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THE UPANISHADS |
Mandukya Upanishad
Excerpts
Importance of Aum
If the phenomenal universe were real, then certainly it would disappear. The universe of duality [which is cognized] is mere illusion (maya); Non-duality alone is the Supreme Reality. (1.17)
If anyone imagines illusory ideas [such as the teacher, the taught, and the scriptures], then they will disappear. These [ideas] are for the purpose of instruction. Duality ceases to exist when Reality is known. (1.18)
The mind should be concentrated on Aum. Aum is the fearless Brahman. He who is always absorbed in Aum knows no fear whatever.
Aum is verily the Lower Brahman. It is also stated to be the Higher Brahman. Aum is beginningless and unique. There is nothing outside it. It is unrelated to any effect and is immutable.
Aum is, indeed, the beginning, middle, and end of all things. He who has realized Aum as immutable immediately attains the Supreme Reality.
Know Aum to be Isvara, ever present in the hearts of all. The calm soul, contemplating Aum as all-pervading, does not grieve.
One who knows Aum, which is soundless and also endowed with infinite sounds, which is all good and the negation of duality, is a real sage, and none other. (1.25-29)
Gaudapada Karika
[Gaudapada (c. 8th century CE) was first philosopher of the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy in the post-Upanishadic period. He was guru of the great teacher Adi Shankara.]
Understanding Maya
As a rope lying in darkness, about whose nature one remains uncertain, is imagined to be a snake or a line of water, so Atman is imagined in various ways.
When the real nature of the rope is ascertained, all misconceptions about it disappear and there arises the conviction that it is nothing but a rope. Even so is the true nature of Atman determined.
Atman is imagined as prana and other numberless ideas. All this is due to maya, belonging to the effulgent Atman, by which It appears, Itself, to be deluded. (2.17-19)
Unreality of Duality
As dreams, illusions, and castles in the air are viewed, so is the tangible universe viewed by the wise, well-versed in Vedanta.
There is neither dissolution nor creation, none in bondage and none practising disciplines. There is none seeking Liberation and none liberated. This is the absolute truth.
Atman is imagined as the unreal objects [that are perceived to exist] and as Non-duality as well. The objects, too, are imagined in the non-dual Atman. Therefore Non-duality is Bliss.
The diversity in the universe does not exist as an entity identical with Atman, nor does it exist by itself. Neither is it separate from Brahman nor is it non-separate. This is the statement of the wise. (2.31-34)
Non-duality of Atman
From such scriptural passages as, "One does not see any multiplicity in Atman" [Ka. Up. II. i. 11.] and "Indra (the Supreme Lord), through maya, assumes diverse forms" [Ri. VI. xlvii. 18.], one knows that Atman, though ever unborn, appears to have become many only through maya.
Further, by the negation of the creation, coming into birth is negated. The causality of Brahman is denied by such a statement as "Who can cause It to come into birth?"
On account of the incomprehensible nature of Atman, the scriptural passage "Not this, not this" negates all [dualistic] ideas [attributed to Atman]. Therefore the birthless Atman alone exists.
What is ever existent appears to pass into birth through maya, yet from the standpoint of Reality it does not do so. But he who thinks this passing into birth is real asserts, as a matter of fact, that what is born passes into birth again.
The unreal cannot be born either really or through maya. For it is not possible for the son of a barren woman to be born either really or through maya. (3.24-28)
The Nature of Brahman
Brahman is birthless, sleepless, dreamless, nameless, and formless. It is ever effulgent and omniscient. No duty, in any sense, can ever be associated with It.
Atman is beyond all expression by words, and beyond all acts of the mind. It is great peace, eternal effulgence, and samadhi; It is unmoving and fearless.
Brahman is free from mental activity and hence from all ideas of acceptance or relinquishment. When knowledge is established in Atman it attains birthlessness and sameness. (3.36-38)
Self-Control
The mind distracted by desires and enjoyments should be brought under control by proper means; so also the mind enjoying pleasure in inactivity (laya). For the state of inactivity is as harmful as the state of desires.
Turn back the mind from the enjoyment of desires, remembering that they beget only misery. Do not see the created objects, remembering that all this is the unborn Atman.
If the mind becomes inactive, arouse it [from laya]; if distracted, make it tranquil. Understand the nature of the mind when it contains the seed of attachment. When the mind has attained sameness, do not disturb it again. (3.42-44)
Dreaming and Waking
It is not reasonable to think that a dreamer actually goes out in order to experience the objects [seen in the dream], because of the discrepancy of the time involved in such a journey. Nor does he, when awakened, find himself in the places [seen in the dream].
The dreamer, after awaking, realizes the illusoriness of the conversations he had with friends etc. in the dream state. Further, he does not possess in the waking state anything he acquired while dreaming.
The dream body is unsubstantial because the other [i.e. the physical] body, different from it, is perceived. Like the [dream] body, all things cognized by the mind are unsubstantial.
Since the experience [of objects] in dreams is similar to the experience [of objects] in the waking state, waking experience is regarded as the cause of dream experience. It is only by him [who admits waking experience to be the cause of dream experience] that waking experience can be regarded as real.
All entities are said to be unborn, since birth cannot be established [as a fact]. It is utterly impossible for the unreal to be born of the real. (4.34-38)
...And how utterly impossible it is for the real to be the cause of the unreal! (4.40)
Reincarnation
As long as a person clings to the belief in causality, he will find cause producing effect. But when this attachment to causality wears away, cause and effect become non-existent.
As long as a person clings to the belief in causality, samsara will continue to expand for him. But when this attachment to causality wears away, samsara becomes non-existent. (4.55-56)
[Samsara ('a flowing with'): the phenomenal flux, the karmic wheel, that which is constantly changing, the cycle of birth, old age, disease & death.]
The birthlessness of the mind, which is free from manifestation arid causal relationship, is absolute and constant. For duality [i.e. the perceiving mind and its objects] is merely an objectification of the mind.
Realizing the absence of causality as ultimate truth, and not finding any other reason [for birth], one attains that state which is free from grief, desire, and fear.
On account of attachment to unreal objects the mind pursues such objects. [But it comes back to its pure state] when it attains non-attachment, realizing their unreality.
The mind freed from attachment [to all external objects] and un-distracted [by fresh objects] attains the state of immutability. The wise realize such a mind to be Brahman; It is undifferentiated, birthless, and non-dual. (3.77-80)
The birthless, dreamless, and sleepless Reality reveals Itself by Itself; for this Dharma (Atman) by Its very nature of self-luminousness. [4.81]
...
Soul is Immortal
One should be conversant, at the very outset, with four things. These are as follows: the things to be avoided, the goal to be realized, the disciplines to be cultivated, and the tendencies to be rendered ineffective. Of these four, all except the goal to be realized [i.e. the Supreme Reality] exist only as products of the imagination.
All Atmans (Dharmas) are to be known, by their very nature, to be beginningless and [unattached] like akasa. There is not the slightest variety in them in any way or at any time.
[akasa (akasha): the first material element created from the astral world, the essence of all things in the material world; other elments are Air, Fire, Water and Earth).]
All jivas are, by their very nature, illumined from the very beginning. There can never be any doubt about their nature. He who, having known this, rests without seeking further knowledge is alone capable of attaining Immortality. (4.90-92)
[jiva - the individual soul]
THE UPANISHADS |
MANDUKYA UPANISHAD |
TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD |
Book I: Introduction |
Book III: Introduction |