Mandukya Upanishad (5)

The fifth and final recording in the series given at Mandala Yoga Ashram in 2002

In this final recording, Swamiji explores further the concept of ‘Archetypes’. It’s not just in Yoga or Advaita that such a concept occurs. Philosophical and scientific thinkers have also proposed that there is some kind of blueprint, in a place beyond space and time, for everything that exists. Thinkers such as Plato, Goethe, and more recently, Sheldrake and workers in the field of Quantum Theory. That which is perceived by the senses is a superficial manifestation of the deeper archetype. In the recording, Swamiji gives an in-depth description of the modern scientific concepts behind the subject.

In the Upanishad, this refers to the third state of deep sleep, the realm of the collective unconscious.

‘….the gateway for the projection of Consciousness onto the other two planes of dreaming and wakefullness’.

We then come onto the fourth State, simply called ‘Turiya awastha’ which means ‘fourth state’. It has no other name because it is not describable. The text talks merely of what it is not, then:

‘…Unthinkable. Uninferable. Indescribable. Incomprehensible (ungraspable). Pure Essence of Unified and Undivided Being. Beyond all phenomena – Shantam (Peaceful) – Shivam (all blissful and all auspicious) – Advaitam (non-dual).’

Mandukya Upanishad (translated by Swami Nishchalananda)

This is referred to as Atma, the totality within which are contained all the other states, and is symbolised by AUM. The three letters represent the firs three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep, and one could say the fourth state is represented by the silence after the sounds of AUM have ended.

The recording ends with a meditation on the mantra AUM.

Please enjoy.