Shankara, a 9th Century Hindu philosopher, was one of the foremost commentators on the Upanishads formed a school known as ‘Advaita Vedanta’ – advaita meaning ‘not two’, i.e. monism. This school of thought can be summed up in the phrase ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ or That Thou Art, meaning that each manifestation, each human being IS Brahman or God.

 

Within the Mundaka Upanishad, this theme is evident. It is described within a metaphor about two birds.

 

“Like two golden birds perched on the selfsame tree, intimate friends, the ego and the Self dwell in the same body. The former eats the sweet and sour fruits of the tree of life while the latter looks on in detachment.”

 

In the metaphor, Brahman is differentiated into two forms. The bird that experiences can be compared to the human soul or ‘Jivatman’, meaning individual self. The bird that observes in a state of detachment represents God or ‘Paramatman’, meaning universal self. Another way of differentiating these two aspects might be to call them the ego and the Self.

 

In Eknath Easwaran’s translation of the Upanishads, he continues by explaining;

“As long as we think we are the ego, we feel attached and fall into sorrow. But realize that you are the Self, the Lord of life and you will be freed from sorrow. When you realize that you are the Self, supreme source of light, supreme source of love, you transcend the duality of life and enter the unitive state.”

 

2. Identification with Form leads to Dukkha

 

A second theme recurring throughout the Upanishads is a progression of the last. It states that if a person is only aware of themselves as a human (form or ego) and has no belief in themselves as a being (spirit or self) then they will suffer dukkha or suffering/pain.

 

Another metaphor is employed to aid our understanding, that of a horse and chariot. A person solely identified with their form is only acknowledging part of themselves; their mind is under an illusion and is like a wild horse without control. In this imagery, the chariot represents the body, the horses are the senses, leading the body subject to their likes and dislikes, the reins are the mind – with the potential to guide the horses, the charioteer is the intellect or ‘Buddhi’ (higher intelligence) and the path is our progression through life.

“When a person lacks discrimination and his mind is undisciplined, the senses run hither and thither like wild horses. But they obey the rein like trained horses when one has discriminated and has made the mind one-pointed.”

 

3. The Sacred Sound of Om and the Four States of Consciousness

Although the Upanishads are plentiful in their interpretations and metaphors they repeat many core ideas, perhaps to access different peoples understanding in different ways. The essential wisdom distils down to very few key ideas and perhaps the most simple and effective recommendation is to repeat the sacred sound of ‘Om’.

 

Om or Aum is considered to be the name or sound of Brahman or God. There is also a correlation between this idea and the sound created during the ‘Big Bang’ or beginning of manifestation.

 

The three individual letters plus the combination of them or some people believe, the space after the sounds have been uttered, represent four states of consciousness.