Chandogya Upanishad Lecture 94 on 13 April 2025

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PADAPADMETAYOH SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU OM APYAYANTUM AMANGANIVAKPRANASYAKSHUH SHROTRAM ATHO BALAMINDRIYANICHA SARVANI SARVAM BRAHMAHU PANISHADAM MAHAM BRAHMANIRAKURIYAM MAMA BRAHMANIRAKARO ANIRAKARANAM ASTVANIRAKARANAM ME ASTU TADATMANI NIRATE YAUPANISHAD SU DHARMA TE MAI SANTU TE MAI SANTU OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI HA RE HE OM OM May my limbs, speech, vital force, eyes, ears, as also strength, and all the organs become well developed. Everything is the Brahman revealed in the Upanishads. May I not deny Brahman. May not Brahman deny me. Let there be no spurning of me by Brahman. Let there be no rejection of Brahman by me. May all the virtues that are spoken of in the Upanishads repose in me. I am engaged in the pursuit of the Self. May they repose in me. OM PEACE PEACE PEACE BE UNTO ALL So we are studying the last chapter in the Chandogya Upanishad and herein the Acharya, the teacher, the Rishi, the Guru is going to teach Brahman as Chit Svarupa, as pure knowledge. For that purpose a student has to prepare himself. So the first six sections in this eighth chapter are devoted to what we usually call Upasana. Upasana means contemplation and it is Saguna Brahma Upasana. Remember Upasana cannot be done of Nirguna Brahman. Yatho Vacho Nivartante Aprapya Manasa Saha Why can't we contemplate the Supreme Reality which is called Nirguna Brahma? Why can't we contemplate? Because He is beyond the mind, beyond thought, beyond speech, beyond of course any activity. And whenever we think of Brahman, it all falls under Saguna only. But the teaching about Nirguna Brahma will start through the dialogue between Prajapati and especially Indra that we will see from the seventh section until the twelfth section and from thirteen to fifteen and this chapter contains fifteen sections. So three chapters, three sections thirteen, fourteen and fifteen. Some useful spiritual practices or the way to develop certain spiritual qualities have been inculcated. Before we go further, let us try to find out what we call a bird's eye view, a overall picture, a summary and this particular Upasana which we started with this first section until the sixth section is called Dahara Vidya. Dahara means small, Vidya means Upasana. So as we have seen that within this Brahmapuram, this body is called Brahmapuram and within this city, there is a small heart like a lotus. Within that lotus, there is a special Akasha or Brahman, Saguna Brahman. It is not only Saguna Brahman, it is only Nirguna Brahma. There is no such thing called Saguna Brahma. Only when we think about Nirguna Brahma, we have to call it Saguna Brahma. There are no two Brahmas, only one Brahma is there. So this is called Dahara Vidya. But the teaching is only about the highest reality. So according to our Upanishads, the highest reality is Nirguna. It is called highest because that is the ultimate and beyond that there is nothing. Just to indicate it is the absolute, it is the ultimate, it is the highest, it is called Nirguna Brahma and it is without any attributes or characteristics. And this concept is so very advanced and so difficult as we have seen in the introduction by Shankaracharya called Sambandha Bhashya. Sambandha Bhashya means an introduction to the eighth chapter correcting what we studied in the sixth and seventh and what is going to be concluded in the eighth chapter. Because Nirguna Brahma, the supreme reality called Brahman, goes beyond anything we can describe or think about. For normal people, the Upanishads have to show a way, a more accessible, approachable way to think about ultimate reality and that is called Saguna Brahma and it has some attributes. And here in this Dahara Vidya, eight such attributes have been described. So that is why it is called Dahara Vidya. So that is what we are going to discuss. It is a specific teaching about meditating on Brahman as residing in a small space within each one of our hearts. Dahara means small and the Rishi is trying to explain to the students who the Guru is and who the student or students are. It is not explained here but definitely he is teaching to some, either one or many, we do not know. But definitely myself, yourself, all those who are listening, they are the students and he is teaching us how to slowly progress in spiritual life. So how to focus on Brahman in this inner space as an object of meditation. For that purpose, this human body is compared to a city of Brahman and within this city there is a heart, a small palace shaped like a white lotus. Inside this heart is an even smaller space where Brahman resides. By the way, Akasha and Brahman are synonymous. So this method gives us a concrete way to think about God. That is what we do. We go to the shrine room as if God is there, only in the shrine room. We go to the temple as if He is there, only in the temple. So there are many ways to meditate upon Brahman and some of them we see that many teachings are there. Meditate on the sun as Brahman, on the moon, on the elements. So this is only one of them but a very famous one. So even though Brahman is described as residing in a small place, it should not give us this idea since whatever is contained must be smaller than the container. That is our idea but we should not entertain that kind of idea. For example, there is a vessel, a utensil. Inside that you kept some water. Now the volume of the water cannot be greater than the vessel otherwise it will overflow. The vessel, the pot can contain only what is its limitation. We should not think like that. Body itself is very small. Just compare this huge universe, unimaginably huge and in that billions of galaxies are there and in each galaxy billions of stars are there and within each biggest star there are so many planets are there and our earth is also one such. Even on this earth if you want to locate Bangalore or Varanasi you can't see even a speck in this compared to the earth but within that city there is me residing. So if you take the whole area of the city I will be not even a speck but within that speck there is something which is shining. Aham, Aham, Aham. Me, I, I, I. We will talk about it a little later on. So it should not give us this idea. We should not cherish the idea that what is within this Brahmapuram is a lotus. Within that lotus there is a and that lotus is called the heart. Heart is a meeting place with the divine like drawing room and within that heart there is a small space that is the Chaitanyam which is illuminating all our thoughts, entire world. That is what we have to understand. So through this, this is what is called a method. Every meditation is a technique of expanding ourselves gradually than what we are accustomed to. So the sadhaka, the spiritual seeker gradually becomes, should become more like what he or she is meditating upon. For that purpose there should be strict self-discipline especially Brahmacharya. I hope you remember the meaning of Brahmacharya to reside in Brahman, to think all the time about Brahman and not to cherish any other thought, not to look upon anything as other than Brahman. That discipline is called Brahmacharya and those who succeed in this observing this Brahmacharya alone can succeed in this meditation. So those who practice this Dahara Vidya may not achieve instant liberation but instead go to the highest possible world called Brahma Loka and then this is called Krama Mukti where they live happily until they eventually merge completely with Brahman. This is the summary essence of this 8th chapter and the rest is what is called exploration, expansion or better understanding. So it starts like this. We discussed this yesterday that in this small lotus like dwelling that is within the city of Brahman, Brahmapuri that is our every human body and I also explained human body. Why? Because the body of a dog or even the body of a Deva are not fit instruments for thinking of Brahman, only a human body. So that which exists in that small space within this Brahmapura that is called heart and within that heart and that heart is comparable to a lotus and within that heart there is something because if we know we become knowers of Brahman. We will not be doing any more meditation. The very fact that we are struggling to meditate proves that we know nothing about Brahman and here is something very great secret. There is no in-between state. Either we know Brahman or we do not know Brahman. It is not like physical travel. I am traveling from this place to some distance and I reached midway after some hours or after some days. That is not the case. Either I know the truth or I do not know the truth. I know half truth. I know the other half untruth. That doesn't apply in the case of Brahman. So until we know we have to continue thinking, taking the help of the scriptures. Brahman should be imagined like this and what is the secret of contemplation? We become what we think. For example, every day we are doing that. Every day Upasana. So a mother loves a baby and she is continuously dwelling upon the thought of the baby and sometimes you can see that she identifies with the baby. She feels a hunger, the thirst, the uneasiness, the discomfort, the suffering of the baby. But sometimes she can go beyond also which means she will behave. She starts behaving like a baby. That is also possible. But the idea is we become. Suppose somebody insulted you. What do you think you are going to do? You are going to contemplate upon that person more than you contemplate upon God. You cannot get rid of it. The more you try to get rid of the thought, I don't want to think about this person. You are reinforcing only the thought of that person. And then what does he become? You become hatred. He hated you. So he insulted you and you start hating him. You get angry. You start insulting him. Mentally, you feel like killing him. Physically, you turn away your head from him. You don't want to talk politely with that person. So you are becoming like him only. He thinks you are his enemy and you think he is your enemy just like you. And then a magic happens. What is that magic? So finally, if you are hating somebody, actually you are hating your own self. Why? Because you lose your peace of mind. You lose your calmness, equanimity. You can't sleep. You can't eat. That's what exactly your enemy wants you to become. And that is what you are also becoming. Unconsciously and negatively, we are contemplating upon so many things like that. That is why we say love is blind. But we also have to add hatred is also blind because both of us take away from what we call reality. So with this background, we have been talking about it. There is something in the lotus of that heart. And what is that something? Because the teacher is telling, It should be sought after. That means anything that you seek after is not worthy because the Rishi is telling. God is telling. A Rishi means a Naira Brahman. And a Naira Brahman is none other than Brahman, none other than God. So God only is telling us, My children, you should know that you are God. But you don't know. How do you know you are going to be God? Because when you become God, you know what is God. Until that time, either you know Brahman or you don't know Brahman, as I mentioned just now. So here also the names of the Guru Sishya do not come unlike the sixth and seventh chapters. But Upanishad itself is presenting as a dialogue between an imaginary Guru and disciple. Perhaps I should not have used the word imaginary because this is an actual conversation. We don't know who the Guru or disciple are. But definitely this text is there. There is a beautiful example in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Swamiji once perhaps declared that there is what is called no such person called Sri Krishna. These are all mythological notions, imaginations by the brainwashed people. Some people brainwashed, perhaps Vedavyasa brainwashed. Immediately the axe of Sri Ramakrishna had come down. Supposing you say there is no Krishna. But you accept there is a book called Gita. Nobody can deny because we are talking about the author of the book called Gita. And everybody, whether you like Gita or not, you cannot deny the existence of the Gita. So if there is such a book called Gita, there must be somebody who has written it. So instead of denying there is somebody called Krishna, you say whoever is the author of this book called Gita must be Krishna only. Or put it in other words, whoever has written such a marvellous book must be a great person. Call him by whatever name you want. So Swami Vivekananda had to keep quiet and say what a beautiful logical way of proving. And that also we have to extend. Let us not think only about a book called, a scripture called Bhagavad Gita. Let us think this marvellous, unimaginably huge, unimaginably glorious world, Jagat. Just think if you are a wise person, not an otherwise person, just see without the sun you won't live. Without the moon we cannot live. Without what we call all the pancha bhutas, food, water, warmth, oxygen and space for moving or any activity, nobody can live in this world. There can be no life at all. So if I am alive then there must be somebody who is the very embodiment of pranam, prana. But go a little bit further and say I am fully conscious and then consciously or unconsciously we are using this, I like it, I don't like it. I see it, I hear it, I smell it, I touch it, I taste it. Everybody's experience. Every pranayama's experience. And you can understand this is very very simple logic. If you are seeing a tree, you don't say I am a tree. If you are smelling, you don't say I am that smell. Apply this. If I am witnessing this whole universe, I cannot be that universe. But without me, me means that awareness, that consciousness. In Vedanta it is called at this stage chidamasa, reflected consciousness. Then the world itself will not exist. Because I know the world, that means for every thought reflects or makes us conscious, that pure consciousness. So if there is a thought, there is a knower of a thought. Because without that knower, if we are unconscious, if we are in a chromatic condition, then nothing will be there. Even if we lose our memory, then the world may exist. But I do not know who I am, what is my relationship with this world. And therefore, within this heart, there is something called God. Call it God, call it Ishwara, call it Brahman, whatever name you choose to call. It is called chaitanyam chit. The whole entire 8th chapter is only with regard to this. And this pratibodhavidita, every bodha means awareness. Every thought, I am aware. See, if I am seeing a tree, first awareness will be there. This awareness makes me see that tree. If there is no awareness, I will not know I am seeing. There will be of course no object also. Therefore, awareness comes before I have knowledge of something. So every piece of knowledge gained through experience conclusively proves that there is a consciousness. And that is what the Rishi wants to drive into our small intellects. So don't think it is small. I am referring to pure consciousness, says the Rishi. Because this is my body. Within this body, there is a heart. And that heart is like a lotus. And within that lotus, there is an inner space. And with that inner space is nothing but pure chaitanyam. All these are thoughts. And who is making us aware of these thoughts? And that is the same consciousness which makes me open my eyes and make me aware of this entire universe, including the most distant galaxies. And I use the word unimaginably large. And that unimaginability and that largeness, that is also because of the awareness. And Dakshinamurthy Sutram, which we have dealt with, but very briefly, there is this verse number 7. Tasmai Sri Urumurthai, Namaidham Sri Dakshinamurthai. From birth till death, we are undergoing so many changes. During boyhood and all the remaining five stages of life. Shud, urmi, youth, what is called birth, continuation, youth, old age, disease and death. And then all of us, including amoeba. We go through three states, waking, dreaming and deep sleep. And who is conscious? Because I am telling, I was in waking, I was in dream state, I was in Sushupti state. So apply that rule, whatever I am experiencing is not me. So during all these stages, either from my birth to death or throughout every day, we are going through these three states. That Atman, which is pure consciousness, always shines as what? As Aham, Aham, Aham Iti, from inside. Free from all conditions, but at the same time, present in all conditions. Because without that Chaitanyam, a condition cannot be experienced. But we do not know what is that and what is our relationship and who am I? But through sincere surrender, the inner Guru awakens this knowledge of my own nature or one's own nature to those who completely surrender to Him. That knowledge is represented by the auspicious Chin Mudra of the Guru. Salutations unto Him, the personification of our inner Guru, who awakens this knowledge through His profound silence. Salutations to Shri Dakshinamurthy. But coming back, we are devotees of Shri Ramakrishna and we are supposed to meditate. Again, bring back the idea, He who meditates or does Upasana, He is slowly nearing, approaching, nearer and nearer, still nearer, until He becomes one with that. And this imagery is beautifully presented in several Upanishads. Especially, we see it in Mundaka Upanishad, Dva, Suparna, Sayuja, Sakhaya, etc. There are two birds, one is on the highest branch, Anasnyam, Abhichakashithi, without eating. Eating means experiencing Karmaphala, means birth, growth, death, etc. Remains as pure consciousness, but the lower bird, it eats sometimes bitter fruits, sometimes sweet fruits, that means goes through rebirth again and again, suffering and experiencing happiness. And when there is an exceptionally unbearable experience of suffering, then it looks up and says, I would like to be free from this suffering. And then it looks up and says, but that bird, that is free, it is so happy, it is shining. So, how did it do? Let me ask it. So, it takes a step further and then the nearer it approaches, the nearer it becomes like that bird, until when it comes, absolutely when there is no distance, that is called Asana. Then it says, actually, there is no other bird. This is my true nature, that knowledge that this is me, Aham, Atma, Brahma, Asmi. That is called purpose of contemplation. And it is the same with regard to any Ishta Devata, chosen deity. And that is said here, when we initiated in the Ramakrishna order or related. Same qualities that we are going to see are applied here. Hridaya Kamala. Kamala means here also lotus. Hridaya, our very heart. Heart is the meeting place where we, as if, are sitting in the presence of God. Rajyatham, it is shining, ever shining. Aham, Aham, it is Purantham. Nirvikalpam, absolutely without any modification, undergoing any change. And then so many other attributes are given. And it is Ekaswaroopam, I am one without a second. That is what is said, Sadevasohamya idam agrahaseet. Nityam, Anandamurthyam, not only is the Chit Swaroopa, Sat Swaroopa, is also Ananda Swaroopa. That is called Paramahamsa state, Vimala Paramahamsam. And I choose for the purpose of Upasana, contemplation, to call it Ramakrishna. Bhaja Maha, I would like to meditate. So it is this witness consciousness that makes us aware of I am here, I am born, I am experiencing the world. And these are all the various objects in the world, which includes all the three states that I go through. So as we discussed yesterday, there are three Akashas, external space for the external world, and the Chitta Akasha for containing all the thoughts, and the Chitta Akasha for containing all the spiritual ideas, which is a negation of all the thoughts. And this Chitta Akasha is also known as Dhaara Akasha. So here Shankaracharya makes a beautiful distinction between Upasana and Jnana. What is the difference between Upasana and Jnana? If I imagine my unity with my chosen deity, that is called Upasana. Imagination is called Upasana. But when I become one with my chosen deity and I say, I am Rama, I am Krishna, it is called Vijnanam, knowledge. Sri Ramakrishna says, Jnanam is to know without the least doubt, Shravana and Manana, that I am Brahman. Vijnana is Nidhidhyasana, but through Nidhidhyasana I know. Previously I knew through faith, through imagination, now I know experientially. This is the difference. And then when we are studying Lalita Sahasranama, there is a beautiful word relating to our topic. It is called Dhaara Akasha Rupini. The Divine Mother Lalita is called Dhaara Akasha Rupini. So we have to understand that space Chidakasha within the lotus is not a space like outside, but it is pure consciousness. So we have to understand this. That is what the teacher is telling. You imagine first. That itself is a great task. Even to imagine there is a lotus, pure white lotus. Lotus always stands for Bhagawan. That's why Indian national flower is called lotus, Padma. That is why every God and Goddess is imagined to be either standing or seated on this lotus. So in that Dhaara Akasha, who is there? Ishwara is there. Ishwari is there. And that Ishwara, but it did not say there is something. We have to understand. Commentators explain. That inner space is not something which contains something. That inner space itself is Ishwara. How do we understand it? Concept of Panchabhutas. So first God manifested as Akasha. Akasha became a little grosser, manifesting as Vayu. Vayu became still grosser, visible in the form of Agni. Agni became even more accessible, life-supporting in the form of waters, Jalam. And that has become even more accessible in the form of Annam or Prithvi, that is the grossest element. So therefore, Akasha is none other than Atman. Just like Akasha is Atman, this Dhaara Akasha is also nothing but Brahman. That the teacher must have explained. Remember, these mantras are like sutras. Sutra means that which points out. You look at that side and then whatever you say, that's the intention of the person who says, look there. So the Guru is telling, what you will say, you should see nothing but pure Brahman. Kena Upanishad, everybody was afraid because there was this Aksha. And then immediately, Indra got frightened. And then immediately he sent Agni. Agni went and he wanted to find out, he wanted to ask, who the hell are you? But that Aksha asked, who the hell are you? What is your power? We know that story. I am not going to repeat it. But Agni could not function because that which makes Agni functionable is the manifestation of that pure consciousness. Sometimes when our body becomes paralyzed, our brain is quite maybe aware, we know what to do. But when we are paralyzed even by fear, we know what to do. But we are incapable of doing any action. And that is exactly because this Bhaya. So because of that Bhaya, of that Brahman, the sun shines, and the fire burns, and the Vayu, it blows. Even death also runs to perform its duties only because of that fear. That is Brahman. And Tadvaava, it is not enough just to say, I want to know what it is. No, you must have intense yearning. Then Tadvaava, Ijignas Tavya, not merely academic information, but you must become it. Ijignasa means what? You must become one with it, experience it. Like when a person is described, this is called sugar, or this is a sweet, very very tasty, desirable object. But no idea will be there. Even if the object is present in front, absolutely no idea will be there. But the moment even one Anu, one atom of that sugar touches the tongue, we know the entire sweet world. Like that, this is called become one. Though the Lord within seemed small, He is really Vishvaadharam Gaganasadrusham Sarvabhutadivasam. That is the meditational Bhagavan Vishnu. The Lord is not only in you, He is in you, He is everywhere. Sahasrasirshapurushah sahasrakshah sahasrapah sabhumim vishvato vrittva atyatishthat Not only He is the whole world, He is even beyond the world. He is ten inches above the world. Means the world cannot conceive of it. Now hearing this, then the disciples might get a doubt. I have no doubt that the disciples of this Rishi did not get that doubt. But out of compassion for people like us, so the Rishi is imagining, because his message, like Krishna's message through Arjuna, is not meant for Arjuna. It is meant for the entire universe, all the spiritual seekers. So some of us can get, what idea we can get? Sir, we are talking about first of all, body. Body is limited. Within that limited body, there is something very small. Compare your heart, even the physical heart in comparison with the entire body. Six feet tall body, very small heart, the size of a fist, they say. And then within that there is another space. So it must be very small. Our idea, the container is larger than the container. That is first idea. So if there is a vessel or a bucket, the water in the bucket will be much lesser than the volume of the bucket. But then the second idea is, if the bucket or utensil is destroyed, whatever is contained within is also destroyed. So this is the idea. You are talking about this human body. And in this human body, there is a heart. Within that heart, there is what is called lotus bud-like. Within that, there is a small space. And that must be extremely small, Dahara. And you are asking us, that should be enquired into. So what is the doubt? What is the doubt? When the utensil is destroyed, whatever is contained, that also will be destroyed. When this body is destroyed by death, then the whole thing will be destroyed. Not only that, death is not one thing that comes at one particular time. Every billionth, billionth, trillionth of a second is death. Because when something is changing, it is death, what it was before. And it is a new something. It is called birth. So this is what the doubt is. Then if we take trouble and contemplate upon all these things, then whatever happens, nothing. We are going to get nothing. After all this trouble, is it that we have to waste our life in trying to get nothing? This might be some people's doubt. And there will be people. They are called nastikas. So the mantra, second mantra, is the doubt of the disciples. tam chet guruyohu yath idam asmin brahmapure dahanam pundarekam veshma daharo asmin antarakashaha kim tat atra vidyate yath anvestavyam yath vava vijignasitavyam iti So this is the possible doubt of the student. What is it? Sir, you are telling that there is something. It has to be sought and it has to be realized. In this small lotus-like dwelling that is within the city of Brahman, that is within this body called Brahmapuram, there is a small space. That which exists in that small space is to be known. That indeed has to be enquired into for realization. But when we think about your teaching, we find that this body is changing, mind is changing, everything is changing. Change means death. Then what is this madcap's talk? Like a madcap, you are talking about nothing. If this be the doubt indeed of the student, then sa pruya. Sa means Sadguru. Pruya. The Rishi must answer this way. So if a teacher declares in this manner, a student may have this doubt. So what is the use of knowing that Ishwara? Because that Ishwara must be extremely small. And if that extremely small Ishwara will be there in the extremely small space, because a big Ishwara cannot be there. So a small vessel can contain only a small something. A big vessel contains bigger something. That is why the Upanishad elsewhere declares beautifully, Anuraniyan Mahato Mahiyan. Don't think it is the smallest of this. Here small doesn't pertain to the size. It pertains to the incomprehensibility. That is our physical body can see only certain physical things. But there are many animals which can see even at night, which we can never see. But at the same time, it is not only smaller than the smallest. That means beyond our capacity to understand unless Mother Gayatri grants us that buddhi, understanding God. She bestows His grace. Only then it is possible. So the Upanishad continues there. Not this Upanishad. Another Upanishad, Mahato Mahiyan. That means other than that, there is nothing. Everything is you or nothing. If you think you are this, that is wrong. If you think you are Brahman, then you are right. Absolutely right. But the disciple, what can this Ishwara do? I am praying so many times and sometimes He answers my prayers and sometimes He doesn't also. So then if this is the doubt, what should the Guru do? What should He say? What is going to be said by the teacher? That is where we are going into the third mantra. I will just introduce this third mantra. So the teacher has to say, Yes, this inner Akasha is not inner Akasha, not small Akasha, but it is greater than this external Akasha and it is beyond this external Akasha. The entire unimaginably large universe is contained within this Vahya Akasha, external space. But this inner Akasha, outer Akasha, this is all a wrong notion. Really speaking, there are no two Akashas. It is only one. But because of our smallness of understanding, incapacity to understand, we are making such fine distinction. So that is what He wants to say. So the teacher has to answer, or He will answer, briefly, of course, like a Sutra. He should say, as far as this great Akasha extends, that is, this external Akasha extends, so far extends the same Akasha within the heart. And what is this external Akasha? Both heaven and earth are contained within it. Both fire and air, sun and moon, lightning and stars, they are all contained within. And whatever belongs to the Jeevatma, that is all contained in this external Akasha. And in this world, whatever we experience, and whatever we do not experience, Mandukya Upanishad, we have seen first itself. Whatever is past is gone. But that past also is within this Akasha. The future also is in this Akasha. In summary, there is nothing. It is Anantham. It is infinite. This is what the teacher wants to say. So if you become one with it, you will be everything. Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma. Who can understand? He who understands Aham Brahmasmi through contemplation, in the manner indicated here, then he will come to know, I am Brahman. I am everything. So everything is in me. And I am everything. That is the summary of this third mantra, which we will talk in our next class. May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Hey Ramakrishna.