Chapter 12 of 15

Kena-Upanishad: Part Second

ケーナ・ウパニシャッド：第二部

If thou thinkest "I know It well," then it is certain that thou knowest but little of the Brahman (Absolute Truth), or in what form He (resideth) in the Devas (minor aspects of Deity). Therefore I think that what thou thinkest to be known is still to be sought after.

もし汝「我はそれをよく知る」と思わば、汝はブラフマン（絶対なる真理）についてわずかしか知らざること確かなり。あるいはデーヴァ（神格の小さき相）のいかなる形においてかの者が（宿る）かも。ゆえに我は、汝が知ると思うものは、なお探求されるべきものと思う。

Having given the definition of the real Self or Brahman, by which mortals are able to see, hear, feel and think, the teacher was afraid that the disciple, after merely hearing about It, might conclude that he knew It. So he said to him: "You have heard about It, but that is not enough. You must experience It. Mere intellectual recognition will not give you true knowledge of It. Neither can It be taught to you. The teacher can only show the way. You must find It for yourself."

真の自己すなわちブラフマンの定義を与え、それによりて死すべき者が見、聞き、感じ、考えることを示した後、師は弟子がそれについて単に聞いただけでそれを知ったと結論するのではないかと恐れました。

Knowledge means union between subject and object. To gain this union one must practice, theory cannot help us. The previous chapter has shown that the knowledge of Brahman is beyond sense-perception: "There the eye does not go, nor speech, nor mind." "That is distinct from known and also It is beyond the unknown." Therefore it was necessary for the teacher to remind the disciple that knowledge based on sense-perception or intellectual apprehension should not be confounded with supersensuous knowledge. Although the disciple had listened to the teacher with unquestioning mind and was intellectually convinced of the truth of his words, it was now necessary for him to prove by his own experience what he had heard. Guided by the teacher, he sought within himself through meditation the meaning of Brahman; and having gained a new vision, he approached the teacher once more.

知識とは主体と客体の合一を意味します。この合一を得るには実践しなければならず、理論だけではそれを到達せしめることはできません。

The disciple said: I do not think I know It well, nor do I think that I do not know It. He among us who knows It truly, knows (what is meant by) "I know" and also what is meant by "I know It not."

弟子は言った。「我はそれをよく知るとは思わず、また知らぬとも思わず。我らのうちそれを知る者は、それを知り、またそれを知らぬとも思わぬ。」

This appears to be contradictory, but it is not. In the previous chapter we learned that Brahman is "distinct from the known" and "beyond the unknown." The disciple, realizing this, says: "So far as mortal conception is concerned, I do not think I know, because I understand that It is beyond mind and speech; yet from the higher point of view, I cannot say that I do not know; for the very fact that I exist, that I can seek It, shows that I know; for It is the source of my being. I do not know, however, in the sense of knowing the whole Infinite Ocean of existence." The word knowledge is used ordinarily to signify acquaintance with phenomena only, but man must transcend this relative knowledge before he can have a clear conception of God. One who wishes to attain Soul-consciousness must rise above matter.

これは矛盾しているように見えますが、そうではありません。前章において我々はブラフマンが全ての名前と形を超えていることを学びました。

The observation of material science being confined to the sense plane, it ignores what is beyond. Therefore it must always be limited and subject to change. It discovered atoms, then it went further and discovered electrons, and when it had found the one, it had to drop the other; so this kind of knowledge can never lead to the ultimate knowledge of the Infinite, because it is exclusive and not inclusive. Spiritual science is not merely a question of mind and brain, it depends on the awakening of our latent higher consciousness.

物質科学の観察は感覚の次元に限定されているため、それを超えたものを無視します。しかし霊的科学は感覚を超えた次元にも及びます。

He who thinks he knows It not, knows It. He who thinks he knows It, knows It not. The true knowers think they can never know It (because of Its infinitude), while the ignorant think they know It.

それを知らぬと思う者がそれを知る。それを知ると思う者はそれを知らず。真に知る者にはそれは知られず、知らぬ者にはそれは知られる。

By this text the teacher confirms the idea that Brahman is unthinkable, because unconditioned. Therefore he says: He who considers It beyond thought, beyond sense-perception, beyond mind and speech, he alone has a true understanding of Brahman. They who judge a living being from his external form and sense faculties, know him not; because the real Self of man is not manifested in his seeing, hearing, speaking. His real Self is that within by which he hears and speaks and sees. In the same way he knows not Brahman who thinks he knows It by name and form. The arrogant and foolish man thinks he knows everything; but the true knower is humble. He says: "How can I know Thee, who art Infinite and beyond mind and speech?" In the last portion of the text, the teacher draws an impressive contrast between the attitude of the wise man who knows, but thinks he does not know; and that of the ignorant who does not know, but thinks he knows.

この聖句によりて師は、ブラフマンは無条件であるがゆえに思惟しえないという考えを確認しています。

It (Brahman) is known, when It is known in every state of consciousness. (Through such knowledge) one attains immortality. By attaining this Self, man gains strength; and by Self-knowledge immortality is attained.

それ（ブラフマン）は、全ての意識状態において知られるとき、知られたるものなり。（かかる知識を通じて）人は真の力を得る。自己によりて人は知識を見出し、不死によりて人は力を見出す。

We have learned from the previous text that the Brahman is unknown to those whose knowledge is limited to sense experience; but He is not unknown to those whose purified intelligence perceives Him as the basis of all states of consciousness and the essence of all things. By this higher knowledge a man attains immortality, because he knows that although his body may decay and die, the subtle essence of his being remains untouched. Such an one also acquires unlimited strength, because he identifies himself with the ultimate Source. The strength which comes from one's own muscle and brain or from one's individual power must be limited and mortal and therefore cannot lift one beyond death; but through the strength which Atma-gnana or Self-knowledge gives, immortality is reached. Whenever knowledge is based on direct perception of this undying essence, one transcends all fear of death and becomes immortal.

前の聖句より、知識が限定されたる者にはブラフマンは知られざることを学びました。しかし心が清められ、超意識の次元に高められたとき、ブラフマンは知られうるのです。

If one knows It here, that is Truth; if one knows It not here, then great is his loss. The wise seeing the same Self in all beings, being liberated from this world, become immortal.

もし人がここにおいてそれを知るならば、それは真理なり。もし人がここにおいてそれを知らざれば、大いなる損失なり。賢者は全ての存在の中にそれを見、この世を去りて不死となる。