Osho discusses about the two aspects of consciousness as revealed through a metaphor or a story from the Upanishads.
A short story in the Upanishads has it that two two birds were perched on a tree, one on the topmost branch, with eyes closed, immersed in silence, sans movement and the other on the lower branches of tree scampering from one branch to another , totally in the realm of restlessness.
Growing tired of its restless attitude, hungry for this fruit and hankering for that flower, competing, quarreling and growing jealous, the bird looked up to see the other perched upon the highest branch, calm and composed. Drawn by its composure, the restless bird hops upwards, going closer to the other and ultimately becoming one with it.
Osho says that we live in two dimensions. The tree represents the three of life and the birds, the two aspects of the same consciousness. The bird perched on the highest branch, calm and composed, represents the Supreme Self ( outer manifestation of the Master) . The bird on the lowest branch getting drawn to it marks the beginning of disciple-hood. On reaching the top and merging with the other denotes the restless mind merging with the self.
Osho says that when one grows tired of life's ups and downs owing to directing the vision outwards, suddenly by the pull of the Master's Grace starts looking inwards to suddenly find the repository of silence. Slowly the restless mind merges with the silent, unmoving Self to bask in eternal bliss. The essence (Consciousness) of the Upanishads is thus captured in this story.
http://www.boldsky.com/yoga-spirituality/anecdotes/2010/consciousness-in-upanishads-story-osho-221010.html
Svetaketu, the son of great and wise man Uddalaka, was twelve years old, he was sent to a teacher with whom he studied until he was twenty-four. After learning all the Vedas, he returned home full of conceit in the belief that he was consummately well-educated, and very censorious.
Father saw his son's pride. "My dear son," he asked, "I wonder if you have learned the wisdom of the Veda. Can you hear what cannot be heard by the ear? Can you see what cannot be seen by the eyes? Do you know what cannot be known by the mind?"
"What do you mean, dear Father?" asked Svetaketu in surprise.
His father replied, "My son, when you know one lump of clay, you know all that is made of clay."
"When you know one nugget of gold, you know all that is made of gold."
"I have not yet learned this teaching," said Shvetaketu humbly. "Please, Father, teach me."
"As you wish, my dear son" said the father
"In the beginning there was a unbounded ocean of consciousness, one without a second(Ekam evaadvitiyam). It thought to itself 'I am one - may I be many,' and created light. Light thought to itself, 'I am one - may I be many,' and created water. Water thought to itself, 'I am one- may I be many,' and created matter. So consciousness became light, water and matter and the three became many and it is the essence of all things. That thou art(tat tvam asi), Shvetaketu."
... And he said, "Bring me a fruit of banyan tree."
Shvetaketu went outside and picked a fig from banyan tree. "Here it is, Father." said Shvetaketu.
"Break it open." said his father. "Tell me, what do you see inside?"
"I see many seeds"
"Break one seed open." said his father. "Tell me what do you see."
"I see nothing at all." said Shvetaketu.
"My son, that 'nothing' is the subtle essence of all living things, which appears as nothing because you cannot perceive it, but the tree has grown, and of that you are created.
"Please, honored Sir, teach me more," said Shvetaketu.
"As you wish, my dear son", said his father. "Place this salt in a glass full of water, and come to me in the morning."
Shvetaketu did this.
Next morning the father said, "Bring me the salt you poured into the water."
The son looked for it, and said "The salt has disappeared, Father."
"Please take a sip from the top of the glass," his father said. "How does it taste?"
"Salty."
"Now pour out some and take a sip from the middle," said his father. "How does it taste?"
"Salty."
"Now pour out some and take a sip from the bottom. Tell me, how does it taste?"
"Salty," said Shvetaketu.
"Even though you couldn't see it, the salt was found in every drop of water. In the same way, pure consciousness is found in all beings. That subtle essence of the whole world, the Self of all that is, the ocean of pure consciousness - that is truth. That is the all-pervading Self. That thou art Shvetaketu."
...And then Shvetaketu understood the true teaching of the veda, and became a famous teacher in the court of King Janaka, Shvetaketu always remained humble, once he had realized the Self, the ocean of pure consciousness.
Source: Chandogya Upanishad
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=BcDlPTSbEoEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Long ago there was a prince named Hemachuda, who married Hemalekha, the daughter of a sage. He discovered that this beautiful young woman was not interested in worldly pleasures.
When he asked her why, she explained, "The objects that are sources of pleasure cannot be enjoyed forever. No one can have everything he or she desires, and one who gets only a few of those things is not satisfied. In most cases, pleasure is contaminated by suffering. Further, the concept of pleasure is based on one's way of thinking about worldly objects.
Lets us take the example of a beautiful woman. The woman is outside the man who perceives her, but the perceiver breing her image inside and evaluates her beauty. If he decides that she meets his standard of loveliness, he projects his conception of beauty onto her. And as he things about the attractiveness he has projected onto her, this idea is reinfornced. Consequently desire arises, he senses and mind become excited, he beings to experience pleasure. The cause of that excitement is the sense of beauty in his mind. Children who have not yet developed this sense, and yogis who have conquered it, are not aroused even though they see the same woman.
After listening to her elaborations on worthlessness of worldly objects, the prince too lost his interest in them and become dispassionate. Out of habit and hidden desires he was attracted to sense objects, but at the same time, remembering his wife's words, he was repelled. He was constantly upset.
The learned princess realized that her husband had the potential for spiritual growth and lead him on the spiritual path. The first step was to explain that an untrained mind is the root cause of all miseries. 'Mind is like a monkey jumping incessantly," she told him. "In order to comprehend the truth, it is necessary to control its modifications and make it one-pointed, sharp, and inward. Thoughtful consideration enriched with faith and constructive reasoning is vichara. Try to understand the supreme goal with its help. Then make a sincere effort to achieve that goal. If you become skeptical because you do not seem to be making progress, you become your own enemy. But if you make an effort with full confidence, faith, and courage, you can never fail."
The prince replied, "How does this follow the law of karma?"
The princess explained "Law and order are created by Him* and applies only to those who are not fully surrendered to the divine force.
She immediately grants the highest reward of Self-realization to truly selfless devotees. She is an embodiment of infinite compassion, She repeals the law of karma and speedily guides seekers to the highest Self. And after attaining it, their karmic debts are paid. After that, if directed by the supreme divine force, Self-realized aspirants may come back to work in the world and honor the law of karma voluntarily"
The princess went on to describe the nature of the immanent and transcendent forms of God. Inspired by her wisdom, the prince studied with learned masters and gained a clear, intellectual understanding of the truth. With the passage of time he was initiated by his wife and committed himself to the practice of meditation with complete faith and determination.
Now he understood the meaning of inner joy, and compared to that, he found worldly pleasures tasteless. . But at this stage of his spiritual practice he was unable to live in the inner and outer worlds simultaneously.
One day Hemachuda asked his wife to elaborate on the nature of our own true Self. To his disappointment, she simply said, 'Whatever you feel to be yours is without any doubt different from you. So go into solitude, learn to discriminate, and whatever you find to be related to you, distinguish it from your Self and thus realize your true Self. For example, I am your wife; this automatically implies that I am not you. Renounce everything that is yours. The part of you that cannot be renounced is the Self. That you are."
The prince went into seclusion, sat down, and began to think one-pointedly. "Who am I?" he pondered. "This body is not the Self, because it is born and it changes every day. Therefore I cannot be my body. By the same token, I cannot be my prana, senses, mind, or intellect. But even though I do not know who I am and what I am, I feel that I am. I can know things through my mind, but how can I know myself? Let me control all my thought constructs. Then I might experience my pure Self."
Having made this resolution, the prince emptied his mindfield which he had developed in his meditation practice. He was suddenly plunged into great darkness, he controlled his mind, transcended the darkness, and experienced a flash of infinite light. Then the light vanished. "Am I seeing the Self in different forms?" he wondered. "Let me control my mind again and see what is beyond."
This time he slipped into a deep sleep that gradually shifted to the dream state. When he returned to normal awareness he asked himself, "Was all of this a dream? Now I am confused.Were the light and darkness also phases of a dream? What a tricky mind. Let me try once more."
This time the prince crossed the sleeping state and was absorbed in a state of blissful awareness. But eventually his mind slipped back to the ordinary waking state. Then he wondered, "Was this bliss a mere dream, or the experience of truth? I've never experienced such a profound state of peace. There is no joy like it, but I cannot explain it. I was not unconscious, because I still remember it clearly. I know that I have experienced it, but it is still a mystery."
The prince returned to his wife, told her of his experiences, and asked if what he had experienced was the Self or something else. The princess replied, "My lord, the effort you made to control the modifications of your mind was very helpful. Enlightened masters consider this to be the main means of Self-realization.
'Suppose a man hides a piece of gold and then forgets where he hid it. When he stops thinking about other things and concentrates only on the gold, he will find it. He is able to concentrate on the gold because he already knows what it looks like.
In the case of the Self, however, the search is more frustrating because people have completely forgotten that it is their own true nature. That is why they believe they have seen the Self after they have removed some of their thought constructs. An unfamiliar image suddenly arises, and they think 'This is Atman.' That is why they must get some concept of the Self through the revealed scriptures or from the enlightened sages. By so doing they won't mistake the projection of their own mind for the Self while they are in meditation. Enrich your understanding of the Self through self-study, discrimination, and contemplation. For direct realization, however, keep practicing."
So the prince undertook another intense spiritual practice and was finally established in the blissful state. The princess saw that her husband was no longer driven outward by his senses and mind, but drawn inward, and for some time she did not disturb him. Then one day, as she entered the room, the prince opened his eyes, but closed them again to re-enter that peaceful state. His wife caught his hands and asked, "What do you gain or lose by opening and closing your eyes? Do you not want to share your inner experiences?"
The prince replied, "For the first time in my life I am at peace. All my life I have run after worldly pleasures, but found no peace. Please be kind to me: leave me alone. Why, after realizing this state, are you still entangled in the world? Why don't you stay in this state forever? Why dissipate yourself in the external world?"
The wise princess answered with a smile, "My love, you still have not realized that supreme state of the Self. What you think you understand is like no understanding at all. The highest awareness can never be affected by opening or closing your eyes. It is not attained by action or inaction, by going somewhere or staying at home. How can it be supreme if it is attained by closing your eyes and lost by opening them? '
Unless the millions of knots of delusion are loosened, supreme bliss cannot be reached. Failing to recognize the Self or seeing a difference between the individual soul and God are some of these knots. Untie them. Transcend the duality of wanting and not wanting, liking and disliking, and finally, let that supreme awareness permeate your waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. There must be no wall between any of the aspects of life.
"Deflated, the prince continued his spiritual practice. Gradually he attained maturity in his realization and became firm in that consummate state. And after that he lived as a jivanmukta (a soul liberated in this lifetime) while enjoying worldly objects, ruling his subjects, amassing wealth, and administering the kingdom.
Thus Dattatreya demonstrated to Parashurama that the company of the sages is the first step in sadhana and remains the guiding force throughout. Those who aspire to the ultimate should seek the fellowship of saints. The rest follows naturally and effortlessly.
Hemachuda's father and brothers were amazed at the difference in him. He now went about administering the kingdom with tranquility and wisdom, and his relationship with his bride had changed from one of passionate infatuation to profound respect and deep sharing. When his relations asked Hemachuda how he had come to change so much, he taught them just as Hemalekha had taught him.
Now the ministers were impressed at the dramatic change in the royal family, who were suddenly showing a maturity and serenity completely uncharacteristic of them.
And now the people of the kingdom could scarcely believe the transformation in their ministers, who were suddenly tempering their actions with spiritual insight. The people wanted to know how this had happened, and the ministers in turn taught them.
In the end, nothing at all changed: Hemachuda and Hemalekha still loved each other, the king still ruled, the ministers still ministered, the washer men still cleaned the laundry, the cooks still cooked. . . . But everything had changed: all the people went about their business with Self awareness and a profound mutual respect born from their new found recognition that the divine being they had discovered in themselves also existed in every other living thing.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gukW2iojhrQC&pg=PA53&lpg=PA53&dq=a+long+ago+there+was+prince+named+hemachuda&source=bl&ots=yTe_lXILRv&sig=1xEJ-lnPOPKadTPRBjK5NXf_YTY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iL4BU8bgCoSV7AbWqYCQDg&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=a%20long%20ago%20there%20was%20prince%20named%20hemachuda&f=false
There is an inspiring story in the Kath Upanishad about a little boy named Nachiketa. He was the son of Udalak rishi. Once Udalak organized a yagna to please the deities. It was customary in those days to donate cows to Brahmins at the end of the yagna. Udalak was a miser and he donated old and weak cows to the Brahmins. None of the cows yielded any milk. This disturbed Nachiketa. He asked his father about it, "Father, to whom would you give me in charity?" This made his father very angry, but he decided not to say anything. When Nachiketa repeated the question, Udalak lost his temper and said, "I give you to Yama." Yama is the king of Yamapuri-hell. Hearing this Nachiketa went to Yama's kingdom. It was his father's command. It would not be proper for him to disobey his father. 'I should fulfil his wish,' thought Nachiketa, even if it means leaving home.
However his father realized his mistake and tried to stop him but Nachiketa did not stop. He reached Yama's kingdom and was told by Yama's guards that he had gone out for three days. Nachiketa decided to wait at his doorstep till he returned . He waited for three days. No food, no water. Three fasts ! Yama returned on the fourth day and saw little Nachiketa at his doorstep. He felt pained for keeping a Brahmin waiting without welcoming him, without food and water. It was a sin not to welcome an atithi -guest at the doorstep. He scolded his wife Yami for not welcoming him. Both rushed around the house to serve Nachiketa. One went to fetch water. The other brought a mat for him to sit on. Yama still did not feel completely satisfied in serving him. So he told Nachiketa, " Dear child, I have offended you by keeping you waiting for three days. To wash my sin I request you to ask for three boons."
Nachiketa declared,
"My first wish is, when I return home may my father welcome me lovingly.
My second wish is to grant me the knowledge by which I can be worthy of living in the heavens.
My third and last wish is to grant me Atmagnam -knowledge of the atma ."
Yama granted the first two boons immediately and tried to convince Nachiketa to give up his third wish. He offered him gold, pearls, coins, horses elephants and even the happiness of Swarg -heaven instead. "No, I do not wish for anything else," replied Nachiketa firmly. Finally, Yama granted him the third boon too, and Nachiketa was enlightened with the knowledge of the atma .
Nachiketa inspires us to be kind to all creatures, to respect one's parents, to be strong willed to do something one has decided, even in the face of difficulties and obstacles and to seek for eternal happiness.
http://kids.baps.org/storytime/nachiketa.htm
Share your empowering thoughts on this story.
