Isa Upanishad¹

The Upanishads use the indefinite term "That" to refer to the Invisible-Absolute, because no word or name can fully define it. A finite object, such as a table or a tree, can be defined. But God is infinite and boundless, so finite language cannot express him. The Rishis, or Divine Seers, did not want to limit the Unlimited. So they chose the indefinite term "That" to refer to the Absolute.

In the light of true wisdom, the phenomenal and the Absolute are inseparable. All existence is in the Absolute, and whatever exists must exist in it. So all manifestation is merely a modification of the One Supreme Whole. It neither increases nor diminishes the Whole. The Whole therefore remains unchanged.

We cover all things with the Lord by seeing the Divine Presence everywhere. When our consciousness is firmly fixed on God, the idea of separateness naturally falls away. This happens because the One Cosmic Existence shines through all things. As we gain the light of wisdom, we stop clinging to the unreal things of this world. We find all our joy in the realm of Reality.

The great commentator Sankaracharya also interprets the word "enjoy" as "protect". This is because knowledge of our true Self is our greatest source of protection and support. Without this knowledge, we cannot be happy. Nothing in the external world of appearances is permanent or dependable. A person rich in knowledge of the Self does not desire external power or possessions.

If a man still clings to long life and earthly possessions, he may be unable to follow the path of Self-knowledge (Gnana-Nishta) prescribed in the first Mantram (text). In that case, he may follow the path of right action (Karma-Nishta). Here, Karma means actions performed without selfish motives, for the Lord alone. When a man acts while blindly clinging to his lower desires, his actions bind him to the plane of ignorance, or the plane of birth and death. But when he performs the same actions in surrender to God, they purify and liberate him.

All great religions share the idea that good people rise to bright regions as a reward. They also share the idea that evil people fall into realms of darkness as punishment. But Vedanta says that heaven and hell are only temporary states. Because our actions are finite, they can produce only finite results.

What does it mean "to kill the Self?" How can the immortal Soul ever be destroyed? It cannot be destroyed, only obscured. Some people remain under the control of ignorance. They serve the flesh and neglect the Atman, or the real Self. They cannot see the shining, indestructible nature of their Soul. So they fall into the realm where the Soul's light does not shine. Here the Upanishad shows that the only hell is the absence of knowledge. As long as people are overcome by the darkness of ignorance, they are slaves to Nature. They must accept whatever comes as a result of their thoughts and deeds. The Sages declare that people destroy themselves when they stray onto the path of unreality. This is because those who cling to the perishable body and regard it as their true Self must experience death many times.

This verse explains the nature of the Atman, or Self. A finite object can be moved from one place to another, but it can occupy only one place at a time. The Atman, however, is everywhere. So, no matter how fast someone runs to catch up with it, the Atman is already there.

Even the air that fills everything depends on this Self, because the Self is infinite. And because nothing can live without breathing air, all living things must draw their life from the Cosmic Self.

It is near to those who can understand it, because it lives in everyone’s heart. But it seems far away to those whose minds are clouded by sensuality and self-delusion. It is within because it is the innermost soul of all creatures. It is also outside, as the essence of the whole external universe, filling it like the all-pervading ether.

Anyone who sees the Self everywhere never shrinks from anything. Through higher consciousness, they feel united with all life. When someone sees God in all beings, all beings in God, and God dwelling in their own Soul, how can they hate any living thing? Grief and delusion rest on a belief in diversity. This belief leads to competition and all forms of selfishness. When someone realizes oneness, the sense of diversity vanishes, and the cause of misery is removed.

This text describes the true nature of the Self. Only when our minds are cleansed of the impurities of matter can we see the Self. It is vast, radiant, subtle, always pure and spotless, and the true basis of our existence.

Those who follow or "worship" the path of selfishness and pleasure (Avidya), knowing nothing higher, inevitably fall into darkness. But those who value or worship Vidya (knowledge) merely for intellectual pride and satisfaction fall into greater darkness. This is because they misuse a greater opportunity.

In the following verses, Vidya and Avidya are used much like "faith" and "works" in the Christian Bible. Neither alone can lead to the ultimate goal, but together they carry one to the Highest. Work done without selfish motives purifies the mind and enables a person to perceive their undying nature. This realization inevitably brings knowledge of God, because the Soul and God are one and inseparable. When a person knows they are one with the Supreme and Indestructible Whole, they realize their immortality.

This Upanishad deals chiefly with the Invisible Cause and its visible manifestation. Its teaching shows that they are one and the same, with one arising from the other. Therefore, perfect knowledge is possible only when both are understood together. The wise say that those who worship only the visible or only the invisible do not reach the highest goal. Only those who understand both together conquer Nature and thus overcome death. They understand both matter and spirit, both activity and what lies behind activity. Through work, a steady mind, and obedience to the rules prescribed in the Scriptures, a person gains wisdom. In the light of that wisdom, a person can see the Invisible Cause in all visible forms. Therefore, the wise see him in every form in which he appears. Those who have a true understanding of God are never separated from him. They exist in him, and he in them.

Here the sun, the giver of all light, symbolizes the Infinite, the giver of all wisdom. The seeker after Truth prays to the Effulgent One to control his dazzling rays. Then, no longer blinded by them, the seeker may see the Truth. Having seen it, he proclaims: "Now I see that that Effulgent Being and I are one and the same, and my delusion is destroyed." By the light of Truth, he can distinguish between the real and the unreal. This knowledge convinces him that he is one with the Supreme. There is no difference between himself and the Supreme Truth. Or, as Christ said, "I and my Father are one."

O mind, do not seek passing rewards for your actions! Strive only for the Imperishable. This Mantram, or text, is often chanted at the hour of death. It reminds us that the body is perishable and the Soul is eternal. When the heart clearly sees the difference between the mortal body and the immortal Soul, all craving for physical pleasure or material possessions falls away. Then one can say, let the body be burned to ashes so that the Soul may be free. For death is nothing more than casting off a worn-out garment.

This Upanishad is called Isa-Vasya-Upanishad. It gives Brahma-Vidya, or knowledge of the all-pervading Deity. Its central idea is that we cannot enjoy life or find true happiness unless we consciously "cover" everything with the omnipresent Lord. If we are not fully aware of what sustains our life, how can we live wisely and perform our duties? Everything we see, whether moving or still, good or bad, is "That." We must not divide our understanding of the universe. If we do, our knowledge becomes fragmentary, and we limit ourselves.

A person who sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings never suffers. When a person sees all creatures within the true Self, jealousy, grief, and hatred vanish. Only such a person can love. The all-pervading One shines with its own light. It is birthless, deathless, pure, and untouched by sin and sorrow. Knowing this, a person becomes free from the bondage of matter and transcends death. To transcend death means to recognize the difference between the body and the Soul and identify with the Soul. When we truly see the undying Soul within us and understand our true nature, we no longer identify with the body that dies. We do not die with the body.

Self-knowledge has always been the subject of the Sages. The Upanishads deal especially with knowledge of the Self and also with knowledge of God. This is because there is no difference between the Self and God. They are one and the same. What comes from the Infinite Whole must also be infinite. Therefore, the Self is infinite. That is the ocean, and we are the drops. As long as a drop remains separate from the ocean, it is small and weak. But when it is one with the ocean, it has all the strength of the ocean. Likewise, as long as a person believes they are separate from the Whole, they are helpless. But when they identify with the Whole, they rise above all weakness and share its all-powerful qualities.