Liberation into the Real Brahma By Relinquishment of All Desires, Mental Activity, and Self-Consciousness

SOURCE: The Thirteen Principal Upanishads. Translated from the Sanskrit with an outline of the philosophy of the Upanishads and an annotated bibliography by Robert Ernest Hume. With a list of recurrent and parallel passages by George C. O. Haas. 2d ed., rev. London: Oxford University Press, 1931, pp. 442–443.

30. Om! One should be in a pure place, himself pure (śuci), abiding in pureness (sativa), studying the Real (sat), speaking of the Real, meditating upon the Real, sacrificing to the Real. Henceforth, in the real Brahma which longs for the Real, he becomes completely other. So he has the reward ( phala) of having his fetters cut; becomes void of expectation, freed from fear in regard to others [as fully] as in regard to himself, void of desire. He attains to imperishable, immeasureable happiness, and continues [therein].

Verily, freedom from desire (niṣkāatva) is like the choicest extract from the choicest treasure. For, a person who is made up of all desires, who has the marks of determination, conception, and self-conceit, is bound. Hence, in being the opposite of that, he is liberated.

On this point some say: "It is a quality (guṇa) which by force of the developing differentiation of Nature ( prakṛti) comes to bind the self with determination [and the like], and that liberation results from the destruction of the fault of determination [and the like]."

[But] it is with the mind, truly, that one sees. It is with the mind that one hears. Desire, conception, doubt, faith, lack of faith, steadfastness, lack of steadfastness, shame, meditation, fear—all this is truly mind.

Borne along and defiled by the stream of Qualities, unsteady, wavering, bewildered, full of desire, distracted, one goes on into the state of self-conceit. In thinking "This is I" and "That is mine" one binds himself with himself, as does a bird with a snare! Hence a person who has the marks of determination, conception, and self-conceit is bound. Hence, in being the opposite of that, he is liberated. Therefore one should stand free from determination, free from conception, free from self-conceit. This is the mark of liberation (mokṣa). This is the pathway to Brahma here in this world. This is the opening of the door here in this world. By it one will go to the farther shore of this darkness, for therein all desires are contained. On this point they quote:—

When cease the five

[Sense-] knowledges, together with the mind,

And the intellect stirs not—

That, they say, is the highest course.'