A Commentary on the Upanishads by Swami Nirmalananda Giri -18

A Commentary

on the Upanishads

by

Swami Nirmalananda Giri 

A Commentary on the

Chandogya Upanishad

The Glory of Om

 

In this commentary I will be mostly using the translation of Swami Prabhavananda. In

his translations of some upanishads Swami Prabhavananda omitted some parts, many that

were in such obscure language that any attempt at translation would really only be

speculation. He also omitted very repetitious passages and those that dwelt with matters

irrelevant to the knowledge of Brahman and the Self. That is why in the references to the

verses of this upanishad there will be some jumping around. However, Prabhavananda

omitted some passages that I think are extremely important. So I will be supplementing his

translation.

Meditation on Om

“One should meditate on the syllable Om, the Udgitha. Of this, the explanation

follows.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.1.1)

This leaves us little doubt as to what the author (or authors) of the Chandogya

Upanishad consider the subject of prime importance: meditation on Om. “Udgitha” is

the technical, ritual term for Om when It is sung aloud in Vedic recitation. So in the

subsequent verses I am just going to put Om wherever Udgitha occurs.

The supreme essence

“The essence of man is speech. The essence of speech is the hymns of the Rig

Veda. Their essence is the hymns of the Sama Veda. The essence of the Sama Veda is

Om.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.1.2)

That which marks human beings out from the lesser forms of evolution is the

power of vak–of symbolic, creative speech. Most animals make some kinds of sounds

that indicate their feelings, but only humans have symbolic words that recount and

stimulate both thought and behavior. This is the power of logos spoken of in Greek

philosophy and Eastern Christian writings. It is not just a simple trait, but a virtual

intellectual ocean that separates us from other sentient beings on earth. It is, as said, a

product of evolution, and skill in speech is the mark of an evolved human being,

though the most important ability is that of creative thought/conceptualization. Vak is

what makes us human.

The highest form of Speech is that of the hymns of the Rig Veda that were revealed

in meditation untold thousands of years ago to the Vedic Rishis (Seers). The highest of

those hymns were collected into the Sama Veda, whose text is marked (pointed) for

devotional singing. And the supreme essence of the Sama Veda hymns is the single

syllable: OM. In many texts it is stated that to intone Om is to recite all the Vedic

hymns. Therefore:

“The syllable Om which is called Udgitha, is the quintessence of the essences, the

supreme, deserving of the highest place.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.1.3) This can be

said, because Om is the Primal Word, the Original Sound, the First Word “spoken” by

God, and by which all that “is” was created, and is being sustained and evolved at this

very moment. The Vedic Seers long ago stated: “In the beginning was Prajapati [God

the Creator], with Him was the Word, and the Word was truly the Supreme

Brahman.” (Prajapati vai idam agra asit. Tasya vak dvitiya asit. Vag vai paramam

Brahman. Krishna Yajurveda, Kathaka Samhita, 12.5, 27.1; Krishna Yajurveda,

Kathakapisthala Samhita, 42.1; Jaiminiya Brahmana II, Samaveda, 2244) This was

much later paraphrased in the opening verses of the Gospel of Saint John: “In the

beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The

same was in the beginning with God.” (John 1:1,2)

Chandogya Upanishad 2.23.3 says that Brahma the creator concentrated his

awareness on the worlds he had projected and: “From them, thus brooded upon,

issued forth [as their essence] the syllable Om. Just as all the parts of the leaf, are

permeated by the ribs of the leaf, so are all the words permeated by the syllable Om.

Verily, the syllable Om is all this–yea, the syllable Om is verily all this.”

Everything is contained in Om, as other upanishadic texts enumerate, including all

the possible states of consciousness, the expanse of time (past, present, future), the

three worlds (physical, astral, causal)–ALL. The upanishadic teaching is that Om is

identical with Brahman Itself. How then can we regard It as anything other than “the

quintessence of the essences, the supreme, deserving of the highest place”?

The divine union

“Speech [Vak] and Breath [Prana] taken together form a couple. This couple is

joined together in the syllable Om. Whenever a couple come together, they, indeed,

fulfill each other’s desire.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.1.5,6) This is a most important

fact, and one that is explained very fully in the fourth chapter (Breath and Sound in

Meditation) of Om Yoga: Its Theory and Practice.

Fulfiller of desires

“He who meditates upon Om knowing it thus (as the fulfiller), verily becomes a

fulfiller of all the desirable ends. That verily is the syllable of assent, for whenever one

assents to a thing, one says only ‘Om’. Assent alone is prosperity. He who meditates

upon Om, knowing it thus (as endowed with the quality of prosperity), verily becomes

one who increases all the desirable ends.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.1.7,8)

This is important for two reasons. First, that Om contains within Itself creative

power, and IS Creative Power. Naturally, we must both know how to employ It and to

be of such a level of consciousness that we can do with It what God does with It. This is

certainly possible. I have known yogis who could heal with Om and do many other

“magical” things that were really quite normal for the person who knew how. That is

why this section is concluded with these words:

“Whatever is performed with knowledge, faith and meditation becomes more

effective. Up to this truly is the explanation of (the greatness of) this syllable

Om.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.1.10)

The second important point is that the yogi need not be a person who lives in a

bare subsistence manner, unworldly, impractical and indifferent to all material things

including his body. The opposite is true. In the eighth chapter of this upanishad we

find these verses: “If the sage desires to see his fathers of the spirit-world, lo, his

fathers come to meet him. In their company he is happy. And if he desires to see his

mothers of the spirit-world, lo, his mothers come to meet him. In their company he is

happy. And if he desires to see his brothers of the spirit-world, lo, his brothers come to

meet him. In their company he is happy. And if he desires to see his sisters of the

spirit-world, lo, his sisters come to meet him. In their company he is happy. And if he

desires to see his friends of the spirit-world, lo, his friends come to meet him. In their

company he is happy. And if he desires heavenly perfumes and garlands, lo, heavenly

perfumes and garlands come to him. In their possession he is happy. And if he desires

heavenly food and drink, lo, heavenly food and drink come to him. In their possession

he is happy. And if he desires heavenly song and music, lo, heavenly song and music

come to him. In their possession he is happy. Indeed, whatsoever such a knower of

Brahman may desire, straightway it is his; and having obtained it, he is exalted of

men.” (Chandogya Upanishad 8.2.1-10)

Such is the real yogi, the true adept. I remember a recording of Paramhansa

Yogananda in which he spoke about how many mortgages he had paid off, how much

property he had bought, and how large a “family” he had supported for decades. “I could

have kept away a million dollars and no one would have known,” he said, speaking of the

abundance that had come to him after enduring great hardship and remaining faithful to

the ideals he had been sent to America to teach and practice. (A Bengali song in his honor

says: “Going far away you taught dharma. And that dharma which you taught, you showed

perfectly in your life.”) Then he told his hearers that despite all the financial outlay, he

only had a little box that was never empty by God’s grace, and he never bothered to count

how much was in it. One of India’s greatest yogis was Janaka, whose name is invoked as

the symbol of tremendous wealth as well as wisdom. They speak of Janaka in India as we

do of Midas in the West.

Such is Om; such are those that meditate upon It.

The Gods and Om

Throughout the upanishads, Gita, and other spiritual texts we find references to

gods–in Sanskrit: devas. A Brief Sanskrit Glossary defines deva in this way: “‘A shining

one,’ a god–greater or lesser in the evolutionary hierarchy; a semi-divine or celestial

being with great powers, and therefore a ‘god.’ Sometimes called a demi-god. Devas

are the demigods presiding over various powers of material and psychic nature. In

many instances ‘devas’ refer to the powers of the senses or the sense organs

themselves.”

The sun

“Now the meditation on Om with reference to the gods is described. One should

meditate on the sun as Om. Verily, when he rises, he sings aloud for the sake of all

creatures.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.3.1)

We should skip ahead a little bit to continue this subject.

“Now, that which is Om is verily Pranava and that which is Pranava is Om. The

yonder sun is Om and also Pranava, for he moves along pronouncing

‘Om.’” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.5.1) That is, the energy of the sun is a manifestation of

Om. Scientists have only recently discovered this phenomenon. On page 16 of the July

2004 issue of National Geographic we find this: “Bubbles the size of Texas cover the

sun’s face…. Called granules, the short-lived cells of plasma carry heat to the surface

through convection, the same way water boils in a pot. The rise and fall of granules

creates sound waves, which cause the sun to throb like a drum every five minutes.”

In The Word That is God we find the following comment: “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. 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

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. 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.” Later the upanishad says:

“Reflect upon Om as the rays of the sun.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.5.2)

Further on we find a section that speaks of the divine Person (Purusha) who

ensouls and enlivens the sun: Ishwara. “Now, that Person, effulgent as gold, who is

seen within the sun, who is with golden beard and golden hair, is exceedingly effulgent

even to the very tips of his nails. His eyes are bright like a red lotus. He is above all

evils. (Verily, he who knows thus rises above all evils.) He is Om. Moreover, he

controls the worlds which are above that sun, as also the desires of the gods.”

(Chandogya Upanishad 1.6.6-8)

Even further on we are told that Om is like the flower of the sun. When the yogibees

“pressed this Pranava, from It, thus pressed, issued forth as juice: fame, splendor

of limbs, alertness of the senses, virility, and nourishment.” (Chandogya Upanishad

3.5.2)

The most important aspect of the solar connection with Om is found in the eighth

section of the upanishad. There it speaks of the nadis, the subtle energy channels that

function in the subtle bodies of human beings. Then it says that “Just as an extending

highway runs between two villages, this as well as that, even so the rays of the sun go

to both these worlds, this as well as that. They spread out of the yonder sun and enter

into these nadis. Out of these nadis they spread and enter into the yonder

sun.” (Chandogya Upanishad 8.6.2) Regarding one who meditates on Om, the

upanishad continues: “When he thus departs from this body, then he proceeds

upwards through those very rays. He surely goes up meditating on Om. As long as it

takes for the mind to travel, in that time he goes to the sun. That indeed is the door to

the world of Brahman, an entrance for the knowers and a shutting out for the

ignorant.” (Chandogya Upanishad 8.6.5) Those who pass through the sun are free

from the compulsion to rebirth on the earth. Om!

The breath and Om

The connection between the sun and our breath is next described. “This breath and

that sun are the same. Therefore one should meditate on this breath and that sun as

Om.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.3.2) This is why in Om Yoga we join our intonations of

Om with the breath.

The upanishad continues: “Now with reference to the body: One should meditate

on the breath as Om, for he moves along pronouncing ‘Om.’ Thinking thus, sing praise

to Om as the manifold pranas. Now, that which is Om, is verily Pranava; and that which

is Pranava, is Om–so one should think.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.5.3-5)

Escaping death

Now we have a parable about rising above the realm of death: samsara.

“One should meditate on the syllable Om. Of this the explanation follows. Verily,

the gods, being afraid of death, took refuge in the three Vedas. Just as a fisherman

would see a fish in water, so did Death observe the gods in the Vedic hymns. They, too,

knowing this, arose and entered Om. This syllable Om is indeed immortality and

fearlessness. Having entered into Om the gods became immortal and fearless. He who

worships this syllable knowing it thus, enters this syllable which is immortality and

fearlessness. And having entered it, he becomes immortal by that amrita [Om], by

which the gods became immortal.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.4.1-5)

The devas (gods) are all the aspects of the human being. Those who seek life and

immortality in external rites–indeed, in anything other than Brahman–will be caught in

the net of death just like fish in the fisherman’s net. But when they take refuge in the

meditation of Om they rise above the realm of even the possibility of death. Of course

this may also be a story of highly evolved beings who found that they were still subject

to death in the higher worlds, being forced to drop the subtle bodies proper to those

realms and enter bodies on lesser levels or worlds. At the Mahapralaya, the Great

Universal Dissolution, all the worlds are shaken and dissolve away. The wise, knowing

that, do not content themselves with living in carefree and beautiful wish-fulfilling

worlds, but busy themselves with tapasya to ascend beyond relativity. And they do this

through meditation on Om.

And so should we.

The Sages and Om

The upanishad gives some very interesting views on Om in the form of a discussion

between three sages. We will look at a condensed version.

“In ancient times there were three proficient in Om: Silaka the son of Salavat,

Caikitayana of the Dalbhya family and Pravahana the son of Jivala. They said, ‘We are

proficient in Om. If you agree, let us enter on a discussion of Om.’ ‘Let it be so’, saying

this they sat down.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.8.1,2)

Ether (Akasha)

Om is a sound rising from the heart of all things; and the element of ether (akasha),

which is its highest form, is consciousness, is the basis of all sound. (Ultimately, Om and

consciousness are the same thing.) A Brief Sanskrit Glossary defines akasha in this way:

“Ether; space; sky; literally: ‘not visible.’ The subtlest of the five elements (panchabhuta),

from which the other four arise. It is all-pervading, and is sometimes identified with

consciousness–chidakasha. It is the basis of sound (shabda), which is its particular

property.” This being so, the dialogue proceeds as follows: “What is the essence of this

world?’ Akasha. All these beings arise from akasha alone and are finally dissolved into

akasha; because akasha alone is greater than all these and akasha is the support at all

times.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.9.1)

Remember, Om is the subject of this discussion, and since akasha is the foundation of

sound, it moves on, with this: “It is this Om which is progressively higher and better. This

again is endless. He who, knowing thus, meditates upon the progressively higher and

better Om, obtains progressively higher and better lives and wins progressively higher

and better worlds.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.9.2)

Om is the thread that runs through all levels of existence; It is the core of all worlds,

emanating from the Absolute that is beyond them all. By meditating on Om we ascend

higher and higher, passing through the states of consciousness that correspond to higher

and higher worlds. Whatever the state of mind we are established in at the time of death, it

will take us into the corresponding world. “Whatever state of being [bhavam] he

remembers when he gives up the body at the end, he invariably goes to that state of being,

transformed into that state of being.” (Bhagavad Gita 8:6)

There is another aspect to this. In meditation, our perceptions of Om become subtler

and subtler. From being a mental repetition sounding just like it would if we were speaking

aloud, it becomes softer and softer, even whisperlike, eventually become a silent ideation

or conceptualization while mysteriously remaining a complete word. This mutation takes

place as our consciousness is moving into higher and higher states of being or bhavas.

Our experiencing of this is experiencing Om and the states of awareness inherent in It.

The conclusion

The upanishad sums it up like this:

“Atidhanvan, the son of Sunaka, having taught this to Udarasandilya, said, ‘As long as

among your descendants, this knowledge of Om continues, so long their life in this world

will be progressively higher and better than ordinary lives. And in that other world also

their state will be similar’. He who knows and meditates thus–his life in this world surely

becomes progressively higher and better, and so also his state in that other world–yea, in

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that other world.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.9.3,4)

Four Things God REALLY Wants You to

Know

Have you ever seen, or been given, a little leaflet entitled “Four Things God Wants You

To Know”? When I was young, long ago, it was quite a popular tool of Fundamentalist

Protestants. It had four statements–mostly about sin, death, and hell–backed up with

Bible quotations. Usually there was a place to sign on the back saying you were willing to

let God save you. And that was it! Salvation for the masses. Here in the Chandogya

Upanishad we find the real four things we all need to know.

Duty and realization

“The requirements of duty [dharma] are three. The first is sacrifice, study, almsgiving;

the second is austerity; the third is life as a student in the home of a teacher and the

practice of continence. Together, these three lead one to the realm of the blest. But he

wh o i s fi rml y e s t a b l i s h e d i n t h e k n owl e d g e o f Br a hma n a c h i e v e s

immortality.” (Chandogya Upanishad 2:23:1) The basis of dharma, of life that leads to

spiritual unfoldment has three elements which need scrutiny, each in turn.

Sacrifice, study, and almsgiving. Sacrifice (yajna) means formal religious observance,

especially the offering of the daily activities to God, hopefully leading to the perfect

offering of oneself to God–Ishwarapranidhana. Study (adhyaya) means just that, but study

of spiritual texts, of the wisdom of the enlightened, and pondering the ways to incorporate

that teaching into one’s own life. This is serious application to holy knowledge and its

personal assimilation. Almsgiving (dana) means giving of time and money to the welfare of

others. It is also the cultivation of generosity as a trait of mind and heart. These three are

discussed in the Bhagavad Gita, especially in chapter seventeen, as absolute necessities on

the spiritual path, never to be abandoned–not even by the renunciate. For these are not

part of worldly life, but essentials of spiritual life.

Austerity–tapasya–is spiritual discipline, including control of mind, body, the factors of

external life, and especially meditation. It is an entire reshaping and purification of the

inner and outer life, not a mere dabbling or dalliance. It is total in its scope, and therefore

total in its effect.

Life as a student in the home of a teacher and the practice of continence. It is a fact that

the earlier we begin spiritual cultivation the more likely we are to persevere and therefore

succeed. In the ancient culture of India from an early age everyone lived as a religious

student in the house of a recognized spiritual teacher. Although the teacher imparted a

great deal of practical, world-oriented knowledge, the primary subject was always spiritual

life and development through spiritual practice and religious activities. Since the student

remained in the teacher’s house until the attainment of adulthood, brahmacharya, sexual

continence, was considered a fundament requisite–so much so that the student was called

a brahmachari: one who observes continence.

In the West this system was totally unknown in the Indian form, but through the

centuries it was not uncommon for monasteries and convents to permit children to live

there and study, some becoming monastics and others leaving and leading a secular life.

The Franciscan Order had “minor seminaries” in which young boys began preparation for

religious life, especially the priesthood, from a very young age. If one decided that he did

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not wish to eventually be a monk or priest he usually returned home and continued an

ordinary course of study.

But here in the West the majority of those following Sanatana Dharma come to it as

adults. They can engage in sacrifice, study, charity, and spiritual practice, but what about

this factor, which the upanishad says is a requirement of dharma? Besides the general

study of the basic scriptures of India, such persons will need to devote themselves to a

particular form of spiritual cultivation. For example, someone can take up the study of

teachings relating to a specific approach, such as the familiar paths of karma, bhakti, and

jnana. They may center their attention on a particular teacher, such as Shankara,

Ramanuja, Sri Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi, Paramhansa Yogananda,

Swami Bhaktivedanta, or a contemporary teacher, of which there are many. Even if a

teacher is no longer in the body, through study and application of his teaching they can be

his student. The “home” of a teacher is not a building or ashram, but that teacher’s level of

spiritual awareness. It is not easy to live in that real home, but it can and must be done.

Only those who attune themselves to the teacher’s consciousness are true disciples.

Physical proximity of itself means nothing. In India I have seen people that lived for

decades in an ashram, often personally attending on or travelling with the teacher–and

many of them never really met the teacher once on the level that counts.

For all students of whatever form or situation, brahmacharya is needed. A teacher that

does not tell them that right from the start is no real teacher at all.

The blest and the Blesser

“Together, these three lead one to the realm of the blest. But he who is firmly

established in the knowledge of Brahman achieves immortality.”

Honesty in spiritual life is a necessity, on the side of the teacher and the student. True

spiritual teaching is not a matter of marketing, of appealing to the consumer. Therefore

facts that may not be palatable or comforting are always to be found wherever truth is

being taught. Degenerate religion revels in adjusting and dumbing down it teachings in

order to gain more adherents, and therefore more power and money. True religion always

follows the fundamental principle that the seeker conforms to the teaching, not the other

way around. All of us really need to get this through our heads and into our hearts–and

thereby into our lives.

I say this because we see that the upanishadic sage tells us the truth about what has

been commended to us: they will take us into the “realm of the blest.” Now, he does not

mean the earthlike “heaven” of most religions, but the realm of the wise and holy who

have evolved to the point where earthly rebirth is no longer needed. They–and those who

ascend there–are liberated from that bondage, but they are still subject to rebirth in the

higher worlds, of which there is a seemingly infinite number. So, painless as it is, and

happy as are the worlds involved in our subtle births and deaths, we are still bound and

subject to departing and returning. It is a higher and happy portion of the evolutionary

ladder, but still not our transcendental Home beyond the ladder for which attainment we

originally came forth into relative existence. So we must assiduously engage in the sacred

three in order that we may at least become freed from earthly bonds, but always keeping

in mind that there is something more needed: the knowledge of (not just about) Brahman.

And we should be striving for that as well. So there really should be four elements in our

endeavor.

Only the knower of Brahman has immortality, for only he is freed from birth and death

in all forms.

The Light Within

The Light of the Self

“The light that shines above the heavens and above this world, the light that shines in

the highest world, beyond which there are no others–that is the light that shines in the

hearts of men.” (Chandogya Upanishad 3:13:7) Gambhirananda: “Now, that Light which

shines beyond this heaven, beyond the whole creation, beyond everything, in the highest

worlds which are unsurpassingly good, it is certainly this which is the light within a

person.”

It is the Atma Jyoti, the Light of the Self, which is also Divinity Itself. As a student of

the upanishadic wisdom through his Master, Jesus, Saint John wrote: “This then is the

message which we have heard of him [Jesus], and declare unto you, that God is light.” (I

John 1:5) That Light is purely spiritual (Spirit, actually) beyond the light we see in this

world, but which nevertheless is also a manifestation or extension of that Light, as is the

entire creation. In all the worlds–and beyond all the worlds–it is the One Light that shines

in, and as, all. What a glorious concept! A truth as profound as it is simple. “The Lord shall

be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” (Isaiah 60:19) This was the

Essene teaching which Jesus received even in infancy.

Original Christianity–which was identical with Sanatana Dharma–taught that the

Divine Light “was the light of men.…the true Light, which lighteth every man” (John 1:4,

9) without exception. That Light cannot be alienated from us, but is ever the essence of

our existence, making us “the children of light.” (John 12:36) This is the real Gospel, the

Good News, of real religion.

The Light that IS Brahman

This Light is transcendent because God is transcendent–and so are we! Because:

“Truly has this universe come forth from Brahman. In Brahman it lives and has its being.

Assuredly, all is Brahman. Let a man, freed from the taint of passion, worship Brahman

alone.” (Chandogya Upanishad 3:14:1a) Again Gambhirananda: “All this is Brahman. This

is born from, dissolves in, and exists in That. Therefore, one should meditate by becoming

calm.” Really, what can–or need be–said about this incredible assertion: ALL is Brahman?

What we can consider is the final part, the practical advice, which in the Sanskrit text is

only two words: shanta upasita. Literally, they mean: “Draw near peacefully” or: “Go near

peacefully.” Upasana means to sit or draw near, and is usually understood to mean either

worship or meditation. In the Greek original of the New Testament the word translated

“prayer” is prosevki, which also means to draw near. The Greek word translated “worship”

is proskuneo, which has the same meaning.

The important thing to realize is that true worship and meditation are both an inner

process, for God is the light that shines within each one of us, as the first verse quoted

points out. So to draw near to that light we must turn within. As Jesus said: “Neither shall

they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)

The inner search must be done shanta–peacefully. This is a major key in yoga. All

meditation must be done calmly and carefully, otherwise it will be impossible to perceive

and assimilate the subtle states of awareness which meditation should produce. The mind

must be as still as a mirror to really meditate, and meditation alone produces that stillness.

Meditation is being described by Saint Paul when he says: “We all, with open face

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beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from

glory to glory.” (II Corinthians 3:18) That is why in the book of Revelation, which

Paramhansa Yogananda said was a book about yoga, it says that a “sea of glass” like a

great mirror is before the throne of God, and that the saints “stand” upon it. This

symbolizes the perfectly still mind of the yogi by which he experiences higher realities.

(Revelation 4:6, 15:2)

The yogi’s will

Now the second half of the verse we just examined: “A man is, above all, his will. As is

his will in this life, so does he become when he departs from it. Therefore should his will

be fixed on attaining Brahman.” (Chandogya Upanishad 3:14:1b)

This is surely one of the most important statements in the upanishads. The will is the

highest faculty we possess. It is higher even than the intellect, for we often say: “I won’t

think about that right now…” and we do not, because the will controls it. The only thing

higher than the will is the Self. The will approaches closer to the Self than any other aspect

of our being. This is so important, because the quality of our religion and our yoga is

determined by which aspect is the basis of our belief and practice.

We have five levels or “bodies.” They are: 1) the physical, material body (annamaya

kosha), 2) the magnetic or bio-energetic body (pranamaya kosha), 3) the sensory mind

(manomaya kosha), 4) the intelligent mind, the intellect (jnanamaya kosha), and 5) the

will (anandamaya kosha). These also correspond to the five elements: earth (prithvi),

water (apa), fire (agni), air (vayu), and ether (akasha) which are also the seats of the five

senses–smell, taste, sight, touch, and hearing.

The will is the anandamaya kosha, which corresponds to the ether element, whose

special faculty is sound (shabda), both the passive faculty of hearing and the active faculty

of speech. Which is why the highest yoga is based on Sound–specifically, the highest

sound: Om. Om Yoga is the way to correct and develop the will. Since we are our will

according to the upanishad, it must be made alive through the continual japa and

meditation of the Pranava, the Word of Life: Om. Only through Om can we gain mastery of

the will, and thereby of ourselves. We must become Om, “the Word that is God” according

to the Bhagavad Gita (7:8. “I am the sacred syllable Om.” 10:25). By becoming Om, we

become God–not in the absolute sense, but in the relative sense of knowing ourselves as

an eternal part of God, identical in essence, even though not the Whole.

If in this life we become united to Brahman, when we leave this world we will go to

Brahman. “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) “When a man leaves his

body and departs,…let him take refuge in steady concentration, uttering the sacred

syllable Om and meditating upon me. Such a man reaches the highest goal.” (Bhagavad

Gita 8:12, 13) You can’t get more detailed–or more authoritative–than that.

“Therefore should his will be fixed on attaining Brahman,” concludes this verse. For as

Krishna said: “When a yogi has meditated upon me unceasingly for many years, with an

undistracted mind, I am easy of access to him, because he is always absorbed in

me.” (Bhagavad Gita 8:14)

This is the way.

The Self Within

“The Self, who is to be realized by the purified mind and the illumined consciousness,

whose form is light, whose thoughts are true; who, like the ether, remains pure and

unattached; from whom proceed all works, all desires, all odors, all tastes; who pervades

all, who is beyond the senses, and in whom there is fullness of joy forever–he is my very

Self, dwelling within the lotus of my heart.” (Chandogya Upanishad 3:14:2)

Rejoicing in the Self

It can reasonably be felt that the Bhagavad Gita is more important than the upanishads

because it not only embodies their teachings, it provides practical advice for their personal

realization. This is also my opinion, but the upanishads are certainly indispensable for us

who seek the Goal. One of their most wonderful aspects–and one that I have never heard

mentioned in my nearly half a century of Sanatana Dharma study–is their marvelous

ecstatic exulting in the wonder and glory of the Self. Just reading such joyful declarations

produces a powerful stirring of the will towards perseverance in the divine search. This

verse is one such rapturous affirmation and well worth our savoring carefully.

The Self, who. The Self is a Who, NOT a What. That is, the Self is a conscious Person–

or more accurately a person who IS consciousness itself. Of course, the Self–individual or

Universal–is not the ego, a conditioned personality, but a changeless consciousness. It is

certainly true that the Self is not “personal” or even a “person” in the way we know those

terms. It is a transcendent reality, of one essence with the Absolute Reality. But it is

Conscious and It is Real. This is bedrock truth. Countless ages of realization are behind

this principle. We may not understand it fully or flawlessly, but that is only our human

limitation. IT is Eternal Truth. That is the truth being presented in this verse, a truth that

brings profound joy to those who realize it. It is said that Shiva sits immersed in the Self,

but that sometimes he arises and dances, singing: “O! Who I am! Who I am!”

Is to be realized. We REALIZE the Self, we do not “find” It because it is ever present–It

is us. That is, we enter into and experience our eternal nature. We have always had it, but

have lost touch with it. There is nothing to reach out for; rather we need to regain

perception of it. It is more “here and now” than anything else, because It IS the Here and

Now. It is only a matter of seeing, of experiencing It–and not as an object but as the

Subject. Ultimately, it is beyond description, but what can be said is glorious.

By the purified mind. “Mind” does not mean the sensory mind (manas), or even the

intellect (buddhi), but the principle of consciousness itself (prajna). The simile of a mirror

is very apt here. Covered with thick dust and dirt, the mirror is no more than a lump of

earth or a slab of wood. But the more the debris is removed, the more things are seen on

its surface, until it shines forth in its reflective nature. In the same way our consciousness–

or rather the “glass” that covers it–must be cleansed so there is no obstruction to our

perception of the Self. That is why Jesus said: “Blessed are those that are pure (katharos:

clean, clear, pure) at the center of their being (kardia: heart, core, center), for they shall

see God.” (Matthew 5:8) And Saint John said: “Every man that hath this hope in him

purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (I John 3:3) The path of this necessary purification is

fully outlined in the Yoga Sutras (Yoga Darshan) of Patanjali. (See The Foundations of

Yoga.)

And the illumined consciousness. The Self is consciousness that is swayam prakash–self

illumined. That is, Its very nature is Light (Jyoti). By Its presence it illuminates all its

upadhis–Its various bodies. Being Life as well as Light, it also makes them “live” through

Its nearness to them, just as the presence of Brahman makes the worlds “alive.” But it,

too, is illumined and enlivened by its essential unity with the Supreme Light, the Supreme

Life: Brahman. So it both illumines and is illumined.

Whose form is light. The word Form should really be in quotes, for neither Brahman

nor the Atman have a form in the way that is understood in relative existence. Their nature

is Light, and although they are inaccessible to the senses, in a mysterious way they can be

perceived or intuited as Light. I once heard a great yogi of India speaking of how it was

possible to “see” the Self as a blinding light that soothed rather than burned the eyes.

“Suppose a thousand suns should rise together into the sky: such is the glory of the Shape

of Infinite God.” (Bhagavad Gita 11:12)

Whose thoughts are true. Actually, the word is satyasankalpa, which means a lot more

than “true thoughts.” For after all, God does not have thoughts, because He has no mind–

and the same is true of the Self. A being that knows does not need to think–actually cannot

think. Sankalpa means an act of will, resolution, or intention. This is the nearest we can get

to some idea of the movement of consciousness that takes place when God wills or

determines something. So we will have to leave it there. Whatever it may be in the

consciousness of Brahman, the upanishad assures us that it is always Sat–absolutely true

or real. True, in the sense that it is in total keeping with the nature of Brahman; real, in the

sense that is always results in something. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my

mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it

shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

Who, like the ether, remains pure and unattached. This divine Self is said to be

akashatma, which Shankara defines as: “one whose nature is like that of space…all

pervasive, subtle, and free from form.” Just as the sky contains suns, planets, atmosphere,

clouds, smoke, and suchlike, yet is utterly untouched and unaffected by them, so the Self

is free from any effects from its continuous rebirths and their experiences. The Self has no

karma or conditionings, and so is like the ether at all times.

From whom proceed all works. It is a fundamental tenet of the upanishads and the Gita

that the Self never acts. So when the upanishad uses the term sarvakarma–“all karma”–it

is to be taken in the context of Sankhya, the philosophy behind them. Sankhya declares

that all action takes place only through the proximity of the Self. That the energy bodies

(prakriti) in which the Self is encased are like the iron that is heated and expands through

the nearness of fire, or like the globes so popular at state fairs in which the little flags

rotate because of light shining on them. So all actions occur through the presence of the

Self, but are not done by the Self.

All desires. All movements of will or intention (the higher nature of “desire”) are made

possible by the Self, by Its transforming influence. But, as with action, the Self does not

produce them.

All odors, all tastes. The same is true of the senses and the impressions they convey to

the mind. The Self causes them to function and be perceived–again, not through actually

“making” them happen, but through simply being there. The prime idea in these three

phrases is that all “life” takes place through the Self being present. The Self does not “live”

in a relative sense, but is the “life-giver” in the ultimate sense. This is but part of Its

wonder.

Who pervades all. This underscores what has just been said. It is the all-pervasive

Presence of the Self that causes all phenomena to occur.

Who is beyond the senses. This is said over and over in the scriptures, but it is put here

within the context of the realization of the Self. We must turn inward to find the Self, and

in that turning we must get beyond the senses. Those who are finding God do not abound

in visions, chills, levitations, revelations, surging of energies, cataclysmic experiences,

sweepings of emotions, and all such that are nothing but distractions that can NEVER lead

to Reality. All phenomena must be left far behind, and we must “walk in the sky” that is

free of all clouds–we must expand into consciousness that is free from all types of

“experience” and even “existence” in the relative sense. For centuries people have amused

themselves with “mystical” experiences and phenomena, remaining ignorant and

earthbound despite their psychic powers and aura of “holiness.” We must seek for the

One. And to do that we must abandon the Many.

In whom there is fullness of joy forever. If we could only get this truth through our heads

and into our hearts! In God alone is the perfection of happiness, love, peace, and all

goodness–and in nothing or nowhere else. It is, however, not enough to momentarily

touch or enter the joy of the Self. We must be established in It. By that I mean we must

totally enter into It, encompass that Consciousness and be encompassed by It. When this

is done, our realization is permanent. It will never be lost or diminished in any way. In the

Bible this is spoken of as entering or possessing our “inheritance.” It is forever.

He is my very Self. Although we identify with so much from life to life, this which the

upanishads have so carefully described is our true Self, and that alone should be our

identity. This is made possible through the realization of the Self–not intellectually, but as a

state of eternal Being.

Dwelling within the lotus of my heart. Since the Self is there, in the depths of our being:

“Only that yogi whose joy is inward, inward his peace, and his vision inward shall come to

Brahman and know Nirvana.” (Bhagavad Gita 5:24)

The all-encompassing Self

“Smaller than a grain of rice is the Self; smaller than a grain of barley, smaller than a

mustard seed, smaller than a canary seed, yea, smaller even than the kernel of a canary

seed. Yet again is that Self, within the lotus of my heart, greater than the earth, greater

than the heavens, yea, greater than all the worlds.” (Chandogya Upanishad 3:14:3)

The Atman transcends time and space, is always beyond them. Consequently the Self

cannot really be described as large or small. It is beyond such dualities, and beyond any

attempt at measurement. Why, then does the upanishad say what has just been cited? It is

indicating to us that there is nothing which is not pervaded by the Self–there is nothing so

small or so large that it is “outside” of the Self. Rather, the Self encompasses all relative

being as well as the absolute. However large or small something may be, the Self is

present within it to the fullest degree.

(“The kernel of a canary seed” is not a reference to bird seed, but to the Shyamaka

seed that is extremely small and its kernel is infinitesimal.)

The Self encompasses all worlds–all levels of creation. In modern times we know that

the physical universe is beyond all conception, it is so vast. Even so, the Self is much

greater. But this is true only because It is part of the Supreme Self Who spoke through

Krishna to Arjuna, saying: “But what need have you, Arjuna, to know this huge variety?

Know only that I exist, and that one atom of myself sustains the universe.” (Bhagavad Gita

10:42)

The Self is within our heart, and within that Self is contained all the worlds. So we

carry Infinity within ourselves. No wonder the pinnacle of the spiritual quest is called self290

realization.

The great summing-up

Now the upanishad wraps and sums it all up, saying: “He from whom proceed all

works, all desires, all odors, all tastes; who pervades all, who is beyond the senses, and in

whom there is fullness of joy forever–he, the heart-enshrined Self, is verily Brahman. I,

who worship the Self within the lotus of my heart, will attain him at death. He who

worships him, and puts his trust in him, shall surely attain him.” (Chandogya Upanishad

3:14:4a) It is those who “worship” the Self by constantly being intent on the Self through

the inward focusing of their japa and meditation of Om, that will shed all false identities

and enter into the truth of the Self–if not in this life, then at the time of leaving the body

and ascending into higher consciousness.

Even the upanishads recognize the value of citing spiritual authorities, for the second

half of this verse says: “Said the seer Sandilya: At the moment of death a knower of

Brahman should meditate on the following truths: Thou art imperishable. Thou art the

changeless Reality. Thou art the source of life.” (Chandogya Upanishad 3:14:4b) This is

possible for those who have made Self-knowledge the central and paramount factor of

their life’s work. Those who have come to know the Self through profound meditation and

constant remembrance of Om, will then know that they are imperishable, changeless, and

Life itself.

Krishna

Then a most interesting statement is made: “This highest knowledge, the knowledge

of Brahman, having drunk of which one never thirsts, did Ghora Angirasa teach to

Krishna, the son of Devaki.” (Chandogya Upanishad 3:17:6) By this we know that Krishna

himself is the embodiment of the upanishadic wisdom, and was therefore qualified to give

the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, which has been called the cream and the essence of

the upanishads.

Satyakama

Now we come to a very interesting part of the Chandogya Upanishad which consists of

stories of seekers who came to know Brahman.

A feature that will seem odd to Western readers is the instruction of some of the

seekers by animals and even by the forces of nature. Any explanation I might give is

purely speculative and not worth much, but here they are: 1) The accounts are simply

symbolic parables, the animals and nature forces symbolizing powers within the yogis. 2)

These are not actual events, but dreams which the yogis had–this, too, is a matter of

symbolism. 3) They are intuitions occurring to the yogis as they pondered the animals and

the natural forces, wanting to understand the ideas behind them–for the universe is

entirely ideational in nature. I do not think that any of these are very satisfactory, so I

prefer to just focus on the spiritual teaching and let the rest go by, the way we crack the

shell and throw it away, keeping the nut inside which is nourishing. One thing is, evident,

though, the pure-hearted will be instructed by other means if human teachers fail to do so

(or even be available).

Truthfulness (satya), a foundation of yoga–as expounded in The Foundations of Yoga–is

taught here in the story of Satyakama.

A case of identity

“One day the boy Satyakama came to his mother and said: ‘Mother, I want to be a

religious student [brahmachari]. What is my family name [gotra]?’ ‘My son,’ replied his

mother, ‘I do not know. In my youth I was a servant and worked in many places. I do not

know who was your father. I am Jabala, and you are Satyakama. Call yourself Satyakama

Jabala.’” (Chandogya Upanishad 4:4:1, 2)

This is no small thing. At the time of Satyakama it was essential for the teacher

(acharya) to know the caste of the student, for the instruction given was according to the

student’s caste so as to prepare him for his distinctive life within the society of that era. In

this way children were prepared to live the life of Brahmin priests and teachers, Kshatriya

administrators and warriors, and Vaishya artisans and merchants. (Shudras–servants–

were not accepted in the schools, since education was deemed pointless for their mode of

life.) It is true that in very ancient times a student’s caste was finally determined during

his education, according to his aptitudes and inclinations, but he started out being

considered of the caste of his parents. Later caste was solely a matter of heredity.

Whichever era this story took place in, the father’s caste had to be known.

Complicating the whole thing was the matter of gotra. Gotra means clan, family, or

lineage, and all the castes were divided in gotras. This, too, could determine what the

student would be taught, because different gotras had their own dharma shastras–

scriptures which set forth the social and religious rules for members of that gotra.

Sometimes these texts governed such minutiae as the student’s style of hair, mode and

color of clothing, and even the type of wood their staff should be made of and how long it

should be. Those born completely outside such a system may consider this all

meaningless complications, but it was not so at the time the upanishad was written, and we

should realize the seriousness of all this, even if we do not feel the same way.

Anyhow, Satyakama needed to know his caste and his gotra. Since his mother was a

servant, a Shudra, he “should” not be accepted anyway, and on top of it he was

illegitimate–a total bar to assimilation by society on any level, including education. But

Satyakama thirsted for knowledge, and with the single-minded intent of a child dared to

approach the great sage Gautama, something even those of highest caste might hesitate to

do.

Truth

“Thereupon the boy went to Gautama and asked to be accepted as a student. ‘Of what

family are you, my lad?’ inquired the sage. Satyakama replied: ‘I asked my mother what my

family name was, and she answered: “I do not know. In my youth I was a servant and

worked in many places. I do not know who was your father. I am Jabala, and you are

Satyakama. Call yourself Satyakama Jabala!” I am therefore Satyakama Jabala, sir.’ Then

said the sage: ‘None but a true Brahmin would have spoken thus. Go and fetch fuel, for I

will teach you. You have not swerved from the truth.’” (Chandogya Upanishad 4:4:3,4)

Here we see that character, composed of karma and samskara, was the basis for caste

in the upanishadic age. Truthfulness is a prime trait of a Brahmin, as is indicated here.

Though Prabhavananda translates: “None but a true Brahmin would have spoken thus,”

the literal meaning is: “A non-Brahmin will not be able to say this.” This is extremely

powerful, for it not only indicates that a true Brahmin is in such a purified state that it is

impossible for him to not speak the truth–and speak it fully–it also indicates that a

Brahmin will not have the egoity that would prevent him speaking truthfully and plainly

regarding himself in all aspects of his life. For him there is no ego-based shyness or

embarrassment of any sort. A Brahmin will never seek to hide anything about himself by

speech or silence. As yogis we must seek to be perfect Brahmins.

The realization

Now I will summarize what is a rather wordy and sometimes obscure text. (You can

read it yourself in 4:4:3 to 4:8:1-4, and you will see what I mean.)

Satyakama, at the instruction of his guru, Gautama, lived some years in the forest.

During that time, from various sources he learned in stages that the entire cosmos is a

manifestation of Brahman, though only a “particle” of Brahman. Even though I say he

“learned” this, it was not learning in the ordinary, intellectual sense. Rather it was direct

experience gained in the depths of meditation. Thus Satyakama KNEW Brahman, and

KNEW Brahman was manifesting as all the worlds, and at the same time transcending

them all.

The return

“At last the youth arrived at the home of his master and reverently presented himself

before him. As soon as Gautama saw him, he exclaimed: ‘My son, your face shines like a

knower of Brahman. By whom were you taught?’ ‘By beings other than men,’ replied

Satyakama; ‘but I desire that you too should teach me. For I have heard from the wise that

the knowledge that the teacher imparts will alone lead to the supreme good.’ Then the

sage taught him that knowledge, and left nothing out.” (Chandogya Upanishad 4:9:1-3)

This reminds us of the radiant Buddha walking down the road after his enlightenment.

Like Gautama, a Brahmin met him and also saw the divine radiance and asked him: “Who

are you?” Continuing to walk on, Buddha simply said: “I am awake.”

Although he possessed the perfect knowledge of Brahman (Brahmajnana), Satyakama

wisely asked that Gautama should teach him. For he knew that his perceptions might be

either incorrect or incomplete, and he wanted to check them by hearing from the lips of an

enlightened Master. This is the way of the wise; they are always aware that they may not

have perfect knowledge or experience. It is only the ignorant that insist they know the

truth and have no need of testing. As Dion Fortune remarked in one of her books, those

who are deluded will hysterically insist on the veracity of their “revelations,” even being

violent verbally and physically in defense of those delusions. On the other hand, a person

who has had valid experiences and garnered true wisdom from them will speak of such

things very apologetically–even hesitantly–frequently commenting that they realize their

experiences may be delusions or they may be mistaken in their understanding of them

even if they are real. Because of his sobriety and humility Satyakama was worthy (and

capable) of being instructed fully in the wisdom of the sages (rishis). And so he was.

Such is an ideal spiritual aspirant.

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...) 

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