2. Kena Upanishad (Kenopanishad) Teachings – Day 1, Session 2

Summary:

Vedanta, considered the primary school of thought, focuses on inquiring into the conscious subject (“I”) and the cause of the universe. It explores the relationship between Vedanta and science, introducing the concept of self-revelation (svataḥ siddha). A key aspect is understanding adhyasa (superimposition) and its role in misunderstanding the self. Teachers play a crucial role in removing adhyasa through logic, emphasizing the importance of an eligible mind for comprehending Vedanta. Various Vedantic texts approach these teachings differently, but all converge on three core principles: the nature of I, the nature of Ishvara, and their relationship. The teaching stresses the importance of avoiding premature claims of understanding and highlights the value of a living teacher. A prayer for the wise use of bodily faculties introduces the significance of speech (vak), life force (prana), eyes (caksu), and ears (shrotram). Ultimately, Vedanta underscores the necessity of a healthy body and sharp senses as tools for self-realization, viewing them as essential instruments for understanding one's true nature beyond physical limitations.


About Advaita Vedanta Methodology:

  • VEDANTA INVOLVES INQUIRING INTO TWO THINGS:
    1. Conscious Subject, “I”, who is not an object available for perception or scientific instruments/formulas. If subject becomes an object, then which subject is observing that?
    2. Cause of universe: Also not an object. Else becomes another effect in time & space. Cause precedes time/space/universe.
  • VEDANTA VS. SCIENCE?: Both Science (within scope of senses/inference/logic) & Vedanta (beyond senses/inferences/logic) has a place.
  • CAN'T OBJECTIFY BEFORE/AFTER:
    • Before Vedanta you can't objectify the subject, nor cause of universe (Ishvara).
    • After Vedanta, can't objectify.
    • Then how will you know it? Through a methodology, it brings out what's svataḥ siddha (self-revealing), but not completely known. So you're not producing anything, only revealing what's already true.
      • EG EXPERIMENT: What am I holding in my hand? Glasses. You need eyes to answer. But if ask, “Do you exist or not?”, you don't need eyes/ears for this. For knowing everything in this universe, need senses. There's only one principle that doesn't need senses, which is “That I am”.
  • IF “I AM” IS KNOWN TO ALL, WHY NEED VEDAS?
    • Self-revealing I is mixed up with an object. So through words of Vedanta, you remove a confusion between Subject & Object.
  • REASON FOR MIXUP DUE TO ADHYASA (SUPERIMPOSITION): So you know that “I am”, but don't know it as it truly is. In Vedanta, this error is called Adhyasa (superimposition), which is defined as “atasmin tad buddhi“, which means, “Seeing that which is not”. In other words, taking your “I am” to be all the things which it is not, such as “walker, speaker, listener, sufferer, the happy one, thinker”.
    • EG: Can you have question about something you've never heard of? No. However the fact that the question does arise in respect to “I am”, implies I know about “I am”, but don't know it completely, which is why there's a search.
  • DEMONSTRATION OF SUPERIMPOSITION:
    • Put color cloth behind bottle. You perceive green bottle. Reality is bottle is transparent. Bottle represents “I am”, and cloth the body-mind attributes. Because there is a connection between the two, and bottle is always superimposed with an attribute, we naturally only see the changing cloth. What Vedanta says, there's an “I” independent of body-mind. So it's not giving us a NEW experience of “I”, but distinguishing what is atma and not atma. And this discrimination involves logical inquiry.
    • TEACHER REMOVES ADHYASA VIA LOGICS: Similarly, teacher has to show you through series of logics how your body-mind is upadhi and Atma the upahita, therefore free of limitations belonging to upadhi.
      • EG: How to show that bottle is free from greenness? You can separate. However atma is never separated from body-mind attributes because of intimate connection. So job is harder.
      • Eitherway, Vedanta uses logic/perception to show something not within logic/perception.
  • VEDANTA ALSO NEEDS ELIGIBLE MIND:
    • Besides the teacher using language, the listener's mind also needs to be relatively prepared. EG: We carry expectations about things, but world doesn't match them. Meaning you have created stories not keeping with people, teachers, teachings as they really are. That mind will create it's own stories about Vedanta. Thus need mind less and less own stories, so it can appreciate what's infront of it with objectivity.
    • EG OF ROPE-SNAKE TO SHOW WHY NEED ELIGIBLE MIND: Suppose there's rope, but you see snake. Snake produces fear, anxiety, suspicion, doubt, apprehension. So first step is shift from snake to rope. Then Vedanta takes you from rope to Atma. Suppose I show rope is atoms > particles > concepts > atma.  If mind is dwelling on snake, it won't begin inquiry into rope, nor go deep enough into rope to come to atma.
      • If skip the rope (world), and say “I know the reality of rope (all that is)”, you get into delusional problems because not account the world which is also THE REALITY.
    • This is why Bhagavad Gita has 2 section: Brahma-vidya (self-knowledge), and yoga-shastra (prepares mind and brings it down to level of rope, from which inquiry can begin).
  • DIFFERENT TEXTS, DIFFERENT STARTING POINTS, ALL TEACH SAME:
    • Ultimately all Vedantic texts show you 3 only things: What is nature of I? What is nature of Ishvara (cause of universe)? What is my relationship to the cause?
    • EG: Some texts (like Kena Upanishad) start with cause of universe.  Aitareya Upanishad will start with “I am”. Bhagavad Gita starts with overwhelmed Arjuna due to situation, asking “I'm lost, what should I do?”. Tattva Bodha starts with Sadhana Catushtaya (4 fold qualifications to prepare for Vedanta).  Meaning no matter where you start, it talks about growth, Ishvara, nature of I.  Only then it's a complete teaching, when doesn't skip.
    • Therefore can't say “Yea, but that Upanishad said it another way”. They're all pointing to same reality, expressed differently. EG: Some say your mind is reprogrammed after death, others say your mind dissolves into 5 elements.
  • AVOID SAYING “I UNDERSTAND”: Important to avoid saying “I understand”, rather “Even if I understood, I'm in the process of understanding”. Keeps your mind open to capture nuances. If say “I understand”, you'll end up convincing yourself how you've already got it, and others are just confirming what you already know.
    • The more you understand, the less you need to show the world.
    • How do you know you're not in a self-delusional mode? When you speak, teacher knows immediately where you're coming from. That's why relationship with living teacher is important. Dead guru can't help you.
      • EG: “I've understood Vedanta, but how do I bring this down to earth, living it in normal situations?”. ANSWER: Once understood, it doesn't require further inquiry, or reminding oneself, or “integrating it”.

Kena Upanishad Prayer:

ओम् आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः श्रोत्रम् अथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि, सर्वं ब्रह्मौपनिषदम्, माहं ब्रह्म निराकुर्याम्, मा मा ब्रह्म निराकरोत्, अनिराकरणमस्त्वनिराकरणं मे’स्तु, तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते मयि सन्तु, ते मयि सन्तु. ओम् शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ śrotram atho balamindriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi
(May my limbs grow strong, [my] speech, breath, eye, ear, and also [my] strength and all [my] senses,)
sarvaṁ brahmaupaniṣadam
(All [is] Brahman [as declared in] the Upanishad,)
māhaṁ brahma nirākuryām
(May I not deny Brahman,)
mā mā brahma nirākarot
(May Brahman not deny me,)
anirākaraṇamastvanirākaraṇaṁ me'stu
(Let there be non-denial, let there be non-denial for me,)
tadātmani nirate ya upaniṣatsu dharmāste mayi santu
(Those virtues that [are] in the Upanishads, [that are] devoted to the Self, may they abide in me,)
te mayi santu
(May they abide in me.)
om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
(Om peace, peace, peace)

May my limbs such as speech, eyes and ears, the capacity (strength), and all other organs— grow (be efficient). Everything is Brahman that is known through the upanisads. May I not reject Brahman. May Brahman not reject me. Let there be no rejection (of me) by Brahman. Let there be no rejection of Brahman on my part. Let all the values and attitudes mentioned in the upaniñads be in me who is committed to the pursuit of knowledge of Brahman. Let them abide in me. Om. Peace. Peace. Peace.

  • EXPLAINING:  āpyāyantu mama aṅgāni vāk prāṇaḥ cakṣuḥ śrotram atha balam indriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi: May my limbs be used wisely.
    • GENERAL EXPLANATION:
      1. Vak: Want your speech to be proper.
      2. Prana: Can mean 2 things: (a) inhale/exhale, (b) Prana which gives you life. Lifeforce. For example moment you breathe air, lifeforce distributes oxygen, aiding: circulation, detox (evacuation), thoughts (EG: in low oxygen, can't think). Without prana, senses/mind can't function.
      3. Caksu – Eyes and Shrotram – Ears.
    • OBJECTION: I want to know nature of Atma that's free of everything. Why bother about vak / prana / eyes / ears? ANSWER: The only way to understand “I'm much bigger then the instrument”, is through a healthy/sharp instrument. Your body/senses are endowment for that purpose.

Keywords:  

Recorded 8 July, 2024

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