Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 24 on 30 October 2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

we are studying the Taittiriya Upanishad and we have been studying the fifth Tanu Vaka which is very aptly titled Swarajya Phala Upasana. One who wants to become a king of his own kingdom, not aggressively trying to acquire other peoples but we are the princesses. That is what Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda used to say. Each soul is potentially divine. Swarajya Phala means let us reclaim our temporarily forgotten divinity. That we are Brahman. But this regaining should take place through several steps and one of the steps that we are seeing first of all a student is trained how to use the combination of letters as well as words. So the art of combining, uniting, breaking down the separations and looking at them in a holistic attitude and that is the chapter what is called Samhita Upasana. Then we have also seen how this Samhita Upasana has slowly to be updated, used to gradually subtler and subtler things. Now we have come in the fifth section. In this fifth section, this is Taittiriya Upanishad has got three chapters. First chapter is called Sikshavalli and in that Sikshavalli, this is the fifth section and this is called Vyahruti Upasana. I gave in fact pretty long introduction for us to understand but I am not tired of repeating but very briefly I tell what is an Upasana. Gradually removing our limitations, finitudes and becoming identified with larger and still larger and still larger unit until the entire universe, entire creation has become one with us and we become one with creation that this is me and when we come to that state, there is no such thing called this is me and this is creation because if I say I am the creation, however subtle it may be, there is a separation. This is creation even though I am that creation. No, I am period. Nothing else should obstruct my spiritual progress. This is the purpose of Upasana. So for that purpose, we will come to that in the eleventh section of this very Sikshavalli that one should first of all seek the truth, speak the truth which leads to seek the truth. So Satyam Vada and it is not merely speaking, our every action, our thought, our speech, our action must become one and that is what Shri Ramakrishna's beautiful definition, what is truth, man, mukha, akara. Make the mind and then the speech, of course action one. That is to say Satya and Rita or Satyam and Dharma. What is Satya? What we know to be the truth. What is Dharma? How to implement it in our day to day life. So these must combine together and that is what is the purpose of Upasana. So then comes, you remove the obstacle between yourself and the most beloved person in your life which is the mother, then next father, then next a teacher, then next go on practicing this and then whoever comes, known, unknown, everything is me only, my expression, a whole world. That is to say everybody, every mind is nothing but a beautiful mirror. So myriads of mirrors, infinite number of mirrors but reflecting whom? Me, the Atma. And here is something we already know but we have to note that as we go on becoming more and more unified, our characteristics which separate us from others become less and less. So we give an example. Imagine a vast space and it will not have any borders but the moment you take, let us say four walls and put up four walls, immediately the space is confined and it comes to be known as a house. So a Rupa, a form is there and for that a peculiar name is given to distinguish it from other objects. But if you remove these very limitations, in this instance it is called the walls and roof. Then what remains? Only space. And what is the form of the space? Emptiness. And where there is emptiness, there is no name and that is it. Emptiness is also not a name. Emptiness means that which is ready to be filled in. So Akasha is defined as avakasha dhatru, that which gives an opportunity for us to limit it. Anyway, so this is the process and this is called evolution and evolution will not stop until we realize our identity with the entire whole. Now a question that comes after hearing this introduction, how do we know that this is the special purpose of human life and especially this is the summary of this Taittiriya Upanishad. As I mentioned many times, this is not only the summary of either Bhagavad Gita, Sri Ramakrishna's teachings or the Upanishads. This is the essence of every scripture. This is the essence of life itself. That is, we want to get rid of limitations and finally become identified with the infinite. But just to reinforce, support, strengthen our meaning, I am quoting from this Taittiriya Upanishad but from the third chapter called Bhriguvali and especially Bhriguvali has got 10 chapters and very end of the 10th chapter, what does a person who succeeds in doing this Upasana and remember Upasana means gradually coming to identify ourselves with Brahman. Why did I use the word Brahman? Because Brahman means Brihat, that is infinite, limitless. So how do we know? Because Taittiriya Upanishad so beautifully summarizes what we have been discussing. This is how it goes. So as man progresses, he gradually understands that which he thought this is me, for example, the possessions, I am my possessions and that will disappear. I am the body, that will disappear. I am the subtle body, that will disappear. I am the causal body, that will disappear and what remains is called the Purusha or the indweller or in other words Atman. Then look outside and of all the brilliant light producing objects, the sun, it is because of the sun that is why he is called Aditya Narayana and the sun is the very creator and he is the sustainer and he is the absorber. So that is why so many addresses are there. We see in the Isavasya Upanishad also. So Hiranyamayena Patrena Satyasya Apihitamukham Tattvam Poshan. Poshan means Aditya or the sun. And this idea comes and that is postulated next to this I am divine. Then what about this sun? Because the sun represents the entire creation. So the reality, the divinity, the self in the Aditya. That means what? I am the Atman, the sun is the Atman and me and the sun are none other than the Atman and when I understand I am the Atman, there is no me, there is no Aditya and that which cannot be described. Remember description is always of the multiplicity, duality, never of the oneness. Only when there are two, description is needed. I am talking not about the first object, I am talking about the other object. If there is only one, who is going to describe, about whom the person is going to describe and for what purpose is he going to describe? All these things completely disappear without a trace. That is the goal. Each soul is potentially divine. That is the goal. How to manifest it? So as Swami Vivekananda summarized the essence of all the Upanishads. So what is it? Each soul is potentially divine. Therefore, life is an opportunity. For what? To manifest this divinity within. How? By controlling nature, external and internal. Controlling means what? Removing the identity. There is no external, there is no internal. It is nothing but absolute one. How to achieve this oneness? Do this. Either through work, worship, psychic control, philosophy, one, more or all of this and be free. That means you know Aham Brahmasmi and that is being beautifully described here. This person is slowly progressing in this Upasana. It is here something just I will tell you very briefly. This Taittiriya Upanishad is extraordinarily popular for two reasons. One reason is that it is marvelously chantable. The whole entire Taittiriya Upanishad can be chanted very beautifully and very easily. The second reason is here only we get Taittiriya Upanishad both in the next chapter which is called Brahmananda Valli as well as the third chapter which is called Bhrigu Valli. So pancha kosha vivarana. Explanation beautifully saying that the Atman is dressed in or covered in with five layers of dresses. What is the outer most? Annamaya is physical, sthula, sharira. A little bit inside that is called Pranamaya kosha. Go a little bit inside that is called Manomaya. Go a little bit inside that is called Vijnanamaya. Go a little bit inside that is called Anandamaya. Is Anandamaya our nature? No. It is also a kosha. It is also a covering. It doesn't reveal. It is very near. Everything becomes absolutely blissful but that's not our nature. But transcend that also. That is described here. Saya evam vith. Saha, this aspirant, whoever. Yaha evam vith. Thus knows. Knows means transcends following the prescription or teachings or the path shown either by the scriptures or by the Guru. It is one and the same. What happens? Asmat lokat pretya. So he transcends giving up one by one these dresses. How many dresses? Five dresses. What are they? Etam annamayam atmanam upasankramya. First of all, he transcends. Annamayam atma. Until now, what is he thinking? I am the physical body. This is what Sri Ramakrishna was referring in Kalikala. Man is annagata prana means. So his identity is I am annam. I am born of annam. I am sustained by annam and finally I merge in annam. So what am I? I am nothing but annam and that's what we are going to see in this fifth anubhaka in this Ikshavalli too. But this is to reinforce that idea. So that until now we are completely identified with the body. I am the body and not even the mind. Mind is only a help to the body and every possession that I have that reinforces my idea that I am the body. So through this upasana, graduated upasana transcending step by step. So what happens is a beautiful analogy. There is a staircase and remember there is a roof of the house and the house is having it is a five-storied building and you are on the ground floor and imagine one day you feel that I have never visited the first floor. Let me go to the first floor and then you take the staircase. What do you do? Firmly you keep your foot on the lowest step of the ladder or staircase and then you put one foot the second foot on the second step. Very important for us to keep this imagery in mind. Through this body identity only we have to practice our whatever practices spiritual practice but gradually we have to make it higher, subtler and more expansive. So what happens slowly I become able to reach the first floor and then what happens until now the ground floor is my life that is the reality that is the only reality but once I reach the ground first floor then ground floor oh how beautiful this first floor is how wonderful it is I never knew that the best food the best things instruments of enjoyment they become subtler they become ruler they become more pervasive that means we become more happy and this process of ascending from lower happiness to higher happiness is marvelously described again in the second chapter called Brahmananda Valli with which perhaps we are all familiar it is called Anandam Imamsa. So this is how it goes and then second that is the first floor or which is the second step that becomes our life I am the prana and then what does the first floor ground floor become anatma when we are in the waking state that is our atma when we enter into dream state that becomes our atma and then waking state becomes anatma non-self non-self means we don't react to it we when we are in the waking state we only act and react according to the experiences in the waking state but when we as soon as we enter into the subtle state called the Swapna or dream state then we understand how much more freedom is there time becomes expanded space becomes short so you can reach the mars or even the billions and billions of light years with twinkling of a second just a thought that's all and the enjoyment whatever you think I want to eat restaurant is present I want to eat a particular thing this restaurant according to the whole wishes of every single creature it will give supply everything because who is the supplier we are the suppliers our thought is the suppliers so it becomes much much more enjoyable so that is transcending and then after some time this is okay I see a glimpse a higher story then from the second or first floor to the second floor then what happens when he reaches the second floor then what happens the first floor becomes anatma and we become identified with the day only with the third floor just as we enter into the dream state that is our atma then we enter into this shakti state that becomes our atma just pause a little and then look back in which state our happiness or unhappiness both increase billion fold in Swapna Avastha comparative to waking state Jagradha Avastha but when we enter into Sushupti Avastha it's absolute bliss so bliss only a little bit further these are the three Avasthas these three Avasthas are experienced only through three types of bodies and these three bodies are expanded a little bit into five bodies actually they are the three only so when a person enters into the Sushupti state that is the third floor and then which is called Manomaya Kosha then as I said then we are in the Pranamaya Kosha then Annamaya Kosha becomes Anatma means Mithya Brahmasatyam Jagan Mithya apply here Pranamaya Kosha is the Brahman and Annamaya Kosha is the Mithya when we enter into the third stage that is called Manomaya Kosha both the Pranamaya Kosha and Annamaya Kosha become Anatma it goes without saying and when we are in the Vijnanamaya Kosha and then the three becomes Anatmas Vijnanamaya Kosha becomes alone single factor of reality but when we enter into the Anandamaya Kosha then all the other four becomes Anatma and Anandamaya becomes Atma but even that is a however marvelous it is and then we have to transcend that no kosha no covering no limitation should be there this is the process that I wanted to just to share with you and this is the meaning say even with one who goes on practicing spiritual disciplines he becomes a knower and what does it mean that means he starts negating the reality of the lower kosha and then only he attains to the higher kosha here a point very very subtle point to be noted first of all we have to start negating you see I am in this waking state but this is very very unreliable and then only we can enter into the next higher state so as we approach the next higher state and what we have been assiduously with great difficulty trying to deny the reality it becomes easier and easier when we reach the next stage so when we reach Anandamaya Kosha all the other koshas become Anatma automatically but then we feel the burden because kosha means what it is not permanent first of all it is changing what does it mean like suddenly a fellow is thrown from the fifth floor to the ground floor very hearty as soon as we come back from Sushupte and again the devils are present both outside and inside but in this Swapnaloka dream girl dream boy and because it is your nothing but your imagination that is the only limitation and you can have experience both this was what Swami Sharadanandaji Maharaj was trying to explain the higher a sadhaka a practitioner ascends the desires also become subtler and still subtler and they become even more difficult to transcend but at every stage the guru will come to our aid and then we will progress so this is the essence having transcended this Annamaya Atma through spiritual practice he attains to Pranamaya Atma Pranamaya Kosha becomes Atma and Annamaya Kosha becomes Anatma Atam Pranamaya Atmanam Upasankramya then another point as soon as we ascend to the Pranamaya we recognize two things that this Annamaya Kosha it is far less value and then the Pranamaya is much higher value that is lesser value or no value or I would say the lower is included in the higher like one rupee includes every anna 4 annas 8 annas 12 annas and it is much more than 12 annas it is one rupee like that so this Swapna Avastha includes also the waking state but much better and the Sushupti includes both these and much better but Turiya Avastha is something which includes everything so I hope I have been able to convey this idea so our identity we identify with the larger subtler more pervasive and correspondingly more enjoyable state but even any state is a limitation state means here kosha and we have to go beyond and with this understanding Atam Pranamaya Atmanam Upasankramya Upasankramya means transcending Atam Manomayam Atmanam Upasankramya so what we need to understand is we will not understand for example what is the greatness of Pranamaya until we transcend Annamaya that is the first step second step or second point when we ascend to Pranamaya then only we get a glimpse is there something higher please teach me so understood this much but I see that there is something more and so when we enter into a higher state it reveals the valuelessness worthlessness of the lower state but it gives a glimpse of still higher state how so when we enter into the ground from the ground floor to the first floor when we see so many marvelous things oh I never knew just as I never knew that the first floor contains much better things than the ground floor then there may be a higher floor which will contain even better things so that is how we go on doing it and Shri Ramakrishna illustrates it beautifully in of course in the form of what is called pancha kosha or is transcending the five koshas or you can even call it the seven chakras how so a man wanted to see a king and somehow he obtained the love of the minister who can arrange that meeting with the king and as the person approaches inside so the splendor of the gatekeeper in the first door is marvelous this person has never seen such a person and as he goes inside it is still more marvelous as he goes to the third door even more marvelous so from most marvelous to still more marvelous until he reaches the king and then he becomes speechless now what does he do Shri Ramakrishna's marvelous methodology of storytelling so this person so he becomes goes on trying speechless but he asks is this the king no the minister tells and then second place is this the king because he was wonderstruck at the splendor of this people who are dressed and then finally when the this man confronts the king he doesn't need to ask is this similarly a spiritual aspirant doesn't need to ask that have i attained brahman because until that time is there a higher kosha still higher floor etc when he reaches the roof in Shri Ramakrishna's words he knows that i have reached the roof i have reached brahman and then he need not ask anything what does he say am i seeing brahman no i am brahman i am that king of the kings this is the process so a person has transcended and then he reached the fifth atma which is called ananda maya then what happens he invariably he reaches brahman transcending because every kosha is a limitation so then what does he do iman lokon kamani kama roop yanu sancharan now he can enjoy all the pleasures of the ground floor first floor second floor third floor fifth floor and wherever he wants he can go up and down this was what Shri Ramakrishna used to say once a person has knowledge of the roof he understands the whole house is nothing but made up of the same material that is made up of the roof that which makes the roof what is the roof brahman so sarvam kalvidam brahma so this person goes on enjoying it that is a kind of built that is what is called advertisement if you could hire lokas you will enter there but when he transcends even that ananda maya question what happens that means i'm not able to talk how can you talk if you have to describe something you must have something in mind so this flower you know is like that flower but what is comparable to brahman nothing is comparable to brahman so ha means what speechless as a ram krishna says a person was asked to describe the ocean is he opens in the hall like that and then what does he say this is not that he will say not that he will sing but it is forever understanding aham annam aham annam aham annam so i am the food i am the food and the food that means what i am the world i am the world i am the world i am the annamaya kosha i am the primary previously what was he doing he was denying as soon as he ascends to a higher state the lower anatma and then the higher one becomes his own self but when a person reaches brahman it is not that there was a worthless something called this world and it becomes absolutely worthless no what i was mistaking as the world is nothing but manifestation of brahman with nama and rupa so then he can enjoy he sees a blade of grass that is brahman he sees a tiny flower peeping out of a nook of the small stone that is also brahman everything is brahman full brahman hundred percent brahman nothing less than brahman so he gets brahmananda only he doesn't say i know this is brahman but this is a small brahman i'm getting small happiness of this brahman no he gets hundred percent brahmananda only what does he do i am the food i am the food i am the food not only that ahamannadaha so i am the enjoyer of the food that means i am the subject i am the object ahamannado ohamannadaha ohamannadaha and then i am the creator of this world i am the creator of this world i am the creator of this world i am the created world i am the created world i am the created world so he goes on singing aham annam annam adantam admi, aham vishvam bhuvanam abhyabhavam I am the entire universe, creation. suvarna jyoti hi, jyoti ra jyoti I am the light of the lights. ya evam veda And definitely this person who practices Upasana reaches that state. iti upanishad And with this, Taittiriya Upanishad will be over. Remember, we have to know this. Now we will come to take up from where we have left. So in the 5th Anuvakar section, this marvellous what is called Upasana. What is this Upasana? Vyahruti Upasana And we have talked extensively. There are Vyahrutis are there. How many? Three. So far, what are they? Bhu, Bhuvaha, Swaha What are these three? The A part of Om is Bhu. The U part of the Om is Bhuvaha. And the M part of the Omkara is Swaha. And what is Bhu? Big Veda. What is the Bhuvaha? Is your Veda. What is the Swaha? That is the Sama Veda. Essence of the Sama Veda. That means, in other words, by uttering Bhu, Bhuvaha, Swaha in the right way, a man becomes a knower of the essence of everything. Let us recollect Ramakrishna's one sentence commentary on the entire Gita. What is the meaning of Gita? Essence of Gita? He who chants the word Gita fast. Gita, Gita, Gita, Gita, Gita. A man renounces all this world. That means, you give up the limitedness of this world and you realize this world of which you are a part is none other than Brahman. But for that, there is Tyaga. Tyaga means what? Upasana. Upasana means what? Giving up the lower and gradually identifying with the higher. The same process we have to apply here in this fifth section of the first chapter called Sakshavalli. So, we already are aware of Bhu, Bhuvaha, Swaha. Now, a great soul has come and then he wanted to contribute his own. And then he discovered there is a higher and that is called Mahaha. Since his discovery, this fourth Vyagruti, that is called Mahaha, has become added to the already existing three. Now, not only that, Mahaha is identified with Brahman. Here Brahman means, remember, is the superior most or we will say Hiranyagarbha. Mahaha is identified with Hiranyagarbha. And Hiranyagarbha is the embodiment of both the Sthula Sharira and the Sukshma Sharira. And why is he not included? Why we do not include the third state called Sushupti, which is called Anandamaya Kosha? Because any knowledge will work only in these two Lokas. When we go into the Sushupti Loka, there is only one experience, unbroken experience, that is called Ananda. No other Gnanam, no other experience. But for experience, means knowledge, it is necessary to have both the cross body and subtle body. And he who is the cosmic counterpart of both these, if it is cross body, that is universal cross body, is called Virat. And if it is universal subtle body, called mind, every mind, that means all the knowledges. One is a great cook, another is a scientist, another is a great administrator, another is a singer, another is a painter, another is a writer, another is a troublemaker. What? Troublemaker. Is it Hiranyagarbha? Yes, part of Hiranyagarbha. Because a stupid fellow wants to create trouble, he will be the first person to be finished. It must be extraordinary, subtle, our politicians are experts in that. So nicely they create problems to the whole world and then they think they will not suffer. Everybody will suffer ultimately. That is the Karma Siddhanta. So the totality of the gross and subtle world is called Hiranyagarbha. That Hiranyagarbha is called Brahma here. And in the Upanishads we get the idea of what is called Brahma. Omkara is called Brahma. Then the body is also called Brahma or Atma. Then the mind also is called Brahma. So Virat is called Virat Brahma. Hiranyagarbha is called Hiranyagarbha Brahma. And the Ishwara is called Ishwara Brahma. They are all nothing but manifestations of one single Brahman only. And there is no difference. So any person who does Upasana of this Mahaha and then he gets the combined results of the Upasana of Bhohu, Upasana of Bhavaha and the Upasana of Subaha. Now in this section, four are there. Four Yaghruthis. Then four elements are to be invoked on each one of them. So four into four, they become sixteen. And then So what are these four? We will gradually see it. Now the very first thing we have seen earlier there. What is it? This world is the first one. Then four elements have to be superimposed on these four Yaghruthis. What are they? First is Loka, the world. And the second is Devata, the presiding ruler who is called presiding Devata of this particular world. And then the knowledge because ruling is always done only by a person of knowledge. An idiot cannot rule anything. The higher the ruler, the greater is the knowledge. So the third one is called identification with knowledge which in this Anuvaka is called Veda. Veda means knowledge. And then finally the Prana. So to rule not only the knowledge is necessary but also the energy is necessary. I will just give you a very small hint. Supposing you are a rich person, you have the money and you have what is called good appetite and you like certain items, for example a sweet, and then you want to enjoy it. But you know you are very tired. You can't enjoy it. What should you do? Come home after you work so hard and then take some rest. Let the Prana recover and then you will be starving like anything. And then you can enjoy whatever food is there. So you see what are we talking about? First of all, we are living in a particular world of experience and every world is ruled by a Devata and our experiences are determined by this particular Devata. How much we are allowing that Devata to rule our bodies and minds and then these Devatas presiding powers, how do they function? With knowledge. Because knowledge is power. You must have heard that one. And then once that knowledge is there, with that knowledge rules, regulations will come and those who deviate, they will get the stick and those who follow, they get the carrot. That means rewards and punishments. All for what purpose? Not to punish, not to reward, but to teach a lesson. Whole life is only to learn a lesson. That's all. That's what Sri Ramakrishna used to say very beautifully and in deep words, यावत बाचि तावत शीखि So long as I am alive, I go on learning. So this is how we have to understand this. Now what am I trying to convey to you? These four are interrelated and I gave earlier also. I hope I don't need to give long introduction. We are all living in our world. A child lives in his own world. Man lives in his own man's world. A woman lives in a woman's world. An animal lives in an animal world. A tree lives in a tree world. A mosquito lives in a mosquito world. Enough of examples. What that person's or that Jeeva's concept of the world is and then it must have that knowledge. For example, a mosquito should survive and it must drink the blood, especially if it is female. And to drink the blood, it must get a source of the blood, an animal, human being. Actually, there is no difference between animal and human being. For the mosquito, it is only food. Whether it is tiger is looking at me, mosquito is looking at me, we are all food. Food means objects of experience. That's all. Enjoyment. Now some knowledge is necessary how to approach the mosquito curtain, how to find out if this person is a holy person, the mosquito is a holy mosquito, how to find out an entrance and mosquitoes are very good at it. That means they have that knowledge. Where from they are getting that knowledge? From the presiding deity. The eye, our capacity to see comes from the sun. Our capacity to hear comes from the Akasha Devata, etc. You will have to multiply it in your own way, etc. Now these are the presiding deities. That means they give us that energy and that knowledge so that we can continue to evolve, learn the lesson and evolve. And what is the third thing? That knowledge, combined knowledge or encyclopedic knowledge or that storehouse of knowledge is called Veda. And then we will have to... All these things are there. My body-mind is there, this world is there, the presiding deity in the form of all the ten sense organs are there and knowledge is there. But without prana, that is energy, we cannot progress at all. So how beautifully... So you take each Vyagruti and each Vyagruti one-one Loka, one-one presiding deity, one-one Veda and one-one what is called function of the prana. This is the process. And if you have understood what I have been struggling to convey, then it becomes very easy. So four are given. Earlier also, I think we have seen this world, the other world, etc. We have seen. So now we are entering into the second one. Actually, Bhurith, prana, I think we have covered that one. So we are coming to the end, prana. So then what happens? Yes, we have actually discussed all the Oru Pasanas. So this prana is the last one where we stopped in our last class. So what is this prana we are talking about? Bhur, the Vyagruti called Bhur is to be equated with pranaha means one function of the prana. The bhuvaha, the Vyagruti called bhuvah with another function of the prana called apanaha and the Vyagruti called suvaha is to be equated with vyana or another function of the prana. I also discussed what are the specific functions of prana, apana, vyana, udana, samana and the fourth, the biggest, pramana or all the three combined are called maha and annam. Why? Annena vava sarve prana mahiyante. It is only through this food that all the pranas function. You stop food Elvisa in the Chandogya 15 days you fast and then you recite the Vedas knowledge gone, energy gone, enjoyment gone, sleep gone, everything loka is gone and then presiding deity is gone and then Veda is gone and then enjoyment is also gone. Annena vava sarve prana mahiyante. So this anna means here the instrument called the body and mind all the pranas they glorify they are glorified, they are effective only because of this anna, this body sustains everything and that annam is otherwise called maha and that means our whole body and every part of the body is only a part and all the parts together is called the body and that is called maha and this is how one has to do the upasanas. I will stop here because these marvellous ideas we have to digest slowly Om Jananem Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padmetayo Saritva Pranamami Mohur Moho May Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Om Namah Shivaya Ramakrishna