The Traditional Way of Approaching a Teacher

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Mumukshuktham is an intense desire to be free, free of the bondages of samsara. The student comes in and there is a traditional way of approaching the teacher. You would not come empty-handed. And even the gifts, but there were specific gifts in those ancient days. One of the gifts was sacrificial wood. That's what I want to emphasize that even to this day when a student approaches a teacher,. you come with offerings and with all respect and humility and ask for knowledge.

Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches the Mundaka Upanishad which one of the major Upanishads belonging to the Atharva Veda. Mundaka means ''shaved'' like a shaved head. The teachings revealed in this Upanishad are meant to leave the student clean, or shaved of the veil of ignorance. Indeed, the study of this Upanishad has been traditionally confined to the shaven-heads, or the sannyasins, who have renounced everything and devoted themselves exclusively to contemplation. The book consists of 64 Mantras (verses) split across Mundakas (parts) and Khandas (sections) as follows: Mundaka 1 - Khanda 1 - 9 mantras (1.1.1 - 1.1.9) Mundaka 1 - Khanda 2 - 13 mantras (1.2.1 - 1.2.13) Mundaka 2 - Khanda 1 - 10 mantras (2.1.1 - 2.1.10) Mundaka 2 - Khanda 2 - 11 mantras (2.2.1 - 2.2.11) Mundaka 3 - Khanda 1 - 10 mantras (3.1.1 - 3.1.10) Mundaka 3 - Khanda 2 - 11 mantras (3.2.1 - 3.2.11) Reference books: 1. Mundaka Upanisad translated by Swami Gambhirananda - https://www.vedanta.com/store/mundaka-upanisad-with-the-commentary-of-sankaracarya_moreinfo.html (or) 2. Eight Upanisads Vol. 2 translated by Swami Gambhirananda - https://www.vedanta.com/store/Eight-Upanishads-Commentary-by-Shankara_moreinfo.html