Tapas is heating up oneself. It is the process of conversion of the indifferent potential energy into active kinetic energy. Engaging in any transaction is a form of tapas. There are several possible forms of tapas. In its best form tapas will lead one to greater glory and freedom. It will remove all alienation and integrate one to the essence of the universe.
According to Hindu philosophy the presence of God is to be experienced within oneself. This godliness is the same as the oneness with the entire universe, where one loses a separate identity by dissolving in the universe. Experiencing is knowing in an intimate sense. So ultimately knowing and helping others to know is the best form of tapas. A rishi performs all transactions as part of the process of knowing and teaching. The different aspects of this process are described in Taittiriya Upanishad.
Rutam cha svadhyaya pravachanecha
Every object in the universe is a manifestation of Brahman, the essence of the universe. Each object has a component that directly connects it to Brahman and a component that alienates it from Brahman by accentuating its separate identity and alignments with the other objects. Dwelling on the first component is the pursuit of righteousness. It is the pursuit of the essential principles that defines the relationship of the object with the essence of the universe. It is the approach of a scientist. Approaching all transactions as a study and preaching of these principles takes one nearer to being a free spirit.
Satyam cha svadhyaya pravachanecha
Truth is eternal. It doesn’t change with context. What changes with context is falsehood. It is just a feeling propped by the context. When the context vanishes it vanishes too. One who depends on falsehoods finds in the turmoil of changes that are imposed from outside. He can never find peace and make progress in the path of spirituality. So one should keep dwelling on truth and reject falsehoods, however enticing they may be. Approaching all transactions as a discovery of truth and preaching of the process of differentiating truth and falsehood to establish the alignment with truth, takes one nearer to being a free sprit.
Tapascha svadhyaya pravachanecha
Focus is important. Austerities limit the avenues of expression and focus the flow of energy for the realization of a particular ideal. Approaching all transactions as an opportunity to discover the possibilities of application of austerities for focused energy flow, and to share this knowledge with others, takes one nearer to being a free spirit.
Damashcha svadhyaya pravachanecha
Dissipation is to be arrested to accumulate potential energy within. The sense organs, when they are left to themselves without any control, go after their objects, without any discrimination. As these external objects can not provide any ideal the energy spent for their pursuit is wasted without any useful result. The ideals ought to govern the intellect, mind and external transactions. Keeping the sense organs under control to prevent unproductive energy flow is dama. Approaching all transactions as an application and demonstration of dama takes one nearer to being a free spirit.
Shamashcha svadhyaya pravachanecha
Inner conflicts eat away energy. Whatever we do should not disturb the peace within. It should be something that appeases the deepest of inner wants. Approaching all transactions as an exercise for experiencing and illustrating inner peace takes one nearer to being a free spirit.
Agnayashcha svadhyaya pravachanecha
Passions canalize the energy flow. Discovering and identifying with the right passions is very important to ensure that the flow of energy is productive. Engaging oneself always in the discovery of right passions and helping others to discover right passions takes one nearer to being a free spirit.
Agnihotram cha svadhyaya pravachanecha
Everything is to be dedicated for the satisfaction of the right passions. Every moment should be spent in discovering and showing to others fresh avenues for the satisfaction of right passions. Engaging in this exercise takes one nearer to being a free spirit.
Atithayashcha svadhyaya pravachanecha
A guest connects a home to the society around. The visitations of ideals that wander in from the surrounding atmosphere connect one to the universe around. These ideals sets a value system that supports the accumulation of energy possible. Life must be spent in discovering, and helping others to discover, ideals. Going through life like this takes one nearer to being a free spirit.
Manushamcha svadhyaya pravachanecha
Everything else is worthwhile only when the fine connection with humanity is in tact. One should continuously strive to discover and preach the many dimensions of humaneness. Living like this takes one nearer to being a free spirit.
Prajashcha svadhyaya pravachanecha
Every thought, emotion and action generates their own products. To live meaningfully one should be sensitive to these products. Spending one’s time discovering and teaching others the many possibilities of these products takes one nearer to being a free spirit.
Prajanashcha svadhaya pravachanecha
The process of generation of the products is also important as it is the efficiency of these processes that determines the efficiency of one’s life. Understanding and illustrating to others these processes takes one nearer to being a free spirit.
Prajatishcha svadhyaya pravachanecha
The factors that affect productivity are as important as the knowledge of the process of production. Discovering and preaching the principles of productivity takes one nearer to being a free spirit.
Satyamiti satyavacha rathiratah
All these are true for anyone who wants to truthfully engage in this world.
Tapa it taponityah pourushishtih
Those who pursue virility by constantly engaging themselves in austerities say that austerity is the most important thing.
Svadhyayapravachane evoti nako moudgalyah
All ideals are to be discovered through study and preaching
Tadvitastadvidastapah
So know that 'study and preaching' is the best form of austerity.
Here the theme is the pursuit of knowledge pertaining to harmonious existence in this world, which is important for the pursuit of Brahman. The important components that contribute to harmony in this world are righteousness, truthfulness, austerity, self control, pursuit of peace, discovery of true passions, satisfaction of the true passions, development of ideals and aspirations, humaneness and production processes and productivity related to the products in the planes of actions, emotions and thoughts. All these are relevant for one who wants to live in this world honestly. For him they should form the subjects for study, preaching and practice. Those who pursue virility through austerities think that the performance of austerities is the most important thing. This is indeed true. But it should be understood that the process of study and preaching themselves are the highest of the forms of austerities.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Pranava
A stable object in this universe is a manifestation of pranava. Pranava is the transcendental principle that keeps an object fresh and ready for higher pursuits. It keeps the universe fresh and lively. The three fundamental processes we associate with objects in this universe are the process of their coming into being, the process of their sustenance, and the process by which they get used up. The right proportion of these processes contributes to freshness. Any unbalance between these processes manifests as a disease that inhibit the flights to higher planes.
Symbolically pranava is represented by the sound ‘Aum’. In Sanskrit this sound is the conjunction of the three vowels… a, u and am. These three vowels represent the presiding deities of creation, sustenance and consummation. The balance between the processes of creation, sustenance and consummation determines the stability of an object. Pranava is the central principle of an orderly universe.
‘om iti brahmah om iti idam sarvam om ityedanukruteehasma’
Brahma is known as pranava. All that is here is a manifestation of pranava. Pranava accompanies all actions performed as a part of a sacrifice.
‘va apyo shravayetya shravayanti
om iti samani gayanti om shomiti shastrani shamsanti
om iti adhvaryuh pratigaram pratigrunati
om iti brahma prasouti’
What is being pronounced and what is being heard during yajnas is the pranava.. Pranava accompanies the theme that integrates all rituals. Pranava accompanies the expostulation of the subtle formulae in all sciences. Pranava accompanies the instructions imparted by the master conducting a sacrifice. Pranava accompanies the process of creation initiated by a creative artist.
‘om iti agnihotram anujanati
om iti brahmanah pravakshyan aha brahmo prapnuvanti
brahmaivopapnoti’
Pranava accompanies the permission given for the satisfaction of the legitimate fires of passion. Pranava accompanies the utterances of one who pursues Brahman. When one regulates all his utterances as expressions of pranava he becomes one with Brahman.
Pranava is the essential principle of the universe. It is to be invoked in all actions that are performed as parts of projects aimed at universal welfare. It is to be invoked while instructions are being passed on during the execution of such projects. It is to be invoked in all efforts for the harmonious linking of procedures. It is to be invoked when the masters of ceremonies pronounce their instructions. It is to be invoked while permitting oneself the consummation of the legitimate fires of passion.
All physical systems when left without any control tends to stray from the true course. It is as true for a mind pursuing the realization of oneness with the universe as it is for a motor car. The mind tends to accumulate all sorts of junk that contributes to anxieties, fears and doubts. It gets hijacked by all sorts of pratyayas and loses its freshness and openness. A Vedic scholar performing the rituals of a yaga is as much vulnerable to this problem as a communist who pretends that he has established a scientific basis for his obsession with pratyayas.
To steer through this jungle of pratyayas without getting lost the fundamental principle that resides in all stable objects is to be constantly remembered. Just as the driver of a car keeps meditating on the course charted, even without his consciously being aware of it, a man pursuing spiritual progress, by perfect alignment with the universe, should keep meditating on pranava. The invocation of pranava keeps one on course in his pursuit of Brahman and makes his identification with Brahman possible.
For the worldly people temples are the equipment to facilitate the upasana of pranava. The belief of a devotee is the fuel that powers this equipment. To that extent the effectiveness of temples is highly conditional. The greatest threat to belief is the cynicism of a non-believer. The walls of a place of worship are built to keep out the non-believer and the purifying ceremonies are meant to remove the contamination caused by the presence of non-believers. A Hindu who can feel the echoes of pranava in a Christian church perhaps does not need a temple for worship. Similarly a Christian who can experience the communion with the Holy Ghost in a temple does not need a church for worship.
Symbolically pranava is represented by the sound ‘Aum’. In Sanskrit this sound is the conjunction of the three vowels… a, u and am. These three vowels represent the presiding deities of creation, sustenance and consummation. The balance between the processes of creation, sustenance and consummation determines the stability of an object. Pranava is the central principle of an orderly universe.
‘om iti brahmah om iti idam sarvam om ityedanukruteehasma’
Brahma is known as pranava. All that is here is a manifestation of pranava. Pranava accompanies all actions performed as a part of a sacrifice.
‘va apyo shravayetya shravayanti
om iti samani gayanti om shomiti shastrani shamsanti
om iti adhvaryuh pratigaram pratigrunati
om iti brahma prasouti’
What is being pronounced and what is being heard during yajnas is the pranava.. Pranava accompanies the theme that integrates all rituals. Pranava accompanies the expostulation of the subtle formulae in all sciences. Pranava accompanies the instructions imparted by the master conducting a sacrifice. Pranava accompanies the process of creation initiated by a creative artist.
‘om iti agnihotram anujanati
om iti brahmanah pravakshyan aha brahmo prapnuvanti
brahmaivopapnoti’
Pranava accompanies the permission given for the satisfaction of the legitimate fires of passion. Pranava accompanies the utterances of one who pursues Brahman. When one regulates all his utterances as expressions of pranava he becomes one with Brahman.
Pranava is the essential principle of the universe. It is to be invoked in all actions that are performed as parts of projects aimed at universal welfare. It is to be invoked while instructions are being passed on during the execution of such projects. It is to be invoked in all efforts for the harmonious linking of procedures. It is to be invoked when the masters of ceremonies pronounce their instructions. It is to be invoked while permitting oneself the consummation of the legitimate fires of passion.
All physical systems when left without any control tends to stray from the true course. It is as true for a mind pursuing the realization of oneness with the universe as it is for a motor car. The mind tends to accumulate all sorts of junk that contributes to anxieties, fears and doubts. It gets hijacked by all sorts of pratyayas and loses its freshness and openness. A Vedic scholar performing the rituals of a yaga is as much vulnerable to this problem as a communist who pretends that he has established a scientific basis for his obsession with pratyayas.
To steer through this jungle of pratyayas without getting lost the fundamental principle that resides in all stable objects is to be constantly remembered. Just as the driver of a car keeps meditating on the course charted, even without his consciously being aware of it, a man pursuing spiritual progress, by perfect alignment with the universe, should keep meditating on pranava. The invocation of pranava keeps one on course in his pursuit of Brahman and makes his identification with Brahman possible.
For the worldly people temples are the equipment to facilitate the upasana of pranava. The belief of a devotee is the fuel that powers this equipment. To that extent the effectiveness of temples is highly conditional. The greatest threat to belief is the cynicism of a non-believer. The walls of a place of worship are built to keep out the non-believer and the purifying ceremonies are meant to remove the contamination caused by the presence of non-believers. A Hindu who can feel the echoes of pranava in a Christian church perhaps does not need a temple for worship. Similarly a Christian who can experience the communion with the Holy Ghost in a temple does not need a church for worship.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
The Elements of Being
The Hindu vision of life is experiential and not existential. Here being is experiencing, and experiencing is to be in possession of knowledge. It may be seen that the underlying theme in all Hindu spiritual practices is the achievement of perfect correspondence between being, experiencing and knowing. The rishi addresses the problem of being from this point of view. He makes a fundamental examination of the elements of being, so that he can remove the conflicts between his being, experiencing and knowing. The ‘truth’ that leads to perfect equanimity and thus to total liberation has to come from the perfect harmony between being, experiencing and knowing.
sa ya esha antarhrudaya akasha: tasmin ayam purushomanomaya:
amruto hiranmaya: antarena taluke
ya esha stana iva avalambate
What is the basis for our being? What is it that provides the nourishment for our being? The rishi starts with this question. The source of nourishment for our being is deep within us. It is beyond the body, mind and intellect. It resides as the virile spirit, the pususha, in the deep emptiness that resides at our core. We use the term emptiness to indicate the total absence of objects that populate the plane of our experience. This purusha, is the glorious product of a mind untouched by impurities. It enables one to experience the nectar or immortality. It contains within it all the treasures that make this world a worthwhile place. This spirit of enterprise appears in the empty sky of the inner heart as an indention that is keen to provide nourishment to all those who depend on it.
ya esha stana iva avalambate
sa indrayoni
yatra asou keshanto vivartante
vyapohya sheershakapale
One depends on this purusha as if it is the nipple on a mother’s breast. It is the fountainhead of all experiences. The roots of all emanations are embedded in this. The opening at the crown of the head, which is the most exalted point in the physical body, through which a being draws inspirations from the universe, is also situated in it. The essence of one’s being is established in this spirit of enterprise.
bhooriti agnou pratitishthanti
bhuva iti vayo suvariti aditye
maha iti brahmani
apnoti svarajyam manasaspatim vakpati:chakshuspati: shroutrapati: vijnanapati:
The earthiness of one’s being is established in one’s passions. Passions act as the source of virility for earthiness. The atmosphere that contains one’s dreams is established in the currents of circulating life forces. The circulating life forces acts as the source of virility for the dreams dreamt. The expansive mood to achieve greatness is established in one’s perception of Brahman, the essence of the universe. The perception of Brahman acts as the source of virility for the propensity to expand. A wholesome alignment with the universe makes expansion a satisfying experience.
One who organizes his being around this awareness attains sovereignty. He is in command of his mind. He is in command of his initiatives. He is in command of his faculties for seeing and hearing. He is in command of his faculties for knowing.
etat tato bhavati akashashareeram brahma
satyatma pranaramam mana anandam shantisamrudham
iti pracheenayogyopasva
He identifies with that which transcends everything. He becomes one with the ethereal body of the essence of the universe. He identifies with truth. He enjoys the play of life forces. His mind is filled with bliss. He is rich, endowed with an abundance of peace.
This was the format in which the ancient sages worshipped divinity. The ultimate ideal for the ancient sages was the realization of truth and through that, equanimity and sovereignty.
The matrix that sets the field for being is composed of objects that have already come into being and the objects that experience and participate in the process of being.
prithvi antareeksham dyour disho avantaradisha:
agni vayu aditya chandrama nakshtrani apa oushadhayo
vanaspataya akasha atma iti adhibhootam
The objects that have already come into being are described here. Earth, atmosphere, heaven, the directions that set the coordinates, the interstitial space between the directions, fire, air, sun, moon, stars, water, herbs, trees, ether, the essence of individuality…these are the objects that have already come into being. All progress starts with the acceptance of the current status. One should start with the appreciation of one’s own earthiness, the environment that provide opportunities, the understanding of the ideals that one holds dear, the possible directions for advancement, the space available for maneuver, the inner passions, the currents that operate within and without, the source of energy, the equipment for coordinating knowing and doing, the sources of inspiration, sensibilities, the means for making corrective actions, the significant emanations that influence others, the emptiness at the core of being and the essence of oneself.
atha adhyatmam
prano vyano apana udana: samana: chakshu: shroutram
mano vak tvak charma mamsa majja
Now the objects that experience and participate in the process of being are described. The five life forces (prana, vyana, apana, udana, samana), the organs for perception, the mind that integrates the inputs brought by the organs of perception, the organs for self expression, the organs for supporting the emanations from oneself, the organs for differentiating oneself from others, the organs for forcefully influencing the environment and the organs for regenerating the medium for the circulation of life forces – these are the objects that experience being.
These objects are the elements of organization that gets superimposed on the objects that have already come into being.
etad adhividyaya
rishiravochat panktam va idam sarvam
panktenaiva panktam sprunoteeti
Now the object that constitutes knowledge is being described. The rishis said that the characteristic of knowledge is its stacked nature. The working of the elements of being and becoming are to be grasped by stacking them in terms of their interrelationships. A possible order for the stacking of the objects is suggested below.
Stack 1:
Earth; Atmosphere; Heaven (Ideals); Directions; Interstitial space
Stack 2:
Fire; Air; Sun (Source of energy); Moon (Reflects energy to illuminate); Stars
Stack 3:
Water; Corrective actions; Proliferating Vegetation; Emptiness; Consciousness
Stack 4:
Prana (Life forces flowing in); Apana (Life forces flowing out); Vyana (Life forces prompting expansion); Samana (Life forces striving for balance); Udana (Life forces prompting upward movement)
Stack 5:
Sense ofgans; Organs of action; Mind; Physical body; Speech
The stacks 1 to 5 are to be arranged side by side in order to form a matrix.
Here the last element in a row is to be taken as adjacent to the first element in that row and the bottommost element in a column is to be taken as adjacent to the topmost element in that column. Each element in these stacks is related to and affected by the neighboring elements. For example the development of sense organs affects the earthiness, the resourcefulness, of an entity. The resourcefulness in turn affects the passions which in turn affects the sensibilities. Looking backwards the sensibilities influence the passions and the passions affect the resourcefulness. The resourcefulness in turn affects the efficiency of operation of the sense organs. Similar chains of affections can be thought of about all possible adjacencies to deal with any particular situation.
The nature of the affections decides whether an entity is striving towards freedom or not. For example, for a free agent, perfect faculties will determine the life forces being drawn in, that in turn will determine the sensibilities, the sensibilities in turn will determine the passions and the passions in turn will determine the resources accumulated. On the contrary, for a bonded agent, the available resources will set the constraints for passions and the constrained passions will dull the sensibilities and the dulled sensibilities will affect the life forces being drawn in. The entire episode will end up in a general lack of enthusiasm, which is a basic feature of a slave.
The awareness of the matrix structure for the objects inhabiting this universe is important as it gives a means to systematically organize our affections in such a manner that our existence don’t hang as a heavy burden on our own shoulders.
sa ya esha antarhrudaya akasha: tasmin ayam purushomanomaya:
amruto hiranmaya: antarena taluke
ya esha stana iva avalambate
What is the basis for our being? What is it that provides the nourishment for our being? The rishi starts with this question. The source of nourishment for our being is deep within us. It is beyond the body, mind and intellect. It resides as the virile spirit, the pususha, in the deep emptiness that resides at our core. We use the term emptiness to indicate the total absence of objects that populate the plane of our experience. This purusha, is the glorious product of a mind untouched by impurities. It enables one to experience the nectar or immortality. It contains within it all the treasures that make this world a worthwhile place. This spirit of enterprise appears in the empty sky of the inner heart as an indention that is keen to provide nourishment to all those who depend on it.
ya esha stana iva avalambate
sa indrayoni
yatra asou keshanto vivartante
vyapohya sheershakapale
One depends on this purusha as if it is the nipple on a mother’s breast. It is the fountainhead of all experiences. The roots of all emanations are embedded in this. The opening at the crown of the head, which is the most exalted point in the physical body, through which a being draws inspirations from the universe, is also situated in it. The essence of one’s being is established in this spirit of enterprise.
bhooriti agnou pratitishthanti
bhuva iti vayo suvariti aditye
maha iti brahmani
apnoti svarajyam manasaspatim vakpati:chakshuspati: shroutrapati: vijnanapati:
The earthiness of one’s being is established in one’s passions. Passions act as the source of virility for earthiness. The atmosphere that contains one’s dreams is established in the currents of circulating life forces. The circulating life forces acts as the source of virility for the dreams dreamt. The expansive mood to achieve greatness is established in one’s perception of Brahman, the essence of the universe. The perception of Brahman acts as the source of virility for the propensity to expand. A wholesome alignment with the universe makes expansion a satisfying experience.
One who organizes his being around this awareness attains sovereignty. He is in command of his mind. He is in command of his initiatives. He is in command of his faculties for seeing and hearing. He is in command of his faculties for knowing.
etat tato bhavati akashashareeram brahma
satyatma pranaramam mana anandam shantisamrudham
iti pracheenayogyopasva
He identifies with that which transcends everything. He becomes one with the ethereal body of the essence of the universe. He identifies with truth. He enjoys the play of life forces. His mind is filled with bliss. He is rich, endowed with an abundance of peace.
This was the format in which the ancient sages worshipped divinity. The ultimate ideal for the ancient sages was the realization of truth and through that, equanimity and sovereignty.
The matrix that sets the field for being is composed of objects that have already come into being and the objects that experience and participate in the process of being.
prithvi antareeksham dyour disho avantaradisha:
agni vayu aditya chandrama nakshtrani apa oushadhayo
vanaspataya akasha atma iti adhibhootam
The objects that have already come into being are described here. Earth, atmosphere, heaven, the directions that set the coordinates, the interstitial space between the directions, fire, air, sun, moon, stars, water, herbs, trees, ether, the essence of individuality…these are the objects that have already come into being. All progress starts with the acceptance of the current status. One should start with the appreciation of one’s own earthiness, the environment that provide opportunities, the understanding of the ideals that one holds dear, the possible directions for advancement, the space available for maneuver, the inner passions, the currents that operate within and without, the source of energy, the equipment for coordinating knowing and doing, the sources of inspiration, sensibilities, the means for making corrective actions, the significant emanations that influence others, the emptiness at the core of being and the essence of oneself.
atha adhyatmam
prano vyano apana udana: samana: chakshu: shroutram
mano vak tvak charma mamsa majja
Now the objects that experience and participate in the process of being are described. The five life forces (prana, vyana, apana, udana, samana), the organs for perception, the mind that integrates the inputs brought by the organs of perception, the organs for self expression, the organs for supporting the emanations from oneself, the organs for differentiating oneself from others, the organs for forcefully influencing the environment and the organs for regenerating the medium for the circulation of life forces – these are the objects that experience being.
These objects are the elements of organization that gets superimposed on the objects that have already come into being.
etad adhividyaya
rishiravochat panktam va idam sarvam
panktenaiva panktam sprunoteeti
Now the object that constitutes knowledge is being described. The rishis said that the characteristic of knowledge is its stacked nature. The working of the elements of being and becoming are to be grasped by stacking them in terms of their interrelationships. A possible order for the stacking of the objects is suggested below.
Stack 1:
Earth; Atmosphere; Heaven (Ideals); Directions; Interstitial space
Stack 2:
Fire; Air; Sun (Source of energy); Moon (Reflects energy to illuminate); Stars
Stack 3:
Water; Corrective actions; Proliferating Vegetation; Emptiness; Consciousness
Stack 4:
Prana (Life forces flowing in); Apana (Life forces flowing out); Vyana (Life forces prompting expansion); Samana (Life forces striving for balance); Udana (Life forces prompting upward movement)
Stack 5:
Sense ofgans; Organs of action; Mind; Physical body; Speech
The stacks 1 to 5 are to be arranged side by side in order to form a matrix.
Here the last element in a row is to be taken as adjacent to the first element in that row and the bottommost element in a column is to be taken as adjacent to the topmost element in that column. Each element in these stacks is related to and affected by the neighboring elements. For example the development of sense organs affects the earthiness, the resourcefulness, of an entity. The resourcefulness in turn affects the passions which in turn affects the sensibilities. Looking backwards the sensibilities influence the passions and the passions affect the resourcefulness. The resourcefulness in turn affects the efficiency of operation of the sense organs. Similar chains of affections can be thought of about all possible adjacencies to deal with any particular situation.
The nature of the affections decides whether an entity is striving towards freedom or not. For example, for a free agent, perfect faculties will determine the life forces being drawn in, that in turn will determine the sensibilities, the sensibilities in turn will determine the passions and the passions in turn will determine the resources accumulated. On the contrary, for a bonded agent, the available resources will set the constraints for passions and the constrained passions will dull the sensibilities and the dulled sensibilities will affect the life forces being drawn in. The entire episode will end up in a general lack of enthusiasm, which is a basic feature of a slave.
The awareness of the matrix structure for the objects inhabiting this universe is important as it gives a means to systematically organize our affections in such a manner that our existence don’t hang as a heavy burden on our own shoulders.
Friday, May 18, 2007
The Three States and Their Projections
Integrity is the prime requirement for progress. To move towards the realization of lasting happiness, one should attune himself for this purpose, removing all inner conflicts and contradictions. The discussion on the different states, and their projection in different planes, that follow provides the basic methodology for ensuring this attunement.
The objects in the manifested universe are caught in a flux that passes through different states. These innumerable states can be resolved into three primary states, the different combinations of which give all the possible states. The three primary states are the state of dormancy, the state of passive manifestation and the state of active manifestation. We may call these as the state of deep slumber, dream state and the state of wakefulness.
In the state of deep slumber the organs of sensing and action, as well as the mind that supervises them, are not functioning. There are neither experiences nor actions in this state. The only thing that remains active in this state is the ideals that form the core of one’s being. This is a state of bliss as there are no demands on any system that cries out for satisfaction in this state. This is the state we normally associate with ‘svarga’, which is the abode of devas.
The dream state is the state that lies between the state of deep slumber and the state of wakefulness. In this state the organs of sensing and action are passive, but the mind that governs them is active. Here the mind can weave dreams conforming to the ideals that form the core of one’s being, unencumbered by distractions from outside. The quality of dreams differentiates a creative person from the others. The dreams dreamt by a creative person do not contradict the core ideals and the realities of the external environment. Such dreams form a solid basis for actions in the wakeful state. They are different from the jumble of unconnected images one sees during ordinary sleep, which serves only as an outlet for pent up emotions that fail to find a legitimate avenue for expression.
In the wakeful state the organs of sensing and action as well as the mind that supervises them are wide awake. In the case of a free person, actions based on the dreams dreamt in the dream-state are performed, and the results of the actions are enjoyed, during the wakeful state.
One is caught in the flux caused by the three states as long as he belongs to the manifested universe. To manage the three states properly one must reach a fourth state that transcends the three states mentioned above. The three states in the domain of the manifested universe and the fourth state that transcends the manifested universe are dealt with in the following verses of Taittiriya Upanishad.
bhur bhuva suvariti va etaastritayo vyahrutaya:
tasaamuhasmaitaam chaturthim mahachamasya: pravadayate
maha iti tad brahma angaan anyadevataa
The wakeful state of gross earthiness, the dreamlike state of ideas and the heavenly state of ideals are essentially the three states we see in the manifested universe. There is a fourth state which transcends these three states. This fourth state can be conceived only by enlightened persons who are intimately familiar with the workings of the time domain. The ideals are preserved, the dreams are dreamt and actions are performed in the time domain. Total mastery of all functions of time is required to remain unaffected by the time domain. It is mentioned here that Mahachama, the son of Yama, the presiding deity of the passage of time, was the one to acquire this qualification first. A father bequeaths dharma, the relationships in the time domain to his son and nobody could have been closer to Yama than Mahachama in the matter of dharma. This shows the degree of intimacy one should establish with the time domain to conceive the fourth state. The fourth state is the essence of the manifested universe, the Brahman, the primary ideal that manifests through everything in the manifested universe. All other ideals are only limbs of this.
Now the different manifestations of the four states when projected in different planes are explained.
bhuriti va ayam lokah bhuva ityantareeksham suvarityasou lokah maha ityadityah
adityena sarvaloka maheeyante
Firstly the projection of the states in the physical plane is described. In this plane the world we perceive by our sense organs is the wakeful state of gross earthiness. The atmosphere surrounding the world contains the dreams of this world. This atmosphere is pregnant with opportunities. The world draws the impulses for movements from the atmosphere that surrounds it. The world beyond is the rarefied world of ideals to which all movements are directed to. The sun that provides the nourishment for all these is the fourth state here. The energy for knowing and doing, the brilliance that lights up the atmosphere with opportunities, the purity that rears the ideals…all these are the contributions of the sun. All worldly beings prosper by imbibing the sun. This description is true also all entities in the world. All of them are engrossed in their own earthiness and are surrounded by their own environments and ideals. They also have independent sources of energy around which they move just as the earth orbits around the sun.
The fourth state in the physical plane is the ideal in the next higher plane, viz. the plane of emotions. This establishes the continuity between the physical plane and the plane of emotions.
bhuriti va agnih bhuva iti vayuh suvariti adityah maha iti chandramah
chandramasavava sarvani jyotishee maheeyante
In the plane of emotions the fire of passion is the earthy state. The circulating current of vitality is the atmosphere that surrounds the earthy state. This vitality kindles the passions and maintains them. The sun, the inexhaustible source of energy, is the ideal that prompts the happenings in the emotional plane. The nourishment for all these comes from the active mind, which is the fourth state here. By attending to the mind the intensity of ideals, vitality and disciplined passions proliferate.
The fourth state in the emotional plane is the ideal in the next higher plane, viz. the plane of the intellect. This establishes the continuity between the emotional plane and the plane of intellect.
bhuriti va ruchah bhuva iti samani suvariti yajurshi maha iti brahmah
brahmanavava sarve veda maheeyante
In the intellectual plane codified knowledge is the earthy state. The infinite possibilities associated with knowledge form the atmosphere that surrounds this earthy state. An active mind for the productive application of the knowledge is the ideal here. All the intellectual pursuits get nourished by Brahman, the essence of the universe, which is the fourth state here. Knowledge, the possibilities associated with knowledge and the vision for appropriate application of knowledge proliferates when one dwells on the essence of the universe.
The fourth state in the intellectual plane is the ideal in the next higher plane, viz. the plane of life forces. This establishes the continuity between the plane of the intellect and the plane of the life forces.
bhuriti va pranah bhuva iti apanah suvariti vyanah maha iti annam
annena vava sarve prana maheeyante
Prana and apana are not merely the inhalation and exhalation of air. Prana is the life forces a system takes in from the environment. Similarly apana is the life forces the system gives back to the environment. Prana is associated with all the inputs we take from the universe. Apana is associated with all the outputs we give out. Even a word of encouragement one speaks to energize another person is an expression of apana. In the plane of life forces we take in energy from the universe and gives out energy to the environment. Here the energy flowing in is the earthy state. The energy flowing out from all systems is the atmosphere that surrounds this earthy state. The ideal for energy flow being pursued is the energization of the entire environment. Vyana refers to this expansion to fill everywhere. This ideal of filling everywhere demands that one should always strive to give more than what one takes. The currents of life forces are nourished by food, which is the transcendental fourth state here.
The fourth state in the plane of life forces viz, food, is the ideal in the physical plane. The food that sustains the life forces is the same as the idealism that prompts movements in the physical plane. Every object in this world should be driven by the ideal where they are serving as food for others. This establishes the continuity between the plane of life forces and the physical world.
ta va etaaschatasrah chaturthaa chatasrachatasro vyahrutayah
ta yo veda sa brahma sarvesmai deva balim avahanti
One who understands the projections of the four states in the four planes, viz. physical, emotional, intellectual and virile, is endowed with all strengths by the abundance and stability of ideals. He is equipped well to deal with any worldly contingencies.
The integrity of a person depends on the correspondence of his ideals, dreams and movements. This integrity is to be ensured in the physical, emotional, intellectual, and vital planes. Also one should ensure the correspondence between what is happening in the four different planes…physical, emotional, intellectual and vital. This integrity is spontaneous, if the nourishment is taken from the transcendental fourth state defined for a plane, for the three states in that plane, for each of the planes. That will also ensure the continuity and correspondence between the various planes of one’s existence.
The objects in the manifested universe are caught in a flux that passes through different states. These innumerable states can be resolved into three primary states, the different combinations of which give all the possible states. The three primary states are the state of dormancy, the state of passive manifestation and the state of active manifestation. We may call these as the state of deep slumber, dream state and the state of wakefulness.
In the state of deep slumber the organs of sensing and action, as well as the mind that supervises them, are not functioning. There are neither experiences nor actions in this state. The only thing that remains active in this state is the ideals that form the core of one’s being. This is a state of bliss as there are no demands on any system that cries out for satisfaction in this state. This is the state we normally associate with ‘svarga’, which is the abode of devas.
The dream state is the state that lies between the state of deep slumber and the state of wakefulness. In this state the organs of sensing and action are passive, but the mind that governs them is active. Here the mind can weave dreams conforming to the ideals that form the core of one’s being, unencumbered by distractions from outside. The quality of dreams differentiates a creative person from the others. The dreams dreamt by a creative person do not contradict the core ideals and the realities of the external environment. Such dreams form a solid basis for actions in the wakeful state. They are different from the jumble of unconnected images one sees during ordinary sleep, which serves only as an outlet for pent up emotions that fail to find a legitimate avenue for expression.
In the wakeful state the organs of sensing and action as well as the mind that supervises them are wide awake. In the case of a free person, actions based on the dreams dreamt in the dream-state are performed, and the results of the actions are enjoyed, during the wakeful state.
One is caught in the flux caused by the three states as long as he belongs to the manifested universe. To manage the three states properly one must reach a fourth state that transcends the three states mentioned above. The three states in the domain of the manifested universe and the fourth state that transcends the manifested universe are dealt with in the following verses of Taittiriya Upanishad.
bhur bhuva suvariti va etaastritayo vyahrutaya:
tasaamuhasmaitaam chaturthim mahachamasya: pravadayate
maha iti tad brahma angaan anyadevataa
The wakeful state of gross earthiness, the dreamlike state of ideas and the heavenly state of ideals are essentially the three states we see in the manifested universe. There is a fourth state which transcends these three states. This fourth state can be conceived only by enlightened persons who are intimately familiar with the workings of the time domain. The ideals are preserved, the dreams are dreamt and actions are performed in the time domain. Total mastery of all functions of time is required to remain unaffected by the time domain. It is mentioned here that Mahachama, the son of Yama, the presiding deity of the passage of time, was the one to acquire this qualification first. A father bequeaths dharma, the relationships in the time domain to his son and nobody could have been closer to Yama than Mahachama in the matter of dharma. This shows the degree of intimacy one should establish with the time domain to conceive the fourth state. The fourth state is the essence of the manifested universe, the Brahman, the primary ideal that manifests through everything in the manifested universe. All other ideals are only limbs of this.
Now the different manifestations of the four states when projected in different planes are explained.
bhuriti va ayam lokah bhuva ityantareeksham suvarityasou lokah maha ityadityah
adityena sarvaloka maheeyante
Firstly the projection of the states in the physical plane is described. In this plane the world we perceive by our sense organs is the wakeful state of gross earthiness. The atmosphere surrounding the world contains the dreams of this world. This atmosphere is pregnant with opportunities. The world draws the impulses for movements from the atmosphere that surrounds it. The world beyond is the rarefied world of ideals to which all movements are directed to. The sun that provides the nourishment for all these is the fourth state here. The energy for knowing and doing, the brilliance that lights up the atmosphere with opportunities, the purity that rears the ideals…all these are the contributions of the sun. All worldly beings prosper by imbibing the sun. This description is true also all entities in the world. All of them are engrossed in their own earthiness and are surrounded by their own environments and ideals. They also have independent sources of energy around which they move just as the earth orbits around the sun.
The fourth state in the physical plane is the ideal in the next higher plane, viz. the plane of emotions. This establishes the continuity between the physical plane and the plane of emotions.
bhuriti va agnih bhuva iti vayuh suvariti adityah maha iti chandramah
chandramasavava sarvani jyotishee maheeyante
In the plane of emotions the fire of passion is the earthy state. The circulating current of vitality is the atmosphere that surrounds the earthy state. This vitality kindles the passions and maintains them. The sun, the inexhaustible source of energy, is the ideal that prompts the happenings in the emotional plane. The nourishment for all these comes from the active mind, which is the fourth state here. By attending to the mind the intensity of ideals, vitality and disciplined passions proliferate.
The fourth state in the emotional plane is the ideal in the next higher plane, viz. the plane of the intellect. This establishes the continuity between the emotional plane and the plane of intellect.
bhuriti va ruchah bhuva iti samani suvariti yajurshi maha iti brahmah
brahmanavava sarve veda maheeyante
In the intellectual plane codified knowledge is the earthy state. The infinite possibilities associated with knowledge form the atmosphere that surrounds this earthy state. An active mind for the productive application of the knowledge is the ideal here. All the intellectual pursuits get nourished by Brahman, the essence of the universe, which is the fourth state here. Knowledge, the possibilities associated with knowledge and the vision for appropriate application of knowledge proliferates when one dwells on the essence of the universe.
The fourth state in the intellectual plane is the ideal in the next higher plane, viz. the plane of life forces. This establishes the continuity between the plane of the intellect and the plane of the life forces.
bhuriti va pranah bhuva iti apanah suvariti vyanah maha iti annam
annena vava sarve prana maheeyante
Prana and apana are not merely the inhalation and exhalation of air. Prana is the life forces a system takes in from the environment. Similarly apana is the life forces the system gives back to the environment. Prana is associated with all the inputs we take from the universe. Apana is associated with all the outputs we give out. Even a word of encouragement one speaks to energize another person is an expression of apana. In the plane of life forces we take in energy from the universe and gives out energy to the environment. Here the energy flowing in is the earthy state. The energy flowing out from all systems is the atmosphere that surrounds this earthy state. The ideal for energy flow being pursued is the energization of the entire environment. Vyana refers to this expansion to fill everywhere. This ideal of filling everywhere demands that one should always strive to give more than what one takes. The currents of life forces are nourished by food, which is the transcendental fourth state here.
The fourth state in the plane of life forces viz, food, is the ideal in the physical plane. The food that sustains the life forces is the same as the idealism that prompts movements in the physical plane. Every object in this world should be driven by the ideal where they are serving as food for others. This establishes the continuity between the plane of life forces and the physical world.
ta va etaaschatasrah chaturthaa chatasrachatasro vyahrutayah
ta yo veda sa brahma sarvesmai deva balim avahanti
One who understands the projections of the four states in the four planes, viz. physical, emotional, intellectual and virile, is endowed with all strengths by the abundance and stability of ideals. He is equipped well to deal with any worldly contingencies.
The integrity of a person depends on the correspondence of his ideals, dreams and movements. This integrity is to be ensured in the physical, emotional, intellectual, and vital planes. Also one should ensure the correspondence between what is happening in the four different planes…physical, emotional, intellectual and vital. This integrity is spontaneous, if the nourishment is taken from the transcendental fourth state defined for a plane, for the three states in that plane, for each of the planes. That will also ensure the continuity and correspondence between the various planes of one’s existence.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Be a Brahmachari While Pursuing Knowledge
All categories of objects find themselves in a flux that traverses across different states. The turbulence of this flux can be frightening and confusing if one is not able to control himself. For establishing control one needs something that is unaffected by the currents to hold on. For man this stable support is the pure awareness that remains true and unwavering in all states. This pure awareness is the fountainhead from where all knowledge emanates. So the teacher and student meditate on the potent core of all branches of knowledge.
यश्छ्न्दसाम रृषभो विश्वरूपा: छ्न्दोभ्य अध्याम्रुतात सम्बभुवा
सा मेंद्रो मेधया स्प्रुणोतु अम्रुतास्यदेवा धारणो भूयासम
शरीरं मे विचर्षणम जिह्वा मे मधुमत्तमा
कर्माभ्याम भूरी विश्रवं
ब्रह्म: कोशो असी मेधया पिहिता:
श्रुतं मे गोपाय
This core is the sum of the immortal components of all intelligent utterances. This core of enlightenment is the divinity residing within all objects in this manifested universe. It contains the seeds for all auspicious things in the manifested universe. This core of divinity empowers the student as well as the teacher to grasp knowledge. The teacher and student, together, are trying to touch that core. This process of identification involves doing the right things with competence, without breaking the harmony of the environment. To ensure this harmony it is necessary that one receives appropriate inputs and gives out appropriate outputs. So the teacher and student pray: ‘Let that, which is also myself, the divine master of my sensibilities, enable me to touch that core formed of the immortal component of all mantras with my intellect. Let me be filled to the brim by that immortal presence. Let my body be competent for its role. Let the words uttered by my tongue be sweet. Let my ears remain wide open to listen to the good words uttered by others. I am but only a covering of the Brahman that remains hidden by my intellect. Let me process and preserve with care the inputs that reach me from all sides.’
A right input is a vector that progresses in search of Brahman, the essence of the universe. It is a brahmachari. These inputs flowing in are like the students flocking to a teacher for instructions. They get processed and are sent back in a better form. One needs these inputs so that they can be given back to the world in a more refined form. These inputs are the resources for the manifestation of Brahman. For assimilating the inputs and generating a profusion of outputs one needs processes with a very high degree of productivity. So husbanding the processes is also an important matter. So the teacher and student pray together:
आवहंती वितन्वानाम कुर्वाणा चीरमात्मना:
वासाम्सी ममगावाश्च अन्नपाने च सर्वदा
लोमशम पशुभि: सह स्वाहा
आमायंतु ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वाहा
विमायंतु ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वाहा
प्र्मायंतु ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वाहा
दमायंतु ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वाहा
शमायंतु ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वाहा
‘I aspire to draw all these inputs into me so that I can make them proliferate to provide the worldly resources to envelope divinity, along with the lively processes associated with it, with form, sustenance and sensibilities. I aspire that the processes that are capable of generating profuse emanations come to me. I aspire that the inputs directed towards the realization of Brahman come to me. I aspire that they flow out from me to all sides. I aspire that the inputs in the domain of intellect come to me. I aspire that the inputs in the domain of a disciplined mind come to me. I aspire that the inputs in the domain of consummation come to me.’
यशो जाने असानी स्वाहा श्रेयां वास्यसा: असानी स्वाहा
तं त्वा भगा प्रविशा स्वाहा
तस्मिन् सहस्राशाखेनी भागाहम त्वयिम्रुजे स्वाहा
यथापः प्रावता यन्ति यथा मासा अहर्जरम
एवं मां ब्रह्मचारिणः धातारायांतु सर्वता: स्वाहा
प्रति वेषोसी प्रमा भाहि प्रा पद्यस्वा
Knowing is to be approached with an attitude of self-surrender. The goal is to enhance one’s relevance so that extensive contribution can be made for universal welfare. The attractive power of relevance has to come from the alignment with inner divinity. Inner divinity is like a holy river that has a thousand branches. The teacher and student take a dip in this holy river and pray: ‘I aspire to acquire relevance among these people. I aspire to acquire the power to attract that comes with the alignment with divinity. I aspire to enter that auspicious presence. I aspire that that auspicious presence will descend on me. I aspire to dip myself in this holy river with a thousand branches. I aspire that like the water flowing to the ocean, like the months merging with the years, let all those inputs tending to converge to the essence of the universe come to me for merging with me. Let me be the resting place for them. Reveal yourself to me. Reach out to me and make me filled by your presence.’
A pursuer of knowledge must see and respect the glory of the central theme of what he is seeking above everything else. For him it is very important to see that a predominant part of the inputs reaching him are related to his pursuits. For this he must keep away from a life of dissipation. He must differentiate between recreation and dissipating entertainment. And he must keep all his faculties tuned to receive and properly process the desirable inputs flowing in from all sides. He must remain as a brahmachari.
यश्छ्न्दसाम रृषभो विश्वरूपा: छ्न्दोभ्य अध्याम्रुतात सम्बभुवा
सा मेंद्रो मेधया स्प्रुणोतु अम्रुतास्यदेवा धारणो भूयासम
शरीरं मे विचर्षणम जिह्वा मे मधुमत्तमा
कर्माभ्याम भूरी विश्रवं
ब्रह्म: कोशो असी मेधया पिहिता:
श्रुतं मे गोपाय
This core is the sum of the immortal components of all intelligent utterances. This core of enlightenment is the divinity residing within all objects in this manifested universe. It contains the seeds for all auspicious things in the manifested universe. This core of divinity empowers the student as well as the teacher to grasp knowledge. The teacher and student, together, are trying to touch that core. This process of identification involves doing the right things with competence, without breaking the harmony of the environment. To ensure this harmony it is necessary that one receives appropriate inputs and gives out appropriate outputs. So the teacher and student pray: ‘Let that, which is also myself, the divine master of my sensibilities, enable me to touch that core formed of the immortal component of all mantras with my intellect. Let me be filled to the brim by that immortal presence. Let my body be competent for its role. Let the words uttered by my tongue be sweet. Let my ears remain wide open to listen to the good words uttered by others. I am but only a covering of the Brahman that remains hidden by my intellect. Let me process and preserve with care the inputs that reach me from all sides.’
A right input is a vector that progresses in search of Brahman, the essence of the universe. It is a brahmachari. These inputs flowing in are like the students flocking to a teacher for instructions. They get processed and are sent back in a better form. One needs these inputs so that they can be given back to the world in a more refined form. These inputs are the resources for the manifestation of Brahman. For assimilating the inputs and generating a profusion of outputs one needs processes with a very high degree of productivity. So husbanding the processes is also an important matter. So the teacher and student pray together:
आवहंती वितन्वानाम कुर्वाणा चीरमात्मना:
वासाम्सी ममगावाश्च अन्नपाने च सर्वदा
लोमशम पशुभि: सह स्वाहा
आमायंतु ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वाहा
विमायंतु ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वाहा
प्र्मायंतु ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वाहा
दमायंतु ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वाहा
शमायंतु ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वाहा
‘I aspire to draw all these inputs into me so that I can make them proliferate to provide the worldly resources to envelope divinity, along with the lively processes associated with it, with form, sustenance and sensibilities. I aspire that the processes that are capable of generating profuse emanations come to me. I aspire that the inputs directed towards the realization of Brahman come to me. I aspire that they flow out from me to all sides. I aspire that the inputs in the domain of intellect come to me. I aspire that the inputs in the domain of a disciplined mind come to me. I aspire that the inputs in the domain of consummation come to me.’
यशो जाने असानी स्वाहा श्रेयां वास्यसा: असानी स्वाहा
तं त्वा भगा प्रविशा स्वाहा
तस्मिन् सहस्राशाखेनी भागाहम त्वयिम्रुजे स्वाहा
यथापः प्रावता यन्ति यथा मासा अहर्जरम
एवं मां ब्रह्मचारिणः धातारायांतु सर्वता: स्वाहा
प्रति वेषोसी प्रमा भाहि प्रा पद्यस्वा
Knowing is to be approached with an attitude of self-surrender. The goal is to enhance one’s relevance so that extensive contribution can be made for universal welfare. The attractive power of relevance has to come from the alignment with inner divinity. Inner divinity is like a holy river that has a thousand branches. The teacher and student take a dip in this holy river and pray: ‘I aspire to acquire relevance among these people. I aspire to acquire the power to attract that comes with the alignment with divinity. I aspire to enter that auspicious presence. I aspire that that auspicious presence will descend on me. I aspire to dip myself in this holy river with a thousand branches. I aspire that like the water flowing to the ocean, like the months merging with the years, let all those inputs tending to converge to the essence of the universe come to me for merging with me. Let me be the resting place for them. Reveal yourself to me. Reach out to me and make me filled by your presence.’
A pursuer of knowledge must see and respect the glory of the central theme of what he is seeking above everything else. For him it is very important to see that a predominant part of the inputs reaching him are related to his pursuits. For this he must keep away from a life of dissipation. He must differentiate between recreation and dissipating entertainment. And he must keep all his faculties tuned to receive and properly process the desirable inputs flowing in from all sides. He must remain as a brahmachari.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Categorization - A Tool for Knowing
(Categorization, if it is not applied properly, has the potential to cause divisions by placing objects into unconnected compartments. Then, instead of unifying the many objects by thorough enlightenment we shall be dividing them by the process of knowing. A very bad example for this is the caste system, which has been a blemish on the Hindu community. The attempt to understand human nature through the four varnas gave rise to the watertight compartments when the leaders chose to block the connectivity between the compartments by linking the placement in a varna to one’s birth. So keeping the flow between the categories open is very important while devising and applying categories. Education, when it is not properly imparted, instead of promoting courage and resourcefulness, can convert one into a blind fanatic.)
The world is full of objects. Some of these objects can be perceived by the sense organs. Some of them can be recognized only as ideas. To understand the manifested universe one should know comprehensively all the objects that form it. As these objects are innumerable they can be grasped by a limited human mind only by organizing them appropriately in categories. Taittiriya Upanishad treats categorization as a tool for knowing.
ॐ शिक्षाँ व्यख्यासाम
वर्ण: स्वर: मात्रा बालम साम: संधान: इतयुक्ता शिक्षाध्याय:
This verse gives the basic approach for the pursuit of knowledge. The knowledge being pursued is the knowledge pertaining to the manifested universe. Only this can be pursued with the faculties available to a human being. The study of this world is essentially a study of objects. The ultimate purpose of the study is the discovery of the thread that connects all objects to the immutable unifying principle that lie behind all observed phenomena. The myriad forms with a multitude of attributes are to be studied by categorizing them and giving them names in accordance with the categories to which they belong. Once the categories are made the study can proceed systematically by exploring the essential attributes of the categories. The essential attributes are the nuances of the forms in a category, the beats of their persistence in the time domain, the powers exerted by them, the contributions they make to the upkeep and evolution of the universe and the possibilities of the generation of other forms from them.
सह नौ यश: सह नौ ब्रह्मवार्चासम
अथात: सम्हिताया उपनिषदम व्यख्यासाम:
Inthe pursuit ofknowledge all of us play the roles of a teacher as well as a student. The teaching is as much an exploration for thethe teacher as it is for the student. So it is said: ‘Let us explore the threads of relevance together and experience the glory of Brahman, the essence of the manifested universe together.’ Relevance gives things their essentiality. The glory of the essence of the universe manifests as the essentiality of the objects residing in it. What essentially are the objects in this manifested universe? Addressing this question it is said: ‘For that let us study elaborately the intimate details of the collectives।’
पंचेष्वधिकरणेषु
अधिलोकम अधिज्यौतिषम अधिविद्यम अधिप्रजम अध्यात्मम
ता महासम्हिता इत्याचक्षाते
When seen in isolation an empirical detail has limited meaning. Its complete meaning evolves only when the detail is seen in the context of the environment to which it belongs. Categorization is a tool for facilitating such a study. Categorization limits the range of vision and provides focus for the study. When the categories are properly chosen the empirical details can be properly organized for systematic study without compromising thoroughness. The five categories under the heads of which the essentiality of objects can be studied are adhilokam, adhijyoutisham, adhividyam, adhiprajam and adhyatmam. Adhilokam is the category of objects related to earthiness. Adhijyoutisham is the category of objects related to astral influences. Adhividyam is the category of objects related to the process of cognition. Adhiprajam is the category of objects related to the generation of products. Adhyatmam is the category of objects related to the essence of oneself. These categories are being further elaborated in the subsequent verses in terms of their origin, movement and the effect of their movement.
अथ अधिलोकम
पृथ्वी पूर्वरूपम द्यौरुत्ताररुपम अक्ष: संधि: वायु: संधानाम
इत्याधिलोकम
Firstly the category of objects related to earthiness is being described. This category of objects is constituted of forms in the physical world. These forms originate in physicality and they aspire to reach out to ideal states. The medium for the pursuit of their aspirations is the ethereal emptiness. The pursuit of ideals endows them with the winds of vitality. The vital sensibilities connect these objects with the next higher category.
अथ अधिज्यौतिषम
अग्नी: पुर्वरुपम आदित्य उत्तररुपम अप: संधि: वैद्युत: संधानम
इत्याधिज्यौतिषम
The next higher category is that of objects related to astral influences. Every object in the physical world is influenced by the aura of the astral bodies surrounding it. These astral bodies are significant presences that have the gravity to influence nearby objects. They originate in the astral plane as the inner fires ignited by passions. The ideal for these fires is to become a source of inexhaustible energy that can sustain all other life forms. The medium for their evolutionary movement is sensibilities. The evolutionary movement endows these objects with electrifying energy. The restlessness caused by this energy, which prompts curious exploration, connects these objects to the next higher category.
अथ अधिविद्यम
आचार्य: पुर्वरुपम अन्तेवास्युत्तररुपम विद्य संधि: प्रवचनम संधानम
इत्याधिविद्यम
The category that comes next is that of objects related to the process of cognition. These objects originate as the teacher. Everyone starts with the excitement to display the little knowledge one has. He wants to get involved in everything as a master. Knowledge, however, has a limiting effect. Generally one tends to categorize any input that reaches him in terms of the things he already knows. So knowledge, if it is not absorbed with the proper attitude, will limit the ability to learn further. The ideal here to internalize knowledge in such a manner that one can continue to learn for ever. Proper assimilation of knowledge converts one from an extrovert with the compulsion to get involved in everything to a self-contained introvert with his ears open wide for receiving knowledge from wherever it might come from. The teacher wishes to convert himself as a student with a perpetually fresh mind. The medium for this transformation is the intuitions prompted by the restlessness of a curious soul. The goal here is to be pursued by refining the knowledge base for greater and greater purity to remove all misunderstandings. The product of this evolution is the utterances of wisdom that gets pronounced in the process. These profound words connect these objects to the next higher category.
अथ अधिप्रजम
माता पुर्वरुपम पितोरुत्तररुपम प्रजा संधि: प्रजननम संधानाम
इत्यधिप्रजम
The next is the category of objects related to the process of production. These objects originate as nature. Nature is the mother that nurtures all things. This nurturing nature evolves into the virility of the father. It is the meeting of the mother and father that makes the generation of products possible. The medium that keeps the motherliness and fatherliness united is the products. The result of their union is the process of generation of products. The raw materials when committed to meet the market demand make the outflow of healthy products possible.
अथ अध्यात्मम
अधरहनु पुर्वरुपम उत्तरहनुरुत्तररुपम वाक् संधि: जिह्वा संधानाम
इत्याध्यात्मम
The last is the category of objects related to the awareness of oneself. These objects originate from the lower palette. The sound generated by the lower palette is ‘mmm…’, which is associated with the presiding deity of consummation. Man in this universe is an artist. Every product generated by him is a work of art. To begin with the theme of this artist is consummation. He is concerned about the use, the application, of the creations generated by him. At this stage he is dependent on the approval of others. The ideal for this artist is the status of a self assured creative artist who sets the trend for the others. He wants to evolve towards the status of Brahma, the presiding deity of creation. The sound associated with Brahma is ‘aaa…’, which is the sound generated by the upper palette. The medium for this artistic evolution is the words of the universal language of arts. The result of this process of evolution is the attainment of the ability to enunciate ideas.
इति मा महासम्हिता:
य एवामेत महासम्हिता व्याख्याता वेदा: संधियाते प्रजाया पशुभि:
ब्रह्मवर्चासेन अन्नाद्येन सुवार्ग्येन लोकेन
These are the great categories into which all objects in the manifested universe can be classified. One who knows the elaboration of these categories is the master of all products and processes. He realizes the glory of Brahman, the essence of the universe. He is endowed with food for all contexts. He enjoys the bliss of the realization of all worthy ideals.
Categorization, if it is not applied properly, has the potential to cause divisions by placing objects into unconnected compartments. Then instead unifying the many objects by thorough enlightenment we shall be dividing them by the process of study. A very bad example for this is the caste system, which has been a bane of the Hindu community. The attempt to understand human nature through the four varnas gave rise to the watertight compartments when the leaders chose to block the connectivity between the compartments by linking the placement in a varna to one’s birth. So keeping the flow between the categories open is very important while devising and applying categories. Education, when it is not properly imparted, instead of promoting courage and resourcefulness, can convert one into a blind fanatic.
Taittiriya Upanishad describes the categorization that should be followed intelligently for understanding the manifested universe without being bound by it. The categorization is done here in such a manner that the legitimate products of a category form the population in the next higher category. The flow of objects across the categories is what keeps the world moving.
The world is full of objects. Some of these objects can be perceived by the sense organs. Some of them can be recognized only as ideas. To understand the manifested universe one should know comprehensively all the objects that form it. As these objects are innumerable they can be grasped by a limited human mind only by organizing them appropriately in categories. Taittiriya Upanishad treats categorization as a tool for knowing.
ॐ शिक्षाँ व्यख्यासाम
वर्ण: स्वर: मात्रा बालम साम: संधान: इतयुक्ता शिक्षाध्याय:
This verse gives the basic approach for the pursuit of knowledge. The knowledge being pursued is the knowledge pertaining to the manifested universe. Only this can be pursued with the faculties available to a human being. The study of this world is essentially a study of objects. The ultimate purpose of the study is the discovery of the thread that connects all objects to the immutable unifying principle that lie behind all observed phenomena. The myriad forms with a multitude of attributes are to be studied by categorizing them and giving them names in accordance with the categories to which they belong. Once the categories are made the study can proceed systematically by exploring the essential attributes of the categories. The essential attributes are the nuances of the forms in a category, the beats of their persistence in the time domain, the powers exerted by them, the contributions they make to the upkeep and evolution of the universe and the possibilities of the generation of other forms from them.
सह नौ यश: सह नौ ब्रह्मवार्चासम
अथात: सम्हिताया उपनिषदम व्यख्यासाम:
Inthe pursuit ofknowledge all of us play the roles of a teacher as well as a student. The teaching is as much an exploration for thethe teacher as it is for the student. So it is said: ‘Let us explore the threads of relevance together and experience the glory of Brahman, the essence of the manifested universe together.’ Relevance gives things their essentiality. The glory of the essence of the universe manifests as the essentiality of the objects residing in it. What essentially are the objects in this manifested universe? Addressing this question it is said: ‘For that let us study elaborately the intimate details of the collectives।’
पंचेष्वधिकरणेषु
अधिलोकम अधिज्यौतिषम अधिविद्यम अधिप्रजम अध्यात्मम
ता महासम्हिता इत्याचक्षाते
When seen in isolation an empirical detail has limited meaning. Its complete meaning evolves only when the detail is seen in the context of the environment to which it belongs. Categorization is a tool for facilitating such a study. Categorization limits the range of vision and provides focus for the study. When the categories are properly chosen the empirical details can be properly organized for systematic study without compromising thoroughness. The five categories under the heads of which the essentiality of objects can be studied are adhilokam, adhijyoutisham, adhividyam, adhiprajam and adhyatmam. Adhilokam is the category of objects related to earthiness. Adhijyoutisham is the category of objects related to astral influences. Adhividyam is the category of objects related to the process of cognition. Adhiprajam is the category of objects related to the generation of products. Adhyatmam is the category of objects related to the essence of oneself. These categories are being further elaborated in the subsequent verses in terms of their origin, movement and the effect of their movement.
अथ अधिलोकम
पृथ्वी पूर्वरूपम द्यौरुत्ताररुपम अक्ष: संधि: वायु: संधानाम
इत्याधिलोकम
Firstly the category of objects related to earthiness is being described. This category of objects is constituted of forms in the physical world. These forms originate in physicality and they aspire to reach out to ideal states. The medium for the pursuit of their aspirations is the ethereal emptiness. The pursuit of ideals endows them with the winds of vitality. The vital sensibilities connect these objects with the next higher category.
अथ अधिज्यौतिषम
अग्नी: पुर्वरुपम आदित्य उत्तररुपम अप: संधि: वैद्युत: संधानम
इत्याधिज्यौतिषम
The next higher category is that of objects related to astral influences. Every object in the physical world is influenced by the aura of the astral bodies surrounding it. These astral bodies are significant presences that have the gravity to influence nearby objects. They originate in the astral plane as the inner fires ignited by passions. The ideal for these fires is to become a source of inexhaustible energy that can sustain all other life forms. The medium for their evolutionary movement is sensibilities. The evolutionary movement endows these objects with electrifying energy. The restlessness caused by this energy, which prompts curious exploration, connects these objects to the next higher category.
अथ अधिविद्यम
आचार्य: पुर्वरुपम अन्तेवास्युत्तररुपम विद्य संधि: प्रवचनम संधानम
इत्याधिविद्यम
The category that comes next is that of objects related to the process of cognition. These objects originate as the teacher. Everyone starts with the excitement to display the little knowledge one has. He wants to get involved in everything as a master. Knowledge, however, has a limiting effect. Generally one tends to categorize any input that reaches him in terms of the things he already knows. So knowledge, if it is not absorbed with the proper attitude, will limit the ability to learn further. The ideal here to internalize knowledge in such a manner that one can continue to learn for ever. Proper assimilation of knowledge converts one from an extrovert with the compulsion to get involved in everything to a self-contained introvert with his ears open wide for receiving knowledge from wherever it might come from. The teacher wishes to convert himself as a student with a perpetually fresh mind. The medium for this transformation is the intuitions prompted by the restlessness of a curious soul. The goal here is to be pursued by refining the knowledge base for greater and greater purity to remove all misunderstandings. The product of this evolution is the utterances of wisdom that gets pronounced in the process. These profound words connect these objects to the next higher category.
अथ अधिप्रजम
माता पुर्वरुपम पितोरुत्तररुपम प्रजा संधि: प्रजननम संधानाम
इत्यधिप्रजम
The next is the category of objects related to the process of production. These objects originate as nature. Nature is the mother that nurtures all things. This nurturing nature evolves into the virility of the father. It is the meeting of the mother and father that makes the generation of products possible. The medium that keeps the motherliness and fatherliness united is the products. The result of their union is the process of generation of products. The raw materials when committed to meet the market demand make the outflow of healthy products possible.
अथ अध्यात्मम
अधरहनु पुर्वरुपम उत्तरहनुरुत्तररुपम वाक् संधि: जिह्वा संधानाम
इत्याध्यात्मम
The last is the category of objects related to the awareness of oneself. These objects originate from the lower palette. The sound generated by the lower palette is ‘mmm…’, which is associated with the presiding deity of consummation. Man in this universe is an artist. Every product generated by him is a work of art. To begin with the theme of this artist is consummation. He is concerned about the use, the application, of the creations generated by him. At this stage he is dependent on the approval of others. The ideal for this artist is the status of a self assured creative artist who sets the trend for the others. He wants to evolve towards the status of Brahma, the presiding deity of creation. The sound associated with Brahma is ‘aaa…’, which is the sound generated by the upper palette. The medium for this artistic evolution is the words of the universal language of arts. The result of this process of evolution is the attainment of the ability to enunciate ideas.
इति मा महासम्हिता:
य एवामेत महासम्हिता व्याख्याता वेदा: संधियाते प्रजाया पशुभि:
ब्रह्मवर्चासेन अन्नाद्येन सुवार्ग्येन लोकेन
These are the great categories into which all objects in the manifested universe can be classified. One who knows the elaboration of these categories is the master of all products and processes. He realizes the glory of Brahman, the essence of the universe. He is endowed with food for all contexts. He enjoys the bliss of the realization of all worthy ideals.
Categorization, if it is not applied properly, has the potential to cause divisions by placing objects into unconnected compartments. Then instead unifying the many objects by thorough enlightenment we shall be dividing them by the process of study. A very bad example for this is the caste system, which has been a bane of the Hindu community. The attempt to understand human nature through the four varnas gave rise to the watertight compartments when the leaders chose to block the connectivity between the compartments by linking the placement in a varna to one’s birth. So keeping the flow between the categories open is very important while devising and applying categories. Education, when it is not properly imparted, instead of promoting courage and resourcefulness, can convert one into a blind fanatic.
Taittiriya Upanishad describes the categorization that should be followed intelligently for understanding the manifested universe without being bound by it. The categorization is done here in such a manner that the legitimate products of a category form the population in the next higher category. The flow of objects across the categories is what keeps the world moving.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
The Eternal Theme of Education
Education ought to ensure the continuity and evolution of culture. It should connect persons, as well as the community of which the persons are parts, to the source from where ideals emanate, and endow them with resources for the pursuit of those ideals to attain lasting happiness. This is the eternal theme of education. The validity of all other themes is conditional. It depends on the period and place where one happens to be. And none of them can lead to happiness unless they are supplemented by this eternal theme. The opening stanza of the first chapter of Taittiriya Upanishad is a vision statement for this eternal theme of education. It is the prayer of an aspirant of knowledge when he approaches a guru qualified to impart knowledge to him.
ॐ
The aspirant starts with the meditation on ‘Om’. ‘Om’ is the pranava mantra. Pranava means something which maintains freshness. Any entity in the manifested universe is affected by the passage of time. They take birth, lives for sometime and then die. In such a scenario, which is infested by time, freshness can be maintained only by treating birth as an expression of creativity, being as the wonderful manifestation of dynamic balance in a time-dependent field and death as the purifying act of consummation. By the chanting of ‘Om’ the aspirant fixes in his mind the primary ideal he wants to pursue through education. The sound ‘Om’ is a combination of three vowels in Sanskrit alphabet that represent Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, the presiding deities of creation, sustenance and consummation।
शम नो मित्रः शम वरुणः शम नो भवतर्यमा
The happiness accompanying the process of creation is a friendly feeling. Only the happiness derived from friendliness is apolitical and without strings. The thirst for this happiness prompts men to be creative. So the aspirant sets the satiation of this thirst as his first goal. Any unbalance has a disturbing effect on one’s sensibilities. Any deviation from a harmonious order makes the senses to cry out for corrective action. Harmonious being can be ensured only by attending to the restlessness of the senses. So the aspirant resolves to keep the pacification of his senses as the second goal. The consummator for our thoughts, feelings and actions is the culture to which we belong. What we think, feel and act have relevance only within the framework of our culture. The distillate of the collective experience of all our ancestors forms our culture. So the aspirant resolves the satisfaction of the demands of the culture to which he belongs as the third goal.
शम नः इन्द्रो ब्रुहस्पतिः शम नो विष्णुरुरुक्रमः:
All meaningful movements are prompted by ideals. So the aspirant vows to live in accordance with the dictates of the apex of the hierarchy of ideals and the divine source from which all ideals emanate. While moving one is swayed by the winds of time. Then dynamic balance is the attribute that provides stability. The principles of dynamic balance make their presence felt everywhere in the manifested universe. So the aspirant resolves to recognize and respect these principles always and everywhere.
The blessings of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, manifest as inner peace. It manifests as the glow of friendly feelings. It manifests as enhanced sensibilities. It manifests as the harmony one experience when there is no conflict with the culture to which one belongs. It manifests as the fulfillment of the high ideals one sets for oneself. It manifests as the opening up of the fountainhead from which the ideals emanate. It manifests as the feeling of relaxation that comes from perfect dynamic balance. The prayer of the aspirant is that he may be blessed with all these.
नमो ब्रह्मणे नमस्ते वायो
त्वं एव प्रत्यक्षम ब्रह्म वादिष्यामी
रृतम वादिष्यामी
सत्यम वादिष्यामी
The aspirant now bows to Brahman, the essence of the manifested universe, by establishing contact with which, one knows the entire universe. He bows to the circulating currents of vitality, which he recognizes as the perceptible form of this essence. He acknowledges that vitality indicates the path of righteousness that connects one to the essence of the universe. He acknowledges that vitality is the manifestation of truth that reflects Brahman.
तन्मामवातु तद्वाक्तारमवातु
अवतु मँ अवतु वक्तारम
The aspirant now prays to Brahman, the essence of the manifested universe, to make him a fit vehicle for receiving the revelations about the profound principles that form the core of the manifested universe. He prays to Brahman to make his instructor a fit medium for the conveyance of the knowledge. He prays to Brahman that he may be protected from the wrong type of knowledge. He prays to Brahman that his instructor may be protected from the wrong choice of words while conveying the instructions to him.
ॐ शांतिः शांतिः शांतिः
The aspirant now concludes his prayer by meditating on ‘Om’ to make his body, mind and intellect tranquil to remain tuned for receiving the knowledge.
Every politician in India has his own pet theory about what is appropriate education. All such theories generally have one thing in common. That single point is that the aim of education is to gain employment. The general assumption is that given such an education employment will follow, and employment will then lead to happiness. When seen in this light education is the development of a set of skills with limited application. But there is no guarantee that an employment, however good it is, will lead to happiness. In reality the working life is very often spent in an environment infested by competition, jealousies, exploitation and anxieties. Happiness is not a commonly found commodity in such an environment. Happiness here is thought of as important only to the extent it contributes to the productivity of a great machinery of which the employee is a small part.
The sages of ancient India had a different view. For them lasting happiness was the paramount thing. Happiness can be experienced only by human beings. The ancient sages of India realized that the theme of education ought to be to develop the resourcefulness and receptiveness of man so that he can live as a sovereign being. Sovereignty alone can give unconditional happiness. Seen in this way the main trunk of education ought to be one that empowers a person to generate employment by the pursuit of ideals, rather than to receive employment. All other branches of education that lead to the development of specific skill sets are only limbs that are attached to this main trunk. In the subsequent sections Taittiriya Upanishad explains the approach to education as envisaged by the ancient sages.
ॐ
The aspirant starts with the meditation on ‘Om’. ‘Om’ is the pranava mantra. Pranava means something which maintains freshness. Any entity in the manifested universe is affected by the passage of time. They take birth, lives for sometime and then die. In such a scenario, which is infested by time, freshness can be maintained only by treating birth as an expression of creativity, being as the wonderful manifestation of dynamic balance in a time-dependent field and death as the purifying act of consummation. By the chanting of ‘Om’ the aspirant fixes in his mind the primary ideal he wants to pursue through education. The sound ‘Om’ is a combination of three vowels in Sanskrit alphabet that represent Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, the presiding deities of creation, sustenance and consummation।
शम नो मित्रः शम वरुणः शम नो भवतर्यमा
The happiness accompanying the process of creation is a friendly feeling. Only the happiness derived from friendliness is apolitical and without strings. The thirst for this happiness prompts men to be creative. So the aspirant sets the satiation of this thirst as his first goal. Any unbalance has a disturbing effect on one’s sensibilities. Any deviation from a harmonious order makes the senses to cry out for corrective action. Harmonious being can be ensured only by attending to the restlessness of the senses. So the aspirant resolves to keep the pacification of his senses as the second goal. The consummator for our thoughts, feelings and actions is the culture to which we belong. What we think, feel and act have relevance only within the framework of our culture. The distillate of the collective experience of all our ancestors forms our culture. So the aspirant resolves the satisfaction of the demands of the culture to which he belongs as the third goal.
शम नः इन्द्रो ब्रुहस्पतिः शम नो विष्णुरुरुक्रमः:
All meaningful movements are prompted by ideals. So the aspirant vows to live in accordance with the dictates of the apex of the hierarchy of ideals and the divine source from which all ideals emanate. While moving one is swayed by the winds of time. Then dynamic balance is the attribute that provides stability. The principles of dynamic balance make their presence felt everywhere in the manifested universe. So the aspirant resolves to recognize and respect these principles always and everywhere.
The blessings of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, manifest as inner peace. It manifests as the glow of friendly feelings. It manifests as enhanced sensibilities. It manifests as the harmony one experience when there is no conflict with the culture to which one belongs. It manifests as the fulfillment of the high ideals one sets for oneself. It manifests as the opening up of the fountainhead from which the ideals emanate. It manifests as the feeling of relaxation that comes from perfect dynamic balance. The prayer of the aspirant is that he may be blessed with all these.
नमो ब्रह्मणे नमस्ते वायो
त्वं एव प्रत्यक्षम ब्रह्म वादिष्यामी
रृतम वादिष्यामी
सत्यम वादिष्यामी
The aspirant now bows to Brahman, the essence of the manifested universe, by establishing contact with which, one knows the entire universe. He bows to the circulating currents of vitality, which he recognizes as the perceptible form of this essence. He acknowledges that vitality indicates the path of righteousness that connects one to the essence of the universe. He acknowledges that vitality is the manifestation of truth that reflects Brahman.
तन्मामवातु तद्वाक्तारमवातु
अवतु मँ अवतु वक्तारम
The aspirant now prays to Brahman, the essence of the manifested universe, to make him a fit vehicle for receiving the revelations about the profound principles that form the core of the manifested universe. He prays to Brahman to make his instructor a fit medium for the conveyance of the knowledge. He prays to Brahman that he may be protected from the wrong type of knowledge. He prays to Brahman that his instructor may be protected from the wrong choice of words while conveying the instructions to him.
ॐ शांतिः शांतिः शांतिः
The aspirant now concludes his prayer by meditating on ‘Om’ to make his body, mind and intellect tranquil to remain tuned for receiving the knowledge.
Every politician in India has his own pet theory about what is appropriate education. All such theories generally have one thing in common. That single point is that the aim of education is to gain employment. The general assumption is that given such an education employment will follow, and employment will then lead to happiness. When seen in this light education is the development of a set of skills with limited application. But there is no guarantee that an employment, however good it is, will lead to happiness. In reality the working life is very often spent in an environment infested by competition, jealousies, exploitation and anxieties. Happiness is not a commonly found commodity in such an environment. Happiness here is thought of as important only to the extent it contributes to the productivity of a great machinery of which the employee is a small part.
The sages of ancient India had a different view. For them lasting happiness was the paramount thing. Happiness can be experienced only by human beings. The ancient sages of India realized that the theme of education ought to be to develop the resourcefulness and receptiveness of man so that he can live as a sovereign being. Sovereignty alone can give unconditional happiness. Seen in this way the main trunk of education ought to be one that empowers a person to generate employment by the pursuit of ideals, rather than to receive employment. All other branches of education that lead to the development of specific skill sets are only limbs that are attached to this main trunk. In the subsequent sections Taittiriya Upanishad explains the approach to education as envisaged by the ancient sages.
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