Aitareya Upanishads contains very deep thought about the nature of consciousness, creation, and the self. For those who want to examine the philosophical basis of Hinduism or take its spiritual view of the world, this ancient text contains some fascinating reflections on our essential nature and connectedness to the cosmos.

Structure and Origin

This Aitareya Upanishad derives from Rig Veda where it comprises 3 chapters (adhyayas) with a total of 33 verses. The first chapter has 3 sections, the second 1 section, and the last has 2 sections. It comes from Aitareya Mahidasa sage by whom the teaching is attributed.

Cosmic Creation and Human Incarnation  

Now this Upanishad begins with a remarkably powerful account of creation, describing how consciousness (the Atman) unfolds the entire universe in a self-projection: 

"In the beginning, verily, Atman (Self) alone was this universeone only. There was nothing else whatsoever that winked. He thought, 'Let Me now create the worlds.'" (Chapter 1, Section 1, Verse 1)

The rest of the text illustrates how the cosmic being materializes different worlds with their deities and elements. The peculiarity of this creation narrative is its psychological dimension-the cosmic Self creates the universe much as our consciousness projects experience in dreams.

The Forming of the Human Being  

Aitareya has the most exciting account of the human embodiment: the coming of consciousness and its inhabitation in a living body:

"He (the Cosmic Self) thought: 'These are, indeed, the worlds and the guardians of the worlds. Let Me now create food for them.' He deliberated upon the waters. From the waters, thus deliberated upon, evolved a form. The form that evolved was verily food." (Chapter 1, Section 2, Verse 1)

This is followed by a lavish description of the modes of entry of consciousness into the human body through various ports to come to rest therein:

"He thought: 'How can this body exist without Me?' He thought further: 'Through which way shall I enter it?' He thought also: ' If speech is uttered by the organ of speech, if smelling is done by the breath, if forms are seen by the eye, if sounds are heard by the ear, if touch is felt by the skin, if thoughts are formed by the mind, if the vital force functions through prana, if the organ of generation discharges-then what am I?' (Chapter 1, Section 3, Verse 11) 

The passage beautifully introduces the central problem of identity: if I am not my body or its functions, what then am I? 

The Three Births of the Self

The second chapter describes the three symbolical births of a human being:

Conception in the father's body 

Birth from the mother's womb 

Rebirth after death

A life of human being is within a larger pattern of the cosmic becoming in this cyclical understanding of existence.

 The Nature of Consciousness

Most dynamic and deepest teaching in the text comes in its third chapter, which directly interrogates the truths of what comprises our true identity:

"Who is He whom we worship as this Self? Which of the two is the Self? Is it that by which one sees, or that by which one hears, or that by which one smells odors, or that by which one utters speech, or that by which one tastes the sweet or the sour?." (Chapter 3, Section 1, Verse 1) 

The Upanishad is going to speak its words then: 

"It is Brahman (the Supreme Self) who cognizes everything and it is in this manner. It is Intelligence, by which we know this, by which we know that. It is the Knower." (Chapter 3, Section 1, Verse 3)  

The text concludes with a celebrated proclamation of the identity between the individual consciousness and the universal consciousness: 

 "Prajnanam Brahma" – "Consciousness is Brahman" (Chapter 3, Section 1, Verse 3) 

Directly Practical with Spiritual Seekers

For those who wish to adopt Hindu spiritual practices, Aitareya Upanishad prescribes several avenues:

Self-Inquiry: Investigating the nature of consciousness and perception 

Contemplation of Creation: The perception of the physical world as a manifestation of consciousness. 

Realization of Divinity: Understanding one's own awareness as identical with cosmic awareness 

Witness Consciousness: Distinction between the observer and observed in personal experience   

For further study

If you want to immerse yourself more in this wonderful text:

The Principal Upanishads by S. Radhakrishnan   

Eight Upanishads with Commentary of Shankaracharya translated by Swami Gambhirananda   

The Upanishads translated by Eknath Easwaran   

The Ten Principal Upanishads by Shree Purohit Swami and W.B. Yeats 

Incidentally, the Aitareya Upanishad ends with one of the most straightforward expressions of non-dual awareness in all Hindu philosophy:

 "This Self is Brahman, that is, the omniscient." (Chapter 3, Section 1, Verse 3) 

Indeed, the remarkable perspective of Aitareya Upanishad promotes the seeker through its amazing historical non-duality that characterizes the deepest understanding of Hinduism as non-dual from the moment of creation. Anyone who will reflect on its verses might find herself or himself exploring her or his own nature as pure awareness, that same awareness that permeates and constitutes the whole cosmos. These teachings are not merely concepts but rather transformative in recognizing one's true identity beyond body and mind limitations.