"The Upanishads: Teachings, Philosophy, and Insights on Brahman and the Self", "Neti-Neti and Sat-Chit-Ananda: Exploring the Core of the Upanishads", "From Samsara to Moksha: Lessons from the Upanishads"

         

Here is a symbolic image representing the three themes related to the Upanishads.

The Upanishads are the final and finest part of the Vedas, the world's oldest scriptures.The Upanishads are a component of Vedanta, the final section of the Vedas, which are the oldest Hindu texts and were composed between 1500 and 1000 BCE. Brahman (God), the Ultimate Reality, and the path to salvation (Moksha) are all covered in the Upanishads as revealed truth (Sruti).Upa- ('nearby'), ni- ('at the correct location, down'), and sad- ('to sit') are the roots of the word Upanishad, which means'sitting near a teacher to receive the sacred teachings'.

 The Upanishads aim to: 1. Help you realize that you are Brahman (bring you closer to Brahman) 2. Dismantles ignorance 3. Breaks the bounds of samsara ('wandaring', 'changing', a soul journey).Vedanta, which means "the end" or "last portion," is the sum total of all the wisdom found in the Vedas. Vedas (vid - 'to know', 'knowing' of the ultimate truth). Twelve Upanishads are regarded as the principal Upanishads out of the 108 that have survived. The Upanishads are not structured philosophical systems; rather, they are a record of what the sages and seers saw in their thoughts and visions. They have clarified the most significant issues facing humanity.Brahman, which means "to grow, to expand" and "the greatest," is the name of God. God is called Sat-Chit-Ananda in Sanskrit, which means Sat (existence), Chit (consciousness), and Ananda (bliss). God the formless (Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss) and Sat-Chit-Ananda in many forms are Brahman. "The unchanging reality amidst and beyond the world" that "cannot be exactly defined" is Brahman, also known as the Universal Spirit, the Ultimate truth, Pure Consciousness, the One Being, and an absolute. 

Brief formulations called as Upanishads were frequently used to provide teachings about Brahman. The Upanishad's code name is Satyasya Satyam, which translates to "the Truth of truth."There is no more fitting explanation of Brahman than "Not this, not this" (Neti, Neti), which is how it is described. Brahman's title is now "The Truth of truth." Truth is the vital breath, and Brahman is the Truth of that. — Upanishad Brihadaranyaka 2.3.6."NOT THIS, NOT THIS" is the commentary: There are no distinctive characteristics of Brahman that can be expressed in words. The terms Not This, Not This relate to something that lacks a distinguishing mark, such as a name, form, action, heterogeneity, species, or attributes, when all distinctions caused by limiting adjuncts have been eliminated. In order to rule out any potential specification, these two negative particles are utilized in an all-inclusive manner.This is all Brahman. The Chandogya Upanishad 3.14.1. "Sarvam khalvidam brahma" The Upanishads, according to Shankaracharya, are only meant to demonstrate the ultimate unity of Brahman and the embodied soul, as well as the phenomenality or unreality of the cosmos of names and figures. 

Vivekachudamani contains Shankara's most well-known quotation, "The Crest Jewel of Discrimination."There is ultimately no distinction between Brahman and Atman, the particular self; the world is unreal; and Brahman is the only truth. (Jivo brahmaiva naparah, Brahma satyam jagat mithya). This Vedic truth is not a product of the human mind and cannot be comprehended by the unassisted human intellect. The whole of the Vedas' unquestionably consistent truth and its actual relevance can only be revealed to a qualified student by a qualified teacher who has firsthand experience. 

According to the Upanishads, Brahman has two aspects: 1. Brahman qualified by limiting conditions (Saguna Brahman); 2. Para Brahman, Supreme Brahman, is devoid of attributes (Nirguna Brahman).There are no qualities in the ultimate Brahman. Space, time, and causality apply to the entire phenomenal universe, but Brahman, the Supreme Reality, transcends all of them. Brahman, in contrast to sensory objects, is spaceless rather than in space. Brahman is timeless and not time-bound. Brahman is independent of the causal chain and not a subject of causality. "That which is not destroyed when the upadhis of time, space, and causation are destroyed, is Brahman, the immortal Reality." The Upanishads only mention Brahman's complete spacelessness when they describe it as omnipresent, all-pervading, infinitely big, and infinitely little.The only thing known as Brahman is that which cannot be expressed by voice but is expressed by speech; this is not what people worship here. The only thing known as Brahman is not what people worship here, but rather that which the intellect cannot grasp yet which, it is said, does. It is not what people worship here, but rather what the eye perceives yet cannot perceive—that is the only thing known as Brahman. Only Brahman, not what people here worship, is known as that which cannot be heard by the ear but by which hearing is perceived (Kena Up. 1.5-8).

"Consciousness is Brahman." Prajñānam Brahma (Aitareya Upanishad 3.1.3) ('Consciousness is the Ultimate Reality'). "I am Brahman." Aham Brahmāsmi (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10) "That thou art." - ( "You are Brahman." ) Tat Tvam Asi. (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7) "This Self is Brahman." Ayam ātmā Brahma (Mandukya Upanishad 2). ('This Self' is Atman, and the Soul is You.).The Mandukya Upanishads contain the most potent chant in Vedantic literature, as well as the essence of all Vedanta. Mandukya VII: Turiya is not that which is cognizant of the inner (subjective) world, the outward (objective) world, both, or a mass of consciousness. It is not simple consciousness, nor is it unconscious. It is imperceptible, unconnected, inexplicable, inferable, unfathomable, and indescribable. The essence of consciousness emerging as the self in the three stages is the cessation of all manifestations; it is all serenity, happiness, and nonduality. This is known as the Fourth (Turiya). This is Atman, and it needs to be acknowledged.

nāntaḥprajñaṃ na bahiḥprajñaṃ nobhayataḥprajñaṃ na prajñānaghanaṃ na prajñaṃ nāprajñaṃ adṛṣṭamavyavahāryaṃ agrāhyamalakṣaṇaṃ acintyamavyapadeśyaṃ ekātmapratyayasāraṃ prapañcopaśamaṃ śāntaṃ śivamadvaitaṃ caturthaṃ manyante sa ātmā sa vijñeyaḥ.

After explaining consciousness using the "Neti-neti" approach, what it is not: "It is unperceived, unrelated, incomprehensible, uninferable, unthinkable, and indescribable." The Mandukya explains how it manifests itself: "It is the cessation of all phenomena; It is all peace, all bliss and non—dual." Prapañcopaśamaṃ śāntaṃ śivamadvaitaṃ.Prapañcopaśamaṃ refers to the end of all worldly distinctions and 'quiescence', which is a condition of silence or inactivity. The terms śāntaṃ (peaceful) and śivam (blissful and auspicious) and advaitaṃ (without a second) refer to the absence of a second object.

Each Upanishad is complete on its own and contains lovely teachings. You should become so well-versed in these scriptures that you will never need to review them. After that, put their lessons into practice in your day-to-day activities. Just two things are required for practice: knowledge of the philosophy of non-attachment and comprehension of the characteristics of a one-pointed mind. The word "non-attachment" often makes people in the modern world nervous. Understanding non-attachment is a powerful notion. You are free if you truly understand what this phrase means. Great, pure love is the result of non-attachment.You currently have an attachment to the things of the world; anything you love, whether it be a person or an object, causes you pain. You should learn to love and enjoy your loved ones by working with yourself in a methodical manner. 

The mind is more important than the body, so if you truly want to know yourself, sit quietly for a few minutes and allow yourself to become aware of what you are thinking.You will discover something about your personality if you do this. Doing this can occasionally make you feel quite depressed. Sometimes people believe that they were a very good person. What happened to me? I once sat on the Ganga's bank and met a famous modern guru. "Swami, what is the difference between you and me?" asked an agnostic man who was with me. You eat, sleep, and do a lot of other things just like me. What distinguishes me as a regular person and you as a swami? "The difference is that everything you hear affects you," the swami added with a smile. I am not impacted by what I hear.I know that I am not stupid, so it doesn't matter if someone tells me that. On the other hand, you will feel depressed if I label you stupid because you would start to believe that you are foolish. The lesson of the Upanishads is that the first liberation you must achieve is freedom from fear. Such recommendations have an impact on your life. You receive ideas from others every day from sunrise till evening, and these messages have an impact on your entire life. You are merely a reactionary in life, according to this. People in the modern era are reactionaries because they lack the time to truly think, comprehend, or feel. The world anticipates that they will think and feel the way that others do;They are supposed to act in the manner that other people desire. These days, we all live such lifestyles. We have thrown ourselves into a huge maelstrom in this fashion, and we are unsure of how to handle it. 

"O human beings, you can enjoy the things that you enjoy today in a better way," the ancient Upanishads proclaim. Learn to appreciate everything, but realize that there are certain ways to do it. As a result, the invocation opens the Ishopanishad: "Om purnam-adah" (all is whole and whole)."Purnam-idam" (the perfect, complete, and whole Brahman is the source of the entire cosmos, whatever it may be). What results from that which is flawless, complete, and full is "Purnat Purnam Udacyate." Perfection is the only source of perfection. In the beginning, middle, and end, all of this is whole and complete: "Purnasya purnam-adaya, purnam eva-vashishyate." We might, nevertheless, believe that nothing in the world is flawless in our day-to-day existence. Let's look at the reasons behind this. What is the Maya-projected hiranyagarbha? Maya serves solely as a vehicle for Brahman's projection. The Absolute Brahman multiplies.No God or power ever "created" the universe; rather, manifestation brought everything into being, which is why the Vedantic Upanishads avoid using the phrase creation.