AITAREYA UPANISHAD - 28. Rishi Maheedasa Aitareya.

Chinmaya Mission 

Chinmaya Mission Philippines recently held a conference on Artificial Intelligence and Spirituality. Inspired by the notion that Gurudev was at the forefront of his time, this conference aimed to explore the impact of AI, a cutting-edge technology, on our spirituality. Six sets of speakers from various age and occupational groups shared their experiences with AI in their lives and engaged in discussions about how applications like ChatGPT, Dasha AI, Otter AI, and Notion AI influence their lives, perceptions, options, habits, and productivity. They explored the positives and negatives, examined the influence of AI on their thinking processes, and questioned whether human thinking might become obsolete.

Brahmacharini Satarupa, the resident teacher for Chinmaya Mission Philippines, brought all the insights together by emphasizing Gurudev's message: "May Thy grace and blessing flow through us to the world around us." The conference highlighted that just as AI is a product of human intelligence, human intelligence is a product of nature's intelligence. Recognizing this connection helps us realize our true identity.

Overall, the forum affirmed that while AI provides tools for powerful and efficient information retrieval, memory, summarization, and analysis, it cannot replace the human heart, spirit, and the individual user's intelligence. Important human qualities such as introspection, meditation, mindfulness, discernment, judgment, and decision-making are beyond the reach of AI.

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Friday,  26 May,  2023. 07:30.

PART 3: Chapter 5, 4 Mantras

“CONSCIOUSNESS IS BRAHMAN”

Here begins the First Chapter (No.5) of Part 3

Post-28.

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Mantram - 5.1: “Upahita” – Unassociated Consciousness at Individual Level

1.

Om. kah ayam aatmaa iti vayam   =   Om. Who is this Self we are worshipping?

upaasmahe? katarah? sah aatmaa?  =  Which of the two is it? Is it A, the ATMAN:

2.

yena vaa pashyati?   =  Is it “That” (Atman) by which one sees?

yena vaa shrinoti?   =   Or by which one hears? 

yena vaa gandhaan aajighrati?  =  Or by which one smells fragrance? 

yena vaa vaacham vyaakaroti?   =  Or by which one utters speech? 

yena vaa swaadu vijaanaati,   =   Or by which one knows what is tasty, 

cha aswaadu (vijaanaati)?  =   and what is not tasty.

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The Sakshi or Witnessing Consciousness

1.

In Samskrit, what is known is closer and is referred to by the word Ayam, “This”;

and what is not known is Yena, “That”. The students have learnt about Atman in its two 

aspects: as Upahita, “un-associated Consciousness” or Sakshi or “That”; and as Visishta, 

“associated consciousness” or Jeeva or “This”. Which of these two has Rishi Vamdeva

realized? That is being discussed in a group. 

2. 

The enquiry begins by considering the Upahita Chaitanya. The Sakshi witnesses all 

the bodily and mental activities, but does not get involved in them. It is their aloof witness. 

It remains untouched and uncontaminated. It is “that by which one sees, hears, smells, etc.” 

It alone can be the true Self at the Vyashti level

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Next

Mantram -5.2: “Visishta” – Associated Consciousness at Individual Level

To be continued

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