17 January 2015, 10:30 AM (IST), The Art of Living International Center, Bangalore: Welcome to the live webcast of commentary by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the Ishavasya Upanishad. Day 1 The manifest world that we perceive, or our experience, is the tip of the iceberg. All that we experience through the senses is a small part of the universe. Most is unmanifest. That is full. To understand, we must have an experience of what That is. That is what Ishavasya Upanishad is about. Sri Sri: Upanishads begin with Shanti mantra. Lets all chant the Shanti Mantra. Om purnamadah purnamidam purnat purnamudacyate | purnasya purnamadaya purnamevavasisyate || Om shantih shantih shantih hi|| Upanishad means sitting close, sitting near the Master. A student and a teacher sit close. It is not just physical proximity. It is mental or emotional proximity. Only then knowledge can flow. When there is connectivity, knowledge flows. When there is no connectivity, student is on one level, teacher is on another level. They are speaking a different language, knowledge cannot blossom. You can get information. But for knowledge to get into you, there needs to be that mental closeness, spiritual closeness, a sense of belongingess. That is what Upanishads are sitting close by. Today, the issue in the world is that the children in classroom, students in colleges are in different rhythm. Teachers are in a different rhythm and students are in a different rhythm. So, they only pass on information. There is no real transformation. There is no transfer of knowledge. For knowledge to be transferred, we have to be in the same rhythm. And rhythm can happen when there is peace. A peaceful mind can probe into something beyond, can grasp that something which cannot be grasped by little mind. The intellect cannot access things that your spirit can get access to. And for that the closeness is essential. This exercise has been there all over. Right from the time of Socrates. The Guruji of Socrates used to give exercise to students. (To) see whether the student is at the same rhythm, same wavelength. Is there that inquisitiveness to know or are they (student) caught up in some little wishes and desires? Wanting this and wanting that? Are you focused in knowing something that is beyond? Are you an empty cup? Are you already overflowing? Nothing more can add to you. This is what makes you coming closer. If a student thinks he already knows everything, a disciple is no more a disciple. He is only there to verify what he already knew. So being hollow and empty, willingness to know, and having faith in the teacher. The teacher knows, so I would like to learn from the teacher. A student should have faith in the wisdom of the teacher. And Teacher should know the sincerity of a student. Then, they are on the same wavelength. The teacher doubts whether the student is sincere or not. (Has he) really come to study or he has been pushed by the parents into the class. This is the discord we are seeing in the world. Why in spite of so many Universities, colleges, we are not bringing up people with wisdom or minds with knowledge, the reason is disconnect. Students should have faith in the wisdom of the teacher. And Teacher should have faith in the sincerity of the student. And so the Shanti Mantra. The Shanti Mantra says purnamadah purnamidam... This is one of the greatest gift to the humanity. The concept of zero comes from this very Shanti Mantra. In linear mathematics, you will always find that when something is taken out from something, the something from which the thing is taken out lacks. If you take out some furniture out from this room, then (there is) this room minus furniture. That means this room is not the same as it was before. This is linear thinking. But here the Rishis gave you a completely different outlook towards life. The spherical thinking. That is full. This is also full. This fullness has come from that fullness. And in spite of this fullness having come from that fullness, that still remains full. A mother gives birth to a baby. A baby is also complete. A mother is also complete. Just because the baby is born, the mother is not lacking something. In fact it has added to her glory. The concept of zero, without which nothing could have happened on this planet. No computer technology, no science could have progressed. That has (its) origin here in this Shanti Mantra. From the fullness, comes out the fullness, and still the fullness remains fullness. You can go on analyzing the Shanti Mantra on various levels: spiritual level, material level, level of Mathematics, level of Physics. It is pregnant with huge information. When you share your peace with others, your peace will not be lost. When you share your knowledge with others, you will not lose the knowledge. It remains complete inside you. Similarly, this Universe, in fact it is multi-verse, enormously huge, is dynamic. Many things are born here everyday and dissolving back into it everyday. Still both the manifest is complete and the unmanifest is also complete. The Rishis say Shanti Shanti Shanti. Three times Shanti Shanti Shanti. When your environment is disturbed, you cannot sit there and think about or contemplate on knowledge. Environment needs to be congenial. And your body-mind complex needs to be fit. On the third level, the level of the Self, the level of the being, inner peace. Lets do a short meditation before we go into the next mantra. Todays mantra what we are going to chant is: Satyam Param Dhimahi. May my intellect be soaked in the transcendental truth. The truth beyond the body mind complex. Shall we do that? ... Chanting and meditation follows ... Sri Sri: Chanting balances our right and left brain. Left brain is logic; right brain is music. People who are emotional, they love to repeat things. When you are in love with somebody, you want to say, I love you, I love you, not once. But a left brain person finds it so funny. What is the point in repeating? Repetition appears to be boredom when you are in the left brain. And the same repetition is so musical when the right brain activity is going on. Repetition has been a part of every learning from ancient times. Logically you understand the knowledge you receive, and then to make it into wisdom you need that emotional integration. It has to become part of your life. That is why it is important to sing as well. It is so amazing to see the entire Materia medica of Ayurveda is in the form of poems. Nowhere else in the world, medical science is also put in poems. Here, the entire Ayurvedic text you will find in the form of poetry. Wisdom with rhythm. Knowledge with rhythm, makes it wisdom. That is why repetition or chanting is also very significant when we are learning something about Upanishads or any scripture for that matter. Everyday, we will chant a few minutes. Ishavasya Upanishad. The first verse of the Upanishad. The concept of God is something which has baffled this planet from time immemorial. The people who say there is God, they have concepts. And people who say there is no God, they also have concepts. Otherwise, they cannot say there is no God. The atheists they have also got a God also. Whom they say does not exist. That means they have a concept of God that they it does not exist. You pity them sometimes, because they dont know the existence of Upanishads. They dont know the wisdom here. Om Isavasyamidam sarvam yatkiñca jagatyam jagat | tena tyaktena bhuñjitha ma grdhah kasyasvid dhanam || 1 || This entire Universe is permeated by the Divinity. It is not a God who is sitting somewhere and is trying to give you a finger and you try to catch him and he runs away. God is not a person sitting somewhere. Or who created this world and hiding somewhere. God is here. Now. In everything. In fact there can be nothing that can be away from God. Whatever you see in this Universe, not just the permanent, also the changing. The perishable as well as that which appears to be non-perishable. This entire Universe is permeated by something and that you can call God. It sounds so silly when people are craving for God realization. As though he is somewhere outside. Everything here. Some may ask: how can God be in Hitler? How can God be in something that is bad? You ask a physicist, did he have atoms in his body of not. We are caught up in the duality of right and wrong. You are caught up in the hero and villain. A director honors the hero as much as the villain. Wake up and see, you rise to another dimension. A dimension that is beyond good and bad. Right and wrong. Isavasyamidam sarvam yatkiñca jagatyam jagat And there is this another nothing: God willing. If God wishes, then it will happen. If God is responsible for everything in this Universe, then why should I be punished? The doer and the enjoyer go together. They are two sides of the same coin. This power, which is here, right now what is the password for this? We are holding on to some material thing, like holding your fist. When you open your fist, sky is there. What does your mind hold on to? Anything that gives you pain and pleasure. When your mind latches on to a limited something, you are occupied. On a beautiful day, you see the sky. A dust particle enter your eye. Thats it. You cannot see the sky. Do the Rishis mean drop everything and run to the Himalayas? No. The world is here for you to enjoy but not by holding on to t. Letting go. Relax. When you relax, you are able to enjoy better. Dont covet for others possessions. Lets do a meditation on this mantra only. It was good? So when everything is done by God, what is the purpose of my life? this question should pass by an intelligent mind? It should bug you. Is it all eating, sleeping, and doing your routine? Has this question come into your mind? I am sure. Have you all got this question some time or the other? Good. Seeds has started sprouting. Dont be in a hurry. This question invokes the spirit in you. It is a sign of the seed sprouting. Hold on. Upanishad say keep doing your work and live for a hundred years. kurvanneveha karmani There is no other way. kurvanneveha karmani jijivisecchatam samah | evam tvayi nanyathetosti na karma lipyate nare || 2 || There is no other way. Knowing that this is permeated by the Divine, keep engaged in activity and live for a hundred years. When you are doing an action for yourself, then it is painful. If your focus is only on you. If you are taking. How much can you take? If you are a giver, if you are only to give, the action does not bind you. When you take, you feel obligation. When you give, you feel the freedom. Keep acting and live for a hundred years. Your wish should be to live for a hundred years. Till your death you must keep acting. Now, here there are two types of action: #1 Action in which you want to gain something out of it. If your focus is to gain happiness, the result will be contrary to your expectations. Channel your energy is doing something or you sit and get restless. Restless is also activity. People who are engaged in any type of activity in the society and not wanting anything are much more happier. Steam is generated in the course of life. But the steam has to be channelized. Our energy needs to be channeled to do something useful. The joy in getting is an infant, immature joy. We are born with this. Kids love grabbing things. When they are 3 or 4 years old, they love to give. Have you noticed this? They have a tendency to give also. Similarly, grandparents have a tendency to give. When kids come home, she cooks many dishes and serves. Unless we move from the joy in grabbing to the joy in giving, we cannot be satisfied. That will keep creating irritation inside you. Just observe small incidents in your own life. All this knowledge is for you to look inward. Am I getting this? What is the cause of my depression? What is the cause of my anxiety? Once you are on the path, you are sitting with the Master, relax. Still if you keep running, it is like running inside the train. If you run inside a plane, it is not going to land faster. Determination to do work that does not benefit you. Once again think on this. Take a few minutes. All other actions that we perform to which we get attached, we want to run away. A flower is not making an effort to bring fragrance to you. When I say action, immediately you think that person is able to do more seva. I am old. Dont get into that trip. Desireless action which you can do, which is within your capacity is seva. Suppose you are not a doctor, no one expects you to treat them. This action is not a burden on us. This again you must keep in mind. Do what is comfortable. Take such commitments that is comfortable. If you are youthful, take challenges. While doing this, relax. This energy which permeates the entire Universe is alive. That life force can convey to you without words. That is Isha. There is a word in Sanskrit, Viru Paksha. Eye without a form. Shiva is called Viru Paksha. Shiv is the coolness of the water that you feel. Om Namah Shivaya is the five elements. You know why Sun is round? Sun is pressured by the dark space around. The invisible space around the Sun is 1000 times more powerful that the Sun. Like the air bubble trapped in a bottle. Similarly, the empty space is such that the heavenly bodies are spherical. Around you there is so much energy. Above us 200 miles of air is there. So much pressure of air is there. A scientist can understand. Similarly, a seeker can understand. What you see as matter is a small aspect of the entire totality. The manifest is an insignificant portion of the unmanifest. That is what you are made up of. Your own body is made up of atoms. Atoms is 99% space. Relax into this space. Actions that you do without any expectations, they make you realize you are joy. Just imagine yourself as a flame or fountain of joy. Anything that is obscuring is wanting to grab something physical or spiritual. You might ask what about jigyasa? Krishna says, one who wants to get onto the pedestal of yoga, relaxation is the path. Life is a combination of action and relaxation. Pravruti and nivruti. Lets us once again sit and internalize. 5 minutes recollect all that you heard. Before you question the validity of this knowledge, see from your lifes experience, the truth of this. (Sit) with your gaze fixed at some point of your eyes closed. asurya nama te loka andhena tamasavrtah | tamste pretyabhigacchanti ye ke catmahano janah || 3 || Our life is not just these 60, 70, 80, 90 years. Our life is eternal. Have you ever thought of the people who have died and gone? Where did they go? If life is imperishable, where did they go? Is life so impermanent? If I have been here forever, I should know what I was before and what I will be in the future? Life is older than the Sun and the Moon. Our brain is like a frequency analyzer, so it is able to only decode this. People with bipolar disorders, they have access to another frequency. Scientists are now probing into the previous birth. No one asks now was there a past life? Well informed individuals have come this acceptance which world over people have been saying life is eternal. A few people get this question what is the purpose of life. What happens to the rest of the billions of others? Asurya is one who is not centered. People who have eyes cannot see in the dark. They live with their eyes shut and after dying also the spirit lives in a place that has no joy. This human birth is so precious. Only in human birth you can know: I am that. People who are living in the darkness have lost the chance. It is like suicide, they have killed themselves. Thank yourself that you are not one of them living in the dark. You have to be grateful at least I have got a glimpse of knowledge. This has been the style of Rishis. It is like someone asking what is the point of learning about nutrition? The animals dont go for nutrition. Man has moved far away from nature. You can exist about hygiene, you are in darkness. You are in a world where there is no center. The Rishis have given the pros and ons. Before the question arises in you. The purpose of knowledge is to move from darkness. There is no chance that anyone who has been in knowledge, cannot be in the dark world of the pretas or dead spirits. This is like insurance. Be assured. That none of the spirits can touch you as you have stepped into knowledge. Nothing can affect you. Whom will it affect? Those who are not interested in spiritual knowledge. Ask questions that are relevant to this topic and this subject. Q: What is dhyan and samadhi? Sri Sri: Are you listening? Are you listening as if your entire body is an ear? How are you hearing? What are you hearing? You heard? What is happening within you right now? Nothing? That is meditation. When you listen as if your entire body is an ear, then there is nothing. Becoming one with Viru Paksha is meditation. You have the power to see dreams. Do you see dreams with your specs? You have the power to see. You have this power in every cell of your body. The power to know is in the consciousness. Even with your eyes closed you can see. The power to see, know, hear is present in the consciousness and consciousness is permeating everywhere.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 10:01:57 +0000
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