Uddalaka Aruni, the wise sage, lovingly taught his son, Śvetaketu, about the mysteries of creation and the nature of existence. He began by explaining that among all living beings, there are three kinds of birth: some are born from eggs, others from living beings, and still others from sprouts. The divine principle, the Deity, contemplated these three forms and decided, “Let me enter these three with the living self and differentiate names and forms.” With this intention, the Deity entered each of the three elements—fire, water, and food—and made each one threefold, thus diversifying the world of names and forms. “My dear,” said Uddalaka, “let me teach you how these three elements become threefold in each.” He pointed to fire: its red aspect is the form of fire, its white aspect is water, and its black aspect is food. The very word “fire” is just a name, arising from speech; only the three forms are real. The same is true for the sun: its red aspect is fire, its white is water, and its black is food. “Sun” is only a name; the three forms alone are real. Likewise, the moon’s red is fire, white is water, black is food; “moon” is but a name, the forms alone are true. Even lightning, with its red, white, and black aspects, follows this pattern. The sages and great householders of old, learned and wise, used to say, “Today, no one will speak of anything unheard, unthought, or unknown to us,” for their knowledge came from those before them. When they saw something red, they recognized it as the form of fire; when white, as water; when black, as food. If something seemed unknown, they called it the union of these elements. “Just as these three elements, when entering a person, each become threefold, so understand this from me,” said Uddalaka. He continued: “When food is eaten, it is divided into three parts. The heaviest becomes excrement, the middle becomes flesh, and the subtlest becomes mind. Water that is drunk is also divided: the heaviest becomes urine, the middle becomes blood, and the subtlest becomes breath. Fire that is consumed is divided: the heaviest becomes bone, the middle becomes marrow, and the subtlest becomes speech. Thus, mind is made of food, breath is made of water, and speech is made of fire. If you wish to know more, ask, my dear.” Śvetaketu asked for further explanation. Uddalaka replied, “The subtlest part of curds rises and becomes clarified butter. In the same way, the subtlest part of food rises and becomes mind, the subtlest part of water rises and becomes breath, and the subtlest part of food rises and becomes speech. Indeed, mind is made of food, breath of water, and speech of fire.” To illustrate this, Uddalaka asked Śvetaketu to abstain from food for fifteen days, but to drink water, since breath is made of water. After the fifteen days, Śvetaketu was unable to recall the Vedas. Uddalaka explained, “Just as a large fire dwindles to a tiny ember, unable to burn much, so only one of your sixteen parts remains, and it cannot perceive the Vedas. When you eat, you will understand.” After eating, Śvetaketu’s memory returned; he answered all questions. Uddalaka said, “Just as a small ember, kindled with grass, blazes forth, so your remaining part, kindled by food, blazed forth and now you perceive the Vedas. Truly, mind is made of food, breath of water, and speech of fire.” Śvetaketu understood. Uddalaka then spoke of sleep: “When a person sleeps, he becomes united with Being, attaining his own nature. That is why we say he sleeps—he has gone to his own Self. Just as a bird tied by a string flies in every direction but returns to its tether, so the mind, after roaming, returns to the vital breath, for the mind is bound to the breath.” He explained hunger and thirst: “When a person eats, waters carry what is eaten to the appropriate place. Just as cows, horses, and humans are called by their names, so waters are called ‘food.’ From this, the shoot arises; it does not arise without a root. Where is its root but in food? Seek the root in food, in fire, in Being. All creatures have Being as their root, their abode, their foundation. When thirsty, fire carries what is drunk to the appropriate place; fire is called ‘drink.’ The shoot arises from this. Its root is in water. Seek the root in fire, in Being. All creatures have Being as their root, abode, and foundation. When a person departs, speech merges in mind, mind in breath, breath in fire, and fire in the highest Deity.” He concluded, “That subtle essence is the Self of all. That is the true. That is the Self. That you are, Śvetaketu.” Śvetaketu asked for further explanation. Uddalaka continued: “Just as bees gather the juices of many trees and blend them into one honey, so all creatures, having merged with Being, do not know ‘We have merged with Being.’ Whether they become a tiger, lion, wolf, boar, insect, moth, gnat, or mosquito—whatever they become, that they become. That subtle essence is the Self of all. That is the true. That is the Self. That you are, Śvetaketu.” He went on: “Rivers in the east flow eastward, those in the west flow westward; all come from the ocean and merge into the ocean, becoming the ocean itself. There, they do not know ‘I am this one, I am that one.’ In the same way, all creatures, coming from Being, do not know ‘We have come from Being.’ Whether they become tiger, lion, wolf, boar, insect, moth, gnat, or mosquito—whatever they become, that they become. That subtle essence is the Self of all. That is the true. That is the Self. That you are, Śvetaketu.” Thus, Uddalaka gently guided Śvetaketu, revealing the profound truth: all that exists arises from, abides in, and returns to the One Being. The essence of all forms, names, and creatures is the Self, the true, the eternal. And that, Śvetaketu, is what you are.