Transcending the elemental body Through austerity and grace
The following is an excerpt from S. Radhakrishan’s translation of the Maitri Upanishad, chapter 4, verses 1-6, edited for length and clarity
A group of Valikhilyas, ascetics renowned for their rigorous practice of chastity and discipline, approached Prajapati Kratu, their teacher and said to him: “Revered teacher, salutations to you. Please instruct us further. You are our guide and way to liberation, and there is no other. We seek to know: What is the method or rule by which this embodied soul (jivatman), after leaving this elemental body, obtains union with the true self (Paramatman)?” Hearing this, Prajapati Kratu replied. 1
“This has been explained elsewhere. Consider this: Like waves in a mighty river, the actions and experiences of the past cannot be undone. Like the tide of the ocean, the arrival of death is unstoppable and inevitable. The embodied soul is bound, much like a lame man, caught in fetters forged by the fruits of good and evil actions. It is like a prisoner, lacking freedom and independence. Caught in the realm of death, it is beset by many fears. It is as though it were intoxicated by the liquor of delusion, rushing about aimlessly. Like one possessed by an evil spirit, it is lost in confusion. It is as though bitten by a great serpent—the objects of sense, such as sound, touch and sight, which poison the mind. This condition is likened to being in gross darkness—that of passion and ignorance. It is like witnessing a juggler’s tricks, filled with illusion, or living in a dream of false appearances. Like the hollow and insubstantial inside of a banana tree, these worldly objects are devoid of true substance. The embodied soul is like an actor, endlessly changing its dress, giving the illusion of reality to its audience. Thus, it has been said: ‘The objects of sound, touch and the like are worthless to a man striving for liberation.’ When the embodied soul attaches itself to these, it forgets its highest state and its true nature.” 2
“There is, however, an antidote for the suffering of the embodied soul: the acquirement of the knowledge of the Vedas and the diligent performance of one’s own duties. Each individual must pursue the duties of the stage of life (ashrama) to which they belong—this is the path prescribed for one’s dharma. The other pursuits are like branches diverging from the central stem of a tree. By following one’s proper duties, one ascends toward liberation; by neglecting them, one descends into lower states. The duties set forth in the Vedas are one’s true guide. To transgress these duties is to stray from the path of liberation. If someone claims that a man practicing austerity belongs to no stage of life, this is incorrect. However, if one does not practice austerity, there is no success in the knowledge of the Self, nor in the perfection of one’s actions. For, as it has been said: ‘By austerity, goodness is obtained; from goodness, understanding arises; from understanding, the Self is realized. He who realizes the Self does not return to the cycle of birth and death.’” 3
“One who attained the knowledge of Brahman has said, ‘Brahman is.’ Another, purified through austerity, has declared, ‘This is the door to Brahman.’ Yet another, deeply absorbed in meditation, has stated, ‘Om is the manifest greatness of Brahman.’ Thus, Brahman is apprehended through the triad of knowledge, austerity and meditation. One who practices this triad surpasses Brahma (Hiranyagarbha, the cosmic creator) and reaches the supreme Divinity that is beyond the Gods. Such a person, who knows and worships Brahman with these three practices, attains happiness that is undecaying, immeasurable and free from sickness. Freed from all that previously bound and afflicted him, the charioteer of the body attains complete union with the true Self.” 4
The Valikhilyas then asked: “Revered One, you are our teacher. Your teachings have been firmly fixed in our minds. Now we have another question: Fire, air, sun, time, breath, food, Brahma, Rudra, Vishnu—some meditate upon one, and others upon another. Which one of these should we meditate upon as the best?” To this, Prajapati Kratu replied. 5
“All these are but chief forms of the Supreme, the immortal, the bodiless Brahman. Each of us, devoted to one of these forms, rejoices in that aspect in their respective world. For it has been said: ‘This entire universe is Brahman.’ The various forms—fire, air, sun, and so on—are its chief manifestations. One meditates upon them, worships them, and ultimately transcends them. Through this practice, one ascends higher and higher in the worlds. And when all things dissolve in the universal dissolution, the meditator attains unity with the supreme Purusha, the Eternal Self.” 6