The Chhandogya Upanishad - 51 : Swami Krishnananda

Swami Chinmayananda :

Sannyasa is renunciation of all ego-centric activities and all anxieties or cravings for fruits of actions. 

These two effects would be natural in one who is striving diligently in the world as an expression of his love for the Lord, and only to dedicate in the end all the results unto the Lord as "offering". 

King Janaka was one such phenomenal example!

First word that comes to your mind when you hear ‘’Sannyasa’’? 

Tell us in the comments! 👇🏽 

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Wednesday  28,  Feb 2024. 07:30.

Chapter 4: An Analysis of the Nature of the Self

Section 10: The Dream Self

Mantras-1&2.

Post-51.

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Mantram -1.

"Ya esa svapne mahiyamanas-carati esa atma, iti hovaca, 

etad-amrtam abhayam, etad-brahmeti. sa ha santa-hrdayah pravavraja; 

sa haprapyaiva devan etadbhaynm dadarsa; tad-yadyapidam sariram andham bhavati, 

anandhah sa bhavati, yadi sramam asramah, naivaiso'sya dosena dusyati."

Prajapati now said, "That which you see in the state of dream is the Atman. That is Brahman about which I am going to speak to you. That Being which rejoices and is happy in the state of dream is the Atman, which is fearless and which is immortal. This is the Reality about which I have spoken earlier and into which you seek initiation."

Well, to some extent there was satisfaction of lndra's doubts. The physical body does not affect the conditions in dream. "Yes, this must be so," he thought, and went back, cool, calm and composed in heart. But he was blessed with the capacity to ratiocinate and investigate into what he was told. On the way, before he reached his palace in heaven, he again had a doubt.

"How, could this be?" he thought within himself. "That which is in dream is the Atman? Can it be like that? Yes, if the body is blind, the dream person need not be blind. And if the bodily individual has any other defect such as crippleness, etc., this defect does not affect the dreaming individual. Perhaps even if the physical body is amputated, a limb cut off or affected very seriously, the dreaming individual is not so affected."

Mantram-2.

"Navadhenasya hanyate, nasya sramyena sramah, ghnanti tvevainam, 

vicchadayantivapriyavetteva bhavati, api roditiva, naham atra bhogyam pasyamiti."

Now Indra had another doubt. Even if it be that the dreamer is not affected by the defects of the physical body, there is some other defect in dream. One is not always perfect in dream. The point whether the physical body affected the dream body or not is irrelevant. What is pertinent here is that the dreaming individual has the same problems as the waking individual. There is the same pleasure and pain dependent on unreliable factors both in the waking and dreaming body. One feels as if one is chased or driven away or being killed even in dream. One feels sorrow and grief and passes through unpleasant experiences in dream also. Can this then be the Atman? Naturally, it cannot be, because it is not perfect. It is affected by the same changes which the waking body is subjected to. One cries, weeps and sobs when one has painful experiences in dream also. This dreaming Atman is no good. This was the trend of thought which Indra had in his mind when he was halfway to his city in the heavens.

*****

Continued

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