EXCERPTS FROM THE UPANISHADS
The Māndūkya Upanishad (PDF)
“O Lord!
From the unreal lead me to the real!
From darkness lead me to light!
From death lead me to immortality!”
“That soul is this, not that.
It is incomprehensible, for it is not comprehended.
It is indestructible, for it is never destroyed.
It is unattached, for it does not attach itself.
It is unfettered; it does not suffer; it is not injured.”
The doer of good becomes good; the doer of evil becomes evil.
As in ones’ desire, such is one’s resolve;
As is the resolve, such is the action, which one attains for oneself.”
“That which is heart, this mind….that is, consciousness, perception,
discernment, intelligence, wisdom, insight, persistence, thought, thoughtfulness,
impulse, memory, conception, purpose, life, desire, will are all names of intelligence.”
“Whoever sees all beings in the soul
And the souls in all beings
Does not shrink away from this.
n whom all beings have become one with the knowing soul
What delusion or sorrow is there for the one who sees unity?
It is radiant, incorporeal, invulnerable
Without tendons, pure, untouched by evil.
Wise, intelligent, encompassing, self-existent,
It organizes objects throughout eternity”
“Those who practice discipline and faith in the forest,
The peaceful knowers who live on charity,
Depart without attachment through the door of the sun,
To where lives the immortal Spirit, the imperishable soul.
Having tested the worlds won by works,
Let the seeker of God arrive at detachment.
What is not made is not attained by what is done”
“Having bid peace to all creatures and gone to the forest,
Then having put aside objects of sense,
From out of one’s own body one should perceive this,
Who has all forms, the golden one, all knowing,
The final goal, the only light”.
“One can live without the faculty of speech-witness the dumb
One can live deprived of eyesight-witness the blind
One can live without the faculty of hearing-witness the deaf
One can live without the legs-witness the lame
One can survive without the maturity of mind-witness the child
But one cannot live without the breath of life. And without soul
The consciousness of life leaves the body”
“Know that the soul is the rider, the body the chariot,
The intellect the charioteer, and the mind the reins.
The senses, they say, are the horses, the desires are the pathways.
When the soul is attached to a body with the mind and the senses,
The soul is said to be the enjoyer”
“He, the Lord, who dwells in the mind, yet is separate from the mind,
And who makes thinking, possible, is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Lord, who dwells in the understanding, yet is separate from understanding,
And who makes discrimination possible, is the inner ruler, the imperishable.”
“God created the most excellent dharma. There is nothing higher than dharma.
Even a physically weak person can hope to win over a stronger person on the basis of
Dharma (justice established as law of the land).
That which is dharma is truth. Therefore, when a person speaks the truth he declares
Dharma and when a person follows dharma he speaks the truth.
Really both are the same”
“Eyes do not see Him. Speech cannot describe Him. Mind cannot comprehend Him.
Him we do not know; nor is any one able to teach us about Him. He is different from
All that is known to us. This is what has been handed down to us about Him
By our ancestors”.
“God who is invisible, beyond reach, without beginning, without form, without limbs,
Eternal; all pervasive, subtle, indestructible, and the source of all beings, is perceived
By the wise, inside all human beings”.
“I am without hands and feet, yet of inconceivable power. I see without eyes,
I know it all and yet people do not know Me. I am pure wisdom.”
“It needs to be realized that the soul is neither born nor does it die. When the body dies,
The soul does not die. It is ancient, unborn, eternal and permanent.”
“Who it is not possible to describe by speech, but who has made speech possible,
He we know, is God. He alone is the one we worship. None else.
Who it is not possible to comprehend through the use of mind but who has
Endowed us with a mind, He we know is God,
He alone, we worship, none else”
“He who is smaller than the smallest and bigger than the biggest;
who contains the worlds and their dwellers within Him, is glorious.
This eternal is the Supreme Soul, the real truth and the One to be meditated upon,
The One to whom to dedicate our speech and thought”.
BRHADARANYAKA UPANISHAD
He, the Supreme Soul who dwells on the earth but is separate from it, and who controls the world is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Supreme Soul, who dwells in the waters, but is separate from the waters, and who controls the waters is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Supreme Soul, who dwells in the fire, yet is separate from the fire, and who control the fire is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Supreme Soul, who dwells in the sky, yet is separate from the sky, and who controls the sky is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Supreme Soul, who dwells in the air, yet is separate from the air, and who controls the air, is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Supreme Soul, who dwells in the Sun, yet is separate from the Sun, and who controls the Sun, is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Supreme Soul, who dwells in the space, yet is separate from the space, and who controls the space, is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Supreme Soul who dwells in the light, yet is separate from the light, and who controls the light is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Supreme Soul, who dwells in all human beings, who controls all beings, yet whom the beings do not know, is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Supreme Soul, who dwells in the breath, yet is separate from the breath, and who controls the breath, is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Supreme Soul, who dwells in the organ of speech, yet is separate from it, and who makes speech possible, is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Supreme Soul, who dwells in the eye, yet is separate from the eye, and who makes seeing possible, is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Supreme Soul, who dwells in the ear, yet is separate from the ear, and who makes hearing possible, is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Lord, who dwells in the mind, yet is separate from the mind, and who makes thinking possible, is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
He, the Lord, who dwells in the understanding, yet is separate from understanding, and who makes discrimination possible, is the inner ruler, the imperishable.
Just as honey is to a flower, so is the Supreme Soul inside the body of all human beings. Who is this radiant immprtal Being in the soul of humans? He is no other than the radiant, immortal Being, who we call Brahma.
AITAREYA UPANISHAD
O God! May my speech truly reflect my mind.
May I speak what is right.
May I speak the truth.
May my learning not depart me.
God, let there be peace. Let there be peace. Let there be peace.
That which is dharma is truth. Therefore, when a person speaks the truth he declares dharma and when a person follows dharma he speaks the truth. Really both are the same.
God may be realized while we live in this (temporal) body. If we remain ignorant of God we will face destruction. Those who recognize God become immortal and those who do not, suffer pain.
The right course for the aspirant who wants to know God is to practice wisdom (which lied in virtuous conduct). Let him not seek to know Him by argument; for that will merely cause weariness of the mouth.
He who recognizes God attains peace and poise. He becomes self-controlled, patient and calm. He sees God in his own body and in the body of all other persons. Evil does not overcome him; he overcomes evil. Evil does not burn him, he burns all evil. Free from sin, free from blemish, free of doubt, he truly becomes a knower of the Lord.
God is infinite and so is the universe. And yet the infinite universe proceeds from the infinite Lord. when one realizes that infinite universe lies within infinite God, then only the infinity of God remains to be recognozed.
CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD
"God is the essence of everything in this universe. This indeed is the truth. He is the individual soul in human beings. And Svetaketu, your soul is essentially who you are-tat tvam asi-He you are"
ISAVASYA UPANISHAD
In this changing world everything and every being is enveloped by God. Live in this world without attachment. Be happy in what has beein apportioned to you and do not covet what rightly belongs to others.
The Supreme Soul moves and yet does not move. It is near and yet (for the ignorant) it is very far. It is within us all and it is everywhere outside of us.
He who sees all beings in himself and his own self in all beings, harbors no ill-will against any one.
All beings are part of the same Supreme Soul. Understanding this oneness, how can delusion or sorrow afflict a person?
The Supreme Soul is present everywhere. He is radiant, without blemish, without body, and untouched by evil. He is all0intelligence. Existing at his own will and enveloping all, he has established the laws and duties since time immemorial.
When my breath leaves the body and my body is reduced to ashes, the deeds done during my life-time will be remembered by my soul as it goes to the immortal Supreme Soul for dispensation.
O Lord! Knowing, as you do, all my deeds, lead me by the virtuous path, to the enjoyment of th fruit of my deeds-to prosperity. Keep me away from crookedness and sin.
KAIVALYA UPANISHAD
From Me all are born, in Me all exist, and to Me all return. I am the One without another.
I am smaller than the smallest, and larger than the largest. I am all this diverse universe. I am the ancient. I am the Supreme Soul. I am the lord, full of radiance and glory. I am Shiva (All Grace).
I am without hands and feet, yet of inconcievable power. I see without eyes and I hear withouut ears. I know it all and yet people do not know Me. I am pure wisdom.
KATHA UPANISHAD
It needs to be realized that the soul is neither born nor does it die. When the body dies, the soul does not die. It is ancient, unborn, eternal and permanent.
Know that the soul is the rider, and body the chariot, the intellect the charioteer and the mind the reins.
The senses, they say are the horses, the desires are the pathways. When the soul is attached to a body with the mind and the senses, the soul is said to be the enjoyer.
The power of the senses is admittedly great. Yet greater than senses is the heart. Greater than heart is the reasoning power of the intellect. Finally your soul, the God within your heart, is the greatest of all.
Wise persons know that both in the waking state and in the dream state whatever they experience is through the will of the all-pervading God. Knowing this they do not grieve for any reason whatsoever.
Wise Gain Peace by Experiencing the Lord.
He is the eternal among the transient. He is the life in all living beings. He is the One who answers the prayers of us all. He dwells in our hearts. Wise men know this and gain eternal peace as a result; others do not.
Recognise God Through Your Own Soul And Gain Eternal Life.
His form cannot be seen with physical eyes. He dwells in our heart as our soul. Those who see God through their heart, thought and mind, in their own soul, gain eternal life.
KENA UPANISHAD
The Supreme Being is the controller of the physical senses. He is the mind of the mind, ear of the ear, eye of the eye, and breath of the breath. Upon realizing this, the wise become immortal.
Eyes do not see Him. Speech cannot describe Him. Mind cannot comprehend Him. Him we do not know; nor is any one able to teach us about Him. He is different from all that is known to us. This is what has been
handed down to us about Him by our ancestors.
Who it is not possible to describe speech, but who has made speech possible. He, we know, is God. He alone is the One we worship, none else.
Who it is not possible to comprehend through the use of mind but who has endowed us with a mind, He, we know, is God.
Who it is not possible to see with our eyes, but who, has endowed us with eyes to see, He we know, is God. He alone is the One we worship, none else.
Who we cannot hear through our ears, but who has given us the faculty of hearing, He we know, is God. He alone is the one we worship, none else.
Who never breathes, but who has endowed us with the breath of life, He we know, is God. He alone is the one we worship, none else.
Persons of wisdom know that they do not understand God. The ignorant thin they do. It is only the former who have the right understanding about God.
MAITRI UPANISHAD
The individual soul appears as though controlled by the human body, and affected by good and bad deeds. It moves from one incarnation to the next. In truth, the sould is unmanifest, subtle, imperceptible, unaffected, and unattached. He is a non-doer. Even though he appears to be involved in the making of decisions and doing of actions, he really is not.
Thou art Brahma and thou art Vishnu. Thou art Rudra, thou Prjapati, thou art Agni, Varuna, Vayu, Indra, thou the Moon. Thou art the Yama, the earth, and all. Thou art imperishable. In Thee all things exist in many forms. The lord of the universe, glory to Thee! Thou art the soul of all. Thou art the source of joy. Glory to thee, the tranquil, the deeply hidden, the incomprehensible, the immeasurable, the One without the beginning and without end.
A wise person who control his senses and meditates on the Supreme Being, is the one who liberates himself of self-centeredness. Although human beings are breathing spirits they arise from the Supreme Spirit who is non-breathing.
The Supreme Spirit is unthinkable. and yet is the highest Being. The good of a person lies in the cultivation of this Supreme Being who is hidden from senses. By so doing a person would not need support from anyone else.
MUNDAKA UPANISHAD
God is Omnipresent.
The great Lord is everywhere-in front of us, behind us, to the right of us and left of us, underneath, and above us. The entire universe is pervaded by the great Almighty.
The world is like a tree on which two birds are perched-the individual's body and the individual's soul. The body experiences the sweet and bitter fruits, the results of own actions, while the soul is merely an onlooker.
Truth alone triumphs, not untruth. The path the angels treaed is spread out for those whose actions are righteous. Sages are not contaminated with selfish desires and they travel this path to reach the Supreme Truth.
God is great. His form is beyond thought. He is smaller than the smallest. He is farther than the farthest place. Yet, for those who have the eyes of wisdom he is close at hand. He is to be found in the chamber of their own heart.
PRASNA UPANISHAD
The Kingdom of God is achievable by those who keep away from fraud, untruth, and unrighteous actions.
He is the fire; He is the heat; and He is the light giving Sun. He is the rain. He is the wind, and the earth. He is everything visible and invisible; and He is eternal.
SVETASVATARA UPANISHSAD
When dirt is cleaned away a mirror shines brightly. Similarly when ignorance is removed a person recognizes God in his own embodied soul and freed of all sorrow he becomes fulfilled.
Some intellectuals deny God; and instead, ascribe the inherent nature of things, or passage of time as the cause of events. In truth, it is the great God at whose instance the wheel of events turns.
TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD
O God! May I become glorious among men. May I become prasieworthy among men. May I become prosperous. May I enter you O Lord, and you enter unto me. May I wash my sins away. May you become my resting place. May you, O God, be revealed to me clearly.
The Findal commandment by the instructor:
The instructor continued: Consider your mother like a goddess; treat your father like a god; and treat your spiritual tacher and guest with respect. Your actions should be worthy of being spoken about. Adopt those of our attributes which reflect worthy conduct, not others (not our weaknesses).