The Great Forest Teachings
Peace Invocation
oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ
pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate
pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya
pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate
Om Shanti Shanti Shantih
Om
That (Brahman) is infinite, and this (universe) is infinite.
The infinite proceeds from the infinite
Taking the infinitude of the infinite(universe),
It remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone.
Om Peace!
Peace!
Peace!
(Madhavananda translation 1934) As we proceed on our upward ascent to the summit of understanding our true nature - Brahman, we will read sections from the Sage Yajnavalkya’s dialogues with King Janaka on his subsequent visits to the court of Videha.
The passages we will read are sublime poetry meant to take our heads and our hearts to these divine revelations. By reading we will embody the spirit and meaning of the Upanishads, namely sitting closely and listening to these inspired teachings from more than 2500 years ago. Also, by reading aloud, we will be going through, at least figuratively, stages of illumination and transformation of the ego-mind into pure awareness. The standpoint of the ego-mind is so deeply fixed in the life of human beings that to give up that stand and rise above our conditioned consciousness requires bravery, one-pointed attention to the wisdom teachings, and the humility of the heart.
We can see through this luminous dialogue that King Janaka, the disciple, is transformed and uplifted with Yajnavalkya’s presence and teachings. Those elements (both material and mental) which used to claw and pinion the heart and imprison the ego disappear as the teachings proceed. King Janaka’s identification with body and mind (his stature as a king, his power, his wealth, his earthly possessions, his intellectual knowledge) begins to loosen. He sheds all these adjuncts of personality and the ego. He will continue to function at various levels of his human life as an illumined ego, an illumined king with a different perspective. His renunciation is the mistaken identification with the transient.
Instead of a mind dominating and controlling his life it will be the Self (Atman-Brahman) that will function as the background and foreground of his actions. This is Yajnavalkya’s gift and final blessing to his friend and disciple. In a similar manner Krishna gave the blessing and gift of liberation to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita.
(We will primarily read from Swami Prabhavananda and Eknath Easwaran, and selected passages from Robert Ernest Hume translations.)
We will now read the dialogue of King Janaka and Yajnavalkya to dispel the King’s doubts and answer his questions regarding Brahman.
Fourth Adhayaya, first Brahmana, page 127 in Hume’s translation: Read Sloka 1 and 2. Here Janaka recounts what he knows about Brahman – six partial definitions of Brahman.
He has been taught that Brahman is ‘the word’, ‘primal energy’ ‘ hearing’ ‘ mind’ and the heart. After each of these partial definitions, Yajnavalkya, questions King Janaka , but “What is its abode and support” and receives answers that correspond to the partial definitions.
After each response, Janaka wants to shower him with wealth (represented by cattle). Finally King Janaka wants to know more and more about Brahman and steps off his throne and approaches Yajnavalkya in supplication with folded palms and says.
“ I bow down to you. Yajnavalkya, please teach me.”
Yajnavalkya asks him a pointed question: (reading from Swami P. translation). Page 102
Also, Sloka 1, second Brahmana, page 131, Hume translation.
“ Your Majesty, as a person wishing to make a long journey, furnishes himself with a chariot or a boat, so have you equipped your mind with sacred wisdom. You are honorable and wealthy, and have studied the Vedas and learned the Upanishads. Whither then shall you go when you leave this body?”
Yajnavalkya continues – (Swami P. translation), page 102-top of 103.
“Indha is the Self identified with the physical self……………O Janaka, free from birth and death.”
The dialogue and teaching continues in the third brahmana (Hume, Page 132) when Yajnavalkya again visits King Janaka’s court and after Agnihotra (fire sacrifice), grants King Janaka a boon. Janaka asks Yajnavalkya about what “serves as the light of man”. (In Hume’s translation, it is the Third Brahmana, Page 133) sloka 2 onwards.In Swami P. it is Page 103.- The sun, moon, fire, sight, hearing are all mentioned as providing the light of man finally coming to the answer;
“The Self indeed is his light; for by the light of the Self man sits, moves about, does his work, and when his work is done, rests”.
(Swami P) Hume – Sloka 6, page 133
The soul (Atman) indeed is his light for with the soul, indeed, as his light, one sits, moves about, does his work, and returns. The question arises: Who is that Self? Yajnavalkya replies – The Self-luminous being who dwells within the lotus of the heart, surrounded by the senses and sense organs, and who is the light of the intellect, is that Self. We will read about the different states of consciousness from Eknath Easwaran, with additional key sections from Swami Prabhavananda and Robert Earnest Hume about the soul of a person at death and the liberated soul.
The Eknath Easwaran and Swami Prabhavananda translations of this Upanishad conclude with ‘ What the Thunder said’. These lines were later immortalized by the 20th century poet, T.S. Elliot in his Four Quartets. (Eknath Easwaran, Page 116 and Swami Prabhavananda, Page 112).
We will read this aloud. In the Hume translation it is the Second Brahmana – The Three Cardinal Virtues, Page 150. Slokas 1-3.
In our study group, and in our readings over the last few years, we have been in the company of earnest students and teachers who have discussed the central problems of philosophy and religion with sincerity. We hope that our readings and dialogues on these principal Upanishads have generated fruitful knowledge that will be an ongoing reward for your participation.
We end with the Peace Invocation:
Om Asato Maa Sad-Gamaya |
Tamaso Maa Jyotir-Gamaya |
Mrtyor-Maa Amrtam Gamaya |
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||
Lead me from the unreal to the Real.
Lead me from darkness to light.
Lead me from death to immortality.
Om Peace Peace Peace Please note: excerpts, commentary and references from the following teachers of Vedanta.
Vedanta Society lectures and literature Swami Sarvapriyananda, Swami Nikhilananda, Swami Gambhirananda, Swami Swahananda and Madhavananda.
Excerpts from the following commentaries and translations of the Upanishads: Swami Madhavananda Swami Prabhavananda and Frederick Manchester Robert Ernest Hume Swami Swahananda and Swami Madhavananda Eknath Easwaran and Wikipedia
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