A story from Mundaka Upanishad
67I just read this ancient story from Mundaka Upanishada again and felt many on hubpages may enjoy it. Hope you do. It does give a feeling for basic idea of Advaita Vedanta philosophy mingled with ritualistic idea of Karma in a very colorful style.
Once in a tree there were two birds, one at the upper branch, serene, majestic and divine, and the other at a lower branch, restlessly pecking fruits, sometimes sweet sometimes bitter. Every time, when the restless bird ate a bitter fruit, it looked at the upper bird and climbed a branch up. This occurred a number of times and eventually the bird reached the topmost branch.
There it was not able to differentiate itself from the divine bird, and then it learned that there was only one bird in the tree.
(Standard Explanation: The upper bird, which is described as divine, the real form of the other restless bird. This is the thought of Vedanta. The fruits in the story are Karma, the restless bird denotes a human soul (self with the feeling of ahamkara (egotism)), and the majestic bird denotes the Absolute.
Though I feel one could also think of bitter fruits as right type of learning rather than Karma, then the story tells just the philosophy and one can avoid ritualistic talk of Karma.
It is your choice what ever you prefer. )
References
1. "Meditation and its Practices" by Vivekananda
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedanta
3 some sources for Mundaka upnishad
In original Sanskrit
sanskritdocuments.org/all_pdf/mundaka.pdf
English translations
www.hinduwebsite.com/mandukya.asp
www.atmajyoti.org/up_mundaka_upanishad_text.asp
swamij.com/upanishad-mandukya-karika.htm
http://www.san.beck.org/Upan4-Mundaka.html
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Thanks a lot Ruchira for the visit and interesting comment. I agree with you completely. Even a weakness becomes strength once we accept it as part of us and try to overcome it. I like your term "take it with open arms"
This is my simple definition of Karma"What goes around,comes around." You may be up today,tomorrow you down! Voted up useful.
Thanks a lot mackyi for the visit and interesting comment! I quite agree with you. Even in stock market world -among perhaps the most lost one with effect of maya- they say quite similar thing- what goes up comes down.
I have read this story in Mundaka Upanishad. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed your enlightening interpretation.
Thanks a lot Vinaya for the visit.
Thank You for putting it so beautifully and so simple to understand.
Thanks a lot roc for the visit and appreciation.
nice one
Thanks a lot bisaria for the visit.
Nice explanation with simple logic. i like it. voted as useful.
Thanks a lot raakachi for visit and appreciation
To day only, I have read your great hub on Mundakopanishad.Those who understand this intricate Truth will definitely progress in spirituality! Thank you for the nice treat. Also I thank you for following my hubs!
Thanks a lot saisarannga. I enjoyed very much visiting your hub, I have to read more carefully again several articles by you, very interesting ones.
Your Researches of Vedantic philosophies are really selected and good to understand , nice reading the story and explainataion
Your Researches of Vedantic philosophies are really selected and good to understand , nice reading the story and explainataion. Me Amit same as ST
Thanks a lot Amit for appreciation. I become your follower here. Looking forward to your articles on both places.
nice !!! good way to make understand the way to upgrade one self
Hi! Vandana
Yes story tells so nicely basic philosophies and method to understand one self. Thanks a lot for your visit.
Soumyasrajan, I really enjoyed this parable. In my religion, there is a concept of the oneness between mentor and disciple. In any bad situation, you ask yourself, what would the president of the organization do in this situation. Take the noble path. A number of motivational speakers now embrace the idea of role modelling. Eventually, it becomes a habit, where you too chant and pray for clarity to make the right decisions no matter what the situation is.
Voted Up and interesting.
I quite agree with the idea formosangirl. "Take a noblepath" is a very good philosophy. It is the right attitude.
My wife always says and I like this idea "one should always keep in mind even if no one else that one is any way watching you (it does not matter that one is there or not but this idea helps you to make decisions better and live better)".
What a wonderful story you tell. There's a great moral to the tale. I loved reading this. Thank you so much.
Thanks a lot sheila. Yes these ancient ideas all over world have a sort of eternal teaching and enjoyment values.
Hello soumya this is a wonderful hub. you have dmystefied the secret of mundaka upanishads in a very simple manner.what a pity much of the secrets of the upanishads seem remote and esoteric. great work
Hi! Ram
Thanks for so nice comment. I quite agree with your view. We seem to have stopped taking our ideas which are so pleasing and so exact, seriously. I wish we do a lot more of reading and analyzing these ancient ideas. There is a lot to learn from them.
Ruchira Level 8 Commenter 7 months ago
Loved your example...what we reap is what we sow so, why fear and let's take it with open arms 'cause that is our destiny/karma.
voted way way up!