The Forest Wisdom: The Three States of Consciousness
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: The Forest Wisdom
This Upanishad, like almost all of them, is a dialogue. In the beginning section, it is between a great sage, Yajnavalkya, and his wife Maitreyi. The husband explains to her the path to immortality is through realization of the Self.
Chapter Four: The States of Consciousness
In this section, Yajnavalkya is spiritual advisor to a king, Janaka. After discussing the fire ceremony, the king asks him what is the light of man. The answer is simply, the Self. Also known in other traditions as the Father within me, the Inward Light, the Atman, the jewel inside the lotus, and so on. The king then asks Yajnavaklya, “Who is that Self?” He answers that the Self is pure awareness, it shines as a light within the heart. He goes on to explain:
“The human being has two states of consciousness: one in this world, the other in the next. But there is a third state between them, not unlike the world of dreams, in which we are aware of both worlds, with sorrows and joys.” When a person dies, it is only the physical body that dies, that person lives on in a nonphysical body. “In this intermediate state he makes and dissolves impressions (of their former life) by the light of the Self.”
“In that third state of consciousness there are no chariots, no horses drawing them or roads on which to travel, but he makes up his own chariots, horses, and roads.”
Yajnavalkya concludes his answer to this question by the King Janaka, by adding that the Self is free from all human emotions and desires. For in this unitive state all desires find their perfection. One sees without seeing, for there is nothing separate from him.
“Where there is separateness, one sees another, smells another, tastes another, speaks to another, hears another, touches another, thinks of another, knows another. But where there is unity, one without a second, that is the world of Brahman. This is the supreme goal of life, the supreme treasure, the supreme joy.”
Chapter Five: What the Thunder Said
“The children of Prajapati, the Creator, were gods, human beings, asuras, the godless, lived with their father as students.” When they completed the allotted period of time, they requested more teachings. The Creator answered first with one syllable, “Da”. They understood this as “damyata” (self-controlled). He answered second with one syllable, “Da”. They understood this as “datta” (give). The Creator answered for the third and last time with one syllable, “Da”. They understood this as “dayad-hvam” (be compassionate). The heavenly voice of thunder repeats this teaching. Da-da-da! Be self-controlled! Give! Be compassionate!
OM shanti shanti shanti
The Waste Land: poem by T.S. Eliot
Part V: What the Thunder Said
Lines #360-366
Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another walking beside you
Gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded
I do not know whether a man or woman
–But who is that on the other side of you?
Line #400
Da
Datta: what have we given?
My friend, blood shaking my heart
The awful daring of a moment’s surrender
Which an age of prudence can never extract
Line #410
Da
Dayadhvam: I have heard the key
Turn in the door once and turn once only
We think of the key, each in his prison
Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison
Line #117
Da
Damyata: The boat responded
Gaily to the hand expert with sail and oar
Lines # 431 and #432
Datta. Dayadh. Damyata.
Shantih shantih shantih.
Notes on the Waste Land:
Part V: What the Thunder Said
Line 360: The following lines were stimulated by the account of one of the Antarctic expeditions…it was related that the party of explorers, at the extremity of their strength, had the constant delusion that there was one more member that could be actually counted.
Line 401: “Datta, dayadh, damyata” (Give, sympathize, control). The fable of the meaning of the Thunder is found in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad…
Line #433: Shantih. Repeated as here, a formal ending to an Upanishad. “The peace which passeth understanding” is our equivalent to this word.
[ Can also be peace which is beyond understanding. And the phrase often by Jesus, “May you go in peace” and “May Peace go with you.”
One of the three themes employed in Part V was the journey to Emmaus. It can be found in the book of Luke 24:13-17.
“That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, above seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. (That very day, Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James had gone to the tomb of Jesus to prepare the body for burial. They saw the stone rolled away, and his body missing. This they reported to the eleven and all the rest.) While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
Gospel of Mary Magdalene:
The manuscript scholars call the Berlin Papyrus, contains fragmented passages of this Gospel. They were discovered in 1896 near Akhmin, Egypt. In the fourth century AD, it was determined that this document would not be included in the emerging Christian cannon.
Existing pages: 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 (nine in all)
From page 10 of the manuscript:
Lines #10 to the end at line #25:
Mary was talking to the apostle Peter about what inner teachings Jesus had taught her. He wanted her to tell him, and the rest of the inner circle of disciples, what Jesus had revealed to her.
“I had a vision of the Teacher
And I said to him:
Lord I see you now
in this vision.
And he answered:
You are blessed, for the sight of me does not disturb you.
There where is the nous, lies the treasure.
Then I (Mary) said to him:
Lord, when someone meets you
in a Moment of vision
Is it through the soul that they see
or is it through the Spirit?
The Teacher answered:
It is neither through the soul nor the spirit
but the nous between the two
which sees the vision, and it is this which…” (end of fragmented page)
Sources:
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: The Forest Wisdom
By Eknath Easwaran
Nilgiri Press 1985
The Waste Land
By T. S. Eliot
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
Translation from the Coptic and Commentary by Jean-Yves Leloup
English translation and Notes by Joseph Rowe
Inner Tradition International 1997; English translation 2002