Tag Archives: Chandogya Upanishad

ChAndogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 7(3)

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Part 7(2)
There is a need to take a pause and listen to what SwAmi KrishnAnada has to say. “As we go further and further in this chapter, we will find it is more and more difficult to understand the intention of the Upanishad. The instructions are very cryptic in their language. Even the Sanskrit language that is used is very archaic, giving way to various types of interpretations. But, the general background of the thought of the teacher here seems to be that there is necessity to rise gradually from the lower level to the higher level of comprehension. Here, by comprehension we mean the capacity of consciousness to include within its being, not merely within its thought or understanding, the reality that is outside. The more the extent of the reality outside that gets absorbed into our own being, the more is the power we can exercise over that realm of reality. This is a point, of course, that will be clear to anyone. Power is not merely imposed on us by any kind of ordinance or mandate. It is an outcome that arises automatically on account of the identity of our Being with that extent of reality with which we have become one.”

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ChAndogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 7(2)

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Part 7(1)

Part 7(3)

From the lowest degree of manifestation, one has to gradually ascend step by step. The name of an object includes every kind of information about the object.  Sanatakumar asks NArada to have a complete descriptive knowledge of objects. One has to master it, not by excluding it or disregarding it, but by having a thorough knowledge of it, to the extent their names and forms are concerned. A common mistake is that a seeker lacks patience and tries to skip the stages or does not finish the intermediary stages. Knowledge does not mean ignorance of any particular aspect of experience. It is a total comprehension. When I am bound, I must know the reasons of bondage. It is immaturity to say that I am concerned with freedom and not concerned with the stages of bondage.  Freedom is the knowledge of the causative factors behind bondage. The cure is by removing the causative factors. Bondage is the devil which operates in a particular realm.

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ChAnyadogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 7(1)

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Part 6(2)

Part 7(2)

Chapter 7
Introduction
In chapter 6, knowledge of supreme Reality as Being is imparted and it is said that all that is perceived and conceived is nothing but Being, i.e., pure existence. It is Sat-vidya. In chapter 7, reality is graded beginning from name and ascending to prAna so as to reach Being designated as Bhuma. All the lesser degrees of reality are only forms of Its manifestation and is a lower order of reality. The higher includes the lower, and the highest is everything and is all-inclusive.
If the lower grades of reality are not described, one may think that there are things other than the Being though unknown. The intermediate realities are graded in a manner value and expanse of a reality is more than those of preceding one until the highest reality Bhuma is ascertained. Bhuma means infinite which is bliss also. The teaching is in the form of a dialogue between NArada and Sanatakumar as student and teacher respectively forming a worthy-duo.

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World disappearing and mithyā

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Not a lot of discussion on the site recently. I thought maybe the time was ripe for a little controversy again. Recently I queried ChatGPT for Shankara references on this topic. I also encountered just a few days ago, a devastatingly logical argument against this idea, but I will save that for a later post. Here is the (single post) AI contribution. Of course, you may argue, AI is presenting its position so as to support my own view – a recognized problem with AI at present). Perhaps, then, Ramesam or Venkat could tackle AI with essentially the same query to elicit a response in keeping with their belief? That would be interesting!

Q: Where does Shankara define what he means by the word मिथ्या and what does he say?

A (ChatGPT): Adi Shankaracharya, the great Advaita Vedanta philosopher, defines the concept of mithyā in several of his works, particularly in his commentaries on key Vedantic texts. The term “mithyā” generally refers to the idea of falsity or illusoriness. It’s crucial in Advaita Vedanta because it relates to the nature of the phenomenal world and how it is perceived in relation to the ultimate reality, Brahman.

One of the most explicit definitions of mithyā is found in Shankaracharya’s commentary on the Brahma Sutra (Brahmasutra Bhashya) in the section known as the Adhyasa Bhashya. Here, he describes mithyā as something that is neither completely real (like Brahman) nor completely unreal (like the horns of a hare), but rather something that appears real under certain conditions but is revealed as unreal upon closer examination or when true knowledge is attained.

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ChAndogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 6(2)

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Part 6(1)

Part 7(1)

ShankarAchArya answers the question: Who is Svetaketu, denoted by the word ‘thou’?
“It is he knows himself as, ‘I am Svetaketu, the son of Uddalaka’, and who after hearing the instruction, thinking over it and understanding it, asked his father for knowing what has not been heard of and thought of, and remains unknown, ‘Venerable sir, how is that instruction imparted?’ He who has become entitled to be the hearer, the thinker, and the knower, is none other than the supreme Deity himself, who, in the form of reflection has entered into the aggregate of body and organ made up of fire, water, and food, like a person in the mirror or like sun, etc., in water etc, for the sake of manifesting name and form.”

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ChAndogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 6(1)

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Part 5

6.13.1 to 6.13.3 and 6.14.1 to 6.14.3                                                                              Uddalaka continues the teaching using common metaphors as he finds that Svetaketu is a worthy student. When salt is dissolved in water, it is not possible to see the salt with eyes. However, presence of salt is ascertained by tasting the water from top or middle or bottom. Brahman is present in every jiva but sense organs are unable to perceive it. However, there are other means, namely, the scriptures, by which Brahman is known as the Self of jiva.  A robber having brought a person blindfolded from Gandhara leaves him in a desolate place. The person is clueless about directions and in particular about the direction leading to GandhAra. He cries for help and fortunately on getting guidance from someone, he proceeds towards GandhAra inquiring for its location from people whom he meets on way. Finally, he reaches GandhAra. Similarly, as long as a person does not get a preceptor, he remains ignorant about Brahman and Self. If he is fortunate due to his punyas earned, he gets a preceptor and he becomes liberated. Sections 13 and 14 conclude with Thou that art.

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ChAndogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 5

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Part 4
6.9.1 to 6.9.4 and 6.10.1 to 6.10.3
During sleep, mind is resolved and jiva’s individuality is suspended and therefore he does not know his merger with Brahman during sleep.  Bees collect juices from different flowers and make honey by mixing the juices. In the honey, there is no trace of individual juice. Eastern and western rivers flowing towards east and west respectively merge in ocean and lose their individuality. Similarly, during sleep, at the time of death, and dissolution of a cycle of creation, all the creatures lose their individuality, and they resolve in Brahman. During sleep, the karmAs are in potential form. On becoming awake, they become live and functional. Hence going to sleep does not mean moksha. There are two types of entry of an individual into pure Being:  involuntary and voluntary. In deep sleep, one’s entry is involuntary.  There is no knowledge of the entry, and it is not permanent, and one comes back from that state.

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ChAndogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 4

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Part 3

Part 5

6.8.1 to 6.8.7
In deep sleep, the mind and sense organs resolve and the jiva resolves into pure existence. Sleep is called svapiti. The etymological meaning of the term svapiti is ‘one goes’, or ‘reaches’ sva, i.e., the self. The word sva connotes one’s own being or essential nature. One is absorbed in oneself in sleep. There is no individuality. Though the mind and sense organs are resolved, jiva continues to exist because there is prana, i.e., life. A clay pot resolves into clay. The clay is the nature of pot. The true nature of an entity is the locus of its resolution.

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ChAndogya Upanishad (Ch 6 to 8) Part 3

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Part 2

Part 4

6.5.1 to 6.5.4
The teacher asks the student to pay attention to what he is about to say. The mind is essentially formed of food; the prana is essentially formed of water and speech is essentially formed of fire. The Upanishad captures the state of mind of the student who says, “It is very difficult for me to understand all these things. Please clarify this a little more. That I am made up of the three elements and that I have nothing in me of my own are unheard of. This is strange indeed. It looks as if I cannot exist at all independently. I am ‘somebody else’. Unbelievable! Please explain further.” “Yes, I shall tell you, in detail, dear boy. Listen attentively.”

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Chandogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 2

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 Part 1

Part 3

6.2.1 to 6.2.4
In order to show that by knowing the supreme entity, all other things are known, creation’s evolution on the basis of the principle of cause and effect is taught. Different Upanishads describe creation in different manners. However, there is a consensus about a causeless creator from which creation has evolved according to the cause-and-effect principle. According to ShankarAcharya, creation is a necessary assumption for the purpose of the ascent of the individual to the Absolute. It may be there, or it may not be there; that is not the point. As an interim measure, creation is accepted and once it serves the purpose, it is negated. ‘x’ in an arithmetical equation does not really exist yet it is useful in solving the problem. When it solves the problem, it extinguishes itself automatically and is not there. The purpose of teaching of the Upanishad is different from storytelling, ‘once upon a time’. It is an important point. There is no use arguing about whether creation exists or not. There is no denying that there is a creation and is experienced. And Uddalaka follows this technique of teaching like a good psychologist.

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