5. Mandukya Upanishadcc(download pdf)
 

Of the one hundred and eight Upanishads, ten are considered to be 'major' Upanishads. Of the ten major Upanishads the Mandukya is king. Its twelve mantras lay bare the fundamental structure of the human mind by revealing the nature of the three states of consciousness: waking, dream and deep sleep. At they same time they prove beyond a doubt that we are not who we think we are...the waking state personality...and indicate who we really are... the invariable Awareness in all three states.

Such is the subtlety of its thought that even careful study of the text or teaching at the feet of a scriptural master would probably not produce the firm and lasting knowledge of oneself as the limitless 'I.' So many centuries ago a great sage, Gaudapada, added a commentary (karika) and a meditation to the verses to help the seeker realize the Self. In this meditation the three states are symbolized by three sounds and the the Self, the limitless 'I,' is referred to as Silence. The commentaries present a simple and powerful technique that permits a meditator to lock on to the 'I' and begin the inqiry that leads to Self knowledge.

An advanced text. You will not be able to crack the code without help. Twelve mantras and fifteen pages of commentary.


 
 

6. What is Advaita Vedanta?cc(download pdf)
 



This thirty page pamphlet explains why enlightenment is not a permanent experience of a particular state of consciousness, why it is not a thought free mind and why karma does not have to be exhausted for liberation. It debunks many of the major misunderstandings about Vedanta and indeed spiritual life in general, first and foremost the idea that Vedanta is a philosophy or a school of thought. It carefully explains what Vedanta actually is and highlights several of its most important teachings: Cause and Effect, the Three State Analysis, and the Five Sheaths. It discusses the Self as bliss confusion, the Self as Knowledge confusion, the Self as Energy confusion and the Multi-Path confusion. And finally it resolves the issue of the 'stages of enlightenment.'

I am very proud of this pamphlet. It is my most recent and perhaps my best writing to date. For the last one hundred years Western and Indian gurus alike have seriously distorted the idea of Vedanta by mingling and confusing it with Yoga. If you really want to know what Vedanta is from the inside this article is for you.

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