Chandogya Upanishade

Die 'Chandogya - Upanishade' oder 'Chāndogya Upaniṣad'(Lied und Opfer) oder Khandogya ist nach dem Weisen Mandukya benannt. Sie ist mit ihren 8 (25) Kapiteln eine der primären(mukhya) Upanishaden.

Zusammen mit der Jaiminiya Upanishad und der Brihadaranyaka Upanishad gehört die Chāndogya Upaniṣad zu den alten Upanishaden der Brahmana - Periode des vedischen Sanskrit. Sie wird mit dem Kauthuma Shakha des Samaveda assoziiert und hält Platz 9 im Muktika - Kanon der 108 Upanishaden. Sie ist zudem ein Teil des zehnteiligen Chandogya - Brahmana.

Inhalt

Einführung :
Die Chanogya - Upanishade handelt direkt von der wahren Natur von Brahman, dem höchsten Selbst ohne ein zweites, und von seiner Identität mit dem individuellen Selbst.

Die Silbe OM (Udgitha) wird als Essenz erläutert und meditiert.Der Name ist von chanda unter Bezug auf die Metrik in welcher sie geschrieben ist.

Die Botschaft dieser Upanishade ist die Wichtigkeit von Sprache und Lied im Leben. Sie weist auf den inneren Gesang hin, der dabei in unser Atemsystems eintritt. Während sich die Mandukya auf die Bedeutung des Om konzentriert, geginnt diese Upanishade mit der Anweisung, man solle über OM als lautem Gesang meditieren(udgitha).

'Die Essenz aller Wesen ist die Erde, die Essenz der Erde ist Wasser, die Essenz von Wasser sind die Pflanzen, die Essenz der Pflanzen ist die Person, die Essenz der Person ist die Sprache, die Essenz der Sprache ist die Hymne des Rigveda. Deren Essenz ist der Gesang. Die Essenz des Gesangs ist der udgitha Om. Sprache und Atem werden von Om zusammengehalten.

Die Upanishads teach us that Brahman is beyond mind and speech, they at the same time try to tell us it is very close, nearer than the near, in the world around us and in every breath of our life. 
The essence of a person is speech and how true this is! What a person thinks, what a person knows, what
a person feels, is revealed in their speech. In speaking, breathing plays a vital
role. Speech and breath are held together by the “internal chant” of Om.
“In this body, there is an interplay of both light (deva) and darkness (asura).
The gods thought that udgitha is the sense of smell, but as we can smell things
which are both good and bad, that cannot be It. Then the gods thought udgitha
is speech, but as we can utter both good and bad words, that cannot be It. Then
the gods thought udgitha is the sense of sight, but as we can see both good and
bad, that cannot be It. Then the gods thought udgitha is the sense of hearing,
but as we can hear both good and bad, that cannot be It. Then the gods thought
udgitha is mind, but as we can imagine both good and bad, that cannot be It.
Then the gods thought udgitha as life (prana) and realised that darkness could
not enter prana .”

In this sequence of verses, we see how the student is led to see how everything
is afflicted with duality, by good and bad, but finally, prana is not, and so we
are able to understand an aspect of Brahman in this way.
The Upanishad continues with some specific instructions on how to meditate
on this instruction. “One may  meditate on the sun as
udgitha . Just as the udgitha knows no darkness, the sun knows no darkness. 

One should meditate on the breathing as udgitha since it is constantly chanting Om.
 As the vina(astringed instrument) sings, so is the song of the udgi
tha within. The song is all around us also. The song is in the rain.
 The song is in the waters. The song is in the seasons. 
The song is in the sounds of birds and the animals. As all leaves
are held together by the branch, so also is all speech held together by Om. 
All this is verily Om.”

The central thesis of the Upanishad is that “song” is very much a part of life
and that one must commune or become one with the song. The poetic mood is
a means to a higher awareness. This experience transcends knowledge. In his
book, “My Reminiscencs,” the Bengali poet and Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath
Tagore explains, “Does one write poetry to explain something? It is a feeling
within the heart that tries to find outside shape in a poem. ... That words have
meaning is just the difficulty. That is why poets have to turn and twist them in
meter and rhyme, so that meaning may be held somewhat in check and feeling
allowed to express itself.” 
.........................................................
In a later chapter, he writes, “The main object of teaching is not to give explanations 
but to knock at the doors of the mind. ...
I can recollect many things which I did not understand, but which stirred me
deeply. ... I was pacing the terrace of our house late in the afternoon. ... I
could see at once that the evening had entered me; its shades had obliterated
my self. ... Now that the self was in the background, I could see the world in
its true aspect ... full of beauty and joy.”
Reminiscent of the Prasna Upanishad, the sage continues, “The heart has
five openings. The upward breath is pr ana , the diffused breath is vy
ana, the downward breath is apana , the equalised breath is samanaand the final one is
udana . One should meditate on this. ... Verily, a person consists of purpose.
According to the purpose, that he becomes.”

Now come some illustrative examples. A young boy desiring knowledge went
to a sage to be taught. The sage asked him, “What is the name of your father?”
The boy replied, “I do not know the name of my father. I was born while my
mother was serving various people. I only know that my name is Satyakama
and my mother is Jabala.” Then the sage replied, “None but a brahmin
can speak such damaging truth about oneself. As you have not deviated from truth,
I shall teach you.” Here we see an important feature of that time period. The
real meaning of the word brahmin is a sincere seeker of truth and not a caste
distinction. 

Now comes a peculiar method of instruction of the sage. The sage gives
Satyakama four hundred lean cows to be taken to the forest. When they are a
thousand, bring them back. Thus, Satyakama follows the instructions and after
several years, one of the cows speaks to him, “We are a thousand now so take
us back to your teacher. I will now teach you about
Brahman.” Satyakama was startled and said, “Please teach me.” The cow replied, “The east is
Brahman and so is the west. The north is Brahman and so is the south. Fire will now
continue the teaching.” So Satyakama went to the fire, and said, “Please teach
me.” Fire then said, “The earth is Brahman , so are the sky and ocean. Now the
birds will teach you.” So Satyakama went to the birds and said, “Please teach
me.” The birds then spoke, “The sun and the moon are part of
Brahman , as well as the lightning. Breath is Brahman and so are hearing, sight and mind.
” When Satyakama brought the cows back to the teacher, the sage inquired,
“Your face shines like a knower of Brahman . Who has taught you?” “Beings
other than men, but I wish that you now teach me.” Then the sage taught him
and nothing was left out.

In explaining to us the meaning of this story, Vivekananda writes
1 about1S. Vivekananda, Complete Works, Vol. 2, p. 311-317.
6.3 The Chandogya Upanishad 55 the voices emanating from the cows, the fire, the 
birds and so forth. “The great idea of which we here see the germ is that all these 
voices are inside ourselves.
As we understand these truths better, we find the voice is in our own heart.
... The second idea that we get is that of making the knowledge of
Brahman practical. ... The truth was shown through everything with which the students
were familiar. ... The earth became transformed, life became transformed,
the sun, the moon, the stars, the lightning, everything became transformed
and deified. ... The principle that underlies all these stories is that invented
symbolism may be good and helpful, but already better symbols exist than any
we can invent. ... This world spoke to the early thinkers. Birds spoke to them,
animals spoke to them, the sun and the moon spoke to them and little by little
they realised things, and got into the heart of nature. Not by cogitation nor by
the force of logic, not by picking the brains of others and making a big book,
as is the fashion in modern times, not even as I do, by taking up one of their
writings and making a long lecture, but by patient investigation and discovery
they found out the truth. Its essential method was practice, and so it must be
always. ... It is practice first, and knowledge afterwards.”

Next is asked the question that is reminscent of the opening question in the
Mundaka Upanishad. The student asks, “Sir, what is that by knowing which
everything becomes known?” The sage replies, “Just as by knowing a clod of
clay, all the clay becomes known, so is this teaching. Of this mighty tree, if
someone should strike at the root, it would bleed, but still live. If someone
should strike at the middle, it would bleed but still live. Being pervaded by the
atman it stands firm, drinking in its moisture and rejoicing. Bring to me the
fruit of the nyagrodha tree.” The student brings it and says, “Here it is, Sir.”
“Break it.” “It is broken, Sir.” “What do you see?” “Extremely fine seeds, Sir.”
“Break one of those seeds.” “It is broken, Sir.” “What do you see?” “Nothing,
Sir.” “My dear, out of that ‘nothing’, this great nyagrodha tree has arisen. The
atman
is subtle, imperceptible, out of which this whole universe has arisen.”
Then comes an instruction on progressive meditation. The sage Narada went
to another sage called Sanatkumara and said, “I have studied all branches of
learning, art, science, music, philosophy as well as the sacred scriptures. But
I have gained no peace. I have heard from great teachers like you that only
he who knows his Self finds peace.” The venerable sage Sanatkumara replies,
“What you have studied is name only. Meditate on name as Brahman.”
What a delicious teaching! Observe that the sage does not say all that
Narada knows is useless. He transforms it, deifies it by asking him to meditate
on that as Brahman . Now Narada asks, “Is there anything higher than name?”
The sage replies, “Yes, speech is higher than name. It is through speech that
we come to know the many branches of learning. Meditate therefore on speech
as Brahman . ”

56 The Mandukya, Taittiriya and Chandogya Upanishads
“Is there anything higher than speech?” Narada asks. “Yes,” the sage
replies, “mind is higher than speech. Mind can hold both name and speech.
Meditate on mind as
Brahman
.”
“Is there anything higher than mind?” asks Narada. “Yes, will is higher
than mind. When one wills, then one reflects, then utters speech, and then
utters the name. Thus, meditate on will as
Brahman
.”
“Is there anything higher?” asks Narada. “Yes, thinking is greater than
will. Even though one may know many things, but does not know how to think,
people will say he is nobody, whatever he may know. Meditate on thinking as
Brahman
. ”
“Is there anything higher sir?” asks Narada. “Yes, contemplation is higher
than thinking. The earth contemplates, as it were. The heavens contemplate as
it were. The mountains contemplate as it were. Whoever has achieved greatness
in this world has done so through contemplation. Meditate on contemplation
as Brahman ” Contemplation involves a detached observation of a sequence of
thoughts.
“Is there anything higher sir?” “Yes, insight and understanding are higher.
Meditate on insight and understanding as Brahman .” From detached observa-
tion, patterns emerge and this is called understanding, namely, the perception
of a pattern or a “law.”

“Is there anything higher sir?” “Yes, strength is higher than insight and
understanding. A man of both physical and mental strength can make a hun-
dred men of understanding tremble. By strength, verily, the earth stands. By
strength, verily, the mountains stand. By strength, verily, the world stands.
Meditate on strength as
Brahman
. ” Here, ‘strength’ should be thought of as sustained endeavour.
“Is there anything higher sir?” “Food is greater than strength. For without
food, neither physical strength or mental strength is possible. Thus meditate
on food as Brahman.” “Is there anything higher sir?” “Water is greater than food. 
Water is in the earth, the atmosphere, the sky, the mountains, the plants and all living things.
Water is indeed all these forms. Thus meditate on water as Brahman. ”
“Is there anything higher sir?” “Heat is greater than water. Without the

6.3 The Chandogya Upanishad 57 
convection of heat, it will not rain, and there is no water. Meditate on heat as
Brahman.”
“Is there anything higher sir?” “Space ( akasa) is higher than heat. 
For nothing can exist without space. In space reside the sun, moon and the stars.
Meditate on space as Brahman.”

“Is there anything higher sir?” “Memory is higher than space. Meditate on
memory as Brahman.”
“Is there anything higher sir?” “Yes, desire is greater than memory. Without
desire, memory does not proceed. When kindled by desire, memory learns.
Meditate on desire as
Brahman.”
“Is there anything higher sir?” “Yes, life prana is higher than desire.
Pr ana moves the breath. Prana is all this.”
Some points need clarification here. Here we come to interesting and very
subtle ideas. By memory, one does not mean the individual memory, but rather
the cosmic memory. In Indian cosmology, there is the theory that creation
occurs in cycles (
kalpas). 
There is dissolution (pralaya) of the present universe
and then creation (or more more precisely, projection) of another universe. The
process goes on cyclically according to the theory. Where does the new universe
reside in between dissolution and creation. It resides in memory. We may want
to call it the “collective unconscious” as Jung does, but the idea remains the
same. Where do the archetypes reside before they manifest in the waking or
the dream worlds? They reside in memory.
In his essay on Cosmology, Vivekananda gives some further clarification of
some of these points. “All motion, everything in this universe, can be likened to
waves undergoing successive rise and fall. Some of these philosophers hold that
the whole universe quiets down for a period. Others hold that this quieting
down applies only to systems ... When it quiets down, what becomes of the
universe? It exists, only in finer forms, in the form of cause. ... There is in the
Rg Veda, the oldest human writing in existence, a beautiful passage describing
creation, and it is most poetical - ‘When there was neither aught nor naught,
when darkness was rolling over darkness, what existed?’ and the answer is
given, ‘It then existed without vibration’. This prana existed then, but there was no motion in it;
anidava tam means ‘existed without vibration’. Vibration had stopped. Then when the kalpa
begins, ... the anidavatam(unvibratingatom) commences to vibrate, and blow after blow is given by prana to akasa.
The atoms become condensed and as they are condensed different elements are

The akasa , acted upon by repeated blows of prana , produces
vayu or vibrations. This vayu vibrates, and the vibrations
growing more and more rapid result in friction giving rise to heat,
tejas . Then this heat ends in liquefaction, apah. Then that liquid becomes solid. ... 
All that we know in the form of motion, vibration, or thought is a modification of the
prana.”


Kapitel
Diskurs 1 : 10 Kapitel
Sankara's Anrufung, Udgitha Meditation des 'Om', Meditation des 'OM' (Udgitha) als die Sonne und der Vyana  // Essenz des Sāma-Veda ist der Udgitha('OM') // ... // Sprache ist der Rik; der vitale Atem (prāna) ist der Sāman; die Sylbe OM ist der Udgitha. Sprache und Prana, der Rik und der Sāman, bilden ein Paar.

Diskurs 2 : 14 Kapitel
Diskurs 3 : 5 Kapitel
Meditation der Sonne,    Meditation des qualifizierten Brahmana,    Meditation des Opfers als Mann,    Meditation von Namen - Akasa

Diskurs 4 : 8 Kapitel
Diskurs 5 : 8 Kapitel
Drei Wege für die Hausbesitzer,    Philosophie der Atemzüge,   Prozess von Geburt und Wiedergeburt, Philosophie der Vaiswanara Feuer

Diskurs 6 : 8 Kapitel
Philosophie des Seins, Prozess der Verdreifachung

Diskurs 7
Philosophie von Namen und anderer niederer Dinge, Philosophy des Geistes, Philosophie des Willens, Philosophie der Intelligenz, Philosophie der Betrachtung, Philosophy des Lernens, Philosophie der Ernährung, Philosophie des Wassers, Philosophie des Akasa, Philosophie der Erinnerung, Philosophie des Geistes, Philosophie der Glückseligkeit, Philosophie des Unendlichen, Philosophie des Selbstes

Diskurs 8 : 8 Kapitel
Untersuchung der Natur des Brahman, Philosophie des Seins, Philosophie der Inneren Akasa, Philosophie des Selbstes, Region der Väter,  Wichtigkeit des Zölibats, Beschreibung der Arterien, Suche nach dem  Selbst

Diskurse 9 - 25
* online

Literatur
* obige Diskurse als Online-Text : THE CHANDOGYOPANISHAD - Ganganath - 1942 - en. Text

* Chandogya online deutsch
* Chandogya online Max Müller
* Chandogya online english
* 3 Übersetzungen online 
* Chandogya Upanishad with Shankara Bhashya - English Translation Part 1  PDF
* Chandogya Upanishad with Shankara Bhashya - English Translation : Part2
* Chandogya Upanishad Vahini 9
* Chandogya Upanishad (Nikhilananda)
* Chandogya Krishnananda en
* Chandogya Upanishad Sanskrit

* ChandogyaUpanishad - Part 1 : en. Text online
* Chandogya Upanishad with Shankara Bhashya, by Ganganath Jha (1942) PDF
* Chandogya Upanishade übers. von Krishnananda  PDF
* UPANISHAD VAHINI CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD
* Chandogya Upanishad - Sacred Books of the East - Volume 1, Transl. Max Muller, Oxford University Press, 1881

Referenzen


Weblinks
* en Wiki zur Chandogya Upanishade
* Yoga-vidya : Chandogya - Upanishad