Uplifting Extracts

[desmondquek]

When Svetaketu was twelve years old, his father Uddalaka said to him, “Svetaketu, you must now go to school and study. None of our family, my child, is ignorant of Brahman.”

Thereupon Svetaketu went to a teacher and studied for twelve years. After committing to memory all the vedas, he returned home full of pride in his learning.

His father, noticing the young man’s conceit, said to him: “Svetaketu, have you asked for that knowledge by which we hear the unbearable, by which we perceive the unperceiveble, by which we know the unknowable?”

“What is that knowledge, sir?” asked Svetaketu.

“My child, as by knowing one lump of clay, all things made of clay are known, the difference being only in name and arising from speech, and the truth being that all are clay; as by knowing a nugget of gold, all things made of gold are known, the difference being only in name and arising from speech, and the truth being that all are gold — exactly so is that knowledge, knowing which we know all.”

“But surely those venerable teachers of mine are ignorant of this knowledge; for if they possessed it, they would have taught it to me. Do you therefore, sir, give me that knowledge.”

“Be it so,” said Uddalaka, and continued thus:

“In the beginning there was Existence, One only, without a second. Some say that in the beginning there was non-existence only, and that out of that the universe was born. But how could such a thing be? How could existence be born of non-existence? No, my son, in the beginning there was Existence alone — One only, without a second. He, the One, thought to himself: Let me be many, let me grow forth. Thus out of himself he projected the universe: and having projected out of himself the universe, he entered into every being and every thing. All that is has its self in him alone. He is the truth. He is the subtle essence of all. He is the Self. And that, Svetaketu, THAT ART THOU.”

“Please, sir, tell me more about this Self.”
“Be it so, my child:

“As the bees make honey by gathering juices from many flowering plants and trees, and as these juices reduced to one honey do not know from what flowers they severally come, similarly my son, all creatures, when they are merged in that one Existence, whether in dreamless sleep or in death, know nothing of their past or present state, because of the ignorance enveloping them — know not that they are merged in him and that from him they came.

“Whatever these creatures are, whether a lion, or a tiger. or a boar, or a worm, or a gnat, or a mosquito, that they remain after they come back from dreamless sleep.

“All these have their self in him alone. He is the truth. He is the subtle essence of all. he is the Self. And that, Svetaketu, THAT ART THOU.”

“Please, sir, tell me more about this Self.”
“Be it so, my son:

“The rivers in the east flow eastward, the rivers in the west flow westward, and all enter into the sea, From sea to sea they pass, the clouds lifting them to the sky as vapour and sending them down as rain. And as these rivers, when they are united with the sea, do not know whether they are this or that river, likewise all those creatures that I have named, when they have come back from Brahman, know not whence they came.

“All those beings have their self in him alone. He is the truth. He is the subtle essence of all. He is the Self. And that, Svetaketu, THAT ART THOU.”

“Please, sir, tell me more about this Self.”
“Be it so, my child:

“If someone were to strike once at the root of this large tree, it would bleed, but live. If he were to strike at its stem, it would bleed, but live. If he were to strike at the top, it would bleed, but live. Pervaded by the living self, this tree stands firm, and takes its food; but if the Self were to depart from one its branches, that branch would wither; if it were to depart from a third, that would wither. If it were to depart from the whole tree, the whole tree would wither.

“Likewise, my son, know this: The body dies when the Self leaves it — but the Self dies not.

“All that is has its self in him alone. He is the truth. He is the subtle essence of all. He is the Self. And that Svetaketu, THAT ART THOU.”

“Please, sir, tell me more about this Self.”
“Be it so. Bring a fruit of that Nyagrodha tree.”

“Here it is, sir.”
“Break it.”
“It is broken, sir.”
“What do you see?”
“Some seeds, extremely small, sir.”
“Break one of them.”
“It is broken, sir.”
“What do you see?”
“Nothing, sir.”

“The subtle essence you do not see, and in that is the whole of the Nyagrodha tree. Believe, my son, that that which is the subtle essence — in that have all things their existence. That is the truth. That is the Self. And that Svetaketu, THAT ART THOU.”

“Please, sir, tell me more about this Self.”
“Be it so. Put this salt in water, and come to me tomorrow morning.”

Svetaketu did as he was bidden. The next morning his father asked him to bring the salt which he had put in the water. But he could not, for it had dissolved. Then said Uddalaka:

“Sip the water, an tell me how it tastes.”
“It is salty, sir.”
“In the same way,” continued Uddalaka,
“though you do not see Brahman in this body, he is indeed here. That which is the subtle essence — in that have all things their existence. That is the truth. That is the Self. And that, Svetaketu, THAT ART THOU.”

“Please, sir, tell me more about this Self,” said the youth again.
“Be it so, my child:

“As a man may be blindfolded, and led away, and left in a strange place; and as, having been so dealt with, he turns in every direction and cries out for someone to remove his bandages and show him the way home; and as one thus entreated may loose his bandages and give him comfort; and as thereupon he walks from village to village, asking his way as he goes; and as he arrives home at last — just so does a man who meets with an illumined teacher obtain true knowledge.

“That which is the subtle essence — in that have all beings their existence. That is the truth. That is the Self. And that, O Svetaketu, THAT ART THOU.”

“Please, sir, tell me more about this Self.”
“Be it so, my child:

“When a man is fatally ill, his relations gather round him and ask, ‘Do you know me? Do you know me?’ Now until his speech is merged in his mind, his mind in his breath, his breath in his vital force, his vital force in the Supreme Being, he knows them. But when his speech is merged in his mind, his mind in his breath, his breath in his vital force, his vital force in the Supreme Being, then he does not know them.

“That which is the subtle essence — in that have all beings their existence. That is the truth. That is the Self. And that, O Svetaketu, THAT ART THOU.” ​

 

[desmondquek]

Within the city of Brahman, which is the body, there is the heart, and within the heart there is a little house. this house has the shape of a lotus, and within it dwells that which is to be sought after, inquired about, and realised.

What then is that which, dwelling within this little house, this lotus of the heart, is to be sought after, inquired about, and realised?

As large as the universe outside, even so large is the universe within the lotus of the heart. Within it are heaven and earth, the sun, the sun, the lightning, and all the stars. What is in the macrocosm is in this microcosm.

All things that exist, all beings and all desires, are in the city of Brahman; what then becomes of them when old age approaches and the body dissolves in death?

Though old age comes to the body, the lotus of the heart does not grow old. At death of the body, it does not die. The lotus of the heart, where Brahman exists in all his glory — that, and not the body, is the true city of Brahman. Brahman, dwelling therein, is untouched by any deed, ageless, deathless, free from grief, free from hunger and from thirst. His desires are right desires, and his desires are fulfilled.

As here on earth all the wealth that one earns is but transitory, so likewise transitory are the heavenly enjoyments acquired by the performance of sacrifices. Therefore those who die without having realised the Self and its right desires find no permanent happiness in any world to which they go; while those who have realised the Self and its right desires find permanent happiness everywhere.

If the sage desires to see his fathers of the spiritual world, lo, his fathers come to meet him. In their company he is happy.

And if he desires to see his mothers of the spiritual world, lo his mothers come to meet him. In their company he is happy.

And if he desires to see his brothers of the spiritual world, lo his brothers come to meet him. In their company he is happy.

And if he desires to see his sisters of the spiritual world, lo his sisters come to meet him. In their company he is happy.

And if he desires to see his friends of the spiritual world, lo his friends come to meet him. In their company he is happy.

And if he desires heavenly perfumes and garlands, lo, heavenly perfumes and garlands come to him. In their possession he is happy.

And if he desires heavenly food and drink, lo, heavenly food and drink come to him. In their possession he is happy.

And if he desires heavenly song and music, lo, heavenly song and music come to him. In their possession he is happy.

Indeed, whatsoever such a knower of Brahman may desire, straightaway it is his; and having obtained it, he is exalted of men. This fulfilment of right desires is within reach of everyone, but a veil of illusion obstructs the ignorant. That is why, though they desire to see their dead, their beloved, they cannot see them.

Do we wish for our beloved, among the living or among the dead, or is there aught else for which we long, yet, for all our longing, do not obtain? — lo, all shall be ours if we but dive deep within, even to the lotus of the heart, where dwells the Lord. Yea, the object of every right desire is within our reach, through unseen, concealed by a veil of illusion.

As one not knowing that a golden treasure lies buried beneath his feet, may walk over it again and again, yet never find it, so all beings live every moment in the city of Brahman, yet never find him, because of the veil of illusion by which he is concealed. The Self resides within the lotus of the heart. Knowing this, consecrated to the Self, the sage enters daily that holy sanctuary.

Absorbed in the Self, the sage is freed from identity with the body and lives in blissful consciousness. The Self is the immortal, the fearless; the self is Brahman. This Brahman is eternal Truth.

The Self within the heart is like a boundary which divides the world from THAT. Day and night cross not that boundary, not old age, nor death; neither grief nor pleasure, neither good nor evil deeds. All evil shuns THAT. For THAT is free from impurity: by impurity can it never be touched.

Wherefore he who has crossed that boundary, and has realised the Self, if he is blind, ceases to be blind; if he wounded, ceases to be wounded; if he is afflicted, ceases to be afflicted. When that boundary is crossed, night becomes day; for the world of Brahman is light itself,

And that world of Brahman is reached by those who practice continence. For the knower of eternal truth knows it through continence. And what is known as worship, that also is continence.

For a man worships the Lord by continence, and thus attains him.

What people call salvation is really continence. For through continence man is freed from ignorance. And what is known as the vow of silence, that too is really continence. For a man through continence realises the Self and lives in quiet contemplation.

What people call dwelling in the forest, that is really continence.

In the world of Brahman there is a lake whose waters are like nectar, and whosoever tastes thereof is straightaway drunk with joy; and beside that lake is a tree which yields the juice of immortality. Into this world they cannot enter who do not practice continence.

For the world of Brahman belongs to those who practice continence. They alone enter that world and drink from that lake of nectar. For them there is freedom in all the worlds.