| There is a light that shines beyond all things on earth, | | | | He who has not right understanding, is careless and |
| beyond us all, beyond the heavens, beyond the | | | | never pure, reaches not the end of his journey; but |
| highest, the very highest heavens. This is the light | | | | wonders on from death to death. |
| that shines in our heart. 'Chandogya Upanishad' 3.13.7 | | | | But he who has right understanding, is careful and |
| (1) | | | | ever pure, reaches the end of the journey, from |
| This 'light' has many names and is perceived by | | | | which he never returns. |
| different Hindu practitioners in a variety of ways. The | | | | 'Katha upanishad' (6) |
| two prominent andbroadest categories are the | | | | Here we have a clear contrast between the individual |
| Monist and the Theist conceptions of the divine. The | | | | who is caught in the wheel of Samsara, described |
| monist sees the divine in impersonal terms,whereas | | | | here as wandering 'from death to death', and the one |
| the theist regards the divine as a loving personal god. | | | | who has achieved Mosksha, 'From which he never |
| Perception of the divine can be a crucial factor | | | | returns'. Control of the senses is achieved through |
| indetermining the individuals prime method of | | | | the various Hindu spiritual practices such as |
| approach, of which there are traditionally three; | | | | meditation, the performance of rigorous physical |
| The path of devotion (Bhakti Marga); the path of | | | | austerities and devotion. These approaches are |
| knowledge (Jnana Marga); and the path of ritual | | | | known collectively as yoga. The Sanskrit root |
| action (Karma Marga). | | | | meaning of yoga is 'to join' and it is the method by |
| Although these three paths are not mutually | | | | which an individual becomes joined with the divine. |
| exclusive, one may tend to take precedence over | | | | The vedantist Scholar Sri Aurobino (1872 - 1950) |
| the others. For example, the monist philosopher | | | | described the aim of yoga as the liberation and |
| Sankara of the ninth century A.D taught that the | | | | perfection of the inner 'Atman'. It is to advance |
| divine was best approached via knowledge, yet he | | | | beyond the mind and unite with the divine source (7). |
| wrote devotional songs. An the theist philosopher | | | | So, command of the senses is an imperative step to |
| Ramanuja, who lived some 200 years later, taught | | | | wards the final release from the cycle of rebirth, but |
| that the divine was ultimately encountered through | | | | the inner quest does not end there. Yoga is not the |
| devotion, while recognizing the value of correct | | | | end, it is the method, or vehicle, by which the Atman |
| knowledge. Monism and Theism present contrasting | | | | is reached, beyond the senses. It is the process that |
| views of the 'light' that dwells within and shines | | | | still the turbulent waters of perception in order to |
| beyond. Monism, as the name suggests, views the | | | | see a clear unbroken reflection of the true self. A |
| light as 'all-God', while Theism makes a distinction | | | | further aspect of Monism is Advaita or non-dualism. |
| between the lights 'inner' and 'outer' designations. | | | | In contrast to the dualistic theory of the cosmos, |
| The inner light is that of the individual, which is a | | | | which views spirit and matter in direct opposition with |
| distinct entity from the outer light which is the | | | | one another, Advaita sees no such conflict. All is God |
| intelligent creator God. Both 'lights', however, share a | | | | and all is one, therefore everything exists in complete |
| unified commonality. Both ' lights' shine as one. The | | | | harmony. All else is 'Maya' or illusion, and release from |
| following extract from the Upanishads can be | | | | the cycle of Samasara is comparable to waking up |
| understood from both Monist and Theist | | | | from a dream. Maya was a vital component of |
| perspectives; | | | | Sankara's philosophy. Also, around a thousand years |
| 'Put this chunk of salt in a container of water and | | | | before Sankara, Krishna, the leading character in the |
| come back tomorrow.' The son did as he was told, | | | | 'Bhagavad-gita' Proclaimed; |
| and the father said tohim: 'The chunk of salt you put | | | | I am not revealed to every one,being veiled by my |
| in the water last evening bring it here.' He groped for | | | | magic trick-of-illusion; |
| it but could not find it, as it haddissolved completely. | | | | 'tis deluded and does not recognizeme the unborn, |
| 'Now take a sip from this corner', said the father | | | | imperishable - this world. 7.25 (8) |
| 'how does it taste?' | | | | In the Bhagavad - gita Krishna is portrayed as the |
| 'Salty' | | | | absolute Brahmin (7.29), who dwells in the heart of all |
| 'Take a sip from the center - how does it taste?' | | | | living beings andsupports the cosmos (18.61). He is |
| 'Salty' | | | | the supreme unity of Sankara's philosophy (7.4-7; |
| 'take a sip from that corner -how does it taste?' | | | | 11.10-32) that transcends the illusion of opposites |
| 'Salty' | | | | (7.28). He is also the personal God of Ramanuja (11.3) |
| 'Throw it out and come back later.' He did as told and | | | | who waits at the end of the path of devotion with |
| found the salt was always there. | | | | open arms and a loving smile (7.21; 11.54). Krishna tells |
| The father Told him: 'You of course, did not see it | | | | us, concerning samsara, that it is a misconception |
| there, son; yet is always was right there.' | | | | (2.17-22,30), if only we would withdraw our senses, |
| 'The finest essence here - that constitutes the self | | | | and detach ourselves from wrong desires (2.55-58), |
| of this whole world; that is the truth; that is the self | | | | and make him our true desire (7.11), through yoga |
| (Atman), andthat's how you are Svetaketu.' | | | | (2.47-72), then we would achieve release (2.51) 'from |
| 'Chandogya Upanishad' (2) | | | | the dubious and vulnerable character of human |
| Here, the unified commonality of divine essence is | | | | existence.'(9). |
| explained, by way of a practical demonstration, given | | | | When the wise rests his mind in contemplationon our |
| by a father to his son. The salt, when dissolved in | | | | God beyond time, who invisibly dwellsin the mystery |
| the water, is both immanent and transcendent | | | | of things and in the heart ofman, then he rises above |
| simultaneously. The father explains that it is like the | | | | pleasures and sorrow. 'Katha Upanishad' (10) |
| 'Self of the whole world', the universal Atman, | | | | When the senses are brought under control, the mind |
| otherwise known as Brahman. As the salt is present | | | | is at rest, and the inner light has dawn, then the |
| in every drop of water, similarly, so is the Atman | | | | individual is filled with the warmth of that inner flame |
| omnipresent in reality. And as the father points out | | | | and finds contentment. The unbend-ed joy of life is |
| to his son; 'That's how you are' (TAT TVAM ASI) | | | | untouched by momentary delights and the blackest |
| too. And so, the universal Atman, or Brahman, is said | | | | heartaches (bhagavad-gita 2.15). not unlike St. Paul, |
| to be 'at one' with the Atman, or self, within. | | | | the individual who has calmed his inner ocean and |
| Moksha can be said to be realization of this inner | | | | crossed over to the other side into 'the mystery of |
| Atman, or self, while still alive in this present body. | | | | things' has learned the secret of being content in any |
| This is known as'Jivanmukti, the living freedom'(3). | | | | and every situation' (Philippians 4:12). And having |
| According to the theists perspective it is achieving | | | | found his inner Atman he is ready to cross the |
| 'unity' or 'conscious conformity with God' (4). | | | | cosmic ocean to 'Our God beyond time', never to |
| According to the monist's perspective it is realizing ' | | | | return. |
| that is how you are' (TAT TVAM ASI) all along, and | | | | (1) Mascaro, Juan (trans), 1965 'The Upanishads', p.113 |
| recognizes no distinction what so ever. Yet, to the | | | | (Penguin classics) |
| unenlightened, the Atman, like the salt in the water | | | | (2) Beckerlegge, Gwilym (ed), 2001 'The World |
| remains invisible. and when the son 'groped for it' he | | | | Religions Reader. 2nd edition', p.252 (Routledge) |
| 'could not find it'. As the Isa Upanishad explains; 'The | | | | (3) Swami Vivekananda, Beckerlegge, Gwilym (ed), |
| senses do not reach it, for it is always one step | | | | 2001 'The World Religions Reader. 2nd edition', p.297 |
| ahead' (5). So it would appear that the Atman is | | | | (Routledge) |
| beyond the senses, which presents the seeker with | | | | (4) Swaman, K., Beckerlegge, Gwilym (ed), 2001 'The |
| a further obstacle to be overcome. In order to | | | | World Religions Reader. 2nd edition', p.293 (Routledge) |
| penetrate the inner Atman the constant barrage of | | | | (5) 'Hinduism. Units 7-10' 2000 (Open university) |
| sensory input needs to be bypassed. We are told in | | | | (6) Mascaro, Juan (trans), 1965 'The Upanishads', |
| the Upanishads that the Atman, or self, is like the | | | | p.60-61 (Penguin classics) |
| driver of a chariot; the body is like the chariot | | | | (7) Beckerlegge, Gwilym (ed), 2001 'The World |
| itself;the mind like the reins of the chariot; while the | | | | Religions Reader. 2nd edition', p.298 (Routledge) |
| senses are like the horses that pull the chariot. The | | | | (8) Egerton 'trans', Beckerlegge, Gwilym (ed), 2001 |
| upanishad continues; | | | | 'The World Religions Reader. 2nd edition', p.269 |
| He who has not right understanding and whose mind | | | | (Routledge) |
| is never steady is not the ruler of his life, like a bad | | | | (9) Sivaraman, K., Beckerlegge, Gwilym (ed), 2001 |
| driver with wild horses. | | | | 'The World Religions Reader. 2nd edition', p.291 |
| But he who has right understanding and whose mind | | | | (Routledge) |
| is ever steady is the ruler of his life, like a good | | | | (10) Mascaro, Juan (trans), 1965 'The Upanishads', p. |
| driver with well trained horses. | | | | |