Katha upanishad verse I.2.23

[Gummuluru Murthy]

On Fri, 4 Apr 1997, Charles Wikner wrote:

> Cameron Reilly <cjreilly at OZEMAIL.COM.AU> wrote:
>
> > Isn't this the same thing? At the end of the day it indicates a
> > non-volitional aspect to the process of awakening. "By the Grace Of God"
> > the person becomes a seeker and the Self is realized.
>
> The grace is always available: what is needed is to avail oneself of it.
>
> > Therefore attempting
> > to realize the Self through 'will power' is fruitless.
>
> Attempts at anything are fruitFUL: whether the fruit is conducive to
> realisation is another matter.  Self-realisation itself is fruitless.

The discussion on this verse is very enlightening.
First of all, I think we should accept that there is no action (performed
by us). Because there is no action, we cannot judge whether the action is
fruitFUL or fruitless. We simply are to be in a desireless state. Even
mumukshona apeksheya (the desire to seek realization, VivekachudamaNi,
verse 1) cannot be there. The Self wishes to reveal Itself only in that
state.To whom will It reveal ? To the person in that state. The person
to whom the Self is revealed will see only non-duality. So, as I see, the
conditions (necessary) for the Self to be revealed, are:

purity of heart
discipline of the senses
desireless state of the mind

Are they in our control ? I guess they are to some extent, by saadhana,
although the very fact that one is a saadhaka is again by Atman's grace.

The above are necessary conditions. They are by no means sufficient.
Atman's choice to reveal Itself to the individual is the only sufficient
condition, although Shri Shankara's comment on the subsequent verse
(given below) seems to indicate that Atman can be attained by knowledge.

As I understand it, verse I.2.24 emphasizes this point further:

Naavirato dushcharitaat naashaanto naasamaahitah
Naashaantamaanaso vaapi prajnaanenainam aapunyaat

No one who has not given up evil conduct, who is not self-restrained,
who is not meditative, nor one who is unpacified in mind can attain this
Atman, even though he has knowledge. (translation by Ranganathananda)

As I understand it, this verse distinguishes the intellectual knowledge
about the Atman and the actual experience or attainment of the Atman
(there is an ocean of difference between the two). I mean, by attainment
of the Atman, the shedding away of the upadhis on the Atman, which makes
the Atman perceived as jeeva.

Shri Shankara's comment on this verse (again, given in Ranganathananda's
THE MESSAGE OF THE UPANISHHADS):

yastu dushcharitaat viratah, indriyalaulyaacca, samaahitachittah,
samaadhaanaphalaaadapi upshaantamanasashca, aachaaryavaan, prajnaanena
yathoktam aatmaanam praapnoti ityarthah

"The meaning is that he alone who has turned away from evil conduct, who
has controlled the vageries of his senses, who is of tranquil mind, whose
mind is undisturbed even by the (thought of the) fruits of calmness, and
who has a teacher (as guide), will attain the Atman above described,
through prajnana or knowledge." (translation by Ranganathananda)

Here again, I see a difference in emphasis between what I think is the
meaning of the verse and Shri Shankara's interpretation. Shri Shankara
seems to give an impetus to the saadhaka.

The translation says "... even though he (saadhaka) has knowledge. "

Shri Shankara's comment is given as "... the saadhaka will attain the
Atman through knowledge. "

The role given to and played by knowledge seems to be different.

Regards
Gummuluru Murthy
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Sarvaagamaanaa maachaarah prathamam parikalpathe !
                                          Sage Vyasa in Maha Bharatha

For all (incoming) knowledge, discipline is the most fundamental.
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