Banani Ray - Glory of OM: A Journey to Self-Realization: A Modern Commentary on Mandukya Upanishad

In all ages, evolved human minds have never ceased to wander about their own Self. Who am I? Why do we exist on earth? What is the purpose of this life and what happens after death? Does God really exist? Such questions have forever haunted seekers in all cultures and religions of the world. The ancient text Mandukya Upanishad addresses such questions that hang around the mind of a seeker of Self-realization.

The wisdom of Mandukya Upanishad is the most precious knowledge ever revealed to the humankind. No other text in the history of humankind contains such a profound knowledge within such a humble scope just twelve verses.

Mandukya Upanishad had been documented around 800 400 B.C. The book contains the most precious revelation on the nature of reality.

Mandukya Upanishad contains sacred and secret spiritual knowledge that were revealed to ancient sages who strived to know the secret of life. This ancient knowledge was carried forward and practiced by their disciples for centuries, generations after generations.

Om is the essence of the Mandukya Upanishad. Om is the sacred wisdom which the Mandukya contains and expounds. Om is the universal God. Om is our true Self, it contends. Om is that one syllable, the primordial vibration, the infinite cosmic principle, which creates, sustains and supports this Universe. Mandukya Upanishad contains all you need to know about Om, the eternal sound vibration of the existence. It contains all you need to know about your self, if you are seeking self-realization.

Whether you believe in personal God or not, the knowledge of Mandukya Upanishad will give you a solid base or support to rely on. It is the support of Om, the grand Universal Consciousness that supports, nourishes and nurtures this existence.

In the modern times, people have often been wary of the God preached by religions the God created by narrow sectarian views. There had been enough bloodshed on earth in the name of God and religion than for anything else. With all their well-meaning words and intentions of love, acceptance and tolerance of others, religions have only succeeded in creating divisions between man and woman, saints and sinners, monks and householders, thereby destroying the possibility of one human race peacefully coexisting on earth with dignity and respect to the self and others.

Does a Universal God exist the God that is neither yours, nor mine, neither Hindu, nor Muslim, nor Christian? Is there a God that exists beyond all labels, beyond the boundary of any religion or religious sect? Is there a God whom no religious group can claim as theirs? Is there a God that loves us unconditionally?

Mandukya says that that such a universal God not only exists but that God is really a living phenomena underlying you, me, our planet earth and the whole of existence. You do not need to go to any temple or church to worship God. The whole existence is Gods temple. Your own body is the temple of God. Your own heart is the shrine. You do not need to subscribe to any religion to experience God. The only religion you need to experience God is love, kindness and respect to all beings. You do not need any preacher or prophet to learn about God. The teaching is spread on the trees and the mountains, on the stars and the river, on the Sun and the moon. The ultimate teaching is written in your heart. You just need to wake up and see.

Mandukya Upanishad is the most profound of all Upanishads, and it is a precious gift to humanity. Mandukya is very much life-affirming. It never condemns anyone or makes distinction between one human being and another, male or female, saint or sinner, monk or a layperson. Mandukya Upanishad upholds the highest dignity of human being. Mandukya Upanishad expounds that nobody is holier than you. You are, as everyone is, the most sacred expression of the divinity. This is an unalterable truth for saints and sinners alike, however fallen one may appear in the eyes of the world.

To the sage of the Upanishad, life is a pilgrimage. Each moment is to be lived in depth rather than superficially gliding by, because each moment contains God, hidden within it.

God is hidden within you, within me, within a bird, a flower or a butterfly. Every moment of our existence is an opportunity to discover God, the Essence, the Tao, the Presence, the Cosmic Consciousness, or the Buddha Nature whatever youd like to call it. This life is an opportunity to find God within us, within our fellow beings, within our surroundings. Mandukya Upanishad gives us the map, the key and the know-how.

The Mandukya Upanishad contains what is perhaps one of the most exemplary analysis of human consciousness and its relation to God, and it is one of the earliest such document that is to be found in the written records of humankind.

Mandukya does not preach a religion. It is an exposition on the existential truth of the reality we live.

The Mandukya Upanishad is not the words of the pundits, preachers, priests or the scholars. It consists of words from persons who knew the truth and experienced it in the first persons. It contains profound words of realization. Those were words of truth from the sages who passionately devoted their entire life in the pursuit of truth and, as a result, received the Truth as the subjective realization of the eternal laws of the Universe. That is why you will find the truth contained in it so simple, and yet so beautiful.

Mandukya Upanishad acts like the torch to the seekers who desire to know the truth, only the truth, and nothing less than the Truth. Blind faith in belief-system, ideologies, doctrine or dogma can never set us free. Only the knowledge of truth can set us free; only the knowledge of truth can liberate us from the slavery of doctrine, dogmas, blind faiths and religious sects that fail to deliver the truth.

Only the knowledge of Truth can make us fearless, blissful and free. The Mandukya Upanishad contains such truth in abundance; it contains the Truth in its entirety; it leads the seeker to the knowledge of the reality. This Truth is valid today as it was three thousand years ago when it was revealed to the sages, and it will remain valid forever. It will lead seekers from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.

When you study the verses of the Mandukya and revel in its wisdom, your heart will be filled with gratitude to the person who made such wealth of wisdom available to the humankind. But it is impossible to determine who wrote the text or how many authors were engaged in its composition. The wisdom was transmitted orally for centuries to worthy seekers before being recorded in writing. So, the seer of the mantras remains unknown, but the flower of knowledge continues to spread its fragrance and it will continue to do so in the future.

We need some preparation to study the great scripture. Mandukya expounds that the glory and strength of human beings come from the truth of their oneness with the source. When you proceed to the study of Self-knowledge that this Upanishad delivers, you need a heart filled with goodwill and respect toward the creation of God, a genuine intent of peace and an open mind to enquire and receive the Truth.