Upadesha Sahasri

[Guest guest]

Namaste all,

 

here is the beginning to the postings on advaita-L

that has been requested for this site also.

 

Available typing time is short at the moment

as I will be away from home for the next three weeks

starting tonight. I will post the next verses and

pick up on any discussion next week, if the

university

computer systems ar up and running. So apologies for

the rather limited intro. of my own thoughts on

these verses but if you have arrived here without

looking at the prelude posting please have a glance at

that. I hope that there is adequate material here for

those fresh to advaita as well as those with some

long

experience of such study.

 

Om sri ram

 

ken Knight

 

Upadesha Sahasri( a few personal ken thoughts)

> Alston begins the first section of the prose part

> with

> ShishyanuShanaM whereas Jaganandanda has

> ShishyapratibhodhavidhiprakaranaM. Hence we could

> immediately start by looking at the difference

> implied

> by the words 'teaching' and 'enlightening'. Maybe

> Olivia will be kind enough to let us know how Mayeda

> begins this section.

>

> Let us consider though the shishya part that is

> common

> to both. Translated as 'pupil' it is also well known

> that it also means 'remainder.'

> In the flow of True Knowledge which is all-pervading

> and ever fluid, there comes a dualistic moment

> crystallised by such statements as 'I Know'. This

> is

> ignorance and it sets up an encapsulated form of

> knowledge which is a remainder, as it were, and this

> needs to be destroyed. The English word 'remainder'

> comes from 're' and 'manor' so is to do with a

> dwelling place. In our common dualistic vision of

> life we seek a place to let our attention dwell on

> an

> object, and before we know where we are we are lost

> in

> the ocean of 'I like' and 'I do not like'.

>

> When teaching a maths class then the pupil…I as a

> teacher am just as much a pupil in the play……………….is

> the remainder, that is a particle of knowledge that

> needs to be destroyed. ie. Thoughts such as ' I do

> not understand fractions' or 'I do not like Maths'

> or

> 'I like Maths' have to go. After a momentary flash

> of

> understanding there will be a claim with the idea,

> 'I

> do understand fractions.' This is also ignorance and

> will have to go in due course. This is why the Kena

> Upanishad has this dialogue:

> 2.1,2( Teacher): If you think, “I have known Brahman

> well enough,” then you have known only the very

> little

> expression that It has in the human body and the

> little expression that It has among the gods.

> Therefore Brahman is still to be deliberated on by

> you.'

> (Disciple): “I think (Brahman) is known.” “I do not

> think, ‘I know (Brahman) well enough’: (ie. I

> consider) ‘Not that I do not know; I know and I do

> not

> know as well.’ He among us who understands that

> utterance, ‘Not that I do not know: I know and I do

> not know as well,’ knows Brahman.’

>

> If we can begin our study, aware of the play of the

> mental world, then we can present ourselves before

> the

> teacher as pupils, ready to be destroyed.

> When Shankara approached the cave of Govindapada he

> was asked 'Who are you?' and he replied, 'Revered

> Sir,

> I am neither the earth, nor water, nor fire, nor

> air,

> nor any of their properties. I am not the senses

> and

> the mind even. I am Siva, the divisionless essence

> of

> Consciousness.' (Swami Tapasyananda, 1996: 47,48)

> When we introduce ourselves on this site we

> correctly,

> out of politeness, name ourselves but we hold in

> mind

> that being students of advaita, our real answer is

> that of Shankara.

>

> So the first 17 verses of 'UpSa' establish this

> approach of the pupil to the teacher, the

> characteristics of each and the Self, which they

> both

> are.

> I am interested to see that Shankara clearly states

> the Gita as sm^Riti is this discourse. There are

> many

> references here for study of Shruti and for myself,

> as

> someone not brought up with this tradition, they are

> useful to memorise, to give the mind something

> useful

> to dwell in.

>

>

>

>

>

> Part 1 (Prose)

>

>

>

> CHAPTER I

>

> A METHOD OF ENLIGHTENING (Teaching)THE DISCIPLE

>

>

>

>

> 1. We shall now explain a method of teaching

> the means

> to liberation for the benefit of those aspirants who

> deeply desire liberation, who have asked for this

> teaching and are possessed of faith (in it).

> 2. That means to liberation, Knowledge, should

> be

> explained again and again until it is firmly

> grasped,

> to a pure Brahmana disciple, ( Alston notes:this

> should not be interpreted in a purely caste sense.

> At

> BS comm.. 3.4.38 Sankara quotes Manu SmR^iti 2.87

> 'Whoever practices universal benelovence and

> friendliness is a brahmana ), who is indifferent to

> everything that is transitory and achievable through

> certain means, who has given up the desire for a

> son,

> for wealth, and for this world’ and the next, (Br.U.

> 1.5.16) who has adopted the life of a wandering monk

> and is endowed with control over the mind and

> senses,

> with compassion etc., as well as with the qualities

> of

> a disciple well-known in the scriptures, and who has

> approached the teacher in the prescribed manner, and

> has been examined in respect of his caste,

> profession,

> conduct, learning and parentage.

> 3. The Shruti (Mu.U 1.2.12,13) also says, “A

> Brahmana

> after examining those worlds which are the result of

> Vedic actions should be indifferent to them seeing

> that nothing eternal can be achieved by means of

> those

> actions. Then, with fuel in his hands he should

> approach a teacher versed in the Vedas and

> established

> in Brahman in order to know the Eternal. The learned

> teacher should correctly explain to that disciple

> who

> has self-control and a tranquil mind, and has

> approached him in the prescribed manner, the

> knowledge

> of Brahman revealing the imperishable and the

> eternal

> Being.” For only when knowledge is firmly grasped,

> it

>

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