Kathopanishad
Kathopanishad is one of the 10 principal upanishads which present the essence and culmination of all knowledge found within India’s most ancient and sacred texts; the vedas. It is a dialogue between a little boy named Nachiketa and the Lord of Death, Yama, which covers the nature of life after death, the true meaning of sacrifice, and how one can transcend death.
It is believed that listening to the upanishads is the first step towards discovering our unique spiritual path to liberation. In 2020, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai gave a series of talks over the course of a month, which methodically and thoroughly explained the significance of the Kathopanishad and its relevance to us in our lives. This podcast series is compiled from those talks.
Kathopanishad
38. Hierarchy of Consciousness
It is said that the spiritual path is like a sharpened razor’s edge, difficult for those who have never had concentration of mind. Yama describes to Nachiketa in detail the process of attaining the highest level of consciousness. The process involves withdrawing from the object of the senses all the way to parabrahman in eight steps. This process of withdrawal also aligns with the hierarchy of consciousness described in the aitareyopaniṣad.
Having learned this, it is now the duty of the seeker to arise, awake, and to not stop until the goal is reached. Once the Truth is known, the seeker escapes the jaws of death and is free from the endless cycles of birth and death.
If you'd like to get the links and shownotes for this episode, visit:
https://www.saiprakashana.org/KU-EP38
