Isha Upanishad - Super school - Auroville - Isha Upanishad 606

Which is not philosophy, which is not science; it is a spiritual experience that is the nature of spiritual experience. Most of the people may deny it and say ‘Oh! It’s all fantasy, fine.’ Never try to convince anybody, the reality is what it is. And ultimately, if you are really seeking the best, the highest, you cannot escape it because that is the highest. You can't escape it and then you will understand, it not that it is unknowable, it is inconceivable but not unknowable. There's a difference between the two, it is inconceivable but knowable, you know it because you are that. Actually speaking that which stands and moves faster is yourself, this is what the Upanishad says tells you. What are you? You are actually this; that you always stand even when there is a constant running.

The motion is inconceivable basically, really speaking, we don't understand motion, we don't understand time, we don't understand space. These are three things, which we think we understand, but you examine them, we find that we don't understand. Time, we think, we understand that this was that two minutes ago and this is now here and something else will happen next time and I think I understand time. Space also I understand; this is one space here, the second space, there is a third space here, I understand. Motion also, I understand. I think I'm here now and I moved this way that is motion, very easy.

You don't require a spiritual experience to tell you that even these three concepts are not conceivable without spiritual experience; you can show philosophically that these are inconceivable. When you have time and you have a curiosity about it, I shall take you to a philosophical way of understanding space-time and motion; and show you that it is inconceivable. So, even philosophically it is not conceivable, although you may think it is very conceivable, all the time we are in the space-time, causality, motion, all the time.

But really speaking, truly, what is motion, just to take one example. What is motion? This is a mystery, if you have asked the question, what is motion,

Remark: Changing places.

Answer: Good, what is it that changes, you perceive it, you examine at what point it changes? But you examine at what point has it changed? Is it really so, that when you think that it is changed, has it really changed.

Remark: No, nothing changed.

Answer: It is a great wisdom. If you examine the question, what changed? The moment which is passed is no more there; the present moment before you get there, it is gone. What is it that has changed that which is passed does not exist anymore, so that does not change that which is now before you, before you grasp it, it is gone the future has not yet come into existence. What is it that has changed?

Remark: Position of yourself. You are playing with the words.

Answer: No, you are playing with the words now, I'm not playing, I’m only asking you the question: what is it that has changed, what has changed, what is it that has changed?

Remark: The energy has changed?

Answer: That which is changed has remained the same?

Remark: It is the same thing, which has changed is just transformed.

Answer: You know this is one of the great statements of Buddhism, is there something that changes? What is it that changes? What is that, what is it, that’s exactly the question?

Answer: It can be the manifestation.

The manifestation is all the time moving, what is it? There is movement but is there something that moves that is the question?

 No, you think you're moving that's all, I'm only asking you if it is a fact, you may be thinking is it a fact. In fact it maybe or may not be, according to your thinking that is where the problem is. Philosophically you may think something is right but philosophically it may not be right, that's why I say that you think you know space, I think I know time. But is it really true that I know it, that’s the question, by not asking, you do not escape the reality.

Question: Is there also a word for philosophy in Sanskrit?

Answer: Darshan, which means to know, to perceive that which is not inconceivable but experience able. What you conceive can also be perceived and what you cannot conceive can also be perceived. So, to rise to that level where the inconceivable is perceived, that is a great height of your spiritual experience. In other words the reason why I took you to this exercise today and did not move forward, did not go to verse number five, was exactly to show that it is not easy or enough merely to read these sentences. We must have a sense of wonder about these statements, these are wonderful statements. Statements which invite us to wake up; something is told to us strikes our brain, mind and we are invited to make the journey that is the real purpose of the Upanishad. A good teacher is one who invites you and throws you into a journey, that's a good teacher. Who just looks at you speaks to you or tells you something and you're set on a journey. That is the journey we shall continue, this journey is actually the beginning of the journey of this Upanishad.