The shining Self dwells hidden in the heart. Everything in the cosmos, great and small, lives in the Self.

Mundaka Upanishad

The Source of Life

Topic: Immanence & Transcendence

Bright but hidden, the Self dwells in the heart.
Everything that moves, breathes, opens, and closes
Lives in the Self. He is the source of love
And may be known through love but not through thought.
He is the goal of life. Attain this goal!

The shining Self dwells hidden in the heart.
Everything in the cosmos, great and small,
Lives in the Self. He is the source of life,
Truth beyond the transience of this world.
He is the goal of life. Attain this goal!

Take the great bow of the sacred scriptures,
Place on it the arrow of devotion;
Then draw the bowstring of meditation
And aim at the target, the Lord of Love.

The mantram is the bow, the aspirant
Is the arrow, and the Lord the target.
Now draw the bowstring of meditation,
And hitting the target be one with him.

In his robe are woven heaven and earth,
Mind and body. Realize him as the One
Behind the many and stop all vain talk.
He is the bridge from death to deathless life.

Where all the nerves meet like spokes in a wheel,
There he dwells, the One behind the many.
Meditate upon him in the mantram.
May he guide us from death to deathless life!

He knows everyone and sees everything.
It is his glory that fills the cosmos.
He resides in the city of the heart.

It is his power that moves body and mind.
May he guide us from death to deathless life!

When he is seen within us and without,
He sets right all doubts and dispels the pain
Of wrong actions committed in the past.

In the golden city of the heart dwells
The Lord of Love, without parts, without stain.
Know him as the radiant light of lights.

There shines not the sun, neither moon nor star,
Nor flash of lightning, nor fire lit on earth.
The Lord is the light reflected by all.
He shining, everything shines after him.

The Lord of Love is before and behind.
He extends to the right and to the left.
He extends above; he extends below.
There is no one here but the Lord of Love.
He alone is; in truth, he alone is.

Inspiring Journey of a Great Soul: Early Life, Teachings, and Death

Early Life

Niels Bohr was born on October 7, 1885, in Copenhagen, Denmark, into a family that fostered a strong academic environment. His father, Christian Bohr, was a respected physiology professor, while his mother, Ellen Adler Bohr, came from a well-educated Jewish family. This nurturing atmosphere ignited young Niels’s passion for learning, particularly in the fields of physics and mathematics. He excelled in his studies, earning his doctorate in 1911 from the University of Copenhagen, where he began to lay the groundwork for his groundbreaking contributions to quantum theory. Bohr’s early experiences and the intellectual climate of his upbringing would profoundly influence his revolutionary ideas about atomic structure and the behavior of electrons.

Teachings

Niels Bohr is best remembered for his pioneering work in quantum mechanics, particularly the Bohr model of the atom, which introduced the revolutionary concept that electrons orbit the nucleus at specific distances, or energy levels. His teaching extended beyond formal education; he was a mentor to many young physicists and championed the idea of open dialogue in scientific inquiry, famously coining the phrase “A physicist is just as good as his ability to ask the right questions.” Bohr’s philosophical insights into the interplay between classical and quantum physics have inspired countless scholars to explore the mysteries of the universe. His belief in the importance of cooperation among scientists, particularly evident in the establishment of the Niels Bohr Institute, fostered a collaborative spirit that continues to resonate in scientific communities worldwide.

Death

Niels Bohr passed away on November 18, 1962, leaving behind a remarkable legacy that continues to inspire generations of scientists. His contributions to the understanding of atomic theory and quantum mechanics not only transformed the field of physics but also had profound implications across various disciplines, including chemistry and philosophy. Bohr’s commitment to peace and democracy during turbulent times, particularly in the wake of World War II, underscored his belief that science should serve humanity. As we reflect on his life, we are reminded of the power of curiosity and collaboration in the pursuit of knowledge and the profound impact that one dedicated individual can have on the world. Niels Bohr’s journey serves as a beacon of inspiration, inviting us all to explore the depths of our own intellectual potential.

Hinduism
Mundaka Upanishad

“Veda.” Translated by Eknath Easwaran, Brahma - Veda, veda.wikidot.com/mundaka-upanishad-eknath, [Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.1-12].

Theme: Immanence and Transcendence

Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.1-12

In Hinduism this indwelling presence of Ultimate Reality is called the Self or Atman. However, most people live in ignorance of the Self, and they live entirely from egoistic motives. The personal ego is not the Self.

—Andrew Wilson, editor. World Scripture II. Universal Peace Federation, 2011, p. 100 [Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.1-12].

Additional Conquest of Mind Quotes

But the most important miracle of all, as the Bhagavad Gita says, comes in the climax of meditation: “You will see the divinity in every creature.” In the long run, this is what focusing our attention on the bright qualities in people will reveal. Once the mind learns to be completely one-pointed, it is ready for the ecstatic moment when it merges utterly with the object of its devotion. At first this happens only for a blissful instant in meditation—as one Catholic mystic says, just for the span of one Ave Maria. But that is enough for us to see with the whole of our being that the divinity in our hearts is our real Self, and that shining Self is the same in all. Then being kind and loving no longer requires effort; it is our native state. In traditional language this is the vision of God, which the great scriptures and mystics assure us we can live in continuously if we allow no other purpose to get in our way.

—Eknath Easwaran [Conquest of the Mind] p. 138.

Devotion to a divine incarnation—Jesus, Sri Krishna, the Buddha, the Divine Mother—helps greatly, for it gives us a focus for our love outside the narrow compass of our self-will. The subtlety is that this divine focus is not outside us. The Lord is our real Self, embodying the divine qualities which all of us have within us.

It follows that when we are looking for the Lord, unifying our desires to realize him, the Lord is looking for us at the same time. Meister Eckhart, the towering mystic of Medieval Germany, goes even further: the eye with which you see God, he says, is the same eye with which God is looking all the time at you… We don’t realize that He can open the door to deeper consciousness from inside; yet silently, subtly, all the time we are banging away on the door, He is undoing the latch on the other side. This is what devotion to a spiritual ideal can do.

—Eknath Easwaran [Conquest of the Mind] pp. 148 – 149.

The Source of Life

Inspiring Journey of a Great Soul: Early Life, Teachings, and Death

Early Life

Teachings

Death

Resources

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