Chinmaya Mission Tri-state Center - Bhagavad Gita Study Group (Sunday 1.00 pm): Class Summary for Oct 24, 2021 - Kailvalya Upanishad

Summarized by: See Sekhar Palaparthy

We started the class with our Prayers, Pranayama and Meditation.

Recap

Nirguna Upasana aids to the ultimate truth and if that can’t be practiced, one should start with Saguna Upasana

Uma Maheswara has been used as a representation for Saguna Upasana and we recapped on this form’s significance (Purusha and Prakriti); Also, emphasizes the balance which is required between Spiritual and Material aspects during meditation
Guru can’t give Moksha, but can only provide the knowledge and direction

Reference from Guru stotra sessions:

All the paths like Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and so on involves action, but the ultimate path is the Gyana Yoga where there is no indulgence in any action.

However, all the other paths DO play a key role to make one qualify to realize Brahman or Gyanam (or practice Gyana Yoga)

Key point from Shloka 1/2: Shraddha, Bhakti and Dhyana - represent Shravanam, Mananam and Nidhi Dhyasanam

Single pointed focus (bhakti) and faith are required to proceed on the path of Gyana Yoga

Kaivalya Upanishad (Sloka 9 and 10)

Shloka 9 :

The Upanishad is making an attempt to define the undefinable “Brahman”
HE alone is all that was and all that will be – Eternal (i.e Brahman is timeless; not bound to time concept)
By knowing the “Brahman”, one goes beyond the continuous cycle of birth and death (i.e realized, without the need of taking any more births)
There is no place where Brahman doesn’t exist; It’s all pervasive and omnipresent (timeless)
Ex: Waves in a Ocean; Whether there is an existence of wave or not, Ocean/water is always there; similarly Brahman is the only one which is always there, all other name- forms come and go
Gold is the truth in all ornaments; in other words, Gold is the cause of the ornaments, which is the effect
We define boundaries ourselves either by a building 4 walls, or by containers and so on, but space is all pervasive; it isn’t confined to any object. Similarly, Brahman is all pervasive; there is no boundary which limits the existence of Brahman

Shloka 10:

One who understands this TRUTH and experiences own’s self in all beings becomes immortal with complete freedom from attachments/vasanas. There is no other means to attain the “Highest Brahman”

Ex: Room with mirror; when one enters into a room of mirror, you would not alienate all the other reflections from you, as you see all of them as same i.e yourself. Similarly, the state of oneness, is where one sees Brahman everywhere and in everyone
This shloka emphasizes that being one with all is the ONLY means to attain the Brahman.
However, this doesn’t mean all other means or paths aren’t useful or do not have any relevance towards the ultimate goal
Ex: Pole-vault -The ultimate goal is to clear the height; As it isn’t sufficient to just know that clearing the height is the goal, but one would need the pole to be able to clear the height. Here the pole represents all the other paths like Bhakti, Karma and so on, using which ultimately, we need to reach to a state where we can “leave” the pole i.e the state, to be one with all.

Who is knowing whom?

Question discussed: Is the pseudo “I” knowing the Brahman OR Brahman knowing the Brahman

itself?

The Sukshma Shareera (subtle body), is the one which is trying to realize the TRUTH. Due to all impurities from Vasanas, this Sukshma Shareera isn’t able to know it’s real identity, which is not different than the Brahman.

What do you meditate upon?

Meditation is not doing but being. Anything which we try to do as Upasana, meditation and so on, all have “doing” associated with them
However, being in meditative state is to be in a balanced/composed state where you are aware of your true nature as Brahman and anything that you are transacting within this world is also Brahman

Chinmaya Mission Tri-state Center - Bhagavad Gita Study Group (Sunday 1.00 pm)