A Commentary on the Upanishads by Swami Nirmalananda Giri -11

A Commentary

on the Upanishads

by

Swami Nirmalananda Giri

Two kinds of seekers

Since the sage Angiras has put so much emphasis on the value of approaching and

reverencing a master-teacher, he now digresses a bit to point out what makes the

student succeed or fail in spiritual life.

“He who, brooding upon sense objects, comes to yearn for them, is born here and

there, again and again, driven by his desire. But he who has realized the Self, and thus

satisfied all hunger, attains to liberation even in this life.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:2)

The Sanskrit implies that those in the grip of desire are born where the objects of

desire are to be found, and bring the desire for them along. It does not say that the

objects are obtained, however, and we see that this is a continual torment for human

beings–wanting something but not able to get it. To be in such a situation will only

condition the mind more and more toward grasping at the things desired. After who

knows how long, the object is then gotten and either lost, or in danger of loss, or

proves to be disappointing or misery-producing. Such is the dilemma of those who

desire.

There is no use asking silly questions like: “How do I kill desire?” or: “How do I get

rid of the ego?” You do not kill desire or discard the ego, for that is a negative approach

that by its nature will not work. Rather you take the positive approach: “I SHALL

realize the Self.” For realization of the Self alone can quench all desire and dissolve the

ego. Until then we ignore the clamor of desires, disregard the demands of the ego, and

single-mindedly go after the Self. Along the way the desires will begin dropping away

of themselves, and the ego, starved of attention, will become less and less until desires

and ego are simply gone forever. It may not be easy, but it is marvelously simple.

“The Self is not to be known through study of the scriptures, nor through subtlety

of the intellect, nor through much learning. But by him who longs for him is he known.

Verily unto him does the Self reveal his true being.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3)

Anyone who has travelled this far through the upanishads is very well acquainted

with the fact that the Self is not to be known through the usual avenues of human

knowledge. What is striking is the literal meaning of the next phrase: “By the very fact

that he [the aspirant] seeks for It, does It become attainable.” Elsewhere I have

mentioned that Sri Ma Anandamayi often said: “The desire for God is the way to God,”

meaning that the desire would prompt us to action, not just mere wishing. No one

seeks for God who is not already able to find God, for it is the very nearness of God

that prompts his seeking. Seeking God is a guarantee, a symptom, of sure attainment.

It is also the thing which enables the Self to reveal Itself to him.

“The Self is not to be known by the weak, nor by the thoughtless, nor by those who

do not rightly meditate. But by the rightly meditative, the thoughtful, and the strong,

he is fully known.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:4) Too many meanings are being missed

by this translation. Here it is literally: “This Self is not attained by one devoid of

strength, nor through delusion produced by false experience, nor through tapasya

devoid of corresponding externals. But the Self of the man of knowledge who strives

with diligence through these means [strength, clarity of sight and mind, and a life

ordered in conformity to tapasya] enters the abode of Brahman.” There is a lot to think

over here.

The plain truths

Those devoid of the strength imparted by the strict observance of yama and

niyama cannot possibly know the Self. Both yama and niyama should be listed here for

our most serious consideration. Yama (Restraint) consists of ahimsa (non-violence,

non-injury, harmlessness), satya (truthfulness, honesty–i.e., non-lying), asteya (nonstealing,

honesty, non-misappropriativeness), brahmacharya (sexual continence and

control of all the senses), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness, non-greed, nonselfishness,

non-acquisitiveness). Niyama (Observance) consists of shaucha (purity,

cleanliness), santosha (contentment, peacefulness), tapas (austerity, practical–i.e.,

result-producing–spiritual discipline), swadhyaya (self-study, spiritual study), and

Ishwarapranidhana (offering of one’s life to God).

A great deal of people, including yogis, are simply deluded, mostly because they

follow false teachings and teachers whose errors actively harm them or cause them to

stagnate spiritually. No matter how dedicated they may be, or even how disciplined,

they cannot know the Self because their intellects are confused and distorted–

especially by their aberrant meditation practices. Lucky are those “yoga duds” who

merely vegetate. But neither reach the Goal.

It is utterly useless to engage in meditation without making the life correspond to

the sole purpose of meditation: liberation of the spirit. Yoga has been propagated here

in the West for a little over a hundred years, and see how little good and how much

devastation and delusion has resulted. The reason is supremely simple: yama and

niyama are not followed, and in many instances the fake gurus actually tell their dupes

that yama and niyama are unnecessary. I cannot calculate how many tangled-minded

“yogis” have boasted to me that they do not need to be vegetarians. If a survey is taken

of almost any yoga group, over half will be living together “in a relationship” without

being married, and those who are married have no idea of the need for brahmacharya

in marriage except for the conception of children–and even then, not unrestrained. Sri

Ramakrishna said that after the birth of two children the parents should live in chastity.

In my commentary on the Gita I wrote the following that is most relevant here:

“The Dharma Shastras which describe the correct life of non-monastics are quite

explicit about the need for husband and wife to lead lives of continence. See how the

yogi parents of Paramhansa Yogananda lived it as presented in Autobiography of a Yogi.

In the very first chapter we find: ‘Mother made a remarkable admission to my eldest

sister Roma: “Your father and myself live together as man and wife only once a year, for

the purpose of having children.”’ The fact that Yogananda, a devoted son and a purehearted

yogi, would reveal this to the world in the pages of a book show how

necessary he felt it was for both Eastern and Western readers to be shown the

standard of chastity that yogis should observe in their life, not using their nonmonastic

status as excuse for lesser behavior. He underlined this later in the fortyfourth

chapter, giving these words written to Mahatma Gandhi by his wife Kasturbai: ‘I

thank you for the most perfect marriage in the world, based on brahmacharya and not

on sex.’ Please note that these are examples of married yogis, not monks imposing

their ideas on others. Also remember that the guru of Yogananda’s parents was himself

a married yogi, so there is no monastic influence in their case.”

I really have no hope that the foregoing will provoke anything but anger and

resentment, but it still has to be said in case some do want to reach the Goal whatever

the price. The other aspects of yama and niyama are also important, but these two

shoals have wrecked many a yogi of East and West.

“But the Self of the man of knowledge who strives with diligence through these

means”–strength, clarity of sight and mind, and a life ordered in conformity to

tapasya–“enters the abode of Brahman.”

Hail To the Sages!

“Having known the Self, the sages are filled with joy. Blessed are they, tranquil of

mind, free from passion. Realizing everywhere the all-pervading Brahman, deeply

absorbed in contemplation of his being, they enter into him, the Self of all.” (Mundaka

Upanishad 3:2:5) What an inspiring description. These are the things that should

motivate us, not such cheap things as promises of heaven and threats of hell, or bribes

of “good things” and “power.” To at last be ourselves as we really are, to end all

struggle with unreality and ignorance–this is the worthy aim. The only worthy prayer

is that of Jesus: “O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I

had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5)

How to become a sage

How do the sages get that way? “Having fully ascertained and realized the truth of

Vedanta, having established themselves in purity of conduct by following the yoga of

renunciation, these great ones attain to immortality in this very life; and when their

bodies fall away from them at death, they attain to liberation.” (Mundaka Upanishad

3:2:6)

Having fully ascertained and realized the truth of Vedanta. First the Vedantic truths–

the teachings found in the upanishads–are carefully read and pondered. But this is not

enough–in fact it is worthless unless they go on to realize those truths through

meditation, for it is this realization which is of supreme value, and the wise diligently

seek it.

Having established themselves in purity of conduct. Not wanting empty theory, the

wise understand that their lives must be disciplined for the purification of their outer

actions and inner consciousness. Moreover, they ground themselves immovably in that

purity.

Following the yoga of renunciation. Since neither Angiras or his students were

monks, it is mistaken to interpret sannyasa yoga as monastic life. Rather, it is the inner

discipline of detachment from all externals (sannyasa) while fixing the mind on the

Eternal (yoga).

Immortality in this very life. Those who follow this path of the sages will realize

their nature as immortality itself. They will not attain it, they will recover and manifest

it. Nor will this happen in some vague heavenly realm, but right here and now.

At death, they attain to liberation. For them there is no longer any need for future

birth in the material plane. As the Buddhist texts say: “Birth is ended, the holy life

fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.” But they are not just

liberated from the earth, they are liberated from all “worlds” and enter The Real as

their eternal abode.

The liberation process

“When death overtakes the body, the vital energy enters the cosmic source, the

senses dissolve in their cause, and karmas and the individual soul are lost in Brahman,

the pure, the changeless. As rivers flow into the sea and in so doing lose name and

form, even so the wise man, freed from name and form, attains the Supreme Being, the

Self-Luminous, the Infinite.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:7, 8) There are two aspects to

these verses: what is shed by the sage and What he merges with in liberation.

At the time of death, the various bodies no longer retain their configuration. Since

they are no longer needed for future incarnations, they resolve back into the elements

from which they came. Even the karmic forces, now unnecessary, melt away into basic

energy along with the subtle bodies that created and embodied them. What remains?

Brahman and their atman-self. Since these are really the source of all the foregoing, in

reality nothing whatever is lost–only the conditioning dreams that held them in false

bondage for so long. Finitude is traded for infinity–blessed bargain!

“He who knows Brahman becomes Brahman. No one ignorant of Brahman is ever

born in his family. He passes beyond all sorrow. He overcomes evil. Freed from the

fetters of ignorance he becomes immortal.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:9)

Who should learn this?

“Let the truth of Brahman be taught only to those who obey his law, who are

devoted to him, and who are pure in heart. To the impure let it never be

taught.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:10)

In India everyone knows the basic principles of Brahmavidya. The sage is not

recommending secrecy, but warning us away from wasting our time with people who

are wilfully disqualifying themselves for spiritual life. So who are qualified (adhikari) to

receive detailed instruction in the eternal truths? Here is a much more literal and

complete translation of the verse with some very interesting symbols: “To them alone

should one expound this knowledge of Brahman who are engaged in the practice of

purificatory disciplines, versed in the Vedas, and devoted to Brahman, who personally

sacrifice to the fire called Ekarshi with faith, and by whom has been duly accomplished

the vow of holding fire on the head.”

Engaged in the practice of purificatory disciplines. The word translated by this

phrase is kriyavantah, which means those who are engaged in the practice of kriyas. In

the broad sense a kriya is any practice that entails doing something, because the root

of kriya is kri, which means “I do.” Any practice, exercise, rite, or even movement can

be called a kriya. Usually, though, kriya means a yogic practice or method which

purifies the body and nervous system, as well as the subtle bodies, to enable the yogi

to reach and hold on to higher levels of consciousness and being. Only those who are

perpetually engaged in such practices need even hear about those states and their

meaning. For to anyone else it is mere theory which can easily be misunderstood by

those who have no practical yogic experience.

Versed in the scriptures. The word shrotriyah means one who both knows the

scriptures and the disciplines and practices they enjoin. Although mere scriptural

knowledge is of little value, it is necessary to know the teachings of the upanishads and

the Bhagavad Gita in order to retain a right perspective in spiritual life. Buddha said

that a seeker for enlightenment must be sure to follow the teachings of the liberated

ones that have gone before. A great deal of problems in spiritual life will be avoided if

the upanishads and Gita are studied daily and applied in their entirety.

Devoted to Brahman. Shankara says that the Brahmanishthah are those devoted to

Brahman as manifested in the cosmos, yet who are actively seeking to know the

transcendent Brahman beyond the cosmos. In other words, the prevailing idea that

one is either intent on Saguna or Nirguna Brahman–only one aspect to the exclusion of

the other–is mistaken. That the worthy seeker starts from where he finds himself–in

the realm of Ishwara, the creation–but strives to know That which lies beyond, as well.

This is the real “yoga of synthesis.”

Who personally sacrifice to the fire called Ekarshi with faith. In the Atharva Veda

there is a form of sacred fire called “ekarshi,” but in this verse the reference is to “the

sole fire”–the “fire” that is Brahman. For ekarshi can be a contraction of “eka-rishi,” the

sole Seer. As the Gita says: “Brahman is the ritual, Brahman is the offering, Brahman

is he who offers to the fire that is Brahman. If a man sees Brahman in every action, He

will find Brahman.” (Bhagavad Gita 4:24) The ultimate “offering” into Brahman is our

own Self.

By whom has been duly accomplished the vow of holding fire on the head. Continuing

this idea, the rishi speaks of those who have accomplished in due order the

shirovratam–a vow of holding or carrying the holy fire in the head. That is, one who

has established the Divine Fire of Brahman-realization within himself, who ever carries

Brahman in his “head”–his consciousness.

There will not be a great number of students if these criteria are followed, but we

must make sure that we are among them.

The sum and substance

In conclusion the upanishad exclaims: “Hail to the sages! Hail to the illumined

souls! This truth of Brahman was taught in ancient times to Shounaka by Angira. Hail

to the sages! Hail to the illumined souls!” (Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:11)

A Commentary on the

Prashna Upanishad

The Right Beginning

This upanishad, the Prashna Upanishad, is called The Question (Prashna)

Upanishad because of its format of question and answer throughout. But the first two

verses set the stage for the reader, and also indicate what is needed for a successful

quest after the knowledge of Brahman–at least that which can be taught and

comprehended intellectually.

The seekers

“Sukesha, Satyakama, Gargya, Kousalya, Bhargava, and Kabandhi, devotees and

seekers after the truth of the supreme Brahman, with faith and humility approached

the sage Pippalada.” (Prashna Upanishad 1:1)

Because it would have no meaning for Western readers, Swami Prabhavananda has

omitted the parentage and family ties of these six seekers. Nevertheless, their listing is

significant, for a yogi must have psychological “ancestors” in the form of inner spiritual

qualities that will help him to persevere in yoga practice. Besides a good inner

background, the upanishad cites four good traits needed by every aspirant to higher

evolution: devotion in the sense of dedication, desire to know God, faith, and humility.

Dedication is needful, for it keeps us steady when we encounter snags and

obstacles in our path, and it keeps us plodding along in times of dryness and

uncertainty. It ensures that we will persevere in our efforts to attain spiritual heights.

It is easy to forget why we originally took up spiritual life and wander into byways of

lesser endeavor. This is why many become tangled up in externalities of religion,

wrangling over philosophical concepts, and even becoming enamored of control over

others under the pretence of religious discipline. As Jesus told Martha: “Thou art

careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful.” (Luke 10:41, 42)

Because of this the upanishad tells us that these wise seekers were intent on a single

thing: the truth of the Supreme Brahman. We should aspire to–and settle for–nothing

less.

Faith in the form of conviction of the reality of spiritual matters is also a necessity,

for who can persevere in search of something about which they have no inner

assurance? We need the conviction-faith that God is real and can be known. Saint Paul

encapsulated the whole matter when he wrote: “He that cometh to God must believe

that h is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

An interior knowing that God is real and can be experienced will give us the strength

we need to keep on to the Goal.

Humility in the sense of a willingness to listen and learn, aware of all we do not

know, is essential. Respect is also implied here. In the East they overdo it to the point

of grovelling and mindless acceptance, while in the West the casual, one-on-one

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attitude is exaggerated into overfamiliarity and virtual disrespect. It is amazing how

very wise Western ignoramuses consider themselves. As someone once wrote: “The

trouble with ignorance is that it gains confidence as it goes along.”

The seeker must be keenly aware that he lacks something–a great deal, in fact–

with emphasis on need. He must not forget that seeking implies needing and asking.

Those who strut up to a teacher as though they are visiting the zoo will–and should–

receive nothing. On the other hand, the seeker should not grovel or be unthinkingly

accepting. The student should carefully examine the prospective teacher to see if he is

qualified and worth listening to. The worthy teacher will equally carefully examine the

prospective student to see if he has the right attitude and is capable of learning and

applying what is learned. A dud on either end ruins the equation.

The requisites

“Said the sage: ‘Practice austerity, continence, faith for a year; then ask what

questions you wish. If I can, I will answer.’” (Prashna Upanishad 1:2) Now this is the

way of a real teacher of Brahmajnana. He tells what they must do and what he will then

do.

There is a story told in India of a young man who came to a guru and asked to

learn from him. The guru told him what he would have to do to qualify himself. Not

very happy with the list, he asked what the guru would do in all that time. When told

that the guru would teach him occasionally, as he would deem appropriate, the wouldbe

disciple remarked: “Why don’t you make me a guru, instead; that sounds a lot

easier.” Yes, indeed.

Many approach a teacher while living in a fantasy world projected by their overconfident

ego. If the teacher is as false as they and conforms to the fantasy, they are

happy. But if the teacher is real, and dares to speak to them realistically about the

means and the goal, they are most displeased. We are not of this type, hopefully, so let

us look at the requirements Pippalada sets forth.

1) Spiritual discipline (tapasya), most particularly the practice of meditation. 2)

Control of the senses (brahmacharya), especially continence. 3) Faith in the teaching

of the upanishadic sages regarding the Supreme Goal, the possibility of attaining It,

and their assertions as to the means of attainment.

These are absolute necessities–and they must be unwaveringly practiced and held

to for a significant length of time before the seeker can possibly be mentally and

spiritually capable of comprehending the wisdom of the sages. First the students must

be qualified, otherwise a qualified teacher will be of no use to them at all.

The teacher

“Then ask what questions you wish. If I can, I will answer.” This promise contains

two major qualities of an authentic spiritual teacher.

First, the teacher will accept and consider whatever the student asks. He will not

shrug off even the silliest inquiry, nor will he reject the student’s questioning of the

veracity or value of what he believes or teaches. This is one of the most glorious

characteristics of Sanatana Dharma–it has no fear of honest inquiry and honest doubt.

Not being insecure, the teacher of Dharma is not disturbed by questioning or

statements of disbelief.

A friend of mine told me that she quit being a Christian when, as a teenager, she

dared to express doubts to her parish priest. He raved at her and threatened hell,

saying that to even ask for explanation of “the mysteries” was a sin and an insult to

God. So she walked away and never went back. Over sixty years (!) later she came into

the orbit of Sanatana Dharma, asked all her questions, and received answers that

restored her faith in Jesus–but not in Churchianity. In true Dharma we find the key to

understanding the teachings of all the Masters of all the ages. I have found throughout

nearly fifty years that Sanatana Dharma illumines their words to a degree that their

professed followers and “isms” cannot even dream of.

Those who would follow Jesus, and Buddha, need to seek out the same source from

which they drew their teachings: Sanatana Dharma. Then, like them, they can become

Sanatana Dharmis and thereby become their true disciples. Sanatana Dharma expands

their horizons to embrace all truth wherever it may be found. It is true that of late

there have arisen bigots in India who speak as hatefully and ignorantly about other

religions as those religions speak of others. But they are not Sanatana Dharmis, for the

Dharma has no place for hate, ignorance, and sectarianism. As Jesus said: “The truth

shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

Second, a worthy teacher will acknowledge that he cannot answer some questions.

This is because some things are simply beyond verbal expression. Further, no true

teacher is egotistical, therefore he will readily admit it if he feels it is beyond his

capacity to explain something–just as we find that sometimes we cannot find a word to

express what we know well inwardly. And most of all, a good teacher is willing to admit

when he just does not know the answer to something. Only a fool thinks he is

omniscient, and only a fake wants others to think he is.

In my encounters with teachers, the person nearest to being all-knowing was

Swami Sivananda, and he was known to reply: “I really don’t know” to certain

questions. But he certainly knew the way to God, as the lives of his disciples attest.

(Sometimes a Master does not know the answer to a question because it is trivial and

foolish, and his mind is free from triviality and foolishness.)

So we have seen the two elements needed for a meaningful exchange of questions

and answers: worthy questioners and worthy answerers.

The Father and Mother of All

The Father and Mother of All

“After a year Kabandhi approached the teacher and asked: ‘Sir, how did the

creatures come into being?’” (Prashna Upanishad 1:3) This is the question of any

reflective person. There are many answers to it, but this upanishad goes to the root of

relative existence as Pippalada replies:

“‘The Lord of beings,’ replied the sage, ‘meditated and produced Prana, the primal

energy, and Rayi, the giver of form, desiring that they, male and female, should in

manifold ways produce creatures for him.’” (Prashna Upanishad 1:4)

Prajapati–Brahma “The Lord of Creation”–did not create the world in the manner

understood in the West, rather, he manifested it from the primal energy known as

Prakriti by the power of his meditation. This was no new occurrence, for the projection

and withdrawal of the cosmos in precise cycles has been going on from eternity. Just as

wind moving over water causes it to take on a multitude of wave-forms, so does the

creative thought of Brahma. In Genesis we are told: “In the beginning God created the

heaven and the earth. And…darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of

God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:1, 2) The Breath (Ruach) of God,

the creative thought of God, moved on the causal “waters” and the cosmos began to

manifest.

Creation begins and moves on in an exact order, so the first thing that occurred

was the manifestation of Prana and Rayi–internal Life and the outer Energy that

manifests as form. There are many levels of manifestation, and Pippalada is only

speaking of the lower worlds which are manifested by Brahma. The lower worlds

mirror the higher ones, and in Christian terminology this coming forth of Prana and

Rayi are equivalent to the coming forth of the Son and the Holy Spirit from the

Transcendent Absolute–the Father–at the very highest level of manifestation.

Prana and Rayi are the two poles of manifesting energy–positive and negative, male

and female. This duality is at the heart of all that presently exists, and without it

everything dissolves. Prana and Rayi are the “parents” of all things. Creation is their

perpetual interaction. As Yogananda wrote in one of his chants: “Spirit and Nature

dancing together!” All “creatures”–all that exist in relativity–have sprung from Prana

and Rayi. This is why all religions have intuited the existence of a primeval Father and

Mother of All.

Sun and Moon

Even more, nearly all religions have had some idea about the original Father and

Mother being the sun and moon respectively.

“Prana, the primal energy, is the sun; and Rayi, the form-giving substance, is the

moon. Be it known that all this universe, that which is gross and that which is subtle, is

one with Rayi. Therefore is Rayi omnipresent. In like manner is the universe one with

Prana.” (Prashna Upanishad 1:5) Nothing can exist without duality–Prana and Rayi–at

the root of their manifestation, and they are still being maintained by them.

In India they knew from the beginning that the sun and moon were essential even

for plant life. In the West, also, people have known for hundreds, if not thousands, of

years that although the light and heat of the sun causes the germination of seeds, it is

the moon that guides their growth, and wise gardeners plant according to the lunar

cycles. We even have the term “planting moon.” Even more, all “things” are the

embodiment of Prana and Rayi. The universe is Prana and Rayi. Spirit–Paramatman

and Atman–alone is independent of these two, and untouched by them.

“The rising sun pervades the east, and fills with energy all beings that there

inhabit; and likewise when his rays fall on the south, the west, the north, the zenith,

the nadir, and the intermediate regions, to all beings that there inhabit he gives

life.” (Prashna Upanishad 1:6) Just as the one sun can be reflected in numberless ways,

so Prana enlivens all things and moves within them. The life in even an atom is Cosmic

Life.

“Prana is the soul of the universe, assuming all forms; he is the light that animates

and illumines all: even as it is written: ‘The wise know him who assumes all forms, who

is radiant, who is all-knowing, who is the one light that gives light to all. He rises as the

sun of a thousand rays, and abides in infinite places.’” (Prashna Upanishad 1:7, 8)

Prana is Parabrahman Itself! Not only is Brahman/Prana “the soul of the universe,”

Brahman is also the forms assumed, “He shining, everything shines.” (Katha

Upanishad 2:2:15; Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.10) Every single sentient being is a ray of

that divine Sun who abides in all their inmost essence.

The two paths

“Prana and Rayi, uniting, divide the year. Two are the paths of the sun–two are the

paths that men travel after death. These are the southern and the northern. Those who

desire offspring and are devoted to almsgiving and rituals, considering these the

highest accomplishment, attain the world of the moon and are born again on earth.

They travel by the southern path, which is the path of the fathers, and is indeed Rayi,

the maker of forms.” (Prashna Upanishad 1:9)

There are two paths that can be taken after death: the path that leads to expanding

life in higher realms of existence and the path that leads back to the world of material

embodiment–the paths of Prana and Rayi.

The “year” spoken here is not the earthly measure of time based on the movement

of the earth around the sun, although it is believed to be so in the degeneracy of

contemporary Hinduism. Rather, it is the cyclic manifestation of prana within the

subtle, mental bodies of each one of us. The “southern” path is the part of the cycle in

which the prana becomes more embedded or “grounded” in the consciousness of

form–the body. On the other hand, the “northern” path is the part of the cycle in which

the prana becomes increasingly active in the spiritual levels of our being, causing the

consciousness to rise to higher degrees. The supposed south and north movement of

the sun has nothing whatsoever to do with this, even though it is commonly thought so

at this time.

The “moon” is a symbol of the material creation which is but a reflection of higher

regions of consciousness, just as the moon has no light of its own, but only reflects the

light of the sun.

The path of rebirth

“Those who desire offspring and are devoted to almsgiving and rituals, considering

these the highest accomplishment, attain the world of the moon and are born again on

earth. They travel by the southern path, which is the path of the fathers, and is indeed

Rayi, the maker of forms.”

This is quite clear: those who are addicted to family life and external religion are

impelled by their own earthly desires to be reborn on earth. For such desires are

rooted in earthly experience and perpetuate it.

The path of liberation

“But those who are devoted to the worship of the Self, by means of austerity,

continence, faith, and knowledge, go by the northern path and attain the world of the

sun. The sun, the light, is indeed the source of all energy. It is immortal, beyond fear; it

is the supreme goal. For him who goes to the sun there is no more birth nor death.

The sun ends birth and death.” (Prashna Upanishad 1:10)

Later in the fifth section of this upanishad it will be explained that by meditation on

Om a yogi will be united with the solar light and ascend to the realization of Brahman.

But right now the necessary adjuncts to such a meditation are enumerated: austerity

[tapasya], continence [brahmacharya], faith [shraddha], and knowledge [vidya].

Those who prepare themselves by these practices–in conjunction with meditation on

Om–will ascend to the solar world and, freed from the compulsion to rebirth, will pass

onward to the transcendental realm of Brahman.

In the mechanism of the universe there are many wheels within wheels as in

clockwork. So the upanishad then speaks of the month as reflection of Prana and Rayi

just like the year: “Prana and Rayi, uniting, form the month. Its dark fortnight is Rayi,

and its bright fortnight is Prana. Sages perform their devotional rites in the light, with

knowledge; fools, in the dark, with ignorance.” (Prashna Upanishad 1:12.

Prabhavananda omits the eleventh verse because of its obscure language and

symbolism.)

Here, too, the material lunar phases are not being spoken of, but rather the inner

cycles of spiritual awareness and spiritual ignorance. The wise do not act blindly, even

in spiritual practice, but with understanding of how and why they should engage in

meditation and worship. Because they lack the requisite insight, the ignorant engage

in superstition, even if externally they seem to be doing the same as the wise. Without

inner awakening all is hopeless, and awakening is a matter of evolution. It cannot come

from an external source. This is why ordinary propagandizing religion plunges people

deeper into ignorance and folly.

Until the inner consciousness begins to manifest only error can be the fruition of

any religion. This is why Sanatana Dharma never engages in any form of missionary

persuasion or coercion. Adherents of the Eternal Religion know that until a person

ripens spiritually even Sanatana Dharma is meaningless and pointless–inevitably

confusing and potentially harmful. That this is true is being proven every moment in

the West by those who are deforming Dharma into an ego-driven diversion and often a

tool for the same negative domination and opportunism that has made Western

religion and philosophy into the absurd and destructive force it has been for centuries.

And the “advaitins” are the worst.

Food

Now a very interesting symbol is introduced: “Food is Prana and Rayi. From food is

produced seed, and from seed, in turn, are born all creatures.” (Prashna Upanishad

1:14. Prabhavananda omits the twelfth verse because of its obscure language and

symbolism.) Nikhilananda translates this verse: “Food, verily, is Prajapati [the

Creator]. From that comes semen [retas]; from semen are all these creatures born.”

188

The idea here is that Prana and Form, the two aspects of Prajapati, are manifesting

as food–not just food that is eaten and digested, but rather all things that “enter” the

sentient being’s life and mind and shape him. The body is formed of nothing but food,

and the same is true of the four subtler bodies as well. The mind and the senses “eat”

also. So we can realize that God is not only the source of all, but the manifester,

sustainer, and evolver of all. There is nothing around us that is not divine

manifestation. This is the vision the yogi strives for. “At the end of his many births the

wise man takes refuge in Me. He knows: ‘All is Vasudeva.‘ How very rare is that great

soul!” (Bhagavad Gita 7:19)

Sri Ramakrishna once said: “The Divine Mother showed me that there are not two,

but one existence only. It is Satchidananda alone that has taken many forms. It is He

alone who has become the living beings, the universe and everything. It is He who has

become food.” What the rishis perceived so many thousands of years ago can be

known even today by the fervent yogi.

Home truths

Now it is time to get down to the solid facts, to the only sensible conclusions that

can be drawn if we accept all the upanishad has been saying to us: “Those who worship

the world of creation produce children; but those alone attain the world of Brahman

who are steadfast in continence, meditation, and truthfulness.” (Prashna Upanishad

1:15)

Guilty, insecure people are always demanding assurance and approval from others.

They usually get it from those equally guilty (or equally foolish), and evade facing the

truth about themselves. In the long run such avoidance does absolutely no good, but

being people who live in the moment they are satisfied with the deception. This

especially manifests in “those who worship the world of creation” and materiality by

their insisting on being assured that ascetic life is not necessary or superior to their

maya-mired mode of existence. They bullyingly demand this assurance from supposed

spiritual teachers (and especially monastics) employing a variety of ways to get what

they want. But the upanishadic sages are long departed from this world, and their

words have been preserved for thousands of years. What they say can be ignored, but

it cannot be denied.

World worshippers become gears in “society” and immerse themselves in material

involvement with “the world’s goods,” living as they please in egocentric, self-pleasing

modes of life. They may not engender actual children now they have learned to

frustrate the natural consequences of sex, but the resulting consciousness will be the

same. Living as they “please” they are bound by the hopes and “joys” of earthly life,

creating for themselves a guaranteed return to the realm of death that is this world. Sri

Ramakrishna used to say: “There is no substance at all in worldly life.” And there is no

substance in those that expend themselves in and on the world.

The rare few who have seen through the sham of the world and understood the

reality of the Self, live in a very different manner. If their karma is very good, they take

up the ascetic life early on, otherwise they wake up somewhere along their path in life,

turn from the common folly, and become disciplined and purified in their mode of life.

Whichever it may be, the life of all the wise is centered in “continence, meditation, and

truthfulness.” There is no need for a comment on that, or on the final statement:

“The pure world of Brahman is attainable by those only who are neither deceitful,

nor wicked, nor false.” (Prashna Upanishad 1:16)

The Powers That Make Us “Be”

Each of us is both Who and What. The Who is simple to define: Individualized

Consciousness or jivatman–Individualized Self. The What, on the other hand is quite

complex, which is why we have gotten lost in it and confused for lifetimes beyond

number. The first step in learning how to undo this dilemma is learning what is

keeping it going. For that reason:

“Then Bhargava approached the teacher and asked: ‘Holy sir, how many several

powers hold together this body?” The word Swami Prabhavananda translates “power”

is deva–god. He chose this interpretive translation so we could better understand the

meaning of the sage’s words. “Which of them are most manifest in it? And which is the

greatest?’” (Prashna Upanishad 2:1) We need to know who our jailers are and

especially who the governor of the jail may be. So:

Our makeup

“‘The powers,’ replied the sage, ‘are ether, air, fire, water, earth–these being the five

elements which compose the body; and, besides these, speech, mind, eye, ear, and the

rest of the sense organs. Once these powers made the boastful assertion: “We hold the

body together and support it.”’” (Prashna Upanishad 2:2)

The five elements (panchabhuta) are forms of cosmic energy which make up the

various bodies of the human being, including the five senses. They are not passive, but

are living and moving powers. However, Bhargava has asked which powers hold

together the body, which itself is formed of the elemental forces. Only one of them is

the cohesive force which keeps the others in its magnetic field and enables them to

assume form and function within that form. To illustrate this, Pippalada gave him a

parable, saying that once all the elements claimed to be the dominant force in the body.

Prana

“Whereupon Prana, the primal energy, supreme over them all, said to them: ‘Do not

deceive yourselves. It is I alone, dividing myself fivefold, who hold together this body

and support it.’ But they would not believe him.” (Prashna Upanishad 2:3)

We see from this that the five elements are modifications of the cosmic life, the

Prana (Vishwaprana), that although the body seems to be formed only of the five

elements, the Prana itself is the underlying substratum as the ocean is to the waves.

The body, then, is really nothing but Prana, as is anything else in the realm of relative

existence. Even the smallest particle of the cosmos is the Universal Life in

manifestation.

Another point is the supposed conversation between the elements. This is not just a

device in a fable, but is an indication that since all things are manifestations of Cosmic

Life they can take on a seemingly independent life (and even consciousness) of their

own. This is a fundamental trait of Maya, the Cosmic Illusion, one which lies at the root

of most confusion and ignorance.

The proof

“Prana, to justify himself, made as if he intended to leave the body. But as he rose

and appeared to be going, all the rest realized that if he went they also would have to

depart with him; and as Prana again seated himself, the rest found their respective

places. As bees go out when their queen goes out, and return when she returns, so

was it with speech, mind, vision, hearing, and the rest. Convinced of their error, the

powers now praised Prana, saying:” (Prashna Upanishad 2:4)

All the elements of the cosmos are rooted in Prana. It is the same with the elements

and the senses in the individual’s body complex (for the human being has five bodies

corresponding to the five elements). Just as the waves are in total dependence upon

the ocean for their very being, so everything cosmic and microcosmic depend upon

Prana. This is why Om is called the Pranava: It is the sound-form of Prana, the mantric

syllable by which the Prana is contacted and controlled. Furthermore, the breath (also

called prana) is the outermost, physical manifestation of prana. Because of this the yogi

joins his inner intonations of Om to his breath in the highest form of pranayama.

“That which causes all the pranas to prostrate themselves before and get merged in

the Paramatman [the Supreme Soul: God], so as to attain identity with Him, is for that

reason known as the Pranava.” (Atharvashikha Upanishad 1:10) “With Om alone he

should breathe.” (Amritabindu Upanishad 20) “Pranayama is accomplished through

concentrating the mind on Om.” (Saubhagyalakshmi Upanishad) “The Pranava alone

becomes the pranayama.” (Sandilya Upanishad 6:2 ) “Pranayama is composed of the

Pranava, Om. [Therefore] he should repeat the Pranava mentally. This only will be

pranayama.” (Darshan Upanishad 6:2, 5, 6) “Pranayama is accomplished by effortlessly

breathing and joining to it the repetition of the sacred Om.” (Yoga Vashishtha 5:78)

The powers of Prana

He who controls Prana controls all since Prana is all. Therefore the elements

praised Prana, saying:

“‘As fire, Prana burns; as the sun, he shines; as cloud, he rains; as Indra, he rules

the gods; as wind, he blows; as the moon, he nourishes all. He is that which is visible

and also that which is invisible. He is immortal life.

“‘As spokes in the hub of a wheel, so is everything made fast in Prana–the Rik, the

Yajur, the Sama, all sacrifices, the Kshatriyas, and the Brahmins.

“‘O Prana, lord of creation, thou movest in the womb, and art born again. To thee

who, as breath, dwellest in the body, all creatures bring offerings.

“‘Thou, as fire, dost carry oblations to the gods; and through thee the fathers

receive their offerings. To every organ of sense thou givest its function.

“‘Prana, thou art the creator; thou art the destroyer by thy prowess; and thou art

the protector. Thou movest in the sky as the sun, and lord of lights art thou.

“‘Prana, when thou showerest down rain, thy creatures rejoice, hoping that they

will find food, as much as they desire.

“‘Thou art purity itself, thou art the master of all that exists, thou art fire, the eater

of offerings. We, the organs of sense, offer to thee thy food–to thee, the father of all.

“‘That power of thine which dwells in speech, in the ear, and in the eye, and which

pervades the heart–make that propitious, and forsake us not.

“‘Whatsoever exists in the universe is dependent on thee, O Prana. Protect us as a

mother protects her children. Grant us prosperity and grant us wisdom.’” (Prashna

Upanishad 2:5-13)

Obviously, then, the yogi cannot neglect the cultivation of Prana and Pranava

together.

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...) 

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

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