Kena Upanishad: With Two Commentaries By Shankara

Kena Upanishad is a principal Upanishad that tells us how not to approach our reality or 'self'. Our soul is different from what eyes can see, ears can hear or mind can think as it operates all sense organs. Just as fire pervades a red-hot iron piece, the self pervades these sense organs. A pervaded entity cannot know what pervades it. Hence, when one stops using these sense organs, sits in isolation, and investigates within, his search really begins.

To see the sun, all we need is the absence of clouds in the middle. The sun does not need other light to make us aware of it. Similarly, the self, an even more radiant source of conscious light and knowledge, makes itself known to us when we remove the obstructions in the middle. The purpose of whatever practice, we do is to remove these obstructions as the self is always available for us to experience. When one rubs a stick over the other for some time, it produces fire, which even consumes the sticks. In the same way, when a seeker dwells in contemplation for a long time, his ignorance is consumed by the fire of knowledge.