Tattvamasi

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Tattvamasi ('that you are')

in the Upanishads

by Octavian Sarbatoare

The Vedic writings part of Hinduism Scriptures, are divided into two major

sections (Kandas), as recommended paths to the goal of the human life. The

Karma Kanda section is the one in which the ritual action (Karma) is prevalent,

whereas the Jnana Kanda is the one in which the knowledge (Jnana) has the

greatest importance. Karma Kanda of the Vedic scriptures is represented mainly

by Samhita and Brahmana kinds of literature. Yet, the Jnana Kanda is dominant

in Aranyaka and Upanishads scriptures (Eliade, 1992, Vol 1, p. 243- 244). The

Upanishads (Lit. 'sitting by the side'), as a monistic approach to knowledge,

are a class of philosophical works exposing the secret spiritual doctrine. The

literal significance of 'sitting by the side' refers to the secret knowledge

acquired by a disciple sitting near a spiritual master. Traditionally there are

108, yet, only about 10 to 14 are considered to be authoritative. The Upanishads

are regarded as the source of the six Indian orthodox schools (Shad Darshana) of

salvation developed during the classical period of Hinduism. During the later

periods of Hinduism, the Upanishads played a significant role in the

development of Hinduism until the modern era. Considering the spiritual

massage contained within, two major Upanishads stand apart, the Brihadaranyaka

Upanishad and Chandogya Upanishad . Yet significant are also other major

Upanishads like Katha, Ishavasya (Isha), Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya,

Shvetasvatara, Kena, Taittiriya, Aitareya, according to the consensus of most

of the scholars. Although there are consistent concepts developed, the

philosophy of the Upanishads has a quintessence on its own. The entire

philosophy could thus be summarized by the four great sayings (Mahavakya-s),

i.e. Tattvamasi ('that you are'), Ahambrahmasmi ('I am Brahma'), Prajnanam

Brahma ('the ultimate truth is consciousness'), Ayamatma Brahma ('the extension

of the Self is Brahma'), having s common ontological concept. It should be noted

that the term Brahma within the above sayings is equated with Brahman, the

Supreme Reality. Yet, the Tattvamasi great spiritual saying appears to lead

supreme, various central arguments leading to such a conclusion are being

extensively used within the Upanishads. One of these central ideas is the

ontological nature of Brahman (Supreme Soul) and Atman (Individual Soul).

Brahman, the Supreme Reality is extensively elaborated within many of the major

Upanishads, but also is some of the minor Upanishads. Rich descriptions abound.

"The Self is one, motionless, faster than the mind, beyond the reach of the

senses" (Ish.,4). Furthermore in Ish.,5 the Self encompasses both the Macrocosm

and Microcosm, thus being both transcendent and immanent: "It moves and It moves

not. It is far and It is near. It is within all this, and It is also outside all

this". It has to be observed here that the multitudes of descriptions of Brahman

do take into consideration the attributes or lack of attributes from points of

view of time, space and causality, Brahman without attributes being known as

Nirguna Brahman, whereas Brahman having attributes is known as Saguna Brahman.

Yet, Nirguna Brahman is seen as the causal aspect of manifestation that being

Saguna Brahman, these two concepts evolving gradually from the more ancient

layers of Veda as shall be explained. The philosophy of the Upanishads comes

as a natural development of previous parts of the Veda like Samhitas and

Brahmanas. During the Samhita period, the sacrifice (Yajna) was basically an

outer expression of consciousness in order for the beneficiary of the sacrifice

to obtain some benefits from gods. Yajna itself evolved gradually. The Rig Veda

Samhita emphasized on the macrocosmic world, that was the external approach to

sacrifice. Yet, a metamorphosis took place by replacing the external way of

sacrificing by an internal one in which the human body the microcosmic world

became most relevant. The theophany was thus internalized. Relevant deities

like Prajapati (Lit. 'lord of creatures'), a god having a prominent position in

the Karma Kanda section, was the embodiment of sacrifice. In Bri.,1.2.7

Prajapati desired "May this body of mine be fit for sacrifice" in order to

create the world. In a total approach to reality, Prajapati identifies himself

with the causal, subtle as well as the gross bodies of the universe, thus

taking appropriate names. When identified with the causal body Prajapati was

known as Hiranyagarbha (Lit. 'the golden womb') as the causal aspect of

reality, whereas his identification with the gross was known under the name of

Viraj. Later on with the development of the concept, both Hiranyagarbha and

Viraj were identified with Brahman as the integrative concept of causal, subtle

and gross natures of the same underlying reality. Yet, it was a fundamental

development in the Veda that the Devas (gods) come down to become homologous

with the psycho-physiological functions of the human body. The hierophany is

thus humanized in descriptions of relevant significance: "The organ of speech

(Vak) (of the sacrificer) is looked upon as Agni (fire)" (Bri.,3.1.3), "the eye

(Cakshus) of the sacrificer is Aditya (sun)" (Bri.,3.1.4) , "the vital force

(Prana) (of the sacrificer) is looked upon as Vayu (air)" (Bri.,3.1.5), "the

mind (Manas) of the sacrificer is Candra (moon)" (Bri.,3.1.6). On these lines,

the conclusion could not be missed, the fact that the sacrificer, as an

aspirant to the knowledge (Jnana), was taking to the role of imago mundi. Not

only the gods were equated at the level of bodily instrumentality, but also the

correspondence went further in an inverted manner when man's internal world was

reflected onto the external world as "the organ of speech (Vak) itself is the

earth, the mind (Manas) is the sky and the vital force (Prana) is heaven"

(Bri.,1.5.4). Thus, the sacrificer was taking over the three worlds (Lokas) of

Gayatri Mantra, as earth, shy and heaven, yet his essence as the Self that was

of the nature of Hiranyagarbha became identified (in Bri.,2.1.17) as being in

the heart. It is in Chandogya Upanishad chapter six, where the importance of

the Self becomes fundamental. The Self is thus described as: "that which is

this causal essence, all this has got That as the Self. That is Truth. That is

the Self. Thou art That (Tattvamasi)". Yet, most important of all, the Self of

a human being is none else but Atman (Individual Soul) which is

indistinguishable from Brahman (Supreme Soul). The Brahmopanishad concludes the

analogy Brahman-Atman and with the importance of the knowledge of Atman in its

last Sloka (Lit. 'verse') "This is the Brahmopanishad, of the supreme wisdom of

Brahman, in the form of a unity of the Atman of all, founded on the spiritual

discipline (Tapas) which is (nothing but) the Vidya or science of the Atman".

Yet, the analogy Brahman-Atman take a more anatomical approach when the

effective penetration of the human body by the Soul is done. The Self "returns

to the body along the seventy-two thousand nerves called Hita, which branch of

from the heart to all parts of the body and stays in it" (Bri.,2.1.19). It is

therefore the Soul's diffusion within the human body, the causal reality

implemented as effects within man. Thus, Brahman in its aspects as gross,

subtle and causal (as Atman) penetrates a human body and rests there. The axis

mundi is therefore shifted and the body as the new templum takes over the new

affairs of the world. Yet, this penetration and empowerment, although appears

to be a physical act, it is primarily a conscious act in which knowledge

(Jnana) is the key towards the dispersion of illusion of the world known as

Maya. It is on the account of the illusion within the world that spirituality

of the Upanishads is paramount. The Upanishads consider that the only obstacle

between us and the knowledge of Brahman is Maya (illusion). In essence this

Maya is described as a veil covering the access to the knowledge of Brahman.

Yet, within the illusion of Maya, both negative and positive kinds of actions

(Karmas) like suffering, misery, joy, etc., are contained. Maya is thus

believed to keep us trapped into the world of Samsara, the life of

transmigrations in which there is a cyclical birth-death rotations over a

considerable period of time. Maya appears thus to be a kind of prison in which

humanity is trapped because is unable to see the true reality that is Brahman

existent beyond the veil of the phenomenal world. The Upanishads is the kind of

literature that is consistent to affirm that only by removing the veil of

ignorance our true nature can be seen and Brahman experienced. The liberation

(Mukti) becomes available hic et nunc once the real knowledge (Jnana) is

obtained. Yet, with Jnana acquired, the manifestation of the world around us

takes a different dimension. With the removal of the veil a new perspective of

life opens, as Brahman, the ultimate reality is directly experienced. This

experience takes pantheistic forms as the enlightened person known as

Jivanmukta (Lit. 'liberated while still alive') arises. In a total

anthropo-cosmic experience, a Jivanmukta is described in Ish.,6 as "the wise

man who perceives all beings as not distinct from his own Self at all, and his

own Self as the Self of every being ...". Yet, this state of being comes

after great efforts in which various psycho--physiological techniques of Yoga

nature are employed in order to acquire Tapas, the an inner heat as a result of

Agni's penetration within the body (Eliade, 1992, Vol 1, p. 244). Thus, the

human psycho-physiological instrumentality is used in order to discover Atman.

The efforts conducive to knowledge are suggestively described in various

Upanishads. In Ka. 1,2,24 it says: "One who has not kept himself aloof from

doing sinful acts, nor controlled his senses, and has not a peaceful and

one-pointed mind, can never attain the Atman through knowledge". Furthermore in

Ke. 1,2 the wise aspirant attains success "when he abandons the Ego and rises

above the senses, he achieves immortality". "The Atman, subtler than the

subtlest and greater than the greatest, dwells in the heart of every living

being. One who is desireless and free from anxiety realizes the glorious Atman

through the purity of senses and mind and becomes free from sorrow"

(Ka.,1,2,20). It can be easily seen that such an aspirant has to adopt a code

of behaviour and employ certain yogic techniques or control of the mind methods

in order to reach the goal. The state of Jivanmukti is seen as a high state of

living that is certainly not easy available, but only after persistent efforts

towards a catharsis of body and mind. Such an accomplished practitioner

(Sadhaka) is described in Ai.,3,1,4 as "One who has experienced Atman in this

way, having gone beyond this world and having fulfilled all his desires in the

world of bliss, attains immortality." The goal is thus reached and the

Tattvamasi great saying fulfilled. To conclude this paper is to mention the

two main section of Veda as being Karma Kanda and Jnana Kanda having a

different emphasis, the former being linked to an overt expression of

deity-human relationship, whereas in the later this expression is internalized

as in the class of Vedic literature expressed by the Upanishads. The essence of

the Upanishads rests on its four great saying. Yet, the Upanishads' attention is

on Jnana by which the great saying Tattvamasi, could be conducive to liberation.

A practitioner (Sadhaka) is able by introspection within the nature of

Brahman, to come to valuable conclusions. Yet, various Yoga techniques using

the psycho-physiological instrumentality of the human body are employing in

order to facilitate the perception of the higher reality. This spiritual

aspiration aims towards the imitatio dei experience, as gradually by obtaining

knowledge (Jnana), the metamorphosis human-god is achieved. Maya could be

ultimately dispersed and the Brahman-Atman identification be realized. The

Jivanmukti state comes as a fulfillment of the Tattvamasi great saying. The

Upanishads define in essence the ultimate nature of existence by the conclusion

of the four great sayings (Mahavakya-s) in which Tattvamasi appears to be their

conclusion in itself. The conscious experience of gods becomes a sentient

experience of a human being, thus salvation (Mukti) be obtained. The

soteriological conclusion says that 'that' Brahman (Supreme Soul) 'you' as

Atman (Individual Soul) 'are'.

 

REFERENCES Eliade, M. Istoria credintelor si ideilor religioase, Universitas,

Chisinau, 1992 Gambhirananda, S. Chandogya Upanishad, Nabajiban Press,

Calcutta, 1992 Gambhirananda, S. Eight Upanishads, Vol. 1, Advaita Ashrama,

Calcutta, 1972 Gambhirananda, S. Eight Upanishads, Vol. 2, Advaita Ashrama,

Calcutta, 1973 Gambhirananda, S. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Sri Ramakrishna

Math Printing Press, Madras, 1992 Hinnells, J. A Handbook of Living Religions,

John R. Hinnells and Penguin Books Ltd, 1994 LIST OF ABREVIATIONS Ai.

Aitareya Upanishad

Bri. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Ch. Chandogya Upanishad

Ish. Ish/ Ishavasya Upanishad

Ka. Katha Upanishad

Ke. Kena Upanishad 1997 and subsequent years by Octavian

Sarbatoare (Australia) This article is copyright-protected. The author grants

the right to copy and distribute this file, provided it remains unmodified and

original authorship and copyright is retained.

 

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