Once, the wise teacher addressed Uddālaka, son of Aruṇa, and asked, “Gautama, whom do you meditate upon as your Self?” Uddālaka replied, “The earth itself, revered king.” The teacher affirmed, “This is indeed the foundation Self, the Vaiśvānara, whom you contemplate as your Self. Because of this meditation, you are blessed with progeny and cattle.” He continued, “Whoever meditates on the Vaiśvānara Self eats food and beholds what is dear; he becomes beloved, and his family shines with the radiance of Brahman. These are the feet of the Self. Had you not come to me, your feet would have withered.” Turning to the others, the teacher said, “You all, knowing the Vaiśvānara Self only as something separate, eat food. But one who worships the Vaiśvānara Self as measured by a span and as the true Self, eats food in all worlds, among all beings, and in all selves.” He then described the Vaiśvānara Self: “Its head is the blazing fire, its eye is of manifold forms, its breath moves in many paths, its trunk is abundant, its bladder is wealth, its feet are the earth, its sides are the altar, its hairs are the sacred grass, its heart is the household fire, its mind is the offering fire, and its mouth is the fire of oblation.” He instructed, “When the first portion of food is brought, offer it as the first oblation, saying, ‘To Prāṇa, svāhā.’ Prāṇa is thus satisfied. When Prāṇa is satisfied, the eye is satisfied; when the eye is satisfied, the sun is satisfied; when the sun is satisfied, the sky is satisfied; and when the sky is satisfied, whatever is established in the sky and the sun is satisfied. By this satisfaction, one is fulfilled with offspring, cattle, food, vigor, and the splendor of Brahman.” He continued, “Then, the second oblation should be offered, saying, ‘To Vyāna, svāhā.’ Vyāna is satisfied. When Vyāna is satisfied, the ear is satisfied; when the ear is satisfied, the moon is satisfied; when the moon is satisfied, the directions are satisfied; and when the directions are satisfied, whatever is established in the directions and the moon is satisfied. By this satisfaction, one is fulfilled with offspring, cattle, food, vigor, and the splendor of Brahman.” Next, he said, “Offer the third oblation, saying, ‘To Apāna, svāhā.’ Apāna is satisfied. When Apāna is satisfied, speech is satisfied; when speech is satisfied, fire is satisfied; when fire is satisfied, the earth is satisfied; and when the earth is satisfied, whatever is established in the earth and fire is satisfied. By this satisfaction, one is fulfilled with offspring, cattle, food, vigor, and the splendor of Brahman.” He instructed further, “Offer the fourth oblation, saying, ‘To Samāna, svāhā.’ Samāna is satisfied. When Samāna is satisfied, the mind is satisfied; when the mind is satisfied, the rain god is satisfied; when the rain god is satisfied, lightning is satisfied; and when lightning is satisfied, whatever is established in lightning and the rain god is satisfied. By this satisfaction, one is fulfilled with offspring, cattle, food, vigor, and the splendor of Brahman.” Finally, he said, “Offer the fifth oblation, saying, ‘To Udāna, svāhā.’ Udāna is satisfied. When Udāna is satisfied, the skin is satisfied; when the skin is satisfied, air is satisfied; when air is satisfied, space is satisfied; and when space is satisfied, whatever is established in air and space is satisfied. By this satisfaction, one is fulfilled with offspring, cattle, food, vigor, and the splendor of Brahman.” He warned, “If someone, not knowing this, performs the Agnihotra, it is as if he were to remove the coals and offer into ashes; such is the result. But if someone, knowing this, performs the Agnihotra, then his offering is made in all worlds, among all beings, and in all selves. Just as a tuft of cotton thrown into the fire is completely burned, so all sins are burned away for one who, knowing this, performs the Agnihotra. Therefore, even if such a knower were to give leftovers to a Chandāla, it would be as if it were offered in his own Vaiśvānara Self. Just as hungry children gather around their mother, so do all beings gather around the Agnihotra; thus, one should worship the Agnihotra.” In another time, Śvetaketu, son of Aruṇa, was addressed by his father: “Śvetaketu, go and live the life of a student; for, dear one, in our family, none who is not learned in the Veda should be called merely a Brahmin by birth.” Śvetaketu, having approached his teachers at the age of twelve and having studied all the Vedas by the age of twenty-four, returned home, proud and self-assured. His father then spoke, “Śvetaketu, dear one, since you have become proud, did you ask for that instruction by which what is unheard becomes heard, what is unthought becomes thought, what is unknown becomes known?” Śvetaketu asked, “How, revered sir, is such instruction possible?” His father explained, “Just as, dear one, by knowing a single lump of clay, all things made of clay become known—modification is only a name, arising from speech, while the clay alone is real. Similarly, by knowing a single piece of gold, all things made of gold become known; by knowing a single piece of iron, all things made of iron become known. Modification is only a name, arising from speech, while the substance alone is real. Indeed, dear one, such is that instruction.” Śvetaketu realized, “Surely, revered sir, my teachers did not know this; for if they had known, how would they not have told me? Revered sir, please teach me this.” His father agreed, “So be it, dear one.” He began, “In the beginning, dear one, this world was just Being, one only, without a second. Some say, in the beginning this world was just Non-being, one only, without a second, and from Non-being, Being was born. But how could it be so? How could Being arise from Non-being? In truth, dear one, in the beginning this world was just Being, one only, without a second.” “That Being thought: ‘May I become many, may I be born.’ It created fire. That fire thought: ‘May I become many, may I be born.’ It created water. Therefore, wherever a person feels pain or sweats, water is produced from fire alone. That water thought: ‘May we become many, may we be born.’ It created food. Therefore, wherever it rains, food becomes abundant; for from water alone is food produced.” He explained further, “Among these beings, there are only three kinds of birth: from eggs, from living beings, and from sprouts. That deity thought: ‘Let me enter these three deities with this living self and differentiate names and forms.’ Of these, let me make each one threefold. So that deity, entering these three deities with this living self, differentiated names and forms. Of these, it made each one threefold. Now, dear one, learn from me how these three deities become threefold in each.” “In fire, the red form is the form of fire; the white is of water; the black is of food. The fire-ness of fire is only a name, arising from speech, while the three forms alone are real. In the sun, the red form is the form of fire; the white is of water; the black is of food. The sun-ness of the sun is only a name, arising from speech, while the three forms alone are real. In the moon, the red form is the form of fire; the white is of water; the black is of food. The moon-ness of the moon is only a name, arising from speech, while the three forms alone are real. In lightning, the red form is the form of fire; the white is of water; the black is of food. The lightning-ness of lightning is only a name, arising from speech, while the three forms alone are real.” He concluded, “Indeed, those who were learned, the great householders and scholars of old, used to say: ‘Today, no one will speak of anything unheard, unthought, or unknown to us,’ for they had attained knowledge from those before them. When something appeared red, they said, ‘That is the form of fire’; when something appeared white, they said, ‘That is the form of water’; when something appeared black, they said, ‘That is the form of food.’ Thus, they discerned.” Such was the teaching, flowing from teacher to disciple, revealing the unity underlying all diversity, and the profound truth of the Self.