UPANISHADS

by Klaas Stuive on Posted on

UPANISHADS

(lecture by Klaas Stuive (Yogabrahmacharya)

The content of this lecture is based on other “The Mystery of the Self” by Dr. Wim van Vledder, Blok's “Upanishads”, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible and the lectures by Swami Veda Bharata, a Raja Yogi connected to the ancient Himalayan Yoga tradition, as well as my personal experiences as a Yoga Master. For the explanation of the Upanishads, I chose Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

Introduction

The word Upanishad means “to sit with.” It refers to sitting around a teacher to listen to his teaching. This teaching is aimed at dispelling people's ignorance by revealing secret, spiritual knowledge. This concerns the teaching regarding “the supreme Mystery ”, as the Shevetashvatara Upanishad says:

“This supreme Mystery, which is the secret of the sages, has been hidden in the Upanishads since the beginning of time as the Secret Doctrine; that deepest secret is revealed only to the worthy disciple or to one's own son.”

The Upanishads are part of the Vedas, the oldest sacred writings known to humanity, originating from a time eons ago, when there was only one religion on earth, referred to as the “ Speech of the Gods ”.

“He wove the Golden Web at the beginning of time, through Him the Vedas were given to the Gods and men,” reads the text from the Upanishads. The Bhagavad Gita states: “That which is to be known in all the Vedas is I. I am the knower of the Vedas and the compiler of the Vedanta . These texts all point to a divine origin of this wisdom. The philosophical system of Vedanta was developed from the Upanishads. The written form of the main Upanishads originated in the period from about 3000 to 500 years BC. The Upanishads give us the esoteric or inner teachings, while the Vedas give us the exoteric teachings, such as making sacrifices, speaking prayers and hymns.

The mysticism of the Upanishads can be found at its core in the scriptures of all world religions. It is a universal and timeless philosophy. The Upanishads teach man the highest Wisdom, “ which surpasses all understanding” , yet is within the reach of every human being. We call this knowledge “Brahman-vidhya”, the knowledge about Brahman or God.

The Upanishads speak of the Absolute, which is at the same time Transcendent (high above everything) and Immanent (the Deity that vibrates through all that exists as Light, Love and Power). “Just as the sun unchangeably shines its light on the world, but is not affected by all that is seen here in the way of sorrow and sorrow, so the Self is also not bound by the earthly, It remains free, alive in all forms It is unchangeable and always one.”

There is no difference between the nature of the Self, Atman and Brahman. The One is the many, the many is the One, that is one of the foundations of the secret doctrine. The divine Self, that divine Atman, which resides in the heart, is described as pure Consciousness, that divine Consciousness is the divine mind, Brahman in revelation. Brahman is thus seen as the Universal, Transcendence, Immanent God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Source and Cause of all existence, the divine Mind, the divine Breath, the ordering Force in the Universe. It is impossible to put into words what Brahman actually is, which is why teachers often speak in contrasts and metaphors, as in the Bhagavad Gita: “Outside and within all creatures, the moving and the immoving, near and far is That.” In the Gospel of Thomas : “there is a movement and a rest.” It is neither male nor female. One becomes three and from the trinity comes the many, the universe as a revelation of the transcendent Brahman. This trinity is also referred to by the names of the Hindu gods: Brahma, Vishnu and Siva.

In Mandaka Upanishad: “The Imperishable One meditated on His own Being and thereby produced the waters, thence the vital force, the life, the mind and the elements, the worlds of being, and with them also the Law governing action, That imperishable Self is all-knowing, all-pervading; from it proceeds the World Soul, the Source of all life; in glorious splendor the One unfolds as the many.”

Creation should be seen as a wave movement that continues to expand in circles, like a stone in the water of a lake, spreading its circles. Creation must also be seen as a (cosmic) breath, when exhaling it expands and when catching in it contracts. In between there are moments of peace.

The Upanishads teach us to look lovingly at all that exists, because all that exists is nothing but a visible form of the Lord of Love, the Lord of Life, the Lord of the World.

The Upanishads also teach us to turn the senses inward, to turn within yourself through meditation. In Mundaka Upanishad : “Take as a bow the hidden Wisdom of the Upanishads, take the arrow, sharpened by contemplation, draw the bow in deep concentration and merge all your thoughts in Him. AUM is the bow, the self the arrow, the target the radiant Brahman focus on Him, become one with Him, your only goal is He.” Meditation takes us to the source of peace, silence, the primal source of our existence.

This highest goal (returning to the arms of Brahman) can be achieved in one lifetime, the Upanishads teach us. Whatever the mind is focused on, the Atman binds to it and turns it into action. The man without desire for earthly things is no longer carried away by his senses. Being Brahman, he ascends to Brahman. The Prashna Upanishad testifies to this : “Life proceeds from the highest, divine Self; and as man, when he is born, brings with him the shadow and consequences of his past lives (karma and reincarnation), so the divine Self brings into man the breath of Life as the shadow of the Mind.”

The Self is always there, just as the Sun is always present, even though only the clouds are visible. These clouds veil the sun. The veil of the Self is caused by ignorance (avidhya) about the actual divine origin of every human being.

The Upanshads point to the Path of Yoga. It is the Path to liberation from the worlds of ignorance. This Path leads to liberation. On this Path the “true seeker” sacrifices the highest thing he possesses, namely himself. There is no other way. Patanjali, the great Yogi from the Himalayan tradition, Buddha, Jesus of Nazareth and also a contemporary Yogis such as Swami Veda Bharati point us to this eightfold Path. We find this eightfold Path elaborated, among other things, in the so-called Yoga Sutras. It is not bookish wisdom, but wisdom passed on from Master to disciple. Yoga is therefore an experiential science, as is evident from the Upanishads.

“This Self is not found by study or deep thinking alone, nor by speaking, listening or hearing, to him who knows nothing but the longing for the Self, to him that divine Self shows Itself in Its exalted nature. To find that Self requires absolute dedication from the seeker of truth, focus on that One Goal, he who gives himself completely in one point, purposefully, knows with absolute certainty that the Self lives deep within him. He who finds the divine Self in his own heart, finds within himself the tranquility and peace he seeks, he sees the highest self in everything that lives and moves, this Servant of that Self, merges into the divine All.”

The Upanishad literature is full of dialogues and discussions about the inner life and how one can attain the highest state of wisdom. These dialogues take place between two characters, namely he who has already attained a state of wisdom (sanyasi) and he who longs for it. This highest wisdom is difficult to grasp with the mind. The High Knowledge can be divided into knowledge about the outer world (apara vidya) and that about the inner world (para vidya). The outer world that we can perceive with our senses and the inner world that we can sense as buddhi (the higher intellect) has been sharpened. We can master this knowledge if we master higher Yoga (samyama) to a certain extent.

Patanjali gives in chap

4 of the Yoga Sutra (Vibhuti Pada) many examples of this. In Chapter 4, Patanjali talks about Pada Kaivalya (the path of liberation or unification). We can also call this end goal Self-realization. This is the stage when all Knowledge has been realized.

During moments when a person is alone and the mind is focused inward, an inner dialogue arises. By entering into this dialogue as an observer, buddhi (Higher Intellect) becomes increasingly alert. Buddhi is our inner Teacher, that inner Voice. This also helps us on the Path of Yoga. And when man has finally reached the Great Goal after many lifetimes of seeking, then that glorious Voice of Brahman resounds in our consciousness, crying out: “ Behold, You have become the Light, You have become the Sound, You Yourself are the purpose of your search.” Then, say the Upanishads, “the heart is filled with Truth (ritambhara), Light and Love.”

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

This Upanishad is the longest and therefore the most complete. The Sanskrit word “brihad” means “great”. It is not only big in length, but also big in the sense of big. As Seekers we are of course particularly interested in the dialogue between the Yogis and their students. Answers are given to questions. These answers, although sometimes difficult to comprehend, stimulate our own inner dialogue. The answers fuel the desire to achieve that Great Goal. The advice given is to approach the questions and answers meditatively, so that you can fully absorb the words and meaning.

Listen to the master

“Lead me from the unreal to the Real, from darkness to Light, from death to Immortality (BA 1.3.2.8.). This Upanishad belongs to the literature of the Yajur Veda and consists of three parts. The best known part of it is Part II, which is called “Yajnavalkya Kanda” It is the chapter that bears the title of the main character, the great sage and teacher Yajnavalkya. It concerns a dialogue between philosophers, the most important of whom is King Janaka. The king of Videha province. This king is always seeking deeper knowledge of Brahman, the Supreme, and for that reason he has invited scholars to the court.

The court of this king forms the beautiful setting for the dialogues between the Brahmins and other people. Yajnavalkya rightly turns out to be the greatest of them all. To get an impression of the content of this Upanishad, the questions asked to Yajnavalkya have been selected by me from Wim van Vledder's book. In addition, essential fragments of the answers given by this great philosopher are included.

The liberating sacrifice

In the first fragment we see Yajnavalkya at the court of King Janaka among a large crowd of Brahmins. To the amazement of those present, he orders his disciple Samashravas to drive the cows intended for the most learned philosopher to his home. He later turns out to be the greatest expert on all four Vedas. However, the sages are angry about this act and immediately start asking him difficult questions.

The first questions were asked by the Hotri priest Ashvala:

  1. How is the sacrificer delivered from the grip of death? (his speech is fire )?
  2. How is the sacrificer freed from the alternation of day and night? (his seeing is the sun )?
  3. How does the sacrificer escape the change of day and night? (his breath is the air )?
  4. How can the sacrificer ascend to heaven? (his thinking is the moon )?

To this last question “how can the sacrificer ascend to heaven” Yajnavalkya replied: “By the brahma priest, by the mind, by the moon. Verily, thought is the moon through which sacrifice is made; His thinking is the moon; the sacrifice is offered by the Brahmin priest. Thus he is liberated, yes truly liberated. Then Ashvala, the Hotri Priest, was silent.”

Explanation:

The fire is the symbol of the first manifestation of the Most High. By becoming equal to Fire, man merges into Brahman. The change of day and night refers to time, which is the cause of the transience of things. The sun means the Imperishable, the Immutability of the highest Deity. By rising in the sun, time and transience are overcome. The breath is the symbol for the divine Life Force. Breath is air , air is life force, life force is Brahman in revelation. Through the breath one can get to know the Divine within oneself and thereby escape from transience. Finally, Yajnavalkya speaks of the moon , the symbol of periodicity, the alternation is the phenomena, the Deity that manifests itself in the constant alternation of ebb and flow, of life and death of Being and Non-Being. Man escapes this influence by following the Path of Yoga and renouncing thought, through which he can unite with Brahman and ascend into heaven.

All Yoga techniques are aimed at rising above thinking. Bodily consciousness, energy consciousness, sense consciousness, breath consciousness are the keys to Brahman. They are the keys to the Gate of the Garden of Eden. From this Garden Adam and Eve (mankind) were expelled when they lost this Supreme Divine consciousness. These keys are in the possession of a “Brahma priest”.

Brahman is Atman

The individual Brahman (jivatman) is called Atman in the older Upanishads. This word “Atman” means “breath”. The Atman in man is the life force that is present in every being. Atman is the Divine Spark that gives life and consciousness to every human being. Ushasta, the son of Cakra, asked Yajnavalkya the following questions:

  1. Explain to me how it is Brahman, which is ever present and can be experienced by man, that which is the Soul of all things?
  2. What is in all things?

Yajnavalkya replied:

“That which breathes by inhalation (prana), that is your Atman that is in all things. That which breathes by exhalation (apana), that is your Atman that is in all things. That which breathes through abdominal breathing (vyana), that is your Atman that is in all things. That which breathes through the pulmonary breath (udana), that is your Atman that is in all things. That is your Atman that is in all things.”

“You cannot see that from which seeing comes. You cannot hear that from which hearing comes. You cannot think that from which thought arises. You cannot understand that from which understanding comes. That is your Atman, which is in all things. Everything else is completely insignificant”

Explanation:

An important yoga technique (pranayama) is explained here that can support meditation. If a person is able to hold these connections for 24 hours a day, then he is a liberated person. Man and all of nature live and function thanks to that insightful and unknowable force. It is the divine Life Force, the all-pervading Atman that gives rise to everything. As mentioned, you can experience this power with the help of Yoga techniques, which you can learn from a Yoga master. It is important that you are completely relaxed and breathe softly. In this relaxation you are aware of your body and the functioning of your energy body. The Power that you then experience is the Power that is meant here.

Knowing Brahman through detachment

The third questioner Kahola asks the following question:

  1. How can man come to know that indwelling Brahman, that Atman which is the Soul of all things?

Yajnavalkya replied:

“That which is high above hunger and thirst, suffering and delusion, decay and death. The Brahmin who has once come to know that Atman no longer desires sons, wealth, worldly life; he lives the life of a beggar. Let a Brahmin give up his desire and he will lead a meditative life. When he has left both the non-meditative and the meditative behind him, he becomes a true knower of Brahman.”

Explanation:

“Know Thyself” was the answer given by the Oracle of Delhi. This is the philosophical premise of the Upanishads. Plato, the great Greek scholar of Western antiquity, also had this as his life motto. To know your Self, you must understand the workings of the mind (antakarana). According to Jnana Yoga, the mind consists of four inner functions: manas (the mind), buddhi (the intellect), citta (the memory) and ahamkara (the sense of self or ego). Manas is connected with indriyas (senses of perception and action). As long as buddhi is not or only little active, manas is strongly influenced by the indriayas, which directs man outward, towards the satisfaction of external needs. When buddhi predominates, man becomes pure discernment. In addition, ahamkara must also be understood. Ahamkara gives man individuality. Individuality means separation from the higher or divine consciousness (purusha). When buddhi can shine in its full glory, ahamkara releases its tension and starts to shine like a sun emerging from behind the clouds. We must also learn to understand citta. Citta is the library of all experiences of both the universal and the individual human being. Citta is also called cosmic and individual memory respectively. When buddhi becomes the Guide or Inner Teacher of our mind, we enter the hidden library of citta. Where the knowledge about the Secret Doctrine is stored. We can experience all this when the four inner functions in the mind work together as one whole through Yoga (meditation).

To get to know Brahman it is necessary to change your life drastically. The True Seeker must ultimately give up all his desires and focus his mind continuously on Brahman. He must move from an outward focus to an inward focus. When one is one with Brahman, then one is elevated above the duality associated with this earthly existence. It is recommended to read the Bible story about paradise (Genesis 2:8-25). “And the Lord commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it surely die.”

The All-pervading, Imperishable Brahman

Gargi, the daughter of Vacaknu, has asked questions before, but she always receives the answer that these are questions about which man should not ask questions. She asks about the nature of the Most High. “Do not ask too long, O Gargi, you are asking about a Deity about which man cannot reason.” Yet she continues to ask questions and finally she gets the opportunity to ask the question.

She asked the following question:

  1. That which is higher than heaven and lower than earth and all that is between heaven and earth, that which is past, present and future, what is all permeated by?

Yajnavalkya replied:

“That is completely pervaded by akasha, space, the unmanifested ether. That is called the Imperishable by Brahmins. It is not coarse, not fine, not small, not large, not fire, not like water, not like shadow, not like darkness, not like air, not like ether. It is unbound without taste, without smell, It has no eyes, no ears, no mouth, no size, no inside, no outside. It takes no food, nor is It food for anyone.” Verily under the mighty Law of that Imperishable existence, the quarters, hours, days and nights, the rivers flow and follow their courses, men praise those who give, the gods desire a sacrificer, the forefathers expect the sacrifice to the forefathers.”

Explanation:

As has been said before, what Yajnavalkya answers is difficult to understand with the mind. Man is part of the cosmos. Man seems to be only a small part of the universe, but he is a full-fledged carrier of the one, all-embracing, divine consciousness. Man is like a drop from the ocean. When this drop becomes one with the ocean again, it is the ocean again. Yajnavalkya's answer shows that Brahman cannot be expressed in words. That's why he indicates what THAT is not. This also explains his earlier refusal to answer her question. It turns out that he is the greatest Knower of Brahman. None of the

Brahmins will one day be able to beat him in an argument. This situation also indicates that man must have patience in order to ultimately penetrate to the highest Knowledge.

Atman as Light

In a quiet conversation between King Janaka and Yajnavalkya, some important issues are discussed. The most important question in the philosophy of the Upanishads is the question of the true nature of the Atman. A question that, as shown above, cannot actually be answered. Yet attempts to do so are made again and again. Yajnavalkya first speaks of Atman as Light shining from itself, the self-existent, divine Source of Light, then Atman in connection with three states of consciousness and finally of Atman and dying.

The questions of Janaka, the king, are:

  1. What is the light that illuminates man here? (answer the light of the sun)
  2. When the sun sets, what is the light that illuminates man here? (answer the light of the moon)
  3. When the moon no longer shines, what is the light that illuminates people here? (answer the light of the fire)
  4. When the fire has gone out, what is the light that enlightens man here? (answer the light of the sound)
  5. When even the sound is silenced, what is the light that illuminates man here? (ultimately the light of Atman)

Yajnavalkya replied:

“It is the Light of Atman, for by the light of Atman man sits, walks, does his work and returns.”

Explanation:

The structure of the questions and answers shows that Atman (Breath of Life) is the basis of everything. Through Atman everything comes to revelation. If you think away everything there is only Atman. The light, the sun, the man, the fire and the sound are also elements that had a special meaning in the primitive religion of primitive man. These were phenomena that could be observed in nature, but for which there was no explanation. These elements were worshiped (sun and moon worship). People also offered sacrifices to these phenomena (fire sacrifices). The Upanishads refer to the primordial sound as the sacred Mantra AUM. This Mantra represents the Law of Motion. Through this Mantra the cosmos was “churned”, after which it could materialize like butter and cheese. It is recommended that you also read the creation story from the Bible (Genesis 1-7) again. On the seventh day: “Then the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; so man became a living being.” From the Gospel of John (1-6): “In the beginning was the Word (AUM), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This was in the beginning with God. All things were made through the Word, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In the Word was life, and the life was the light of men; and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.

Atman as State of Consciousness

The Atman is Brahman in revelation. This expresses itself in the three worlds of revelation. The fourth world is the world of Brahman himself. These are the three states of consciousness that can be experienced in meditation and contemplation. The question the king then asks is:

  1. How does Atman express itself, does Atman come into revelation?

Yajnavalkya then explains the worlds (states of consciousness) in which Atman comes to revelation: The worlds discussed are:

  1. The gross material world (jagrat): the impermanent, the world of waking consciousness, this is the world in which Atman descends into a body (jiva) at birth, the senses are directed outwards;
  2. The world of dreams (svapna): the intermediate world between waking and deep, dreamless sleep, the subtle world (hiranyagarbha), In the dream world Atman leaves this

body and forms another body, leaving the physical body motionless (tayasa), the senses are directed inward;

  1. The world of dreamless sleep (sushupti): the world of the true state of the divine Atman, in this world everything has become one, all sense experiences have disappeared; this is the state in which the divine man knows: “I am this Universe, the Universe that I am” (tat twam asmi), the senses (indriyas) are neither outward nor inward;
  2. The world of Brahman (tyrya); the world where Absolute Harmony, Consciousness and Bliss (sat, chit, ananda) is experienced; the original Trinity (satchidananda)

About the world of dreams Yajnavlkya says:

“There are no chariots there, no horses to harness to chariots, no roads, but It creates there of itself chariots, horses to harness to chariots, and roads. There is nothing there that gives joy, pleasure or delight, but It itself creates joy, pleasure and delight there. There are no streams, lakes or rivers, but It itself creates streams, lakes and rivers there. It is there itself the Creator”

“As a great fish swims alternately along one side or the other of a river, so the Atman also moves alternately from one state to another, from waking to dreaming and deep dreamless sleep, from deep dreamless sleep to dreaming and wake”

 “Man has, as it were, very thin, multi-colored threads, called hita, which are thinner than one thousandth of a hair. These threads form the delicate body of man, the vehicle for his emotions and thoughts. When man has anxiety dreams and dreams that he is being killed or attacked, or that he is being chased by an elephant, or falling into a deep well, then he is dreaming because - bound by ignorance - he has turned into images the fear he has in the waking state. makes in the world of dreams. But if he sees himself as a god, as a king, when he thinks “I am the universe”, then that is his highest world, free from desire, free from evil, free from fear…”.

About the world of dreamless sleep

“Just as a falcon or an eagle has wandered high in the sky for a long time and then wearily folds its wings and returns unerringly to its nest to rest, so too the Atman returns to the state of deep, dreamless sleep where it desires nothing more to desire, no longer wishes to experience anything”

About the return to the waking world

“Having now known the supreme bliss of the world of Brahman and the bliss of the state of deep dreamless sleep, having wandered again in the world of dreams and seen the results of good and evil, it returns Atman returns to where It came from, the waking state.”

The Atman of death, rebirth or liberation

For people, dying is a fearful and inexplicable phenomenon. The king also wants to gain knowledge about this and asks the following questions:

  1. How does Atman leave this body?
  2. When is Atman reborn?
  3. When will Atman never return, will Atman return to Bahman?

Yajnavalkya's answer includes:

“Just as the nobles and city officials and security guards gather around the king when he leaves, so the life forces contract around Atman when someone starts breathing heavily at the hour of death.

“When the body is completely weakened and the senses no longer function, as it were, the life forces contract around the Atman. It absorbs the radiant light particles from there

rises and withdraws into the cavity of the heart. When the essence in the eye, the life force, withdraws, man no longer sees shapes or colors.”

 “The point in the heart becomes radiant light and at that light Atman withdraws, either through the eye, or through the crown or through one of the other openings of the body. And when the Atman withdraws, the life forces also withdraw. And when the life forces withdraw, life also withdraws; the Atman is absorbed into the higher consciousness. Atman takes everything that is part of the higher consciousness with him from here. His knowledge and his work and his experience from this life are absorbed into the Atman.”

 “Where the mind is established, the Atman attaches itself to it and turns it into action. Now when, in the world of deep, dreamless sleep, the consequences of what It has done in this ephemeral world have been exhausted, then It returns to this world again. This applies to the person who has desires. But for the man who no longer has any desires, who no longer desires anything, who is free from desire, whose desires are extinguished, who is solely focused on Aman, he is no longer carried away by his senses. Being Brahman, he ascends to Brahman.”

Explanation:

Yajnavalkya describes death as a transition from one state of consciousness to another. The Path of Yoga is a Path that teaches us to die. During meditation one can experience all these states of consciousness. 

The Way to Immortality

Yajnavalkya in conversation with his most beloved wife Maitreya. Tenderly and carefully he tries to explain that he has decided to permanently retire to the forest (sanyasi). He wants to say goodbye to everything that binds him, the most difficult thing is to say goodbye to his wife. She understands nothing of the Way to Immortality

  1. What do you know of the Way of Immortality? Tell me, Lord. I'm getting completely confused. I don't understand anything about Atman?

Yajnavalkya replied, among other things:

“For where there is multitude, there one can see, smell, feel something, there one can speak about something, there one can hear, think, touch and know something. But when the knower of Brahman has become all one, the Atman, how could he see, smell, feel, speak of anything, hear or think, touch or feel anything? How could one know that by which all is known? This Atman is that which is described as Not this, not that. It is incomprehensible, for It cannot be understood, indestructible, for It cannot be destroyed, unattached, for It clings to nothing. It is unbound, knows no suffering, is untouchable. Truly how can the Knower be known? With this I have given the teaching, which is the Way to immortality”

Having said this, Yajnavalkya withdrew into the forest.

Explanation

The Upanishad teaches us that every person may live in the absolute certainty that the Divine consciousness that lives within him, however veiled, will one day lead him to the Path that leads from the unreal to the Real, from darkness to Light, from death to Immortality. You don't actually have to retreat into the forest or into a cave in the Himalayas. With the help of meditation, proper relaxation of body and mind and proper breathing (sushumna), you can also, like Yajnavalkya, move towards becoming one with Brahman. Sitting in meditation, all questions disappear and only “the Sound of Silence in the Complete Void” remains.

May all who hear this find the Path of Liberation and attain the Supreme Goal.

Nieuwegein, May 26, 2002

Klaas Stuive (“Yogabrahmacharya”)

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