Chapter 8
Introduction
The chapter has 15 sections. Sections 1 to 6 deal with meditation on Saguna Brahman, sections 7 to 12 deal with Nirguna Brahman in the form of a dialogue between Prajapati and Indra. The last three sections discuss spiritual disciplines. The perception of objective world is dependent on sense organs. And the capacity of the sense organs is finite. They cannot provide the complete reality because the Absolute is supra-sensuous. The externality that is characteristic of the outer world prevents it from revealing the Absolute because one of the aspects of the Absolute is subjectivity which is inside.
It is said that this chapter is meant for those who are unable to comprehend the cosmic aspect of the Absolute. They are advised to look inwards in the recess of the heart. It is not physical heart. It is the core of subjectivity. It is consciousness located inside the body but is not limited to one body on account of its super-physical nature. It is the Self or Atma. It is pure, uncontaminated and is free from every kind of affliction. It is non-aging.
In the introduction to this chapter, ShankarAchArya comments “Similarly, although for the men of realization of Brahman, there is spontaneous detachment from such objects as women and others, still, since for thirst for objects, which has been generated through the enjoyment of objects in many past lives, cannot suddenly be stopped, therefore injunctions about particular disciplines such as celibacy etc has to be enjoined.” “Brahman who is the supreme non-dual Reality, and is indeed devoid of direction, location, qualities, and differences of results, appears to people of dull intellect as non-existing. The Upanishad thinks: Let them first come to right path and then I shall slowly make them understand the supreme Reality.” (ChAndogya Upanishad with commentary of Shankaracharya Translated by Swami GambhirAnanda, Published by Advaita Ashrama)
Sections 1[8.1.1 to 8.1.6] The body is like a city and heart is like a sanctum sanctorum of a temple. The Upanishad talks of meditation of Isvara on the space in the heart. According to Vedanta, locus of mind is the heart. Thoughts are experienced which means there is consciousness in the space within the heart. The space is sacred on which Isvara should be visualized and meditated. As the city of a king is full of many officers similarly the city has many organs, mind and intellect, which fulfil the needs of the master.
Body is small, the heart is smaller and in which there is space which is very small. How can all pervading Isvara be visualized and accommodated in a small place? The idea is that nothing can exist. Even if something of a size of plum exists there, what benefit will one gain by knowing it. It is clarified that Brahman which is Existence and all-pervading has entered the body in the form individual soul. Brahman is present outside and inside and there is no difference between the two. There is no difference between the space within and outside a pot. Isvara is visualized in the space within heart not because Isvara is small and limited but because in the initial stage, the mind is not able to comprehend the cosmic form. Moreover, in the matter of subtlety and expanse, space is the closest to Brahman.
There is another benefit of this meditation. God is generally perceived as a remote entity. The meditation breaks this conditioning. Due to reflected consciousness, the body is conscious, whereas consciousness is not always manifested outside, e.g., in an inert object like stone. The yogis of purified mind and who have withdrawn their senses, realize Brahman as a Its clear reflection in the lotus-like space even though the space is small due to limiting adjunct. The student may have another doubt. What happens to Isvara when the body is dead? Does consciousness also perish? It does not perish. Because it is not a part of body. The gross body meets death. The subtle body transmigrates and assumes another gross body. If subtle does not die, it is logical to infer that consciousness which is subtler does not die. It is free from hunger, thirst, old age and death. When a pot is broken, the space within it remains intact.
The Upanishad has started with the statement that consciousness, the Self, is within the city. Now it revises and says that the Self supports the city and not vice-versa. Self is the real city. The body is a city by association and is only name and form. The idea is to meditate on Self as the reality dwelling in the heart whereby the meditator develops detachment from the external objects. It is Daharopasana. Dahar means small space obtaining in the heart. One is an unfortunate loser who does not follow the instructions of the teacher and is engrossed in worldly pleasures that leads to bondage. There is no permanence in worldly enjoyments including those obtained by performance of rituals for which the highest reward is swarga. It is like enjoyments derived by a servant from the serving a master, which are lost when he is dismissed by the master. Do not lean on external objects for happiness. All happiness is sourced from one source, the Self. Wise taps this source instead of running after multitude of worldly objects which have expiry dates and are perishable.
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