The Chandogya Upanishad - 4.2.1 - 35: Swami Krishnananda.

Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF)

Puja Vidhanam- off to an auspicious start ✨

Swami Sharadananda, the Mukhya Acharya of the Course, led the Gurupaduka puja invoking the blessings of the Guruparampara, at the start of the inaugural ceremony for the course. 

The commencement was graced by the presence of Prof. N.K. Sundareswaran, Chairman of Sanskrit Department – Calicut University, and Swami Advayananda. Both dignitaries spoke eloquently about the significance of the Puja and rituals in the Sanatan culture and how it enriches our lives, exalting it to the Divine. 

Pen drives with discourses on – 'Adoration of the Mother by Swami Sharadananda' and 'Panchadasi Chapter 8’ by Swami Advayananda, were released by Swami Advayananda and  Prof. N.K. Sundareswaran respectively, to commemorate the course launch. The inaugural copies of the two pen drives were presented to Prof. Sundareswaran, and Br. Mukund Chaitanya respectively, to honour the auspicious occasion. 

The ceremony concluded with a hearty vote of thanks by Camp Coordinator Sri Abin, followed by the Chinmaya Mission Pledge. 

Over 36 eager and enthusiastic learners from 7 different countries thus began their journey of devotion and discovery!

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Tuesday, 15 Aug 2023. 06:40.

CHAPTER 4: AN ANALYSIS OF THE NATURE OF THE SELF

SECTION 2: DIFFERENT HIGHER WORLDS

Post-35.

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SECTION 2: DIFFERENT HIGHER WORLDS

Mantram-1.

"Sa yadi pitr-loka-kamo bhavati, samkalpad-evasya pitarah samuttisthanti, tena pitr-lokena sampanno mahiyate."

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If he wants to see someone, say a forefather in the other world, he can see him at once. There is no such thing as 'other world' for that person who has realised the Atman. Just as this world is not, the other world also is not. There is only one thing, which is commensurate with his own Being. We can see our own fingers even though they are a little distant from our eyes, say two feet away. This distance does not prevent us from seeing them. Distance is ruled out here on account of the identity of the object with our own Self. The forefathers in the other heavens also can be seen at once the moment his will projects itself in that fashion.

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Mantras - 2 to 10

2.Atha yadi matr-loka-kamo bhavati, samkalpad-evasya matarah samuttisthanti, tena matr-lokena sampanno mahiyate.

3.Atha yadi bhratr-loka-kamo bhavati, samkalpad-evasya bhratarah samuttisthanti, tena bhratr-lokena sampanno mahiyate.

4.Atha yadi svsr-loka-kamo bhavati, samkalpad-evasya svasarah samuttisthanti, tena svasr-lokena sampanno mahiyate.

5.Atha yadi sakhi-loka-kamo bhavati, samkalpad-evasya sakhayah samuttisthanti, tena sakhi-lokena sampanno mahiyate.

6.Atha yadi gandha-malya-loka-kamo bhavati samkalpad-evasya gandhamalye samuttisthatah, tena gandhamalya-lokena sampanno mahiyate.

7.Atha yadi anna-pana-loka-kamo bhavati, samkalpad-evasyanna-pane samuttisthatah, tena anna-papa-lokena sampanno mahiyate.

8.Atha yadi gita-vadita-loka-kamo bhavati, samkalpad-evasya gita vadite samuttisthatah, tena gita-vadita-lokena sampanno mahiyate.

9.Atha yadi stri-loka-kamo bhavati, samkalpad-evasya striyah samuttisthanti, tena stri-lokena sampanno mahiyate.

10.Yam yam antam abhikamo bhavati, yam kamam kama-yate, so'sya samkalpad-eva samuttishati, tena sampanno mahiyate.

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It is a long list which I need not translate. It means to say that everything that we can think of—relatives, friends, fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, good things, great things, pleasant things, objects of desire present in this world or in the other world-whatever they be, they do not take time to manifest themselves if the will is exercised in the proper manner. What is the proper manner? The will has to be in tune with the law of the Atman. This is the only condition. It must be a universal wish coming from every corner of the world enfolding within itself every object. Then there will be an instantaneous manifestation of all things to the satisfaction of the universal will of this Self-realised sage. Whatever be his wish, that shall take place, but his wish will not contradict universality, because the wish itself is universal.

All these desires in our hearts are really distorted forms of the manifestation of consciousness in some way or the other. It is the great universal Being seeking expression in various types of experiences in this world. All thoughts, all desires, all aspirations, whatever be the functions of the psyche, are movements of consciousness towards Self-realisation. It is the search of the Self for the Self in the world outside. But there is some defect in the movement of consciousness when it gets lodged in the body of an individual and imagines that it is somehow or other limited to the extent of that body alone. This feeling, falsely introduced somehow or other in respect of the association of consciousness with the body, is called anrita, falsehood. When falsehood gets mixed up with truth, which means to say, the body idea and the externality idea get mixed up with the true Consciousness that we are, then it becomes difficult for us to achieve anything in this world. The more we free ourselves from the notion of the consciousness getting identified with the body and externality, the more is our capacity to exert our will in the proper way and fulfil our desires.

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Next

SECTION 3: THE SPACE WITHIN THE HEART

To be continued

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