World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 896

when the whole moral being is purged of evil that one is able to realise the greatness of God." After purification of mind and body one realises the Atman and becomes one with the Brahman as pure water poured into pure water becomes the same.96 Mundaka Upanisad declares that it is only when a perfect catharsis of the whole moral being takes place by the cleanness of illumination that one is able to realise the immaculate God after meditation, for, he can be attained neither by sight nor by word of mouth, nor by any other senses, nor by penance, nor by any actions whatsoever.97
Asanga, we have already seen, also points out that to attain Supreme truth, one must practise nine principles of self-perfection (Atmaparipāka) and Pāramitās. These spiritual disciplines are meant for self-purification or removal of defilement that cover up the real. He emphasises the paths of perfection known as six pāramitās. Practice of dāna (Charity), Sila (good conduct), kṣānti (tolerance) are the necessary steps on the path of spiritual attainment. Like Upanisadic thinkers he emphasises on philosophical wisdom (Prajñā).
In the major Upanisads, we find some hints for the practical realisation of the reality by means of Yoga. The steady control of the senses is considered as Yoga.98 We also come to know from Mundaka Upanisad, that Yoga is required for purification of mind and prānas. After purification of mind only Atman reveals himself. In the Mundaka Upanisad, we are told that the mind for its purification is dependent on the prānas and that it is only when the mind is purified after an initiated control of the Prāņas that the Atman reveals himself.99 We also find in the celebrated passage of the Bṛhadaranyaka Upaniṣad that Yājñavalkya tells Maitreyi to meditate upon Atman.100 Mundaka Upanisad tells us that one is able to realise the immaculate God after meditation.101 We are also told in the Katha Upanisad that Naciketa learnt Yogavidhi (method of Yoga) from Yama.102 It is true that Yogic stages are not mentioned in the Upanisads but the yogic practices were not unknown to them.
Asanga emphasised the Yogic practices as important methods for attaining the state of Nirvana. He mentioned ten stages in the yogic practice.
Asanga was not only influenced by the ideology of the Upanisads but also has bodily lifted certain words from them. He uses many words of the Upanisads in their original Upanisadic meaning. For example, the words 'dhirah' and 'bālāḥ' are used for wise and ignorant respectively in the Upanisads. Asanga also uses them in the same sense104 Upanisads used the words like 'sukham* (happiness), sāntam' (peaceful) for the state of liberation.103 Asanga uses them in the same sense.106 The Reality is not born, says Katha Upanisad.107 Asanga also says it is not born.108 Reality
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