That sun of absolute reality is perfect and complete. Thus all the emanations from him, like the earth’s sun, are perfectly equipped as a complete whole.
Whatever is projected from that complete whole is also complete in and of itself, like this solar system. Because he is the complete whole, even though an infinite number of finite existence emanate from him, he remains the complete balance. May the stream of my life flow into the river of goodness. May the bonds of my ignorance be loosened that I may be free. Let not the thread of my song be cut while I sing. And let not my work end before it's fulfilled.
Introduction
The oldest holy scriptures of Mother India are the Vedas. They are of greatest importance and are recognized as the Fountain of Inspiration.
The Vedas are four in number: Rig, Sama. Yajur and Atharva.
Each Veda is divided into two parts. The first part is called Karma-kanda, or Work that deals with hymns, rites, ceremonies, rules of conduct, etc.
The second part is called Vidya-kanda, or Knowledge that deals with the Wisdom of God.The second part includes the Upanishads. The word “upanishad” means “sitting devotedly near the living Source.” The word also has the meaning “Secret Teachings.”
The Upanishads are the spiritual scriptures of Kriya Yoga. The oldest was first verbally composed circa 2000 B.C.E. Isha Upanishad is the shortest, yet one of the most important.
Isha Upanishad derives its name from the first Sanskrit word of this Upanishad “Isha” which means Lord.
According to ancient tradition and the Vedas themselves, one needs to have a Guru to study the Upanishads. We read in the Rig Veda, “Approach the Guru with humility and a desire to serve.”
In the Upanishads one reads, “To many it is not given to hear of the Resplendent Atma. Wonderful is he who speaks of the Atma. Blessed indeed, is he, who taught by his Guru, is able to understand the Atma.”
To be near him, to serve him, to be attuned to him in humility and in reverence is to become quickened in Spirit, for the purpose of Holy Philosophy is not just to inform the intellect, but to lift and enrich the soul.
Section I
1. All that exists, animate or inanimate, is of God. Claim nothing; cling to no thing that it clings not to you. Find the Lord that dwells in the HEART of each thing. Desire not objects, covet not the forms; know that form is not the Reality of that object.
2. Not coveting forms, you can live happily to the fullness of your allotted time. Only spiritual Action (Kriya), done and directed toward the Heart of each object, does not bind you to that form. Having done so, your spiritual horizon lifts and goes beyond that of mankind! If you do not live thusly, there will be no alternative for you, you will live attached, clinging to life, feeling that life is painful. 3. He who lives his life attached to form kills, as it were, his own soul—covering the memory tracts that reveal the Resplendency of the Spirit, and the Nobleness of the Divine Creator. If your memory of this noble nature is lost, at death you enter the lower planes of the astral world into the darkness of ignorance; in rebirth you come into this world through the lower chakras, ignorant of the Truths of Life. Therefore, the Kriya of Life is to perform actions according to the Realization of the inward Spirit called the Atma.
Section II
1. The Atma is swifter than the senses, thus the senses cannot understand the Atma. Though the Atma moves not, it moves through the Heart of all things. Through this movement, life is given unto all things, animate and inanimate. This Atma has control over the spiritual element of our astral form that supplies the element of air (knowledge) and the element of water (feeling).
2. This Atma is within all things and yet it is external to all things. The Atma appears to move, but it moves not. It seems far-distant, yet it is ever within us. It seems external to all things, yet it is within all things.
3. He who sees all sentient creatures as being in the Lord and the Lord in all sentient creatures, fears not, hates not, and thus knows no sorrow.
4. To the Illumined Soul, Atma is one. Seeing the unity of life everywhere and within everything, there can be no delusion, grief or sorrow. 5. The Atma is everywhere, pervading all things. Yet this Atma is brilliant and without body—untouched by ignorance. This Atma is all-knowing in the world and yet above this world. Atma is, in truth, The Self-Existent-One! He has established perfect order and harmony among all beings and objects from a beginningless time. He has allotted to the eternal world creators their various and proper duties. He has also assigned to each and every period its proper thing and its proper action.
Section III
1. Into ignorance fall those who work only for this world; into greater ignorance enter they who engage only in astral-meditation.
2. Only living in this world or studying the knowledge of this world leads to one result. Only living in the astral world or studying astral data leads to another result.
3. He who is aware and he who devotes himself to the pursuit of both these sciences attains the Ultimate End. By actions in this world, one overcomes death (unconsciousness); by living in mystical knowledge, one achieves conscious immortality.
4. Into unawareness enter they who do not attune to the Ultimate Cause; to greater unawareness enter they who attune only to the transcendental astral. 5. One thing is attained from the attunement to the manifest; whereas another thing is attained from the attunement to the un-manifest. 6. Attune to both the living knowledge of this world and the living knowledge of the astral world; for by experiencing both—the solar material world and the lunar astral world—you cross The Perishable (the two worlds) safely, and attain unto Conscious Balanced Realization of the immortal Absolute Absolute—THE SELF-EXISTENT ONE.
Section IV
1. The DOOR OF TRUTH is covered by a Golden Disc. Open it, O Lord of Light! that I who have been attuning to the two luminaries may behold the Nature of our Reality!
2. O True Life-giving Sun, Offspring of the True Lord of Creation and Solitary Seer of the Heavens, Fount of Life for all sentient Creatures, gather Thy Rays of Light together that I might behold Thy true Blessedness.
3. Now, O Lord, allow my life to merge into the All-Pervading Life. This body may turn to ashes, but, O Consciousness, meditate eternally on the Supreme Spirit. O Consciousness, remember thy good deeds. Remember thy spiritual past strivings. Remember thy holy deeds! OM! O Consciousness, remember thy Lord and thy holy past strivings.
4. O Holy Kriya Flame, illumine the Way that I may gather spiritual wealth. O Lord of Light, lead me to that harmonious path that I might reach, YOU! Free me from the reactions of my karma that there will be no hindrance in my spiritual progress. I offer to you my mantra, my salutations again and yet again--
OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVA YA!!!
THE KEY CONCEPTS OF ISHA UPANISHAD; 1 .Life in this world and the life of the spiritual seeker are compatible. 2. Work or Kriya is not contrary to the Knowledge of God. 3. Work performed without attachment is a means to Supreme Wisdom. 4. Renunciation is renunciation of selfishness—not of life. 5. The end Goal of both work and renunciation is to know the Atma Internal. 6. Divinity lies within you. 7. The Real you is the Lord; the Lord is everything. 8. It is possible to be happy. 9. There are many worlds of existence. 10. Reincarnation is a Spiritual Truth. 11. The Holy Spirit of God is in all things—animate and inanimate. 12. It is possible to live without sorrow, grief, or delusion. 13. The Eternal Lord assigned animate forces to assist in projecting the Universes and to hold them in Balance. 14. The worlds were projected not created. 15. The worlds dissolve only to re-manifest. 16. God is both manifest and non-manifest—yet knowable. 17. The Doorway to Reality is hidden by the Golden Disc. 18. The Golden Disc is hidden by Mental Distraction. 19. The Ultimate Lord and His Energies are attuned to your meditations. 20. Conscious unity between you and God is possible. 21. The Law of Karma exists to aid in opening the Door to Truth. Karma is not a punishment. 22. The purpose of your life is to Know and to attune to Reality.
Isha Upanishad Audio Lectures
Audio Lecture 1 Given by Goswami Kriyananda in 1974
Audio Lecture 2 "This Life and the Next" Given by Goswami Kriyananda in 1977
Video Lecture Given by Goswami Kriyananda in 1985