Beyond the Known and the Unknown- The Wisdom of the Kena Upanishad | Swami Sarvapriyananda

#spirituality #sarvapriyananda #swamivivekananda
Swami Sarvapriyananda is a renowned monk of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission. After passing out with a degree in Business Management from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, he joined the Ramakrishna Order in 1994. He has been serving the Ramakrishna Math and Mission for over 20 years now in various capacities including Vice Principal of the Deoghar Vidyapith Higher Secondary School, Principal of the Sikshana Mandira Teachers' Training College at Belur Math, and the first Registrar of the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University at Belur Math. At present, he is an Acharya at the monastic probationer’s training centre at Belur Math. Recently, he has been ordained Assistant Minister, Vivekananda Society of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
Swamiji has been a speaker at TEDx, IIM Ranchi. Besides premier Indian institutes like the IITs and IISc, he has also delivered lectures on Vedanta extensively across the USA and Australia-New Zealand including noted universities such as the University of Queensland, University of Sydney, University of Adelaide, Victoria University, and University of North Texas etc. His interests lie in the fields of Indian and Western Philosophy, Spirituality, Psychology, Management Sciences and Education.
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[@ashutoshkachare2534]

Kenopanishd is the answer to hard problem of consciousness that world seek for.We should proud this heritage.And we should try to live the philosophy to realize.

[@marioalogonzalez4518]

I've existed 67 years in this lifetime waiting for this moment of clarity...Thank you Swami.!

[@amanitamuscaria7500]

Just one year less than you, Mario. Long wait, but worth it

[@yourdadisretard]

I recommend you to read but if u ‘WANT’ to, go upanishad ‘MUKHYA’ upanishad which are 10, available for free Upanishad are Solace of my life & death -Arthur Schopenhauer

[@growlimitless2195]

I got the buzz when I was 22

[@dathathreyakn1197]

Very easy to understand

[@kidskidney8027]

Congratulations

[@peterikarlstad]

I'm glad to have stumbled upon Swami Sarvapriyananda's talks. He lays it out in such a clear and concise way that even I who know almost nothing about vedanta and indian philosophy get it. Thank you, Swami!

[@successwithsadhguru4327]

He is the best brain living in this planet who can explain so clearly about Vedant. ❤️🙏

[@common_man_2023]

He is the Living Swami Vivekananda for Me .. Pranam Maharaj 🙏

[@dileepkunche]

Swamiji's passion for teaching is uncomparable.

[@rudracharanmahapatra4375]

No

[@uddeshyamishra4069]

@@rudracharanmahapatra4375 0 day

[@augustinka4046]

@@rudracharanmahapatra4375 w

[@mokshajetley9244]

Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna

[@footballian1384]

Sarvapriyananda ji smile like god see me

[@lankeshsarkerganguly5831]

My one of the most respectful swami sarvapriyananda who clearly speaks Vedanta philosophy for everybody.

[@Superfuse7697]

Well said, my friend ;-)

[@jayasreeavm4660]

அற்புதமான விளக்க உரை.நனறி மகராஜ்

[@risingsun9064]

I am just amazed my ancestors were discussing such deep philosophy thousands of years ago. Haven't seen another philosophy contemporary or otherwise which is so comprehensive and far reaching.

[@nishieseechoonparsad]

Im always thinking of recent times. These people were light years ahead of us in awareness, intellect; and I'm I'm beginning to accept that they were even more technologically advanced (depending on how you define technological success)

[@daosnet]

In course of my practices, I went through a period of deep suffering, after becoming aware of the contents of my mind (the contrast between the good, the bad and the ugly). I struggled to come to terms with how my mind could have, along with the most sublime and pure thoughts, also ugliness and crassness. After a few years of constant pain of this sort, where I was unable to even speak to people properly, realization finally dawned - I am not my mind, I am not my body. I wish I had found then, this lecture, or a teacher like Swamiji who could elucidate this subject so beautifully. I hope people who are on this path take the time to really view this and other lectures by Swamiji. It is the Brahman itself, revealing itself through these lectures. Deep Gratitude and love. Hari Om Tat Sat

[@S_alva]

Can any devotees of the Ashram please compile all the talks of Swami Sarvapriyanandaji and publish it in volumes of books? The published articles must contain his talks exactly as he talks, with the quotations he uses, the jokes and the stories he narrates. It would help hundreds of people.

[@amanitamuscaria7500]

Thpusands.....more

[@kpellas]

4 years later, but maybe some will find this helpful: www.vedantahub.org/swami-sarvapriyananda/

[@awadheshsingh452]

Yes💥 public in to audiobooks many people get profit any can listen in bus train plain journey✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️

[@swarupdey5063]

💓

[@ART7N23]

100%

[@bhanuchandar9265]

In India, we need many people like you to teach Vedas, Upanishads....the eternal truths....

[@AurelioYuga]

Such people are needed everywhere on this planet!

[@bhanuchandar9265]

+Aurelio Yuga yes agreed, but first that should start from india especially Hindus. ..most of Hindus now a days interested towards modern life rather spiritual....they forgot the true wisdom of their ancestors due to British and muslims rule for centuries...

[@AurelioYuga]

Bhanu Chandar I see your point. It is sad that the rich and beautiful Hindu tradition has to 'compete' with 'Western' materialism and Western lifestyle nowadays. I wouldn't call it 'Muslim' rule. I would call it 'so-called' Muslim rule. Because they were/are not real Muslims. They were interested in power, money, etc. A real Muslim is someone who has surrendered his will to Allah/God and lives a peaceful, joyful, loving life. A true Muslim is as fantastic as a true Hindu or a true Christian. The problem is that far too many people in each religion don't care about God or their prophet, but they only care about their ego, their social approval, their fears, their greed,... So to me these people are not 'Muslim' or 'Hindu' or 'Christian', they are just people who are on a big ego trip without understanding what religion is really about.

[@bhanuchandar9265]

+Aurelio Yuga seems you are in fantasy brother.you just mentioned the meaning of Muslim but in reality who is true muslim as per quran? throuh whom quran is revealed? Muhammed 1. who strictly oppose idol worship without knowing concept of idol worship. 2. no tolerance with other religions (there is no God except Allah and muhammad is final messanger (himself revealed) 3. physical relationship with child bride ayesha(when muhammad met ayesha first time, she was playing with swing and dolls and his age is >50) 4. again, physical relationship with adopted sons wife and married her 5. muslim can marry upto 4 wifes, himself married I think 9 6. concept of paradise and hell aproach start with blind faith and die with blind faith, no self realisation 7. animals are created for human being not like they are part and parcel of god. there are lot more. how can his followers can tolerate with others interms of spiritual life by following prophet. I request you to research deeply into it if you already know correct me if I am wrong.

[@AurelioYuga]

Bhanu Chandar Hello Bhanu. People just don't get what the true message of holy books is. Christians don't get the deeper meaning of the bible, Muslims don't get the deeper meaning of the Quran, Hindus don't get the deeper meaning of the Bhagavad Gita,... In my opinion every holy book shows you or give hints to union with God. The problem is that people don't understand what is written. They just take it literally or historically. Instead they should take it metaphorically, symbolically, etc . Much of what is written in the Holy Books is meant for the inner world. Analogies, symbols, metaphors help you describe the inner world, because the inner world and deep spiritual experiences are hard to describe. I am not a Muslim and I see the stupidity of 'so-called' Muslims as you also do. However the problem is not the Quran or Prophet Muhammad, it is the ignorance of so-called Muslims!!! If you want to understand any Holy Book you've to get advice from spiritual masters; from those who understood the deeper meanings of the Holy Books. You have to meditate and work on yourself. If you want to understand the Bible, learn from Christian Mystics and Saints (Meister Eckhart, Saint Francis of Assisi, Padre Pio, etc.). If you want to understand the Bhagavad Gita, learn from great Yogis (e.g. Paramahansa Yogananda and countless others). If you want to understand the Quran, learn from Sufi Masters (e.g. MR Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, Idries Shah,etc). So Bhanu, I can see your points. However if I might recommend you something, then read some books written by Sufi Masters and meditate on them. You will then see that every religion is the same, every religion points you to God. Every religion! Islam, too!

[@RamyaKrishnamurthyRK]

Agree. 'Hand in front of the projector' example was genius! Swamiji is a blessing.

[@mundataiteensozozo1011]

binod

[@1210CM]

Swami Sarvapryananda is a brilliant teacher and it is always such a pleasure listening to him. I wonder, however, why he did not emphasize on the apparent difference between human consciousness and pure consciousness. The latter, being the ultimate nature of everything there is, associating itself with the human form allows the human being to go through a human life experience out of which human consciousness gradually arises. This human consciousness being based on human experience is naturally limited and it always remains linked in some way to the experience itself. Pure consciousness on the other hand, being the basis of everything there is, cannot be limited in any way and cannot be linked to any particular human experience either. Human consciousness as a worldly experience is therefore temporary and impermanent and must under no circumstances be confounded with pure consciousness. One is the sunlight reflected by the moon and the other is the sunlight itself.

[@yeswekey]

I am skeptical about him. I consider Jaggi as a motivational speaker

[@AurelioYuga]

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is one of the greatest human beings of all time, maybe the greatest of all time! I'm sure in a couple of centuries he will have the status of a Buddha or a Jesus. To me Sadhguru is Greatness Itself.

[@bhanuchandar9265]

+Aurelio Yuga sadguru jaggi vasudev is a yogic master...he doesn't have idea about vedas, geeta etc...he has some different interpretation about spiritual life...I have seen plenty of his videos....some times he speak false based on his experience....but advaita is a ultimate philosophy that swamy is speaking in this video....

[@amarnath-cl1gy]

sri. Jaggi Vasudev, no doubt, guides people to understand the vedic principles ,in a simple way. gives answers to some of our day to day problems; He is a guru. But, pl. don't give the status of Buddha.Pl. try to study Bhagavat Geeta from an Acharya. Then, you will get sufficient knowledge of the meaning of your existance in this birth;

[@1210CM]

I was referring to Swami Sarvapriyanada and not Jaggi Vasudev who does not convince me at all. But tell me, Amarnath, what do you think is the greatest crime anyone walking on the spiritual path can commit?

[@arunabhattacharya4698]

This is a most enlightening talk I love listening to your talks so full of clarity on the ultimate truth . Thank you and bless you Swamiji. Wish the sound system was better, it sounds a bit muffled...

[@dharmapalsharma2679]

With such vibrant wisdom enunciated by all the Religions- the Upnishadic & Vedic philosophy included; how the Mortals rush to funny ways by choosing to embrace senseless Death..? The stark question stares us all in the face !

[@rautdnyaneshwar129]

सहत्र प्रणाम स्वामीजी, Superb explanation Thank you very much!

[@kavitasharma7256]

Ever grateful for this talk. Indebted to Swamiji for bringing about such clarity on the subject with beautiful examples and explanations.

[@shubhamshubh2613]

sir,,!!u make me absolute understandable, enlightened and intelligently conscious....!! i wish i always listen u once in a day.....and i will meet u once in life ,sir!!!

[@SelfDevelopmentPublic]

Thank you very much IIT Madras // We are thoroughly using some of your videos in our online sessions // Swami Vivekananda Ancestral House Youth Talk // #youthtalkswamiji

[@viswamputhucode94]

Guru:Saranam 🌹🙏

[@namelbourne]

THIS TALK WAS TRANSFORMING IF HEARD AT A CONCEPTUAL LEVEL. EXPERIENCE THIS TALK AND THE ONE WHO IS EXPERIENCING IT.

[@ravidadlani1]

Amazing! Thank you Swamiji! 🙏

[@sbhattacher]

Feeling blessed. Pranam Swamiji.

[@ryanramkissoon1630]

Well said. So simple. Im following the verses

[@awb350]

Excellent! Thank you.

[@madan73]

Jai Ho....Amazing and inspirational...

[@raysantanu04]

It is always a pleasure to hear Swami Sarvapriyanand ji. His erudition and mastery over his expression is marvellous.

[@sivaprasad4858]

Thank you very much Vivekananda Study circle. And my pranams to Swamiji for enlightening on self..

[@mountfitness5875]

Thank you so much swamiji for shining my life with those precious knowledge …🕉🙏

[@Brigsarkar]

What a joyful experience !!

[@mahendramusic1]

Feel so blessed to have opportunity to listen to videos of Swami Sarvapriyanandji .

[@subhaschandra2269]

Pranam to swami for his lucid explanation

[@swapneelchitale1990]

Swami Sarvapriyananda is just so through in his explanations. I am very grateful !!

[@Pyqsscexams]

I feel blessed to hear him and to be able to read upnishds.

[@prospero6337]

Really just a great cohesive compilation of some of his best particulars. :>

[@lalitabhowmick8951]

Thank you swami , blessed are we to learn from your teaching .

[@shineinner769]

What a speaker he is beyond excellence

[@dinadayalan9037]

Love your talks Swami Sarvapriyanandaji

[@krishnamoorthiify]

Thanks a lot Swamiji for this treasure of knowledge

[@seenivasagamkalaiselvam1810]

Great - I was able to build up my knowledge. Thanks to the people for having this in the youtube

[@thirumoorthyg1]

Vedantic method is supported by yogic method. Atma vichaaram can be done once we calm down our mind by yogic method. Beautiful 👌👌

[@bimalakantanayak8927]

Dandabat Swami Sarvapriyananda

[@cpadman1943]

Excellent presentation of Kena Upanishad and explanation of human consciousness. Human consciousness is a subjective experience, cannot be studied even with functional MRI and other modalities available in Neuroscience.

[@shabnamsunil9917]

Swamiji pranam🙏 with correct example he explains so beautifully 🌷🌹

[@SubhodeepMukhopadhyay]

Very intuitive explanation. Liked it very much. One either appreciates Advaita instantly like a bulb exploding in the mind or never does - there are no two ways about it.

[@shreyasashok2855]

Wonderful.....!!!

[@dipakkshirsagar492]

Tqq Guruji

[@RH-vl9hx]

What brilliance !

[@nicholasalvares5954]

Thanks SWAMIJI. Your discourses are so clear dispersing all darkness. Thanks for knowledge which is much needed in this hour of communalism. Hope many hear you and have a change of heart through knowledge. God bless you.

[@raghavansrinivasan7363]

We are blessed to have Swami Sarvapriyanandaji amongst us.

[@SAINAMMU]

Excellent and highly useful....

[@Vision_Of_Realities]

Jai Sri Ramakrishna 🙏🌺

[@SakthiSundaram123]

Very intuitive experience and insightful lecture

[@Rituabhijit]

What a great teacher he is and teaches in such a simple way so we’ve the best understanding. My question will be , if consciousness is enabling the eye to see,ear to hear & so on then how about a person who’s having eye but can’t see or have mouth and voice but can’t talk etc...what happened to that person‘ s conscious so that they’re different than us. Karma comes in picture here but spiritually how will we understand and define this?

[@beingself5333]

We all are spiritual beings having human experience. Whether body functions or not Or whether body is alive or dead, whether mind functions properly or not, conciousness(atman) remains unaffected, unchanged.

[@sonalgadhavi8488]

Very Very thankful for great knowledge swami ji 🙏🏻

[@tapasyasyal637]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@subhaschandra2269]

Extraordinary version

[@amarashreesoppimath5276]

Pranam maharaji

[@shashwat2012]

superb..... at par

[@muralikrishna-sn7sc]

Shines upon the mind and through the mind ❤

[@sudippatra1289]

we are always blessed by such talks, one thing I always feel is that why in Kena Upanishad such language is used? why not directly spell the word Brahman? it seems to me that the reason is more deep..its not possible to describe Brahman in words..its some thing related to modern philosophy too, like when Wittgenstien observes that limit of ones world is also limit of ones language..however even then Kena seems to make even a step forward..realising something which language fails to describe...

[@nikhil141088]

+sudip patra you are bang on... Atman (or Brahman) is incomprehensible through language... It has no form, no qualities and no attributes... what will you say about such a thing using language ? As Swami jee explained, its the very act of experiencing, the light on the hand which can only be felt but not searched...

[@satishdatt3442]

+Nikhil Vidhani If we can start seeing our self rather than the objects in front of us than we can realize our self as consciousness whether we are thinking or not thinking, whether we are doing something or not doing anything... the EHSAAS of my presence is the realization of the consciousness.... we should not struck on the words we should see the meaning of the word or the feeling. I need to ask my self in regular intervals whether i was lost in my thoughts or I was aware of the thoughts. i know i can go on and on but still the words can not express the essence of the feeling.... Sirf ehsaas hai ye ruh se mehsoos karo :-)

[@aolpittsburgh]

What a talk. Unparalleled. 🙏🙏🙏 Gratitude.

[@Kadam1610]

Good speech.

[@gireeshneroth7127]

If we end up what we really are then pure consciousness in its infinite natural Self will be all that remains.

[@MindHealingBody]

very nice

[@AnaRodriguez-ry8ix]

🥰💙🌊🕯 🙏

[@sambhajipatil3370]

Please can these videoes dubs in hindi so many people are getting benefits of this auspicious knowledge anybody can doing this we are grateful for this kindness actin in favour of us

[@krishnakona5404]

Eye opening speech

[@vadalilotus9958]

Grateful 🙏

[@binagupta9923]

U r outstanding 🙏🙏

[@BebeSoule]

Thank You! Great Teacher!

[@jitanandaswami9982]

Always grateful for his lessons

[@parvathimeppad8217]

pranams gurudev

[@anish4555]

the heart knows!

[@avijittripathi9096]

He's doing a lot for the humanity

[@jodo6329]

Such wonderful ideas, it's a shame the microphone couldn't be of a higher quality.

[@Windhorse_Mcghee]

1:16:49 one way , vedantic way is vechara understanding to see ourselves apart from the mind separation and that itself helps us to control the mind , the method of vechara ,separating ourselves from the mind and body , then theres the second method the yogic method of concentration and focusing our cognitive capacity on one object and everything else drops out of the field of awareness

[@pramilalall5119]

🙏👌💕

[@anthonythomas319]

You are the generator, that generates. You are that which continually provides , " invisible will" the power that generates the sun continually but can not see or know

[@prasadsunnakal3066]

Very scientific approach to understand mind body duality. Thank you Sir .

[@rockyrai7314]

I feel that awami ji carrying Great Vivekananda's SOUL. Swami ji will has blessed to transform millions of Human souls with his Enlighten Powers and Knowledge of Known and Unknown. What would we do without you. May God bless us all with Enlightenment during our this lifespan.

[@sumandey.1685]

Thanks

[@VSCIITMadras]

Welcome

[@jigyanshushrivastava6153]

Wow

[@helmut5230]

In such an important issue by the best Teacher of all and then allowing this awful sound. It screwed up the whole Session. Do you Guys never check the Audio Output ?

[@SwamiTadyuktananda]

Om

[@mikezubia8161]

🙏

[@Arish-2023]

what I understand is the Consciousness alone exist and the world we see around us is a illusion created by Consciousness.

[@parthadascal]

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@markriva4259]

Remarkable talk. Too bad the mic was a bit hot, creating distortion on the recording. However, at low volume this is well-worth it!

[@inspirationmotivation1501]

thanks

[@VSCIITMadras]

Welcome

[@Aatish_A_P]

Respected Sir If You Could Kindly Clearly Mention In The Description Column Where Pujya Swami Sarvapriyanand Saraswati Ji Has Conducted Such A Great Lecture On Super Power Or Aatman. Which is So Informative And Useful For Liberation Or Moksh. If Could Kindly Mention The Exact Place. Whether it is At A College Of Young Students. So That I May Know That Young Students Are Taking So Much Interest In Such An Important And Difficult Topic Like Vedanta. Pranam. Thanks.

[@VSCIITMadras]

Noted

[@RadheyRadhey108]

हरे कृशणा 🌷हरे कृशणा 🌷कृशणा कृशणा 🌷हरे हरे 🌷🌱हरे राम 🌷हरे राम 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼राम राम हरे हरे 🌷🌱🌷🌱🌷🌱 ॐ नम: शिवाया 🌸☘️🌸☘️🌸🍀

[@saraswathi3787]

Vedas are the best knowledge

[@jampuppy]

Fantastic! Next time maybe you could move the mic further away to cut down on distortion. Thanks for uploading!

[@abstubeindia6979]

It's due to subjective experiences different people are unique. Same piece of cloth is not beautiful for different people.Each individual person's likes is different

[@syntaxapp4977]

A quick summary of the lecture, with all respect to Swamiji. All errors and omissions are mine alone: The core lecture starts around 5:00 Vedanta is the knowledge that we get from the Upanishads. And what do these Upanishads tell us? They tell us that we are fundamentally mistaken by who we think we are. We think we are this body and mind, but the Vedantas tell us that we are something else entirely. The Vedantas also promise us that once we realise the fundamental truth about ourselves, we will transcend misery and suffering and attain ever-lasting bliss and joy. The Kena Upanishad is among the smaller Upanishads, but is considered core Vedanta. Anyone who is familiar with the Vedantas knows that we are not mortal beings of the body and mind, but rather that we are Pure Consciousness itself. That is enshrined in these lines sung by Adi Sankaracharya: brahma satyam jaganmithya jivo brahmaiva naparah anena vedyam sacchastram iti vedanta dindimah Which is: Brahman is real, the universe is an appearance. The jiva is Brahman itself and not different. The Kena Upanishad is very special in the sense that it uses paradoxical, mystifying language. It is set in the form of a dialogue between a student and his teacher. Here’s the first verse: om kenesitam patati presitam manah kena pranah prathamah praiti yuktah kenesitam vacamimam vadanti caksuh srotram ka u devo yunakti Impelled by what does my mind think about whatever it does? Instigated by what does my breath move? Impelled by what do I speak? What is it within me that gives me the experience of sight and hearing? What makes our gamut of experiences, thoughts, feelings, memories possible? I won’t keep you waiting in suspense - the answer, of course, is Consciousness. But if you investigate deeper, neither the question nor the answer is as simple as it seems to be. What is referred to here is not the process of speaking or seeing; rather, what is being referred to is the conscious experience of speaking or hearing. When you see a flower, for instance, much of that can be seen by external observers by looking at what goes on inside your brain by observing the neurons being fired etc. But beyond that there is a first-person, subjective experience of what you see, something that is quite personal. There is, in fact, a term for it: qualia. That is the hard problem of consciousness. Now there are easy problems of consciousness and hard problems. The easy problems are those experiences of touch, feel and experience that can be mapped in the brain and be observed by external observers. Then there is the first-person, subjective experience that can’t be observed externally, which represents the hard problem of consciousness. When you are hungry, for instance, scientists can study the secretion of enzymes inside you, map the firings of neurons in your brain and conclude that you are hungry. Now you can see there are two sides to this: one is an objective side that the scientist can observe and the other a subjective side that is available only to the individual who experiences it. There is no other entity in this universe that has this dual experience. The table in front of me has no experience of itself; there is no such thing as what it is like to be a table. But in a conscious experience, there are things observable externally, and there is the aspect of what it feels like to experience it from within. The student in the Upanishad isn’t asking about the process of hearing or seeing, but is asking about the subjective experience, or qualia. So there is a dual nature of consciousness. Now the teacher responds in paradoxical language as well: srotrasya srotram manaso mano yadvaco ha vacaṃ sa u pranasya pranascaksusaacaksuh atimucya dhirah pretyasmallokadamrta bhavanti Which, translated: “The ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the tongue of the tongue. Knowing this entity, the wise person transcends the limitations of human life and becomes immortal.” Let’s dig deeper into the teacher’s response. If you read any textbook on Advaita Vedanta, it tells us that we are not this body, we are not this mind, but there is something apart from that called Consciousness or Atman, which we really are. The problem with this approach is that people tend to go looking in search of another object called Consciousness, which is a mistake. Let me tell you a little story: 10 friends from a village crossed over a river and upon reaching the other side of the bank, they counted to make sure they had all crossed over. So when each counted, they found only nine. Soon a wise man passed by and saw the hullaballoo. He quickly realised what the problem was and pointed to the man who was doing the counting as the tenth person. The story illustrates the search for the elusive Atman: it can’t be found by looking for a separate person inside you; it is you. That which is looking is that Consciousness. The famous Nirvana shatakam composed by Adi Shankaracharya goes, “Mano buddhi ahankara chittani naaham.” It says, I am not the mano (mind), buddhi (intellect), ahankara (the feeling of “I” or the ego) chittani (memory). So the verse says “I am not the I”. That which is aware of the I, that which illumines the I is the real you. So by the ear of the ear, the eye of the eye, the teacher is alluding to something apart from the ear and eye that enable either instrument to do what it does, something that is completely independent of the instruments, that’s what you really are - which is the Consciousness. That which illumines this body and mind and is apart from both doesn’t have any of the problems experienced by either. Let me give you an example here. At night, we think the world is illumined by the Moon, when in reality it is merely reflecting the Sun’s light. In the same way, the earth (our body) feels like it is getting its consciousness from the mind, when in reality it is getting it from the Pure Consciouness within us. And just like the Sun can’t be seen at night, Pure Consciousness can’t be perceived in ignorance (or darkness). na tatra caksurgacchati na vaggacchati no mano na vidmo na vijanimo yathaitadanusisyadanyadeva tadviditadatho aviditadadhi iti susruma purvesam ye nastadvyacacaksire Translated, the teacher says, “Since you can’t see it or hear it, we therefore don’t know it and therefore it can’t be taught. That which you are asking about, the True Self or the Atman, is not among what you know and neither is it unknown. That which is not known yet known is you.” Now the teacher asks the student a question: yadi manyase suvedeti daharamevapi nunam tvam vettha brahmano rupam yadasya tvam yadasya devesvatha nu mimamsyemeva te manye viditam Do you know this Atman? To which the student replies, yadi manyase suvedeti daharamevapi nunam tvaṃ vettha brahmano rupam yadasya tvam yadasya devesvatha nu mimamsyemeva te manye viditam “I do not think, ‘I know well,’. Nor that I do not know; I know too. Who among us comprehends It both as the Not Unknown and as the Known - he comprehends It. So the teacher responds: yasyamatam tasya matam matam yasya na veda sah avijnatam vijanatam vijnatamavijanatam The one who knows it does not know it, and the one who doesn’t know it knows it. It is known very well to those who know that it can’t be known as an object. The one who knows that it is the “seer”, but not the seen, the one who knows it can hear, but can’t be heard, he knows. There are two approaches to spiritual life: you can have a devotional approach directed towards the source of this universe or you can have an approach that is turned inward to know oneself better; both are equally valid searches; both have their advantages and disadvantages: the disadvantage of the seeking-the-God approach is that presupposes faith; and the advantage of the self-seeking approach is that nobody doubts their own existence since our own existence is self-evident. Here is where Vedanta steps in with its unique approach: it brings the two together. When Advaita Vedanta says, “Tat tvam asi” - That Pure Consciousness thou art, which means, now you can’t doubt its existence since it’s you; yet this form transcends the limitations of the human body, so your existence is revealed as the Infinite Existence. pratibodhaviditam matamamrtatvam hi vindate atmana vindate viryam vidyaya vindate mrtam This phrase “pratibodhaviditam matam” is one of the most remarkable in the entire Vedantic literature. Every experience reveals to us that we are Pure Consciousness. Whenever we have a conscious experience, our attention normally goes to the object of that experience. When you see a piece of cloth, you see the cloth of course, but it’s also an experience of consciousness. What the Vedantas say is, instead of focusing on the object, focus your efforts on the consciousness itself. What that phrase means is: when you learn to recognise yourself as Pure Consciousness in every experience, whatever thought comes to mind is being revealed by Consciouness, I am that Consciousness - that is what we are, that is the goal. Question from the audience: What happens to Consciousness at Death then? Why can’t we see it then? Because when the person dies, his subtle body comprising his prana, thoughts and intellect leave the physical body. In other words, going back to our example, the Sun still illumines, but there is no Moon, so to speak, to reflect the Sun light and therefore you feel the absence of Consciousness.

[@victorhyman268]

Great thanks

[@healthfitnessbysuman6602]

Thank You so much for such a good explanation 😇

[@garypuckettmuse]

Where can I find him lecturing to a more experienced group? I look here and there and he's always giving basically the same (very well done indeed) introductory lecture couched in various thematic titles but directed to general audiences. I'd like to hear him address a room full of real scholars or monks. Anything like that around?