FW: A synopsis of Upanishads - What do they say?:

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Ram Chandran [chandran]

Thursday, April 01, 1999 7:07 AM

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A synopsis of Upanishads - What do they say?:

Ram Chandran <chandran

 

A synopsis of Upanishads - What do they say?:

(Translation 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 !