THE REALIZATIONS OF TRUTH FROM THE UPANISHADS- CALLED ANUBHUTIS

 The Upanishads are a source of vast knowledge. There are very few known authors but then not much is known about them too and their lives and times have not been detailed except for their propagated knowledge about the purpose of our life and the absolute truth.The main (Mukhya) Upanishads were written dating back about 3000 yrs (600-1000 BCE).The Upanishads were continued to be written until the early 20^th century and now number about 200. They have been classified into four Vedas The Rigveda, Yajurveda, Atharaveda and Samveda. Muni Vyas in the Bhagwatgita has summarised all the Vedic knowledge. He has further simplified and brought about the essence in the second chapter of the Bhagvatgita in Sankhyayog. However as you learn the Sankhyayog and then the Bhagvatgita and the Vedas and then the Upanishads we gradually come to realize the knowledge of the Brahman.

 In the Mundaka Upanishad there is a question asked by a pupil (Saunaka) to a teacher(Angiras)

What is that, which being known, everything else is known?

The answer to this question is ‘Brahman’ which in short is knowing the ‘Self’.

 The Upanishads prescribe the mode of attaining the knowledge practising and reaching the realized stage through renunciation.

The Upanishads give several examples called Anubhutis to simplify a Verse or a Mantra. By reading these we will get to know the kind of abundant knowledge these Upanishads store.

 These columns intend to convey some of these Anubhutis:

From Swami Vivekananda discourses from the Mundaka Upanishad:

KARMA CHAKRA-SPHERE

 People who seek celestial enjoyment reach these blessings- they die they go through Sun’s rays to heavens-very beautiful places-there acquire fine godly bodies-enjoy blessings of heaven for a long time-the old Karma strikes back-and here they come back to earth-through spheres of air and clouds and others-reach through raindrops-attach themselves to cereal-fit man eats-to make a new body-another chance to perfect them.

 

THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND

 Have you seen god?

Have you seen Atman?

If you have not seen why are you preaching his name?

You walking in darkness trying to lead me in darkness

Realization is the only truth-the only religion

We would then only stop groping in darkness

Words of love will then come out of the heart

 

TO EXPLAIN CAUSE AND EFFECT AS THE SAME

 Cause is never different; the effect is but the cause in another form

Glass is produced out of certain materials and certain forces

The forces used have become the forces of adhesion and if these go the glass will fall to pieces

The materials are there in the glass, only their form has changed

 

MEN, WOMEN, ANIMALS ARE BUT REFLECTIONS UPON NATURE

How can there be so many souls?

The Sun reflected from millions of globules of water appear to be millions of Sun’s and in each globule is a miniature picture of the Sun form.

In the same way all the souls are reflections and not real.

They are not the real I which is the god of the universe the undivided being.

The rest is illusory reflection.

 

THE ENTIRE VEDANTA IS EMBODIED IN THIS STORY

 There is a tree. A bird is sitting on the top and the other is below. The bird on top is calm, silent, majestic, immersed in his own glory. The bird on the lower branches is eating sweet and bitter fruits is happy and miserable by turns.

 After some time the lower bird gets an exceptionally bitter fruit and gets disgusted and looks up and sees the bird on top the wondrous one of golden plumage who eats no fruit. The lower bird thinks ‘Oh! How i wish i would be like him’ and hops towards him.

 Soon he forgets and his desires take over him and he again begins to eat the fruits.

 After a while he again eats an exceptionally bitter fruit which makes him feel miserable and he again looks up and tries to get nearer to the upper bird. And so on until he comes very near to the beautiful bird. He sees the reflection of light from the upper bird’s plumage around his own body. Still nearer he comes and everything around melts away and at last understands the wonderful change.