Know the Self – Bodhisattva KumariDevi-Art of Awakening

Chandogya Upanishad

naradaAn educated person comes to the teacher, Sanat Kumara “Master, master, holy sage, I am at your feet. Please tell me.” That’s right. A very simple request. “Tell me.” “What should I teach? What is difficult? You yourself are a very learned person. Tell me what you already know. And if there is anything left, tell me. What kind of education have you already received? Tell me that. Then I will tell you—Yad-vetta tena mopasida, tatastaurdhvam vaksyamiti.”

narada “Master, I have studied the Rigveda. I am proficient in it. I have studied the Yajurveda. I am its master. I am an expert in the Savedas. I know the Atharvaveda. I am the master of the epics and the Puranas, and I am master of the grammar. There is nothing unknown to me. I know mathematics, prophecy, the science of treasures, I am an expert in logic. I know politics, astrology, astronomy, the six limbs of the Vedas, music, art, dance, there is nothing that I have not learned. So, I answered your question about what I have already learned. ”He has degrees in every science and every art. Here is a list of all the certificates that Narada has.

“This is all just a name,” he says Sanat Kumara. “All this knowledge is meaningless. That’s why you have no peace.” (The name is information about how things work).

narada “Yes, these are just words. These are just names. I have heard from others that one who knows the Self overcomes sorrow. What is this Self? I am in sorrow. Despite having learned all this, I am in sorrow. I have come to You, Great Master, with a desire to take me beyond the ocean of sorrow. I am in inner suffering, which has not been alleviated by my learning or knowledge.”

“There is no doubt that what you have learned is significant, but this knowledge has not helped you for the simple reason that nothing can help you unless it is part of your being, or part of your self. Nothing outside of you can help you.”

Things that are irrelevant to you cannot free you from sadness. The cause of your suffering is something outside of you, your outer self. It is not the first self. So the knowledge that you have of these things that you just mentioned is not knowledge of the Self of these things, but knowledge of the names of these things, the nomenclature of these things, and you have ideas about all these things. That is what is called theoretical knowledge about things in the world. But what’s good about it? So, dear Narada, this is all in name only. These are words, this is all language, this is theory, this is information and nothing else. What you have just listed, Rigveda, Yajurveda, Saveda, Atharvaveda, Itihasas, Puranas, this science, that science, this art, that art. All this is just words and words. They seem to be telling you a lot, but ultimately they cannot help you unless you enter into their being, unless you become their Self. ”

“Now, once again, this is just a theory, and therefore not very important in your life, but it is important in that it is the beginning of knowledge. Therefore, meditate on that name.”

interpretation

Mere information is ultimately of no use in real life, but since learning begins with information gathering, it is not without some usefulness.

The idea of ​​an object precedes actual knowledge of the object. How on earth can we approach an object unless we have some concept of it? Ideas themselves are not essences, but we must approach essences through concepts, through ideas. Theory is followed by practice. Without theoretical knowledge, there is no scientific background in art or science. Then we cannot master the art or science.

The first stage is towards knowledge of things. When we want to understand some object, the first thing we do is obtain information about that object. We obtain descriptive knowledge about that object. This is what Sanatkumara means when he says that all Narada has learned is ‘names’.

An object’s name contains all kinds of information about that object. Therefore, Sanatkumara says to Narada: “You must first convince yourself that you have complete knowledge of objects as long as their names are written down. Beyond that, however, you cannot become a master, at least within that area. You must have accurate descriptive knowledge of these things.”

The whole principle of the ascent of the soul to higher stages of realization is that the higher things cannot be reached unless the laws operating in the lower realms are completely fulfilled.

Whoever meditates on the Name as Brahman (God) has freedom in this way, to that extent, and only in that particular area of ​​the Name.

narada “Isn’t there more to it?” you ask. “Yes, there is more than this,” replies Sanat Kumara. “What is it?
Is there more than a name? ” asks Narada.

to be continued . . .

Excerpt from Swami Krishnananda Sivananda Ashram, India