Maitrayaniya Upanishad
[6] The Maitri Upanishad is an important ancient text notable, in its expanded version, for its references to theories also found in Buddhism, elements of the Samkhya and Yoga schools of Hinduism, as well as the Ashrama system.
[6] Maitra (Sanskrit: मैत्र) and Maitri (मैत्री) are related words which literally mean "kindly, benevolent, good will, amity, friend of all creatures".
"[13] Mahony suggests an earlier date, placing Prashna along with Maitri and Mandukya Upanishads, as texts that probably emerged about early fourth century BCE.
[15] Nakamura states that "although Buddhistic influence can be seen in the Maitri Upanishad (from words used), the particular terms and modes of expression of Mahayana Buddhism do not yet appear (in it)".
[10] The Maitrayaniya Upanishad is embedded after the Brahmana text of Yajur Veda, and in its opening passages refers to rituals contained therein.
The text begins with the following prelude,[19] The performance of all the sacrifices, described in the Maitrayana-Brahmana, is to lead up in the end to a knowledge of Brahman, to prepare a man for meditation.
The above prelude is followed by an answer, offered as a tale of a king named Brihadratha[23] who renounces his kingdom, lives an austere life and therewith seeks the knowledge of the eternal, the Self.
In the resulting reply, the sage Śākāyana first claims that the "seeking the knowledge of Atman" was a practice of the past,[25] it is difficult and not in vogue, then urges the king to ask something else".
The drying up of great oceans, the crumbling down of the mountains, the instability of the pole-star, the tearing of the wind-chords, the sinking down, the submergence of the earth, the tumbling down of the gods from their place - in a world in which such things occur, how can one experience only joy!
The sage then shares with the king the philosophy of the Brahman (Universal Self, Cosmic Principle, Ultimate Reality), described in the next lessons.
[27] Sakayanya answers the king's question, in verse 2.2 of Maitri Upanishad, by asserting that Atman (Self) exists in every individual, and it is that inmost being which "moves about without moving" (exists everywhere), which dispels darkness of ignorance and error, which is serene, immortal, fearless and soaring for the highest light.
[32] In essence, however, man seeks the true bliss, the immortal happiness, the resplendent contentment, the calm freedom that is his Self, states paragraph 2.7 of Maitri Upanishad.
[35] The elemental Self is mere reflection of his Gunas (psychology), a source of his suffering, which manifests itself as quality of Tamas (darkness), such as "confusion, fear, grief, sloth, carelessness, decay, sorrow, hunger, thirst, infidelity, anger, ignorance, cruelty, meanness, envy, shamelessness, pride, folly, dishonesty, arrogance, miserliness".
[33][36] The quality of Rajas () too, states the Upanishad, is a result of this interplay of overpowered elemental Self and guna, and lists the manifold manifestation of this as, "greed, covetousness, craving, possessiveness, unkindness, hatred, deceit, restlessness, mania, fickleness, wooing and impressing others, servitude, flattery, hedonism, gluttony, prodigality and peevishness".
In paragraph 4.4, the Upanishad asserts that meditation, austerities, perseverance and knowledge leads to Brahman state, of bliss that is imperishable, infinite and unchangeable.
This is expounded on, as follows, Agni (fire), Vayu (wind) and Aditya (sun), Kala (time), Prana (breath), and Food, Brahma, Rudra and Vishnu - some meditate upon one, some upon another, tell us which one is the best?
[40] The fifth Prapathaka then presents a motley collection of a hymn and various theories, all focussed on the pantheistic premise that everything is manifested form of Cosmic Self, all is One Brahman-Atman.
The Self, states this pantheistic hymn, is Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Prajapati, Agni, Varuna, Vayu, Indra, Moon, Anna (Food), Yama, Earth.
[46] Man should meditate on both these Selfs with the symbol Om (ॐ), revere them through Vyahrtis and the Savitri verse, asserts paragraph 6.2 of the text.
[63][64] The Self of man is identical with various gods and powers, it is the deities Isana, Sambhu, Bhava, Rudra, Prajapati, Visvarij, Hiranyagarbha, Satyam, Prana, Hamsa, Sastri, Vishnu, Narayana, Arka, Savitri, Dhatri, Vidhatri, Samraj, Indra, Indu and Sun.
The section includes the concept of Time and non-Time, calling these as two forms of Brahman, mirroring the Upanishad's earlier discussion of Material and non-Material universe.
The Brahman is the eternal, the boundless, the unborn, the immeasurable, the infinite, that which existed before Time, the light in the Sun, the colors in the smokeless fire, and all are only that one, one alone.
[76][81] In section 6.30, the Maitri Upanishad acknowledges a debate, based on the Samkhya theories, whether it is the Prakrti or Purusha who attains moksha.
[82] In section 6.31, the Maitri Upanishad acknowledges concepts, such as Sūnya (voidness) found in Buddhism, in a form that suggests a challenge to its premise, as follows, कतम आत्मेति योऽयं शुद्धः पूतः शून्यः शान्ता... You ask: Which of them is Atman?
[84] The Self (Atman), states the Upanishad, is the source of all life-forces, all worlds, all the Vedas, all gods, all beings, all knowledge, all nature, all literature, all sciences, all explanations, all commentaries, it is in everything.
[95] The final supplement of the Maitri Upanishad is a polemic against philosophies that declared antagonism to the Vedic teachings and its doctrine of Self.
[97] The paragraph eight of seventh Prapathaka opens by stating that there are hindrances to knowledge, and it is false teaching by those who continually beg, preach hedonism, wear red robes, ear rings and skulls, rogues as religious mendicants, who "for a price, offer that they can remove the evil influences of spirits, demons, ghosts, goblins and the like".
[96] The text quotes a passage to express its sentiment as follows, By the jugglery of a doctrine that denies the Self, By false comparisons and proofs, Disturbed, the world does not discern, What is the difference between knowledge and ignorance.
[104][105][106] Rhys Davis, about a 100 years ago, stated that Maitri Upanishad is the earliest Sanskrit literary usage of the term 'samadhi', a word also found in early texts of Buddhism.
[2] Maitri Upanishad explicitly mentions, in seventh Prapathaka, a sect of thought whose teachers wear "reddish robe" (kasaya–), who deny the "existence of Self" premise (nairatmyavada–), preach a "dharma destructive of Vedas and Upanishads" (vedadisastra himsaka dharmabhidhyanam–) and whose goal is hedonistic "attainment of pleasure" (ratimatram phalam asya–).
