Isavasya Upanishad: Mantra 1

Mantra

Om Isavasyam-Idam Sarvam
yat-kimcha Jagatyam-Jagat
Tena Tyaktena Bhunjeethha
ma Gridhah Kasyasvid-dhaman

Translation

The Lord inhabits all this (that is perceivable)--whatever moves in this moving universe. Therefore by renunciation, you can enjoy all things. Do not covet any one's wealth.

Comments

1) The Isavasya Upanishad begins with the word "Isa". Isa is the name of the Lord in this particular Upanishad. From the Vedantic point of view the Lord is both saguna or with qualities and nirguna or without qualities. This means that the Lord is not simply the underlying Essence of all things. The Lord is also totally separate from the "self" that we may believe ourselves to be due to avidya or ignorance.

2) "Vasyam" can be understood by looking at the root word "vas" which means to be covered, to be clothed, to be enveloped, to be pervaded, and to be permeated. It is a word rich in meaning--and the Rishi is using it to teach that the Lord is clothing, pervading, etc. all of existence.

3) If we are considering this word carefully, we may easily question, "How can the Lord be outside of all things at the same time that He is pervading them and inside them?" We can ask this question because the meanings of the word "vas" are related to both the inside and the outside of things.

4) The answer to the above question is that this is an assertion from the Upanishads and from this particular Rishi. The Rishi doesn't explain how. He is simply teaching what has been revealed to him by the Lord. An assertion is not something that needs to be explained. The hearer is welcome to take it or leave it. For someone to take it does not make it truer. And for someone to leave it does not make it less true. Either way is no skin off of the Rishi's nose!

5) But I always like to reflect on why he says "vasyam". It seems to me that he is teaching that the Lord is inside and outside for a reason, which is this: the Lord is inside all things and pervading each one of us as the Atmic Essence which is One with the Brahmanic Essence--and the Lord is also outside of all things because He is not limited to any particular thing or person. The Essence of the Lord is pervading even a person who is doing terrible actions. We do not want to say that the Lord is doing these actions. The Lord is not doing any action. He is simply present in the action and with the action in the same way sunlight is present to illuminate all things without being those things.

6) "Idam sarvam" means "all this (that is perceivable)." There two types of things that we can perceive: external things and internal things. We perceive external things through the jnanendriyas or organs of perception. These are srotra (hearing), tvac (touch), caksus (sight), rasana (taste), and ghrana (smell). We perceive internal things through the inner organ or the antahkarana. The antahkarana is made up of manas (mind), buddhi (intellect), ahamkara (I-thought), and citta (consciousness). In order to determine for ourselves whether or not the Lord is pervading and inside of us, we turn within to our buddhi (intellect) and then we begin to experiment with turning it away from the external things it has been identifying with and toward the light of awareness within ourselves.

7) Next we come to the phrase "yat-kimcha Jagatyam-Jagat" which means "whatever (yat-kimcha) moves in this moving universe (Jagatyam-Jagat)." "Jagat" means "change of state" or "world" and here we can reflect on why it is helpful to realize our unity with the Lord and the Lord's unity with all things. In the middle of a world that is none other than ceaseless "change of state" we easily feel the chaos that is inherent in this and long to know what is permanent, abiding and steady. But only the Lord in His Essence which He shares with us is permanent. So when we are in Jagat and do not realize Isa then we believe Jagat to be heavier and more bewildering than it is.

8) There is an example that draws together the points that we have considered so far. It is the example of waves, the ocean and water. If we envision each human being as being like a wave on the ocean and the Lord in His saguna form as Ishvara as being like the ocean, then we can see that there is difference within the vyavaharika (empirical level). Some waves are bigger than others as some people have a greater role to play in life than most others. Yet every wave, regardless of how big or small it is exist due to the existence of the ocean. No ocean, no waves. But there is also the matter of Essence. All waves are nothing but water. The ocean is also nothing but water. When we are considering water as a substance we can not measure it. Whether it is a small amount, a larger amount or all water, we can see no difference. The small amount is not less as water than the larger amount; and neither of these are less as water than all water. Water is water. To look from the angle that all waves depend on the ocean is relevant to the vyavaharika and to look from the angle that water is water is pointing to paramartha or the Being-Essence shared by all.

9) The second part of the mantra begins with the word "Tena", which means "therefore". In his excellent book on this Upanishad Swami Chinmayananda points out that Sri Madhavacharya has given us a beautiful new understanding of this word. Madhavacharya understands it to mean "by Him"--this is to say "by Isa". Since "Tyaktena" means "that which is renounced" or "that which is left, after all things have been renounced", then we can understand from this phrase that all things belong to the Lord, and we only have them on loan from Him.

10) Because all things given by the Lord are gifts, we can "enjoy" all these things. And "you can enjoy all things" is precisely the meaning of the next word in our mantra which is "Bhunjeetha". The important point being made here is that we can not enjoy a thing if there is a string running between the thing and our heart. If we think we are tied to anything after we find it then we will be distressed when we no longer have the thing or when it changes. To illustrate this point, here is a story that I heard recently from a friend. He was telling me that for a long time his mother wanted a convertible. He watched happily as she looked over different information on new convertibles that were available for a long time. Then one day he heard that she had finally settled and purchased her dream car. On his way out of his parent's home he went over to share the excitement with her. Only as he approached the shiny new car in the driveway, he saw that his mother's head was down as she sat inside it. And when he asked "So how do you like your new car, Mom?" she said "It's okay. But I thought this thing would be bigger and this feature would be different than it is." So my friend was not able to share some excitement with his mother because she was already not happy with the car! This is because there was an invisible string of presumed ownership and exaggerated expectation running between her heart and her new convertible. This is an extreme example of a dynamic that can emerge for anyone.

11) "Ma" means "do not" or "don't" and this word might have some of us cringing a bit--and wondering, "Is the Rishi trying to tell me what to do?" Of course the answer is no. This word comes after everything that has been taught previously in the mantra. So the Rishi is saying the word "don't" to those of us mature enough to appreciate the next facet of teaching. If we can't handle the word "don't" then it may be helpful for us to go back and reconsider the previous teachings.

12) "Do not" what? Do not "Gridhah"--"covet" "kasyasvid-dhaman"--"any one's wealth". Here we encounter a very direct teaching and the value of this teaching is in its clear focus on greed. According to Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamigal, the late Jagadguru of Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham, "Sri Krishna describes desire, anger and greed as the triple gates of hell. These are man's worst enemies and one must never succumb to them. Desire can be overcome by dispassion. Anger is a result of frustration of desire. Thus by conquering desires completely one can conquer anger. An attempt must be made to control greed by impressing upon the mind that in reality everything belongs to Ishvara alone and that one is but an instrument in the hands of Ishvara." Of these three, greed is the most contrary to the cultivation of renunciation--the fruition of which is authentic "enjoyment".

om tat sat

Peace Chant

Chant

Om Poornamadah poornamidam
poornaat poornamudachyate
Poormasya poornamaadaaya
poornamevaavasishyate

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Translation

That is Whole and this is Whole; from the Whole the world (mithya) becomes manifest. From the Whole when the world (mithya) is negated, what remains is the Whole. Om Peace Peace Peace

Comments

Study of this particular Upanshiad begins with the Peace Chant or Peace Prayer, which is spoken aloud by both the teacher and the student(s). In the seemingly simple and unglamorous act of articulating this chant, we are reminding ourselves exactly why it is that we are devoted to the spiritual life. In the Western Tradition there is a term "anamnesis" which means: (an • am′• nē • sis) n. [Gr. ἀνάμνησις remembering < ἀνά up, again + μιμνήσκειν to call to mind, attend] a recollective ascent or ascensional recollection. It, also, is the practice of turning to the whole within, as a point of departure from which to realize the Whole of Divine Being.

The triple repetition of the word Shanti is, according to the late Swami Chinmayananda, to aid us in overcoming all of the obstacles coming from three sources that may hamper our study of scripture at the feet of a teacher. These sources are the unseen, the seen and what is arising from within us (due to our karmas and vasanas).

om tat sat

Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra

Namskar Friends,

Here is a wonderful mantra. It is called Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra or also Trayambakam Mantra. It is already on this blog in a video explaination on a post from last year. You can find it in the archives.

Happy chanting!

Mantra

tryambaka yajāmahe
sugandhim pushti-vardhanam
urvārukam iva bandhanān
mrtyor mukshīya māmrtātat

Translation (by Arthur Berriedale Keith)

"OM. We worship and adore you, O three-eyed one, O Shiva. You are sweet gladness, the fragrance of life, who nourishes us, restores our health, and causes us to thrive. As, in due time, the stem of the cucumber weakens, and the gourd is freed from the vine, so free us from attachment and death, and do not withhold immortality."

Word-by-word

tri-ambaka-m "the three-eyed-one" (accusative)
yaja-mahe "we praise" (1st pl. middle)
sugandhi-m "the fragrant" (accusative)
pusti-vardhana-m "the prosperity-increaser" (accusative)
urvaruka-m "disease, attachment, obstacles in life, and resulting depression" (accusative)
iva "-like"
bandhanāt "from attachment stem (of the gourd); but more generally, unhealthy attachment" ("from the stem", ablative)
mrtyos "from death" (ablative)
mukshīya "may you liberate"
mā "not"
amrtāt from immortality (ablative)

om tat sat

Fire in Stone

Reality is not some
distant mystical mystery.

Reality is.

Lovers have heard this
explained before--

have heard how
every wave shares
its Essence with
the Ocean.

But lovers are not
concerned with

transcendental Essence alone.
Lovers throw their own little love
into the arms of

lightning

as its flashing
cleaves
mountains.

Lovers are not bound to
what is either fleeting

or

invisible.

Lovers love to touch
and be by
tasting
fire
in stone.

Intellectus

What kind of
dreamed of
hand has
a thumb and
then

another thumb?

This is like
the moon being

shadowed by

another moon when

one moon is
distance enough.

Any moon is

half in darkness

half in light--

borrowing from that
freely giving

shapelessly
illuminating
One.

(for Joanna)

Byasa, Cottage Cheese & Krishna

Namskar Friends,

I hope you enjoy this little story. I first heard it some years ago while listening to a recording of a talk given in 1948 by Paramahamsa Yogananda on the occasion of his birthday celebration. It was a wonderful talk that he gave and I always have remembered this story as one of the most lovely parts of the talk.

***

Once Beda Byasa--the writer of the Bhagavad Gita--was with some other disciples of Krishna. Krishna loved cottage cheese and so these disciple were trying to bring him some cheese. Only the Jamuna river was in flood and they could not think of how to get across it. So they said to Byasa, "Can you help us?" And Byasa said, "Do you think it is only Krishna who is hungry?" Then Byasa took the cheese and ate as much of it as he could. The other disciples were quite shocked and could not believe that Byasa would eat before the Master did.

Then Byasa stood facing the river and said, "Oh, Jamuna, if I have not eaten anything part your waters so that we can cross and be with Krishna." And to the amazement of everyone...the river parted. No one could understand. Nonetheless they began to make their way across the river.

When they at last made it to where Krishna was staying, he looked sleepy and his belly seemed quite full. But they took what cheese was left and offered it to him. He waved his hand to politely decline. So they asked, "Master, don't you want any cheese today?" And Krishna said, "Oh, no. I'm too full. The other disciple on the other side of the river already feed me too much." The rest of the disciples then understood that when Byasa was eating, he was only eating for Krishna.

om tat sat

Chaitanya, Chaitanya

Everyone has heard
the story
of the time
beautiful Chaitanya
discovered a man

reading

the Bhagavad Gita
and weeping.

When Chaitanya asked,
"Do you understand
these words?"

the weeping man
said,

"No.

But
as I read I see
Arjuna on the battlefield
and I see and hear
beautiful Krishna
giving
such beautiful teachings."

Chaitanya, Chaitanya--
as you see and hear this mystery
your Face shines

so softly

golden.

Lover's Song

We are all lovers
here.

Even the few of us
seeking
to know

despite having long ago buried
the faithful seeds of our
thinking

deep
in the dark ground
of the heart's
Inner Chamber.

If you meet any clouds
tell them tenderly
every
secret
you have heard
about us.

If you see the Sun
pray for it to
shine, shine.

We are all lovers--
waiting on

the Sun.

Devotion, Dust & Vedanta

See the devotion
flowing
from Shankara's heart
when he

mentions

the fingernails

of the Goddess.

See the dust
gathering on his

feet

as he walks
and walks to
share the santana dharma
in the form of his
loving

Advaita

Vedanta.

See his Vedanta
as our Vedanta--

as illuminating

our hearts,
our minds.

My soul is your temple, O Lord

My soul is your temple, O Lord,
My actions are your handmaids,
My body is your home,
My senses witness only you,
My sleep is pure meditation on you,
These walking feet are your journey,
Whatever falls from my mouth is prayer to you,
Oh Lord, everything I say and do are worship.

by Adi Shankara from Shiva Manasa Pooja