The Kena Upanishad, one of the earliest and most profound Upanishads, delves deeply into the nature of consciousness and the ultimate reality that underpins all existence. Its opening question—“By whom is the mind directed to wander? By whom is the breath drawn? By whom is speech inspired? By whom is the eye turned to its object? By whom is the ear drawn to hear?”—sets the tone for a journey inward, toward the source of all perception and thought.

This question is not philosophical but existential; it challenges the seeker to look beyond the surface of experience. The mind moves, the senses perceive, and life flows—yet what animates this activity? What is the essence behind all that we observe, feel, and think?

The Inner Source: Beyond Mind and Senses

The Upanishad’s answer is both cryptic and illuminating:

“That which cannot be thought by the mind, but by which the mind thinks, know That alone to be Brahman (the Absolute), and not what people worship here.”

This statement turns our usual understanding of reality on its head. It suggests that Brahman—the ultimate source—is not an object of thought or perception. It is not something “out there” to be grasped or understood. Instead, it is the very foundation of thought, the silent presence through which all knowing and perceiving occurs. The eye cannot see it, yet it is what makes seeing possible. The ear cannot hear it, yet it is the source of all hearing.

This realization requires a shift from the external to the internal. We are conditioned to seek answers outside ourselves—in rituals, texts, and teachings—but the Kena Upanishad insists that the true answer lies in turning inward, to the very awareness that animates our being.

---

The Unknowable Knower

A central paradox of the Kena Upanishad is that Brahman, the ultimate reality, is unknowable in the conventional sense. It cannot be objectified or conceptualized because it is the very subject that knows and perceives. This is expressed in the lines:

“That which is not expressed by speech, but that by which speech is expressed, know That alone to be Brahman.”

This teaching invites a meditative inquiry. Rather than trying to “know” Brahman as an object, the seeker is encouraged to rest in the awareness that underlies all experiences. This is not an intellectual exercise but a direct, experiential realization. It is the recognition that the true self (Atman) is not separate from Brahman, the ultimate source.

---

The Path of Direct Realization

The Kena Upanishad subtly critiques external forms of worship and ritual. While acknowledging their place in spiritual practice, it makes clear that they are not the ultimate path to liberation. The famous refrain, “Not what people worship here,” emphasizes that the divine is not confined to any physical form, ritual object, or religious practice. Instead, it is the formless essence that pervades all.

This teaching resonates deeply with modern contemplative practices like meditation on phosphenes or inner light. Just as the Upanishad directs attention inward, meditating on phosphenes shifts the focus from external images and forms to the spontaneous play of light within. These lights, like the mind’s activity, arise and fade, but the awareness that witnesses them remains unchanged. This awareness is the gateway to experiencing the truth of Brahman.

---

The Climax: Humility Before the Infinite

The Kena Upanishad concludes with a story that underscores the humility required for such realization. The gods, having won a cosmic victory, are filled with pride, believing the triumph to be their own. Brahman appears before them as an enigmatic presence, and none can comprehend it. Only through the intervention of Uma, the goddess of wisdom, do they understand that their power is not their own but arises from Brahman.

This story serves as a reminder: the mind, ego, and senses cannot claim mastery over the infinite. True realization requires surrender—a letting go of the illusion of control and ownership. It is only in this surrender that the seeker becomes attuned to the silent, all-encompassing presence of Brahman.

---

A Personal Contemplation

Reading and reflecting on the Kena Upanishad, I am always impressed by its timeless relevance. Its teachings echo in the quiet moments of meditation, when I catch glimpses of the source behind thought and perception. In those moments, the boundaries between “self” and “other,” “knower” and “known,” begin to dissolve. The inquiry, “By whom is the mind directed to wander?” no longer feels like a question to be answered but a door to be opened—a door leading into the vast, still mystery of being.

The Kena Upanishad is a tool to move beyond the surface of life, beyond the distractions of the senses and the endless chatter of the mind, to rest in the formless, infinite essence that we are. It is a guide not to something outside us but to the innermost core of our being—the unknowable knower, the eternal witness. To recognize you are that. That pure light and infinite space, that emptiness.

Shunyam Adhibhu