Mirror

[Guest guest]

Menonji has hit inadvertently on the truth of the upanishads! In Chandhogya

chapter8 we have a narration of an episode in which Brahma was approached by

Indra and Virochana, the king of asuras to know about the Self. Brahma told them

to look at their reflections in the water and come back and tell him what they

saw. They came and told him that they saw a replica of themselves from head to

toe. The he told them to decorate themselves with nice garments and ornaments

and look in the water again.They came and told him that they saw themselves

nicely decorated. Then Brahma said what they saw there is nothing but their

Self and it is eternal.and they went away seemingly satisfied. Brahma said to

himself that they went away without questioning further and if they believe it

literally they will be ruined. Virochana went and told his men that the physical

body is the real self and they pursued their aasurik actib vities thinking that

satisfying the carnal desires is the purpose of life.

 

But Indra was not satisfied and came back saying that if the body is maimed it

could not mean that the self is also maimed because it is eternal.Then Brahma

told him that what he finds in dream state is the self but again he came back

saying that in dream also one feels the pain and sorrow and hence it could not

be the eternal self. Then he was advised that the Self is what he experiences in

the deep sleep state but Indra was not satisfied since in deep sleep one is not

aware of anything and does not seem to exist.Then finally Brahma advised him of

the real nature of the Self.

 

Thus you see what you want to see and do not go further like Viri ochana. But if

you enquire further you will certainkly know the truth. This is true in every

respect and not only regarding the knowledge of the Self.

saroja Ramanujam