Brahman is Present in the Heart

The Brahman rules over the breath that enters the body. He rules over the breath that is exhaled from the body. the Brahman is present in the heart in the form of the Atman. It is to the Brahman that the senses make offerings.

The Brahman resides in the physical body as its possessor. once the Atman is delinked from the physical body (at the time of death), nothing remains in the Body. The Brahman is the Atman.

"Upanishads"

Shani Temple, Fort  Myer Florida

Teaching About Brahman

The breath of life is the Brahman. It is from the breath of life that the elements are created. It is the breath of life that sustains the elements. And it is into the breath of life that the elements merge at the time of destruction.

The mind is the Brahman. It is from the mind of life that the elements are created. It is the mind of life that sustains the elements. And it is into the mind of life that the elements merge at the time of destruction.

"The Brahman can be realised through meditation."

 "Upanishads"

Colorful carving panel

Present in all Living Beings

He is the radiant one who is present in all living beings. he is the omnipresent one. He is the one who is present in all elements and all senses. But he himself has no qualities. he is the unique one. But he divides that unique seed into many forms. Those who realise the brahman attain immortal bliss, not others. He is present in all objects and in all senses. He is the origin. If one realises the supreme one through yoga, all bondage disappears.

"Upanishads"

Nachiketa was a Brahman

A Brahman guest is like a fire that comes to a household. (Therefore, such a guest is to be welcomed. The Brahmanas consituted the first of the four castes. Their duties were to act as priests, perform sacrifices, study and pray. Nachiketa was a Brahman.) The feet of such a guest should be washed with water so that peace may descend on the household. O Yama! Bring water so that Nachiketa's Feet may be washed.

 "Upanishads"

Gopi Playing with Sitar

Life Force is the Brahman

There are some who maintain that food is the Brahman. This is not quite true because, in the absence of the life-force, food rots. There are some who maintain that the life-force is the Brahman. This is not quite true, because in the absence of food, the life-force dries up. But when the life-force and food are united, they are the Brahman. That is what the sage Pratrida was told by his father. He who realises this, remains surrounded by all living beings and gives them pleasure.

"Upanishads"

Universe is the Brahman

The universe is the Brahman. It is form the Brahman that the universe originates. Again at the time of destruction, it is into the Brahman that the universe merges. Since everything is the Brahman, one should not fall prey to emotions and should worship the Brahman with placidity. One's deeds in this life get reflected in one's fortune in the after-life. Therefore, it is the Brahman who should be worshipped with all concentration.
"Upanishads" 

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Happiness

The atman which is in knowledge unites with the atman which is in the mind. But apart from this, a part of the atman is in happiness. The atman which is in happiness merges with the atman which is in knowledge. The atman which is in happiness also has the form of a bird. Happiness from seeing objects of desire is the head, happiness from obtaining objects of desire is the right wing, happiness from savouring objects of desire is the left wing, and ordinary happiness is the centre of the body. Happiness from uniting with the brahman is the tail. There is a Shloka about this.

"Upanishads"  

Oum Pervades Everything

Worship the syllable oum as the Brahman. Oum pervades everything, and everything is in oum. It is oum that is used when priests chant incantations for the gods. It is oum that is used when the hymns of the Sama Veda are chanted. It is oum that is used when mantras are recited. It is oum that is used when the choristers sing. The syllable oum signifies the sanction of the brahman. It is oum that is used when oblations are made into the sacrificial fire. Oum is used so that one may learn the Vedas. Oum is used so that one may attain the Brahman.
"Upanishads"  

Accept the Brahman

May my limbs, my speech, my breath of life, my eyes, my ears, my power and my senses flourish. The nature of the brahman is explained in the Upanishads. May I not refuse to accept the Brahman. May the Brahman not refuse to accept me. May I always be united with the Brahman. May the truth that is in the Upanishads be revealed to me. May the truth be reflected in me.

Let there be peace.Let there be peace.Let there be peace.

 "Upanishads"  

Krishna Dancing on Snake hood Carving

 

Atmans Merge into the Brahman

The Brahman cannot be realised by one who is weak, nor can he be realised through ascetism alone. These techniques of meditation are merely aids to realise the brahman in one's atman.
 Those who know the nature of the brahman, are satisfied with nothing short of true learning. Their atmans merge into the brahman. They control their senses and become devold of desire. As long as they are alive, such calm and cool individuals see the brahman in all the objects that are around them.
 The knowledge of the Vedanta is the knowledge of the brahman. Ascetism helps to purify the mind. Salvation is attained by those who purify their minds and realise the Brahman. Such individuals attain salvation ecen before they die.

 "Upanishads"

Radha Krishna Carved Panel

Brahman Pervades Everything

When the world was created, the brahman inserted himself in all living beings as a witness. It is in the brahman that all the sages and the gods are to be found. One who knows the brahman overcomes death and ignorance. Like the thin layer of cream that floats on clarified butter, the brahman pervades everything in the universe. One who knows this, is freed from all bondage. The great creator is present in the hearts of all living beings. he can be realised through meditation and wisdom. That is the path to immortality.

"Upanishads" 

Syllable OUM is Superior

The syllable oum is superior to the Vedas. It is present in all forms of sound. In it is captured the immortal essence of the Vedas. The syllable oum is the brahman. May the Brahman make me wise. O god! May I attain the immortality that the knowledge of the brahman confers. May my physical body be healthy. May my tongue be the source of sweet speech. May my ears get to hear of the Brahman. The Brahman is there in you as well. But your vision is clouded by wordly learning. Listen to the knowledge that I have learnt.
"Upanishads" 

Colorful Carving

Brahman was Alone

In the beginning, there was no differentiation and the Brahman was alone. But the differentiation has led to illusion. Men desire wives, wealth and other objects. As long as one of these objects is not obtained, men feel themselves to be incomplete. But completeness only comes from identifying one's mind with the Brahman. A wife is like speech; a son is like the breath of life ; the eyes and the ears are like wealth. But all of this must be attained if man is to be complete. A person who attains this wisdom becomes satiated.
"Upanishads" 

 

Brahman is Radiant

"The Brahman is supreme and radiant. He has no form and he banishes all ignorance. He is like a sword in a sword in a scabbard. He is pure and full of energy . It is he who makes all objects shine. It is only the learned ones who know of the Brahman."

"The sun cannot manifest the Brahman, nor can the moon or the stars. Lightning cannot make him manifest. How can the fire possibly manifest him? It is because the brahman is radiant that the entire universe shines. All other objects draw their radiance from him."

"The Brahman is in the forefront and he is everything. The Brahman is to the back, he is to the north and the south. He is above and below. This universe is nothing but the supreme Brahman."

"Upanishads" 

There were no Castes

In the beginning, there were no castes (varna). (There are four castes- Brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras. The Brahmanas are priests, the kshatriyas are kings and warriors, the vaishyas are agriculturists and traders, and the shudras are a serving class.) The Brahman was alone and the only caste that existed was that of Brahmanas. But the Brahman was not capable of performing all acts on his own. He therefore created gods like Indra, Varuna, Soma, Rudra, Parjanya, Yama, Mrityu and Ishana. These were the kshatryas among gods and there is no one who is superior to a kshatriya. It is for this reason that, in the course of a rajasuya sacrifice, the king is worshipped by Brahmanas. But kshatriyas were created from Brahmanas. And no matterhow supperior he may be, a king has to acknowledge the superiority of his place of origin, that is, Brahmanas. A kshatriya who slights a Brahmana insults his process of creation. A man who hates a superior being, brings destruction on himself. He is plagued by sin. Brahmanas must therefore be revered.
 "Upanishads" 

Pure Brahman

 "The radiant Brahman is in the heart of every living being. He is the best of wealth. He is in all birds and men. He is in all objects, sentient and insentient. He is present in his minutest form, and he is present in grosser forms as well. The surpeme and pure Brahman is worshipped by everyone. Living beings find it difficult to know him. Realise the Brahman to be part of your own being."

"He is the radiant one. He is smaller than the smallest of objects. He is bigger than the largest of objects. The immortal Brahman is the supreme wealth. He is in all the worlds and in all the beings who populate these worlds The Brahman is life; the Brahman is the speech and the mind. The Brahman is truth, the Brahman is immortality. It is the the Brahman who must be known. Try to know him".

Trying even in adversity to find the goodness in all is as trying to find Brahman in all, for he exists , maybe hidden beneath layers of confused emotions.

"Upanishads" 

 

Meditate on the Hymn

Meditate on the hymn that is to be chanted Meditate on the god who is being worshipped. Meditate on the metre in which, the hymn is being chanted. Meditate on the direction facing which, the hymn is being chanted. Such meditation leads to the desired fruits.

The gods resorted to hymns and metres to protect themselves from death. The first part of any incantation consists of the word oum. The gods uttered this sacred word and were freed from the clutches of death. He who worships oum, is freed from all fear and becomes immortal.

Chanting brings emotion to devotion and Brahman recognizes the purity of the devotee.

"Upanishads" 

 

Immortal Brahman

The centre of the heart is like an immense sky. There dwells the immortal brahman. He is the radiant one who is the source of all learning. There is a vein that passes through the palate to the base of the head. This is know as sushumna and it emerges through the crwn of the head. This vein is the path that leads to the brahman. The mantra bhuh establishes the worshipper in fire. The mantra bhuvah establishes the worshipper in the wind.
 Pathways to Brahman are meditative thoughts that are transmitted through the channels of energy created while performing homams. No other thought , only pure energy resides in you and the vortex of spirituality brings you closer to Brahman.

"Upanishads"

 

 

Brahman Rules Over the Senses

The Brahman rules over the Senses and the minds of all living beings. When the mind is pure, the Brahman manifests himself. The body consists of the five elements. Provided one's mind is pure, one can visualise the Brahman in the Physical body.

Learned ones have pure minds know the Brahman. They can obtain whatever objects and whatever worlds they desire. They are like the Brahman. Therefore, those who desire salvation should worship such learned ones.

Every breath I take brings me closer to Brahman, I see Him, hear Him, feel Him.
Om Namah Shivaya!

"Upanishads"

Florida Temple

Attain the Brahman

"Apara knowledge is the knowledge of the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, The Atharva Veda, Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chhanda and Jyotisha, Para knowledge is the learning that enables one to attain the Brahman."

" The Brahman cannot be seen or felt. He is without origin and without form. He cannot be realised with eyes or the ears. The Brahman is eternal and omnipresent. He has no hands or feet. Many are his forms and he is smaller than the minutes object. The Brahman has no expression, but he is the origin of the elements. The knowledge that enables one to reslise the Brahman is the para form of knowledge."

Visualizing Brahman in one's own body is identifying with him. Prana and Jiva are one,only we have to realize it.As the the body cannot see the eyes, we cannot see the Supreme Lord, who is situated  in everyone's heart.

"Upanishads"

 

Brahman Present

There will be Brahmanas present who will be pure, wise, learned, righteous and free from desire. One should always perform acts and rites that are recommended by such Brahmanas. If there is doubt about the acts or rites performed by others, one should resort for advice to Brahmanas who are pure, wise, learned, righteous and free from desire. that is what is recommended. That is the advice given . That is what the Vedas say. That is the will of gods. All rites must be performed in accordance with this dictum.

Selfless action is akin to devotion and that which is done without piously brings you closer to Brahman

"Upanishads"

Fluting Krishna Carved Headboard

 

Universe Have The Brahman

The Brahman is like a vast sky. In him are all the Vedas and all the gods. The Vedas serve no purpose for a person who does not know the Brahman. It is only those who realise the Brahman, that can attain bliss. Everything that is propounded in the Vedas Originates from the Brahman. It is through his powers of illusion (maya) that the Brahman creates the universe. And living beings are tied down there through their ignorance. Know the world to be an illusion and know the Brahman to be the creator of this maya. All the objects in the universe have the Brahman in them.

"Upanishads"

Gopis Playing with Instruments

 

Road to Immortality

The Brahman is constant and does not get destroyed. When he adopts two different forms, that is known as the state of being in twain(dvaita). (This means the brahman and the atman.) One (the atman) can then see, smell, taste, hear, touch and know the other (the brahman). One can talk to or think about the other. But when the two merge and become one, how can one see, smell, taste, hear, touch or know the other? How can one think about the other? The brahman is the one who has been described by the expression neti. He has no destruction or decay. He is unattached and alone. If you realise the union, you will not talk about realising the brahman. I have now instructed you. There is no other road to immortality.

"Upanishads"

Fluting Krishna