“Prana is the sun; rayi is the moon.
Matter is solid, matter is subtle;
Rayi therefore is present everywhere.“The sun gives light and life to all who live.
East and west, north and south,above, below,
It is the prana of the universe.“The wise see the Lord of Love in the sun,
Rising in all its golden radiance
To give its warmth and life to all. …“Those who observe outward forms of worship
Travel after death by the southern path,
The path of the ancestors and of rayi,
To the lunar world, and are born again.“But for those who seek the Self through meditation,
Self-Discipline, wisdom, and faith in God
Travel after death by the northern path,
The path of prana, to the solar world,
Supreme refuge, beyond the reach of fear.” ~Prashna Upanishad
Sun Gives Light
The sun does give light, and much more. Light, heat, any many other types of radiation come from the sun. Some of that radiation is beneficial, some isn’t. There is no doubt, however, that if the sun went out, all living beings on Earth would quickly die. Something people forget when they listen to the sellers of drugs and sunblock who tell us the sun is out to kill and we must protect ourselves. For thousands of years, intelligent people as well as spiritual ones have said otherwise. Yet now we have millions listening to the drug vendors who benefit from keeping them weak and ill.
Sun Gives Life
Some will argue that the sun doesn’t give life, but is necessary for it. On the material level, that may be splitting hairs. On the spiritual level, things are different. The spiritual sun does awaken out dormant spirits and souls. In a sense, that is like giving them life, even though they are not truly dead. It is this awakening of the spirit and soul that Jesus called being reborn.
Since spiritual life is eternal, the spiritual sun is more important to us than the physical sun. The wise see the Lord of Love in the sun because His presence is in the Light of the spiritual sun. Taking in that light awakens, nourishes, and educates the soul with truth and wisdom. Continue reading “Upanishads and the Sun of Light and Life”
