The Lord of Death's Ancient Teaching (15 Key Verses from Katha 1.2 & 1.3)

1.2

Yama said: The good is one thing; the pleasant, another. Both of these, serving different needs, bind a man. It goes well with him who, of the two, takes the good; but he who chooses the pleasant misses the end. (1.2.1)

Many there are who do not even hear of Atman; though hearing of Him, many do not comprehend. Wonderful is the expounder and rare the hearer; rare indeed is the experiencer of Atman taught by an able preceptor. (1.2.7)

Yama said: The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at and which men desire when they lead the life of continence, I will tell you briefly: it is Om.  (1.2.15)

This syllable Om is indeed Brahman. This syllable is the Highest. Whosoever knows this syllable obtains all that he desires. (1.2.16)

The knowing Self is not born; It does not die. It has not sprung from anything; nothing has sprung from It. Birthless, eternal, everlasting and ancient, It is not killed when the body is killed. (1.2.18)

This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form. (1.2.23)

He who has not first turn away from wickedness, who is not tranquil and subdued and whose mind is not at peace, cannot attain Atman. It is realised only through the Knowledge of Reality. (1.2.24)

1.3

Two there are who dwell within the body, in the intellect, the supreme akasa of the heart, enjoying the sure rewards of their own actions. The knowers of Brahman describe them as light and shade... (1.3.1)

We know how to perform the Nachiketa sacrifice, which is the bridge for sacrificers; and we know also that supreme, imperishable Brahman, which is sought by those who wish to cross over to the shore where there is no fear. (1.3.2)

Know the atman to be the master of the chariot; the body, chariot; the intellect, the charioteer; and the mind, the reins.  (1.3.3)

A man who has discrimination for his charioteer and holds the reins of the mind firmly, reaches the end of the road; and that is the supreme position of Vishnu. (1.3.9)

Beyond the senses are the objects; beyond the objects is the mind; beyond the mind, the intellect; beyond the intellect, the Great Atman; beyond the Great Atman, the Unmanifest; beyond the Unmanifest, the Purusha. Beyond the Purusha there is nothing: this is the end, the Supreme Goal. (1.3.10/11)

The wise man should merge his speech in his mind and his mind in his intellect. He should merge his intellect in the Cosmic Mind and the Cosmic Mind in the Tranquil Self. (1.3.13)

Arise! Awake! Approach the great and learn. Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path, so the wise say−hard to tread and difficult to cross. (1.3.14)

Having realised Atman, which is soundless, intangible, formless, undecaying and likewise tasteless, eternal and odourless; having realised That which is without beginning and end, beyond the Great and unchanging−one is freed from the jaws of death. (1.3.15)

Nonduality Comics: god minus maya

1. 4D

Whatever happens in the dream stays in the dream. 

As an individual, let the universal be your God.

The dream is nothing but mind. The mind is nothing but God. 

And God minus Maya is nothing but Brahman.

2. reflections

like the reflection in a mirror of yourself 

you are just a reflection in and of the Self

3. wholly wholly wholly

The world is a hole within the whole; satcitananda minus satcitananda equals satcitananda.

Although the world is in Brahman and of Brahman, Brahman is in the world but not of the world.

4. turiya arizona

jennifer juniper effortless earnestness

intuitive inquisition and the mysterians

unconditional unity absolute consciousness

I Am: The Principle of Existence

Things exist because Brahman.  For Brahman is satcitananda; the sat in satcitananda refers to that principle of Existence.  And I as a person exist because Brahman. I am in person the mere reflection of that Brahman.

Look at any reflection in a pond and see it exists because of the pond’s existence.  And further, any reflection in a pond isn’t really there.  It’s just an optical illusion, like something out of Maya.

Reflections are nothing but water, water being the vehicle for this particular metaphor.  It’s Brahman Brahman everywhere and not whatever you think.  Here's another thought. There is no snake—only rope.

Katha on Divine Grace

Relax and watch the ‘I am’. Reality is just behind it. Keep quiet, keep silent; it will emerge, or, rather, it will take you in. ~Nisargadatta

Arise! Awake! Approach the great and learn. Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path, so the wise say - hard to tread and difficult to cross.

~Katha 1.3.14 (tr-Nikhilananda)

Many there are who do not even hear of Atman; though hearing of Him, many do not comprehend. Wonderful is the expounder and rare the hearer; rare indeed is the experiencer of Atman taught by an able preceptor.

~Katha 1.2.7 (tr-Nikhilananda)

This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form.

~Katha 1.2.23 (tr-Nikhilananda)

He is to be realised first as Existence limited by upadhis and then in His true transcendental nature. Of these two aspects, Atman realised as Existence leads the knower to the realisation of His true nature.

~Katha 2.3.13 (tr-Nikhilananda)

The devotee first beholds Brahman with form. Next, when he is eager to realize the Absolute, Brahman Itself removes, as it were, the veil of the upadhi and reveals to the devotee Its all-annihilating and all-embracing formless nature. Thus it is not solely the personal effort of the seeker that brings about this profound mystical experience; there is also divine grace.

~Nikhilananda commentary on Katha 2.3.13

Katha Outline (sandeepany)

The Harder Stuff

The metaphysics of advaita isn’t theoretical although it makes more sense than other physics.

Advaita is an experiential thing if anything at all. But it’s one thing to know consciousness is foundational. It’s another to identify with that.

O Mama, I’m like stuck between the rock and hard place of consciousness.

2. waves

It's easy to see through the waves when you live at sea. 

When you live in a virtual desert, you first need to know what waves are.

3. atman

Many there are who do not even hear of Atman; though hearing of Him, many do not comprehend. Wonderful is the expounder and rare the hearer; rare indeed is the experiencer of Atman taught by an able preceptor.

~Katha 1.2.7 (tr-Nikhilananda)

4. maya

Between the individual and the universal is avidya. Between the universal and the absolute is maya.

They say avidya may be ending in this lifetime. But Maya only closes at the end of Brahma's day.

5. brahman

The universal knows it is the absolute like Brahma knows it’s Brahman. 

Thus an individual knowing it’s the universal spontaneously is the absolute.

x. advaita

Gaudapada, at the least, teaches us how to die.

It's not about dying before you die but never being born.

nonduality comics 250405st01

1.

It’s Pike’s Peak or Bust. Do not take the Donner Pass.

I imagine Shankaracharya as an eighth-century Sheldon Cooper.

Saguna Brahman is Brahman from Maya’s point of view.

2.

Twenty years of nonduality and all I got was this invisible t-shirt.

In a perfect world, mind gathers, intelligence reports, and intuition acts.

Awareness being self-aware happens on the field of Maya.

3.

First, attention minus thought equals parabrahman.

Murmur, murmur, murmur, murmur, murmur.

From an absolute point of view, this is not happening.

4.

From a relative point of view,

handle things with care.

Treat all bruises with love.

5.

To deny existence requires existence.

If thoughts appear in consciousness,

who am I? Love is never having to say.

6.

We are waves who think

we’re not the sea.

This is living dangerously.

7.

Objects appearing in the mind are closer than you think.

Children are conceived.

Consciousness is unborn.

8.

Mountaineering is primitive self-inquiry.

Psychotherapy is the midpoint of all mountaineering.

Peaking is peaking.

For Ishwara

Like a table is mostly space
an individual is mostly love
with a little bit of dangerous thought.

People are just waves who think
they’re not the sea.
This is living dangerously.

Inhabit the life lightly.
This is your real lucid dreaming.
One way at a time.

On Divine Grace

Feel the radioactivity of mad divine grace from that great big satguru in the sky!

Divine grace is part electric socket and part lightning and thunder.

Before the turn is strictly karmic. After the turn is all about divine grace.

Basho Oku No Hosomichi

Why has no vlogger done a thorough travelog on oku no hosomichi?

I followed his footsteps in hiraizumi, matsushima, and yamadera. I would love to see all that went on north of the shirakawa barrier.

Hiraizumi

(tr-stryk)

Summer grasses

All that remains

Of soldiers’ dreams

Yamadera

(tr-matsuobashohaikublog)

Ah, the Quiet, but piercing the Rocks — the Cry of the Cicada

Matsushima

Matsushima ya

Aa matsushima ya

Matsushima ya