A synopsis of Upanishads - What do they say?:

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A synopsis of Upanishads - What do they say?:

(Transalation of a Sanskrit book "Advaiata Vedantha Sara" by

P.S.Narasimhan (Late) of Geneva)

 

Permission obtained from the publisher:

Mr. V.M.Lakshminarayanan,

36/2 (New No. 91), Promenade Road, Frazer Town, Bangalore 560 005,

India.

(Price in India: Rs 50. Overseas: US$ 4-postage extra).

 

Chapter 1 : Knowledge, Ignorance and Superimposition

 

Deals with the three basic concepts of Vedanta as propounded by Sankara

the twin concepts of knowledge and ignorance (vidya and avidya) and

superimposition (adhyasa) which is the cause of ignorance. All beings

from Brahma, the Devas, Humans and animals down to a clump of grass

derive their reality from the spark of the self-luminous consciousness

of Brahman or Prajna lodged in their intellect or buddhi. This is their

true self (Atma), not their ego, not their gross bodies. Realisation of

this, the absolute unity and oneness of all living things

(Sarvatmabhava), is knowledge or vidya. Ignorance or avidya is the

opposite of this and causes one to identify oneself with ones own body

and insist on duality. This is caused by superimposition or adhyasa. As

one might mistake in darkness or twilight a rope for a serpent, or a

pillar for a thief, one mistakenly identifies oneself with what one, in

truth, is not. There are four kinds of such superimposition. First, one

identifies oneself with external things such as wife, children and

property and feels hurt when these are damaged. Second, one identifies

oneself with ones own body and feels I am an Indian, I am a Brahmin,

etc. Third, one identifies oneself with ones organs and feels I am

blind, I am lame, etc. Fourth, one identifies oneself with ones ego

acting through ones mind and intellect and feels I am happy, I am sad,

etc. The aim of the Vedanta according to Sankara is to promote knowledge

and self-realisation through the removal of avidya or ignorance. When

one realises ones absolute unity with all beings and with Brahman one

attains immortality (amaratvam).

 

Chapter 2 : Samsara is like a fig tree but with its roots above in the

heavens.

 

The continuous and practically endless chain of birth, craving (kama)

for sensual pleasures in this world and in the other worlds, activities

(karma) to achieve these pleasures and objects of pleasure, the merit

(punya) and the demerits (papa) resulting from such activities and

rebirth is due to avidya or ignorance and is referred to as the fig

tree of samsara. Because all life emanates from the all pervading

Brahman, this huge tree has its roots above in the heavens. Just as the

fig tree grows from a small seed, the tree of samsara grows from a

craving for outside objects of pleasure however small and this bondage

of samsara can be rooted out by knowledge or vidya just as the huge fig

tree can be cut and destroyed.

 

Chapter 3 : The unchangeable and immanent (aksara) Brahman Projects the

whole phenomenal world of duality, names and forms.

 

The supreme Reality (Brahman) is timeless, beyond words and thought

because It has no attributes. It can, therefore, be defined only by

negation (neti, neti). At the beginning of each cycle of creation, It

takes on the attributes (upadhi) of ability to illuminate or give

perception (prajna) and as Isvara, It begins to give practical effect

to the unfulfilled craving and the unworked results of karma of the

countless individual souls (jivas) who have not been able to shed their

ego (ahamkara). Then, He takes on the additional attributes of mind and

intellect (buddhi) and thus becomes the internal organs (antahkarana)

of all living beings. Then He takes on the additional attributes of

subtle bodies and becomes the countless Devas such as Indra, Agni and

Varuna.

 

Lastly, He takes on the additional attributes of gross matter and

becomes the physical bodies of all beings which are born, live and die.

He then enters into all of these as prajna-the illuminating

consciousness-which guides them in their activities.

 

Chapter 4 : Having created these bodies, Brahman entered into them How?

 

Should it be said that He entered into something? Again, if He is

all-knowing (sarvajnah) why should He make Himself into the individual

soul and decide to experience the miseries of samsara. Samkara

discusses these questions and answers that Brahman is all-pervasive and

the word enter is used only figuratively (upacaritam).

 

Chapter 5 : The concept of antaryami

 

The spark of the self-luminous consciousness of Brahman which is

reflected in the buddhi of all beings, successively activates the ego,

the mind, the organs of perception all the other parts of the body,

Brahman is, therefore, the internal Controller: He is the seer in the

eye, the hearer in the ear, the thinker in the mind and the perceiver

in the buddhi of all beings.

 

Chapter 6 : Life (prana) and Consciousness (prajna)

 

The transmigrating self (jiva) needs both prana and prajna; is born out

of the Selfs own will (sankalpa). It maintains the body, its organs and

limbs for the enjoyment of the jiva and follows him like a shadow. The

ego is dormant and the mind and intellect do not function, prana

maintains the body for the return of the jiva. When the jiva casts off

the body and takes on another, prana follows him and helps it. Prajna is

the reflected consciousness of the Brahman which illumines the ego

through its mind and intellect. The various modes of the intellect such

as craving, decision-making, hoping, fearing, understanding, and

experiencing are prajna or prajnanam, prajnanam is Brahman.

 

Chapter 7 : The Jiva-the apparent reality and the basic reality

 

All the texts in this chapter are taken from chapter 2 of the

Brahad-aranyaka Upanishad Bhasya. There the jiva is referred to as the

vijnanamaya.

 

Like the innumerable sparks emanating from a blazing fire, the

countless embodied from Brahma down to a flea emanate from the Atman or

Brahman. Just as the sparks are no different from the fire, so also the

jiva is no different from the Atman. The Phenomenal world of life

(prana) names and forms is only an apparent reality (satyam). Brahman

and Brahman alone is the basic reality (satyasya satyam). There is no

other (advaita).

 

However, because of primordial ignorance known also as maya, the jiva

mistakenly identifies himself with the ego and his body. He clings to a

separate identity, imagines various needs (kama) and pursues activities

to secure sensual pleasure in this world and next. This ego develops

during its journey from one birth to the next, a bundle of tendencies,

likes and dislikes, patterns of working, aspirations and a certain

amount of accumulated knowledge (vasanas). This ego which transmigrates

is referred to as the lingatma. When through austerity, self

introspection and study, it realizes, I am Brahman (aham brahmasmi) the

ego is extinguished, all cravings end and the jiva becomes one with

Brahman. This Brahman cannot be defined by words nor can It be reached

by the mind.

 

Chapter 8 : Walking, dreaming and deep sleep-the course of

transmigration and the final release.

 

All beings go everyday through the states of walking, dreaming and deep

sleep and when their life ends, transmigrate from their present bodies

to the next.

 

During the waking state the pure consciousness of Brahman within their

bodies successively illumines the intellect, the mind, the perceptive

organs and the limbs. The jiva, therefore, is able to perceive and to

act according to its preferences and experience the corresponding

pleasures and pains, joys and sorrows. Without the basic illuminating

consciousness of the Brahman within it, which may be termed the witness

consciousness, all this would not be possible. During the dream state,

the body and its organs are inert because of physical fatigue but the

ego (I-consciousness) is still active and the mind recreates and

re-enacts the acts and experiences of the waking state. These latter are

again illumined for the ego by the witness consciousness (kutastha).

During the state of deep sleep, the mind and the intellect cease to

function but the ego, still retaining its latent likes and dislikes and

craving for outside pleasures, merges with the witness consciousness of

Brahman and enjoys the bliss of non-duality until he wakes up again to

resume his activities.

 

At the time of death the jiva, still illumined by the self-luminous

consciousness of Brahman, gives up the body and passes on to the next,

carrying along with him its accumulated patterns of (I) likes,

tendencies and aspirations (vasanas), (ii) his accumulated knowledge and

(iii) the fruits of his karma. Prana also goes along with him to build

the next body.

 

This cycle continues so long as he has desires and cravings for outside

enjoyments. The moment his desires cease, he obtains moksa or

liberation from this bondage, merges with the Supreme Brahman and

becomes the Self of All (sarvatma bhava). Because he has become one with

Brahman he has nothing to fear as duality has ceased.

 

Chapter 9 : Extracts from the Mandukya Upanishad and the Karikas of

Gaudapada.

 

The letter and symbol Aum is everything. It is the Supreme Brahman,

external, all-pervading and all knowing. It is also the secondary

Brahman lodged in the heart of every being as the illuminating

consciousness lighting up its waking, dream and deep sleep states. By

meditating on this, one attains unity with Brahman and the bliss of

non-duality. Gaudapada in his Karikas further elucidates this: All that

one sees and hankers for is the creation of the mind. When the mind is

extinguished there is nothing to grab, nothing to covet and nothing to

fear. Therefore, curb the restlessness of the mind by asparsa yoga i.e.

avoiding all contacts with sensory pleasures, this may be difficult like

trying to empty the ocean with a blade of grass. But do not give up.

Also do not allow the mind to sink into torpor and go to sleep. Be awake

and alert all the time. Thus one attains a state of total Awareness,

non-duality and bliss.

 

Chapter 10 : The path to immortality.

 

This chapter contains extracts from the Kano, Katha, Taittiriya and

Chandogya Upanishads respectively, together with the commentaries of

Samkara. They elucidate how one can attain immortality and a state of

total fearlessness and bliss by breaking the veils of avidya.

 

Ordinary people through ignorance allow full play for the senses and

get enslaved in "Samsara". Those with discrimination, however, rise

above mundane attachments by eschewing desires and everything connected

with non-self.

 

The body - a tabernacle of divinity is spoken of as a Chariot. The self

is the master, intellect the charioteer, mind the rein. A discriminating

mind is analogous to good horses controlling the chariot.

 

Senses, it is said, are great, mind is greater and intellect greatest.

The indwelling soul is higher than the intellect and the unmanifested

higher than the soul. The highest of all ( at the very Zenith) is the

"Purusha" beyond or above whom nothing exists. He fills up everything

and is a mass of pure consciousness; the Purusha is the acme, the

culmination of subtleness, greatness and inwardness as self.

 

The "Purusha" ( also the indwelling self of the size of a thumb) and

the path of attaining Him is difficult. But one bereft of all longings

and with "Knots of ignorance" in him annihilated, can perceive Him with

the eye of Wisdom.

 

Om Shanti ! Om Shanti ! Om Shanti ! Om Shanti ! Om Shanti ! Om Shanti !