm and establish in him with the speed of mind and carving of the heart. We get a beautiful description of this agitation, this churning of the soul in this mantra of Barhaspatya Bharadwaj.
Vi me karna patayato vi cakshur
vi idam jyotir hridaya ahitam yat
vi me manash carati dura adhit
kim swid rakshyami kim u nu
anis’ye.
Let my two ears and eyes fly onwards; may this light that is imbedded in my heart move forward; my mind moves towards distant ideas; what should I say, what should I think about?
15/7/07
Here, all the fire Brahma-purushas are mentioned only in place of Prana we have “the Light of the Heart”, which is called Vaiswanara Agni – the fire that resides in all human beings – just in the previous Rik. It is the Prajnatmaker Prana – the Prana that is knowledge as well”. We have all the fire Brahmapurushas in the mantra of the Upanishad, though in the Peace Invocation Mind was kept implied.
The senses nourished by the influx of the vast have arisen, though the experiences are still scattered – not concentrated. Flashes of lightenings in the sky just startles them. They do not know as yet where they are established, where they have to concentrate? An enquiry has begun in an atmosphere of light and darkness – it is not the doubt of an atheist. It has arisen from the extreme eagerness of a believes for a close deep conviction. How will it be effulgent, clear reality? by whose inspiration? by whose direction?
The enquiry begins with mind. Because in the spiritual practice (sadhana) mind is the host, the main performer, yajamana. Sadhana begins with the agitation, or movement for progress in the mind. We can clearly see that the mind is not independent- it is impelled – under control – ishita. It flies patati forward in search of something, thirsting for some distant destination, just as a bird flies towards its nest at the end of the day. Just as some one like the Sun behind pushes it onwards, some one like, bhaya, the morning sun attracts it – and so it is prishita as well. The darkness of the night will be over and the dazzling light of the day will grow – the mind that is moving forward towards light is the wayfarerof the divine path, devayana. But who is his guide, the knower of the way who will lead him forward, Vidwan pathan, pura-eta?
But the knowing of the mind is not all! It knows only about the waking consciousness – jagrata – where knowledge is scattered. If that has to be gathered and well-ordered, mind has to dive within. In the depth of the walking consciousness in supti – the sleep consciousness. Where the mind sleeps. But even there the prana is awake. This prana is also a brahmapurusha. To know through prana is deeper than knowing through mind. It is non-dual and unpicered by sin – nirdwandwa, apapaviddha. But at the root of individual spiritual prana lies the prana of the great being – mahanta purusha, whom we call the air – vayu. He is the prathamah pranah – the first pranah. He is called matariswa – one who sleeps in the mother – in the vedas. Matariswa and Vaiswanara are two forms or states of the same deity in two different lokas or worlds – the former belongs to the mid-regions – antariksha- sthana and the latter mostly is the earth – prithvi-sthan. Both are Prana. “Praiti” i.e. to move forward along with the development and growth of Knowledge is the nature of Prana, whose description we have seen in Aitareya Aranyaka and Upanishat. And so the agni who has the nature – dharma- of Prana is called in Samhita “Pretoshanim” – the fire that leads us forward by arousing in us the force of forward march.
In this way the first life breath – prathamati pranah – always moves first in us in search of ever new vistas – moving forward igniting in us fire of aspiration- in us who donot know but aspire to know – But Kena Yuktah – who has yoked him to our life chariot like o horse yoked to a chariot?
We move forward on the way impelled by the mind and Prana, “Vidmane Kam” – to know from the learned from the ports – kavi – manishi. While treaching on the way, how many talks do we hear – how many admonitions, how many sounds of Brahma – brahma – ghosh?
But the speech, they speak – imam vacam vadanti is not ordinary speech. It is ishita – vak – the speech that is inspired, the speech that has entered into the hearts of the rishi’s through sacrifices and from there it has emerged as brahma-ghosha. This speech is not uttered by human wish – the divine propels it. But who is that God? What is his form?
But the speech, that brahma ghosha – which is inseperable from Brahman is not seen or heard by everyone! That speech which is hidden in the cave of heart remain unseen though some see it and remain unheard though some hear it! only if God of Infinity unite – yukta – our eyes and ears – cakshu – srotra – with it, then only we will be able to see and hear it. But where and how to find that God?
We can know Brahman only if we can see and hear the speech – vak. This vak is the Gayatri or Savitri of the Jaiminiya – Upanishat. And She is Uma Haimavati of Kenopanishad, seeing whom Indra had been able to know the mystery of Brahman. We have already talked about it.
While answering the questions of the wonderful student the wise and adapt teacher said:
S’rotrasya s’rotrani manase manoyat
Vaco na Vacam Sa u pranasya pranat
Ckshusha’s cakshur atimusya dhirah
protya- asmad – lokad amrita Bhavanti…..
That who is the Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind, the speech of the speech, that also is the Life of the Life breath and the eye of the eye. The wise find their release beyond and transcending this world become immortal.
15/7/07
At one stroke the teacher turns the objective outward seeing of the disciple to the subjective inward seeing. He indicates the true nature of the Divine through the objective indirect nature of the Brahmapurushas. Indirect characteristics do not directly give us knowledge of the thing, and they only indicate the true nature of the thingby the help of something that is very close or near to the thing. If it is said that Brahma is “Sat, Chit, Ananand” – Existence, knowledge and Bliss. Absolute – then it is Brahma’s inhereit characteristics – the experience there is direct – subjective. If we say, Brahman is the cause of creation, preservation and destruction – sristi, sthiti, samhara – that will be Brahman’s indirect objective characteristics – Tatastha Lakshana. Brahman is indicated the Vedic vision of Gods is a direct – conscious – vision – to see gods everywhere directly through sense organs. It is the natural inherent way of seeing of the realized persons. Siddhas.
But it is not easy for the seekers – sadhakas. In order to enable the seeker to attain that outlook, the Upanishad has selected the Brahmapurushas from all the sense organs. They are called “Swargasya lokasya dwarapati” – the door keepers of the heavenly worlds in Chandogya Upanishad. Like a flash of lightening it illuminates a reflection of Brahman in the heart-mind of the Sadhaka. Thus they indicate Brahman to the Sadhaka in an indirect way – not directly. What is necessary for the direct realization is introversion – to turn inwards the outgoing consciousness.
In kaushitaki Upanishad we find the method. It is said, “do not try to know (the meaning of) the speech, know the speaker Do not try to know the science of mind or thought, know the thinker. It means that we have to merge our self-consciousness with the consciousness of the outside world. Not only to see, but to see with awakened alert consciousness that “I am seeing”. This is the beginning of the subjective spiritual vision amplified in Brahmanab, Aranyakas and Upanishads. One whose vision dives deep within is called “Ni-cir” “inward looking person in Samhita”. By this inner seeing, one can realize the reality of the inner self as well as the reality of the divine, who has given birth to all this as well as resides in your heart – “ima janana nyad, yushmakam antar babhuva”
The means for the inner self-realization of the Reality hidden within is the purification of the intelligence or the meditating intellect and heart. One who does it is called the wise “dhi-ra” – who is elucidated in this mantra. The three means are Subtler in order. Mind is the bridge between the outer and the inner world – It dramw inside the outer sense, experiences and presents them before the intellect and then starts the process of mediation. Therefore the Rishis in Samhita are called “satgen manasa didhyanati” persons mediating on truth with their minds and intellect: When the mediatation deepens, the eye of wisdom – prajnacakstin – is developed. It is called “pratibodha” reflective knowledge in their Upanishad. The worshippers then are “cakshasa didhyanatu” – mediating with their eyes open!
This mediation at last draws the consciousness in the heart. There at the nerve centre of life is the deep sea – where in meet the springs of Life – force – prana, where the waves of - honey of harmony – somya madhu arise. This realization in the heart is the supreme attainment of the wise, the poet – There the knot of the being loosens in the Unutterable mystery of the Non-Being.
18/7/07
To realize and attain “Brahman” as the indescrible “Yaksha” through the inwardization of the Brahmapurushas is the instruction – command of this Upanishad. In Samhita this inwardization is called “turning back” – nivartan. In the smriti it is called “nivritti” – retirement, ceasing from activity. In yoga it is called “Pratyahara” – drawing back. There is a beautiful description of this “Nivartana” in a hymn of the rig Veda by Rishi Mathita Yamayana as a simili for bringing back the lost cows. Pusha brings back the lost cows. Spiritually Pushan’s place is between the eye-brows. In yoga it is the peace of Mind. In Samhita Indra is called “Prathamo mansvan” – the first mental Being or specially the God of the Mind. Indra and Pusha is a pair of God – placed together. Both have the same mission “nivartan” to bring back the diffused rays of consciousness (= the cows) in their centre into the cowpen. As a result, by the grace of Gods”Agni-soma” is the outgoing energy (rays) of Prana is gathered and concentrated at a point. And from their begins the forward march to the higher worlds (lokouuara) on the path of the Gods (devayana).
In this mantra the teacher in the very beginning tells us how the brahmapurushas will tun back, as well as the reward gained. The result of the mantras in this part are an exposition or a commentary of this mantra.
In the preach invocation we have heard about the Strengthening and development of the Brahmapurushas. Development of Brahmapurushas is undoubtedly means to realize Brahman. But without the process of drawing back – nivartana – strengthening does not succeed or stabilized. By a sudden inspiration of the divine there may be a flash of the Bliss – consciousness in “the enlightened senses. But the density and stability of this objective outward illumination depends on the subjective solidity.
Deeper the sely-consciousness, truer, clearer and wider will be the knowledge of the objects. And the self – consciousness grows deeper by the influx and inspiration of the divine – as if someone coming in from outside pushes and awakens you!
19/07/07 12.30 pm
As said before, the god-vision is also the result of such an influx. It also inspires the self – vision. Then the cognition of the person who sees and what he sees, both are enlightened by the search light of the Divine. Then one feels that he is yet paka – ignorant; he does not know fully: But He is “dhi-ra” – intelligent, He knows fully. His intelligence enters in you and makes you intelligent – dhira, yours seeing your hearing then is His seeing, His hearing through you.
The teacher goes on Saying, “Your self- consciousness is the manifestation of Brahma – consciousness in you.
At the root of your intelligence is the impulsion of His intelligence as Savita as Pusha. The Brahma-purushas in you are the powers of that intelligence. Your ear is His ear. He is your ear’s ear – s’rotrasya strotra. He is as’ruto karma; His ears are in all directions who engages your ear to hear the hidden speech – Vak. Similarly at the root of your far-going mind lies His impulsion. He is your mind’s mind – manasu manta. He is the Universal of Mind – Viswa-manah. The former teachers who are on teaching according their schools, are elucidating His speech – Vak – through their speech- Vak. His speech is the speech of all – Vaco ha Vacam. He is the life force that lies behind your forward-moving life energy, the imulsion of Fire – agni, that stands like a pillar of life – ayu – touching the heavens. He is as Sun the ray of soul – jiva’asuti – in you, which carries forward your life. Therefore He is the life of your life – Pranasya Pranat.
Again, your eye is His eye – He is the Eye of your eye – cakshushah cakshuti – as Sun during the day whose eye of knowledge is spread out in the heavens; as the moon at night whose eye overflows with the bliss as moonlight.
20/7/07
Not only your, He is the speech of the speech, Prana of Prana, eye of the eye, Ear of the ear, Mind of the mind of all. And so He is the purusha with thousand heads, thousand eyes and thousand legs – Sahasra – Shirsha Purushah, Sahasrakshah, sahasrapat – That supreme person who takes the form of the Universe – Viswarupa – all heads are whose Head, all eyes are whose eye, all legs are whose legs. He is all this – all that have been and all that will be.
Your eye is nothing but one eye of the Purusha whose eyes are spread out in the universe – Viswatah, cakshu. Its seeing-vision is only vision of His thousands of Vision and therefore it is limited. We want to liberate
ourselves from that limitations. Contraction of the boundry. It will come about by diving our subjective vision deep within ourselves. The sun outside will set in that depth within, the sky will remain covered by the darkness of the varuna’s night”. The light of the sun that has set in that sky will rise up as the flasme in the fire of consciousness – sidagni – as the purusha who resides as the inner light within the heart, in the pranas (senses) and in the intellect. The whole universe is then asleep and this Fire is on its head.
Then at the end of the night, dawn (usha) will arise and on her breast the dear little child of “anika” of the Gods will ebe born – who is the eye of mitra, varuna and agni – “cakshur mitrasya varunasyagnah – who is the self of all that is moving as well as non moving – “atma jagatas tasthushas ca”. This Sun neither rises, nor sets. He will remain alone in the middle. Your eyes will then dazzle with the light of his eyes – you will be taken like the Ribhus – “sura-cakhah” – whose eyes are like Gods. This synthetic and all purveying vision is the supreme vision is the supreme liberation of the wise – dhiranam atimukte – It is the natural result of Liberation Pretya as mat lokat – that is, it is the liberation after crossing over death, beyond the ordinary consciousness of the wordly life and even beyond that, that the liberation that comes by being the master of both life and death or the enjoying of immortality – amritah te bhavanti.
In this way, God who is the Lord of the Universe and who is seated in your heart is the master and directors of your Brahma purushas – mind, Heart and senses.
But you cannot know or attain him byyour ordinary vision – Because –
na tatra cakshur gacchati, na vag-gacchati nomano
na vidmo na vijanima yatha etad anusishyat
There the eye goes not, nor speech, nor mind. We know not, nor do we know, how to teach that –
The Brahmanpurushas are only the door keepers of the Heaven. They can lead the worshiper only upto the doors of Brahmapura – the city of Brahman. They do not have the strength of entering the city. the thirst for the light is within us. We call upon deity to remove the darkness. O God! Fill our eyes with light, free us from all bondage. But when the flood of light comes down, the eye cannot behold it, bear it. In its defeated sight arises a “deep dense mist” in which there is no signs of day or night. What can the eye see there? In the directionless deep silent void of the supreme heaven, where even the sounds of Gauri is not heard, how this ear can reach there? Where there is no activity of the eye and the ear, the mind too is motionless and clueless. Even if my mind is full of far off thoughts, what shall I think about in that state? Kim u nth manishye? That which is beyond the eye, ear or mind, what the speech Vak will talk about it? So it is said – kim, swid Vakshyami – what shall I speak? All the four Brahmapurushas are motionless in the deep sleep of incognition, but in that silent sleep “Prana” is awake. Prana has consciousness – samvita, Mind has knowledge – vignana. The cognitive power of Prana is inspirational intellect or enlightened intelligence – an all round natural enlightenment like the light of dawn.
Its nature is synthetic, where as though intelligence is above mind, its nature is analytic. Another name for it is “Vichitti”, Knowledge through discrimination.
Knowledge of extracosmic worlds is indescribable . i
t is the result of searching aspiration of the heart, to know or to attain the thing or truth after an anxious seeking all around pratyeshana. `the knowledge in the case is mysterious but the attainment is definitely secured. This understanding can be spoken only by the wise, though even there it is more suggestive than defining.
When we arrive at the shores of the absolute then too we know not – we cannot say that we have fully known or attained. And yet, we cannot say that we have known or attained nothing. We are like him the supreme Divine, who is the lord of all and everything and yet it is not certain whether he too knows or knowsnot the source of His creation, “Veda, na Veda va” and therefore called “na-vedah” – not knower And because of this knowledge which is like Ignorance (avidya) that we have to say na vijanimah – we do not know exactly what the absolute Brahman is, or that if it is possible to teach anushasana anybody about Him. This is not so only about us –
anyad eva tad viditad atho aviditad adhi
iti sushruma purueshan ye nastad vyacacakshire.
That, indeed, is other than the known; again, it is beyond the unknown. So we have heard from the (wise) men of old, who have expounded that before us.
Brahman is that – tat – samhita’s “That one”, tad exam. He – sah – and she – sa – are Its double manifestation. But it is beyond both. It has become All This and yet is beyond All. When it manifests as All and infuses all as existence, It is sat – existence or Becoming and so perceptible to our senses and therefore vidita –Known. But our knowledge cannot fully understand or envelop it, because it is also beyond it. And so it is something else, beyond our known formations, anyat. When that is, we not know exactly. And therefore It is avidita – unknown – beyond our sense perceptions. It is then – asat – non-existence or Non-bcoming. But this non- existence also can be known – not through intellect but through intuition or synthetic knowledge which is jyistha sunitha – highest well guided and all pervading knowledge. But It is not well-defined – vyakrita – It simply enlightens the horizon of infinity by lightening like flashes. And therefore Brahman is neither – Sat – existence, nor Asat – non-existence. It real form is not completely to us Known – Vidita – to us, nor it is completely unknown – avidita – to us. In fact, the Ignorance – avidya – which is beyond Knowledge – Vidya – is the exhaustible spring of Its mystery. And therefore It is indescribable that - tat.
Therefore we had said earlier that we are nor knowers – na vedah – while trying to know or attain that, we are lost or exhausted but that is never exhausted. It is always there beyond all the know. And therefore we do not know how to teach about that to others. We do not possess that full knowledge.
And yet we can give some indications.
We approach and worship Brahma through Brahmapurushas. Tell now, we have known It objectively through outgoing senses in its manifestation. Our developed speech, mind, eye, ear and prana have somewhat known the vast. But we have known only the manifested powers of the Ekam Sat. the one existence; not the unmanifesteted – asat non- existence in which sat is bound, without knowing It, the knowledge of Say – is not complete. And so now we will have to turn inwards, take the path of introversion.
We will have to know that:
yad vaca anabhyuditani yena vag abhyudyate
tadeva brahma twani viddhi nedam yadidam – up a sate – 5
That which is not expressed by the word, that by which is the word is expressed, know that to be the Brahman – not this that men worship here.
Veda is manifested through weird. The essence of the three Vedas is concentrated in the three words, the earth , the mid-reagions and the heavens. These three “Vyahritis” – spoken words took form of the three “lokas” – worlds – the Earth, the midregions and the heavens. Agni – the fire, vayu- the Air and Adithya – the Sun manifest in these three lokas. But beyond them is the word. That word is Om. Om is Brahman. But the word or Om is the denoting word, while Brahman is the denoted object. The word is the means. Brahman is the denoted object. The word is the means. Brahman is the object of attainment, the goal. Though the means and the object of attainment are reality one, and unseparable. And undifferentiated, there is a differencein approach,
In worship. The means becoming subtler and subtler helps in attaining the object. The word or Om that moves forward towards Brahman, the word that the men speak – manushya vadanti – cannot in fact – define, express or reveal Brahman, getting subtler and subtler. But yet Brahman in its reality is not expressed or revealed. Only at the last style, where the vak is thousand worded – sahasrakshara – in the highest heaven, where there is difference and yet no difference – bheda bheda – between the two where it is said, “Yavad Brahma tisthitam, tavati vak” – so far as Brahma stands or spread out, that far vak the word also stands or is spread; like the yaksha and haimavati in this Upanishad. As vak is the Energy or self-power of Brahman, she is called “Brahmi” in the Veda. Beyond madhyama – the middle-one and “sauri” or “Pashyanti” – dazzling like the Sun – vak is called “soumya” the peaceful or the beautiful or “anandamayi” – the blissful. “Souri Vak” is the daughter of the Sun – suryaduhita” – and, “sasarpari” – moving like the snake – she is embodiment of knowledge – prajnanamiyi - it rises and falls like the serpentine lightening. While the “madhyama Vak” – the word that resides at the middle. i.e. at the heart centre – moves about in the midregions – antarisha – swimming the causal waters – Karanasalila – and is called “Gauri pranamayi” – the word belonging to the life-energy. The three forms are the trinity of the one-brahmi vak. They or she is like a cow – dhenu- the word gauri also means a cow and she belongs to Hari or the golden blissful Purusha Bull – Vrishabha.
The Bull and the cow is a couple. The word uttered by the bull to him as aneche returns from the cow. This is the mystery behind Vak.
Thus Brahman is not revealed by the words that we speak. It is Brahman’s utterance that is revealed in us as our speech. We respond to His Call.
We attain Him because He has chosen us. If we can experience our speech as inspired and missioned by Him. Then we can Know Him.
In this way the deity that inspires each and every brahmapurusha is none but Brahman. This one can understand by inwardisation, by becoming calm and composed – dhira, by turning within. Otherwise the worship of this – Idam – objectively, leads us nowhere – we only have a large image of Idam and not Brahman.
Deeper than the speech is mind – mana. The utterance of your mantra, your incantation now desire to attain Brahman through mind. But –
Yan manasa Na manute, yen ahur mano matani
Tadeva brahma tvam viddhi hedam yad idam upasate – 6
That which thinks not by mind, that by which they say the mind is thought know that indeed as Brahman. Not this which they (men) worship here – 6
Your mind that flies in search of distant vistas in search of the invisible infinite is like the moon, whose light increases everyday during the bright fortnight. It becomes the inspirational mind “cikitvar manati” , “Bodhin manta” – dazzling with reflective knowledge the dark fortnight – one by one the lunar digits wane. If one rises beyond these revolutions of the bright and dark fortnights of the moon to the “sixteenth steady digit” Shodashi dhruva kala, if one’s mind becomes like the celestial moon – “devagandharam candrama” – bathing in the ever lasting moonlight, then too know that, that is not your light, your mind is illuminated by the light that comes from the invisible Sushumna swiyu-rashmi – the sunray that flows through your sushumra nerve. The light of your mind is the light of Brahman; at the root of your thinking lies the propelling of Brahman. Whatever you get from the churning of mind is nothing but His power, His grace. What your mind worship’s is the worship of this – idam – only, not of Brahman.
You dive deeper, your mind becomes “daivam cakshuk – The Divine eye, God’s eye. The perception of that mind is not only the ideal inner perception; it is now divine sense perception along with concentrated knowledge. The Sun in the heavens who is the governing deity of your eyesight, enters in you and makes your eyes divine. And yet even though there is no more difference between the inner and outer seeing due to the illumination of the divine eyesight, still that too is not Brahman! Because Brahman is :-
yet cakshusha na pas’yati yen cakshumshi pashyati
tadeva brahma twam viddhi nedam yad idam upasate 7.
Whom (nobody) sees by the eye, by whom the eyes see,
know that indeed to be Brahman, not this which men
(follow after) worship here.
The aryas who always more foreward keeping light before them (jyotiragrah) always worship Sun as the light of Brahman. But the sun whom we see with our ordinary eyes, is he that “Vast Heaven” – swar brihat – or the “Vast Light” – brihat jyotih – which the Rishes have extolled? This sun is only the fron portion of the Purusha – the Divine Person – which his “Pure white light “ – Shuklam bhah” – Behind Him as His background is that “dark blue superdarkness” – neelam parah krishnam – where there is no divider, no sign of the day or night – “ na ratya ahna….praketam”. And yet the play of light and shadow here is the result of that light which is coming out of that darkness! Nobody can see that light which is coming out of that darkness! Nobody can see that Brahman with this ordinary eye, not even by the eye of the deity – daiva cakshu. Not to see him by your eyes, but to see your own self by his eyes. The eye that is the eye of varuna’s night – varuni ratri; by whose all-pervading immortal super dark lights, sight, the darkness of Inconscient vanishes.
Go still deeper. Go beyond the orb of the sun.Dive deep in the blue heavens. There is no fornation – rupa- there and so the eye does not see anything there. And yet something unseen is there with the help of light we see by our eyes; but is not the end of experience. At the end of the day, sun’s light is not there. The moon rises. There is no sign of moon on the new-moon day – there may be only the light of fire. When even that is not there, there is word – sound. Which is a pointer existence. Similarly when all the light is extinguished, in the supreme dark light of the heavens like a streak of gold on the touch stone that brahmi vak – the word that is Brahman, the first ray of revealation – prathama cikitushi – remains awake. It is in descending order lightening like visible word – pashyanti vak – of the first dazzle of Divine vision in your heaven – dyuloka. It is the vibration of Prana of self- manifestation in your mid region – antariksha. Through the divine- hearing, you are hearing that desire word. But even this desired much hearing by the ears – bhuri savastva too is not the knowledge of Brahman
yat srotrena srunoti, yena srotram idam srutam
tadeva brahma tvam viddhi nedam yad idam upasate – 8
whom no one hears by the ear, by whom this (ear’s) hearing is heard, know that indeed as Brahman, not this which they follow after (worship) here.
what we said about the eye cakshu – the same is the case with the ear “srotra” also Not to hear that by our ears – but to hear one’s own self through his ear. the ear that has become all ears everywhere by hearing everything – “asruta karma. He is hearing the echoing Omkara in every heart, His own proclamation reverberating, “yes, I am” , “Yes, I am indeed”.
In this way, all your sense- functioned were directed towards Him. All of them submerged in His breath – nishvasita. Nothing remains of your speech (vak) mind, eye, and ear. In the objectless consciousness descends the darkness of deep sleep. But even in that darkness you remain awake as a flame of fire of Prana – pranagni. But who is that Prana in that objectless sleep- consciousness? You or He? Where there is no sign of day or night, in that darkness covered by darkness, who is asleep? It is His sleep. In that sleep, “There was sky nor air and yet by His own greatness, by His own nature, that indescribable One breathed –
aned avatam svadhaya tad ekam….etc.
In this objectless indiscriminate Void the soul (self) and Brahman are one and together in Prana. And this Prana is Brahman. But as not make the mistake of considering the prana that is yoked in all the beings as Brahman. Because: -
Yat pranena na praniti yena pranati praniyate
Tadeva brahma tvani viddhi nedam yad idam - 9
That which breathes not with breath, by whom the (mortal) breath is breathed, knows that indeed as brahma, not this whom they (these men) worship.
He is Prana. But his breathing is not like the mortal creature who lives by inhalation and exhalation. In fact his breathing is actually Pranayana – one that moves forward, that leads forward. He is the leader – praneta – mover of all beings (himself remaining unmoving) – as Sun – aditya – during the day and varuna during moonlight or darkness of night; in the midregions (antariksha) as Indra and Maruts in the combined knowledge (intelligence) and life-force – Prajna – prana; on earth as – pretishani – agni – the fire that purifies and presses forward. He is Prana because He leads forward. He leads the mortal prana of all beings towards immortal light. He is mahaprana – the great life Energy; prena of your prana. The breath of your breath. But do not keep your worship of Prana contracted to agni; vayu or indra who are only the powers of Brahman. Expand your prana to his Prana. Live inspired and led by that “Great being” – mahat bhuta – the breathless, who breathes, by His own nature. This is the immortal living by the dissolution of the small prana in mahaprana – this is the grace of His prana, his true and real consciousness.
Here ends the first part of the Upanishad and with it the first part of the teaching of the teacher acarya.
Summary of the first part
A question has arisen in the intelligent enquiring student. What is thereality behind the divinity whose indistingt presence I feel in the well-nourished and Brahmapurushas – the senses (as a result of my continence. I can understand that my enquiry too is the result of His inspiration and goading. How can I know and attain Him fully?
The learned teacher replies, “One cannot speak about Him by the mouth! So, I do not know, how and what to speak about him! He is beyond knowing and not knowing; beyond attainment or nor-attainment. Only this much can be said, one cannot attain Him by the objective extrovert senses. To know and attain Him, one has to be – Dhira of steady intelligence as well as introvert whose eyes have been drawn inward. Avritta – cakshu. One has to take the path of inwardisatim. Then one can understand that the light of the brahmapurushas – senses – is His light. His light illumines them. But while treading on that way, the speech (vak), the mind, the eye and the ear all drown in some bottomless bottom. How will you hold Him? But even when all are gone, Prana remains. Then one experiences Him, His prana in one’s prana as the guide and leader. Only this much can be said and indicated about Him. The meditation or worship – upasana – that you have began with Uktha – vedamantra and udigitha – Omkara – literally loudchant ends in Prana.
This Prana, during sleep devours all the speech, mind, eye and ear. This Prana is the one God…..protector and preserver – deva ekah…..bhuvanasya gopah. This Prana again is established in the word – vak and the word is established in Prana. As they are established in one-another, they are a couple.
PART TWO
The dialogue between the teacher and the student continues. The teacher wants to fully convince the student that the Brahman is beyond Vidya and Avidya. He also points, beacons to the mystic way by which Brahman can be known, attained.
The teachers says:
Yadi manyase suvedeti, dabhram (daharam) evapi, nunani tvam vettha brahmano rupam; yad asya tvani, yadasya deveshu, atta nu mimamsyameva te manye viditani – 1
If you think, “I have known Brahman very well”, then you have known little indeed the form that is in the Gods. Therefore I think that Brahman is yet to be deliberated by you.
Brahman has two forms. It is sat existence and asat – non existence! At the same time It is none of these two both. It is with form and also without form. It is again beyond both these two, that lightening which is beyond flashing and closing which the mystics call the “everlasting lightening” – Saterid Vidyut – that is attained through “neti-neti” – not this, not this. It is the iti – indescribable ineffable which is beyond “neti-neti” – not this, not this, and which is called “satyasya – satya” – the truth of the truth, the truth of prana – pranasya satya.
In the ashram, the residential school, the first instruction about Brahman positive – indicative of this - sti. The student is told, “All this is Brahman – whatever you see, hear, think, speak; whatever you are experiencing by your body and sensed, all is Brahman.
“This Brahman” – iti Brahma – again has two forms – one is outside, which is called, belonging to cosmic gods – adhidaivat, -
The other is inside, which is called, dhyatma, belonginh to self. In the language of Rishi Mahidasa, the form you see outside is one “a vih – appearance or “avirbhava” – manifestation, like the light of dawn; and that form that is within is “samyoga” conjuction or union, the contracted attachment abhinivesha of the same manifestation in the body of the self. One has to know both as Vast – Brihat.
30/7/07
The self-existent lord has opened the doors of the senses outward. Therefore man sees outward and not inward. He sees everything keeping them outside his Self and so does not see any thing by inwardisation as a “dhira” – as man of steady intelligence. Through this objective seeing, he can see the small and finite as well as the vast, the infinite. One who sees the Vast, the infinite is a far seeing poet. There is exultation, joy in his seeing. In the heavens, in the mid regions (antariksha), on earth, in the sky, in light and air, in oceans, mountains, jungles and open spaces, everywhere, the poet sees an infinite vastness, the greatness of the creator Brahma. The sense of the sublime inspires, exhults him. But if the objectiveseeing does not draw his eyes inwards (avritta-cakshu), if inwardisation does not take place if the sense of sublimity, the sense of vastness and infinite does not turn him from ego sense to the depth of self sense, to the atma. The self then it cannot be called the supreme seeing parama sandruk.
The universal gods are worshipping the lord; they are paying their obeisance to His ruling, such objective nondual experience will not bring about the fullness of consciousness. Along with it, one should know Him as knowledge, as self “atma” as and Prana as like Force, as Energy – The giver of strength – balada; the will have to know Him as the shade of my death and immortality; will have to know Him as the innerbeing, the self of all beings, and like the Rishi Athrva Brihrddive will have to proclaim one’s own self as Indra, the Supremee Deity.
So – the teacher says, “if you think that the objective experience of the vast through the strengthening of the Brahmapurushas – the senses, is the full knowing and experiencing of the benevolent form of Brahman, then I will say that little indeed – dabhram – you have known the form of Brahman.
That is not the full form of the vast , the Infinite – the bhuma.
The experience of Bhuma is the full experience of Brahman. We have already said that for this, we will have to turn around and take the way of inwardisation. But it is not so easy. One will have to remain very alert. At every step, one will have to examine scrutinize the experience through deep thinking and concentrated meditation.
Outside, you see God, but as many. The One God “sko devah” there, you see as “devah” – (many) gods. No doubt, this form of Brahman in gods – diveshu – has its own greatness sublimity. The “great power” – mahat asuratva – of that supreme lord or the greatness of the free ever expanding Existence is transmitted equally in all the Gids. So, “agni” the Fire- God though belonging specially to Earth, is also the Universal God – Vaiswanara Jataveda – who knows all the births.
So Vayu the wind god though especially belonging to the midregions (antariksha) is the first Prana (life breath) swelling in all the mothers – matarisva. And Indra is the Sun in the heavens (dyuloka) and sole-god in the great void, the Supreme beautitude. All the Gods beacon to that One Supreme God.
And yet the gods are the special powers, different forms of the One – ekam va idam vibabhuva sarvam – 16 the one or this has become all. There is difference between the vast – bhuma – and the special powers. The special power – vibhuti – is only one part of the vast – Bhuma or Brahman. If that is taken as supreme, as one only it will be a divided, incomplete knowledge, conception. If a part is taken as whole, you cannot say you have fully known – that you are – suvedah – a good knower.
All the Godheads special powers – may be united, gathered together in one manifestation – as all the petals of the lotus are united at the stem. There some greatness in this manifestation as beyond the earth and the heavens. We get some glorious glimpse of that in the proclamation of Vak, the daughter of Rishi Ambhrina. But even though the Word “Vak” is inseparable from Brahman. It or she is onl the Energy or Force only the Power – Shakti – of Brahman. Like the lightening, the energy too has its arousing and dissolution; its fluctations. But Brahman is ever steadfast, always unwinking – animisha. And there fore even in manifestations in creation – sambhuti – too Brahman’s form is limited, little – dabhra . In the immutable supreme heavens the thousand lettered word – sahasrakshara – is the assemblage of all the Gods of the Universe. Viswadevah- Even if you attain or arrive at that state, you cannot say that you have attained Brahman, that you have fully known Brahman, that you are a suvedah a true-knower!
And so even in the gods – deveshu- whatever knowledge or experience about Brahman, you have arrived at, it still requires deliberation.
The knowledge and experience of Gods (adhidaivat) is entwined with the knowledge and experience of the self. The direct vision of the universal gods percolates the self. The glory and greatness of the Gods enlightens, awakens the greatness of our self. Then looking at the Sun in the heavens, we can proclaim, “yah asana san purushan so’ham asmi”. The Purush that is yonder that I am. Inspired by the infusion of that first praised “Dhirapurusha” – immutable person – I can proclaim my own self as Indra.
As this enlightened self-knowledge is subjective, it is more intimate than the knowledge of the objective gods.
Then you can realize Brahman not only as Its reflection in the mirror of self, but your own self as Him form – “asya tvam rupam”. Not indirectly as in gods – devesha - but directly as yourself – “tuam” – as incomplete union, total indetification with Him.
Still it can be said that this experience too is not the full illumination “prabhasa” of “bhima- Brahman.” but only a shadow, a glow of Bhuma. This too is the instruction coming through your Ego – ahankaradesha – and therefore this too is little – dabhra – knowlwdge indeed of His true form. The ego then is illuminated by His illumination but still not totally dissolved in Him. when the illumination gets deeper and deeper and the instruction of ego – ahankara – desha is transformed into the instruction of self – atmadesha – then it is not your realization of Brahman through the strengthening of your senses – brahmapurushas – it will be the self-realization of Brahman through their inwardization in all the beings – bhuteshu bhuteshu – Then it is He who is “Suvedaha” – the true knower and not you; you are “na vedah” – the no-knower. The strengthening of your self (ego) through His infusion, enables you to proclaim, “I am that” – so’ham. But your ego is then totally dissolved, drowned in Him. Then even “I am that” does not remain. What remains is like the uncontrolled fond wife in the sweet embrace of the beloved, “asya kvam” – you are His. Having been totally merged in the embrace of the wise seen self “na bahyam vetha na antaram” – you do not know what is outside or what is inside. In this way, being totally merged and having lost all consciousness in Him, you are “Suvedah” – true knower by being “na vedah” – not-knower.
As the teacher spoke thus, there was a long silence. The silence was broken by the hesitating words of the student.
nahani manye suvedeti no na vedeti veda ca
yo nastad veda tadveda no na vedati veda ca – 2
I do not think that I know it well. At the same time (I cannot say) that I know it not; (I feel) I know. Almongst us (who thinks) he has known It, knows it not. (who thinks) he knows not, he knows.
Hearing and condescending to the students words, the teacher slowly spoke:
yasya mata, tasya matam, matam yasya na veda sah avijnatam vijanatam vijnatam avijanatam – 3-
One who thinks (Brahman) I beyond his contemplation, knows it. But he does not know who considers (Brahman) as an object of his contemplation. Those who consider themselves knowers of Brahman, unknown to them. Those who know it do not consider themselves knowers, (of Brahman).
We have heard from the wise that we can realize the Ancient lord, the Supreme Atman (paramatma) by clarifying our Intelligence (dhi) through purifying our mind, intelligence and heart. In view of Sadhana there is some difference in the successive development of mind, intelligence and heart. Mind is the host sense-brahmapurusha. In the beginning, it inwardises our objective-outward seeing
and hearing. Out its cognition or knowledge is neither concentrated nor harmonious. It is restless in its thinking. It desires to fly in the distant skies to find new visions. That mind is concentrated when it receives some illumination from some former recollection – recognition – purvacitti. Then it is called Intelligence – manisha or Vijnana – knowledge or wisdom whilst appeard successively after concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana). The indefinite knowledge of mind then becomes sure and definite and its cognition, knowledge becomes stable; steadfast.
But still Intelligence or knowledge – vignana – is not the supreme knowledge or supreme consciousness because there is still the separate discrimination between the knower or supreme consciousness – Prajnana, sanjnana or samvit. Then the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman indeed - “brahma veda brahma eva bhavati” supreme knowledge – prajnana is Brahman – prajnanam brahma – the supreme knowledge that both, the means as well as the goal. Then you are “anantaro hi abahyah kritsnah prajnanaghanma eva” without any inside or outside, totally and entirely full of condensed knowledge. This is the highest ascent. There after there is no separate cognition. All your consciousness is one concentrated solid flow of consciousness.
This is the realization of Brahman through heart. Heart is Brahman, heart is all. To realize Brahman through heart is to realize It through Prana – to realize Prana as the Prana of Prana.
Such realization is the true realization of Bhuma – the vash To realize Brahman or Bhuma through mind or intelligence is little indeed in comparison. One who realizes Brahman through Prana cannot speak about his realization – what he has realized! In the wholeness of his realization – what he has realized! In the wholeness of his realization he is full to the brim and yet there is no end to his realization. And so though he has attained Brahm, he cannot say he has attained, and though not attained, has attained.
This attainment is the attainment through reflective perception or knowledge through revelation and therefore:
Pratibodha- vindate matam amritatvam hi vindate
Atmana vindate viryam vidyaya vindate amritam -4-
(Brahman) is known to mind through reflected perception or through revelation; through it (one) indeed attains immortality by the self one attains vigour, and by the knowledge one attains immortality.
4/8/07
The eternal dawn is awake in the heavens looking at the benumbered almost dead life of earth. To be awakened towards it as its light touches one is Pratibodha – reflective knowledge. In this dawn’s light awakens – jataveda agni – the Fire – god – that knows all births – in you here on this earth and in the heavens yonder, awaken the wide-eyed unwinking gods! All are awake at dawn – usharbudhah – along with you. This upsurge of light inside and outside, one earth and in heavens, does not come from mind, nor from intelligence or even higher mind. It is the grace of that unwinking supreme Lord who gazes at you, which you receive through the eager aspiration of your heart. This light of reflex knowledge falls on your mind and transforms it into intritive mind – bodhin – mahah - by its sudden dazzling light, it makes your intelligence – dhi –or knowledge a sea, flooded by the light of consciousness.
This cascade of reflected knowledge or intuition on the mind, makes in meditation on Brahman fruitful. Then the mind does not attain Brahman but by Its infusion it blooms into god – eye – “daive-cakshu” – becomes infinite – anante – becomes Brahman.
Experience of Brahman is then of three stages – Reflective Intuitive knowledge (pratitodha), known (knowledge) – vidita – and contemplation, thinking – manana – matam, knowing, attaining Brahman through pratibodha – reflective knowledge is know It directly – face to face. Just as we know the objects very closely without any doubt, so we know or attainBrahman very closely, without any doubt through the Brahma – purushas – through direct intimate consciousness Brahma is then an apparition – a direct appearance, a living manifestation before the awakened consciousness like the light of dawn. Rishi Madhuchchanda talks about the urging, inciting and directing of a sea of light – which goddess saraswati with Her rays of light illuminates in us. Intuitive knowledge (pratibodha) is of the same nature. This is the fruitful result of the cosmic godly vision in which we see the gods by being gods through the intimate union- identification with the gods through their infusion inflow in us. We are then possessed by gods. This knowledge is like the cognition in deep sleep, where the seer, the seeing and the seen are all merged in total identification.
When in the unified cognition of the reflective intuitive knowledge (pratibodha) some differentation between the seer and the seen is experienced, Brahma then is Vidita – known or an object of knowledge. That which is known – Vidita – as it is very closely known, along with knowing we also attain it at the same time is like rising from union to amorous sporting. The purusha formely was in the deep – sleep state and enjoyer of Bliss. Now he is in the dream state and enjoyer of particular, different cognitions, that is, he is now sporting, playing in a state where there is difference and yet no difference – bheda bheda.
Where knowledge or cognition is distinct where the difference between the seer and the seen is very clear, it enters the state of mind. Brahma then is an idea, a tenet – mana – or the object of mind.
Mind moves in waking consciousness enjoying gross things. When the object is then outside the knower, it is gross and separate. When the object is within, then it is subtle. In the deep sleep all objects are undifferentrated. To know the object of sense from within – internally, is to attain it. True knowledge begins from here. It terminates in the deep sleep state or in bliss consciousness – it is also called the world of Brahma – “Brahmaloka”. This world of Brahman is man’s summum bonum, supreme destination, supreme wealth, supreme world and supreme bliss.
if the mind is not infused by knowledge or the dream and deep sleep consciousness, the knowing of Brahman by mind will be indirect and gross. This can never be true and full knowledge of Brahman. And so, it was said that one who knows Brahman through mind, through thoughtonly, does not know It – matam yasya, veda sat.
But if the light of reflective intuitive knowledge pratibodha and consciousness falls on the mind, pierces and fills it, minds thinking, mediating of Brahman becomes fruitful. Mind then is not just an ordinary mind but intuitive mind “bodhin – manah”
Ofcourse in spiritual discipline – sadhana – mind too has an important role. The mind is the host of the sacrifice, of spiritual discipline – sadhana – yajna. “mano ha vava yajamanah” – mind indeed is the sacrificer. The desire to live, that is natural to man, takes form in the mind of man as an inspiration for immortality. There is a similarity between the journey of life and journey of sun. There is a natural growth of life – energy like the noon of life. After that starts decay, which ends in death.
Man’s mind wants to arrest this decay, old age and death. But one cannot stop this decay of consciousness moving outward. One has to take the path of inwardisation.
That is one has to find in the waking consciousness the knowledge of the dream state and the reflective intuitive knowledge of the deep sleep state. In the reflective knowledge Pratibodha – of deep sleep, the whole consciousness is full of one homogenous nondual feeling of bliss. This non- duality is Brahman. This nonduality immortality. Thus only through thinking by reflective knowledge of consciousness – pratibodha – vidita – manna – that man can attain immortality.
There is another speciality of the ordinary mind. Self-cognition slowly gets clearer in the mind. At the centre of the world of every individal is his ego. Urified ego is atma – self. Self is atomic – “anu”, Brahman is vast – bhuma. Due to inspiration and infusion of self the reflective cognition of Brahman may be easy and natural but to stabilize that experience according to the necessity of the sodhaka – as per the status of the sadhana – this self experience or self cognition has to be strengthened. Because of that, sanat kumar after his instruction, teaching about Bhuma had instructed Narada about the teaching according to self – ego or I – new – ahankara – adesha – and then about the teaching according to self – atma – adesha.
Vigour, strength – virya, in one’s self is attained as a result of direct vision of self through inwardisation by turning one’s eyes inwards – avritta cakshu. This is the way the wise dhira takes. It is not for all. The minds of the wise are strong and vigourous – urjasvi -. They have already turned towards higher knowledge – vijnana – moving upstream and gained strength. This mind at the end becomes intuitive mind – bodhin manah – the mind that knows, understands and attains Brahman through its conscious senses.
The man who is established in self – vigour – atma verya – is called - svadhavan – established in one’s own self. “Svadha” means to be established and remain in one’s own self, never to lose one’s self, never to become “atmaha” – killer of one’s own self. This is a divine quality. It has come down from above as the basic force at the beginning of creation. The knowledge and attainment of the self- established person, his reflective cognition and conscious knowledge (pratibodha and samvitti) helps him not only to know – “vindate” – or attain, but he also enjoys the nectar – “amrita” - , the spring of sweet nectar that flows from “Brahmananda” the Bliss of Brahman.
With attainment of vigour and knowledge, the attainment of Brahman is complete and fruitful. But there are many obstacles in the way. The teacher now talks about them –
Iha ced avedid atha satyam asti
n aced iha avedin mahati vinastih
bhuteshu bhuteshu vicitya dhirah
pritya asmad lokad amrita bhavanti -5-
If here one knows, then one truly is
If one knows (It) not here, then great is the perdition.
The wise distinguish That in all kinds of becomings
And they move forward from this world and become immortal-
Iha – means here in this world, in this body, in this waking consciousness. Men waking consciousness deals with body, prana (life – force) and mind. One has to bring down the knowledge consciousness of Brahman in this practical day-to-day life. One has to illumine body, prana and mind with that Brahmi-consciousness. In its literal sense man has to become a “brahmacari” – one who moves in Brahman. In that lies the true fruition of his existence here in this world.
9/8/07
Jurisdiction of knowledge – Vidya – extends between two nodes of Ignorance – avidya. One Igorance is the ordinary practical ignorance of man where he has no idea of higher life of body, prana and mind. Here he is busy on the level of outer mind in his full waking co nsciousness. Beyond the mind and deeper within him lies the states of knowledge and bliss – Vijnana and ananda, about which he is not aware. Everyday in natural course of lofe when his outer mind is tired it goes inward and he is drowned in thedream or deep sleep states. This dream and deep sleepstates are the natural forms of knowledge and Bliss states but man does not know or understand it. Everyday during inwardization of consciousness man attains Brahman and yet does not attain.
But if he becomes wise-dhira- with indrawn eyes or a meditator and withdrawing from the outer consciousness dives within in his inner consciousness, at the end of his deep – sleep like state, in the deep trance state, he confronts another Ignorance – where there is neither Existence – sat – nor Non-existence – asat; neither day nor night; neither this world or another world – loka- aloka; there is nothing and yet everything is there. This Ignorance – avidya – is beyond knowledge – vidya; just as worldly Ignorance is below knowledge. In one (worldly) Ignorance Brahma is covered by the world form of Twashtra – the creator God, in the other (higher) Ignorance the world is repudiated in the Super – Existence of Brahma- Brahma being beyond all existence and Non-existence.
In both Ignorances, there is dissolution or perdition vinashti where one loses everything. In the one, Brahma is lost; in the other the world is lost. It can be said that there is great perdition – mahati vinashti- in the second; because there is a secret urge for deliverence in life from the first Ignorance; but no one can say if there is any possibility of deliverence from the other. If everything is drowned and lost in the great destruction, then where is the fruitfulness of the will to live? Where is the fulfillment of the ardour for enjoying immortality? Is losing oneself completely in Non- existence the only goal and truth behind self-existence?
It is not so. As there is losing of Existence in Non-existence, at the same time, there is manifestation of Existence from non-existence. In one, there is restraint, repression. In the other, there is growth, development, nourishment. One is the void of Non- birth, the other is the fullness of Birth. In one is Death, In the other immortality. The fullness of experience lies in experiencing both together, as both are shadows of the golden divine – Hiranyagarbha. One has to ascend on the way of Vinasha – dissolution to increase self-vigour – atma – virya. But there – after follows the exuberance of the lord of creation, the immortal growth and play of fully realized life.
Thus the wise (dhira) like Naciketa in samhita, he is called Kumara Yamayana wrest immortality from death. They return to this mortal world, amongst this world of beings, suffering from decay and death – bhuteshu- bhuteshu. But thrie discriminating consciousness – vi-chiti -, the light of there searching vision. To the ignorant this world – loka – is the playground of death.
But the learned, the wise see in this rising and ebbing waves of lfe and death, an eternal upsurge of immortality. And so they were out death with immortality and going beyond death become immortal – “amrita”
Thus by immersing in the inexhaustible fountain of immortality by their self-effort – svadha- they bring down their experience of immortality in this world, in the play of this body, prana and mind – this is the enjoyment of immortality. This is the true and fruitful nourishment of Existence.
However strong may be the attraction of the great dissolution – mahavinasha, remembers that like Naciketa, crossing over death, we have to come back here on this earth?
Another part of the teaching of the teacher ends here.
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