What does this quote mean?

Question

“Who is the slayer and who is the slain? If the slayer thinks that he slays and if the slain thinks that he is slain then their existence is in vain” (The Upanishads)

Answer 1

it appears to be rhetorical.
"who is the slayer and who is the slain" seems to be asking, "who is the killer, and who is the victim?" or, for the most part, "who killed who?" can both parties be both, killer, and victim?

Answer 2

The quotation points to the fact that both the slayer and the slain are but actors in a drama played out and directed by destiny.Read it in combination with the stanza that says
" Nothing is cut by the weapons, nothing is burnt by the Fire, Nothing is dissolved by Water and nothing is dried by Air". The composite meaning is that Man should not be vain to attribute to himself the authorship or credit for whatever happens and shouldn't also condemn himself for the world's ills.It is enough that we perform our duties to the best of our ability and dedication and leave the rest to GOD.

At another plane there is one more meaning and that is that all bodies and other manifestations like liquids, plasma and Gases are only transformations of Quantum Energy in accordance with schemes of destiny but are essentially one and the same,

Answer 3

I'm not sure what this quote means.But it can happen,that things get turned around,and "The hunter becomes the hunted".Or the person that was going to be slain(in order to survive)gets the slayer.

Answer 4

Basically I think it means the circle of life everything feeds from each other and in the end death and know your left with the question who is in charge. Not the human being that had to kill the cow or pig or the lion that ate the dear and if this is all in vain?

Answer 5

Fredric Ives Carpenter in his book, Emerson and Asia (1930) says, that Emerson was the first American thinker to plant Oriental, especially Indian thought, on the American soil and draw spiritual inspiration from it. The poem Brahma became a controversial poem from the very beginning because of its anti-Christian attitude and the direct treatment of the Upanishadic mysticism. He further says that this poem expresses the fundamental Hindu concept "more clearly and concisely than any other writing in the English language perhaps better than any writing in Hindu literature itself. Emerson got his central idea of the poem from his reading of Katha Upanishad...If the slayer thinks I slay......does not slay nor is it slain."

The idea of rebirth or reincarnation is found throughout Emerson's work and journals. "The transmigration of souls is no fable...."

Faith in transmigration of souls though antithetical to Christianity, appealed to him because it countered the notion of finality, inherent in Christianity, and embodied a vision of correction through successive stages of development until one achieves beatitude and divine bliss.-

Answer 6

da slayer is da slayer and da slain is da slain

Answer 7

Last night I dreamed that I was a butterfly. How do I know that today I am not a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?

Answer 8

This is like why did the chicken cross the road.

Answer 9

yoour question made my head hurt!! thanks alot now i have a headache!!!!