The Mandukya Upanishad : presented the quintessence of the acme of thought and experience reached in ancient times, – the Upanishads. 1 & 2.

26/03/2018

1. Preface :-

The present blog consists of the lectures, delivered extempore, by the Swamiji, in the year 1968, on the philosophy and teachings of the Mandukya Upanishad.

The First Section of the discourses expounds the meaning of the great mystical symbol, Om, or Pranava, as a connotation as well as denotation of the Absolute.

The Second Section explains the nature of the individual and the Absolute, and that everything is Brahman.

The Third Section explains the nature of the Universal Being, Vaisvanara, as delineated in the Upanishad.

The Fourth Section propounds the mystery of Dream and Sleep, as also the cosmic counterpart of this state, namely, Hiranyagarbha, the Divine Immanent Being.

The Fifth Section is an exposition of the profound significance of Sleep in the interpretation of the nature of the Spirit in man.

The Sixth Section is centred round the great theme, the nature of Ishvara, the Supreme God of the Universe.

The Seventh Section concerns itself with the majestic character of Reality as such, the Absolute, as the Transcendent Presence.

The Eighth Section is the concluding summary, devoted to an explanation of the harmony between the constituents of Om, or Pranava, and the four states of Consciousness, which forms the subject of the Upanishad.

Herein, the students of Philosophy and Spiritual Life will find presented the quintessence of the acme of thought and experience reached in ancient times, – the Upanishads.

2. Introduction :-

The theme of the Mandukya Upanishad is an exposition of the Mystic Syllable, Om, with a view to training the mind in meditation, for the purpose of achieving freedom, gradually, so that the individual soul is attuned to the Ultimate Reality.

The basis of this meditation is explained in the Vidya (meditation), known as the Vaisvanara Vidya. This is the secret of the knowledge of the Universal Being, designated as Vaisvanara. Its simple form of understanding is a transference of human attributes to the Divine Existence, and vice versa. In this meditation, one contemplates the Cosmos as one's Body.

Just as, for example, when one contemplates one's individual body, one simultaneously becomes conscious of the right eye, the left eye, the right hand, the left hand, the right leg, the left leg, the head, the heart, the stomach, and all the limbs of the body at one and the same time, and one does not regard the different limbs of the body as distinguished from one another in any manner, all limbs being only apparently different but really connected to a single personality, so in this meditation, the consciousness is to be transferred to the Universal Being.

Instead of one contemplating oneself as the individual body, one contemplates oneself as the Universal Body. Instead of the right eye, there is the sun. Instead of the left eye, there is the moon. Instead of the feet, there is the earth. Instead of the head, there is the heaven, and so on. The limbs of the Cosmic Person are identified with cosmic elements, and vice versa, so that there is nothing in the cosmos which does not form an organic part of the Body of the Virat, or Vaisvanara. When you see the vast world before you, you behold a part of your own Body.

When you look at the sun, you behold your own eye. When you look above into the heavens, you are seeing your own head. When you see all people moving about, you behold the various parts of your own personality. The vast wind is your breath. All your actions are cosmic movements. Anything that moves, does so on account of your movement.

"Your breath is the Cosmic Vital Force. Your intelligence is the Cosmic Intelligence. Your existence is Cosmic Existence. Your happiness is Cosmic Bliss."
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To be continued ...

Swami Krishnananda