Chapter 18 -- Liberation Through Renunciation
Arjuna said: O mighty-armed One, famed as the destroyer of Kesin and the conqueror of the senses! I desire to know the true nature of Samnyasa (renunciation), and as distinguished from it, of Tyaga (abandonment, resignation) too.
The Blessed Lord said: Abandonment of all desire-prompted actions is Samnyasa according to the wise. Men of discernment speak of the abandonment of the fruits of all actions as Tyaga.
Some wise men say that all action is to be abandoned as evil. Others maintain that good works like worship, charity and practice of austerity are not to be abandoned.
O the best of the Bharata race! Hear my conclusive view on this subject of Tyaga. It is said that there are three types of Tyaga (relinquishment).
Works like sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be abandoned. They should be performed; for sacrifice, charity and austerity are indeed purifying for the wise.
O son of Prtha! Even these works are to be performed without attachment and desire for their fruits. This is My settled and decisive view.
It is not at all proper to renounce works that ought to be done as duty. Their abandonment out of delusion is considered to be of the nature of Tamas.
those who give up work out of a dread of physical suffering, out of a feeling that it is painful, they, performed relinquishment of a Rajasa nature, do not obtain the results of true relinquishment.
But, O Arjuna! That relinquishment is considered as Sattvika, which consists in giving up attachment and thoughts of returns in respect of works, and which is done with the feeling that it is an obligatory duty that must necessarily be performed.
The relinquisher, if he is endowed with the qualities o Sattva, wisdom and conviction in regard to the spiritual ideal, never avoids duties merely because they are unpleasant, nor does he get attached to works that seem pleasant to him.
It is not indeed possible for any embodied being to abandon works in entirety. So all that one can do is to abandon the fruits of action. One doing so is called a Tyagi.
Regarding those who have not relinquished their desires, they reap after death the fruits of their actions performed with desire. They are of three sorts--'unpleasant' like degradation into animal life or stay in purgatory for the very wicked; 'pleasant' like attachment of heavenly felicities for the virtuous; and 'mixed' as in human birth, for those who have Karmas of both these types to their credit. But Samyasins will have none of these.
Learn from Me, O mighty armed! about the five causal factors required for all actions as described in the Samkhya, the philosophy of spiritual illumination, which is the ultimate purpose of all actions.
One's body which is the seat of action, the ego claiming to be the actor, the several instruments of actions, the varied and the distinct types of movements involved, and finally the unknown factor as the fifth--these are the five causal factors.
These are the five causal factors involved in all actions, good as also bad, which men undertake with this body, speech and mind.
That being so, he whose imperfect understanding makes him think that the self alone is the agent involved in work--he verily sees not, being perverted in outlook.
He who is ever established in the feeling 'I am not the agent' and whose mind is consequently unsullied by attachments--he kills not really, nor is he bound, even though he annihilates all these beings.
Knowledge, object of knowledge, and knower--these constitute the threefold incitement to action. And the three constituents of action are the instruments of action, the purpose of action, and the agent.
In the Samkhya philosophy dealing with the Gunas and their evolutes, knowledge, action and agent are each divided into three according to the preponderance of each Guna in them. Hear of them also as they are.
That knowledge by which one is able to see a unitary unmodifiable Essence, undivided among the divided,--know that knowledge to be of the nature of Sattva.
That knowledge which apprehends all beings as a multiplicity with mutual distinction and in their separateness only, without any apprehension of an underlying unity--know that knowledge to be born of Rajas.
That by which one dogmatically holds on to a part as if it were the whole --a view which is irrational, untrue and silly--that knowledge is said to be born of Tamas.
Work of the nature of duty done by one without hankering for fruits, and without attachment, or passion or hate--such work is spoken of as born as Sattva.
But work that is done by a person merely for the gratification of his desire, and with great strain and a feeling of self-importance is said to be born of Rajas.
And that work which is performed under delusion, without any regard to consequences, loss, injury to others, and to one's own capacity--is said to be born of Tamas.
A 'doer' who is without any attachment and sense of pride and self-importance, who is endowed with steadiness and zeal, and who is unruffled in success and failure--such a doer is said to be the nature of Sattva.
A 'doer' who is swayed by passion, who is keen on the fruits of his actions, who is coveteous, cruel and impure at heart, and who is subject to elation and depression in success and failure--such a doer is said to be of the nature of Rajas.
And a 'doer' who is unsteady, vulgar, arrogant, deceitful, malicious, indolent, despondent, and procrastinating--such a doer is said to be of the nature of Tamas.
Hear now, O Arjuna, of the threefold division of the intellect and of the power of determination on the basis of their constituent Gunas--hear of them severally and in their totality.
O son of Prtha! That intellect is said to be of the nature of Sattva which grasps the distinction between worldliness and renunciation, between the moral and the immoral, between what should be feared and what should not be, and between knowledge and freedom.
O son of Prtha! That intellect is said to be of the nature of Rajas, which takes a distorted and confused view of the moral and the immoral, of what should be done and what should not be.
O son of Prtha! That intellect is of the nature of Tamas, which, covered by the darkness of ignorance, understands the immoral as the moral and thus reverses all values.
O son of Prtha! That power of determination is of the nature of Sattva by which the mind, the vital energy and the senses are held in control through unswerving concentration.
That power of determination is of the nature of Rajas, by which one holds on to duty, pleasure and wealth with passionate attachment motivated by the desire for their fruits.
That power of determination is of the nature of Tamas, due to which one of perverted intelligence does not give up sloth, fear, grief, despondency and frenzy of sense indulgences.
Hear from Me now about the three kinds of pleasures, O the greatest of the Bharata clan! That pleasure is said to be of the nature of Sattva which is gained by long practice of disciplines, which puts an end to all sorrows that man is heir to, which is like poison in the beginning but nectar-like at the end, and which springs from the serenity arising from the consciousness of the Atman.
that pleasure is declared to be of the nature of Rajas, which is born of the union of the senses with their objects, which seems nectar-like in the beginning but turns to be poison in the end.
That pleasure is of the nature of Tamas, which springs from sleepiness, sloth and heedlessness, and which is delusive in its effect on the spirit from beginning to end.
Nowhere, be it in this world or in the heavenly regions of the Devas, is there any being who is free from these three Gunas of Nature.
O great hero! The duties of Brahmanas, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas and also of Sudras have been divided according to the qualities born of their own nature.
Serenity, control of the senses, austerity, purity, straightforwardness, knowledge, insight, and faith in the Supreme Being--these are a Brahmana's duties born of his own nature.
Prowess, splendour of personality, unfailing courage, resourcefulness, dauntlessness in battle, generosity, leadership--these are a Ksatriya's duties born of his nature.
Agriculture, cattle-rearing and trade form the duty of Vaisya springing from his own nature, while the natural duty of a Sudra consists in subordinate service under others.
By being devoted to one's own natural duty, man attains to spiritual competency. Now hear how devotion to one's own natural duty generates spiritual competency.
From whom all beings have emanated and by whom all this universe is pervaded--by worshipping Him through the dedicated performance of one's duty, man attains to spiritual competency.
One's own duty, even if without excellence, is more meritorious spiritually than the apparently well-performed duty of another. For, no sin is incurred by one doing works ordained according to one's nature.
O son of Kunti! Do not abandon the duty that is natural to you, even if some imperfections are incidental to it. For there is no undertaking without some imperfections, even as there is no fire without a covering of smoke.
Completely non-attached, self-subdued and desireless, an aspirant attains the supreme perfection of transcendence of work through renunciation.
Now hear from Me in brief how one who is established in the perfection of transcendence of work attains to Brahma, the highest consummation of knowledge.
Endowed with a purified intellect, established in self-control, abandoning the life of the senses, as also attachments and antagonisms; frequenting solitary places; reducing food to the minimum; having speech, body and mind under control; ever meditative; endued with dispassion; abandoning conceit, violence, lust, anger and possessiveness; self-less and tranquil, he becomes fit for beautification in Brahman-consciousness. (of Krsna)
Brahma-become, tranquil in spirit, free from grief and passions, and regarding all beings alike, he attains supreme devotion to Me.
By devotion does he come to know Me--both my extent and My essence. Knowing Me thus in truth and in reality, he enters into Me at once. (the I-sense and Spirit become One)
Though performing every kind of work always, he who has taken refuge in Me shall, by My grace, attain to the eternal and indestructible state of Moksa.
Mentally resigning all actions to Me, devoting yourself intensely to Me, and ever practicing the communion of intellectual love, be you ever established in the thought of Me.
If you are thus ever in communion with Me in mind, you will overcome every obstacle. But if, out of self-conceit, you do not listen to Me, destruction will be your fate.
Vain is your resolve not to fight, born as it is of self-conceit. Nature will compel you.
O son of Kunti! Duties which your natural tendencies have imposed upon you, but which out of delusion you refuse to do, even them you will have to perform by the compulsion of Nature.
O Arjuna! The Lord dwells in the heart of all beings revolving them all by His mysterious Power Maya, as if they were objects mounted on a machine.
O scion of Bharata's clan! Seek refuge in Him, (Krsna) making a total surrender of your being--body, mind and soul. By His (Krsna's) grace you shall attain to supreme peace and the everlasting abode.
Thus have I imparted to you wisdom which is more secret than all that is secret. Reflecting over this whole teaching, do as you think fit.
Listen again to My supreme word, the profounder of all spiritual teachings. You are well beloved of Me; and so I shall tell you what is beneficial to you.
Let your mind be engrossed in Me. Be devoted to Me. Offer worship to Me. Be resigned to Me. Beloved as you are of Me, I pledge in truth you shall come to Me alone.
Abandoning dependence on all Dharmas, come to Me as the only Refuge. Grieve not; I will deliver you from all sins.
This should on no account be imparted to those who do not practice austere living, who have no devotion to Me, who cavils at Me, and are devoid of the discipline of service. (This is outdated. Now is for all to know regardless of good or bad human.)
He who teaches this supremely profound doctrine among men devoted to Me, having thereby offered to Me the highest form of loving service, shall undoubtedly come to Me alone.
No man can do anything more pleasing to Me than he, and nor any one on earth be dearer to Me than he.
It is My view that he who studies this conversation between us should be regarded as adoring Me with a sacrifice of knowledge.
Even a man who listens to this holy conversation between us, with deep faith and receptiveness, shall attain to liberation and the happy regions open to righteous men.
Has this teaching been heard by you, O Arjuna, with a concentrated mind? Has all delusion born of ignorance been dispelled from you, O Dhananjaya?
Arjuna said: My delusion has been dispelled and my memory restored by Thy grace, O Un-decaying Lord! I now stand firm, with all my doubts cleared, ready to execute Thy command.
Sanjaya said: Thus have I heard, with my hair standing on end, this wonderful conversation between Krsna and the high-souled son of Prtha.
Thus did I, by Vyasas grace, directly hear Krsna, the Lord of Yoga, Himself teaching this Yoga, profound and supreme.
Again and again, O king, does the memory of that sacred and astounding dialogue between Kesava (why a change of name?) and Arjuna come to my mind, causing no end of joy.
Again and again does that most wondrous form of Hari arise to my mind, generating great astonishment and endless thrills of joy.
Wherever there is Krsna, the Lord of Yoga, accompanied by Arjuna wielding the bow--there reign good fortune, victory, prosperity and sound policy. Such is my conviction. (The bow represents our eye-brows. This last chapter talks of three divisions of various things. All these are useless, if you do not know where is Krsna. By gazing at the nose tip and having faith in the Mark between your two eyes, you will be communing with the Spirit inside you. Therefore there is no need to pray to other deities as they are no help to your communion with the Self; it is only by meditation.)
26th January 2000
Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 1 ch1
O my Lord, Sri Krsna, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisance unto You. I meditate upon Lord Sri Krsna because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestation, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmaji, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universe, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Sri Krsna, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.
Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhagavata Purana propounds the highest truth, which is understandable in reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhagavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyasadeva, is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhagavatam, by his culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.
O expert and thoughtful men, relish Srimad Bhagavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Sri Sukadeva Gosvami. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarian juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls.
Once, in the holy place in the forest of Naimisaranya, great sages headed by the sage Saunaka assembled to perform a great thousand-year sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Lord and His devotees.
One day, after finishing their morning duties by burning a sacrificial fire and offering a seat of esteem to Srila Suta Gosvami, the great sages made inquiries, with great respect, about the following matters.
The sages said: Respected Suta Gosvami, you are completely free from all vice. You are well versed in all the scriptures famous for religious life, and in the Puranas and the histories as well, for you have gone through them under proper guidance and have also explained them.
Being the eldest learned Vedantist, O Suta Gosvami, you are acquainted with the knowledge of Vyasadeva, who is the incarnation of Godhead, and you also know other sages who are fully versed in all kinds of physical and metaphysical knowledge.
And because you are submissive, your spiritual masters have endowed you with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple. Therefore you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them.
Please, therefore, being blessed with many years, explain to us, in an easily understandable way, what you have ascertained to be the absolute and ultimate good for the people in general.
O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and above all, always disturbed.
There are many varieties of scriptures, and in all of them there are many prescribed duties, which can be learned only after many years of study in their various divisions. Therefore, O sage, please select the essence of all these scriptures and explain it for the good of all living beings, that by such instruction their hearts may be fully satisfied.
All blessings upon you, O Suta Gosvami. You know for what purpose the Personality of Godhead appeared in the womb of Devaki as the son of Vasudeva.
O Suta Gosvami, we are eager to learn about the Personality of Godhead and His incarnations. Please explain to us those teachings imparted by previous masters, for one is uplifted both by speaking them and by hearing them.
Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krsna, which is feared by fear personified.
O Suta, those great sages who have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord can at once sanctify those who come in touch with them, whereas the waters of the Ganges can sanctify only after prolonged use.
Who is there, desiring deliverances from the vices of the age of quarrel, who is not willing to hear the virtuous glories of the Lord?
His transcendental acts are magnificent and gracious, and great learned sages like Narada sing of them. Please, therefore, speak to us, who are eager to hear about the adventures He performs in his various incarnations.
O wise Suta, please narrate to us the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Godhead's multi-incarnations. Such auspicious adventures and pastimes of the Lord, the supreme controller, are performed by His internal powers.
We never tire of hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, who is glorified by hymns and prayers. those who have developed a taste for transcendental relationships with Him relish hearing of His pastimes at every moment.
Lord Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, along with Balarama, played like a human being, and so masked He performed many superhuman acts.
Knowing well that the age of Kali has already begun, we are assembled here in this holy place to hear at great length the transcendental message of Godhead and in this way perform sacrifice.
We think that we have met Your Goodness by the will of providence, just so that we may accept you as captain of the ship for those who desire to cross the difficult ocean of kali, which deteriorates all the good qualities of a human being.
Since Sri Krsna, the Absolute Truth, the master of all mystic powers, has departed for His own abode, please tell us to whom the religious principles have now gone for shelter.
Ch2
Ugrasrava (Suta Gosvami), the son of Romaharsana, being fully satisfied by the perfected questions of the brahmanas, thanked them and thus attempted to reply.
Srila Suta Gosvami said: Let me offer my respectful obeisance unto that great sage (Sukadeva Gosvami) who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away to take up the renounced order of life (sannyasa), leaving home without undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or the ceremonies observed by the higher castes, his father, Vyasadeva, fearing separation from him, cried out, "O my son!" Indeed, only the trees, which were absorbed in the same feeling of separation, echoed in response to the be-grieved father.
Let me offer my respectful obeisance unto him, the spiritual master of all sages, the son of Vyasadeva, who, out of his great compassion for those gross materialists who struggle to cross over the darkest regions of material existence, spoke this most confidential supplement to the cream of Vedic knowledge, after having personally assimilated it by experience.
Before reciting this Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisance unto the Personality of Godhead, Narayana, unto Nara-narayana Rsi, the super-most human being, unto mother Saravati, the goddess of learning, and unto Srila Vyasadeva, the author.
O sages, I have been justly questioned by you. Your questions are worthy because they relate to Lord Krsna and so are of relevance to the world's welfare. Only questions of this sort are capable of completely satisfying the self.
The supreme occupation (dharma) for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendental Lord. Such devotional service must be motivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.
By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.
The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.
All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.
Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works.
Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan.
The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedanta-sruti.
O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions (stupid division) and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.
Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of godhead, who is the protector of the devotees.
With sword in hand, (wrong use of words - sword means violence) intelligent men cut through the binding knots of reactionary work (karma) by remembering the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, who will not pay attention to His message?
O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vasudeva.
Sri Krsna, the Personality of godhead, who is the Paramatma (Super-soul) in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His message, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted. [This is the most important sentence (underlined) and by sticking to it you will not be misled by other reasoning and explanations.]
By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.
As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.
Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association.
Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master. (The innate self or spirit is God or Krsna etc. Therefore you need not pray to other deities.)
Certainly, therefore, since time immemorial, all transcendentalists have rendering devotional service to Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, with great delight, because such devotional service is enlivening to the self.
The transcendental Personality of Godhead is indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for the material world's creation, maintenance and destruction. He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahma, Visnu and Siva. Of these three, all human beings can derive ultimate benefit from Visnu, the form of the quality of goodness. (Here more names are included to confuse you.)
Firewood is a transformation of earth, but smoke is better than the raw wood. And fire is still better, for by fire we can derive the benefits of superior knowledge. Similarly, passion (rajas) is better than ignorance (tamas), but goodness (sattva) is best because by goodness one can come to realize the Absolute Truth.
Previously all the great sages rendered service unto the Personality of Godhead due to His existence above the three modes of material nature. They worshipped Him to become free from material conditions and thus derive the ultimate benefit. Whoever follows such great authorities is also eligible for liberation from the material world.
Those who are serious about liberation are certainly non-envious, and they respect all. Yet they reject the horrible and ghastly forms of the demigods and worship only the all-blissful forms of Lord Visnu and His plenary portions. (No need)
Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship the forefathers, their beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic activities, for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited with women, wealth, power and progeny. (This is what most people do. They pray to wood, stone, metal, paper and cloth of various deities. This is stupidity.)
I have two chapters only.
11th Feb 2000 Ramayana
The story of this book is more like a legend, it can be true or false. If it is true, the world was then in a magical stage where many beings were having magical powers. This is like the Chinese archer who shot down nine suns and left one alone.
The story is simple. It is about a step mother who wanted his son to be king in place of the rightful prince in line. Then came the adventure to the forest and the abduction of the princess to Sri Lanka. The rescue planned with help from monkey beings and the battle in Sri Lanka. Finally the fire test done by the princess to prove her virtue.
The story tells us good will eventually triumph over evil and women have to be chaste.
However, if you visit Hindu temples, you can see the statues of the monkey being. The Hindus are praying to them. This is stupid. Some even pray to the statues of Prince Rama at home.
All house hold gods are useless. They cannot help you. Only by gazing at your nose, then you can be helped.
Women are going for liberation. This is stupid. There is no equality between man and woman. Each has its own function to perform. Just like a fish cannot be on land or a bird living in water. God has created each for specific function. So you women, don't compete with men in all fields. Women have to be chaste, or else the world will be up-side down.
24th Feb 2000 -- The Upanishads
There are many Upanishads and the Penguin Classics does not have complete translation but selected verses and passage. So I can only quote verse from it.
Isa Upanishad - The Spirit, without moving, is swifter than the mind; the senses cannot reach him : He is ever beyond them. Standing still, he overtakes those who run. To the ocean of his being, the spirit of life leads the streams of action.
He moves, and he moves not. He is far, and he is near. He is within all, and he is outside all.
Who sees all beings in his own Self, and his own Self in all beings, loses all fear.
When a sage sees this great Unity and his Self has become all beings, what delusion and what sorrow can ever be near him?
The Spirit filled all with his radiance. He is incorporeal and invulnerable, pure and untouched by evil. He is the supreme seer and thinker, immanent and transcendent. He placed all things in the path of Eternity.
Kena Upanishad - I - What cannot be spoken with words, but that whereby words are spoken: Know that alone to be Brahman, the Spirit; and not what people here adore. What cannot be thought with the mind, but that whereby the mind can think: Know that alone to be Brahman, the Spirit; and not what people here adore. What cannot be seen with the eye, but what whereby the eye can see: Know that alone to be Brahman, the Spirit; and not what people here adore. What cannot be heard with the ear, but that whereby the ear can hear: Know that alone to be Brahman, the Spirit; and not what people here adore. What cannot be indrawn with breath, but that whereby breath is indrawn: Know that alone to be Brahman, the Spirit; and not what people here adore.
II - He comes to the thought of those who know him beyond thought, not to those who imagine he can be attained by thought. He is unknown to the learned (U graduates and Ph D holders) and known to the simple. (contented souls) He is known in the ecstasy of an awakening which opens the door of life eternal. By the Self we obtain power, and by vision we obtain Eternity. For a man who had known him, the light of truth shines; for one who has not known, there is darkness. The wise who have seen him in every being, on leaving this life, attain life immortal.
Katha Upanishad - When the wise rests his mind in contemplation on our God beyond time, who invisibly dwells in the mystery of things and in the heart of man, then he rises above pleasures and sorrow.
Atman, the Spirit of vision, is never born and never dies. Before him there was nothing, and he is ONE for evermore. Never-born and eternal, beyond times gone or to come, he does not die when the body dies.
If the slayer thinks that he kills, and if the slain thinks that he dies, neither knows the ways of truth. The Eternal in man cannot kill: the Eternal in man cannot die.
Concealed in the heart of all beings is the Atman, (or Brahman, Krsna) the Spirit, the Self; smaller than the smallest atom, greater than the vast spaces. The man who surrenders his human will leaves sorrow behind, and beholds the glory of the Atman by the grace of the Creator.
Resting, he wanders afar; sleeping, he goes everywhere. Who else but my Self can know that God of joy and of sorrows?
When the wise realize the omnipresent Spirit, who rests invisible in the visible and permanent in the impermanent, then they go beyond sorrow.
Not through much learning is the Atman reached, not through the intellect and sacred teaching. It is reached by the chosen of him - because they choose him. To his chosen the Atman reveals his glory.
Not even through deep knowledge can the Atman be reached, unless evil ways are abandoned, and there is rest in the senses, concentration in the mind and peace in one's heart.
III - Know the Atman as Lord of a chariot; and the body as the chariot itself. Know that reason is the charioteer; and the mind indeed is the reins. (Compare Bhagavad Gita)
The light of the Atman, the Spirit, is invisible, concealed in all beings. It is seen by the seers of the subtle, when their vision is keen and is clear.
The Atman is beyond sound and form, without touch and taste and perfume. It is eternal, unchangeable, and without beginning or end: indeed above reasoning. When consciousness of the Atman manifests itself, man becomes free from the jaws of death.
IV - The Creator made the senses outward-going: they go to the world of matter outside, not to the Spirit within. But a sage who sought immortality looked within himself and found his own soul.
V - The pure eternal Spirit dwells in the castle of eleven gates of the body. By ruling this castle, man is free from sorrows and, free from all bondage, attains liberation.
VI - When the five senses and the mind are still, (during meditation) and reason itself rests in silence, then begins the Path supreme.
This calm steadiness of the senses is called Yoga. Then one should become watchful, because Yoga comes and goes.
Words and thoughts cannot reach him and he cannot be seen by the eye. How can he then be perceived except by him who says 'He is'? In the faith of 'He is' his existence must be perceived, and he must be perceived in his essence. When he is perceived as 'He is', then shines forth the revelation of his essence.
When all desires that cling to the heart are surrendered, then a mortal becomes immortal, and even in this world he is one with Brahman. When all the ties that bind the heart are unloosened, then a mortal becomes immortal. this is the sacred teaching.
Always dwelling within all beings is the Atman, the Purusha, the Self, a little flame in the heart. Let one with steadiness withdraw him from the body even as an inner stem is withdrawn from its sheath. Know this pure immortal light; know in truth this pure immortal light.
Mundaka Upanishad - I - The head of his body is fire, and his eyes the sun and the moon; (as Taoism) his ears, the regions of heaven, and the sacred Vedas his word. His breath is the wind that blows, and this whole universe is his heart. This earth is his footstool. (like in the Bible) He is the Spirit that is in all things. (Right eye is sun, left eye is moon, so the earth is in the middle, the Mark on the forehead, where God rests his feet. When moving the sun and moon inwards, like squinting the eye balls, in Chinese words sun and moon become bright. So by moving your eye balls inwards in nasal gaze, you will see brightness in enlightenment.)
II - Radiant in his light, yet invisible in the secret place of the heart, the Spirit is the supreme abode wherein dwells all that moves and breathes and sees. Know him as all that is, and all that is not, the end of love-longing beyond understanding, the highest in all beings.
He is self-luminous and more subtle than the smallest; but in him rest all the worlds and their beings. He is the everlasting Brahman, and he is life and word and mind. He is truth and life immortal. He is the goal to be aimed at: attain that goal, O my son!
Take the great bow of the Upanishads and place in it an arrow sharp with devotion. Draw the bow with concentration on him and hit the center of the mark, the same everlasting Spirit. (Here it is very clear the bow represents our eye-brows and the the arrow striking the mark on the forehead ie. between the eyes.)
The bow is the sacred OM, and the arrow is our own soul. Brahman is the mark of the arrow, the aim of the soul. Even as an arrow becomes one with its mark, let the watchful soul be one in him.
25th Feb 2000
III - There are two birds, two sweet friends, who dwell on the self-same tree. The one eats the fruits thereof, and the other looks on in silence.
The first is the human soul who, resting on that tree, though active, feels sad in his un-wisdom. But on beholding the power and glory of the higher Spirit, he becomes free from sorrow.
When the wise seer beholds in golden glory the Lord, the Spirit, the Creator of the god of creation, then he leaves good and evil behind and in purity he goes to the unity supreme.
In silent wonder the wise see him as the life flaming in all creation. This is the greatest seer of Brahman, who, doing all his work as holy work, in God, in Atman, in the Self, finds all his peace and joy.
This Atman is attained by truth and tapas whence come true wisdom and chastity. The wise who strive and who are pure see him within the body in his pure glory and light.
Truth obtains victory, not un-truth. Truth is the way that leads to the regions of light. Sages travel therein free from desires and reach the supreme abode of Truth.
He is immeasurable in his light and beyond all thought, and yet he shines smaller than the smallest. Far, far away is he, and yet he is very near, resting in the inmost chamber of the heart.
He cannot be seen by the eye, and words cannot reveal him. He cannot be reached by the senses, or by austerity or sacred actions. By the grace of wisdom and purity of mind, he can be seen indivisible in the silence of contemplation.
This invisible Atman can be seen by the mind, wherein the five senses are resting. All mind is woven with the senses; but in a pure mind shines the light of the Self.
Not through much learning is the Atman reached, not through the intellect or sacred teaching. He is reached by the chosen of him. To his chosen the Atman reveals his glory.
The Atman is not reached by the weak, or the careless, or those who practice wrong austerity; but the wise who strive in the right way lead their soul into the dwelling of Brahman. (or Atman)
In truth who knows God becomes God.
Mandukya Upanishad - Brahman is all and Atman is Brahman. Atman, the Self, has four conditions.
The first condition is the waking life of outward-moving consciousness, enjoying the seven outer gross elements.
The second condition is the dreaming life of inner-moving consciousness, enjoying the seven subtle inner elements in its own light and solitude.
The third condition is the sleeping life of silent consciousness when a person has no desires and beholds no dreams. That condition of deep sleep is one of oneness, a mass of silent consciousness made of peace and enjoying peace.
This silent consciousness is all-powerful, all-knowing, the inner ruler, the source of all, the beginning and end of all beings.
The fourth condition is Atman in his own pure state: the awakened life of supreme consciousness. It is neither outer nor inner consciousness, neither semi-consciousness, nor sleeping-consciousness, neither consciousness nor unconsciousness. He is Atman, the Spirit himself, that cannot be seen or touched, that is above all distinction, beyond thought and ineffable. In the union with him is the supreme proof of his reality. He is the end of evolution and non-duality. He is peace and love.
Svetasvatara Upanishad - By the Yoga of meditation and contemplation the wise saw the power of God, hidden in his own creation. It is he who rules over all the sources of this universe, from time to the soul of man.
God is found in the soul when sought with truth and self-sacrifice, as fire is found in wood, water in hidden springs, cream in milk, and oil in the oil-fruit.
There is a Spirit who is hidden in all things, as cream is hidden in milk, and who is the source of self-knowledge and self-sacrifice. This is Brahman, the Spirit Supreme.
II - With upright body, head, and neck lead the mind and its powers into thy heart; and the OM of Brahman will then be thy boat with which to cross the rivers of fear.
And when the body is in silent steadiness, breathe rhythmically through the nostrils with a peaceful ebbing and flowing of breath. The chariot of the mind is drawn by wild horses, and those wild horses have to be tamed.
Find a quiet retreat for the practice of Yoga, sheltered from the wind, level and clean, free from rubbish, smouldering fires, and ugliness, and where the sound of waters and the beauty of the place help thought and contemplation.
When the Yogi has full power over his body composed of the elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether, then he obtains a new body of spiritual fire which is beyond illness, old age and death.
The first fruits of the practice of Yoga are: health, little waste matter, and a clear complexion; lightness of the body, a pleasant scent, and a sweet voice; and an absence of greedy desires.
Even as a mirror of gold, covered by dust, when cleaned well shines again in full splendor, when a man has seen the Truth of the Spirit he is one with him, the aim of his life is fulfilled and he is ever beyond sorrow.
Then the soul of man becomes a lamp by which he finds the Truth of Brahman. Then he sees God, pure, never-born, everlasting; and when he sees God he is free from all bondage.
This is the God whose light illumines all creation, the Creator of all from the beginning. He was, he is and for ever he shall be. He is in all and he sees all.
The other Upanishads are about the same. They stress on Atman is in all and see all. Our soul or Spirit is God.
Edited on 10th June 2008 Back