Class Summary for Dec 12, 2021 - Kailvalya Upanishad - Slokas 23 - 26

 Summarized by: Shailesh Vyas

Started with meditation, anulom vilom.

Recap

• Swamiji's video 
• In the bulb it is light, In the heater it is heat, in the radio it is sound. These are different expressions of the same energy.
• Consciousness in you is the same in everything.
• Ice is gross, Water is subtler, vapor is subtler.
• The Body is gross, the mind is subtler than the body (It is limited by knowledge), Intellect can pierce through and decide to acquire new knowledge … Intellect is subtler …. Atman is subtler than intellect.
• With intellect we can acquire new knowledge and the mind dwells into what is acquired.
• BMI/PFT/OET is pervaded by time and space.
• Verse 19 - 22
• In me alone is everything born, exists and will get dissolved. I am a non-dual Brahman.
• I am smaller than the smallest thing and bigger than biggest.
• Without eyes, I am the one which sees, without ears which hears. I am that ever pure knowledge.
• In the vedas I alone am the theme taught. I am the revealer of Vedanta, I alone am the real knower of Vedas.
• We discussed .. Is this why Shiva ling doesn't have any arms or human shape? We talked about Shaligram, which is also just a stone.

Initial Q&A 

• From verse 18 onwards, these are mahavakya.
• Meditation will be the essence of what it is trying to say. Need to distinguish between memorizing v/s chanting. Meaning is critical here.
• Just by chanting the same sentence you are not going to be the one.
• We are trying to just draw the inference by saying it's smaller than smallest .. it's trying to say that it's something that is beyond your imagination.
• It's beyond our limited equipment.
• Our minds are always object focussed, so focussing on a subject becomes difficult.
• We tend to imagine stuff based on what we already know. When it says its smaller than smallest it's also bigger than biggest .. it's beyond our imagination.

Verse 23 and 24

Neither Earth, nor Water, nor Fire, is there;

nor for Me is there Air, not Ether.

Realizing this, that he is of the nature of the Supreme Self;

the One who is in the cavity of the heart;

 who is without parts, and without a second;

Who is the Witness of all,

beyond both the gross and subtle worlds -,

Such a one attains the purity,

which is of the nature of the Supreme Self.  

Verse 25 and 26

Phala Shruthi 1 -

• He who studies the Shata-rudreeya;
• From fire he becomes purified;
• from the sin of drinking he becomes purified;
• from the sin of killing a Brahmana,
• He becomes purified;

• from sins of commission and omission,
  
• he becomes purified.
• Therefore he who does not leave the truth,
• he gains refuge or shelter in Shiva;
• One who belongs to the highest order of life,
• should repeat this always or at least once (a day).

Phala Shruthi 2 -

• By this one attains the knowledge that
• Destroys the endless experience of change
  
• Therefore, having experienced this,
• one attains the fruits of oneness (Kaivalya);

Discussion

• If you chant Shata-Rudreeya, you will purify your sins like drinking, killing a Brahmana.
• It's not a license or permit to do sins. It's not like you can kill someone and study Shata-Rudreeya.
• Keep in mind it doesn’t clean your records.
• By Brahmin, they mean a person who is learned of Vedas and Upanishad .. such a wise person is Brahmin.
• This refers to the fact that you are never late .. even if you have done a lot of things in past or past most of the age, you can still be on this path.
• Ques - Why is Shata-Rudreeya referred to here? It should have been MahaVakya.
• It may be just a reference or an example. Like as yellow as mango or red as an apple.
• Ques - Is there any Upanishad that doesn't refer to any Saguna figure?
• Most of the Upanishad doesn't refer to Saguna figures.
• All scriptures are talking about ultimate Brahman .. they all seem diff paths, but the goal is the same.
• The Purpose of meditation is not to acquire siddhi or powers. There are times when you cannot focus. In Gita when it says five horse chariot, it means how powerful our mind is, like five horses where each wants to go in diff direction, it's hard to manage.
• Start small with meditation for 10 mins. Quantity is not important, quality is important. Don’t get intimidated by big numbers. Doing up to 30 mins is a good accomplishment.
• If possible try to control environmental distractions during meditation by fixing time, location and attire.
• Ques - Why almost all examples of Rishis are on Saguna Upasana and very few on Nirguna? Also most focuses on acquiring powers instead of Moksha?
• It's like after a lot of effort you take an appointment from the Prime Minister and end up asking to fix a small pothole.

Theme 

• The five elements are not in me, but I am in them
• Shata Rudreeya - Rudram in the Rig Veda
• Chanting this helps cleanse and prepare the mind, similar to reading this Upanishad.
• This knowledge then makes you unite with Oneness.

Order of Meditation:

Nirguna Upasana

Meditate on Slokas 17-22

Meditate on any one of these Slokas or concepts or Brahman

Saguna Upasana - Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati; Or any other deviate.

Read the Kaivalya Upanishad

Memorize and Chant slokas 17-22

Chant Shata Rudreeya

Questions for next class -

• In the process of gaining self knowledge, highlight the importance of faith, devotion and meditation. - Shiv, Ramya
• What is the significance of Meditating on Lord Shiva? Explain. - Shailesh, Shilpa
• Those who strive, they know the self. How should I strive? - Jeet, Venki
• There is no other method to attain Brahman except by knowing one in all. Explain? - Sree, Yuvraj
• What is Jnana-abhyas, practice of knowledge? - Bala, Angila
• Describe the vivek of three states of experience? Neelima, Sridhar
• How can I meditate on which is beyond all thoughts? - Prarthana Yamini

Ended class with Meditation.