Video 39

39. Katha Upanishad | Mantra 2.3.1 | Swami Sarvapriyananda

foreign peace peace peace all right so we were studying the cut upanishad and we were on the final Mantra of the second chapter second section the 15th Mantra of the second section yes we did some of that last time I want to wrap it up uh with a couple of few more observations the Mantra is very famous foreign [Music] [Music] that is not illumined by the sun it's not illumined by the Moon by the Stars by lightning what to speak of this mere mortal fire that shining everything else shines by its light everything here is lit up you shining you the real Atman you shining everything else shines here everything else means mind and senses and by your light by you the light by you the Atman everything here is lit up now this was Swami vivekananda's favorite Mantra he quoted it often uh first for the sheer poetry of it and also for the very Central philosophical point being made here this is a Swami vivekananda's favorite upanishad that upanishad and in this Qatar upanishad his favorite Mantra I think why is this important it's important because it tells us that this Satya Ananda which we are our real nature which has been pointed out again and again is it revealed in its real nature and is it revealed in any other way in this world what is our real nature number one that's the big question here second why is it that we don't know it and how can we know it what is the what is not the way to know it and what is the way to know it all these are are politically expressed in this very climactic Mantra of the second section of the second chapter um the sun doesn't reveal it because the sunlight Starlight light of the Moon lightning fire because it is not something that is known by the senses you cannot see it here it smell it taste it touch it that's what is meant by this light reveals what you can see with the eyes so in the daytime we see everything by sunlight um if the sun goes down if the sun goes down then how do how does one see how does one interact with the world how does one go about one's business By the Light of the Moon suppose the Moon is also not there then how does one go about one's business how does anyone see uh the other By the Light of the fire but today we will say we have so much electric light all around us but suppose everything goes away yeah all the lights are down how does a person know that somebody else is there in this dark room by the sound of The Voice this is from the uh this very upanishadic by the sound of the voice you know you say who's there and somebody says I am here you know somebody's there um now if the voice also fails how does one know at all it's by the light in the mind you know by Consciousness we know our but everything is known by Consciousness the point is really sunlight doesn't reveal anything really it's the eyes which see but really the eyes do not even see it's the mind which sees it's not even the mind which sees it is consciousness which sees foreign if you want to be symbolic about it you know when he talks about it's simply an example Sunlight Moonlight fire light lightning and so on but if you want to be symbolic about it the sun represents the most uh outermost way of we experience the Sun illumines a physical object and that in connection with our eyes with sense organs we illumine something um so that is a sense object a sense and object contact eyes with the forms here with the sound tongue with the taste that is the that's being symbolized by the sun if you want to be symbolic about it then Moon um the Moon is the symbol for the mind in in vedanta so even the senses do not light up the point is the sun does not light up the world it is our senses which light up the world even the senses do not light up the world they are themselves lit up by the moon right what by the moon means by the mind and Fire symbolic in vedanta Invaders fire is the symbol a symbolic of the speech so what is expressed by language there's things which we cannot see or hear or smell or taste or touch but language can express it thought can think of it conceive of it none of them can objectify the self the real you they are all objectified by it how will you objectify mind even cannot think about it what does the Mind think about the mind can only think about something for which it has got traces it has got some Impressions past Impressions we collect it through our senses in this life or past lives and the mind cannot have any uh traces or understanding of the Atman so the Mind cannot by itself think about it of course a mind trained in vedanta that's a different thing the intellect cannot conceive of it until it conceives of things which are bought in by the senses from the world or which come up from our own memories from our mind that's what the intellect thinks about but the self is behind that also it's not an object to the intellect so there are no vasanas there is no samskaras in the mind which can help the mind make an object of the Atman then one might say then how do we at all know about the Atman what is the upanishad doing you know we claim in vedanta how does one know the Atman let me explain that a little more how does one know this cloth for example it is the the eyes are the source of information about this class and the mind the Mind plus the eyes we get the knowledge of the class the how do I know the sound of the Swami's voice its mind plus the ears the ears give me that information and the mind can know the Swami's voice how do I know the taste of the cookie which I eat it is the Mind plus the tongue so how do I know about black holes and super strings it is mind plus science book so the Mind operates various brahmanas sources of knowledge to get knowledge I'll repeat that to know anything it is the Mind specifically the intellect which operates various instruments of knowledge what are these instruments of knowledge there are senses they are scientific instruments like the microscope and the telescope they are books which we consider authoritative like books of Science and the books of religion religion tells us about things which we don't know through the senses we have and and all it they work if that will work if you believe in it science works because it is experimented upon and data is collected and we take the books as authoritative and that's how mostly science works you know and this little addendum here I mean say no no science works for experiments but most of us we don't do the experiments the experiments have been done and the data has been collected theories have been formulated put in the books and we take the books as authoritative and we have good reason to take the books as authoritative time to work that way if you have good reason to take it as authoritative because there is a community of scientists who vetted called you know pure reviewed publication so there are community of experts who make sure that these books are authentic whether it's backed up by real knowledge but we take the books as authentic so the books mind plus book gives us scientific knowledge mind plus scientific instruments gives us scientific knowledge mind plus sense organs gives us knowledge of the sense word mind plus what will give me knowledge of the Atman mind plus what will give me knowledge of the Atman the standard answer is mind plus vedanta mind plus cut operation will give you knowledge of the Atman mind plus vedanta vedantic texts give us knowledge of the Atman so they cut upanishad the all texts based on the upanishads Mind plus vedanta gives vedantic texts gives you knowledge of the Atman so here somebody might object that um so is the Atman an object for the vedantic texts mind plus eyes gives you knowledge of forms why because forms are object for eyes nine plus the ears gives you knowledge of music and speech why music and speech are objects for the ears similarly if you say mind plus vedantic text gives you knowledge of the self R is the self Atman Brahman pure Consciousness and object of the year with antic texts but didn't you say it's not an object true it's not an object it's not even the vedantic text can objectify the arkman what do they do they dissolve the erroneous understanding of misunderstanding that we are not the Atman that I think I am body mind I do not understand what the Atman is that lack of understanding that wrong understanding error not only lack of understanding but that error that is removed that is dissolved by the vedantic text vedantic knowledge precisely speaking has a negative role it removes our misperceptions then we are left under no uncertain um you know no uncertainty we are absolutely certain about what we are after vedantic studies what happens actually you stop looking for the Atman the search stops why does the search stop it is very careful here people with misunderstanding the search stops why does the search stop not because the Atman doesn't exist and that's an atheist the one who thinks no such thing is there a skeptic atheist or not because maybe the Atman exists maybe it doesn't exist we can never know about it therefore I don't I have stopped searching that's an agnostic second kind not because of that or um the I have lost interest I tried lots and I attended lots of classes now I've lost interest and that's not a non-serious student why does the search stop it's because you have found it not as an object as you yourself there is no more doubt at all you have found it as the source of all knowledge why why would you need a special knowledge of the Atman it is actually the source of all knowledge just as no light can illumine the Atman and yet it is Atman is the source of all light like this Mantra says similarly no particular knowledge is necessary to illumine the Atman Atman is realized as a source of all knowledge it's like I give the example of the Eyes by with the eyes I see all these things and I say the proof of the computer is I see it with the eyes the proof of the book is that I see it with the eyes the proof these people are present is I see it with the eyes now the existence of something is proved by seeing it with the eyes in this example then what is the proof of the existence of the eyes because I cannot see my eyes if you tell me look at your picture in the computer Zoom but that's a picture I can't see my eyes directly like the way I'm seeing all these objects so I can't see my eyes does it mean that the eyes cannot be proved it's a doubtful thing where their eyes exists or not no three by seeing with the eyes I'm so clear that these objects exist because I saw it they say I saw it with my own eyes I'm so clear about it then about the existence of the eyes how much more you are clear about it how much more you are confident about the existence of your eyes without seeing your eyes without actually seeing your eyes all seeing is made possible by the eyes the eyes seeing then everything is seen the eyes are the proof for everything else what is the proof for the eyes the proof for the eyes is the experience of anything and everything seeing the book is a proof that the proof that the book exists seeing you in the zoom call is a proof that you are there but what is the proof of the eyes seeing the book is approved that not only the book is there but the eyes are there seeing you on the zoom call is not only a proof that you are there but the eyes are there seeing anything is the proof of the eyes and closing the eyes and blank and seeing nothing is the proof of the eyes there's even nothing specific is seen you're still seeing I mean it's a very simple thing eyes are functioning just because I draw a lid of thin lid of skin over it do the eyes actually stop functioning no ties are doing exactly what they are always doing similarly I am Consciousness is proved by being conscious of what of anything and everything you're seeing hearing smelling tasting touching thinking remembering loving hating waking dreaming sleeping all these are proofs of one thing and one thing only you are consciousness you that Consciousness shining everything else shines everything else means all these knowledges they come forward they they arise all knowledge arises because of that that is the meaning of this what is the so this approves what are you your pure consciousness proof up your Consciousness that is given in this Mantra it's because of experience what experience every experience experience of every object whether it's a physical object outside or it's a subtle object in the mind every object proves that you are consciousness not only that the absence of all the objects also proves that your Consciousness because the absence is also kind of experienced so experience is the proof of not only the objects of experience the objects of experience one can be mistaken about it one sees railway lines stretching away to the Horizon and they are meeting at the Horizon optical illusion you're seeing this and yet it's not correct but one thing you are not wrong about that there is experience going on Consciousness is there that you are not never mistaken about do you see objects of experience one can be mistaken about it it could be an optical illusion it could be wrong understanding so I might be mistaken about things in the world I might be mistaken about scientific theories am I domestic on about anything existence of God but one thing I cannot be mistaken about is consciousness impossible you cannot be mistaken about it this vedanta shows you that Consciousness you are is it manifested you are that pure Consciousness you are it's manifested as pure Consciousness and it's also manifested in all conscious experiences [Music] um even a subtler point I will make here you know the way I am talking the way we teach vedanta the question often arises well to know myself as consciousness one needs the objects of experience without the objects there is no experience it is no experience I cannot know myself as consciousness let me repeat that and see if you get it I'm saying that what proves that your Consciousness is because your experience but what makes experience possible Consciousness Shines on certain objects seeing hearing smelling tasting touching thinking remembering understanding loving hating whatever the objects gross or subtle Consciousness shines upon them gives you an experience and now we're using vedant you realize I am Consciousness but a subtle question can still remain well in that case at least Consciousness is dependent on the objects Consciousness cannot know itself as its own existence without without subjects without mind wrong little more subtle a deeper and subtle point I will raise you just is worth thinking about Consciousness does not depend uh for its self-realization on objects how so if I ask you if anybody asks us do you exist our answer is yes I exist you see if anybody asks me but such and such person there on the zoom call I'll have to look and say yes that person is there I need to check with the world to answer yes or no but if somebody asks me are you on the zoom call I'll say yes now my point here is simple but subtle to understand the question I need years I need mind intellect of course consciousness to reply to the question I need my mouth I need mind um you know memory knowledge of the language all of that processing capacity I need all of that to to understand the question to process it to answer it but the subtle Point here is did I check anywhere to answer whether I exist or not no to answer whether you are there on this Zoom call I have to check to see you that your face is there or not to answer whether I am here I don't have to check anywhere and to actually answer it I need mind and speech and all that but the source of that knowledge I didn't have to check it is always shining it does not depend on an object this is called swap prakash Consciousness every the knowledge of all objects external and internal in the mind depends on you the consciousness the knowledge the revelation of Consciousness The Shining of Consciousness does not depend on anything not even on the mind this is a subtle point it is not clear you will be left with this faint impression that all of this is great but still the mind is necessary for the Consciousness to know itself no it's not but to understand the question you need the mind to devise the answer you need the mind and the mouth and how to speak but to the essential fact that is self-revealed consciousness is not only shining its self shining it's self-revealing and revealing everything else in fact um shankaracharya here makes deep example in his commentary shankaracharya says just as um firewood hot water can burn not by itself but because of the presence of Fire wood doesn't burn but if it's burning a log of wood it'll burn you why will it burn you though it is because of the presence of fire there water doesn't it's not scalding it's cool but it can cause blisters because of the presence of fire heat in the water and heat by itself can burn it's exactly like that nothing in this world can illumine itself or anything else yeah a pot cannot know the table and the com um the book cannot know the table the book cannot know itself the table cannot know itself but Consciousness the Mind equipped with Consciousness can know the book or the table the Mind cannot know itself or anything else but Human by Consciousness the Mind knows itself and everything else so uh it is consciousness which shines and reveals everything we are that pure consciousness we are pure existence pure Consciousness and a pure Bliss always remember what is meant by pure Consciousness pure existence pure Bliss so what is impure existence or impure Consciousness I'm using the words like that but what it means is simply this pure existence means existence itself I'm not talking about an existing thing pure Consciousness means Consciousness by itself I'm not talking about a particular conscious experience like seeing or hearing or thinking pure Bliss does not mean a particular feeling of bliss it is that which appears as all feelings of place more or less and that pure existence pure Consciousness pure being you are [Music] so this is the meaning of this wonderful mantra um the sun does not shine they reveal it not the Stars nor the moon not the lightning what to speak of this Mortal fire now this concludes the second section of the second chapter it is a wonderful section because nachiketa's original question that um you know uh what is that self this question started with a question of death but what is that Trend which transcends that that is in this body when the body dies it's still there and with the changing body changing mind one constant reality what is that what is that which is Immortal that is the question and the clear answer is given again and again and again in this section this section is sort of the climax of the whole upanishad one more section remains remember the structure of the upanishad it has two chapters chapter one chapter two chapter one is three parts chapter two has three parts we are on the last part of the second chapter foreign now we shall start the first mantra so what will um if the highest truth has already been given what will yamaraja the king of death what will he do now in this last section you will do three things he will tell us about Brahman the knowledge of Brahman the practices how to get it you might think he's already done that yes he's sort of winding it up he'll tell us some more about the practices of how to get this knowledge of Brahman and finally he's give us the results of the knowledge of Brahman so it's a kind of wrapping up section this third section final section of the second chapter and then the cutter upanishad comes to an end first Mantra is so translates this Mantra this is the beginningless people tree which has its roots above and branches down that which is its root is pure that is Brahman and that is called Immortal on that are fixed all the world's non-transcends that this is barely that what does this mean so this is a tree called an ashwatha tree or people tree now this those have read the Gita might immediately remind you of the 15th chapter of the bhagavad-gita yoga the 15th chapter of the bhagavad-gita which we have not come to yet in the Gita class where SRI Krishna will begin with quoting this yeah so he happily plagiarizes he takes up literally the verses just straight away and quotes it but in The Vedic tradition you know you can do that with the upanishads upanishads are the source are the proof of your spirituality even SRI ramakrishna so when we wake on the rights about SRI ramakrishna SRI ramakrishna is not the proof of the upanishads the upanishads did the proof of Sri ramakrishna um upanishads Gita is not the proof um you know Krishna is not approved of the Gita so the upanishads which are the proof of Krishna and his teachings in the Gita so this is the source from which all of them are drawn Krishna quotes many things from the upanishads in the bhagavad-gita so if you know the upanishad immediately see that where this verse has come from and especially from this upanishad from the qatopanish it is quoted a number of shlokas in the bhagavad-gita one is the beginning of the 15th chapter here he talks about Yama the king of death tells the little boy nachiketa about this extraordinary tree where the roots are supposed to be invisible and high up and the branches are down here amidst usually the roots are underground but here it's reversed it seems the way the example is given same example 15 chapter Krishna starts the roots are high and invisible and the branches are down among amongst us and that that's how he starts the 15th chapter of the bhagavad-gita 15 chapter is very important especially for monks you don't get to eat unless you memorize the 15 chapter so in the Himalayas and in one of our ashrams that is the sarada pit outside belurumat you chant the whole 15th chapter before you eat so in Himalayas in the ashrams when you go there the monks you will see they start chanting and when they're chanting the whole 15th chapter not just the brahmat which is done in many of our ashram most of our ashrams but the whole 15th chapter is from the fourth chapter of bhagavad-gita the 15th chapter starts and you have to complete the whole 15th chapter before you put a morsel of food in your mouth so that's you have to memorize this chapter at least if you're going to go into it and there the universe is described as this upside down tree it's a wonderful example and that examples SRI Krishna has taken bodily lifted from the cut upanishad the roots are high up Transcendent in invisible awak below down below here in our world are the branches this ashwatha tree or people tree it's Eternal it's going on and on and on beginningless those roots the source of this tree the reality of this tree it is bright it is pure Consciousness it is pure that Brahma that is Brahman the vast am that is the mortality this is said to be immortal or immortality survey all the worlds in vedanta we talk about on Indian cosmology talk about 14 worlds but you can say all the words all the planets and worlds and galaxies and whatnot all the 14 worlds they are all set in that they exist in that none of them exceeded exceed brahmana none of the worlds exceed Brahman go beyond Brahman even in the least advaita this is what you asked for audacity yeah might think I asked a question why is he going on and on about an upside down tree this is what I'm talking what I'm saying is an answer to your question so here there is a description of the universe as this so-called upside down tree now here in this Mantra shankaracharya gives an extensive commentary and he lets loose he cuts loose with his poetic talents you know he describes samsara he describes samsara as this tree the world which we are living in how it is described by this tree upside down tree so I will read a little bit of shankara's original Sanskrit very nice to hear but before that I'll read the English so that those who know they can follow the Sanskrit and enjoy it so shankarachary explains this tree is that which has its roots above what is the roots above the root that is the state of supreme Vishnu saguna Brahman ishwara Brahman ishwara God is the creator of this universe God is the root just as the roots sustain samsara as roots sorry the roots sustain this tree people tree like that God is the one which sustains this world just as the roots themselves are invisible because they are under the ground in this case of the strange tree the roots are higher by five it's not physically High subtle invisible beyond our understanding so they are they are God God is the root of this samsara tree and shankaracharya says foreign so from from the object from the unmanifest from ishwara with the power of Maya what is the unmanifest the power of Maya down to trees and plants all the heavens and Earths and Hills all kinds of beings including human beings down to the simplest of living beings a blade of grass all of that is this tree then he goes on you'll see how he really has a good time describing samsara what does he say please samsara it consists of many evils such as birth old age death sorrow and so on it changes every moment that no sooner it is seen than its nature is destroyed it comes and goes day to day changes this entire universe it's like magic it's like water in a mirage it's like a city in the sky and it ceases to exist ultimately like a tree like a tree dies this samsar also will go one day it has no Essence Sarah like the stem of a plantain tree shankaracharya's language [Music] but death old age sorrow all kinds of misery and unpleasantness in this world and always changing People Change circumstances change place changes our bodies change Minds change things change all the time what is it like Maya like like magic like a mirage water water is not there but looks like water gandharwa nagar like a city in the skies especially when you fly in a plane nowadays shankaracharya did not have that experience we fly in a plane and you see the cloud formations all around you they look like mountains and castles and people and all sorts of thoughts superimposed on the cloud formations like a city of the gandharvas a city in the sky which means illusory nagaradi normal you see it one moment next moment it's come this is the nature of samsara then he goes on further what is the what is the you know the truth about this people say what's going on here what's the truth shankaracharya says it is subject to hundreds of doubts in the minds of Skeptics The Seekers of Truth cannot determine its reality what is going on here we don't know its Essence lies in its root the Supreme Brahman ascertained in vedanta vedanta determines what's going on here by looking at its root what is root saguna Brahman East for a god bhagavan shankaracharya says here oh that plant entry example like the stem of a plantain tree there is no inner core to it the more you open it up you'll just it's nothing in there just layer after layer then he goes on and he says it is the source of all sorts of speculations by fools and so those who want to know what's going on here uh he says it cannot be ascertain it is it cannot be expressed as this or that but what does vedanta vedanta determines what it is how does it do so that it is the source is Brahman with the power of Maya or God then what else why does this samsara come at all he says it grows from the seed of ignorance desire and action from the unmanifested and shankaracharya's language he says so from Maya it emerges why does it emerge because of ignorance whose ignorance ignorance our combined ignorance all of us we are ignorant about our real nature as Brahman from that ignorance what's wrong with being ignorant we don't stop at ignorance being ignorant of our ever fulfilled nature poor in the nature we think we are Apollo we are these little bodies little minds and the moment we think we are these little bodies and Minds in this vast difficult world we have desires there are certain things we want we seem tempting to certain things which are scary for us as these little bodies and Minds bodies are perishable they can be hurt minds are even more delicate we can be insulted frustrated deprived traumatized so there are things we are scared of there are things which we want gamma desire arises it is inevitable you can't stop it if ignorance is there desire will arise Karma and then what happens whatever we do in the world our actions in the world are prompted by desire we want certain things and we act accordingly this is shankaracharya's favorite phrase why are we here what's going on Karma what's the proof that he's right the proof is those who do not have avidya those who have gone beyond ignorance the enlightened ones they seem to be Beyond samsara they seem to be the ones who seem fulfilled they have no problem at all so that's the proof that it works and that's the proof that he has got this formulation right we are trapped in the law in the law of karma we have done Karma we are getting the results but karma cannot be avoided if you have desire so be a under underlying Karma's desire Karma but desire cannot be avoided if you don't know your true nature your infinite nature so avidya karma karma karma puts traps Us in the law of karma lifetime after lifetime your world around but karma we cannot avoid if we have desired Karma and desire is inevitable if we have ignorance so the root has to be to remove these ignorance but to find out who or what we are then he goes on this the trunk of this samsara tree is the combined subtle bodies of all sentient beings all our minds all our personalities taken together all sentient beings together they form the trunk of this [Music] and then he goes on buddhi indriya vishaya Shruti Smith foreign what's going on here in this world what are the experiences like what's going on here is its growth results from the sprinkling of the water of desire it is irrigated by the water of desire it has for its tender Sprouts the objects of the sense knowledge you know things which we see here smell taste touch there's other Sprouts its leaves the leaves of this tree are The Vedas the smritis logic learning education in all kinds of knowledge and instruction and it's lovely flowers are the many Deeds that we do good ones sacrifice charity austerity bad ones he just says Etc and its various tastes what does it feel like to be in this samsara he says the experience of happiness and sorrow and innumerable fruits the fruits are the means of subsistence of beings who are the beings the birds which come and sit on this tree there are innumerable Birds which come and sit on this tree and we are those birds it has for its nests they do the birds that they build their nest in this samsara and they build their nest in samsara what are the nests the nests are the seven worlds beginning from the world from the one called is the highest heaven brahmaloka we call it the seventh heaven that's also part of samsara because that's the whole range of coming and going the seven heavens and the Seven Hells where are we we are the first of the heavens Worlds the first one is this one awesome so this is actually a good word there are seven nastier words below us below means not physically below so sometimes depicted as below and events above but these are spheres of experience the seven Heavens are Pleasant experiences if you have lots of good karma a lot of good credit and Seven health are if you run out of credit the bank comes and dispossesses uh you and you end up being homeless on the streets and so that is a kind of Hell the Seven health so seven worlds which are built by the birds which are the living beings from Brahma downwards from the highest God God with cosmology down to the little plant or grass we are somewhere in between human beings so all of this is there he gives the in description then he goes on to say foreign the seven words starting with such a highest acceptance [Music] from the highest God Brahma down to the most humble creature these are the little birds which make its make their nests on this tree of samsara and then he goes on what does it sound like the tree is not a peaceful tree it's full of noise the birds are chirping some are singing some are screaming here shankaracharya outdoes himself she says it has uproar there is an uproar rendered tumultuous through the various sounds arising from dancing singing instrumental music played Just clapping laughing pulling crying exclaiming alas alas leave me leave me alone induced by mirth and grief arising from the enjoyment and pain of living beings this is what samsara sounds like clapping and cheering and parties and wailing and screaming and Terror and Trauma all of it take a global view of samsara right now if you hear all the sounds of humanity and all living creatures good deal of it will be very bad will be will be terrifying in Sanskrit he says oh um and so on and then he says in Sanskrit is means alas in English not the haha in English it just means it's just the exact opposite of what it means in English haha in English is Delight in Sanskrit it is alas says alas alas leave me alone let me go all of us have a share of grief and if you think you're a Swami very good you made your Escape you are not vulnerable samsara makes you very vulnerable if you especially if you have beloved ones you know but then you hear about it from people who are suffering and sort of the world Sorrows are put on display before you how much suffering and very little of that suffering can be easily dealt with you know it's so deep seated in our psyches we are we have made ourselves vulnerable to it uh the only way Krishna says in the bhagavad-gita this is true cut it firmly with the acts of vedanta cut the at the root of samsara what is the root of samsara ignorance of its underlying of the underlying reality but the underlying reality Brahman how do you realize this Brahman brahmatma that I am this Brahman I am not this little bird chirping and crying in one of the leaves on one of the branches tasting sweet fruits and mostly bitter fruits no I am one with the root I am the source of this samsara I am Brahman you realize that that's the ax in Gita Krishna makes it even more explicit he talks about the Acts 3 you know he says cutting at the root of this samsara Rickshaw what is that the root ignorance of Brahman Brahman is the source but ignorance leads to some sad ignorance of the source leads to samsara cut at the root by Detachment by the realization he shankaracharya says brahmatma um he says I realize I am Brahman and this is ra this is the weapon the acts of detachment then you realize all these words and none other than a display of magic like Mirage water like the city of city in the sky they have no reality of their own and they do disappear they fade away into nothingness this is the incredible description of 1400 years ago another meaning of ashwatra is that which does not stay till tomorrow it is impermanent it's always shaking it's blown this samsara uh trees as if it's always blown in a storm it's storming and what is this storm he says um by the the stormy Winds of karma this Karma which has come from desire My Good and Bad Karma are blowing me around in samsara where were you born wherever you brought up and educated where did you marry and settle down with your family where did you go for work for study where are you living now where will you be five years ten years 20 years down from now who are the people you started the world with whom did you grow up with whom are you living with now who will be there with you 20 30 40 years later you get your own body the progression of your body from childhood to youth to middle age to inevitable old age deterioration and death look at the changes in the mind look at the world around you changing Karma they are being blown around by the stormy Winds of karma which has come from our past desire from our desires anity impermanent and continuously in motion this this tree is swaying perilously because of past Karma what happens [Music] the branches what are the branches there are higher branches up in the sky which are the heavens in which the gods small G Gods dwell and having a great time there are the middle branches in which we dwell having a mixed time of it and they are the lower branches in which the Demons of Hell dwell having a terrible time of it so it says this is eternal return in what sense begin English how when did it start we want to know who is the nut case who put the seed in the ground and which gave rise to this horrible tree well there is no beginning to this it's beginningless but it can come to an end it can come to an end when we become enlightened at least for the one who is enlightened you're set free what do you need to know [Music] at the source of this samsara tree is pure existence pure Consciousness pure Bliss why pure did you not hear what we just said earlier because the sun cannot illuminate the nor the Stars nor the moon not the fire not the lightning it is not an object you cannot see it as an object it is pure consciousness that pure Consciousness and that is Brahman Brahman literally means the vast that pure Consciousness which is Brahman the vast that is immortality there is no immortality in this tree your industry you'll be world around from Lifetime to Lifetime with two summative the upanishad says from Death to death he goes the one who does not know who he is who you are it is immortality he is not talking about one little Consciousness I am the not the body not the mind one little Consciousness I am no he says all the words are set in this brahmana what do you mean set in this problem just like all Pottery is set in clay all golden all golden ornaments and set in Gold that means they're nothing but gold all the parts are nothing but clay all these words are nothing but Brahman existence pure being none of them transcend Brahman transcend means very simple none of them can be without Brahman can the pot be without clay impossible clay can exist without the pot Brahman can exist without this universe this universe cannot exist for a moment without grammar it's like saying can you exist without existence of course not no ornament can exist without gold but gold can exist without being an ornament it can be something else so this is Brahman this is that that what that what you asked for nachiketa you ask this question remember here is the answer all right the next verse is there we will go on next time let's see if there are questions so here in this third section um final section Yama has started off by once again describing Brahman as jagat karnanam as the cause of this universe the material cause of this universe because that from the entire universe emerges in which it stays into which it disappears and this need not be the case if you know yourself as pronouncement you will realize being alone exists there's a clay alone is there no matter if it's part if appearing is a part it's still clay no matter if it's appearing as samsara samsara is an appearance like um clouds in the sky like water in a mirage like a show of magic Brahman alone exists that which truly exists is you this is the knowledge let's take a look at the questions Shiva is this the state of pragya when the third stops um not yet is when you can manifest your Enlightenment notice what it means the literal meaning pragya means wisdom realization so this what we are talking about is the realization is the wisdom Sita stabilized study so is there an unsteady wisdom there can be they can be when we read all this we are inspired by it it's still unsteady when we are not only inspired by it becomes clear to us still unsteady when we it's not only clear to us and they are inspired by it we make a breakthrough and we begin to see for the first time we have found it still unsteady why unsteady because you see in your life are you able to manifest it are you able to live the life or do you have you gone beyond sorrow it promises samsara will be over for you if you realize this has it happened or are you still shaken by The Winds of karma when particularly nasty things happen you must come to the stage where if the entire universe is present you're fine with it you say it's all right if the entire universe disappears in samadhi in deep sleep or at the end of the universe still fine with it because there's not one extra thing if all the parts disappear the total quantity of clay is it still there or not yes if all the golden ornaments are meditate back into gold the substance the reality the gold is it still there or not exactly the same it's still the same just the names and forms have disappeared so you are fine you Brahman are fine if the words are appearing in you you're still fine if nothing appears all the objects disappear you still find because you have not been reduced little bit and if an entire universe appears before you you have nothing has changed for you even a little bit and then you are absolutely fine that kind of incredible centeredness in Brahman that's not easy so there are two kinds of objections arise one is people don't want this world to disappear that's the materialist thing they want to hold on to this word I want to hold on to people even people who are nasty to me it's impossible solitary confinement is a punishment you know and then after all who is the criminal within the in the jail in the in the prison other criminals they are not good company why wouldn't you want to be in solitary but no that is even worse than being with the group of criminals being in solitary we don't want to give up the world and look at the hirogi who goes into a forest into a mountain cave and a solitary out of choice and happy so first of all the materialist obsession with the world I want to hold on to it I'm not okay if the world is not there people are not there entertaining programs are not there on TV um good food and good entertainment is not there good conversation is not there then I'm not okay that must go I must be fine and then there is the the um other kind who are fine with letting go of the world and they want the Peace of samadhi they want the Peace of the mountain they want the Peace of the ashram the Peace of the retreat but they are not okay with the presence of the world so this is often spiritual people when you you're tired of the illuseriness and the problems of samsara you want to get rid of samsara you want peace but that that's good that's the beginning of spirituality but that's not the uh established in wisdom you should be the enlightened one should be happy that's why Krishna teaches vedanta in the middle of the battlefield the worst kind of samsara the worst kind of samsara can you be centered in Brahman and see the um that same reality even if the manifestation is so awful like a Battlefield so with the presence of samsara you're fine with the absence of samsara you are fine then only our understanding is complete and then Theta it must be steady it means your understanding is does it stay at home as Brahman or does it go what is that movie Baby's Day Out so does it go Baby's Day Out your understanding a little bit of the world little bit of people little bit of relationships little bit of entertainment little bit of fight little bit of nostalgia little bit of children grandchildren this is a Baby's Day Out it walks around in the world Theta pragya means is its centered is its stable but first this understanding is of a great help this understanding which we get this breakthrough it's a tremendous most this is Central this breakthrough is Central then you need to stabilize it um bhargava says Maharaj so we can call the texts as negators or negating knowledge yes it negates ignorance it negates the wrong understanding when you're meeting your mind tool isn't it important to keep it sharp conditioned and consistent of course for southern of course that's why purity of mind and focus of mind is necessary for sadhana karma yoga and upasana meditation is always recommended otherwise it won't work see if mind is impure no interest will be there in spiritual life or if it is interesting you need you like the songs you like the um you know it's the architecture of the church and the Beautiful hymns that's all very nice it's Sublime it's not yet spiritual um then I like spiritual life but I don't get this vedanta to get it even requires a sharp mind and a pure mind more than a sharp mind a pure mind is necessary Brahma says is brahmakar written an object in the mind if so that required for the Breakthrough or can one attain a breakthrough by just blanking out one's mind not by blanking out one's mind um concentration of mind is essential but according to vedanta brah the mind getting that moment of insight that aha moment I saw twice in the inspired talks Vivekananda uses the word flesh and it is done he says twice so there is a moment of breakthrough the brahmagal riti comes it's very much the mind and yet more than the mind if you look at vedanta Sarah what happens in the brah the two components of Brahma karavati that moment of Enlightenment the two components are the ritib I'm not going to explain that now so in Ramadan is there but fella Baptist is not necessary this is the crucial difference between the realization of Brahman and the knowledge the ordinary knowledge of the world so mind is necessary because necessary and yet the mind is not necessary because fellow depth is not necessary for brahmagyana if all this sounds like gibberish to you you have to go back and look at vedanta sir Shiva Prius is self-revealing is both they both yes awareness of awareness but that ultimate state is samadhi achievable issue may not be brahmagyani right no it is achievable by everybody samadhi is that both they both you realize that you are awareness and centered in that um shut down the Mind immerse the mind in that realization that will give you samadhi but according to advaita vedanta it is that both that realization which is most important samadhi is secondary according to advaita vedanta it is that inquiry this inquiry which we are doing you sit down quietly and do this inquiry that will give you uh Enlightenment and samadhi can follow or proceed or follow with um one inquiry was suggested by Yama here itself The Chariot example the sin says that the horse says then the rain is the mind the driver the intellect is the driver and you are the witness the passenger inquiry into that and sriram says if self-reparaging same as Consciousness it is consciousness Consciousness is self-efficient it's not lit up by anything else it is self-lit and it lights up everything else Patrick says why does Krishna talk about cutting this tree down yes that sounds so bad cutting this tree down but we must I remember the 15th chapter of the Gita we were studying it at Harvard Divinity School and there was a mixed group of students one student this girl she was very concerned about trees her whole point was about trees and we came to that portion of the Gita where Krishna talks about cut this tree firmly down with the acts of Detachment and she was so shocked and unhappy yeah because this is samsara this is what we are trying to do don't worry it won't contribute to the greenhouse problem if you cut this tree down sriram says Consciousness is quality of Brahman no conscious not quality of problem and Consciousness is Brahman is there velantic expression extolling the other two aspects of Raman aspects means Brahman is existence Brahman is consciousness Brahman is bliss there are questions which talks about brahmanas Anand anandam Brahman is bliss at the beginning of this universe there was being alone existence alone so in some upanishads you get sat pure being so here you get chit Consciousness that shining everything shines and right there you get Anand the place they're all talking about the same thing because it it shines it gives us an experience of life itself therefore you are Consciousness because your own everything you can deny you cannot deny your own existence that Consciousness therefore it is the truth it is sat and the unlimited nature of this existence Consciousness is bliss Ananda and it is self-evident all the time we don't see it ah sriram says the inverted tree is emblematic of ishwar srishti versus Jiva srishti yes so when you cut down that tree the Jiva srishti will be gone I'm not going to explain this this is terms used by panchal Rashi with iranya Swami there is a creation by the by God the equation of this universe and the five elements the stars and planets and the worlds our own bodies minds but there's a creation we make up what is the our creation I am this body God hasn't told you that yeah I am this little being and I have these desires and I do these naughty things Papa all of this is our sister and we suffer because of that so vidyana Swami in panchadashi makes this analysis even the street itself the creation of God never gives sorrow to anybody it is our creation which keeps us sir like a person in a dream having a nightmare everything is fine but person is suffering the suffering is entirely generated by that person what is the way to get out of it is to wake up similarly the enlightened one wakes up and realizes I am Brahman does the world disappear no does the body disappear no everything goes on as it is even the physical problems in the body also remain and yet that person honestly can claim I have attained Bliss I have attained freedom so the existence the appearance of the world appearance of the body is not a problem if it the appearance nature is realized that it is nothing other than Brahman and I am that Brahman let it appear as I said let the objects appear you should be fine with it let the objects disappear you should be fine with it is there any symbolic meaning for the tree being inverted yes so what we see the branches and leaves and and the nests built by the birds and the fruits flowers all are down here in our actual tree what happens they are up there and the root is down but here the root the source is transcendent is invisible of course in real tree also the root is invisible although Banyan Tree the roots are also visible they come out the external Roots but here the real root saguna Brahman East were invisible it is we don't see it but the resource is there sources card Nila Vora says you've probably explained it earlier how do we explain existing physical things that don't seem to have Consciousness because uh ishwara Brahman with the power of Maya has created the five elements and these five elements space and air and water and fire and water and Earth they combine Together part of that goes to combining and making our minds which reflect Consciousness and gives us the experience of conscious experience you know thinking feeling and all that but part of it goes and becomes objects of experience tables chairs um our bodies so these objects don't seem to have Consciousness though Brahman vedanta will say ultimately everything not only has Consciousness is consciousness but in some cases Consciousness is Manifest in some cases Consciousness is not manifest where it is easily manifest our beings sentient beings like us with Minds in those Minds Consciousness is Manifest and we behave like little creatures in tables and chairs Consciousness is there as you see existence is Manifest most manifested chairs tables everywhere existence is common but we don't feel Consciousness there without the Mind subtle body Consciousness will not be manifest Swami is vasana as a component of uh special you mean leading to rebirth and then sprouting as karmas yes vasanas the accumulated impressions of past lives are in the subtle body and they go on from Lifetime to Lifetime physical bodies die the subtle bodies go on stuless goes on and they fractify from Lifetime to Lifetime okay kalpana says is it true that vedanta describes saguna Brahman alone and all the French is the language of negation no sabuna Brahman you can describe it because it's a positive description as possible God is omniscient omnipotent omnipresent God is loving God is just God is beautiful and the only way you can indicate nirguna Brahman is by negating all possible ascriptions to it but equally vedant upanishads refer to nirguna Brahman and saguna Brahman is the absolute reality which appears as saguna Brahman world and individual Jiva jagat ishwara if you are a Jiva if you if you just think that I am this and that's all then for you this is the world other jivas are there and God is there if you do vedantic inquiry until you do vedantic inquiry the only religion um or the for the most part I'm ignoring Buddhism here for the most part religion is worship of God foreign but with the clothing of the boss but when you do a vedantic inquiry you realize when someone looking happy you realize that I am the boss no no no there is no boss there is no servant and there is no office also there's one one reality dreaming all this up and you are free of the whole show though the appearance of the show will continue the movie the cinema will continue we should be happy with the cinema continuing with the cinema switch talk be perfectly centered and at peace with it and that is the enlightenment which is centered um [Music] foreign [Music]