Summary:

In this session, the Kena Upanishad's Chapter 2, Verse 5 is explored, emphasizing the importance of knowing the ultimate truth in this life. The discussion delves into the nature of Vedanta as knowledge rather than belief, explaining key concepts such as Awareness, Form, Ishvara, and Maya.

The session highlights common misconceptions in spiritual practices, contrasting them with Vedanta's approach. It explains that Vedanta doesn't aim to produce a limitless Atma but to reveal it by removing ignorance. The nature of Ishvara is discussed, emphasizing that it's not an object but the truth that precedes and pervades time-space.

The relationship between Knowledge-Power and Objects is explained using the concept of satya-mithya. The session uses analogies like ocean-wave and the formation of emotions to illustrate complex ideas about the nature of reality and consciousness. It concludes by addressing the misconception that liberation involves experiencing something new.

Kena Upanishad, Chapter 2, Verse 5:

इह चेत् अवेदीत् अथ सत्यम् अस्ति न चेत् इह अवेदीत् महती विनष्टिः
भूतेषु भूतेषु विचित्य धीराः प्रेत्य अस्मात् लोकात् अमृताः भवन्ति

iha cet avedīt atha satyam asti na cet iha avedīt mahatī vinaṣṭiḥ
(If [one] has known [It] here [in this life], then there is truth; if [one] has not known [It] here, [then there is] great destruction)
bhūteṣu bhūteṣu vicitya dhīrāḥ pretya asmāt lokāt amṛtāḥ bhavanti
(Discerning [It] in every being, the wise, departing from this world, become immortal)

If one where to know here, then there is truth (in one’s life). If one were not to know here, then there is great loss. Knowing this (truth) in every being, the wise people become immortal leaving from this body/world.

• After studying, suppose ask “When will I know this reality?”. ANSWER: Doesn’t depend on your effort alone, although there is a possibility to know it here (iha) and now, because Vedanta is knowledge, not a belief.
  • For example, if ask what was before universe, it remains a belief because eyes/inference can’t reach there. But suppose what was before universe is here-and-now, and you don’t see it, and there is means-of-knowledge which makes you see it, then the teaching becomes knowledge (fact).
  • Knowledge means:
    1. Awareness: Awareness is, in whose presence, you see different thoughts of mind. It doesn’t take on attributes. It’s here and NOW.
    2. Form: Form is here and NOW.
    3. Ishvara: Knowledge that makes the form what it is. It’s here and NOW.
    4. Maya: Before form came to manifestation, the potential for it, is here and NOW. While it’s here, potential for it to become different tomorrow, is here and NOW.
  • Conclusion: Vedanta is talking about what is here and NOW. Only one Awareness, everything else is dependent reality. If understood accurately, you’re a wise person. Doesn’t require a certain age, beard, clothes. Just understand what-is-what.

• Ced iha na avedīt, mahatī vinaṣṭiḥ (if don’t know reality, great loss): If one misses out on presence of Ishvara, or understands Ishvara incorrectly, despite given sophisticated brain, it’s a great loss. Because there’s no distance between you and limitless Ishvara. Potential mistakes made that makes it a great loss, include…
  1. I NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO DISCOVER THE REALITY:
     • Vedanta starts by saying attributes of body-mind are mixed up with “I”. In reality, “I” is free of attributes. “I” can’t stand my smallness, so I engage in world thought actions.
     • What is nature of each action? Limited person doing limited actions cannot lead to freedom from limitation. EG: Suppose you get 1h of crystal healing. You feel good for 24h.  Even if rid of phobia via past life regression, it removes phobia from limited-person. At the same time, we’re not showing spiritual practices are useless. Just that it’s an action, which retains jiva-adhyasa.
     • Whereas Vedanta is not about retaining your identity as individual. Thus it’s concern isn’t action, but knowledge (removing the initial mixup). Limitation you feel is due to mixup of “I” and body-mind. Atma is already free.
     • SUMMARY:
       • Common Spirituality: Do something to remove some unpleasant condition from small-I.
       • Vedanta: Starting point is, “I” is already free. Then why do I feel small? Because there’s a mixup due to ignorance. Knowledge removes ignorance so you can see yourself in true light. Vedanta is not producing limitless Atma; only revealing it.
  2. ONE DAY I’LL UNDERSTAND ISHVARA (BIG PICTURE). IMPLIES ISHVARA IS AN OBJECT:
     • If Ishvara was object, you’re restricting it to time-space.  
     • CORRECTION:
       • Ishvara precedes time-space and is truth of time-space.
       • Metaphor: Ocean includes all the waves. So how can you think I am here, and Ishvara is over there.  If Ishvara is object, and you are subject, then how did you come in manifestation?!  Both subject/object is within Isvhara.
  3. “ISHVARA IS ALL THIS”:
     • If you stop at “Ishvara is all this”, risk thinking Ishvara is also criminal.
     • CORRECTION:
       • Ishvara is time-space-objects, simultaneously free of their attributes.
       • Relationship between Knowledge-Power and Objects is satya-mithya. Mithya depends on Satya, while Satya is independent of Mithya.
         • Explanation:
           • Suppose I'm sad. Is my brain neuron sad? No. Is electrical connections sad? No. Are chemicals sad? No. Yet they all come together to form sadness.  Without the neurons, there's no experience of sadness.  Simultaneously, neurons are free of sadness attribute. At each new level of organization, new attribute forms. But at previous level, that attribute is absent. Then you ask, “What makes up the neurons?” Knowledge-power. If became neurons, then knowledge-power can't become something else.
           • ORDER: All knowledge-power (rearranges itself to become…) > particles > combine to atoms > combine to cells > combine to neurons.  Neurons combine to emotion of anger. Atom is free of cell. Cell is free of neuron. Neuron is free of anger. Intelligence is free of all, while pervading all.
           • Ishvara is everywhere, yet free of everything. 
  4. LIBERATION IS EXPERIENCING SOMETHING NEW/DIFFERENT:
     • Suppose Ocean (which isn’t confused about reality) shows wave one more reality; both are water. Does it mean wave/ocean disappears? Sopadhika-adhyasa (empirically remains; notion of difference is removed).
     • Wave doesn’t have to negate itself to understand a bigger entity (Ocean). Despite difference in appearances, both enjoy same water.

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Recorded 12 July, 2024