{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/ftu/ftu07.htm","path":"hin/ftu/ftu07.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/ftu/ftu07.htm","text":"From the Upanishads, by Charles Johnston, [1899]\nIII\nTHAT THOU ART\nSo going when he was twelve years old, he returned when he was twenty-four; he had learned all the teachings, bat was conceited, vain of his learning, and proud.\nHis father addressed him: Shvetaketu, you are conceited, vain of your learning, and proud, dear; bat have you asked for that teaching through which the unheard is heard, the unthought is thought, the unknown is known?\nWhat sort of teaching is that, Master? said he.\nJust as, dear, by a single piece of clay anything made of clay may be known, for the difference is only one of words and names, and the real\nthing is that it is of clay; or just as, dear, by one jewel of gold, anything made of gold may be known, for the difference is only one of words and names, and the real is that it is gold; or just as, dear, by a single knife blade, anything made of iron may be known, for the difference is only one of words and names, and the real is that it is iron; just like this is the teaching that makes the unknown known.\nBut I am sure that those teachers did not know this themselves; for if they had known it, how would they not have taught it to me? said he; but now let my Master tell it to me.\nLet it be so, dear; said he.\nIn the beginning, dear, there was Being, alone and secondless. But there are tome who say, that there was non-Being in the beginning, alone and secondless; so that Being would be born from non-Being; but how could this be so, dear? said he; how could Being be born from non-Being? So there was Being, dear, in the beginning, alone and secondless.\nThen Being beholding said: Let me become great; let me give birth.\nThen it put forth Radiance.\nThen Radiance beholding said: Let me become great; let me give birth.\nThen it put forth the Waters. Just as a man is hot and sweats, so from radiance the waters are born.\nThen the Waters beholding said: Let us become great; let us give birth.\nThey put forth the world-food. Just as when it rains much food is produced, so from the Waters the world-food\u2014Earth\u2014is born.\nOf all these, of beings, there are three germs: what is born of the Egg, what is born of Life, what is born of Division.\nThat power\u2014Being\u2014beholding said: Let me enter these three powers\u2014Radiance, Waters, Earth\u2014by this life, by my Self, let me give them manifold forms and names. Let me make each one of them threefold, threefold.\nSo that power\u2014Bring\u2014entered those three powers\u2014Radiance, Waters, Earth\u2014by this life, by the Self,\nand gave them manifold forms and names; and so made each one of them threefold, threefold. And now learn, dear, how these three powers are, how each one of them becomes threefold, threefold.\nIn fire, the radiant form is from Radiance; the dear form, from the Waters; the dark form, from Earth. But the separate nature of fire is a thing of names and words only, while the real thing is the three forms.\nSo of the sun, the radiant form is from Radiance; the dear form, from the Waters; the dark form, from Earth. But the separate nature of the sun is a thing of names and words only, while the real thing is the three forms.\nSo of the moon, the radiant form is from Radiance; the clear form, from the Waters; the dark form, from Earth. But the separate nature of the moon is a thing of names and words only, while the real thing is the three forms.\nSo of lightning, the radiant form is from Radiance; the clear form, from the Waters; the dark form, from\n[paragraph continues] Earth. But the separate nature of lightning is a thing of names and words only, the real thing is the three forms.\nTherefore of old time those who knew this, the great sages and teachers of old, spoke thus: None of us may now speak of anything as unheard, unthought, unknown.\nFor by these three forms they knew everything. For whatever was like radiant, its form was from Radiance, they said, and thus knew it. And whatever was like clear, its form was from the Waters, they said, and so knew it. And whatever was like dark, its form was from Earth, they said, and so knew it. Thus whatever was known they took to be a union of these three powers, and thus they knew it.\nBut how these three powers are, dear, when they come to man, bow each of them becomes threefold, this learn from me now.\nFood that is eaten is divided threefold. Its grossest part becomes waste; its middle part becomes flesh; its lightest part becomes Mind.\nWaters that are drunk are divided threefold. The grossest part becomes waste; the middle part becomes blood; the lightest part becomes vital Breath.\nThings that produce radiant heat, when absorbed, are divided threefold. The grossest part becomes bone; the middle part becomes nerve; the lightest part becomes formative Voice.\nFor Mind, dear, is formed of the world-food\u2014Earth; vital Breath is formed of the Waters; formative Voice is formed of Radiance.\nLet my master teach me further; said he.\nBe it so, dear; said he.\nOf churned milk, dear, the lightest part rises to the top and becomes butter. Just so of eaten food, dear, the lightest part rises to the top and becomes Mind. And so of waters that are drunk, the lightest part rises to the top, and becomes vital Breath. And so when heat-giving things are eaten, the lightest part rises to the top, and becomes formative Voice.\nFor Mind, dear, is formed of Food;\nLet my Master teach me further; said he.\nMan, dear, is made of sixteen parts. Eat nothing for fifteen days, but drink as much as you wish; for vital Breath, being formed of the Waters, is cut off if you do not drink.\nHe ate nothing for fifteen days, and then returned to the Master, saying: What shall I repeat, Master?\nRepeat the songs and liturgies and chants, dear; said he.\nNone of them come back into my mind, Master; said he.\nHe said to him: As, dear, after a big fire, if a single spark remain, as big as a fire-fly, it will not burn much; just so, dear, of your sixteen parts one remains, and by this one part you cannot remember the teachings.\nGo, eat; and then you will understand me.\nHe ate, and then returned to the Master; and whatever the Master asked, all came back to his mind.\nThe Master said to him: As, dear, after a big fire, if even a single spark remain, as big as a fire-fly, and if it be fed with straw, it will blaze up and will then burn much; just so, dear, of your sixteen parts, one part was left; and this, being fed with food, blazed up, and through it you remembered the teachings.\nFor Mind is formed of Food; vital Breath is formed of the Waters; formative Voice is formed of Radiance.\nThus he learned; thus, verily, he learned.\nfinding no other resting place, comes to rest in vital Breath; for Mind, dear, is bound by vital Breath.\nLearn from me, dear, the meaning of hunger and thirst. When a man hungers, as they say, the Waters guide what he eats. And as there are guides of cows, guides of horses, guides of men, so they call the Waters the guides of what is eaten. Thus you must know, dear, that what he eats grows and sprouts forth; and it cannot grow without a root.\nAnd where can the root of what he eats be? Where, but in the world-food\u2014Earth?\nAnd through the world-food\u2014Earth\u2014that has sprouted forth, you must seek the root, the Waters. And through the waters that have sprouted forth, you must seek the root, Radiance. And through Radiance that has sprouted forth, you must seek the root, the Real. For all these beings, dear, are rooted in the Real, resting in the Real, abiding in the Real.\nAnd so when the man thirsts, as they say, the Radiance guides what he drinks. And as there are guides\nof cows, guides of horses, guides of men, so, they say, the Radiance guides the Waters. Thus you must know, dear, that what he drinks grows and sprouts forth; and it cannot grow without a root.\nAnd where can the root of what he drinks be? Where, but in the Waters? And through the Waters that sprout forth, you must seek their root, the Radiance. And through the Radiance, dear, that sprouts forth, you must seek its root, the Real. For all these beings, dear, are rooted in the Real, resting in the Real, abiding in the Real. And how these three: the world-food\u2014Earth\u2014the Waters, Radiance, coming to a man, become each threefold, threefold, this has been taught already.\nAnd of a man who goes forth, formative Voice sinks back into Mind; Mind sinks back into vital Breath, vital Breath to Radiance, and Radiance to the higher Divinity. This is the soul, the Self of all that is, this is the Real, this the Self, That thou art, O Shvetaketu.\nLet the Master teach me more; said he.\nAs the honey-makers, dear, gather the honey from many a tree, and weld the nectars together in a single nectar; and as they find no separateness there, nor say: Of that tree I am the nectar, of that tree I am the nectar. Thus, indeed, dear, all these beings, when they reach the Real, know not, nor say: We have reached the Real. But whatever they are here, whether tiger or lion or wolf or boar or worm or moth or gnat or fly, that they become again. And this soul is the Self of all that is, this is the Real, this the Self. That thou art, O Shvetaketu.\nThese eastern rivers, dear, roll eastward; and the western, westward. From the ocean to the ocean they go, and in the ocean they are united. And there they know no separateness, nor say: This am I, this am I. Thus indeed, dear, all these beings, coming forth from the Real, know not, nor say: We have come from the Real.\nAnd whatever they are here, whether tiger or lion or wolf or boar or worm or moth or gnat or fly or whatever they are, that they become again. And that soul is the Self of all that is, this is the Real, this the Self. That thou art, O Shvetaketu.\nIf any one strike the root of this great tree, dear, it will flow and live, if any one strike the middle of it, it will flow and live; if any one strike the top of it, it will flow and live. So filled with Life, with the Self, drinking in and rejoicing, it stands firm. But if the life of it leaves one branch, that branch dries up; it leaves a second, that dries up; it leaves a third, that dries up; it leaves the whole, the whole dries up. Thus indeed, dear, you must understand; said he. When abandoned by Life, verily, this dies; but Life itself does not die. For that soul is the Self of all that is, this is the Real, this the Self. That thou art, O Shvetaketu.\nBring me a fruit of that fig-tree. Here is the fruit, Master.\nDivide it into two; said he.\nI have divided it, Master.\nWhat do you see irk it? said he.\nAtom-like seeds, Master.\nDivide one of them in two; said he.\nWhat do you see in it? said he.\nI see nothing at all, Master.\nSo he said to him:\nThat soul that you perceive not at all, dear,\u2014from that very soul the great fig-tree comes forth. Believe then, dear, that this soul is the Self of all that is, this is the Real, this the Self. That thou art, O Shvetaketu.\nPut this salt in water, and come to me early in the morning.\nAnd he did so, and the Master said to him:\nThat salt you put in the water last night\u2014bring it to me! And looking for its appearance, he could not see it, as it was melted in the water.\nTaste the top of it; said he. How is it?\nIt is salt; said he.\nTaste the middle of it; said he. How is it?\nTaste the bottom of it; said he. How is it?\nTake it away, then, and return to me.\nAnd he did so; but that exists for ever. And the master said to him:\nJust so, dear, you do not see the Real in the world. Yet it is here all the same. And this soul is the Self of all that is, this is the Real, this the Self. That thou art, O Shvetaketu.\nJust as if they were to blindfold a man, and lead him far away from Gandh\u00e2ra, and leave him in the\nwilderness; and as he cried to the east and the north and the west: I am led away blindfolded; I am deserted blindfolded. And just as if one came, and loosing the bandage from his eyes, told him: In that direction h Gandh\u00e2ra; in that direction you must go. And he asking from village to village like a wise man and learned, Mould come safe to Gandh\u00e2ra. Thus, eerily, a man who has found the true Teacher, knows. He must wait only till he is free, there he reaches the renting-place. And that soul is the Self of all that is, this is the Real, this the Self. That thou art, O Shvetaketu.\nWhen a man is near his end, his fiends gather round him: Do you mow me, do you know me? they say. And until formative Voice sinks back into Mind, and Mind into Breath, and Breath into the Radiance, and the Radiance into the higher Divinity, he still knows them. But when formative Voice sinks back into Mind, and Mind\ninto Breath, and Breath into the Radiance, and the Radiance into the higher Divinity, he knows them not. And that soul is the Self of all that is, this is the Real, this the Self. That thou art, O Shvetaketu.\nThey bind a man and bring him: He has stolen, they say; he has committed theft. Heat the axe for the ordeal: and if he is the doer of its and makes himself untrue; maintaining untruth, and wrapping himself it untruth, he grasps the heated axe; bums, and so dies. But if he be not the doer of it, he makes himself true; maintaining truth, and wrapping himself in truth, he grasps the heated axe; he burns not, and so goes free. And the truth that saves him from burning is the Self of all that is, this is the Real, this the Self. That thou art, O Shvetaketu.\nThus he learned the truth; thus he learned it.\nFOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY COPIES OF THIS BOOK (SECOND EDITION) HAVE BEEN PRINTED ON VAN GILDER HAND-MADE PAPER, AND TYPE DISTRIBUTED, IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, A. D. MDCCCXCIX, AT THE PRESS OF SMITH & SALE, PORTLAND, MAINE.","title":"From the Upanishads: III. That Thou Art","type":"page"}