May Serenity and Quietude permeate all my limbs. May my speech, my breath, my eyes, my ears — may all my senses grow strong and true. May the Lord Brahman reveal himself unto me. May I never deny Brahman — nor Brahman deny me. He with me and I with Him — may abide together forever. May I who am devoted to Brahman have revealed to me that Holy Truth of the Upanishads.
AUM SHANTI, SHANTI, SHANTI
PART I
At whose request does the mind think? Who bids the body to live? Who makes the tongue to speak? Who is the Effulgent Being of Light that directs the eye to perceive the form, the color, and allows the ear to perceive the sound? The Atma.
The Atma is the Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind, the Speech of speech. The Atma is also Breath of the breath, and Eye of the eye. Having been released from the false assumption that the Atma is the sense, or the mind, and thus knowing the Atma to be Brahman, the wise become forever self-consciously aware and thus immortal. Atma is not seen by the eye, not is it expressed by the tongue, nor does the mind perceive it. The Atma, you are not able to teach nor to know with the senses of the mind.
Different is the Atma from the known and different is the Atma from the unknown: so we have heard from the ancient Seers. That which cannot be expressed in words, but by which the tongue speaks, know that to be Atma (Brahman). Brahman is not the Being who is worshipped by earthlings.
That which is not apprehended by the mind, but by which the mind is apprehended — know that to be Brahman. Brahman is not the Being who is worshipped by earthlings.
That which is not seen by the eye, but by which the eye sees — know that to be Brahman. Brahman is not the Being who is worshipped by earthlings. That which is not heard by the ear, but by which the ear hears — know that to be Brahman. Brahman is not the Being who is worshipped by earthlings.
That which is not breathed by the breath but by which the breath is breathed — know that to be Brahman. Brahman is not the Being who is worshiped by earthlings.
PART II
If you think that you know well the Truth of Brahman, know that you know little, for what you think to be Brahman in yourself, or what you think to be Brahman in the Devas, that is not Brahman. What is the truth of Brahman, you must, therefore, learn. I cannot say that I fully know Brahman; nor can I say that I do not know Him fully. He among us who know Him best is he who understands the spirit of these words: “Nor do I know that I know Him not.” Truly the person knows Brahman, who knows Brahman as being beyond knowledge. He who thinks that he knows Brahman with knowledge knows Him not. The ignorant think that Brahman is known through knowledge, but the wise know Him to be beyond knowable knowledge.
That soul who realizes the existence of Brahman behind every activity of his own being — whether that be sensing, perceiving or thinking — that soul alone gains conscious immortality. Through knowledge of Brahman comes Divine potency. Through knowledge of Brahman comes victory over unconsciousness.
Blessed is the soul who while yet living in the physical body realizes Brahman. The soul who does not realize Brahman suffers its greatest loss. When the wise souls depart this physical life, they who have realized the Atma as Brahman become the Self-Existent One — Immortal, Eternal, Blissful!
PART III
Once the astral devas won a great victory over the astral asuras — the ignorant ones on the astral plane. And the devas thought they had done so of their own nature. Though they had won their victory only through the power of Brahman, they were exceedingly egotistical and thus they thought to themselves: “It was we who defeated our enemies, and the glory, therefore, is ours.
Brahman saw their egotism, their vanity, and appeared before them. But they did not recognize Brahman.Then the other greater devas said to the deva of Fire, “Find out for us who this mysterious Spirit is.” The Fire deva answered, “Yes.” And he approached the mysterious Spirit. The mysterious Spirit said unto him “Who are you?”
He answered, “I am the Fire deva. As a matter of fact, I am extremely famous.”
The mysterious Spirit asked, “What powers do you yield?” And the Fire deva answered, “I can consume with my fire anything on this earth.” Thus the mysterious Spirit said, “Burn this,” as he placed a piece of dry straw before him.
The Fire deva attacked the straw with all its fiery might — but could not consume it, could not burn it, could not even scorch it. Thus the spirit returned to the other astral beings and said, “I cannot discover who this mysterious Spirit is.”
Thus the other astral beings said to the Wind deva, “Wind, do find out who this mysterious Spirit is for us.” And the Wind deva answered, “Yes,” and approached the ancient Spirit.
The Spirit also said to him, “Who are you?” And the Wind deva answered, “I am the Wind deva. As a matter of fact, I am extremely, extremely famous.” The mysterious Spirit said, “And what power do you yield?” And the answer was, “I can blow anything asunder that is upon this earth.” Thus the mysterious Spirit said, “Blow this away,” as he placed the self-same straw before the spirit. And the Wind deva attacked it with all its force, but was unable to move it, or even to cause it to bend. And thus he, also, returned to the other astral beings and said, “I cannot discover who this mysterious Spirit is.” Then the other astral beings called upon Indra, greatest of all the celestial creatures. “Oh! respected one, Indra, please find out for us who this mysterious Spirit is.” Indra answered, “Yes, indeed,” and drew nigh unto that Spirit, at which moment the mysterious Spirit vanished, and in His place stood Uma — God in the Mother form. Uma was exceedingly beautiful and well-adorned. Seeing her, Indra asked of her, “Who was the mysterious Spirit that appeared to us and who has now disappeared?”
PART IV
Uma answered, “That is Brahman. It was through Brahman that you obtained your victory and your glory and not because of you, yourselves.” Thus did Indra and the Fire deva and the Wind deva come to recognize Brahman.
These three devas excel all other devas, for they approached nearer to Brahman and were first to recognize him.
But of all the astral beings, Indra is supreme, for Indra approached nearest to Brahman than the other two astral beings, and Indra was also the first to recognize Him.
The following is the Truth of Brahman in relationship to nature: Whether in the flash of lightning, or in the winking of an eye, the Divine potency that is shown is the Divine potency of Brahman.
This is the Truth of Brahman in relationship to mankind: In the motions of the mind, the divine potency that is shown is the Divine potency of Brahman. It is for this reason that earthlings should meditate upon Brahman by day as well as by night. Brahman is the Being in all beings. Meditate upon Him by the name of Tadvana (The Living Reality), for any person who meditates upon Brahman as such is honored by all other beings.
A disciple approached his Guru and said, “Respected Sir, teach me more about the Knowledge of Brahman.”
And the Guru answered saying, “I have told you the sacred secret, the secret Knowledge: a) austerity b) self control c) performance of your duty without attachment
This is the body of that Sacred Knowledge. The Scriptures are its limbs. Truth is its very soul.” That person who attains Knowledge of Brahman, being freed from all ignorance, finds the Reality — the Eternal, the Supreme!
AUM, SHANTI, SHANTI, SHANTI
Kena Upanishad Audio Lectures Audio Lecture 1 Given by Goswami Kriyananda in 1974
Audio Lecture 2 "Divine Dharma" Given by Goswami Kriyananda in 1977
Video Lecture Given by Goswami Kriyananda in 1985