So today I thought maybe we should look at the Kenna Upanishad.
So the Upanishads are a set of Vedic texts that go back roughly 3,
000 years.
And the second one is called the Kenna Upanishad,
The second of 108 of them.
And I just want to share a little bit from this because this is where I'd like to take the practice today.
That which is not expressed by speech and by which speech is expressed,
That alone know as Brahman,
Not that which people here adore.
That which does not think by mind and by which they say mind is thought,
That alone know as Brahman,
Not that which people here adore.
That which does not see by the eye and by which one sees the work of the eyes,
That alone know as Brahman,
Not that which people here adore.
That which does not hear by the ear and by which the ear is heard,
That alone know as Brahman,
Not that which people here adore.
That which does not breathe by breath and by which breath is drawn,
Know alone that as Brahman,
Not that which people here adore.
So the point of all this of course is that we're very outward looking.
We're looking at things around us,
Experiencing things around us and we get drawn in by those things and it's perfectly natural.
That's what people here adore.
But what is doing the hearing?
What is doing the seeing?
What is doing the thinking?
That alone is Brahman,
Not that which people here adore.
So that's what we'll be investigating today.
That which sees,
That which hears,
That which thinks.
So I invite you to settle into an awake posture and truly settle.
Just allow relaxation.
Dropping,
Dropping,
Dropping.
Like sinking in a deep,
Deep,
Deep,
Deep well.
Like a pebble.
Allowing and observing.
Noticing that the more relaxed you become,
The more relaxation takes hold,
The more observation becomes evident,
The more that is observed.
It's like letting in the surroundings and there's your allowing.
Not just the surroundings,
Also what's going on within.
One of the most direct,
Clearest ways of observing is through sound.
By no means make that the only thing,
But just notice just how more sounds make themselves evident.
Notice too,
Perhaps,
As relaxation takes hold,
How thought becomes a little sparser.
It's still there,
But it may not be invading your entire space.
There being space between thoughts,
Perhaps.
A greater ability to see them as they arise.
A greater ability to not be caught by them,
Carried away by them.
Perhaps even noticing the release of tension as thought becomes less dominant.
So as you observe,
With your ears,
With your mind,
With your body,
See if it's possible to notice what observes.
So less attention on what is observed,
And more attention on what does the observing.
Less attention on that which the world here adores.
Perhaps a little more attention on where the adoring comes from in the first place.
That which breathes,
That which hears,
That which sees,
That which thinks.
Notice we're not trying to be that which sees or that which thinks.
We're actually trying to see that which sees,
That which thinks,
That which hears.
To observe that.
Or perhaps more to the point,
Go into the space that sees that.
Because at that point,
It may no longer be you as you experience yourself.
We're observing that which creates the you as you see yourself.
There is any kind of commentary,
No matter how subtle.
That could well be a sign that you're still inhabiting that which sees,
That which hears.
That which thinks,
Most certainly.
Is it possible to step out of that and into the space that just sees?
No commentary.
No analysis.
No concepts.
Just seeing.
It's easy to tell when we're getting carried away in thought or otherwise.
Because those powers of observation just diminish.
The sounds,
The experiences.
They're pushed aside as thought becomes central.
So if you notice that,
Just relax.
Relax into the thoughts.
Relax into that which thinks.
Into it and through it.
Noticing any efforting,
Any striving.
Just relaxing into that.
Noticing any expectation of a certain result.
And relaxing into that,
Seeing if it's possible just to let that go.
It's continuing to sink,
To drop.
Again,
Noticing any commentary.
Seeing if it's possible to notice what it is that comments.
Or notice that which would comment.
That which is not expressed by speech and by which speech is expressed.
That alone knows Brahman,
Not that which people hear or adore.
That which does not think by mind and by which they say mind is thought.
That alone knows Brahman,
Not that which people hear or adore.
That which does not see by the eye and by which one sees the work of the eyes.
That alone knows Brahman,
Not that which people hear or adore.
That which does not hear by the ear and by which the ear is heard.
That alone knows Brahman,
Not that which people hear or adore.
That which does not breathe by breath and by which breath is drawn.
That alone knows Brahman,
Not that which people hear or adore.
That which mind is thought.
That by which the ear is heard.
That by which one sees the work of the eyes.
And so just gently.
.
.
Allow yourself to settle back into body.
Round,
Firmness.
Welcome yourself back to right here.
Thank you for your practice.
