The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - 8.(ENDS) : Swami Krishnananda.

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Saturday, 09 Sep 2023. 09:00.

Article 

Scriptures

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 

Post-8.

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The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is the vehicle of the teachings of this great master. Many questions were put to Yajnavalkya. One of the questions raised by a person in the audience was, “What is it that is inside and outside? What is its nature?”

“Yes, I know that,” said Yajnavalkya.

“What is the good of saying 'I know that'?” said the person asking the question. “Tell me what it is. Everybody can say 'I know that, I know that'. Let me hear what it is.”

Then Yajnavalkya gives a description of antaryami brahmana, as it is called. Much of the Vaishnava theology of Ramanuja Sampradaya is based on this doctrine of the interconnecting consciousness, or antaryami consciousness delineated by Yajnavalkya in one of the sections of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Everything is connected to everything else.

To Maitreyi, he told something different, which actually landed us in the conclusion that all existence is scintillating with awareness, and One Reality alone sees itself, and it loves itself, and nobody loves anything else. Now here, he gives another sidelight of this issue: The fact of the unitary existence of this sole sea of consciousness also implies the interconnection of all things. There is one entity in us – the Atman. Because of the presence of this Atman, which is the consciousness in us, every limb of the body appears to be connected to every other limb of the body. Isn't there interconnection of the limbs of the body? 

There is an organism, which is our physical personality. The word 'organism' implies an interconnected body, an organisation which is complete in itself, of which every part is connected to every other part. Modern science has confirmed this truth of everything being connected to everything else. Scientists today tell us that every cell of the brain of a person is connected to every atom in the cosmos. Can you imagine this astounding conclusion? Every cell of your brain is vitally, organically connected to every atom in the cosmos, so that in your head you are carrying the entire cosmos, but because of a blockage, you are not omniscient.

So Yajnavalkya mentions here, in answer to another question, that everything is connected to everything else. The inwardness and outwardness of things is a fallacy. There is a totality of interrelation, and all things are everywhere; you can find anything at any place. Everything is everywhere at any time. Remember this interesting recipe: Everything can be found at any place, at any time. You need not go to any distant place for getting things; it is just here. Wonderful is Yajnavalkya! Glory to his teaching! Blessed are you all!

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End.

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