A Commentary on the Upanishads by Swami Nirmalananda Giri -10

A Commentary

on the Upanishads

by

Swami Nirmalananda Giri

 

Three prime truths

There are three points being made here that are the bedrock of upanishadic

philosophy. First, all beings that exist–past, present, future–are of the same nature,

even the same substance, as Brahman. Second, all forms (modes of existence), though

ever-changing, proceed from the Unchanging, Unchangeable. This seeming

contradiction is made possible by the illusory power of Maya. That is, the changing

forms are illusory while the essential being, the Self/Atman is unchanging. Third,

having come from Brahman they shall all, without exception return to Brahman. When

life is viewed this way we can understand its nature and purpose, and live accordingly.

For the upanishads are not interested in giving us empty theory without a practical

application.

Some traits of the Source

“Self-luminous is that Being, and formless. He dwells within all and without all. He

is unborn, pure, greater than the greatest, without breath, without mind.” (Mundaka

Upanishad 2:1:2) Pervading all, both Brahman and the Atman are yet untouched by

any forms in which they dwell, knowing themselves through themselves–selfluminous.

Both the internal and the external are permeated with the presence of

Conscious Spirit. Although the forms floating on the surface of the Ocean of Being are

born, conditioned, endowed with mind and senses, and compelled to “live” as a

consequence of the sowing and reaping of karma in previous lives, in reality none of

this takes place in an absolute, objective sense. Rather, it is the power of Maya that

produces these appearances. As the Gita says: “Helpless all, for Maya is their

master….” (Bhagavad Gita 9:8) Yet, the sage is telling us in this upanishad that,

almighty as Maya seems to be, Spirit is “greater than the greatest.” When we are sunk

in delusion, then Maya seems the most powerful, but when we transfer our

consciousness into spirit, then we find that the Self is always the master of Maya, on

the universal and the individual levels.

Again, Brahman is the Source: “From him are born breath, mind, the organs of

sense, ether, air, fire, water, and the earth, and he binds all these together.” (Mundaka

Upanishad 2:1:3) God’s “creation” is never separated from Him for an instant. By His

indwelling presence He maintains and unifies them. All that exists is held in the Mind

of God, for they are His thoughts made visible or tangible.

“Heaven is his head, the sun and moon his eyes, the four quarters his ears, the

revealed scriptures his voice, the air his breath, the universe his heart. From his feet

came the earth. He is the innermost Self of all.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:1:4) The

universe is not really God’s creation, it is His manifestation–His “incarnation.” And he

remains its Inner Controller (Antaryamin).

“From him arises the sun-illumined sky, from the sky the rain, from the rain food,

and from food the seed in man which he gives to woman. Thus do all creatures

descend from him.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:1:5) Though this differs from her style of

expression, it reminds me of great wisdom spoken by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder

of Christian Science. She said that in reality we all come from God, but we ignore the

fact. We say: “Everybody in my family gets…” and then name some disease or negative

condition. We think it is “genetics” that must manifest. But our real genes are Divine

Qualities. Why do we not believe they will manifest in us? Our father and mother were

adult human beings, and we became the same. The ultimate Father/Mother is God, so

why do we neglect the development of Divine Consciousness? Divinity is our only true

nature.

“From him are born hymns, devotional chants, scriptures, rites, sacrifices,

oblations, divisions of time, the doer and the deed, and all the worlds lighted by the

sun and purified by the moon.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:1:6) You cannot get more

complete than that!

“From him are born gods of diverse descent. From him are born angels, men,

beasts, birds; from him vitality, and food to sustain it; from him austerity and

meditation, faith, truth, continence, and law.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:1:7) It is this last

part that is of special meaning for us. We are told that austerity (tapasya), meditation,

faith, truth, continence, and law arise from God. They are the presence of God

manifesting in our life and through us to the world. Who, then, can be more beneficial

to the world than a yogi? The word vidhi, translated “law,” means both instruction and

method. There is an innate order in the universe which each of us should embody. It is

not learned intellectually but is intuited by the yogi. The yogi will then order his life

accordingly–methodically. Of course the supreme method is the method of meditation

itself.

“From him spring the organs, of sense, their activities, and their objects, together

with their awareness of these objects. All these things, parts of man’s nature, spring

from him.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:1:8) This explains how human beings are “made in

the image of God.”

“In him the seas and the mountains have their source; from him spring the rivers,

and from him the herbs and other life-sustaining elements, by the aid of which the

subtle body of man subsists in the physical body.

“Thus Brahman is all in all. He is action, knowledge, goodness supreme. To know

him, hidden in the lotus of the heart, is to untie the knot of ignorance.” (Mundaka

Upanishad 2:1:9, 10)

Knowing God

About God

Further description of Brahman is now to be given along with instructions on how

to know Brahman. The upanishad is so clear, and the concepts have been referred to

before, so some verses hardly need more than a sentence of comment.

“Self-luminous is Brahman, ever present in the hearts of all. He is the refuge of all,

he is the supreme goal. In him exists all that moves and breathes. In him exists all that

is. He is both that which is gross and that which is subtle. Adorable is he. Beyond the

ken of the senses is he. Supreme is he. Attain thou him!” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:2:1)

The last part is the most important. What value is it to know about God if we do not go

to God? Saint Silouan of Athos used to say that theology is the false mysticism of the

ego, for people become satisfied, or even fascinated, with philosophical concepts that

are nothing but bare words. Rare are those who want to experience the things they

believe. In many instances it may be that people intuit the untruth of their religious

beliefs and subconsciously know that they cannot be experienced. But it is sad to see

those that have come to understand the concepts of karma, reincarnation, and

evolution of consciousness still dawdling along with the theorists instead of getting on

to the Goal.

“He, the self-luminous, subtler than the subtlest, in whom exist all the worlds and

all those that live therein–he is the imperishable Brahman. He is the principle of life.

He is speech, and he is mind. He is real. He is immortal. Attain him, O my friend, the

one goal to be attained!” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:2:2) Not only must we attain God, we

must understand while striving that He is the only goal to be attained–for everything

else is antithetical to our eternal nature.

The means to reach God

Having hopefully convinced us of the value of seeking God (!) the sage is going to

tell us how to find God by telling us the actual means: “Affix to the Upanishad, the bow

incomparable, the sharp arrow of devotional worship; then, with mind absorbed and

heart melted in love, draw the arrow and hit the mark–the imperishable Brahman. OM

is the bow, the arrow is the individual being, and Brahman is the target. With a tranquil

heart, take aim. Lose thyself in him, even as the arrow is lost in the target.” (Mundaka

Upanishad 2:2:3, 4)

Here is Swami Gambhirananda’s more literal version: “Taking hold of the bow, that

is the Great Weapon familiar in the Upanishads, one should fix on it an arrow,

sharpened with meditation. Drawing the string with a mind absorbed in Its thought, hit

that very target that is the Immutable. Om is the bow; the soul [atma] is the arrow;

and Brahman is called its target. It is to be hit by an unerring man. One should become

one with It just like an arrow.” This is really a description of meditation, so each point

is significant.

Taking hold of the bow (Om is the bow). Right away we are being given a most

valuable instruction in meditation. We “take hold” of Om by intoning It within. Our

practice must not be passive, but calmly active–we are always to be in charge by taking

hold of Om and applying it in meditation through the generation of subtle sound. (See

Om Yoga, Its Theory and Practice.) The active character of Om is indicated by Its being

called a bow, for a bow impels the arrow to its target. It is a matter of strength, of

power. In the Rig Veda we find the Gayatri Mantra, a great prayer for enlightenment:

“We meditate on the Spiritual Effulgence of that Supreme Divine Reality. May That

impel us toward It.” Om is the force that impels us toward Divinity.

That is the Great Weapon familiar in the Upanishads. Om is not just a weapon

among many, It is the Great Weapon for conquering ignorance that is referred to

throughout the Upanishads. This is not a matter of opinion or discussion. In the eleven

basic upanishads, the Gita, and the Yoga Sutras the only mantra recommended is Om,

and the only meditation set forth is the meditation on Om. An honest perusal of these

texts will reveal that this is neither an exaggeration nor a wishful interpretation.

Although the wisdom of these sacred texts has been almost totally ignored for past

centuries, their truth is not to be denied by any who ascribe to Sanatana Dharma. It is

departing from the upanishadic philosophy that has resulted in the confused mess of

contemporary Hinduism, the worst of it aspects being the treacherous and destructive

idolatry of Gurudom. Because of this aberration people have accepted a myriad

substitutes for the upanishadic truth on the basis of “guru bhakti” and “faith in the

guru.” The resulting confusion is obvious to those not drowning in it themselves.

One should fix on it an arrow, sharpened with meditation (the Self is the arrow). Our

very Self, our very consciousness, is to be united with Om in calm and whole-hearted

attention. This can only be done by being “purified by constant meditation” according

to Shankara’s commentary. So meditation is itself the way to become proficient in

meditation. The simple fact that we are meditating is assurance that we shall become

more and more proficient in it. When that proficiency is gained, then we will easily

unite our consciousness with Om.

Drawing the string with a mind absorbed in Its thought. Through constant meditation

we develop the ability to fill our awareness with the inner intonations of Om which act

like the string of a bow to the mind that is fixed on It.

Hit that very target that is the Immutable (Brahman). We do not start out small and

work up to bigger things. From the first we aim at Brahman. By means of this

determination Brahman alone will be realized by us without wandering into the

psychic byways that can confuse and delude the wandering meditator who does not

know the method of the upanishads.

It is to be hit by an unerring man. The idea here is that the one who can successfully

“hit” the target of Brahman is one who has no distractions or waverings, whose mind

remains firmly established in the japa and meditation of Om. There is a kind of parable

about this in the Mahabharata. In Yoga As A Universal Science, Swami Krishnananda

tells it this way:

“Those who are familiar with the Mahabharata know the story of the tournament

arranged by Acharya Drona for the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The test of

concentration which Dronacharya arranged for those boys was like this. There was a

tree with many branches. In one fine twig, he hung a wooden bird. The eye of the bird

was looking like a black spot, and that eye was to be shot by the arrow. So he asked the

boys: ‘Concentrate yourself on the eye of that bird and hit it. Look! What do you see?’

‘Well,’ one said, ‘well, I see a bird sitting on the tree.’ Dronacharya said, ‘You are unfit.

You are not able to concentrate.’ Then he asked another, ‘What do you see?’ ‘I see the

bird sitting on the branch.’ ‘No, you are not able to concentrate.’ Then he asked

Yudhishthira, ‘What do you see?’ ‘I see only the eye.’ ‘No. No good,’ he said. He asked

Arjuna. Arjuna said, ‘I see only the black spot. I see nothing else.’ ‘Yes, you are the

man’ said Dronacharya, ‘Hit it!’ Arjuna’s concentration was so intense that he could see

only the black spot. He could not see even the eye of the bird there, let alone the bird

and the tree and the people around. That was Arjuna.” And that must be us. It may take

time, but it nonetheless must come about.

One should become one with It just like an arrow. The arrow embeds itself in the

target and becomes one with it. This is not an occasional ascent to higher awareness,

but a permanent establishment in the Being of Brahman. It is meditation on Om that

can accomplish this.

What we will perceive in that union

As a result of our meditation we shall directly perceive: “In him are woven heaven,

earth, and sky, together with the mind and all the senses. Know him, the Self alone.

Give up vain talk. He is the bridge of immortality.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:2:5) This

verse actually refers to Om, and literally says: “On that [Om] are strung heaven, earth,

space, the mind and all the senses. It alone is the sole support of all. Having known the

Self [through Om] discard other speech [or mantras] and their results. For this [Om]

is the bridge to immortality.” That is a bit different! Om is the all-encompassing Reality

from which all things have come. It alone leads us back to Immortality. Om should be

our continual–and in meditation our only–thought insofar as it is possible and practical.

Where we find God

“Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!” (Job

23:3 ) lamented the Biblical Job. If he had access to the upanishads as we do, he would

have found the answer in the next verse:

“Within the lotus of the heart he dwells, where, like the spokes of a wheel in its

hub, the nerves meet. Meditate on him as OM. Easily mayest thou cross the sea of

darkness.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:2:6) Gambhirananda: “With that [hub] in which are

fixed the nerves [nadis] like the spokes on the hub of a chariot wheel, moves this

aforesaid Self by becoming multiformed. Meditate on the Self thus with the help of

Om. May you be free from hindrances in going to the other shore beyond darkness.”

At the core of all our manifest existence there moves the immortal Spirit-self which

has assumed all the forms and aspects we call “us.” Although these numberless veils

hide the Self from our present vision, we can meditate on it by the means of Om. This

will remove all obstacles and carry us safely over the heaving waves of samsara into

the harbor of Spirit. As Patanjali says regarding Om: “Its constant repetition and

meditation is the way. From it result the disappearance of obstacles and the turning

inward of consciousness.” The same thing is said in the Varaha and Yoga Tattwa (B)

Upanishads.

More about the heart

When the upanishads speak of the “heart” they do not mean the physical organ that

pumps blood, but the center of our being where the Self ever dwells. The sage now

speaks more about this spiritual heart.

“This Self, who understands all, who knows all, and whose glory is manifest in the

universe, lives within the lotus of the heart, the bright throne of Brahman. By the pure

in heart is he known. The Self exists in man, within the lotus of the heart, and is the

master of his life and of his body. With mind illumined by the power of meditation, the

wise know him, the blissful, the immortal.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:2:7) There is a

great deal to learn from this verse.

Since the Self understands and knows all, to be truly knowledgous and wise all we

need do is shift our awareness into our own Self.

Although the Self should not be identified with external things such as our body or

the world, nevertheless, the glory of our Self–including the Supreme Self–is

manifested in our own private universe and the greater universe as well. We can come

to perceive spiritual realities hidden within the material illusions.

The Self abides in the core of our being–not in the physical heart. According to the

great yogis, we can speak of the thousand-petalled lotus of the brain as our spiritual

“heart,” especially the very core of the brain, the cave-like area within which the pineal

gland is located. This is sometimes called the Chidakasha, the Space of Consciousness.

Both God and the individual Self dwell there. In the Sanskrit text there is the

expression Brahmapuri–the City of God–used for this spiritual heart. It further says

that God and the Self are known by centering our awareness in this heart.

It is meditation which illumines the mind and enables us to see and know this

blissful, immortal Self all around us, in everything. This is living!

“The knot of the heart, which is ignorance, is loosed, all doubts are dissolved, all

evil effects of deeds are destroyed, when he who is both personal and impersonal is

realized.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:2:8) When we enter into the consciousness of our

individual spirit and the Infinite Spirit, the blinding veil of ignorance will dissolve away

along with all the bonds of karma.

“In the effulgent lotus of the heart dwells Brahman, who is passionless and

indivisible. He is pure, he is the light of lights. Him the knowers of the Self

attain.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:2:9) What greater goal can we have than this?

The Light of lights

In summation of this section, the sage says:

“Him the sun does not illumine, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor the lightning–nor,

verily, fires kindled upon the earth. He is the one light that gives light to all. He

shining, everything shines.

“This immortal Brahman is before, this immortal Brahman is behind, this immortal

Brahman extends to the right and to the left, above and below. Verily, all is Brahman,

and Brahman is supreme.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2:2:10, 11)

These thrilling words need no comment–only response.

The Two Selves

Cross-eyed people see a single object as two. In the same way the ignorant see the

One as many. Yet, there is a perverse spiritual cross-eyedness which works just the

opposite, making its victims see two as one. This is the disease of half-baked Vedanta

that is merely conceptual and not based on the experience that only yoga imparts.

There is no such thing as a genuine Vedantist who is not first and foremost a Yogi.

Anyway, the upanishad is now going to give us the right understanding of the

Paramatman and the jivatman–the Supreme Self and the individual Self–their unity and

their distinction, and their relationship with each other. Here, too, only the yogi will

really understand what is being said.

“Like two birds of golden plumage, inseparable companions, the individual self and

the immortal Self are perched on the branches of the selfsame tree. The former tastes

of the sweet and bitter fruits of the tree; the latter, tasting of neither, calmly

observes.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:1:1) This is a case where the Sanskrit original gives

very precise information which is necessary for us to careful peruse. Otherwise we

will miss some remarkable truths.

Three qualities

This verse gives us three words in relation to the two “birds”–the two Selves:

suparna, sayuja, and sakhaya. Suparna means intimately related, the idea being that the

individual Self and the Cosmic Self exist in an eternal relation. Sayuja means being in a

state of union–perpetual union, as Shankara points out in his commentary. A secondary

meaning of sayuja is being in the same place–that the two Selves are inseparable, are

ever present to one another. According to Shankara, the third expression, sakhaya,

means that the two Selves have the identical name or designation, and exists in an

identical manner. The upanishads say that Om is the name or designator of them both

and that they possess the same qualities–one in an absolute degree and the other in a

limited degree. Sakhaya also means companionship and friendship, indicating the deep

personal relation between the jivatman and Paramatman.

The “selfsame tree” is the body–and by extension, the cosmos. The form of every

sentient being has two indwellers–the two Selves. However, they do not have the same

experience of the tree. The individual, the jiva, “tastes” the fruit of the tree in the form

of the inner and outer senses, and according to the quality of that experience is made

happy, unhappy, contented, discontented–and so forth. The individual “undergoes”

experience. The Supreme Self, on the other hand, “tasting of neither [sweet or bitter

experiences], calmly observes.” God experiences being in all forms and is aware of all

that the individual spirit experiences, yet, as a more literal translation says, He “looks

on without eating”–without being affected or conditioned by it. But he does know

exactly the effect and conditioning that accrues to the individual Self. He is

experiencing right along with us, but unlike us is not pulled into a mistaken identity

with the body-mind and its experiences.

The problem and the solution

On the other hand: “The individual self, deluded by forgetfulness of his identity

with the divine Self, bewildered by his ego, grieves and is sad. But when he recognizes

the worshipful Lord as his own true Self, and beholds his glory, he grieves no

more.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:1:2) This is quite interpretive, though correctly so. The

literal translation of Swami Gambhirananda is: “On the same tree, the individual soul

remains drowned, as it were; and so it moans, being worried by its impotence. When it

sees thus the other, the adored Lord, and His glory, then it becomes liberated from

sorrow.” We are drowned, submerged, in the deadly ocean of samsara, of continual

birth, death, unsurety, pain, and confusion. Shankara points out that the individual is

overwhelmed with confusion because it cannot understand what is really happening to

it, and why. Just like a piece of driftwood on the heaving sea, it is lifted up and down,

thrown onto the shore and then pulled out to sea again. So it grieves at its helplessness

and hopelessness.

All is changed, though, when the individual sees, right in the core of its being, the

very God it has been hitherto worshipping as separate from itself. Experiencing within

its own being the presence and the glory of God–and thereby realizing that glory as

his own–the individual becomes liberated from sorrow.

The sage elaborates on this, continuing: “When the seer beholds the Effulgent

One, the Lord, the Supreme Being, then, transcending both good and evil, and freed

from impurities, he unites himself with him.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:1:3) More

literally: “When the seer sees the Purusha–self-effulgent, creator, lord, and source of

all [relative existence]–then the illumined one completely shakes off both virtue and

vice, becomes taintless, and attains absolute equality [non-duality]. That is, the jiva

recognizes that Shiva–the Absolute–is its true nature. Then, no longer bound by “do”

and “don’t,” it is able to act according to its essential being. Not that morality will be

abandoned, but that there will be no more need to think it “should” or “should” not do

something. Rather, it will do the right and the perfect spontaneously, naturally, as a

consequence of its rediscovered divinity. For it will be free from all bonds or

compulsions whatever. This is because in the divine vision it has become free from all

defects or blemish.

But most important is the trait that is listed last: paramam samyam, supreme

sameness, literally, but the meaning is absolute unity–and therefore absolute identify–

with the Absolute Itself.

Since the two are really one, the upanishad continues describing both the

individual and the infinite Selves, as they partake of one another’s traits. “The Lord is

the one life shining forth from every creature. Seeing him present in all, the wise man

is humble, puts not himself forward. His delight is in the Self, his joy is in the Self, he

ser ves the Lord in all. Such as he, indeed, are the true knowers of

Brahman.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:1:4)

How to do it

Anyone who ponders these astounding words with intelligence will be eager to

attain Brahman, so the sage tells how that is done.

“This Effulgent Self is to be realized within the lotus of the heart by continence, by

steadfastness in truth, by meditation, and by superconscious vision. Their impurities

washed away, the seers realize him.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:1:5) This is quite clear,

but some precise terms should be considered to put a fine point on the message of this

verse. Swami Gambhirananda renders it: “The bright and pure Self within the body,

that the monks with attenuated blemishes see, is attainable through truth,

concentration, complete knowledge, and continence, practiced constantly.”

The Self within the body. The Self is within the body, therefore it is absurd to disdain

the body, and even more absurd to engage in a meditation practice that ignores the

body and the necessity for its purification and spiritual empowerment. Just forgetting

about the material side of things and flying off into pure spirit is an appealing idea–the

problem is, it is mistaken and can never work. However long or short a journey, it

always begins right from the point where we are. And at this point we are not only in

the body, we are tied into it by a multitude of bonds, bonds that must be dissolved. Our

yoga practice must cover this situation.

The prime implication, though, is that since the Self is right here in the body It is

not far away. We need not even seek It–just see It.

The monks. The word rather poorly translated as “monk” is yati, which actually

means a wanderer. This is because in the ancient times in India the wandering ascetics

who moved about teaching dharma were given this title. They were not monks or

sannyasis in the later sense. Obviously they were not married, as their mode of life

prevented that, and their life was dedicated to spiritual discipline and teaching.

Nevertheless, they were not considered outside society as the sadhu is today in India.

They were simply those who sacrificed personal life to serve others. It was a noble way

of life, but not a separation. The original Christian ascetics were just the same. They

wore ordinary clothes and were considered Christian laity. The only distinctive thing

about them was their way of life. The men usually lived on the edge of towns, usually

as hermits. The women lived together in houses within the town for mutual protection.

In the eyes of everyone they were pious bachelors and spinsters, not at all distinct from

other Christians in an official sense.

All right, that is the historical background, but what is the meaning for us today?

No matter where we might live, or how, we must all be “wanderers” in the spirit, aware

with both Saint Paul and Saint Peter that we are “strangers and pilgrims on the

earth.” (Hebrews 11:13; I Peter 2:11.) Jesus told someone: “The foxes have holes, and

the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his

head.” (Matthew 8:20) This is actually the truth about every single sentient being on

the earth: there is no place where we can come to rest and be at home, for our nature

is Spirit and our home is Infinity.

So the yatis spoken of here are those who have become rootless in relation to this

world. Or more to the point, those who have recognized that they have no roots in the

world, only in God. (“The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians

6:14) And so in their hearts they are always on pilgrimage back to the Source, aware

that wherever they may be it is only a temporary accommodation on the long journey

home–to Brahman.

Attenuated blemishes. The upanishad has a very informative expression:

kshinadoshah–those whose mental defects such as anger, etc., have become

significantly lessened. Eventually they will be totally eliminated, but even now such

persons are capable of the beginning stages of knowing the Self. This is important,

because we tend to think that until we are absolutely perfect we cannot know either

God or our Self. This is not so. Just as the sky becomes lightened even before the sun

appears above the horizon, so it is with those yogis who earnestly strive for realization.

The elementary stages of enlightenment dawn for them.

Complete knowledge. Samyag-jnanena, complete insight into the nature of the Self

both intellectually and intuitively, also enables us to begin experiencing the realities of

the Self. Of course this cannot occur outside of yoga practice that is disciplined and

steady.

Practiced constantly. Some translators think this word nityam–perpetual–refers to

continence (brahmacharya), but others think it refers to constant and uninterrupted

observance of all the virtues and practices listed in this verse. That is logical, because a

break in any of these will set back the sadhaka to a significant degree, and in some

cases can destroy the possibility of his continuance in sadhana by turning his mind

away from the Real to the unreal. This is, however, particularly true about

brahmacharya as is seen over and over. In Autobiography of a Yogi, Yogananda relates

this sad but telling incident:

“A year later [after entering the ashram], Kumar set out for a visit to his childhood

home. He ignored the quiet disapproval of Sri Yukteswar, who never authoritatively

controlled his disciples’ movements. On the boy’s return to Serampore in a few

months, a change was unpleasantly apparent. Gone was the stately Kumar with

serenely glowing face. Only an undistinguished peasant stood before us, one who had

lately acquired a number of evil habits.

“Master summoned me and brokenheartedly discussed the fact that the boy was

now unsuited to the monastic hermitage life.

“‘Mukunda, I will leave it to you to instruct Kumar to leave the ashram tomorrow; I

can’t do it!’ Tears stood in Sri Yukteswar’s eyes, but he controlled himself quickly. ‘The

boy would never have fallen to these depths had he listened to me and not gone away

to mix with undesirable companions. He has rejected my protection; the callous world

must be his guru still.’” This narrative is particularly ironic, since “Kumar” means a

young male virgin.

Now all this is extremely to the point, with no fudging under the guise of diplomacy

or moderation. Perhaps that is why the sage then says to us: “Truth alone succeeds,

not untruth. By truthfulness the path of felicity is opened up, the path which is taken

by the sages, freed from cravings, and which leads them to truth’s eternal

abode.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:1:6) Once again Swami Gambhirananda helps us

understand: “Truth alone wins, and not untruth. By truth is maintained for ever the

path called Devayana, by which the desireless seers ascend to where exists the

supreme treasure attainable through truth.”

Sri Ramakrishna often said that “God is realized if one holds fast to truth. If there is

no strictness in observing truth everything is gradually lost.” As this upanishad says:

Satyam eva jayate–truth alone triumphs, both in material and in spiritual life. The path

to liberation, Devayana, “the Path of the Shining Ones,” is opened through truth.

Truth in this context has a much higher and wider meaning than mere accuracy or

honesty in speech. It means to be a living embodiment of the truth of our Self-nature,

and eventually to be a virtual incarnation of the realized Truth: God, “the supreme

treasure attainable through truth.”

The God Within, The Sage Without

God

“Brahman is supreme; he is self-luminous, he is beyond all thought. Subtler than

the subtlest is he, farther than the farthest, nearer than the nearest. He resides in the

lotus of the heart of every being.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:1:7) This is the great

mystery of the Divine. It is subtle beyond subtlety, yet exists equally in the most

tangible. God is utterly beyond us, and yet nearer to us than can be expressed. This

latter fact is a foundation-stone of spiritual life. The more we can turn inward, the

deeper we can penetrate into our own essential being, the closer we will come to God.

Yoga is an absolute necessity. Though Prabhavananda uses the expression “lotus of the

heart,” the Sanskrit text has guhayam–“in the cave,” referring to the absolute core of

our being.

“The eyes do not see him, speech cannot utter him, the senses cannot reach him.

He is to be attained neither by austerity nor by sacrificial rites. When through

discrimination the heart has become pure, then, in meditation, the Impersonal Self is

revealed.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:1:8) No action or feeling or ideas can reveal God to

us. But when the heart has become purified by the spiritual insight that only

meditation can produce, then in meditation itself God is revealed. For: “The subtle Self

within the living and breathing body is realized in that pure consciousness wherein is

no duality–that consciousness by which the heart beats and the senses perform their

office.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:1:9) Meditation is the beginning, middle, and end of

spiritual life. There is a remarkable statement made here–that the same consciousness

which even now causes the body, senses, and mind to function is the same

consciousness in which the Divine Vision takes place. So we need not try to turn

ourselves into something other than what we are. We need only use it to free ourselves

into Spirit. For that which binds also frees. This is the unique understanding of the

ancient sages in India, an understanding needed by the whole world.

The sage

The West may have no history of such great wisdom, but we have a little platitude

that can say much: “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” As yogis we should

keep this principle ever in mind. The results of our yoga practice reveal its character,

relevance, and value. The yogi should be thoroughly pragmatic. “What is this doing for

me?” should be the constant inquiry regarding his sadhana. That this is not

inappropriate is shown by the last verse in this section: “Whether of heaven, or of

heavenly enjoyments, whether of desires, or of objects of desire, whatever thought

arises in the heart of the sage is fulfilled. Therefore let him who seeks his own good

revere and worship the sage.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:1:10)

This tells us two things. First, whatever the liberated sage thinks of, wills, or

desires, that comes about. Examples of this are given in Autobiography of a Yogi, and

manifested all through Yogananda’s life, especially toward its end, as seen in

Paramahansa Yogananda: In Memoriam. The life of Sri Ramakrishna also

demonstrates this. Second, those that seek their highest good–self-realization–should

reverence and honor the atmajnam, the one who knows the Self. This is very

important. The upanishad is not counseling us to make a god of a master or to

substitute a Brahmajnani for God. When we want to learn something we go to an

expert. In the same way, those seeking the knowledge of God should seek out the

teachings of great masters of past and present. If very fortunate, the seeker will meet

such a person in the flesh and have personal interchange with him. The mere presence

of such a great soul can transform our thinking and awaken our consciousness.

If we follow the instructions of an enlightened person regarding our inner

development we will come to the exact same state of consciousness revealed in him.

Remember, true masters never die. They can bless and guide those who approach

them in their hearts. Often this is sufficient for the seeker, and can be much safer than

following a physically embodied teacher, for often sentimentality and emotional

projection completely blind the seeker to the reality/unreality of the teacher. I

personally knew gurus whose presence was stunning, even supernatural, but after

their physical death they vanished from the earth plane, leaving their followers empty.

But I also knew teachers who became more intimately present to seekers after their

physical form had departed, proving themselves to truly be one with the Immortal and

Omnipresent. Those who meditate can attune themselves to such masters and benefit

from their very real presence.

How can we tell a true master? A true master keeps pointing their students away

from themselves to God, the only Goal. And a true disciple is one who goes to God

instead of making an idol or fetish of the guru. Anyone silly enough can be a

brainwashed groupie, but the wise heed the teacher’s message and go on to God. As

Buddha said, a worthy teacher or teaching is like a finger pointing at the moon. The

idea is to see the moon–not the finger. Nevertheless, the sage can be a very

meaningful factor in our spiritual life, so the upanishad continues with more

information for us.

“The sage knows Brahman, the support of all, the pure effulgent being in whom is

contained the universe. They who worship the sage, and do so without thought of self,

cross the boundary of birth and death.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:1) Here are two

more principles: A sage is one who knows Brahman in the absolute sense, and those

who honor them without any personal desire for benefit or gain from them will break

the ties of earthly rebirth.

This second part gives us a picture of real disciples or students who will attain

spiritual benefit from a teacher: they have no egocentric or personal desire coloring

the way they relate to the teacher. Their only interest is in the Self. They are not

looking for a teacher to give them “power” or a reputation for having the best guru–

glory through association is of no interest to them. Nor are they wanting the guru to

become a substitute for an unsatisfactory parent, friend, spouse, or lover. They do not

want a “personal” relationship with the guru–to either possess the guru or be

possessed by the guru. They are not looking for some kind of fulfillment in a

“relationship” with the teacher, but only fulfillment in the Self. Swami Bimalananda, a

disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, once told us in a conversation that those who lived

in the ashram-headquarters of Self-Realization Fellowship just for the personality of

Yogananda eventually left the spiritual life as well as the ashram, but those who came

for God remained steadfast in both. I think we can conclude that real disciples are as

rare as real gurus! The upanishad is not talking to spiritual fool-arounds, but to the

worthy, those who wish, in the actual words of the upanishad, to “transcend the seed of

human birth”–the ego.

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...) 

(My humble salutations H H Swami Nirmalananda Giri ji and   Hinduism online dot com for the collection)

(The Blog  is reverently for all the seekers of truth, lovers of wisdom and   to share

the Hindu Dharma with others on the spiritual path and also this is purely  a non-commercial)