The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: 6 - Swami Krishnananda.

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Wednesday 25, September 2024, 06:20.
Article
Scriptures
Upanishads
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 
Post-6.

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You may ask me what 'meaningful' is. Meaning is that character in the object by which we can consider that object to be of some utility to us. If it is totally non-utilitarian, if it is a meaningless hotchpotch, then our mind cannot be attracted. Thus, symmetry of contour, perfection of presentation, precision and orderliness, together with the meaning that we see in it, pulls the subject towards the object. However, considering any aspect of the matter, it does not mean that we love the object for its own sake. There is some subjectivity involved in it. Unless a meaning is seen in the object, we will not be pulled towards that object. We want to put that object into some utility. If there is no meaning at all, no attraction takes place. So, na va arey sarvasya kamaya sarvam priyam bhavati; atmanastu kamaya sarvam priyam bhavati: Nothing is dear for its own sake; for the sake of the Atman, everything is dear. When we love a thing, we are loving our Atman. Now, you may again make the mistake of thinking “My Atman is inside. How is it that I am loving something outside?” Do not make that mistake. Again and again the same idea will come to the mind: “How can I say that I am loving my own Atman when I am loving something outside?” This Atman is not inside you only. Here is the point that you should always remember. The Atman is somehow or other masquerading in the form of all things outside. The Atman is infinite existence. The Infinite pulls the Infinite. The Supreme Self it is that pulls the Supreme Self.

Therefore Yajnavalkya says to Maitreyi, “Nobody loves anything for its own sake.” All love is love of the Self, in the pure spiritual sense. Not this self or that self, myself or yourself, itself – this kind of self is not the point. It is the universal Self that is actually pulling you in some form, and you are not able to catch the point. There is an illusion that is presented to the sense organs, and under the impression, due to the delusion you go to the object thinking that it is beautiful, that it is necessary, that it is meaningful. There is no meaning in anything in this world except the meaning of the Selfhood of that object. If the Self is absent in that object, it is a non-entity, and a non-entity cannot attract you. So if the Self it is that pulls you, it is yourself only that is pulling you.

After having said this much, Yajnavalkya continues by saying, “After departure, there is no consciousness.” “I cannot understand,” Maitreyi says. “What are you saying, 'There is no consciousness'? You are confusing me by saying this.” “No, Maitreyi. I am not confusing you. You do not understand what I am saying. When I say there is no consciousness, I mean that when the consciousness departs from this individuality of the bodily personality, there is no particularised consciousness.”

To us, all consciousness is psychological consciousness; to us, every consciousness is sensory consciousness. When we make a statement like “I am conscious”, we mean that we are conscious of something – which is psychological perception, sensory perception. Consciousness by itself does not perceive anything. It is the Self, the universal perceiver. “So why did you say that there is no consciousness after the absolution of consciousness from entanglement in this body?” The reason is: yatra hi dvaitam iva bhavati, tad itara itaram pasyati (Bri.U. 2.4.14). 'You will see another only when there is duality'. If there is something outside consciousness, consciousness can see something; but if there is only consciousness everywhere, what will it see? What does God see, for instance? You can put a more poignant question to yourself, in a more intelligible manner:  Does God see anything? What does He see? If the entire creation is pervaded by God, what does God see? He sees nothing; He sees Himself only. The awareness by God is awareness of Himself. The so-called omniscience of God, which we attribute to Him, is actually an all-knowledge of Himself. The very quality that is attributed to God is actually connected with Himself, His own existence.

Continued

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