Uddalaka Aruni

Main article: Philosophical Systems of India

Aruni also known as Uddalaka, or Uddalaka Aruni Gautama, or Uddalaka Varuni, was one of the first philosophers in written history.

Aruni attracted pupils from remote regions of India. Some of his disciples, such as Yajnavalkya, are also highly revered in Hindu traditions. Uddalaka and Yajnavalkya are among the most frequently mentioned Upanishad teachers. Their activities date back to 640-610 BC. ^[1]

Uddalaka Aruni is mentioned in many Sanskrit texts of the Vedic era, and his philosophical teachings are the focus of the "Brihadaranyaka Upanishad" and the "Chandogya Upanishad," the two oldest writings of the Upanishad. The place of their origin is considered to be North India, the northwestern part of the Ganges valley (Kuru, Panchala). This is evidenced by references to the inhabitants of Kuru, about Mahavrish, panchals, among which individual scenes of Upanishads take place. In addition, the inhabitants of Gandhara are mentioned - the region on the right bank of Sindhu, i.e. Indus (modern Peshawar) ^[2].

"Teaching Uddalaka" tat tvam asi in "Chandogya Upanishad" to son Shwetaket as the nucleus of vedanta or... materialistic philosophy

In "Chandogya Upanishad," Aruni asks metaphysical questions regarding the nature of reality and truth, observes constant change, and asks if there is something eternal and unchanging. Of these issues embedded in the dialogue with his son Shwetaketu, he presents the concept of Atman and universal Self.

Brahman, the divine essence that is embodied in the world around him, is identical to Athman, that is, the soul, the innermost inner essence of man, his true essence, which remains if you distract from all the external that belongs to him. It is this idea, according to traditional interpretations, that is expressed in the "Chandogya Upanishad" in the famous saying "that is, you" (tat tvam asi), that is, everything that surrounds you is yourself, your soul, is one with you.

We meet this dictum in the teaching of Uddalaka Aruni to his son Shvetaket. The Chandogya Upanishad tells how Uddalaka's son returns home after 24 years of apprenticeship, thoroughly studying the Vedas, proud of the knowledge gained, "thinking of himself as a scientist." However, his father destroys his complacency by asking him if he has received instruction "that makes the unheard one heard, the unnoticed one noticed, the unheard one recognized." Uddalaka says:

Just as one lump of clay recognizes everything made of clay, for every modification is only a name based on words, the real one is clay... how one piece of gold recognizes everything made of gold, for every modification is only a name based on words, the real one is gold... like one knife at a time... everything made of iron is recognized, for any modification is only a name based on words, the real one is iron - such is expensive, and this is the instruction (VI.3-b) ^[3]

It is revealed that Shwetaketu's teachers knew nothing of such instruction, and Uddalaka then teaches his son. This teaching of Uddalaka, occupying the sixth book of the "Chandogya Upanishad," is one of the most authoritative and expressive texts in Upanishad literature, often cited and often referenced in the interpretation of Vedanta teachings. Uddalaka first sets out a cosmogonic theory, according to which at first there was Susheya (sat); it created heat, heat created water, water created food, and then creatures of three genera arose: born from an egg, born from the living and born from a sprout. And all creatures are made of these three elements: heat, water and food. A physiological explanation follows: absorbed food becomes meat, water becomes blood, heat becomes bone and brain, and their "thinnest" (sukshma) parts become, respectively, mind, breath, speech, etc. This is followed by the main teaching that Uddalaka develops from the above theory. Food, he explains, the basis of creation, the basis of food - water, the basis of water - heat, the basis of heat - Is it.

All these creations have a root in the Being, a refuge in the Being, a support in the Being... And when... a person dies, his speech plunges into the mind, the mind into the breath, the breath into the heat, the heat into the higher deity. And this thin entity is the basis of everything that exists. Now - real, then - Atman, then - this is you, about Shvetaket!

"Take me further, venerable!" Shwetaket said.

• All right, dear, he said. "Just as the honey - making bees collect the juices of various trees and make one juice out of them, these juices do not distinguish themselves there, saying," I am the juice of this tree! I am the juice of that tree! - just like... and all these beings, having reached the Essence, do not know that they have reached the Essence. Whoever they are here is a tiger, or a lion, or a wolf, or a boar, or a worm... or a midge, they become The One. And this thin entity is the basis of everything that exists. Now - real, then - Atman, then - this is you, about Shvetaket!

"Take me further, venerable! "All right, dear," he said... - Bring here the fruit of nyagrodhi (fig tree). "Here he is, venerable. "Break it up. "It's broken, venerable. "What do you see in him?" "These little seeds, venerable. "Break up one of them. "It's broken, venerable. "What do you see in him?" "Nothing, venerable. "And he said to him:" Truly, dear, here is a subtle essence that you do not perceive; truly thanks to her there is this big nyagrodha... And this thin entity is the basis of everything that exists. Now - real, then - Atman, then - this is you, about Shvetaket!

"Take me further, venerable!

• All right, dear, he said. Put this salt in the water and come to me in the morning. "And he did. Father said to him: "Bring the salt that you put in the water in the evening. "And after searching, he found no salt, for it had dissolved. Father said: - Try this water from above - what is it?

"Salty.

• Try from the bottom - what is it?

"Salty. "Try it from the middle - what is it?"

• ... She is the same all the time.

"Father said to him:" Truly, dear, you do not perceive the Essence here, but here it is. And this thin entity is the basis of everything that exists. Now - real, then - Atman, then - this is you, about Shvetaket! (VI.8.6—7; 9.1—4; 12.1—3; 13.1-3).

This text from the "Chandogya Upanishad," illustrating the doctrine of the unity of the Atman, the human soul, with the universe, is a vivid example of the style of the early Upanishads with comparisons characteristic of it, repetitions giving the presentation of these teachings preaching persuasiveness. The "teaching of Uddalaka" is considered one of the fundamental texts in the development of the doctrine of the identity of Atman and Brahman, which formed the core of the philosophical system called "vedanta," a system of objective idealism, which, however, developed much later, in the Middle Ages, and throughout the Middle Ages and to this day remains in India the most influential philosophical school.

However, some researchers precisely in the texts associated with the name of Uddalaka see the beginning of a materialistic direction in ancient Indian philosophy and believe (not without reason) that the true meaning of his "Teaching" was distorted in the later Vedantist tradition. Indeed, nowhere in this text speaks directly of the identity of Atman with Brahman. In the famous formula "that is, you," interpreted as the statement of the principle of objective idealism, it is possible to see, on the contrary, the statement of the fact that man is material and in this sense is one with nature. It is characteristic that Uddalaka sees the beginning of the universe in the Being and further understands the evolution of creation quite materialistically. Researchers who see the features of individual authorship in the texts of the Upanishads contrast the naive-materialistic and hylozoic tendencies in Uddalaka's sermons with the frank idealism of his student Yajnyavalkya.

The story of Shvetaketu in the "Chandogya Upanishad" is the first time that reincarnation is mentioned in the Vedas and possibly all known writings in human history. In the story, Shwetaketu returns home from his studies, and his childhood friends ask him what he learned about the afterlife, to which he replies that it was not part of his curriculum. They ask Father Shvetaketa, and he also does not know, so they ask the king, who claims that he knew the concept of reincarnation all the time and explained it. It is a common belief among the Kshatriyas (warrior caste), he adds, and from this belief they draw their bravery from the battle.

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