The Highest Realization – The Communion of
The Soul With The Absolute
Divine Life
Society Publication: Kathopanishad: Additional
Exhortations from the Mundakopanishad by Swami Krishnananda
The initial instruction in the
Mundakopanishad is that a search for Truth should be launched upon after one
carefully examines the character of the world of sense and of works, whereby a
distaste for objects spontaneously arises in the mind on the knowledge of the
fact that nothing of the realm of impermanence can be an adequate means to the
realisation of the permanent or the everlasting, there being no conceivable
link between the two patterns of experience. Upon arriving at this stage of
understanding, the student goes humbly to the Teacher, who is well versed in
the sacred lore (Srotriya) and is established in the wisdom of Brahman
(Brahmanishtha). To such a well-prepared disciple does the Master offer
initiation into the divine mysteries.
The first experience into
which the student is introduced is that of the Cosmic Being – Virat: "The
heavens are His head; the sun and moon are His eyes; the quarters are His ears;
the Vedas are His speech; the air is His breath; the universe is His heart; the
earth is His footstool: – such is the great Soul of all beings." From Him
do emanate Time and Space, gods, men, beasts, birds, food, relationships both
perceptional and social, rules of conduct, bodies and worlds. This Supreme Being
is all this universe: one who knows this secret hidden in the cave of one's
heart tears asunder the knot of ignorance.
To reach Him, the way is
meditation. In a symbology, the method of meditation is described. "The
Pranava (OM) is the bow; the self is the arrow; Brahman is the target; this
target is to be aimed at by one well trained in vigilance and one-pointedness
of attention; then does one become one with Brahman, even as the arrow merges
into its target, well hit." "By taking hold of the mighty weapon of
the bow of the wisdom of the Upanishads, one should fix on it the arrow
sharpened with continued contemplation and worship; the bow is to be bent and
drawn forth with the force of an ardent yearning for the goal; thus, do you hit
that target of the Imperishable Brahman, my dear!" When this is achieved,
when the soul unites itself with Brahman, Brahman is seen everywhere. "The
immortal Brahman is in the front, Brahman behind, Brahman to the right, Brahman
to the left, Brahman above, Brahman below; all this universe, is just this
Brahman, the Great, spread out everywhere."
Though this is the highest
form of spiritual practice prescribed in the Mundaka, it also provides us with
a slightly lesser and easier technique intended for those who are of more moderate
endowments. "God and the individual are like two birds perching on the
same tree. These two birds are of like plumage and are eternal friends. One of
these two eats the sweet fruit of the tree, and is bound; while the other
merely looks on eating nothing." "Though seated in the same tree, the
individual is sunk in grief due to impotence caused by delusion; when he
beholds the other, the adorable one, the master, he becomes freed from
sorrow." The contact of the soul with objects brought about by desire for
them is the eating of the forbidden fruit. The Lord supreme is God, by a vision
of whom the soul is lifted to the exaltation of immortal existence. Such a soul
which is free "rejoices in itself, sports with itself, and its activity
consists in the realisation of universality."
"But he who runs after
desires, cherishing them in his heart, is born in those respective places where
he can fulfil the desires; whereas of him whose desires have reached their
consummation (on account of sublimation), all desires melt away here itself (in
the realisation of infinitude), due to having attained to perfection of the
Self." Having attained Him, the Supreme Being, the sages, satisfied in
knowledge, with perfected consciousness of the Self, free from all desires, serene
in being, the heroes – they attain to everything, from every side, fixed in and
united to that which is everywhere." "All the faculties of the
individual vanish into their sources, all the presiding deities of one's
faculties merge into their original forms, and all actions, and the
individuality of the self – all these reach communion with the Supreme
Imperishable." "As the flowing rivers, casting their names and forms,
become one with the ocean – so does the knower, freed from the bondage of name
and form, attains to the Highest Divine Being."
The lower and the higher means
of reaching the Supreme Reality, the ways of difference, equality
and union, are all to be found here
concisely explained. At the lowest stage, the soul seems to be totally severed
from God and the world, and the ultimate Fact appears as a collaboration of
three real entities. The highest realization, thus, is the communion of the
soul with the Absolute, as rivers become one with the ocean. From the figure of
the two birds, which are only friends, we come to the knowledge that they are
capable of reaching sameness (Sarirya)
of nature in their essentiality, which means that they were never wholly
different in character, except artificially. From this uniformity of structure,
again, the realizations rises to the status of supreme independence.
Continue to read:
Kathopanishad: Additional
Exhortations from the Mundakopanishad by Swami Krishnananda
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