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Now that perfect Peace, rising up from this body, enters into the Supreme Light and issues forth in its own semblance. This is the Self," said he, "this is the deathless, the fearless; this is Brahma... Now the Self is the dyke holding asunder the worlds that they fall not one into another. Over this dyke pass not day and night, nor old age, nor death, nor sorrow, nor good deeds, nor bad deeds. All ills turn away thence; for this Brahma-world is void of ill. Therefore in sooth the blind, after passing over this dyke is no more blind, the wounded no more wounded, the sick no more sick. Therefore in sooth even Night after passing over this dyke issues forth as Day; for in this Brahma-world is everlasting light" Footnotes ^61:1 Chhandogya Upanishad, viii. 1 f. ^61:2 The body, whose organs of sense are compared to gates; the king within is the soul, or Self; the lotus the heart. ^62:1 Namely, the knowledge and will of the absolute subject of thought, or true Self. As such, these Desires are essentially infinite; their limitation arises from an external "Untruth," the finite conditions of the world of physical experience, which the thinker is able to cast off. ^62:2 Namely, into his own heart, into the full consciousness of his selfhood. Brahma Knowledge, by L. D. Barnett, [1911], at sacred-texts.com IV. THE INFINITE I [*2] "Verily this All is Brahma. It has therein its birth, end, breath; as such one should worship it in stillness. Verily man is made of will. As is man's will [p. 64] in this world, such he becomes on going hence; so let him frame the will. Made of mind, bodied in breath, shaped in light, real of purpose, ethereal of soul, all-working, all-desiring, all-smelling, all-tasting, grasping this All, speaking naught, heeding naught--this is my Self within my heart, smaller than a rice-corn, or a barley-corn, or a mustard-seed, or a canary-seed, or the pulp of a canary-seed--this is my Self within my heart, greater than earth, greater than sky, greater than heaven, greater than these worlds. All-working, all-desiring, all-smelling, all-tasting, grasping this All, speaking naught, heeding naught--this is my Self within my heart, this is Brahma; to Him shall I win when I go hence. He with whom it is thus has indeed no doubt." Thus spake S'andilya. Footnotes ^63:1 They pass every day into dreamless sleep, the perfect union with Brahma in the heart; but they are not conscious of this union, and the condition of their existence causes it to be only temporary. See above, section 15. ^63:2 Chhandogya Upanishad, iii. 14. Brahma Knowledge, by L. D. Barnett, [1911], at sacred-texts.com V. KNOW THY SELF [*1] The world then was not yet unfolded. It became unfolded in Name and Shape, so that one might say, "He of this or that name is of this or that shape." So even now it becomes unfolded in Name and Shape, so that one may say, "He of this or that name is of this or that shape." He [*2] passed into it up to the nail-tips, as a razor might [p. 65] be laid in a razor-case or the All-Supporter [*1] in the All-Supporter's nest. They see Him not; for He is divided. As breathing, He is called Breath; as speaking, Speech; as seeing, Sight; as hearing, Hearing; as thinking, Mind; these are the names for his workings. A man who worships one or another thereof understands not; for He is but in division as one or another thereof. So He should be worshipped as the Self; for therein do all these become one. This Self is the track of the universe, for by it is the universe known, yea, as a thing may be followed up by its track. Fame and praise a man finds who has such knowledge. This Self is dearer than a son, dearer than substance, dearer than all beside, more inward. If of a man who calls another than the Self dear it should be said that he will lose his darling, it may well come to pass. He should worship the Self only as darling; for him who worships the Self as darling his darling perishes not. They say: "Seeing that men deem that by knowledge of Brahma they shall become the universe, what did Brahma know that He became the universe?" The world forsooth was in the beginning Brahma. It knew itself, "I am Brahma"; therefore it became the universe. And whosoever of the gods understood this also became the same; [p. 66] likewise of sages and of men. Seeing this, the sage Vamadeva set it forth, saying: "I have become Manu and the Sun." So now likewise he who knows "I am Brahma" becomes the universe. The very gods have no power that he should not be so; for he becomes the Self of them. Now he who worships another godhead, saying "This is not the same as I," understands not; he is as it were a beast belonging to the gods. Even as many beasts profit a man, so each man profits the gods. It is unpleasing when one beast is taken away; how much more when many are taken! Therefore it is not pleasing to them that men should know this. Footnotes ^64:1 Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad, I. iv. 7-10. ^64:2 Namely, the Self, or Brahma. ^65:1 The Fire-God. Brahma Knowledge, by L. D. Barnett, [1911], at sacred-texts.com VI. PARABLES [*3] "If one should smite upon the root of this great tree, beloved, it would sweat sap, and live. If one should smite upon its midst, it would sweat sap, and live. If one should smite upon its top, it would sweat sap, and live. Instinct with the Live Self, it stands full lush and glad. But if the Live One leave one bough, it withers. If it leave another bough, it withers. If it leave a third bough, it withers. If it leave the whole, the whole withers. So know, beloved," said he, [p. 67] "the thing whence the Live One has departed does indeed die; but the Live One dies not. In this subtleness has this All its essence; it is the True; it is the Self; thou art it, S'vetaketu." "Let my lord teach me further." "Be it so, beloved," said he. "Bring from yonder a fig." "Here it is, my lord." "Break it." "It is broken, my lord." "What seest thou in it? " "Here are but little seeds, my lord." "Now break one of them." "It is broken, my lord." "What seest thou in it?" "Naught whatsoever, my lord." And he said to him: "Of that subtleness which thou canst not behold, beloved, is this great fig-tree made. Have faith, beloved. In this subtleness has this All its essence; it is the True; it is the Self; thou art it, S'vetaketu." "Let my lord teach me further." "Be it so, beloved," said he. "Lay this salt in water, and on the morrow draw nigh to me." And he did so. Then he said to him: "Bring me the salt which thou laidst in the water yester eve." [p. 68] He felt, but found it not; it was as melted away. "Drink from this end thereof. How is it?" "It is salty." "Drink from the midst. How is it?" "It is salty." "Drink from yonder end. How is it?" "It is salty." "Lay it aside, and draw nigh to me." And he did so. "It is still present," said he to him; "herein forsooth thou canst not behold Being, beloved, but herein soothly it is. In this subtleness has this All its essence; it is the True; it is the Self; thou art it, S'vetaketu." Footnotes ^66:1 Rig-veda, IV. xxvi. 1. ^66:2 Namely to the gods. ^66:3 Chhandogya Upanishad, VI., xi.-xiii. Brahma Knowledge, by L. D. Barnett, [1911], at sacred-texts.com VII. THE SOUL IN SLEEP [*1] "What is the Self?" "It is the Spirit [*2] made of understanding among the Breaths, the inward light within the heart, that walks abroad, abiding the same, through both worlds. [*3] He meditates, as it were; He hovers about, as it were. Turned to sleep, He passes beyond this world, the shapes of death. This Spirit at birth enters into the body, and is [p. 69] blent with evils; at death He passes out, and leaves evils. Two seats has this Spirit, this and the seat in the world beyond [*1]; and midway is a third, the seat of dreams. Standing in this midway seat, He looks upon these two seats, this and the seat in the world beyond. Now as this is a step toward the seat in the world beyond, He makes this step and beholds both evils and delights. When He sleeps, He takes matter from this all-containing world, Himself hews it down, Himself builds it up, and sleeps in His own brightness, His own light. Here the Spirit has Self for light. Therein are no cars, no car-teams, no roads; but He creates cars, car-teams, roads. Therein are no joys, mirths, merriments; but He creates joys, mirths, merriments. Therein are no pools, lakes, streams; but He creates pools, lakes, streams. For He is the maker... When in this dreaming He has wantoned and wandered, and seen good and evil, He hastens back according to His entrance and His place to the bound of waking. He is followed by naught of all that He has seen there; for to this Spirit nothing clings... [p. 70] When in this waking He has wantoned and wandered, and seen good and evil, He hastens back according to His entrance and His place to the bound of dreams. Even as a great fish passes along both banks, on this side and on yonder side, so this Spirit passes along both bounds, the bound of dreaming and the bound of waking. But as a falcon or an eagle, when it is wearied with flying about in yonder sky, folds its wings and sets itself to couch down, so this Spirit hastens toward that bound wherein He sleeps desiring no desire, beholding no dream... Whatever waking terror He sees [in dreams], when men seem to smite Him or to oppress Him, when an elephant seems to crush Him, or He seems to fall into a ditch, this in His ignorance He deems true. But when like a god, like a king, He thinks "I am this All, universal," this is the highest world for Him. This is His shape wherein He is beyond desire, free from ill, fearless. As when a man embraced by his beloved knows naught of whatsoever is without or within, so this Spirit embraced by the Self of Intelligence knows naught of what is without or within.