Moment to Speak

The Upanishads describe Brahman as Supreme Self, or Cosmic Self, or Ultimate Reality, or Absolute Existence, or the infinity of infinitude that is the sole cause and essence of all existence. It is Satyam-Jnanam-Anantam Brahma , or Truth-Knowledge-Infinity (Taittiriya Upanishad, 2.1.1; Sat-Chit-Ananda , or Existence-Consciousness-Bliss (Tejobindu Upanisha, 3.11); Satyasya Satyam , or 'the Truth of truth. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.1.20), Sarvam khalvidam Brahma, or All this is Brahman (Chandogya Upanishad 3.14.1); and Vijnanam-Anandam-Brahma , or Knowledge-Bliss-Brahman (Brihadāranyaka Upanishad, 3.9.28(7).  That great, birthless Self is undecaying, immortal, undying, fearless and Brahman . Brahman is indeed fearless. He who knows It as such becomes the fearless Brahman (Brihadāranyaka Upanishad, 4.4.25).  Brahman is also described as Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesa (impersonal), Nirguna (attributeless), Nirvikalpa (non-duality), Adrishta (invisible), Akarta (non-d...

Every one of our actions emanates from a locus within our awareness. However, such actions result from the cumulative self-effort we invest in either manifesting or unmanifesting them. All actions are ways of sacrifices, and those are directly intertwined with the elevation of our life processes. Sacrifice is internalised, transforming outward yajnas, or ritual offerings, into a symbolic, internal process. Actions cease to be merely external offerings and become processes of inner sacrifice, where the practitioner surrenders the fruits of their deeds and their own psychophysical ego to realise moksha, or liberation. How is it of relevance whether that action evolves from a higher point of our awareness, when one identifies with the innermost core of our true Self, or with the outermost one to our body-mind-intellect complex that is the transient aspect of our phenomenal dimension? One goes up in the elevatory journey of life process when one sees through his eye consciousness all the a...

Ashtavakra Gita, a dialogue between Sage Ashtavakra and King Janaka, emphasises that true freedom comes from detaching oneself from the material world and its transient nature. It addresses those seeking direct, non-dual insight into Absolute Truth. Sage Ashtavakra's teachings articulate the fundamental principles of the exclusivity of Jnana marg (path of knowledge), Advaitavada (non-duality), Atma-vichara (self-enquiry), Atma-sakshatkara (self-realisation), Santosha (contentment), Karuna (compassion), Arjava (simplicity and straightforwardness), Satyatvam (truthfulness) and Kshama (forgiveness), aiming to illuminate the intricate nature of the essentiality of our existence as one inseparable from Absolute Existence. It is the way to be happy and free forever. Ashtavakra Gita says and always insists that you are nothing but Atman, or self of yours only. Recognise that you have your own identity, one with Cosmic Self or Brahman and nothing more or less. You are pure awareness;...

 Bondage and release highlight the struggle between the entrapment of Atman , or Self, within material existence and its potential for liberation. This cycle reflects the impact of actions and desires, with bondage stemming from Avidya , or ignorance. Conversely, release is realised through self-knowledge and self-realisation. It elevates one to freedom from the repetitious Samsara chakra, or cycle of birth and rebirth and ultimately understanding one’s true nature. The mind alone is the cause of bondage, as well as liberation, asserts Amritabindu Upanishad (2). The mind is the entire set, explains Acharya Prashant, the whole universe of objects that the ‘I’ has a relationship with. It does not encompass everything that exists in the universe.One does not have a relationship with everything. However, anything with which one develops a relationship becomes part of the mind. The ego is just an object untouched by the self. But the moment the object is touched by ‘I’, it becomes visha...