ISHAVASYA UPANISHAD : - 6. Swami Tejomayananda.

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Friday, June 03, 2022. 22:00

Wave 2: MEDITATIONS on the Self

Mantras 4-8 (5 No.) 

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Mantram 6: The Jnani – Seer of the Self

"Yah tu sarvani bhutani, atmani eva anupashyati;

sarva bhuteshu cha atmanam, tatah na vijugupsate.

Translation :

1 Yah tu sarvani bhutani,             = He who sees all beings and forms,

2 atmani eva anupashyati;           = in the Self, he alone really sees;

3 sarva bhuteshu cha atmanam,   = he also sees the Self in all beings and forms,

4 tatah na vijugupsate. thereafter, = he feels no hatred towards anyone.

Commentary :

A vision of Self-realisation is presented before us by the Rishi. The same vision is

presented to us in the Bhagavad Geeta. A characteristic of the God-realised person is that

his horizons extend beyond his personal boundaries, and become unlimited. It is impossible

for us to step into his shoes and get a glimpse of the world that he sees.

There are two sides to the coin of an expanded vision of life :

i) Seeing all beings in the Lord, i.e. as being superimposed on the Lord; and

ii) Seeing the Lord in all beings, i.e. the Lord as the Substratum of all beings. 

Seeing All Beings in the Lord :

1-2 Sarvaani Bhootaani: “all beings”. This term occurs very frequently in Vedantic

literature, and specifically refers to every creature living in the world without any exception.

All beings are seen as being superimposed on the Lord. In that lies their equality.

They are equal in terms of them being superimpositions. Since all superimpositions are

regarded as being unreal, the equality of all beings really means that all being are equally

unreal! Their common unreality makes them equal. They are equal with respect to their

unreality.

Seeing the Lord in All Beings :

3 Now we look at the same equality from the side of Reality, i.e. the Lord. With

respect to the Lord, He is the Substratum of all beings.

Since all beings have the Lord as their substratum, they are equal. In that fact lies

their equality. They are equal in terms of having the same common Substratum to their

existence. Since the Substratum is always regarded as being Real, the equality derived in this

way means that all beings are in essense Real! Their common Reality makes them equal.

They are equal with respect to their Reality.

Thus, both sides of the coin of an expanded vision bring us to the fact of the equality

of all beings. From one side we see the common unreality of all; from the other side we see

the common Reality of all. It is only in terms of pure unreality or pure Reality that all beings

are equal. True Equality is thus a preserve of the realised saint; we have no access to it.

The Roots of Inequality in Living Beings

The moment we take into account other considerations, the equality is no longer

there. Let us explore this statement a little further and discover from where inequality

arises:

When we view things from our individual mental or physical level, all sorts of

inequalities begin to surface. The view changes altogether from the saint’s view. We are no

longer looking at equal beings, but we see an amazing variety of beings. Not only are our

bodies of all shapes and sizes from creature to creature, but our minds are even more

varied, between creatures as well as within the same species of creatures. Within the

human species alone, we find an incredible variation in mental types.

We are now in a position to draw the following conclusion: Equality, whether of

unreality or of Reality, is seen only when we come out of our individuality and enter

universality. As long as we are locked in individuality, we see only Inequality alone at every

turn of the eye! From individuality, it is impossible to even imagine what equality is like,

except theoretically. Conversely, from universality, it is hard to imagine what inequality is

like, except from recollections of the days of our own ignorance!

The Reward of Realisation – A Society Free of Hate :

4 The vision of unity in diversity is the most essential reward of realisation. But there

is a secondary reward which is mentioned in this verse – the birth of universal Love. 

God-realisation spells the death of individuality and the birth of universality. In the

Geeta, the term Sarvatma Bhava is used to express the feeling of inter-connectedness that

God-realisation brings into the life of a saint. This feeling is the touchstone of practical

spirituality. It is the essence of realization; the acid-test of God-realisation; the confirmation

of having broken through the boundary of individuality.

When one has such an integrated vision of life, it becomes impossible to hate any

being. Dislike and hatred only come when we see others as different from us. The practical

way in which realization alters our whole view of life and promotes the good of all mankind

is that negative feelings cannot arise in a realised person. The Sarvatma Bhava is the only

guarantee that ensures the absence of all negative feelings in man.

This may sound Utopian, but in it lies the solid contribution of spirituality towards

the progress of man. A civilisation free from hatred and suspicion can become a reality only

through the spiritual progress of man, and in no other way.

Sarvatma Bhava is the grand vision that dissolves all problems between man and

man. Even if this feeling is not actually attained as a result of direct realisation or spiritual

perfection, its theoretical understanding can help. To hold such an attitude of mind as a

principle to live by can make a big difference to our relationships. In other words, even a

theoretical understanding of this Truth can help to improve our attitude towards others.

Thus, an educational system which promotes this Truth can go a long way to build good

human beings, even if it does not go all the way and build God-realised sages!

The person who keeps this principle in mind becomes more understanding. He can

place himself in the shoes of others and understand their feelings. He becomes free from

rage and heated exchanges which characterize the politics of today. The vision presented

here is the foundation for better, improved relationships.

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Next -Mantram 7: Freedom From Delusion & Sorrow

To be continued ....

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