Chapter 6 JnAna and Moksha
6-5 Katha Upanishad
6-5-1 Katha 1.2.12 and 1.2.13 The Self (AtmA) is not perceptible to sense organs. Neither is It available for inference. It is hidden in the intellect like a cave enveloped in darkness of ignorance causing miseries. It is a figurative expression as the elf is infinite, all-pervading and cannot be hidden. It is the witnessing consciousness of both the happy and sad states of the mind. An aspirant first hears about this Truth from an enlightened teacher. If he has any doubts, he gets it resolved by the teacher. He is now intellectually assured about the teachings. Stii, he may not be able to align the life with the teaching because of habitual tendencies. To overcome it, he reflects upon what he has learnt by constant meditation on the teachings. It is Vedantic meditation, nidhidhyAsana. He meditates on the Self withdrawing his mind from external objects. Eventually his life conforms to the teachings. He achieves the fulfilment of the highest human goal. He learns that all sense pleasures are but fragmentary reflections of that one supreme joy found in the true Self alone. Yama says that Nachiketa will realize the Truth as he has shown the highest discrimination and sincerity of purpose. The mansion of Brahman is wide open for him.
Author Archives: bimal
Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 17
Chapter 6 JnAna and Moksha
6-4 Kaivalya Upanishad
6-4-1 Kaivalya 8 to 10
Brahman is the only reality. The empirical world has borrowed existence. Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, and Indra are manifestations of Brahman. The empirical world beginning with time and unfolding of vital forces and fire are manifestations of Brahman. By knowing that Brahman as Self, one conquers the tyranny of death that batters everyone. By Self-knowledge only, one can cross the scourge of time. There is no method other than this. Karma Yoga, UpAsanA Yoga and Bhakti Yoga are supportive disciplines for purifying the mind for gaining knowledge.
Upadesha SahAsri Chapter 19 Conversation between AtmA and the mind (Part 2)
19.14 (part) All controversies should be resolved into something which is finally existent. Take the example of enquiry. Before enquiry there are views and counter views, and they are resolved into a verdict which is the truth or the substratum. Likewise debate about existence and non-existence is resolved in substratum, i.e., AtmA.
19.15 Shankaracharya discards the theory of emptiness. The debate whether the perceived duality is non-existent (empty) or not is possible only if it is accepted that there is something which makes the debate possible.
Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 16
Chapter 6 JnAna and Moksha
6-2 Aitareya Upanishad
6-2-1 Aitareya 1.3.13 and 1.3.14
Ai 1.3.12 in chapter 5 has described the entry of Brahman in the body of jivA. The embodied Brahman is jivAtmA. The sentient jivA is a combination of consciousness (AtmA) and mind-body. And AtmA is not different from Brahman. It is an Upanishadic Great Statement ( Mahavakya). A jivA however forgets this fact due to the veiling power of mAyA. It is Self-ignorance. Sometimes, a jivA because of his punyAs earned in previous lives and the current life can get a qualified teacher who out of compassion imparts Brahm-knowledge. The student realizes Brahman as ‘id’ meaning ‘this’, i.e., his Self. The Upanishad calls the knowledge Idandra. As an adorable entity is not called by its direct name, the Upanishad uses the name Indra (not the deity Indra). The message is that by performing virtuous deeds as per scriptural injunctions, a jivA will one day develop mental maturity to know the futility of worldly goals and turn to spirituality and get Self-knowledge with the blessing of a teacher.
Upadesha SahAsri Chapter 19 Conversation between AtmA and the mind (Part 1)
Introduction It is a ‘dialogue’ between AtmA and the mind. AtmA is free from action. As such the dialogue is figurative. Nevertheless, it is a unique method of nidhidhyAsanA which is the third phase of jnAna yoga after sravan and manan. The aspirant has clear knowledge of AtmA and he needs to assimilate it to make it a living knowledge. The aspirant knows that his essential nature is consciousness which is different from the mind. The locus of knowledge is the mind. It is a peculiar situation where the mind tells itself that the real nature of the aspirant is consciousness which is different from the mind. The mind has to further tell itself that consciousness is changeless and eternal whereas the mind is mithya. It is as though the mind splits in two parts, one part takes the role of AtmA, the subject and the other part is the mind, the object. AtmA uses the mind to talk to the mind and while talking, considers Itself different from the mind. There are Upanishad’s sayings that a knower of Brahman is Brahman and AtmA is Brahman. A Self-realized person and AtmA are used interchangeably. In some verses, there are repetitions of the same idea. Repetition is not a defect when the teachings are complex and are to be assimilated.
Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 15
Chapter 6 JnAna and Moksha
6-2 Aitareya Upanishad
6-2-1 Aitareya 1.3.13 and 1.3.14
1.3.12 in chapter 5 has described the entry of Brahman in the body of jivA. The embodied Brahman is jivAtmA. The sentient jivA is a combination of consciousness (Atma) and mind-body. And Atma is not different from Paramatma (God). It is an Upanishadic Great Statement ( mahAvAkya). A jivA however forgets this fact due to the veiling power of mAyA. It is Self-ignorance. Sometimes, because of his punyAs earned in previous lives and the current life, a jivA can get a qualified teacher who out of compassion imparts Brahm-knowledge. The student realizes Brahman as ‘id’ meaning ‘this’, i.e., his Self. The Upanishad calls the knowledge IdAndra. As an adorable entity is not called by its direct name, the Upanishad uses the name Indra (not the deity Indra). The message is that by performing virtuous deeds as per scriptural injunctions, a jivA will one day develop mental maturity to know the futility of worldly goals and turn to spirituality and get Self-knowledge with the blessing of a teacher.
Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 14
Chapter 6 JnAna and Moksha
6-1 Introduction In verse 20 of Brahm-JnAna-valli-mAlA, Shankaracharya says that Brahman is reality, jagat is mithyA and jiva is not different from Brahman. It means the identity of Brahman and jiva. Brahman is vast; jiva is finite and small. How can they be the same? To establish their identity, Advaita delves into the essential nature of the two. There is an inquiry about the real nature of a human being, a jiva. Body-Mind System (BMS) is made of matter, is inert, and is different from consciousness. However, BMS is found to be sentient. Therefore, it is inferred that the consciousness enters BMS, like a reflection of the sun entering the water, and makes the BMS sentient. The sentient BMS is a Jiva. Sun is like the Original Consciousness (OC) and there is a Reflected Consciousness (RC) in BMS making BMS sentient.
Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part13
5 Preparation
5-7 TaittriyA Upanishad SikshA Valli
5-7-5 Anuvaka 9 The Order and Regularity of Life Knowledge alone gives the highest goal: liberation. It may follow that duties enjoined by the Vedas and Smritis are useless. It is not so. The responsibilities that contribute to attaining human goals are to be discharged. Physical action is possible without upAsanA, not vice versa. A grihastha leads a lifestyle where physical action is predominant. The Vedas advise that upAsanA must be gradually included in life. During the early part of life, there is an emphasis on physical action when the body is strong and shifts to upAsanA in later life when the body is weaker though the mind is still active. Vanaprastha ashrama is upAsanA -centric.
Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 12
5 Preparation
5-7 TaittiriyA Upanishad: SikshA Valli
5-7-1 Anuvaka 2 The Study of Pronunciation Chanting Veda mantras is a spiritual discipline. The science of phonetics defines the rules of pronunciation. If not properly learned, the mistakes will continue for future generations. One must memorize the mantras before chanting; reading from the book is not considered chanting. Learning is complete only when chanting is done from memory. Once memorized, fast chanting is practiced. In ancient times everyone thoroughly studied the Vedas (minimum of 8 years and maximum of 12)., they have various ways of chanting: word by word and words in different sequences: (1) 1-2, 2- 3, 3-4, (2) 1-2-2-1-1-2, (3) 1-2- 2-1-1-2-3-3-2-1-1-2-3-2-3-3-2-2-3-4-4-3-2-2-3-4, etc. While chanting in different permutations and combinations, rules of combination (Sandhi) are applied Thus, every Vedic student is thorough with every letter of the Vedas not just every word. In a ritual, chanting is at a medium pace to make every letter pronounced and heard clearly. While teaching, chanting is slow-paced, so the student correctly catches each letter. There are rules for combining and splitting the letters.
Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part11
Chapter 5 Preparation
5-6 Prasna Upanishad
5-6-4 Prasna 3.10
Though all the questions have been answered, there is an extended answer for the 4th question. How does the prAna leave the body? As death nears, our thoughts are no longer determined by our will. The willpower becomes weak in old age and the latent tendencies become strong. UdAnA pulls subtle and causal bodies and they enter the next body, the blueprint of which is already available.