[Advaita-l] Questions on the blessed Isa Upanishad

[Shrinivas Gadkari]

>> I may be able to understand, the third , "man's duty"....as in
>> non-covetousness
>>

> Given the answer to question one, one's duty is to live life without 
> covetousness for whose is wealth?  Nothing is acquired which is not 
> Brahman.  Nothing is lost which is not Brahman.

Namaste Shri Jaldhar,

What you have written is certainly very deep and relevant. However,
there is also a simpler and very practical message in the ISa upaniSad
first shloka/ mantra that should not be missed.

"tena tyaktena bhunjIthA" - this is a mahA vAkya in its own right.

Consider two real life situations:

Case 1: Mr. A buys an expensive luxury Car.
Case 2: Mr. B who is an acquaintance of Mr. A, buys an expensive luxury Car.

In a worldly sense, from view point of Mr. A, in Case 1, the luxury Car
"belongs" to him, and in case 2, the luxury Car "belongs" to Mr. B.

The practical advice of "tena tyaktena bhunjIthA" to Mr. A, in Case 2, is:
Feel genuinely happy for Mr. B, without coveting Mr. B's the luxury Car.
As far as the Happiness is concerned Mr. A's experience is similar to Case 1.
So there is both "tyAga - non covetousness", and "bhunjIthA - experience
of happiness" involved in the suggested (noble) practical advice.

On a related note, "tena tyaktena bhunjIthA" was very much integrated in 
the Indian way of life till sometime ago (and also in other cultures around the 
world). However, it is fast being replaced by its very opposite.

Regards,
Shrinivas Gadkari