Thank you all for your wonderful engagement and sharing about our Life Celebration curriculum. We’re so pleased to be together in spirit around this special month.
Saturday, October 26 is a special day. It’s our worldwide celebration of Easwaran’s life. Be sure to save the date on your calendar.
1 . This week, we’re encouraging you to read the passage "The One Appearing as Many” from the Shvetashvatara Upanishad which you can also find on p.192 of God Makes the Rivers to Flow. The Shvetashvatara Upanishad is dedicated to Lord Shiva as the bestower of immortality. You could also listen to Christine Easwaran reading it in this audio clip.
May the Lord of Love, who projects himself
Into the universe of myriad forms
Through maya, from whom all beings come,
To whom all beings finally return,
May he grant us the grace of wisdom.
He is the fire and the sun, and the moon
And the stars. He is the air and the sea,
And the creator Prajapati.
He is this boy, he is that girl; he is
This man, he is that woman, and he is
This old man, too, tottering on his staff.
His face is seen everywhere.
He is the blue bird, he is the green bird
With red eyes; he is the thundercloud, and
He is the seasons and the seas; he has
No beginning, he has no end. He is
The source from whom all the worlds evolve.
From his divine power of maya comes
Forth this magical show of name and form,
Of you and me, which casts the spell of pain
And pleasure. When we pierce through the magic,
We see the One who appears as many.
Two birds of beautiful plumage, comrades
Inseparable, live on the same tree.
One bird eats the fruit of pleasure and pain;
The other looks on without eating.
Forgetting our divine origin, we
Become ensnared in the world of maya
And bewail our helplessness. But when we
See the Lord of Love in all his glory,
Adored by all, we go beyond sorrow.
What use are the scriptures to anyone
Who knows not the one source from whom they come,
In whom all gods and worlds abide? Only
Those who realize him as ever present
In their hearts attain abiding joy.
The Lord, who is the supreme magician,
Brings forth out of himself all the scriptures,
Oblations, sacrifices, spiritual
Disciplines, past and present, and the whole
Universe. Though he is not visible,
He remains hidden in the hearts of all.
Know him to be the supreme magician
Who has brought all the worlds out of himself.
Know that all beings in the universe
Partake of his divine splendor.
Know him to be the supreme magician
Who has become boy and girl, bird and beast.
He is the bestower of all blessings,
And his grace fills the heart with peace profound.
Know him to be the supreme source of all
The gods, support of the universe,
And sower of the golden seed of life.
May he grant us the grace of wisdom.
Know him to be the supreme God of gods,
From whom all the worlds draw their breath of life.
He rules every creature from within.
May he be worshipped by everyone.
Know him to be the supreme pervader,
In whom the whole universe is smaller
Than the smallest atom. May he, Shiva,
Fill our heart with infinite peace.
Know him to be the supreme guardian
Of the cosmos, protecting all creatures
From within. May he, Shiva, in whom all
Are one, free us from the bonds of death.
Know him to be the Supreme One, hidden
In the hearts of all as cream is in milk
And yet encompassing the universe.
May he, Shiva, free us from all bondage.
Know him to be the supreme architect
Who is enshrined in the hearts of all.
Know him in the depths of meditation.
May he grant us immortality.
Know him to be the supreme source of all
Religions, ruler of the world of light,
Where there is neither day nor night, neither
What is nor what is not, but only Shiva.
He is beyond the reach of the mind.
He alone is. His glory fills all worlds.
He is beyond the reach of the eye.
He alone is. May he, Shiva, reveal
Himself in the depths of meditation
And grant us immortality.
I live in fear of death, O Lord of Love;
I seek refuge at your feet. Protect me,
Protect us, man and woman, cow and horse.
May the brave ones who seek you be released
From the bondage of death.
2. Watch the seven-minute video of Easwaran explaining what it means to experience “the One appearing as many.”
How does Easwaran’s commentary add to your understanding of the passage? Are there ways in which it helps you see “the One appearing as many”? Feel free to share your thoughts below.
Experiments
You might continue last week’s experiment, keeping your eye out for the divine core in people, creatures and nature throughout your daily spiritual schedule. Can you glimpse the divine even in those who rub you the wrong way? Please share your reflections below!
For families with young children:
Focus on the first five stanzas of “The One Appearing as Many.” You might enjoy sharing it with your children in one or more of these ways:
Read it aloud chorally, and taking turns.
Listen to Christine reading those five stanzas.
Memorize it together.
Enact one of the stanzas, with each family member playing a part.
Illustrate one of the stanzas with a drawing that everyone works on together.
For teens and youth:
Would you like to get a taste of meditation? Focus on the first five stanzas of “The One Appearing as Many,” and here is how you could try out meditation:
Memorize these verses.
Find a quiet place and sit on the floor or in a chair with your back, neck and head in a straight line.
Close your eyes and go through the words of the passage slowly and silently in your mind.
If distractions come, just give more attention to the words of the passage.
If you get to the end of the passage, you can simply start again.
Try this for 15 minutes. (Adults meditate for 30 minutes, but Easwaran recommends 15 minutes for teens.)
Does meditating on these words affect your ability to see “the One appearing as many” during the day? Share your thoughts – maybe you will encourage someone else to give meditation a try!
For those who have more time
Some friends are retired or semi-retired, or in any case are setting aside dedicated time each week to honor Easwaran in this season of celebration. If you’d like to put more time into your spiritual practice, read on!
Continue memorizing this passage. It’s long, but there are lots of patterns which can make it easier to memorize. What patterns can you find? Can you break the passage into smaller sections, and memorize one small section at a time?
Try using the passage in your meditation. Even before you have the whole passage memorized, you could add a small section in at the beginning of your meditation, and then go on to another passage that you’ve fully memorized already.
In the Easwaran Digital Library watch Part 2 of Easwaran’s commentary from July 17, 1995 on the entire Shvetashvatara Upanishad. You could try watching a few minutes each day, as a part of your personal spiritual schedule. If you are not yet a member Of the Easwaran Digital Library visit www.bmcm.org/join-edl to sign up.