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“The Upanishads are an orchestral movement of knowledge, each of them one strain in a great choral harmony” says Sri Aurobindo. The knowledge about Brahman and the world has been revealed through many inspiring stories told in a simple yet direct and rhythmic language. From these stories we come to know about not only the deeper truths of our existence but also the processes to arrive at those truths, the relationship between the Master and initiate, the method of teaching, and the lives of the Rishis. For the next one year, we will be presenting a beautiful selection from the Upanishadic stories.
The Highest Learning
Dr. Sampadananda Mishra
_____________________________________________________________________________________Once Narada approached the sage Sanatkumara and requested him to show him the path of knowledge and teach him about the highest truth. “Tell me what you know, and then I will teach you what is beyond that,” thus said Sanatkumara in reply. Then Narada told him with all humility, “I know the four Vedas and the epics, I have studied grammar, rituals, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, psychology, the fine arts and various other secular subjects; but all this knowledge has not helped me to know the Self. I have heard from spiritual teachers like you that one who realizes the Self goes beyond sorrow. I am lost in sorrow. Please teach me how to go beyond.”
After this there is a very long dialogue between Narada and Sanatkumar. Through this dialogue Sanatkumar reveals all that Narada knows is mere names. To go beyond, one must know what is greater than name. Then he reveals that speech is greater than name, mind is greater than speech, will is greater than mind, consciousness is greater than will, meditation is greater than consciousness, understanding is greater than meditation, power is greater than understanding, food is greater than power, water is greater than food, light or heat is greater than water, ether is greater than light, and Atman or the Spirit is greater than ether and is the substratum of everything else. Man is always impelled to do things on account of joy or the pleasure that he gets out of the things that he does. No one acts or does anything unless motivated by some kind of pleasure or joy. But it is the Infinite that is the source of abiding joy because it is not subject to change. Therefore one must seek to know the infinite.
With this Sanatkumar now teaches Narada the nature of the Infinite. “Where one realizes the indivisible unity of life, sees nothing else, hears nothing else, knows nothing else — that is the Infinite. The Infinite is beyond death, but the finite cannot escape death.” At this point Narada raises a question: “On what does the Infinite depend, O venerable one?” To this Sanatkumar replies: “Dear Narada, the Infinite depends on its own glory, no not even that. In the world people think they can attain glory by having cows and horses, elephants and gold, family and servants, fields and mansions. But I do not call that glory, for here one thing depends on another. But the Infinite is utterly independent. The Infinite is above and below, before and behind, to the right and to the left. I am all this. The Self is above and below, before and behind, to the right and to the left. I am all this. One who meditates on the Self and realizes the Self sees the Self everywhere, and rejoices in the Self. Such a one lives in freedom and is at home wherever he goes. He discovers that everything in the cosmos—energy and space, fire and water, names and forms, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantra and meditation—all come from the Self. He goes beyond decay and death, beyond separateness and sorrow. But those who pursue the finite are blind to the Self and live in bondage. Therefore, O Narada, control the senses and purify the mind. In a pure mind there is a constant awareness of the Self. Where there is constant awareness of the Self, freedom ends bondage and joy ends sorrow.”
Thus the sage Sanatkumar taught the pure Narada to go beyond bondage, beyond sorrow, beyond darkness, to the light of the Self.
(Compiled and presented by Dr. Sampadananda Mishra, Sanskrit Research Coordinator, Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry).