In this paper, I will compare the nature of the self as portrayed in the texts of the Katha
Upanishad and the Yoga Vasistha. The former is a dialogue between a young boy, Nachiketa, and
Yama — the Lord of Death while the latter is a set of spiritual teachings imparted by sage
Vasistha to his disciple — Rama. Both of these texts discuss the notion of the self but offer different interpretations and means to achieve it. I will also argue how certain pragmatic concepts. for example, the rejection of fatalism — make the exposition of the self as expressed in the Yoga Vasistha seemingly more plausible to me than that in the Katha Upanishad.
According to the Katha Upanishad, the self (often referred to as the Atman in the text) is smaller than an atom and difficult to perceive. However, it is present deep within the heart cave …show more content…
Without its presence, a body will be inert and lifeless. The self is neither born nor dies: It is perpetual and does not get destroyed even when its host body is destroyed. The self is supreme: all humans irrespective of their castes are elementary food and even death itself is like a condiment to it. Although it takes up various forms on entering different bodies, the self remains as one and the same. The self is self-illuminating: It is because of its luminescence only that the other things in the world are perceived and grasped. On the other hand, the Yoga Vasistha claims that everything is made up of pure consciousness and its energy (here, the self is often referred to as the Brahman or consciousness). It was only because of the manifestation of this energy that vibrations took place between atoms resulting in the creation of the world. The
Brahman or the supreme being is also eternally present in all organisms.
The qualifications of the aspirant required for achieving self-realization are mostly similar in the two texts. The Katha Upanishad asserts that the one who has
Upanishad and the Yoga Vasistha. The former is a dialogue between a young boy, Nachiketa, and
Yama — the Lord of Death while the latter is a set of spiritual teachings imparted by sage
Vasistha to his disciple — Rama. Both of these texts discuss the notion of the self but offer different interpretations and means to achieve it. I will also argue how certain pragmatic concepts. for example, the rejection of fatalism — make the exposition of the self as expressed in the Yoga Vasistha seemingly more plausible to me than that in the Katha Upanishad.
According to the Katha Upanishad, the self (often referred to as the Atman in the text) is smaller than an atom and difficult to perceive. However, it is present deep within the heart cave …show more content…
Without its presence, a body will be inert and lifeless. The self is neither born nor dies: It is perpetual and does not get destroyed even when its host body is destroyed. The self is supreme: all humans irrespective of their castes are elementary food and even death itself is like a condiment to it. Although it takes up various forms on entering different bodies, the self remains as one and the same. The self is self-illuminating: It is because of its luminescence only that the other things in the world are perceived and grasped. On the other hand, the Yoga Vasistha claims that everything is made up of pure consciousness and its energy (here, the self is often referred to as the Brahman or consciousness). It was only because of the manifestation of this energy that vibrations took place between atoms resulting in the creation of the world. The
Brahman or the supreme being is also eternally present in all organisms.
The qualifications of the aspirant required for achieving self-realization are mostly similar in the two texts. The Katha Upanishad asserts that the one who has