The Chandogya Upanishad - 3-6. .Swami Krishnananda.

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Friday, May 27,  2022. 20:00.

Chapter - 3 : Sanatkumara's Instructions on Bhuma-Vidya : 

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SECTION 6: CONTEMPLATION :

Mantram : 1.

"Dhyanam vava cittad-bhuyah, dhyayativa prthivi, dhya-yativan-tariksam, dhyayativa dyauh, dhyayantivapah, dhyayantiva parvatah, dhyayantiva deva-manusyah, tasmad-ya iha manusyanam mahattvam prapnuvanti dhyanapadamsa ivaiva te bhvanti, atha ye'lpah kalahinah pisuna upavadinas-te atha ye prabhavah dhyanapadamsa ivaiva te bhavanti, dhyanam upassveti."

Dhyana, concentration, is beyond even ordinary memory. It is a superior faculty. The more you are able to concentrate your attention, rather to meditate in the proper sense of the term, to that extent you become superior to others. Concentration is fixity of mind. Wherever we find stability of any kind, fixity of any kind, we will discover the presence of concentration. Here, the passage of the Upanishad goes on to say that the earth contemplates, as it were, on account of its stability and fixity of character. We do not see any kind of chaotic activity in nature. There is a stability maintained by the various things of nature. The heaven and the earth themselves are contemplating or meditating, as it were, in a fixed form without creating any kind of confusion between themselves. We see the earth and the heaven and the waters, even the oceans, the sun and the moon, the stars, all maintain their position due to a concentratedness of their purpose inherent in their very nature brought into action by forces, of course, which are superior, to be mentioned further on. Whoever has attained any kind of greatness in life has achieved it only through the power of concentration. Whether he is a god or a human being, success is due to the power of concentration of the mind, inherent applicability of the mind. The application of thought in a particular direction is the cause of success. The tenacity of the mind in a given direction and a persistent effort in that direction alone, without deviating the mind from the given thought, is concentration. The whole-souled absorption of thought on a particular object, to the exclusion of any other thought, is concentration. This is dhyana.

It is by this action of the mind that people have attained greatness in this world, not by distracted thinking. If we start thinking of a hundred things, we will achieve nothing. We should apply ourselves to one thing only at a time, apply our soul and heart to it and then we see that we succeed. This is the importance of the power of concentration. Those who lack the power of concentration and application of thought are the quarrelsome people of this world. They are the disturbers of society. They are the people who carry tales. They are the dregs of human society. Not so are those who have power of concentration of the mind. They apply wholly to their purpose to such an extent that they have no time at all to engage themselves in useless activity. Those who have the capacity to concentrate, they are the great ones. Therefore, one should always apply oneself to concentration and meditation.

Mantram-2.

"Sa yo dhyanam brahmety-upaste, yavad-dhyanasya gatam, tatrasya yatha kamacaro bhavati yo dhyanam brahmcty-upaste, asti, bhagavah, dhyanad-bhuya iti, dhyanad-vava bhuyo'stiti tan-me, bhagavan, bravitv-iti."

It is difficult to explain the grand nature of the result that will follow by the practice of concentration. As a matter of fact, Yoga practice is nothing but concentration in various degrees of its manifestation. And as the Upanishad has beautifully put it, nothing in life has any sense or meaning when concentration is absent. One becomes free, liberated from bondage, and succeeds in life to the extent of success one has in the practice of concentration of mind. So, one should apply oneself to concentration which is superior to everything that has been mentioned earlier, viz., memory, will, mind, speech and name.

This is the stage Narada has reached now. Narada again asks: "O, great master, is there something greater than dhyana, concentration?" "Yes," says Sanatkumara, "there is something, because you cannot apply yourself to concentration unless you understand what concentration is." "Then, please instruct me on that which is superior to dhyana," says Narada.

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Next - SECTION 7: UNDERSTANDING

Mantrm-1.

"Vijnanam vava dhyanad-bhuyah, vijnanena va rg-vedam vijanati yajur-vedam sama-vedam atharvanam caturtham, itihasapuranam pancamam, vedanam vedam, pitryam, rasim, daivam, nidhim vakovakyam, ekayanam, deva-vidyam, brahma-vidyam, bhuta-vidyam, ksatra-vidyam, naksatra-vidyam, sarpa-devajana vidyam, divam ca prthivim ca vayum cakasam capasa-ca tejas-ca, devams-ca manusyams-ca pasums-ca vayamsi ca trna-vanaspatin svapadanyakita-patanga-pipilakam dharmam cadharmam ca satyam canrtam ca sadhu casadhu ca hrdayajnam cahrdayajnam cannam ca rasam cemam ca lokam amum ca vijnanenaiva vijanati, vijnanam upassveti."

To be continued ....

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