THE UPANISHADS

In the Light of the Divine Mother

All scriptures and all of the words in all of the scriptures are like moths dancing around the fire in the Heart. 

The Upanishads are a door to the Mystery of Mysteries.  This is the mystery of existence itself.  Before us is the ringing of a bell in an empty sky.  It is a preponderance of emptiness that is, at the same time, that which is profoundly alive.  This mystery is our own Self! 

When we discover our Self, the entire universe comes tumbling in as though it had been swallowed in a great vortex of light.  Everything is then understood to be our own Self and nothing is discarded. 

Source of the Upanishads

The Upanishads are part of the Hindu Vedas which are written as four books.  The Vedas are the oldest known writings on the planet dating back 5,000 years and some say 10,000 years according to certain astronomical references that occur in the books.  The Upanishads began to make their appearance in the Vedas in about the 6th century BCE.  There are 108 Upanishads.  Of the 108, Adi Shankara directs us to 10 Upanishads that he considered to be principal pillars.  These Upanishads are the body of this book.

Reasons to Know Our Self

Why would we want to explore such a thing as the Self?  There are many good reasons including the excitement and call of a profound adventure!  Any good mystery will call us to answer; to dig deeply.  It is the peak of Mt. Everest.  It is the ultimate volcano spewing the magma of eternity.  It is the Mariana Trench deep in the waters of the Pacific Ocean calling, seducing, prodding us to dive in.  It beckons us to grasp the sheer adventure of it.  It presents us with the promise of endless bliss.  It is the key to answer the question, “What the heck is all this anyway?”  This adventure begins with the longing to know “who or what am I.”

To know the Self is the beginning of the end of suffering – of mental and emotional torment – of smoldering discontent.  It is the center of being that, when known, prevents us from drifting aimlessly in the smoke-filled caverns of delusional realities that twist and wind through the subterranean plateaus of the mind.  Thus, it is the ultimate groundedness; the ultimate security; the ultimate refuge.

Knowledge of the Self is the springboard from which we dive into the ocean of love.  It is the embrace of the Beloved.  It is how we are to understand the commandment to love our neighbor as our own Self; to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who mistreat and persecute us.  This is all true because there is only one Self and it is at the core and origin of all beings.  By knowing one’s own Self, one knows the Self of all other persons, creatures, plants and even rocks.