When Śvetaketu reached the age of twelve, he went to study with his teachers. By the time he was twenty-four, he had learned all the Vedas. He returned home, feeling proud and confident in his knowledge. Seeing this, his father, Uddalaka Aruni, spoke to him gently: “Śvetaketu, my dear, since you are proud and believe yourself learned, did you ever ask your teachers for that instruction by which what is unheard becomes heard, what is unthought becomes thought, and what is unknown becomes known?” Śvetaketu was puzzled. “How, revered sir, is such instruction possible?” he asked. His father explained, “Just as, my dear, by knowing a single lump of clay, all things made of clay are known—for their differences are merely names, arising from speech, while the clay alone is real. In the same way, by knowing a piece of gold, all things made of gold are known; and by knowing a piece of iron, all things made of iron are known. Their modifications are only names, while the substance alone is real. Such is that instruction.” Śvetaketu realized that his teachers had not taught him this deeper knowledge. “Surely, revered sir, my teachers did not know this. If they had, how would they not have taught me? Please, teach me this.” “So be it, my dear,” replied his father. He began: “In the beginning, my dear, this world was just Being, one only, without a second. Some say that in the beginning, this world was just Non-being, one only, without a second, and that Being was born from Non-being.” “But how could that be?” he continued. “How could Being arise from Non-being? In truth, my dear, 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. Fire thought, ‘May I become many, may I be born,’ and created water. Thus, wherever a person feels pain or sweats, water is produced from fire alone. Then water thought, ‘May we become many, may we be born,’ and created food. Wherever it rains, food becomes abundant; for from water alone is food produced.” Uddalaka went on, “Among these beings, there are only three kinds of birth: from eggs, from living beings, and from sprouts. The deity thought, ‘Let me enter these three deities with this living self and differentiate names and forms.’ Of these, the deity made each one threefold, entering them with the living self and distinguishing names and forms. Now, my dear, learn from me how these three deities become threefold in each. “The red form in fire 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. The same pattern is found in the sun: the red form is fire, the white is water, the black is food. The sun-ness of the sun is only a name, while the three forms alone are real. Likewise for the moon: the red form is fire, the white is water, the black is food. The moon-ness of the moon is only a name, while the three forms alone are real. And in lightning: the red form is fire, the white is water, the black is food. The lightning-ness of lightning is only a name, while the three forms alone are real. “The learned householders and great scholars of old used to say, ‘Today, no one will speak of anything unheard, unthought, or unknown to us,’ for they had received knowledge from those before them. When something appeared red, they said, ‘That is the form of fire’; when it appeared white, ‘That is the form of water’; when it appeared black, ‘That is the form of food.’ Thus, they discerned. When something seemed unknown, they said, ‘That is the union of these deities.’ Just as these three deities, upon entering a person, each become threefold, so understand this from me. “Food that is eaten is divided into three parts: the heaviest portion becomes excrement, the middle portion becomes flesh, and the subtlest portion becomes mind. Water that is drunk is divided into three parts: the heaviest becomes urine, the middle becomes blood, and the subtlest becomes breath. Fire that is consumed is divided into three parts: the heaviest becomes bone, the middle becomes marrow, and the subtlest becomes speech. Thus, my dear, mind is made of food, breath is made of water, and speech is made of fire.” Śvetaketu asked for further explanation. “So be it, my dear,” said his father. “The subtlest part of the middle portion of curds rises upward and becomes clarified butter. In the same way, the subtlest part of the food that is eaten rises upward and becomes mind. The subtlest part of the water that is drunk rises upward and becomes breath. The subtlest part of the food that is eaten rises upward and becomes speech. Thus, my dear, mind is made of food, breath is made of water, and speech is made of fire.” Śvetaketu requested to understand more. “So be it, my dear,” his father replied. “If a person abstains from food for fifteen days, let him drink water as he wishes, for breath is made of water; if he does not drink, his breath will be interrupted.” Śvetaketu abstained from food for fifteen days. When he returned, his father asked him to recite the Rig, Yajus, and Sama Vedas, but Śvetaketu replied, “Sir, nothing comes to mind.” His father explained, “Just as, my dear, when a large fire is burning and only one ember the size of a firefly remains, it does not burn much; so, my dear, of your sixteen parts, only one remains, and with that you do not perceive the Vedas. When you eat, you will understand.” After eating, Śvetaketu returned, and whatever was asked, he answered everything. His father said, “Just as, my dear, when a large fire is burning and only one ember the size of a firefly remains, if it is kindled with grass, it will blaze greatly. In the same way, when only one of your sixteen parts remained, it was kindled by food and blazed forth. Now you perceive the Vedas. Indeed, my dear, mind is made of food, breath is made of water, and speech is made of fire.” Śvetaketu understood this deeply. Uddalaka continued, “My dear, understand the state of sleep. When a person sleeps, he becomes united with Being, he attains his own nature. Therefore, they say, ‘he sleeps,’ for he has gone to his own self. Just as a bird, tied by a string, flies in every direction and, not finding a place to rest, returns to where it is bound, so too, my dear, the mind, after roaming in every direction, not finding a place to rest, returns to the vital breath; for the mind is bound to the vital breath. “Understand, my dear, the states of hunger and thirst. When a person eats, the waters carry what is eaten to the appropriate place. Just as cows, horses, and humans are called by their respective names, so too, the waters are called ‘food.’ From this, the shoot arises. Understand, my dear, that this does not arise without a root. Where could its root be, except in food? Thus, by means of the shoot, seek the root in food; by means of the shoot, seek the root in fire; by means of the shoot, seek the root in Being. All these creatures, my dear, have Being as their root, Being as their abode, Being as their foundation.” Thus, Śvetaketu listened to his father, and through these teachings, the profound unity and origin of all things was revealed to him.