Introduction to the Upanishads -2. Swami Krishnananda

-

27/04/2019
2.

2.1
When we look at the world, we have what may be called a first view of things, and dissatisfaction with the first view of things is supposed to be the mother of all philosophical thinking. If we are satisfied with things, there is nothing more for us to search for in this world. Any kind of search, quest, enterprise, or desire to seek implies that we are not satisfied with the existing condition of things. And, we are quite aware that nobody in this world can be said to be totally satisfied with the prevailing conditions of things – neither in one's own self, nor in one's family, nor in the society outside, nor in anything, for the matter of that.

There is always a tendency in the human mind to discover a lacuna in things: "It should not be like this. It should have been in some other way." This is a distinction that we draw between the 'is' and the 'ought'. We may say "something is like this"; but instead, what we express is "something ought to have been like this" or "something ought to be like this". The 'ought' is something that we are expecting in this world; the 'is' is what we are actually facing in this world. There is always this distinction, drawn in ourselves, between the 'is' and the 'ought'. We will not find any circumstance in life where we will not be searching for an 'ought' and be dissatisfied with what 'is'. This tendency in the mind – this peculiar predilection of the human psyche to search for what is not visible, perceptible, tangible or recognisable – is the seed sown for philosophical thinking.

2.2
Philosophy is the search for the higher values of life – not the values of the world as they are available to us. This world of perception is also filled with several values. We have social values, economic values, educational values, artistic and aesthetic values, and what not. None of these values can satisfy us for a long time. For a short period, everything seems to be fine; for a protracted period, nothing is fine. Everything looks stale, insipid, worn out and good for nothing after some time. We get fatigued and tired of things. We search for something else.

To be continued ..


know the self, know the self in Nature, know the self in Jiva, Further Oneness.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUNDAKOPANISHAD : CHAPTER-3. SECTION-2. MANTRAM-4. { "Other means of Self-realisation." }

-
Image
MUNDAKOPANISHAD CHAPTER-3. SECTION-2. MANTRAM-4.  { "Other  means  of  Self-realisation." } Nayam-atma  bala-hinena  labhyo na  ca  pramadat  tapaso  va' py-alingat, etair-upayair-yatate  yastu  vidvan tasyaisa  atma  visate  brahma-dhama. na  =  not; ayam  =  this; atma  =  Paramatma; bala-hinena  =  by  the  weak  ( in  spirit ); labhyah  =  is  attained; na  =  not; ca  =  and; pramadat  =  insincerity,  careless-ness; tapasah  =  from  penances,  austerities; va  =  or; api  =  and; alingat  = ( literal  meaning - without  proper  sign ),  improper,  unintelligent; etaih  =  by  these; upayaih  =  practices,  means; yatate  =  strives; yah  =  that; tu  =  but; vidvan  =  wise  man; tasya  =  to  him; esah  =  this; atma  =  Paramatma; visate  =  attains; brahma-dhama  =  the  state  of  brahmam. "The  Self  is  not  gained  by  the  weak  ( in  body,  mind,  and  intellect  or  Spirit ),  n
Read more

Mundakopanishad : ( Seven tongues of fire ).Mantram-4.

-
Image
Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram-4. ( Seven  tongues  of  fire ) "kali  karali  ca  manojava  ca  sulohita  ya  ca  sudhumra-varna, sphulingini  visvaruci  ca  devi  lelaya-mana  iti  sapta  jihvah." kali  =  kali ( the black  one ); karali  =  karali  ( the  terrific  one ); ca  =  and; manojava  =  as  swift  as  mind; ca  =  and; sulohita  =  deep-red-coloured; ya  =  who; ca  =  also; sudhumra  varna  =   the  smoke - coloured; sphulingini  =  the  sparkling; visvaruci  devi  =  the  variegated,  the  bright,  all  shining; ca  =  and; lelaya-mana  =  flickering; iti  =  that; sapta  =  seven; jihvah  =  tongues. "The  seven  flickering  tongues  ( jwala-s )  of  flames  are : 1. Kali,  the  black  one; 2. Karali,  the  terrific  one; 3. Manojava,  the  swift-as-mind  one; 4. Sulohita,  the  deep-red  one; 5. Sudhumra-varna,  the  smoke-coloured  one; 6. Sphulingini
Read more

Tat Tvam Asi – You Are That! – Chandogya Upanishad

-
Image
04/06/2019 Tat Tvam Asi – You Are That! – Chandogya Upanishad Uddalaka had a son called Svetaketu. When he was twelve, his father said to him, “It is time for you to find a spiritual teacher. Everyone in this family has studied the holy scriptures and the spiritual way.” So Svetaketu went to a teacher and studied the scriptures for twelve years. He returned home very proud of his intellectual knowledge. His father observed him and said, “My boy, you seem to have a high opinion of yourself; you are proud of your learning. But did you ask your teacher for the spiritual knowledge that enables you to hear the unheard, think the unthought and know the unknown?” “What is that knowledge, Father?” asked Svetaketu. “Just as by knowing a lump of clay, everything that is made of clay can be known, since any differences are only words, and the essential reality is clay. In the same way, by knowing a piece of gold, all that is made of gold can be known, since any differences are only wo
Read more