Upanishad Series - Ep. 2 (Isha Upanishad)
What if I said all the things in this image of the universe are YOU? Our Isha Upanishad reveals this crazy truth & here’s the tea.
Welcome to Episode 2 of “Vedanta Thursdays,” in which I simplify the highest philosophical concepts of our Sanatan Dharma in just 3 minutes for you.
Today, we’re unpacking the Isha Upanishad.
Out of the 10 Maha Upanishads, Isha is one of the shortest ones with just 18 concise but life-changing mantras. Appearing in the Shukla Yajurveda, it’s also the only one that’s part of the Samhita i.e. mantra section of the Vedas, as opposed others that are conclusions of the ritual Brahmanas & esoteric Aranyakas.
The name comes from its first verse “Ishavasya midam sarvam,” which means that everything in this universe is covered by Isha, and Isha here doesn’t mean God in the Abrahamic sense but rather the “The Pure Higher Ultimate Self.”
This big idea basically teaches us that all the people you see around you are part of one continuum, one big unity, and not separate identities …
So if you start seeing this Self in everyone you meet, including the folks you’re judging or hating, you will start feeling lesser & lesser anxiety, jealousy & above all, hatred for others because there won’t be any “others.”
The second takeaway the Ishopanishad gives us is that armed with this mindset of being rooted in the Higher Self, our goal becomes to enjoy all that is given by God - wealth, beauty, love, success, WITHOUT claiming ownership over it, basically use everything but don’t get attached to it claiming it to be owned by you.
This ego & ignorance, the Upanishad says, is what binds one to darkness, not the actions of doing & enjoying things themselves.
Talking about actions, the third important takeaway Isha gives us is that the most important habit in life is creating balance, finding the Middle Path - between ritual action & withdrawing meditation, between worshipping Vidya i.e. the Truth & Avidya i.e. the Ignorance created by the Maya or Illusion of this World.
We must walk in between all extreme paths.
This means we need to “renounce” ourselves from attachments & desires but still continue doing our duties in society, taking care of our bodies, and catering to our basic needs because that is the material state we’re in.
But at the same time, we must detach from the fruits or results of the actions, not becoming obsessed with our personal agendas & identities.
The Isha Upanishad ends with a personal, intimate prayer to God, to free us as our bodies turn to ash, and our ignorance is burned away by the light of knowledge.
And keep following me for the rest of the series…