A Commentary on the Upanishads by Swami Nirmalananda Giri -2

A Commentary

on the Upanishads

by

Swami Nirmalananda Giri

The All-Embracing Self

“Where one sees nothing but the One, hears nothing but the One, knows nothing

but the One–there is the Infinite. Where one sees another, hears another, knows

another–there is the finite. The Infinite is immortal, the finite is mortal.” (Chandogya

Upanishad 7:24:1)

“To the illumined soul, the Self is all. For him who sees everywhere oneness, how

can there be delusion or grief?

“The Self is everywhere. Bright is he, bodiless, without scar of imperfection,

without bone, without flesh, pure, untouched by evil. The Seer, the Thinker, the One

who is above all, the Self-Existent—he it is that has established perfect order among

objects and beings from beginningless time.” (Isha Upanishad 7, 8)

“The Self is everywhere”

Being outside of time and space the self is both everywhere and nowhere–

depending on one’s point of reference. One thing is definite: the self cannot be

separated from to any degree and is always present in the fullest measure. This being

so, we need not seek the self, but only realize it. We are always seeing, touching, and

living in the self, yet we do not recognize it, just as fish have no perception of water

because of its intimate and integral connection with them. The self is even more

immediate to us than is water to the fish.

The most practical application of this truth is simple: We should always we aware of

the self and centered in the self. And that is done by the continual meditation and japa

of Om.

“Meditate on Om as the Self.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.3-6)

“The Self [atman] is of the nature of the Syllable Om. Thus the Syllable Om is the

very Self. He who knows It thus enters the Self [Supreme Spirit] with his self

[individual spirit].” (Mandukya Upanishad 1, 8, 12)

“Directly realize the self by meditating on Om.” (Vedantasara Upanishad 1)

“The syllable ‘Om’ is the self.” (Ribhu Gita 10:22)

“Earnest seekers who, incessantly and with a steady mind, repeat ‘Om’ will attain

success. By repetition of the pure ‘Om’ the mind is withdrawn from sense objects and

becomes one with the Self.” (Ramana Maharshi, Sri Ramana Gita 3:10,11, Ganapati

Muni)

“Bright is he”

In the Katha Upanishad it is said of the self: “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.” (Katha Upanishad

2:2:15. The same statement is found in Mundaka Upanishad 2:2:11.) The self is

illumined by no external light, but rather illumines all itself. We could shine the

brightest of lights into the eyes of a dead man and he would see nothing. But if the self

is present to enliven him, then he will. The self is known–seen–by the self, and

therefore it is called swayamprakash: self-illumined. Hence only those in contact with

their self can be said to possess illumination to any degree. Those who under the

banner of “devotion” obsess on external practices and deities can only dwell in the

“light that is darkness.” (“If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is

that darkness!” Matthew 6:23) We must seek illumination in the self alone, keeping in

mind that God is the Self of the self, that to seek one is to seek the other.

Sukram, the word translated “bright,” also means pure in the sense of being of such

perfect clarity that no light is obscured. For it is from the core of the self that the Pure

Light of God shines forth. Therefore, as just pointed out, to attain self-knowledge is to

realize both the atman and the Paramatman. Only when we are centered in our self can

we see God. “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8).

Only when we are centered in God can we truly know our self.

In a flawless crystal, what do we see? Nothing. So also, in the self there is nothing

seen, for all “things” are transcended, and pure Being alone remains in our

consciousness. Wherefore the Chandogya Upanishad tells us: “Where one sees

nothing but the One, hears nothing but the One, knows nothing but the One–there is

the Infinite. Where one sees another, hears another, knows another–there is the finite.

The Infinite is immortal, the finite is mortal.” (Chandogya Upanishad 7:24:1)

“Bodiless”

Obviously the self is not material, but it is necessary for us to further realize that

the self never touches materiality, that in never “has” a body in the sense that it is

integrated with a body and either affects it or is affected by it. This is extremely

important, for religion (and a lot of “yoga”) usually leads us astray by getting us to be

involved in a multitude of activities that–including intellectual study and

conceptualizations–are taking place only in the various bodies (koshas) and therefore

have nothing whatsoever to do with the self, and hence are usually irrelevant. It is true

that we need to purify and refine the bodies so they will cease to veil or obscure the

self, but we should understand that the entire process takes place outside the self and

never affects the self to any degree.

It is also necessary to comprehend that the self is not really “in” the body(ies) at all,

for by its very nature it cannot be encompassed or contained by anything, including

the body. “They are contained in me, but I am not in them,” says Krishna (Bhagavad

Gita 7:12). And the same is true of our own self.

To realize the self we must disengage our awareness totally from the bodies,

although in the practice of meditation we use the bodies as stepping-stones to

approach the self and eventually transcend them altogether. So we need not reject the

bodies–simply have the correct perspective regarding them.

“Without scar of imperfection”

Imperfection can occur only in the level of relativity. Being eternally outside of

relative existence it is not possible for the self to ever be “marked” for either good or

bad–neither of which even exists for the self. In Yoga Sutra 1:24, Patanjali describes the

Supreme Lord, saying: “Ishwara is a distinct spirit, untouched by troubles, actions and

their results, and latent impressions.” The relevant idea here is that God is beyond all

action and therefore incapable of either incurring karma or of being conditioned or

affected in any way by action–since He never acts. Exactly the same is true of the self.

“Without bone, without flesh”

Obviously the self has no body–that has already been said–so why this statement

about the self being without bone or flesh? The idea being presented is that the self has

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no “inner” or “outer.” It has no essence as a substratum or framework (skeleton) which

can become the ground or basis of another, external entity that is an extension of

mutation of itself. The self has neither parts nor appendages (upadhis). It is thoroughly

homogenous and absolutely one. It cannot be “more” itself or “less” itself. There are no

gradations or shadings in the self. It simply IS.

“Pure”

We have already considered the purity of the self and need only add one more

point: The self is also “pure” because there is nothing intervening between the self and

anything else–including God. It is absolute and direct without admixture of any kind.

“Untouched by evil”

Obviously the self is untouched by evil, for it is not touched (affected) by anything

at all or at any time.

“The Seer”

The unwitnessed witness is the self. In truth there is no other witness on the

individual level because the senses, mind, and intellect are mere energy constructs

that have no consciousness of their own. The eye never really sees, nor does the ear

hear. No more does the brain or intellect. Rather, the spirit that is consciousness

witnesses their messages, therefore the upanishadic seer said: “The Self is ear of the

ear, mind of the mind, speech of speech. He is also breath of the breath, and eye of the

eye. Having given up the false identification of the Self with the senses and the mind,

and knowing the Self to be Brahman, the wise, on departing this life, become

immortal.” (Kena Upanishad 1:2) And of Brahman it was said: “He who knows

Brahman to be the life of life, the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, the mind of the

mind–he indeed comprehends fully the cause of all causes.” (Brihadaranyaka

Upanishad 4:4:18)

Regarding the self and the Self of the self, Krishna stated: “Watching over the ear

and the eye, and presiding there behind touch, and taste, and smell, he is also within

the mind: he enjoys and suffers the things of the senses.” (Bhagavad Gita 15:9)

“The Thinker”

Not being the brain, only its witness and not its possessor, the self is here called

“the thinker” only as an attempt to convey the idea that it is the self that both witnesses

and knows what it is witnessing. It is not just a screen on which the motion picture of

life is projected, nor is it a consciousness of objects alone without cognition of their

nature. An infant or an animal perceives exactly what an adult human being perceives,

but has no idea what it is perceiving–or even that it perceives, in many cases. The self,

on the other hand, does indeed know and comprehend what is presented to its view.

And because of its proximity the will and intellect respond to the stimuli, mirroring the

consciousness that is the self. Consequently they are often mistaken for the self or

wrongly supposed to have a consciousness and intelligence of their own.

“The One who is above all”

There is nothing higher than the self, nothing beyond the self. What about God?

God and the self being one, even God should not be thought of as beyond or above it.

Further, Brahman is not a “thing” in a hierarchal chain of being that It could possibly

be said to be “above” or “below” any thing whatsoever.

This statement is extremely practical, for it is impossible to conduct a spiritual life

without the correct perspective: the spirit is supreme. Not only is everything lesser

that the spirit, in truth everything else is nothing in comparison. Those who do not

hold this conviction really have no spiritual life in the truest sense. God First. God

Alone. This is the only correct perspective.

“Devotees seek to know him by study, by sacrifice, by continence, by austerity, by

detachment. To know him is to become a seer. Desiring to know him, and him alone,

monks renounce the world. Realizing the glory of the Self, the sages of old craved not

sons nor daughters. “What have we to do with sons and daughters,” they asked, “we

who have known the Self, we who have achieved the supreme goal of existence?” No

longer desiring progeny, nor wealth, nor life in other worlds, they entered upon the

path of complete renunciation.” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4:4:22)

“The Self-Existent”

The spirit never had a beginning. It always was. Again, this does not mean that the

atman is separate from Brahman, or in any way independent of Brahman. Brahman

being self-existent and eternal, so also is the self. It is necessary for us to realize that

NOTHING conditions or really affects the self–that it is absolutely independent of all

objects, places, or conditions. Otherwise we fall into the labyrinth of confusion and

false identities

“He it is that has established perfect order among objects and beings from

beginningless time”

Once again, the unity-identity of the individual self and the Supreme Self cause the

upanishadic rishi to make a statement that applies to both, although we are used to

thinking only in terms of the Absolute Self. Really, hardly any of us–being conditioned

by Western religion–actually believe that there is “perfect order among objects and

beings from beginningless time” or at the present moment. This reminds me of an

incident in the life of Sri Ma Anandamayi. One of those ever-present I Am Going To

Make The World A Better Place types once remarked to her that he wanted to attain

realization so he could work to make the world a perfect entity. Mother instantly

replied: “Who do you think that it is not perfect right now?” And of course it is. It is a

mess because we are entities that at the moment need to work our way through a

mess! When we come to the point where order is what we need, we will be transferred

to an orderly world. This one will remain as it is for those students of life who also need

to find themselves in the midst of a mess. The world is a mirror of our mind.

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not

as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.” (Luke

18:11) We may like to be Pharisees who think we are not as those around us–but we

are. Everything we see in this world is in our mind to some degree, otherwise we

would not be here. If we do not like what we see, then we should change ourselves. There

is no other remedy, and there certainly is no escape from the necessity for change.

So it is we ourselves that have brought us into this world and provided for

ourselves everything we need to evolve through reacting to and solving the problems

set before us. A person who whines and pities himself does not learn and therefore is

continually faced with the same situations. Have you ever known the kind of person

that perpetually complains about being “let down” by others, or those that have a list of

people or situations that “hurt” or cheated them? They are simply slow learners that

deserve no pity, for they are doing it all to themselves. Every day Theravada Buddhists

monks recite verses of wisdom, some of which say: “I have nothing but my actions; I

shall never have anything but my actions.” There it is. Being lazy, cowardly, and

egotistical, we hate these truths. But they are the truth and until we face them we will

keep on whirling and whining, blaming God, the universe, and everybody else but the

real culprit: ourselves. (Note I say “ourselves,” not “our selves.”) Cosmic Destiny is

determined by each one of us. God simply has nothing to do with it except for

providing us the environment in which we can work out our will. We can see from this

that a lot of petitionary prayer and “surrender to the divine will” is idiotic and gets us

nowhere. The day we start taking full–and exclusive–responsibility for our past,

present, and future is the day we will begin moving toward real perfection.

Perspective on Life

The Full (Purna) picture

“To darkness are they doomed who devote themselves only to life in the world, and

to a greater darkness they who devote themselves only to meditation. Life in the world

alone leads to one result, meditation alone leads to another. So have we heard from the

wise. They who devote themselves both to life in the world and to meditation, by life in

the world overcome death, and by meditation achieve immortality.” (Isha Upanishad

9-11)

Wise teachers have pointed out that even though non-duality is the actual state of

things, in our present condition of being netted in Maya we need to know that all is one

but live as though duality is also real. The world may not be ultimately real, but we

need to work through the puzzles presented to us by relative experience.

Two serious errors can be committed by the thoughtful aspirant: 1) the conclusion

that since “none of it is real” nothing really matters and there is no need for spiritual

endeavor; and 2) the conclusion that since only the spiritual is real we should ignore

the external and the material aspects of life and put all our attention on the inner

spiritual side of life. But right there the error is uncovered, for the spiritual is only a

“side” of life–as is the material–and together they make the two-sided whole. Or we can

look at it in an even better and truer way: the material is the spiritual and therefore

demands and deserves our full attention as well as the obviously spiritual aspects of

life. This is the meaning of the Vedic verse beginning purnamadah purnamidam:

That is the Full, this is the Full.

The Full has come out of the Full.

If we take the Full from the Full

It is the Full that yet remains.

The two are really–and always–the One. To reject or turn from one is to reject and

turn from the All. It cannot be without meaning that the bases of Sanatana Dharma–the

Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Brahma Sutras–were written by sages who lived fully

in the world with families and their attendant responsibilities, including that of making

a livelihood. Of course it was the Satya Yuga then, and earthly life was very different

from life in our present age. Nevertheless, those who like to excuse themselves from

striving for self-realization by citing their involvement in “the world” and worldly

responsibilities should consider the historical facts. (And anyway, where exactly do

they think the monastics are living?)

From darkness to greater darkness

“To darkness are they doomed who devote themselves only to life in the world, and

to a greater darkness they who devote themselves only to meditation.”

The Purna, the Full (it also means the Complete) is one, yet it is dual. This makes

no sense, but considering the limitation of our intellects that should be no surprise. It

is our intuition that must come into function when we begin dealing with these higher

spheres of reality. We, too, are dual, being image-replicas of the Divine Archetype. Just

as God is both relative and absolute, both immanent and transcendent, so are we on a

miniature scale. We, too, then, must learn to function fully in both spheres, for since

they are essentially one, if we do not so function we will be partial, incomplete, and

therefore faulty rather than perfect–which originally meant to be complete rather than

without fault. (“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is

perfect.” Mathew 5:48)

One of the fundamental errors of dualistic religion–Christianity in particular–is its

setting of the material against the spiritual and thereby insisting that the material must

be rejected and the spiritual alone embraced. This produces deep spiritual psychosis,

for it is simply impossible to do and also involves a rejection of an eternal part of

ourselves (and God). Sanatana Dharma in contrast makes it clear that the two are

really one and must both be cultivated–according to the principles of dharma, of

course–for us to attain the consciousness of perfect unity in ourselves and in God.

Those who “devote themselves only to life in the world” become sunk in the

limitations of materiality and addicted to its vagaries. Egoism and intense selfishness

and exploitation of both the world and those living in it with us can be the sole result of

such a limited focus. Having only a perspective of mortality, the higher nature of the

individual is suppressed to give free rein to the “dog-eat-dog, every-man-for-himself”

attitude that must arise from preoccupation with external existence. Having no idea of

the true nature of either the world, ourselves, or our fellow human beings, only chaos

and destruction can come to us.

On the other hand, those “who devote themselves only to meditation” or abstract

philosophizing to the exclusion of material considerations and practical living, come to

a worse result: complete psychological disintegration (literally) and alienation from any

form of reality. Hypocrisy also results, because to even eat and drink is to admit the

necessity of physicality, and that food must come from somewhere, so dependence on

“the ignorant and astray” becomes necessary. It reminds me of a cartoon I saw years

ago in an emigre Russian newspaper just after the United States had supplied the

Soviet Union with incredibly huge amounts of grain and saved their economy and the

life of millions. Two old ladies were sweeping the street in Red Square. One was saying

to the other: “It is good we did not kill all the Capitalists; otherwise we would have

starved to death.” How can a person justify living off those whose earthly involvement

they despise and condemn? The Bhagavad Gita discusses this matter thoroughly and

points out the folly of the “spirituals” who pretend to have transcended worldly

concerns.

We must function in both matter and spirit. Both elements must be integrated

through the following of dharma to complete the picture and solve the evolutionary

puzzle. The material must be spiritualized and the spiritual must be materialized in the

sense of making both practical and beneficial to one another. In this endeavor the

teachings of the Bhagavad Gita are indispensable, for: “Life in the world alone leads to

one result, meditation alone leads to another. So have we heard from the wise.” (Isha

Upanishad 10)

From death to immortality

“They who devote themselves both to life in the world and to meditation, by life in

the world overcome death, and by meditation achieve immortality.” (Isha Upanishad

11)

Life is not just some maze to be somehow gotten through, or a Monopoly board

with random advances and regressions–and there is certainly no Get Out of Jail Free!

Rather, life demands the fullest exercise of the two faculties that mark human beings

out from the rest of earthly life-forms: developed reason and intuition. Intelligence of

the highest order is necessary. This does not mean that the aspirant needs to be an

“intellectual,” but he must be intelligent. Stupid people simply do not make it–mostly

because stupid people never seek it. Nor can the seeker’s intelligence be kept on the

shelf for only occasional use and amusement. At all times the yogi must be keenly

aware of what is going on in his life sphere and ever seeking to understand and work

out the mystery. As already said, he needs highly developed intuition as well. Both

these are only produced by meditation. This is because both intelligence and intuition

(direct knowledge) are divine attributes. In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna declares

himself to be intelligence (7:10; 10:34) and the knowledge of the mystic (9:12). In the

Katha Upanishad Brahman is said to be the “intelligence of the intelligent,” and in the

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad the sage Gargya says: “The being who dwells in the heart

as intelligence–him I meditate upon as Brahman.” I am not speaking of cunning or

cleverness or “savvy;” many stupid–and most evil–people possess them. I am speaking

of the intelligence which only arises in those who are of highly evolved consciousness.

It is those who possess right intelligence and right intuition that can live both the

inner and outer lives simultaneously–not first one and then the other in alternating

cycles–in a spiritually productive (i.e., evolutionary) manner. By doing so they will

accomplish two things. One: they will come to understand the real meaning and

purpose of all they experience and do and thereby learn the lessons for which they

came into relative existence. Two: they will come to experience (not just intellectually

think) that the two are really one, manifestations of the One. Having seen the One in

all, they have attained immortality even in this mortal life.

A final point. Notice that the upanishadic sage speak of being devoted to the outer

and inner lives. This means steadiness and regularity in practice as well as adamant

adherence to the required disciplines such as yama and niyama. But most important it

means wanting, even loving, to lead the outer and inner lives according to the precepts

of dharma. There is no place here for grudging admittance of necessity, of stingy eking

out of the barest minimum that is required, grumbling and resenting and wishing it

need not be so. Such persons should not even try. They are not just losers, they are

losses.

See the perspective of a Christ! Crucifixion was the most horrible of deaths, yet

according to Saint Paul: “Jesus… for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,

despising the shame.” (Hebrews 12:2) What a different perspective from the morbid

and sentimental carryings-on over the passion of Jesus that Christians engage in.

Loving the world and the body that links them to the world, nothing seems to them

more painful or tragic than the torture and death of that idol. But Jesus hastened to the

mockery, the scourging, and the crucifixion for the joy that was set before him. Not

wonder he has been misunderstood and rejected through the ages by those who bear

his name.

Reinforcing the idea

“To darkness are they doomed who worship only the body, and to greater darkness

they who worship only the spirit. Worship of the body alone leads to one result,

worship of the spirit leads to another. So have we heard from the wise. They who

worship both the body and the spirit, by the body overcome death, and by the spirit

achieve immortality.” (Isha Upanishad 12-14)

The basic idea of these verses has already been covered, but we should notice the

use of the word “worship.” We are used to thinking of worship only in relation to God,

but it comes from an older form, worthship, which meant to acknowledge the value and

significance of something. Therefore Swami Prabhavananda was wise in selecting this

word for his translation.

The lesson here is the need to value both body and spirit. I know that Jesus said,

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or

else he will hold to the one, and despise the other,” (Matthew 6:24) but we are striving

to be not men but gods, so we are going to have to manage it. And anyhow, we are not

interesting in serving the body or the spirit but in mastering them.

The body is the instrument of evolution, so to despise and neglect it under the

guise of spirituality is foolish. Any machine that malfunctions should be repaired, not

despised and tossed away, the body included. Also, hidden within the body are many

doorways to higher consciousness. Therefore the body must be worked on to become

the evolutionary device it is intended to be. The first step is purification, and that

includes two major factors: celibacy and vegetarian diet. There is no getting around it.

Just take a look at those who are not purifying themselves in these two ways and you

will have proof enough. All the rationalizing and mind-gaming in the world cannot

contravene the truth: brahmacharya (continence) and ahimsa (non-killing), are

absolute essentials for those who seek higher consciousness. Let us take a look at what

the Chandogya Upanishad tells us about food.

“Food when eaten becomes threefold. What is coarsest in it becomes faeces, what

is medium becomes flesh and what is subtlest becomes mind. Water when drunk

becomes threefold. What is coarsest in it becomes urine, what is medium becomes

blood and what is subtlest becomes prana. The mind, my dear, consists of food, the

prana of water.” (Chandogya Upanishad 5:5:1, 2, 4)

“That, my dear, which is the subtlest part of curds rises, when they are churned

and becomes butter. In the same manner, my dear, that which is the subtlest part of the

food that is eaten rises and becomes mind. The subtlest part of the water that is drunk

rises and becomes prana. Thus, my dear, the mind consists of food, the prana consists

of water.” (Chandogya Upanishad 6:6:1-3, 5)

Body and mind come from the food we eat. Thus our food must be both as pure as

possible and also blessed by being offered to God. And the conduct of the body must

be as pure as possible and its deeds worthy of being offered to God. Action and

thought determine the quality of body and mind. Ethics and good thoughts are also

essential, but purity of body and mind is the crown jewel. Through these means both

body and spirit are truly worshipped and immortality is gained.

Seeing Beyond the Sun

Upanishadic tradition

The final four verses of the Isha Upanishad are recited at the cremation of bodies in

India, and are a prayer for ascension to the higher realms that are beyond the

compulsion of rebirth in this world. These deal mainly with the sun. Throughout

history and throughout the world the sun has been worshipped or considered a

symbol of divinity. The full comprehension of the spiritual nature of the sun was

discovered in India untold ages ago and embodied in the upanishads.

Light beyond the light

“The face of truth is hidden by thy golden orb, O Sun. That do thou remove, in

order that I who am devoted to truth may behold its glory.” (Isha Upanishad 15)

The sun illumines us and shows us what we assume to be reality. But actually that

“seeing” veils the Truth (Reality) behind that veil. Therefore we seek to pierce beyond

it. However, the sun actually is that Reality, and we must approach it and petition for

the removal of its outer light in order that we may behold its inner Light. (More on this

later.)

The golden orb

The “golden orb” has more than one meaning, all of which are significant.

1) The most obvious meaning of the golden orb is the sun itself. All plant, animal,

and human life on this planet depend upon the sun. It is the subtle powers of sunlight

which stimulate growth and evolution. Sunlight particularly stimulates the activity of

the higher centers in the brain, especially that of the pineal gland. Even in the depths

of the earth a sensitive man can tell when the sun rises and sets above him. The sun

appears to illuminate us, but it is a light that covers the Light in order to lead us to the

Light. We must use it to go beyond it.

2) All things have an inner and outer life, and that includes the sun. We may say

that there is the outer sun of the material universe, and there is also the metaphysical

sun of the psychic universe. They operate simultaneously, being the same thing. The

sun truly awakens us in the deepest sense. As the germinating seed struggles upward

toward the sun and out into its life-giving rays, so all higher forms of life reach out for

the sun, which acts as a metaphysical magnet, drawing them upward and outward

toward ever-expanding consciousness. The Chandogya Upanishad discusses it in this

way: “Even as a great extending highway runs between two villages, this one and that

yonder, even so the rays of the sun go to both these worlds, this one and that yonder.

They start from the yonder sun and enter into the nadis. They start from the nadis and

enter into the yonder sun.…When a man departs from this body, then he goes

upwards by these very rays or he goes up with the thought of Om. As his mind is

failing, he goes to the sun. That, verily, is the gateway of the world, an entering in for

the knowers, a shutting out for the non-knowers.” (Chandogya Upanishad 8.6.2, 5)

The solar rays do not just flow into this world, they also draw upward through the

sun and beyond. In the human body the process of exhalation and inhalation is related

to solar energy, and much of the solar power on which we subsist is drawn into the

body through our breathing. The solar rays do not just strike the surface of our body,

but actually penetrate into the physical nerves (nadis). The nadis are also the channels

in the astral body that correspond to the physical nerves. Just as the electrical

impulses flow through the physical nerves, the subtle life force, or prana, flows

through the subtle nadis and keeps us alive and functioning. The prana, then, is a

vehicle for the solar energies that produce evolution.

When the individual comes into manifestation on this earth he passes from the

astral world into the material plane by means of the sun, which is a mass of exploding

astral energies, not mere flaming gases. And when the individual has completed his

course of evolution within this plane, upon the death of his body he rises upward in his

subtle body and passes through the sun into the higher worlds, there to evolve even

higher or to pass directly into the depths of the transcendent Brahman.

3) The golden orb is also the entire creation, the means by which through

experience the individual spirits can evolve to perfect conscious union with God.

Without it we would be unable to attain that union. Yet, just as we use a ladder or stair

to ascend and then step beyond it, in the same way the creation is meant to be

eventually transcended. We must therefore keep both these aspects in mind while

living in this world.

4) The golden orb is also our own mind–that which perceives the world around us

and the intelligence which comprehends what is going on and directs our lives

accordingly. Potential is not enough; there must be actualization. It is our mind alone

that can lead us beyond the mind, our intelligence alone that can lead us onward to

intuition. At all stages the mind and intelligence are “golden,” but if we allow ourselves

to become stagnated at any point they rapidly “tarnish” and turn from beneficial to

harmful. Immersed in this creation, we are like the fish that must keep perpetually

moving for they will die of suffocation if they come to a standstill. If we do not move

forward we shall move backward–and often mistake it for progress. We must Get On

and Get Beyond.

5) Our own self (atman) is also the golden orb. We must come to know our self–our

true self–and delight in the self and wonder at its nature. But that is not enough. We

must then pass onward to experience the Self of our self, the Paramatman. In a sense

we transcend the self–but of course we do not, since the Supreme Self and our

individual self are one. This transcendence must ever be kept in mind, for out of

ignorance and even laziness a lot of people like the idea that we need only enter into

the experience of our self and that is the end. The same wrong-headed view abrogates

the need for our evolution and assumes that if we must smash the machine we will get

the picture–or even worse, that there is no picture to see or even a seer to see it.

However cleverly this view may be worded or how sophisticated it appears, it is

nihilism of the deadliest sort, a ruinous pitfall.

6) The golden orb is also the evolutionary impulse within all things which, though

life itself to the evolving spirit, yet urges us to continual transcendence of its various

stages until we transcend it as well. It is a golden stair that urges us onward to the

heights where it cannot come.

The Supreme Sun

The ultimate Golden Orb is the Supreme Self. That is what we are striving toward

by the five means just cited. Being transcendent, how shall we reach it? By means of

Its immanence within the world in the form of the sacred syllable Om, the Pranava, the

Life-giver.

“That which glows [i.e., the sun] is Om,” says the ancient Aitareya-Brahmana

(5.32). The life-producing energies of the sun are the energies of Om. Om is the sun of

body, mind, and spirit, the Life-Giver of all. All plant, animal, and human life on this

planet depends upon the sun. It is the subtle powers of sunlight which stimulate

growth and evolution, awakening us in the deepest sense. Sunlight is the radiant form

of Om. The sun initiates the entire solar system into Om. Human beings are solar

creatures, therefore to intone Om is the most natural thing they can do.

“Now, verily, what is the udgitha is the Om. What is Om is the udgitha. And so

verily, the udgitha is the yonder sun and the Om, for the sun is continually sounding

‘Om.’” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.5.1) The most significant part of this verse is the

statement that “the sun is continually sounding ‘Om,’” indicating that the evolutionary

energy of the sun is a manifestation of Om. Our life depends on the light of the sun,

thus our life is also a manifestation of the power of Om. The japa and meditation of Om

aligns us with the solar powers that are Om and thereby greatly increase our life force

and the evolution of all the levels of our being.

“Even as a great extending highway runs between two villages, this one and that

yonder, even so the rays of the sun go to both these worlds, this one and that yonder.

They start from the yonder sun and enter into the nadis [astral “nerves”]. They start

from the nadis and enter into the yonder sun.…When a man departs from this body,

then he goes upwards by these very rays or he goes up with the thought of Om. As his

mind is failing, he goes to the sun. That, verily, is the gateway of the world, an entering

in for the knowers, a shutting out for the non-knowers.” (Chandogya Upanishad

8.6.2,5) We have already cited this, but there are more meanings for us to explore. The

prana, the breath, is a vehicle for the solar energies that produce evolution, and so we

join Om to our breathing and merge it into the pranic flow. This practice conditions our

subtle levels so that at the time of death we will be oriented toward the solar powers

and can ascend upon them–especially if we continue our intonations of Om even after

the body has been dropped. Those intonations will guarantee our ascent into the solar

world. Those who have imbued themselves with the Pranavic vibrations will enter

through the solar gate, whereas those who have not done so will be shut out by it and

compelled to return to earthly rebirth.

“By means of Om he [the meditating yogi] sees the way, the way along which his

prana goes; therefore one should always repeat It so that he goes along the right way:

through the heart-gate, the air-gate, the gate which leads upward, and the opening of

the gate of liberation which is known as the open orb [the sun.].” (Amritabindu

Upanishad 25, 26) Those who continually invoke and meditate upon Om during their

lifetime will remember Om at the time of death, and by means of Om will ascend to the

sun and beyond into the real Beyond.

“‘It is said: ‘Indeed the sun is this Om;’ therefore one should meditate and make

himself ready to unite himself with it.” (Maitrayana Upanishad 6:3) Sunlight is the

radiant form of Om. The sun initiates the entire solar system into Om. Human beings

are solar creatures, therefore to intone Om is the most natural things they can do.

“At the time of departure from this world, remember Om, the Lord, the Protector”

says the Yajur Veda (40:15). Krishna states in the Bhagavad Gita: “At the hour of death,

when a man leaves his body, he must depart with his consciousness absorbed in Me.

Then he will be united with Me. Be certain of that. Whatever a man remembers at the

last, when he is leaving the body, will be realized by him in the hereafter; because that

will be what his mind has most constantly dwelt on, during this life. Therefore you

must remember Me at all times, and do your duty. If your mind and heart are set upon

Me constantly, you will come to Me. Never doubt this. Make a habit of practicing

meditation, and do not let your mind be distracted. In this way you will come finally to

the Lord, Who is the light-giver, the highest of the high.” (Bhagavad Gita 8:5-10)

Whatever we think of most during life we will think of at the time of our death, and that

will determine our subsequent state. Those who continually invoke and meditate upon

Om during their lifetime will remember Om at the time of death, and by means of Om

will ascend to the sun and beyond into the real Beyond.

Qualified seers

Simply wanting a thing does not make it happen or come to us. In the same way,

spiritual daydreaming is fruitless. Therefore, he who petitions for the removal of the

golden orb describes himself as “I who am devoted to truth.” He is one who wishes to

pass from the unreal to the Real, to no longer live in the magic of Maya, but to move

onward to the Reality behind all appearance. And he does not just seek truth or think

about it–he is devoted to truth. Only those “may behold its glory.”

Stop! so I may Go

“O nourisher, only seer, controller of all—O illumining Sun, fountain of life for all

creatures–withhold thy light, gather together thy rays. May I behold through thy grace

thy most blessed form. The Being that dwells therein even that Being am I.” (Isha

Upanishad 16)

In Indian philosophy God is often thought of as Mother. This verse bears that out,

speaking of the divine as the Nourisher of all beings, the Fountain of Life. God the

Mother is frequently addressed in Sanskrit hymns as Jagata Janani, Jagata Palani–the

Birthgiver and Nourisher of the world (jagat). In Eastern Christianity, one title given to

the Virgin Mother Mary is “Life-giving Spring.” God is also the Seer of All, the Ruler of

All, as this verse indicates.

The petitioner then makes an interesting request: “Withhold thy light, gather

together thy rays.” How is this? Why does he not ask that the light should flood down

upon him? Because the “light” he is speaking of is not the Absolute Light, but the light

of relative existence which by its nature veils that Ultimate Light. He asks, then, that

God withdraw the light of temporality in order that he might behold and enter into the

Light of Eternity.

This has a yogic aspect, as well. We must withdraw all the scattered “rays” of our

energies and awareness and unite them to our inmost consciousness. We must gather

up that which is dispersed and fragmented and restore our original state of unity.

Meditation is the only way this can be accomplished.

The vision

“May I behold through thy grace thy most blessed form.” Two questions arise (or

should arise) at these words. What is the grace of God? What is the form of God?

The grace of God is not some kind of favor or “goodie” dropped into our lap by

God. Nor is grace something occasionally dispensed by God as a special token to the

chosen. All that exists–either relatively or absolutely–is the grace of God. There is nothing

that is not the grace of God. If we like, we may say that the grace of God is the Divine

Plan for our liberation. And the creation, gross and subtle, is the means for the

realization of that Plan, and is itself Grace Divine. So to petition God for grace is as silly

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as fish in the ocean praying for water. It is inseparable from us! The grace through

which we behold God is the great onward movement initiated by God at the inception

of the cosmos.

The Form of God is not a form such as that experienced in relative existence, but is

the Substance, the Light, from which all forms arise. It can be said to be formless, and

yet all forms exist within it eternally. As Sri Ma Anandamayi frequently said: “Nothing

is lost There.” The Form “of” God IS God.

When we see God we also see ourselves in God and can then declare: “The Being

that dwells therein even that Being am I.”

“Then Satyakama, son of Shibi, asked him [the Rishi Pippalada]: ‘Venerable Sir,

what world does he who meditates on Om until the end of his life, win by That?’ To

him, he said: ‘That which is the sound Om, O Satyakama, is verily the higher and the

lower Brahman. Therefore, with this support alone does the wise man reach the one or

the other.’…If he meditates on the Supreme Being [Parampurusha] with the Syllable

Om, he becomes one with the Light, the Sun. He is led to the world of Brahman. He

sees the Person that dwells in the body, Who is higher than the highest life.…That the

wise one attains, even by the mere sound Om as support, That Which is tranquil,

unaging, immortal, fearless, and supreme.” (Prashna Upanishad 5:1, 2, 5, 7)

The Final Aspiration

The poet Browning wrote of “the end of life for which the first was made.” That is a

lovely expression, but very few really believe it and therefore rarely think of their life’s

end. Those of us who seek liberation must from the very beginning be looking toward

the end we desire. In the next to the last verse at the close of the Isha Upanishad we

are given the perspective we should be living with every moment of our life if we would

truly “come to a good end.”

Now

“Let my life now merge in the all-pervading life. Ashes are my body’s end. OM….O

mind, remember Brahman. O mind, remember thy past deeds. Remember Brahman.

Remember thy past deeds.” (Isha Upanishad 17)

Emily Dickenson wrote: “While others hope to go to heaven at last, I am going all

along!” This is the only way for those who would succeed in spiritual life. Nothing

should be delayed for the future–it is all now or not at all. “Behold, now is the accepted

time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2)

There are many partially awakened people who know that God is the only real goal.

Yet they delay their endeavor. “After I get this,” they say, “then I will really dig in and

seek God.” But they never do, for as soon as one little short-term goal is reached

another arises that seems even more demanding. I know a woman that claimed she

would intensely seek God the day after her only child graduated from high school. But

then it became after his graduating from college. Then after he was married and “really

settled down.” Death found her anticipating still another “after which,” but it was all

over. And by her foolishness she had created in her mind the habit of postponing

spiritual life, a habit that will surely carry over into the next life and perhaps into

others.

How often do we think that the vision of God will somehow interfere with our life–

when in reality we have no life outside that vision. Silly children, we dawdle and dally

until the night falls, that “night in which no man can work” (John 9:4) which Jesus

warned us about. “Now or never” happens to be the simple truth.

Merging in Life

Many people want to “embrace life” so they can egocentrically possess it and

exploit it to the full. But they have no idea what life is. Just the opposite, for what they

think is life is really death. “The all-pervading life” is the only life, for that is God. And

the necessity is not to find or see God as an object (again, to possess), but to merge

with God in complete unity-identity. That is, our consciousness must be completely

merged in the infinite Consciousness, and irrevocably so. Just as a cup of water poured

into the ocean cannot be drawn back out of the ocean, so we need to attain that state of

unity which can never be reversed. Many yogis paddle their feet or go for a quick dip

in the ocean of Satchidananda, but the goal is to unite with that ocean, to merge in it

and become totally one with it. Consequently at ever moment of our life we must be

holding in mind and living out the sankalpa: “Let my life now merge in the allpervading

life.”

Those who are unfit for union with God become all anxious and even fearful when

they hear about merging with the Divine. “O! will I go out of existence?” they quaver.

“What will happen to me?” Over and over again they plunge headlong into the sea of

rebirth, never raising such questions about relative existence, but “going for it”

heedlessly. Only when confronted with God do they develop prudence and caution.

Jesus has assured us, though: “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and

whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” (Luke 17:33) This is because we are

truly negative–that is, we are absolutely backwards one hundred and eighty degrees.

Consequently what we think will annihilate us will immortalize us, whereas what we

think will make us live will destroy us.

Like the great master, Yogananda, we must pray: “Let me drown in Thine ocean and

live!”

Understanding the destiny of the body

It is not a simple thing to rid ourselves of the conditionings of billions of lives

wherein we identified completely with the body. Even when we have evolved enough to

identify more with the mind and the spirit, still the body claims the majority of our

attention–and attachment. It is completely reflexive with us, overriding any emotional

or intellectual factors to the contrary. Therefore we must continually affirm in word,

attitude, and act: “Ashes are my body’s end.” This will only seem painful or pessimistic

if we are still identifying with the body. But if not, it will be as happy a statement as an

affirmation that our prison is going to evaporate into dust.

We have died many times (or thought we did), but that did not free us at all. And in

many lives we were no doubt cremated. Still, that accomplished nothing. Evidently

there is a deeper meaning to the “ashes” that are the body’s end. It is the fire of

wisdom that turns our “bodies” into ashes. Let us then be busy stoking the fires of

yoga and getting on with the burning. Sadhus wear gerua, orange-red color, to remind

them of the fire of discrimination and spirit-knowledge that must be perpetually

burning in order to reduce all that impels us into embodiment to the ashes of freedom.

“Flying from fear, from lust and anger, he hides in me his refuge, his safety: burnt

clean in the blaze of my being, in me many find home.” (Bhagavad Gita 4:10)

“The blazing fire turns wood to ashes: the fire of knowledge turns all karmas to

ashes.” (Bhagavad Gita 4:37)

When the “bridges” of all bodies, subtle and gross, have been burned in the holy

fires, then we will pass on into the kingdom of Infinity that is our eternal birthright.

Remember!

How to kindle the ignorance-consuming fire? The upanishadic sage continues: “O

mind, remember Brahman. O mind, remember thy past deeds. Remember Brahman.

Remember thy past deeds.”

“Remember Brahman” is extremely easy to say, but how is it done? The

Upanishads do not waste our time, but go straight to the mark, saying:

“I will tell you briefly of that Goal which all the Vedas with one voice propound,

which all the austerities speak of, and wishing for Which people practice discipline: It

is Om.” (Katha Upanishad 1. 2.15-17)

“Om is the Supreme Brahman.” (Svetasvatara Upanishad 1:7)

“God is the Syllable Om.” (Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:17)

“Om is Brahman, the Primeval Being.” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.1.1)

“That [Om] is the quintessence of the essences, the Supreme, the

highest.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.1.3)

“Om is Brahman.” (Taittiriya Upanishad 1.8.1)

After the battle of Kurukshetra, before which he had spoken the Bhagavad Gita,

Krishna again spoke to Arjuna at length. In that conversation he told him: “The gods,

rishis, and the nagas, and the asuras, approaching Prajapati [the Creator], said to Him:

‘Tell us the highest good.’ To them who were inquiring about the highest good, the

Venerable One said, ‘Om, which is Brahman in a single Syllable.’” (Anugita XI)

“The monosyllable Om is the highest Brahman,” (Manu Smriti 2:83, 87) said the

sage Manu, and Patanjali summed it all up by simply saying: “Its repetition and

meditation is the way.” (Yoga Sutras 1:28)

To remember Brahman we engage in the japa and meditation of Om–simple and

direct.

“One should meditate on this Syllable [Om].” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.1.1)

“This [Om] is the best means [of attainment and realization]; this means is the

Higher and Lesser Brahman. Meditating on Om, one becomes worthy of worship in

the world of Brahman.” (Katha Upanishad 1. 2.15-17)

“The Self [atman] is of the nature of the Syllable Om. Thus the Syllable Om is the

very Self. He who knows It thus enters the Self [Supreme Spirit] with his self

[individual spirit].” (Mandukya Upanishad 1.8.12)

“Taking as the bow the great weapon of the Upanishads [Om], one should place in

It the arrow sharpened by meditation. Drawing It with a mind engaged in the

contemplation of That [Brahman], O beloved, know that Imperishable Brahman as the

target. The Syllable Om is the bow: one’s self, indeed, is the arrow. Brahman is spoken

of as the target of that. It is to be hit without making a mistake. Thus one becomes

united with it [Brahman] as the arrow becomes one with the target. He in Whom the

sky, the earth, and the interspace are woven, as also the mind along with all the pranas,

know Him alone as the one Self. Dismiss other utterances. This [Om] is the bridge to

immortality. Meditate on Om as the Self. May you be successful in crossing over to the

farther shore of darkness.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.3-6)

“Then Satyakama, son of Shibi, asked him [the Rishi Pippalada]: ‘Venerable Sir,

what world does he who meditates on Om until the end of his life, win by That?’ To

him, he said: ‘If he meditates on the Supreme Being [Parampurusha] with the Syllable

Om, he becomes one with the Light, the Sun. He is led to the world of Brahman. He

sees the Person that dwells in the body, Who is higher than the highest life.…That the

wise one attains, even by the mere sound Om as support, That Which is tranquil,

unaging, immortal, fearless, and supreme.” (Prashna Upanishad 5:1,5,7)

“The knower of the real nature of Brahman that is identical with the Pranava,

should cross all the formidable streams [of samsara] with the ferryboat of the

Pranava.” (Svetasvatara Upanishad 2:6)

“He who utters Om with the intention ‘I shall attain Brahman’ does verily attain

Brahman.” (Taittiriya Upanishad 1.8.1)

Alternating remembrance

The thorough practicality and good sense of dharma is one of its most striking

features: it works. And it works very well. So it is meaningful that the upanishad tells us

to remember Brahman, then remember our own past deeds, then remember Brahman,

and then remember our own past deeds in a kind of alternating current. This is to keep

us from falling into two serious errors: 1) being so focused on the “spiritual” that we do

not pay attention to what is really going on with us, and 2) becoming so obsessed with

ourselves that we utterly leave God out of the picture. Patanjali lists swadhyaya–

introspective self-study–as an essential ingredient of yoga practice. Yet this self-study

must be done in the greater context of divine consciousness: “In thy light shall we see

light” (Psalms 36:9) Only in the divine light can we see things as they really are.

So we should meditate on Brahman through Om, and outside of meditation we

should look at our past, comparing our past deeds and our past states of mind with our

present deeds and mental condition. This will reveal to us whether we are truly

progressing or not. I knew a woman who sincerely believed that God was appearing to

her in meditation and talking to her so sweetly, making her feel so holy and pure. Then

she would come out of meditation and be unspeakably cruel to her daughter, both

physically and mentally. In meditation she was an angel, but outside of meditation she

was a devil. Wrong meditation gives us a wrong image of ourselves, but right

meditation shows us the truth about both God and ourselves.

Of course we have to have a correct memory of our past. Many people are so

blinded to the truth about themselves that when they learn to meditate they start

saying: “My mind used to be calm, but it has gotten so restless,” or: “I used to be a nice

person, but now I am just a wreck and falling apart.” The reality is that their mind was

always restless, but not being introspective they did not realize it. They were also a

complete ruin, mentally and spiritually, but they had no eyes with which to see it. Now

they do, and they foolishly blame meditation. On the other hand, people who are

practicing a wrong form of meditation (or a right form wrongly) do become

increasingly restless and increasingly negative. I know of several kinds of meditation

that really do bring about the mental and spiritual disintegration of those who practice

them, and often the physical degeneration, as well. But those who meditate according

to the teachings of the upanishads will have no problem.

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...) 

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