by Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL No. 39
May. 2004

ATTEMPTS TO DESCRIBE BRAMHAN - Part 13

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

The final deduction of the Mundaka Upanishad is:

Bramheivedamamrtam purastaadbramha pascaadbramha dakshinatascottarena

Adhascordhvam ca prsrutam bramheivedam varistham.

There is simply nothing anywhere that exists which is not Bramhan. In the front, back, right, left, high or below, wherever one may imagine, all that exists is Bramhan alone. Wherever you search, you will find nothing but Bramhan.

This means that all gross things (sthulataa) and all subtle things (sukshmataa) are forms of Bramhan.

But according to our seers, that is not our end of search for Bramhan. The concept of Bramhan goes beyond that. Even if all the forms in the universe is Bramhan within them Bramhan exists as the subtle praana, the search now extends beyond the realm of subtlety, extending our understanding to still higher planes to have a glimpse of Bramhan.

There are many reasons why the mind must search further and further and not remain satisfied by simply stating that everything is Bramhan. Sarvamidam Bramheiti. Each of these reasons are fascinating in its own way when one contemplates on them.

To begin with, an object may be gross or subtle, but its consciousness is still limited. All the senses that one possesses, including the mind itself, are all limited. How can Bramhan, which is unlimited be contained within limits? So we must further search for something that will expand the limits, go beyond all limits to become limitless. That power which lies beyond the limits and therefore becomes the source of all limited powers that the gross and subtle objects possess, is to be searched after. As Sri Aurobindo put it, "the eternal question is now put which turns man behind these surfaces. raises further questions."

These questions come in another of our beautiful Upanishads called the Kena Upanishad.

We grant it that the inherent dynamism within every created being, the vitality within all sense organs through whom we are all propelled into non stop action all come from Bramhan. But the creation does not move along, simply because every thing is animated and in action. Imagine if everything because of being animated and active were to go according to their free will, helter skelter and without rhyme or reason. Just being alive and in action would result in chaos and not cosmos. The greek word kosmos refers to the universe as an orderly and beautiful system, an embodiment of order and harmony. We all know, and as we discussed earlier, The Lord's creation moves with the precision of cause and effect following divine laws. The creation is not simply a madhouse of activity. Every single action in this entire creation is like a planned and inevitable reaction dictated by reasoning.

Hence the Kena Upanishad asks a series of questions.

Kenesitam patati presitam manah

Kena praanah prathamah preiti yuktah?

Kenesitam vaacamimaam vadanti

Chakshyuh srotram ka u devah yunakti?

Enlivened by praana the mind acquires the power to think. But who is that who directs the mind to proceed to that specific object of thought and, no where else? At this moment if the mother's mind dwells upon the thoughts of her child and nothing else, by whose order and direction this has happened? Kenesitam presitam?

My life force's job priority is to keep me moving in the journey of my life. Who has assigned this specific job to it? Kena praanah preiti yuktah?

Who dictates that my tongue must speak at this time precisely that, what I am talking now and nothing else? Who is making my eyes to see only what I see now?, my ears to hear precisely what I am hearing now? Kenesitam vaacamimaam vadanti

Chakshyuh srotram yunakti?

Which is that power? Ka u devah?

That happens to be the crucial question. A crude analogy to understand this could be our modern day computer. A computer is to day empowered to undertake complicated tasks almost on its own. But it still requires a direction from some one to function on a predetermined manner and go after a specific job and no other job.

Who is that agent? Ka u deva?

We shall explore that in the next chapter.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

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