The intelligent atman is not born, nor does he die; he did not come from anywhere, nor was he anything, unborn, eternal, everlasting, ancient; he is not slain though the body is slain.
Katha Upanishads Verse 1.2.18
Atman is soul.
I was reminded today of a beautiful story in the Katha Upanishads about the beauty of surrendering to what is...to all that is...even the hardest life experience.
Our community was hit with such a tradgic loss this week. We were shook into silence by it. There was little news, little gossip heard since the incident on Sunday. People were even afraid to ask questions or speak about it. A hushed whisper of what happened and what might be, is all that could be heard. The community was full of a silent "if we don't speak about it, it isn't real" background hum.
Accepting the reality of how impermenent and unpredictable life is; how it can strip us of the most precious jewels, our chldren, our peace; and how it can reach into any moment and take away that which we think it should never take from us, is somethimes too much for the collective mind to bear. Yet, impermanence, unpredictability, is our reality as human beings. On top of that Life can do what it does in a blink of an eye. No time to prepare.
Sigh! That is hard stuff. That, amongst other suffering I have been observing around me has left this psyche I call"me" quite disillusioned with this Life. I guess I really didn't like Life as a human being this week. It didn't make a lot of sense to me. It just seemed to be full of suffering. Where was the joy? Or even the peace I have been prayng for, for all? More than most, I have had this urge and tendency to stick my head in the sand so I didn't have to deal with what is going on out there. I had to shut out suffering or at least the knowledge of it. I closed myself off from so many suffering others over the years just to deal with what is in front of me. I was reminded of those I neglected as well this week and I felt shame and guilt. With everything coming together as a big weight on my shoulders, I felt overwhelmed. Life floored me with its heaviness.
How does one cope with such heavy reality?
The Story of Nachiketa and His Three Wishes (Ketha Upanishads)
Nachiketa was the son of a proud Brahmin by the name of Vajasravasa ( sorry no accents). Vajasravasa called himself a true renounciant and often preached how devoted he was. Nachiketa was an observant boy and an honest one. He often observed his father taking part in the customary vedic rituals of sacrificing. One day, when he noticed how his father only took the old, and no longer useful animals to the fire to be sacrificed, he asked, "Since the cow gives no milk and is no longer of value to you, Father, is it truly a sacrifice you are making?"
This hurt his father's Brahmin pride, as truth will often do. He became very angry with his son and even more distant. To make matters worse, Nachiketa, full of faith (Sraddha), innocence, and honesty continued. " And since you propose to be a renounciant and obviously have no more use for me, where will you sacrifice me Father?"
His father was furious and in his reactive anger and haste shouted, " I will give you to Death. To Death, I give you!"
As soon the words left his mouth, the old Brahmin realized his error. He did not mean what he said but once spoken from the mouth of a Brahmin, there was no taking this wish back. His grief became overwhelming.
Nachiketa was swept through the portal between life and death. Fearless and full of sraddha he said, "of many I go the first, of many I go midmost, what is there for death to do that he can now do by me?" (Verse 1.1.5) "...like corn, decades the mortal, like corn, is born again."(Verse 1.1.6)
He was taken from the world of Life to wait three days in the mansion of Yama in the after life for Death's return. (Yama ( Death) was in the world of the living collecting other souls when Nachiketa landed there.) Through that three day wait there was no entity there to greet him and therefore no water to soothe the fire of death, but Nachiketa remained very fearless, and faithful, willing to accept and surrender his life as the perfect sacrifice.
When Yama returned he was very impressed with Nachiketa's level of purity and devotion. He told him he could have three boons/wishes for being so faithful/
The first wish from Nachiketa was, " May Guatama[his father...'great sage'] be freed from anxiety, be calm in mind, not wrath against me, that he may recognize and welcome me let go by you-is, oh Death, the first of the three boons I ask." ( Verse 1.1.10)
Nachiketa knew that his father would be suffering great grief for losing his son, as any parent would. He wanted to ease that grief and alleviate any remaining anger his father might be living with...knowing that anger creates suffering for the holder. He also wanted to ensure that if he were to return, likely in another carnation, his father would recognize him and welcome him. That was his first wish.
I see how the belief in reincarnation can add peace and a sense of soothing relief in those parents who lose their children. They could be left with a sense that their children are not gone...just transformed . Hindu tradition teaches that reincarnation happens in the same ancestral pool so the ancestral karma can be burned off. In which case, we may meet our loved ones again in another body.
Just knowing your loved one is okay in the after life would be such a peace making experience. Parents who go to psychics and are told that their child is okay where they now are, are often left with so much peace.
This is the peace Nachiketa is asking for for his father.
His second wish was for Yama to teach him how to transcend the fear of death and attachment to worldly things including his own body.
His final wish was to know what happens after death.
"This well known doubt as to what happens to a man after death-some say he is, and some say he is not-I shall know being taught by thee. This is the third of the boons. " ( Verse 1.1.20)
Yama desperate not to have to explain that which even the gods sometimes do not understand, tried to dissaude Nachiveta from making such a wish his third. He encouraged him to want all the riches, fame, lonegvity the world could offer instead of this. Nachiveta was not dissauded.
"Man is not to be satisfied with wealth, if wealth were wanted, we should get it, if we only see thee. We shall also live, as long as you rule. Therefore, that boon alone is fit to be craved by me." (Verse 1.1.27)
In other words, Nachiveta was saying that all the things of the world are impermanent and unpredicatable, they will disappear as long as Death is around to claim them and that man only lives so long. Earthly things are of little value, then, compared to the ultimate knowledge of Life after death.
"What decaying mortal living in the world below and possessed of knowledge, having reached the company of the undecaying and immortal, will delight in long life, knowing the nature of delight produced by song and sport. "( Verse 1.1.28)
We as mortals are already dying and decaying...only here for a brief flicker of candle flame. Nachiveta, now in the company of immortal Death, realizes how temporal and unsatisfying that flicker is he left behind. Nothing of this world can bring to man what true knowledge and enlightenment can. He is choosing eternity and enlightenment over the temporal illusions.
In the remainder of these Upani Nachiveta what he wants to know. He gives him a mirror to tell him what he sees is not real. What is within is real: Atman/Soul. He explains there is no birth, so there can be no death for this Atman.There is an eternal Self within that can not be sought and found. It finds us. There is no "self". Just this Self which reveals itself through itSelf. "To him, this atman reveals its true nature." ( Verse 1.2.24)
It will take me forever to go through all these verses but there is one that brings a bit of peace to me during this heavy reflection of what seems like untimely suffering and death. I hope that its truth can someow penetrate the grief so many are experiencing now.
Subtler than the subtle, greater than the great, in the heart of each living being, the atman reposes. One free from desire, with his mind and senses composed, sees the glory of the atman and is absolved from grief. (Veres 1.2.20)
Hmm! How I ramble.
May all beings know:
All is well!
S. Sitarami Sastri/Wisdom Libray (Last udpated: Fenruary , 2021) Katha Upanishads with Shankara's Commentary.(1928) https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/katha-upanishad-shankara-bhashya/d/doc145164.html
Dr Katie Jane/ Embodied Philosophy (April 17, 2021) Katha Upanishads- The Secret Teachings of Death-Embodied Philsophy. https://www.embodiedphilosophy.com/kat%CC%A3ha-upanis%CC%A3ad-the-secret-teachings-of-death/
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