The Mundakoupanishad : Post-30. - Swami Krishnananda.

Chinmaya Mission :

Chinmaya Haridwar, Portland celebrated 'Prithvi Day' with great enthusiasm, engaging the children in a series of interactive games. The event showcased captivating plays centered around the theme of earth, emphasizing its significance and environmental conservation. In addition to the engaging activities, participants actively contributed to the planet's well-being by planting trees, fostering a sense of responsibility towards nature. This vibrant celebration not only educated the young minds about the importance of our planet but also inspired them to take concrete actions to preserve and protect it. The event served as a wonderful platform for instilling a love for the environment among the future generation.

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Sunday,  21  May,  2023. 08:00.

Chapter-2, Section-2.

Mantram-2 ( Instructions on conemplation on Brahmam )

POST-30.

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Mantram-2 ( Instructions on conemplation on Brahmam )

Yad arcimad yad anubhyo'nu ca, 

yasmin loka nihita lokinas ca, 

tad etad aksharam brahma sa pranas tad u van manah, 

tad etat satyam, tad amrtam, tad veddhavyam, saumya, viddhi (2.2.2) : 

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That great Reality, which has been described in cosmological terms in the earlier mantras, is manifesting its radiance, its flames, in the form of this creation. The world, as an emanation from God, is actually the rays of this Supreme Being manifesting themselves, as it were. It is the light of Brahman that is visible here as the world of perception, light getting condensed into solid matter, but it is nevertheless more subtle than even the subtlest atomic particles of life. It is arcimad, and also anubhyo'nu, meaning radiance, and subtler than the subtle. It is subtle because of its not being an object of perception. All things that can be conceived, thought of, spoken about or perceived are gross in their form. But this one, which is the knower and the seer of things, and cannot in any way be equated with objectivity of any kind, should naturally be very subtle. It cannot be known at all, inasmuch as it is the knower of things. Inasmuch as it is the knower of things, it cannot be known; therefore, it is anu, subtle.

Yasmin loka nihita lokinas ca : 

All this weighty mass of physical manifestation, this physical cosmos, as large as it is, together with all the inhabitants of this world, is rooted, fixed in this subtlest of realities. The subtler a thing is, the more powerful it is. A strong electric current, which is not a physical object like tangible bricks or stones, etc., may break a mountain and reduce it to powder if its voltage is sufficiently intense. Where is this subtlety, the invisibility of this energy called electric power? We cannot even see it with our eyes, but it can damage everything and dismantle huge structures. The subtlest of things is also the strongest of things, and therefore the weighty mass of the physical manifestation of the world is nowhere in comparison with this subtlest invisible reality on which everything is fixed. Invisible things control visible objects. The visible world is not the real; the real is that which cannot be seen. The invisible is the real. The more invisible and subtle a thing becomes, the more real it is.

Tad etad aksharam brahma : 

This it is that they call the Imperishable Brahman. Sa prāṇaḥ: That also is the vitality of the cosmos, as well as the individual. 

Tad u van : 

That also is the reason why we speak. The energy that is necessary for the modulation of the vocal cords in the articulation of sounds is itself manifested in one form. 

Tad u van manah : 

is the mind that thinks. Tad etat satyam: It is the law, it is the rule, it is the regulation, it is the system, it is the order that maintains this cosmos—

satyam. Satyameva jayathe : 

This great order is the Truth of truths. It is the will of the Absolute. It reigns supreme, triumphs always, and anything other than that cannot triumph.

Tad amrtam : 

It is immortal nectar, sweet as delicious honey. Immortal experience does not mean just existing for a long time, doing nothing. That is not immortality. It is a durationless experience where the concept of individual existence is completely abolished and transcended. For us who are living in a world of space and time, for us who are physical bodies, to be immortal would seem like living for a long time in some place, without dying. This is a crude, childish idea of deathlessness. That which is deathless is also not physical. That which is not physical is also not in space and time; therefore, it is not in some place that it may endure for a long time. The very idea or notion of immortality has to be re-evaluated.

Tad veddhavyam : 

This Great Being is our aim. We have to hit it as we hit an object with an arrow. “O dear brother, disciple, friend, student, whoever you are, saumya. O blessed soul, seeker of Truth, listen to me. Hit this object by the power of concentration as an archer hits a target with an arrow that he discharges from a bent bow.” In the third mantra, the practice of spirituality, or sadhana, is compared to an archer employing an arrow shot through a bow for the purpose of hitting a target. Now, what is this arrow? What is this target? What is the bow in the case of this sadhana, the spiritual practice? Upanishadic knowledge is the bow. With the help of the knowledge that you have gained by study of the Upanishads, and by deep contemplation on the Upanishads, consider that as the great weapon. The Upanishad is a great weapon.

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Next

Mantram-3 

Dhanur grhitva aupanisadam mahastram saram hy upasa-nisitam samdadhita, 

ayamya tad-bhavagatena cetasa lakshyam tad evaksaram, saumya viddhi (2.2.3). 

To be continued

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