1.1 They have attained the goal who realize
Brahman as the supreme reality,
The source of truth, wisdom, and boundless joy.
They see the Lord in the cave of the heart
And are granted all the blessings of life.
From Brahman came space; from space, air;
From air, fire; from fire, water; from water,
Earth; from earth, plants; from plants, food;
and from food,
The human body, head, arms, legs, and heart.
2.1 From food are made all bodies, which become
Food again for others after their death.
Food is the most important of all things
For the body; therefore it is the best
Medicine for all the body’s ailments.
They who look upon food as the Lord’s gift
Shall never lack life’s physical comforts.
From food are made all bodies. All bodies
Feed on food, and it feeds on all bodies.
Taittiriya Upanishad
The provided text describes the Hindu concept of Brahman as the ultimate reality and the source of all creation.
Self-realization, the primary objective in yoga, is achieved through spiritual understanding, that is, knowing who we truly are. Simply put, we are Brahman; Brahman is everything and everyone; we are everything and everyone. In order to “realize Brahman” (our true Self), we shed all illusions — the ego, past conditioning, and attachments — that keep us falsely identifying our bodies and minds as our source of truth, wisdom, and joy. We do not deny the validity and gifts of our body and mind. Instead, the boundless blessings of truth, wisdom, and joy emerge from within us once we remove our layers of conditioned patterns and uncover our wisdom and spiritual sheaths. Yoga teaches us that our true Self (i.e., Brahman, Spirit, Source, Creator, Life, the God of your understanding) resides in the “cave of the heart”, which is physically located just behind the xiphoid process and in front of the spine.
The Taittiriya verse continues with describing the process of creation, starting from Brahman and leading to the human body through the elements of space, air, fire, water, earth, and plants. Ultimately, all living things are composed of and nourished by food. The importance of food is emphasized, not only for sustenance but also as a divine gift (i.e., Life/Brahman protects us and provides for us). To recognize food as divine medicine brings peace and comfort into our lives.
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