The Early Upanisads Annotated Text and Translation is a book translated from an Indian Vedic book by Patrick Olivelle. In second chapter, writers are trying to convey readers an idea of what is self. It also contains the practical wisdom of the Upanisads and the strategy or reinvention of the old Vedic paradigm that the Upanisads adopt. Furthermore, it includes that the idea of "homology".
Giving statement "The self (atman) that¡is the self that you should try to discover...When someone discovers that self and perceives it, he obtains all the worlds, and all his desires are fulfilled." (Olivelle, 1998) Prajapati states an ideal state people should to become and beware of in his whole life. However, the sentence does not give any explanations on atman. Then, a question raised up in everyone 's mind. What is the atman? This is also the question of two special people Indra and Vairocana. One is God, one is devil. Then, those two persons are on the way to see Prajapati to seek the answer. In order to let them learn step by step to fully understand self, Prajapati provides them four lectures. In first lecture, Prajnapati says to them "This person that one sees here in the eye---that is the self (atman); that is the immortal; that is the one free from fear; that is brahman." (Olivelle, 1998). This sentence means that the atman exists on you. You have to find a way to discover the atman. Indra and Virocana still don 't understand, Prajapati asks them to "Adorn yourself beautifully, dress well, and spruce yourself up, and then look into a pan of water¡That is self (atman)." (Olivelle, 1998)Prajapati is saying that no matter how you change your appearance, you are still yourself. It implies that atman isn 't affected by anything. That 's the reason why atman is "immortal". However, Indra and Virocana think they already get the idea of what atman is. They left and Virocana brings inadequate definition of atman to his group. Luckily, Indra figures out something wrong with the statement. Then, second lecture starts. In the lesson, Prajapati answers Indra 's problem. "The one who goes happily about in a dream---that is self." (Olivelle, 1998) This sentence indicates that atman is independent on body. It exists in dream. When you are dreaming, you, the one in dream is atman because you won 't be abled get hurt in the dream. However, when you are dreaming, you normally can 't recognize you are in dream. Once you realize you are dreaming, you will be happy. You can gain anything and do whatever you want in your dream. For example, in movie Inception, the main characters can steal information from others mind by building dreams. In dream, they can 't be dead. They are using a trait of dream---when you are dreaming the time before you die, you will be forced to wake up by your body. So you are immortal in your dream. When you can control your dream, …show more content…
It does not associate with trait of atman---"free from fear". To answer his question, Prjapati gives another definition of atman. "When one is fast asleep, totally collected and serene, and sees no dreams---that is the self." (Olivelle, 1998) When a person is on sleep onset---transition from wakefulness into sleep, it leads his mind from clarity to chaos. He cannot think, cannot speak and cannot feel. So, he is free from fear and immortal. He is the atman under sleep onset. Indra still gets question about the explanation given by …show more content…
According to Upanisads, "homology" is related to vital powers and sense faculties. Firstly, authors associate vital powers with sense faculties. "Vital powers---powers of movement, evacuation, ejaculation, breathing, and speaking, as well as thinking and the five senses...these are breathing, thinking, speech, sight, and hearing." (Olivelle, 1998)Every individual has those powers and sense faculties. It draws attention to human being. Secondly, authors indicates that connections between human body and cosmic sphere. For example, "Sun from the eye, moon from the mind, wind from the breath, sky from the head, earth from the feet and so on." (Olivelle, 1998) According importance of each part of body, every part of a body is corresponded to specific cosmic
Giving statement "The self (atman) that¡is the self that you should try to discover...When someone discovers that self and perceives it, he obtains all the worlds, and all his desires are fulfilled." (Olivelle, 1998) Prajapati states an ideal state people should to become and beware of in his whole life. However, the sentence does not give any explanations on atman. Then, a question raised up in everyone 's mind. What is the atman? This is also the question of two special people Indra and Vairocana. One is God, one is devil. Then, those two persons are on the way to see Prajapati to seek the answer. In order to let them learn step by step to fully understand self, Prajapati provides them four lectures. In first lecture, Prajnapati says to them "This person that one sees here in the eye---that is the self (atman); that is the immortal; that is the one free from fear; that is brahman." (Olivelle, 1998). This sentence means that the atman exists on you. You have to find a way to discover the atman. Indra and Virocana still don 't understand, Prajapati asks them to "Adorn yourself beautifully, dress well, and spruce yourself up, and then look into a pan of water¡That is self (atman)." (Olivelle, 1998)Prajapati is saying that no matter how you change your appearance, you are still yourself. It implies that atman isn 't affected by anything. That 's the reason why atman is "immortal". However, Indra and Virocana think they already get the idea of what atman is. They left and Virocana brings inadequate definition of atman to his group. Luckily, Indra figures out something wrong with the statement. Then, second lecture starts. In the lesson, Prajapati answers Indra 's problem. "The one who goes happily about in a dream---that is self." (Olivelle, 1998) This sentence indicates that atman is independent on body. It exists in dream. When you are dreaming, you, the one in dream is atman because you won 't be abled get hurt in the dream. However, when you are dreaming, you normally can 't recognize you are in dream. Once you realize you are dreaming, you will be happy. You can gain anything and do whatever you want in your dream. For example, in movie Inception, the main characters can steal information from others mind by building dreams. In dream, they can 't be dead. They are using a trait of dream---when you are dreaming the time before you die, you will be forced to wake up by your body. So you are immortal in your dream. When you can control your dream, …show more content…
It does not associate with trait of atman---"free from fear". To answer his question, Prjapati gives another definition of atman. "When one is fast asleep, totally collected and serene, and sees no dreams---that is the self." (Olivelle, 1998) When a person is on sleep onset---transition from wakefulness into sleep, it leads his mind from clarity to chaos. He cannot think, cannot speak and cannot feel. So, he is free from fear and immortal. He is the atman under sleep onset. Indra still gets question about the explanation given by …show more content…
According to Upanisads, "homology" is related to vital powers and sense faculties. Firstly, authors associate vital powers with sense faculties. "Vital powers---powers of movement, evacuation, ejaculation, breathing, and speaking, as well as thinking and the five senses...these are breathing, thinking, speech, sight, and hearing." (Olivelle, 1998)Every individual has those powers and sense faculties. It draws attention to human being. Secondly, authors indicates that connections between human body and cosmic sphere. For example, "Sun from the eye, moon from the mind, wind from the breath, sky from the head, earth from the feet and so on." (Olivelle, 1998) According importance of each part of body, every part of a body is corresponded to specific cosmic