A Perfect Master Comes At The Right Time II

Swami Chinmayananda

oi-Staff

By Staff

Tuesday, February 10, 2009, 12:11

To kindle the right mental set-up for the teacher and student, every Upanishad starts with a peace invocation. The Kena Upanishad has got two peace-invocation stanzas. The first invokes the team-spirit of the teacher and the student, the right approach of teaching. Learning: the second gives an idea how the student's whole personality should be completely at rest and undisturbed to follow the teaching. And the disciple is allowed to ask his question. By the very question the teacher knew how deeply the student had already reflected and reached a point where he needs guidance.

Kena-'by whom', so starts the question and by this first word the Upanishad got its name. Thus we were guided into the Upanishad, we the students of different caliber and understanding.

The teacher in the Upanishad gave a warning to his students: -If you think that I know well it is certainly but little - the form of Brahman you have known is also the form of the Devas. Therefore. I think that what you thinkest is still to be ascertained. He had only hinted at the Supreme which cannot be comprehended like we come to know of something, it,can only be realised as knowledge itself or as knowledge as such.

The student tries to explain his experience in the next mantra: I do not think - I know it well', but not that I do not know. I know too. Who amongst us comprehends IT both as the NOT known and as the known - he comprehends IT and further "It is the unknown to the Master or True knowledge but to the ignorant 'It' is the known". It shows that the experience of the Transcendental cannot be explained in words.

The Kena-Upanishad could serve every sincere seeker of this small group in the hall. There were those who could follow quickly what was taught, others needed more elaborate explanations. This Upanishad is a masterpiece of instructions for the difficult journey to discover the supreme truth, every student can take something home what he has understood.

Swamiji was able to make us come every day, despite the weather condition; all our examination from the day's activities was forgotten in the hall. Everybody was eager to hear more and to understand the teaching. There were many obstacles: 1) the English language, 2) the Sanskrit terms, 3) the unfamiliar approach to go through a text, 4) a discourse which lasted 8 days (a week-end or just one day discourse was the practice) but we were captured. Was it by the text or by the Swami? We came, didn't mind to reach back at 11 P.M, get-up at 5 A.M., work the whole day and sit again to listen - and that for 8 days!

It was a turning point for some of us. We were convinced that it is worth to follow Swamiji's instruction and read the text again and again, remember what was said and reflect about it and try to apply, as far as possible, in our daily life. We were assured by our teacher that the result is bound to come and will change our mental set-up and with that our relationship to the surrounding. Everything is within us, not outside, and we have to rediscover what is already there, brilliant, all-pervading, eternal, blissful, all-full, our real self because of which we are alive and able to function.

We received our guidance from a perfect Master who was not only available in the lecture hall but also during the day. To watch him acting was an education in itself. He had lit the lamp, it was now up to the student's effort to keep the light burning. The inner , purification and transformation will take place proportional to the sincere effort put forth intelligently by the seeker.

The Master's grace will always be there, here and now. Blessed we are indeed!

About the author

This article is written by Ammini Padiyath on her first meeting with Swami Chinmayananda for a lecture on Upanishads.