Reflection Questions Day 1

The Mantras of Īśāvāsya-upaniṣad should not be considered as part of Karma because these Mantras are not for the performance of karma as they essentially deal with Brahmaviddhyā and are meant for giving us knowledge of the true nature of the Self – the Self which is not the kārak nor the kartā or bhoktā or the one from whom we are doing karma.

The Mantras are to make us understand that through Karma we cannot know our Self. Hence they make us realize our true Self

Atman (Self) has no attributes. Atman is neither the doer (karta) nor the experiencer (bhokta). Bhokta and Karta are attributed to karma. Upanishads are a means of realizing that the atman transcends karmic bonds.

‘Ishavasya idam sarvam’ implies that god is not only the creator of the universe, but also in every individual.

Hari Om,

1. The mantras of Īśāvāsya-upaniṣad are not to be considered as part of karma for the upaniṣad mantras reveal the nature of the Self. These mantras are for understanding the true nature of the Self.

2. Reflecting on īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam is that within and without meaning everything at all times is pervaded by the Self, the Self Alone Is and that All pervading Self is my true nature.

3. īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam is not a mental upāsanā because it is not about thinking a certain way and behaving in that manner. It is a fact that is to be understood, recognized, and lived.

1. Isavasya Upanisad is not part of KARMA, because it deals with “Realising the SELF”, and not with performing any ACTION. The SELF is not a karta or bhokta.

2. Isha vasya idam sarvam is not what one has TO DO, but something one has to UNDO !! we have to SCRUB OFF the limitations we have put on ourselves, and SEE OURSELVES as ALL-PERVADING. The SLIME covering us, has to be removed, our INDIVIDUALITY must be LOST !!

3. It is not a mental process, as the MIND belongs to the SUKSHMA SARIRA. and is an upaadhi too. The SELF is an all pervading TRUTH and the only thing that exists. ALL else is SLIME covering it and must be SCRUBBED OFF !! So isavasya idam sarvam is NOT a mental upasana.

1. Why should the mantras of Īśāvāsya-upaniṣad not be considered as part of karma?

Answer:The Upanishad cannot be considered as a part of karma because it shows the real nature of the Self, which is not the nature of the karma. The nature of atma or Self is shuddha, untouched by sin, ektvam, nityatvam and without any body limitation, it is all pervading, which will be explained further in this upanishad. This is opposition to karma. Therefore these mantras in the Īśāvāsya-upaniṣad cannot be considered as a part of karma. Also for this self you need not do any karma like yaga, as Self being utterly distinct from any fact of this kind.

2. Reflect how īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam is to be done.

Answer:īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam is to be done as do not take yourself to be this limited individual, but see yourself as totality, bring the sarvatma bhava. In other words, take off your limitation as I am kartha, I am boktha, and then the Self alone is found. So, scrub off the adhyasa (the limited superimposition) and allow the Self to be in it’s actual nature, which is all-pervasive. Do not limit it with upadis.

3. Why is īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam not a mental upāsanā?

Answer: īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam is not a mental upasana, as it will bring a strain and it will remain as only an imagination. When initiated through the mind it is an effort and so it becomes an upasana. So, it is not the doing of expansion but un-doing of the limitation. Take off the tadatmya.

1. Why should the mantras of Īśāvāsya-upaniṣad not be considered as part of karma?A. The mantras here are meant for giving us the True Nature of the Self, which is pure and untouched by paapa and punya.

1. Reflect how īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam is to be done.A. This means the ‘undoing of individuality’. One needs to stop thinking ‘I am limited by time, space or object’, or identifying oneself with the ‘BMI’. By giving up this individuality, one will be free from desire, greed, anger etc.

1. Why is īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam not a mental upāsanā?A. Because īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam is a fact. Seeing the individuality as the Self is actually an imagination.

Upasana, as told by Swamiji, is ‘I don’t think I am everything but I will try to think I am’. This is what we have to accept that ‘I am the substratum alone. I am the world. I am everything.’

We just need to scrub our ignorance (our mistaken identity), and accept the fact as it is.

Idam Sarvam is not a mental upasana or activity of seeing oneself as all else. When and if we try doing this it is putting effort in actually trying to imagine! In fact it is not ‘doing’ expansion to see one as all else but is actually an Undoing of Ignorance – scrubbing off of ignorance like scrubbing off the slime from the Chandan. Once this scrubbing off (of ignorance) is complete then the pure underlying Self will emerge / express itself.

Ishavasya Upanishad is meant for giving knowledge of the Self and it’s true nature. Self is Akarma Sesha.Self is not a karaka or Karta or Bhokta. Self is not doing any Karma. This Upanishad expounds Self as such and hence it is not meant for performance of karma.

The mantras are not considered as karma, as it dies not reflect any form of karma, but only a means to gain knowledge

Isavasyam idam sarvam encapsulates the idea that God not only created the universe, but is also present in all of it.

Mahavakyas, such as isavasyam idam sarvam, are often contemplated as part of a self practice, especially in Jnana Yoga. They may be used in combination with prayer, meditation and the chanting of mantras to help to achieve deeper understanding and insights into fundamental philosophical concepts.

Isavasyam idam sarvam is to be done by breaking the limitations of the body and seeing the whole universe as a part of oneself and oneself as a part of the entire universe. By expanding one’s consciousness to cover everything.
By giving up one’s individuality renouncing the ego the I the me.

Isavasyam idam sarvam is not a mental Upasana because the mind has no role to play in this.In fact it is the undoing of the limited mind by removing the ignorance of individuality.Thereby protecting ourselves from all expressions of individuality such as possession, greed, desire etc.

Hari Om,

1. It tells about the nature of Self.Self is not related to Karma: it is not doer, enjoyer, action or one for which actions are performed.So Upanishad must not be considered as Karma.

2. īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam It should be done by removing our ignorance – false identification with body mind.Then automatically we are the SelfLike when dirt is removed from sandalwood ,we get the original fragrance.

3. Since is our natural state we need not do it as mental upasana.We get to know this only by removing identification with mind so mental upasana can’t help to achieve this state.

It is not a mental upasana because it is realizing yourself and everything as God himself and submission thereby that purifies your mind of all unnecessary attributes

Hari Om.

The Ishavasya–Upanishad should not be considered as part of Karma because these mantras deal with the Self and the Self is beyond Karma and Samsara.

Ishavasyam Idam Sarvam could be achieved by realizing that the world around us is nothing but the Self, our true nature.

Ishavasyam Idam Sarvam is not a mental upasana, because it deals with jnana, not yoga. It deals with Brahmavidhya.

short answers :

1) bcoz it comes after the karma / action in life

2) like the space is every where irrespective of the various rooms. once room is demoished room space will merge with the total space … per se there is no individual space… same way there is no one self …

3) bcoz it not an action to be done… but to unwinding process

Hari Om

1. Why should the mantras of Īśāvāsya-upaniṣad not be considered as part of karma? – Karma suggest of “doing” or “undoing” something or an action. Isavasya upanisad mantras reveal the true nature of the self which is akarta, abhokta. Because mantras are revealing the nature of self, they are not to be considered as part of karma.
2. Reflect how īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam is to be done.īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam – To know the self as all, one needs to drop the sense of individuality or identification with the body, mind and intellect. Dropping the individuality will also drop the identity of totality which will reveal the non-dual self.
3. Why is īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam not a mental upāsanā? – Upasana requires triad of Object of Upasana (Upasya), person doing Upasana (Upasaka) and action of Upasana. This means that Upasana requires doing an action and also seeing individual to be different from the Self. While īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam, is knowledge of seeing only Self in all objects and everything in the world. Upasana provides chit-suddhi and chit-ekagrata but not the knowledge of the self. Because upasana requires an action and bhava of being different than Self, it is not the knowledge of true Self which is manifested as all and hence not same as “īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam”

Isa upanishad though found in the mantra section of the Vedas, tells us about the nature of the Self which is neither karaka, Karta or Bhokta or the one for whom we need to do any karma. This Self is Nithya, shuddha, Mukta Swaroopa and shines of its own accord. Such a Self which is ever free & needs no karma to be done) is being expounded in these Mantras. Hence these mantras are not to be considered as part of karma.
The Self pointed in these mantras is utterly distinct from that facet of self which deludes the jiva into action, papa or punya and thereby the endless loop of samsara.

Here nothing needs to be done, instead here the undoing the limitation is the doing. We are already THAT(Praptasya Prapti), we only need to drop the false imagination that we have clinged onto as karta, bhokta (the tadatmya bhava with all such Upadhis). This will dissolve all the barriers, boundaries and one realises that I ALONE am the Self and as the Self i alone pervade all with no exception(Sattvic, rajas, tamasic) in all 3 realms. I am the substratum on which all appear and disappear and i remain unaffected, untouched, unmodified WHOLE alone.

Being Praptasya prapti mere renouncing the veil like the slimy water over the chandan will release forth its fragrance. So when we scrub off the adhyasa/ignorance(sense of individuality by holding on to the kartrutva, bhokrutva bhava) the true nature is revealed by Its own glory. Mental Upasana is a strain or effort and what is already there needs no effort but simply needs us to get rid of the wrong knowledge/ignorance and the Truth stands revealed by itself beyond the subject and object.

1.The mantras in the Upanishad reveal the true nature of the Self. The self is distinctly
different from karma. It’s not Karta or bhokta.
Hence these mantras are for the purpose of understanding once own True nature.

2.Isa Vaasyam Idam Sarvam
Is to be practised by….
By breaking the limitations of what I think I am and seeing the Self which
envelopes the entire creation,
in this manner allowing the Self to present itself in its true nature, by scrubbing the ignorance, gradually expanding myself to feel the sarvaathma bhaava. This expansion enables one to see everything as one’s own Self.

1. It’s not a mental function but a feeling.Feeling of oneness.it’s not a doing but undoing of limitations….. to see Iam the entirety.

Q1 Iśāvasya Upaniśad mantras cannot be considered as part of karma since -the subject matter of Upaniśad is Brahma-vidya, which is the knowledge about the Self.
-Self is ever evident, no Karma needs to be done to gain the Self-knowledge (Prāptasya prāpti). Karma needs to be done to gain something or reach somewhere. To realise the Self which is ‘here and now’ does not need any karma to be done.
-As Acarya Śankara says Karma is totally opposed to Jnāna.
-Self is neither a karta, bhokta or kāraka; hence in no way related to Karma.
Having said the above, as our śasta says, Karma is required for spiritual evolution and ultimately for gaining eligibility for Self-knowledge through karma-yoga, which the Upanisad will describe in verse 2.

Q2. To make ‘ईशावास्य इदं सर्वं’ an experienced reality, one has to start by comparing our lived experience with what the scriptures are teaching. By the process of पञ्चकोश विवेक one has to negate identification with the body-mind complex and identify with the witness-consciousness.
As one goes into deeper understanding, सर्वात्म भाव is developed and the sadhaka sees that the same spark of life enlivens all living beings – plants, insects, animals and human beings. As the knowledge deepens, the sadhaka is able to rise above the world of name and form and see the existence principle which is the substratum of everything, inert and sentient and pervades the entire gross, subtle and causal creation.

Q3. ‘ईशावास्य इदं सर्वं’ is not a mental upasana, it is the transcendental Reality which is beyond the upādhis. Self being subtler than the mind, cannot be grasped by mental imagination. Also any mental upasana will be in the form of thought, which is ever changing and will not be able to be established in the unchanging Reality.

However, as a sadhana to acquire चित्त-एकाग्रत and चित्त-विशालता gaining eligibility for Self-knowledge, many scriptures do recommend upasana as a practice.

1. Why should the mantras of Isavasya-upanisad not be considered as part of karma – Because the mantras are not meant for doing karma, it is meant to give us the True nature of the Self – in other words – teaches us Brahma Vidya – knowledge of the Self. Self is not karta, bhokta,It is not for whom , we are doing karma. It is Shudh, it is untouched by Punya and Paapa.
2. reflect how isavasyam idam sarvam is to be done – Self is all pervading. identify with my own True Self and see myself as all pervading without identifying with the Body, mind and intellect. Remain as the Self. Abide in the knowledge – I am the Self, I am not the karta, bhokta.
3. Why is isavasyam idam sarvam not a mental upasana – isavasyam idam sarvam is knowledge of our true self, This is not a mental activity. It is knowling, who i truely am. When i identify myself with the body, mind and intellect, i think that i am so and so. With Self- knowledge, i know my true nature as the all pervading consciousness. I alone am everything in this world. There is nothing apart from me, the pure Self.