Chandogya Upanishad and Brahma Sutra Bhasya- Part 2

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 Part 1 is included in Chandogya Upanishad (chapters 6 to 8) Part14

Part 3

BSB 1.3.14 to 1.3.21                                                                                                        Ch 8.1.1 reads: “Om. Now, in this city of Brahman, there is a mansion in the shape of a small Lotus; in it is a small inner Ākāśa. What is within that, that should be sought; that, indeed, one should desire to understand.”                                                                     [Swami Swahananda. Chandogya Upanisad (p. 366). RK Math, Mylapore, Chennai. Kindle Edition.]                                                                                                           There is a doubt whether term ‘Akasa’ (space) refers to material space or Brahman. Another doubt is about the owner of the ‘city’, Brahman or the individual soul. The opponent holds that space denotes material space because the text, “the space inside the heart is of the same magnitude as the space outside” (Ch 8.1.3) is meaningful only for material space. The individual soul is the owner of the city because the body is earned on account of action of the individual soul. The aphorist rejects the views of the opponent on the strength of Ch 8.1.2 and Ch 8.1.3.

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Upadesa Sahasri (Part 7)

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Part 6

Part 8

Chapter 9 Subtleness and Pervasiveness
9.1 to 9.3                                                                                                                         The author presents knowledge of Brahman with the help of cosmology. Brahman is the material cause of creation (Br Up 1.4.23). The creation unfolds in stages from subtle to gross. If creation is traversed back, the subtlest entity is reached. An entity can be described in terms of imperceptibility (gross/subtle) and pervasiveness. The Vedantic theory is that body is constituted of five fundamental elements, namely, earth, water, fire, air, and space. It may not fully conform to the scientific view. However, it seems reasonable and serves the intended objective. Earth is the least imperceptible and the least pervasive. Imperceptibility and pervasiveness increase on traversing back from earth, water, fire, air, and space in succession. The space is the most imperceptible and pervasive worldly entity. Brahman transcends it and is the most imperceptible (subtlest) and all-pervading. Like the body, the external objects are also made of the five elements.

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Quintessence of 10 Upanishads – 4 (Isha)

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[Part – 3 (Isha)]

The first step is to notice “the Universal” present in the diversity of the objects. Name, form and action are the particulars of Beingness-Knowingness. Noticing the Beingness-Knowingness is like seeing the all-pervading gold in the ornaments. By this process, we will know the substratum.

The second step is to realize that AtmA modulates Itself in the form of all the objects. That means one sees the diversity as the manifested forms of AtmA. In the first step, the intrinsic nature of all the objects is grasped. In the second step, different objects are perceived to be different appearances of the AtmA. This is akin to realizing that it is Gold itself which appears in different forms as ornaments. 

Such a process helps us understand the play of AtmA in this world. We recognize the world as AtmA. We realize that all that is seen is AtmA and it is AtmA which appears as all the things. The experiential understanding will be that everything in the world is “My form” and all forms are “Me.”   Continue reading →

Anvaya-vyatireka – Part 1

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Explanation of key terms in Advaita – No. 4

I was not intending to generate a ‘definition’ of the term, since I thought it would be too short. However, a supposed translation from A. J. Alston’s excellent ‘Śaṅkara on Creation’ caused me to question ChatGPT on the subject and the response was very enlightening. Further clarification, and a correction of ChatGPT’s continuing tendency to fabrication, provided some valuable insights into our perennial discussions on the supposed disappearance of the world on enlightenment and on the supposed Brahman-equivalence of the deep-sleep state. Any readers who still try to maintain those beliefs should perhaps skip these posts. (The thought that the topic would be too short has been proved wrong – there will now be up to 6 parts to the discussion! But I promise that it is an interesting one!)

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Brihadarankya Upanishad (Part 15)

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Part 14

Part 16

4.3.15 to 4.3.17                                                                                                            After enjoying the dream world, a jiva goes to deep sleep or to the waking state. During dream he is only a bhokta though seemingly attached to action. There is no real attachment. He is not a karta and does not earn karma. The Upanishad says that similar to the dreamer, the Self is not attached to any action.

4.3.18                                                                                                                             Self is like a big fish. As the fish swims alternately between two banks without becoming affected by what happens on the bank, the Self moves between the dream and waking states without being affected by what happen in these states.

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Chandogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) (Part 14)

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Part 13

Section 13 (8.13.1), section 14 (8.14.1), and section 15 (8.15.1)
Vedantic teaching is over with section 12 of the chapter 8. Sections 13 to 15, each containing one mantra, are sort of miscellaneous.
A meditator longs for krama-mukti prays. He has practised meditation on space in the heart as Isvara. Space is one of the five elements. But here space is considered as a symbol of Isvara for meditation. It is revealer of name and form. By practice of meditation, he has reduced papas (demerits) like a horse shakes the dust off his body and the moon comes out of the grip of Rahu. Meditation has purified the mind and sense organs. He is desirous of going to the abode of Brahmaji to realize Atma so that he attains freedom from the cycle of life and death.
After enumerating of lineage of teachers, i.e., Brahmaji, Prajapati, Manus and his descendants, the Upanishad concludes with an assurance. He who serves his teacher, lives as prescribed by the Vedas and has control over mind and body, practices non-injury except otherwise ordained by scriptures, reaches the abode of Brahmaji and does not return. Continue reading →

Quintessence of 10 Upanishads – 3 (Isha)

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[Part – 2 (Isha)]

The Upanishad says:

अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद्देवा आप्नुवन्पूर्वमर्षत् । 
तद्धावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठत्तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ॥        —  mantra 4, IshAvAsya upa.

[Meaning: It is unmoving, One, and faster than the mind. The senses could not overtake It, since It ran ahead. Remaining stationary, It outruns all other runners. It being there, MAtarisvA allots (or supports) all activities. (Trans: Swami Gambhirananda).]

We need not look at the Lord and AtmA as mutually contradictory or conflicting. The verbal expression may seem superficially contradictory like an oxymoron, but if one probes deeper, the implied meaning will be clear. Therefore, one may say that AtmA is alone, absolutely steady and unmoving; but also say at the same time that It can move faster than even the mind. 

On one hand AtmA can be described to be formless; on the other hand, one may say that AtmA has manifested as the manifold (in a multiplicity of forms). When It is One with no second, It is the AtmA with no adjuncts and when It appears as the world, It is the Lord (Ishwara) having many forms.  Continue reading →

Anirvacanīya

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Explanation of key terms in Advaita – No. 3

Anirvacanīya: Navigating the Inexplicable in Advaita Vedānta

In the study of Advaita Vedānta, seekers eventually encounter a logical wall: If there is only one non-dual reality (Brahman), how do we account for the diverse, changing world we see every day? If Brahman is changeless, how does it appear to change? To resolve this without contradicting the core experience of the world or the absolute truth of non-duality, the tradition employs a sophisticated technical term: anirvacanīya (often transliterated as anirvachanIya).

Literally translated as “indescribable,” “unutterable,” or “not able to be categorized,” anirvacanīya is the cornerstone of Advaitic epistemology and ontology. It provides a way to talk about the world, ignorance, and the creative power of the Absolute without granting them ultimate reality.

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Upadesa Sahasri (Part 6)

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Part 5

Chapter 8 Merging of the mind
The chapter is meant for a seeker who has completed sravan and manan and is engaged in nidhidhyasana. He is convinced that his true nature is consciousness which is complete. Though he has contentment and peace, due to habits formed over many births, there is contrary thinking off and on. It is viprit bhavana. There is a tendency to make efforts to get over this because people are attached to the idea of cause and effect (8.5). The author says that he has composed a dialogue (chapter 8) between Self and mind to convince the seeker that viprit bhavana does not affect at all the true nature (consciousness) of the seeker. Let viprit bhavana which is due to prarabdha take its own course. The author has earlier (4.3) clarified that prarabdha has the capacity to overpower knowledge and it comes to end with death. In Naiskrama-Siddhi, Suresvaracharaya says that jnana removes avidya but not avidya vasana. However, when avidya vasana raises its head, jnana vasana also operates to neutralize it.

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Quintessence of 10 Upanishads – 2 (Isha)

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 [Part – 1 (Isha)]

असुर्या नाम ते लोका अन्धेन तमसा वृताः । 
तांस्ते प्रेत्याभिगच्छन्ति ये के चात्महनो जनाः ॥   —  mantra 3, IshAvAsya upa.

[Meaning:   Those worlds of devils are covered by blinding darkness. Those people that kill the Self go to them after giving up this body. (Translation: Swami Gambhirananda, 1957).]

The Upanishad counters the argument of the Mimamsakars saying that it is not a worthy stand to take, for it is tantamount to killing one’s Atma. AtmA is none other than what the Upanishad has been describing as the Lord. 

How can the Lord be the same as AtmA?

AtmA is the generic name. It denotes the intrinsic nature as explained by Shankara in his commentary on brahma sUtra-s.  Continue reading →