Disappearing into the Light.

"Two birds, one of them mortal, the other immortal,
live in the same tree. The first one pecks at the fruit,
sweet or bitter; the second looks on without eating.
Thus the personal self pecks at the fruit of this world,
bewildered by suffering, always hungry for more.
But when he meets the True Self, the resplendent God,
the source of creation, all his cravings are stilled.
Perceiving Self in all creatures, he forgets himself
in the service of all; good and evil both vanish;
delighting in Self, playing like a child with Self,
he does whatever is called for, whatever the result.

Self is everywhere shining forth from all beings,
vaster than the vast, subtler than the most subtle,
unreachable, yet nearer than breath, than heartbeat.
Eye cannot see it, ear cannot hear it nor tongue
utter it; only in deep absorption can the mind,
grown pure and silent, merge with the formless truth.
He who finds it is free; he has found himself;
he has solved the great riddle; his heart forever is at peace.
Whole he enters the Whole. His personal self
returns to its radiant, intimate, deathless source.
As rivers lose name and form as they disappear
into the sea, the sage leaves behind all traces
when he disappears into the light. Perceiving the truth,
he becomes the truth; he passes beyond all suffering,
beyond death; all the knots of his heart are loosed."

******************************************
A supreme quotation from the Mundaka Upanishad
as found in:

"The Enlightened Heart

An Anthology of Sacred Poetry"

edited by Stephen Mitchell.

Originally posted by Taoman
"Two birds, one of them mortal, the other immortal,
live in the same tree. The first one pecks at the fruit,
sweet or bitter; the second looks on without eating.
Thus the personal self pecks at the fruit of this world,
bewildered by suffering, always hungry for more.
But when he meets the True Self, the resplendent God,
the source of creation, all his ...[text shortened]... :

"The Enlightened Heart

An Anthology of Sacred Poetry"

edited by Stephen Mitchell.

Heres another take on that verese from Mundaka Upanishad :

And your probably aware that there are impersonal and personal translations of all Vedic literature.


3.1 There are two birds sitting on the tree of the body. One of them is trying to eat the fruits of the tree, and the other is just watching. The first bird is suffering, but when he turns his attention to the other bird, he will be freed from this unhappiness. One who realizes the "golden" Purusa relieves himself of piety and impiety and becomes one in quality with Him. Knowing the Supreme, the source of life in all, one becomes satisfied within. The Supreme Soul is realized by truth, austerity, correct knowledge and brahmacarya. The senses, speech, austerities and Vedic performances cannot reach Him, but one whose heart is purified by knowledge can see Him. A successful knower of the Supreme has all his desires fulfilled.

Originally posted by vishvahetu
Heres another take on that verese from Mundaka Upanishad :

And your probably aware that there are impersonal and personal translations of all Vedic literature.


3.1 There are two birds sitting on the tree of the body. One of them is trying to eat the fruits of the tree, and the other is just watching. The first bird is suffering, but when he turns ed by knowledge can see Him. A successful knower of the Supreme has all his desires fulfilled.

As I see it, both impersonal and personal translations would hold.

To me it is a wonderful, truly inspired passage and full of light.

Reading the qualities of this Self;

True God,
"...Source of creation,
In all creatures...,
Everywhere, shining forth from all beings...,
Vaster than the vast...,
Subtler than the most subtle...,
Unreachable, yet nearer than breath, than heartbeat...,
Eye cannot see it...,
ear cannot hear it
nor tongue utter it...,
The formless truth..."

I am left feeling the insufficiency of our poor words and arguing concepts to describe this Source of Light, and that it is more important to seek to know Such in our heart.
I have looked at both "Self" concepts and "Non-Self ["Voidal"] understanding and when sages and teachers of both understandings begin to actually describe their conceptions of this Self/Non-Self Source of All, they begin to sound so similar. I have seen scholarly articles from both sides saying the same.

Self/Non-Self is a duality anyway. I think we must humbly accept that we can never describe in full the Ineffable Source of All, referred to in many ways.

This is one of my favorite pieces of sacred writing from a true teacher/buddha/guru....

Thanks Vish, for another translation.