The Chandogya Upanishad - CH-2, SEC: 13.2.. Swami Krishnananda.

-

 


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, July 12, 2021. 6:51. PM.
Chapter Two: Uddalaka's Teaching Concerning the Oneness of the Self-12.
SECTION 13: THE INDWELLING SPIRIT (CONTINUED)—ILLUSTRATION OF SALT AND WATER -2.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.

"What is this other way? Please instruct me about this," asks the boy. 

How is it possible for us to get an insight into this Reality present in all particular forms? 

Neither one's own intellect nor the senses will be of any use here. The senses are used to a kind of contact with externals, and whatever is not an external cannot become an object of their perception. Whatever is outside, that alone the senses can perceive, and this Being we are speaking of is not outside and, therefore, It cannot be an object of the senses. 

Nor can the mind conceive the Being, because the function of the mind is principally a synthesis of the perceptions of the senses, an organisation of these sensations and perceptions. It introduces a kind of coordination and method into the chaotic mass of perceptions of the senses. The mind does not see something which is not seen by the senses.

 It is only introducing a logical sequence and coherence into the mass of sensations. We are not in any way better off by employing the mind or the intellect as a means of cognition or perception. What the mind does, what the intellect does, is merely a corroboration and confirmation of what senses tell us. And if the senses are of no use, the mind and intellect also are of no use. 

The only importance that you can attach to the function of the mind or intellect is that it has a peculiar capacity to reflect an inferential presence of a higher reality, due to the fact that it is less distracted than the senses and that it has an integrating power which is absent in the senses on account of their isolated activities. 

Now, the mind which is endowed with this special power which is ordinarily not visible, has to be employed for the purpose of gaining an insight into Reality by means of guidance received from a master.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.

To this subject Uddalaka, the sage, reverts by means of an illustration. :

Take for instance, there is a person who has been waylaid by robbers, blindfolded, handcuffed, legs tied together, dragged into a wilderness and thrown into a pit somewhere in an unknown place. He has been taken a long distance away from his house. He does not know where he has been taken, because his eyes have been covered by a patch of cloth. He only knows that he has been removed to a distant place. He is in a state of despair. 

The only thing that he can do under that condition is to cry for help. His intellect will not help him there, his mind will not help him, his sense of sight has failed. Under such conditions, the only help can be from another who has sight. A person with eyes who can see the way can come, help, and guide him. There is no other way out. Even so, every one of us has lost sight of Reality. Every one of us has been spiritually blindfolded. Everyone is in complete spiritual darkness. 

And there is sorrow, as a consequence thereof. 

What is the way out?

Section-13. Ends.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next - SECTION 14: THE INDWELLING SPIRIT (CONTINUED)—THE NEED FOR A GURU

To be continued ....


========================================================================

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Chhandogya Upanishad - CH-2, SEC-8, POST-2. Swami Krishnananda.

-
Image
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday, March 14, 2021. 07:31. PM. Chapter Two: Uddalaka's Teaching Concerning the Oneness of the Self SECTION 8: CONCERNING SLEEP, HUNGER, THIRST AND DYING POST-2. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Sa yatha sakunih sutrena prabaddho disam disam patit-vanyatrayatanam-alabdhva bandhanam evopasrayate, evam eva khalu, saumya tan mano disam disam patit-vanyatrayatanam-alabdhva pranam evopasrayate prana bandhanam hi, saumya, mana iti." You have no support anywhere in this world, except your own self, as the peg is the resting place of the bird in the illustration. But, this is a point which nobody can remember. You seek support outside, and so go on working hard every day to come in contact with things external, thinking that your support is outside, but it is not there! You can not find a final support anywhere in the world. Everybody is sick of y
Read more

The Chandogya Upanishad : 1.13. Swami Krishnananda

-
Image
====================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------- 11/04/2020. Chapter One: Vaishvanara-Vidya The Self as the Universal Whole (Continued) Post-13. --------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The specific action that is taken up for discussion here is, what is called in the language of the sacred lore, Prana-agnihotra, or the sacrificial offering to the Universal Fire. The food that we take every day is a holy oblation to the All-pervading Vital Fire. This meditation is Prana-agnihotra. Agnihotra is the consecrated offering into the sacred Fire. Ritualistically or exoterically conceived, this means the daily performance of the yajna, or sacrifice, by a householder.  #The Upanishad makes out that this agnihotra is perpetually taking place in our own bodies, of which we have to be conscious in our meditation. The external sacrifice ceases to be external any more. Viewing everyt
Read more

The Chandogya Upanishad - 3-11 : Swami Krishnananda.

-
Image
 ======================================================================= ========================================================================= Sunday, September 18,  2022. 07:00. Chapter - 3 : Sanatkumara's Instructions on Bhuma-Vidya :  SECTION 11: HEAT. ======================================================================= Subtler principles are always superior to the grosser ones, because they are more pervasive in character. Hence, if water is superior to the earth principle, fire is superior to the water principle. Mantram-1. "Tejo vava adbhyo bhuyah, tasmad-va etad-vayum agra-hyakasam abhitapati, tad-ahuh, nisocati, nitapati, varsisyati va iti, taja eva tat purvam darsayitva'tha'pah srjate. tat-etad urdhvabhis-ca tirascibhis-ca vidyudhih ahradas-caranti; tasmadahuh vidyotate, stanayati, varsisyati va iti, teja eva tat purvam darsayitvatha'pah srjate, teja upassveti." Mantram-2. "Sa yastejo brahhmetyupaste tajasvi vai sa tajasvato lokanbhasvato&
Read more