Philosophia Ultima

Mandukya Upanishad

AUM,
THE IMPERISHABLE SOUND,
IS THE SEED OF ALL THAT EXISTS.
THE PAST, THE PRESENT, THE FUTURE,
-- ALL ARE BUT THE UNFOLDING OF AUM.
AND WHATEVER TRANSCENDS
THE THREE REALMS OF TIME,
THAT INDEED IS THE FLOWING OF AUM.
THIS WHOLE CREATION IS ULTIMATELY BRAHMAN.
AND THE SELF,
THIS ALSO IS BRAHMAN.

AUM
PURNAMADAH
PURNAMIDAM
PURNAT PURNAMUDACHYATE
PURNASYA PURNAMADAYA
PURNAMEVA VASHISYATE.

AUM
THAT IS THE WHOLE.
THIS IS THE WHOLE.
FROM WHOLENESS EMERGES WHOLENESS.
WHOLENESS COMING FROM WHOLENESS,
WHOLENESS STILL REMAINS.

2.
 
THIS PURE SELF HAS FOUR QUARTERS:

THE FIRST IS THE WAKING STATE,
EXPERIENCE OF THE REALITY COMMON TO EVERYONE.
THE ATTENTION FACES OUTWARDS,
ENJOYING THE WORLD IN ALL ITS VARIETY.
 
THE SECOND IS EXPERIENCE OF SUBJECTIVE WORLDS,
SUCH AS IN DREAMING.
HERE THE ATTENTION DWELLS WITHIN,
CHARMED BY THE MIND'S SUBTLER CREATIONS.
 
THE THIRD IS DEEP SLEEP,
THE MIND RESTS, WITH AWARENESS SUSPENDED.
THIS STATE BEYOND DUALITY,
-- FROM WHICH THE WVES OF THINKING EMERGE,
IS ENJOYED BY THE ENLIGHTENED
AS AN OCEAN OF SILENCE AND BLISS.
THE FOURTH, SAY THE WISE, IS THE PURE SELF ALONE.
DWELLING IN THE HEART OF ALL,
IT IS THE LORD OF ALL,
THE SEER OF ALL,
THE SOURCE AND GOAL OF ALL.
 
3.
 
IT IS NOT OUTER AWARENESS,
IT IS NOT INNER AWARENESS,
NOR IS IT A SUSPENSION OF AWARENESS.
IT IS NOT KNOWING,
IT IS NOT UNKNOWING,
NOR IS IT KNOWINGNESS ITSELF.
IT CAN NEITHER BE SEEN NOR UNDERSTOOD,
IT CANNOT BE GIVEN BOUNDARIES.
IT IS INEFFABLE AND BEYOND THOUGHT.
IT IS INDEFINABLE.
IT IS KNOWN ONLY THROUGH BECOMING IT.
IT IS THE END OF ALL ACTIVITY,
SILENT AND UNCHANGING,
THE SUPREME GOOD,
ONE WITHOUT A SECOND.
IT IS THE REAL SELF.
IT, ABOVE ALL, SHOULD BE KNOWN.
 
4.
 
THIS PURE SELF AND AUM ARE AS ONE;
AND THE DIFFERENT QUARTERS OF THE SELF
CORRESPOND TO AUM AND ITS SOUNDS, A-U-M.
EXPERIENCE OF THE OUTER WORLD CORRESPONDS TO A,
THE FIRST SOUND.
THIS INITIATES ACTION AND ACHIEVEMENT.
WHOEVER AWAKENS TO THIS ACTS IN FREEDOM
ACHIEVES SUCCESS.
 
EXPERIENCE OF THE INNER WORLD CORRESPONDS TO U,
THE SECOND SOUND.
THIS INITIATES UPHOLDING AND UNIFICATION.
WHOEVER AWAKENS TO THIS UPHOLDS THE TRADITION
OF KNOWLEDGE AND UNIFIES THE DIVERSITIES OF LIFE.
EVERYTHING THAT COMES ALONG SPEAKS TO HIM OF BRAHMAN.
THE STATE OF DREAMLESS SLEEP CORRESPONDS TO M,
THE THIRD SOUND.
THIS INITIATES MEASUREMENT AND MERGING.
WHOEVER AWAKENS TO THIS MERGES WITH THE WORLD
AND HAS THE MEASURE OF ALL THINGS.
 
THE PURE SELF ALONE,
THAT WHICH IS INDIVISIBLE,
WHICH CANNOT BE DESCRIBED,
THE SUPREME GOOD,
THE ONE WITHOUT A SECOND,
THAT CORRESPONDS TO THE WHOLENESS OF AUM.
WHOEVER AWAKENS TO THAT BECOMES THE SELF.