A sincere seeker once approached a revered teacher and spoke with humility: “Venerable one, I am learned in the mantras, yet I do not know the Self. I have heard that only the knower of the Self can cross over sorrow. I, venerable one, am afflicted by grief. Please, lead me beyond this sorrow.” The teacher replied, “All that you have studied so far is merely name.” He explained further: “Name is indeed the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, the Atharvaveda as the fourth, the histories and ancient lore as the fifth Veda, the Veda of Vedas, the science of ancestors, mathematics, divination, knowledge of treasure, eloquence, single texts, knowledge of the gods, of Brahman, of beings, of rulers, of stars, of serpents and spirits. All this is just name. Meditate on name.” “Whoever meditates upon name as Brahman, to the extent that name extends, there he moves as he wishes. Yet, such a one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than name?’ The answer is, ‘Yes, there is something greater than name.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher continued: “Speech is indeed greater than name. Through speech, the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda, the histories and lore, the Veda of Vedas, ancestral rites, collections for the gods, treasures, words, single courses, knowledge of the gods, of Brahman, of beings, of rulers, of stars, of serpents and spirits, heaven and earth, wind and space, waters and fire, gods and humans, animals and birds, grass and trees, wild beasts, insects, flying creatures, ants, righteousness and unrighteousness, truth and falsehood, good and not good, what pleases the heart and what does not—all these are made known by speech. Without speech, none of these would be known. Meditate on speech.” “Whoever meditates on speech as Brahman moves freely wherever speech extends. Still, such a one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than speech?’ The answer: ‘Yes, there is something greater than speech.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher then said, “Mind is indeed greater than speech. Just as two fruits are grasped in a fist, so speech and name are grasped by the mind. When one contemplates with the mind, one studies the mantras; when one wills, one acts; when one desires sons or cattle, or this world or the next, it is through the mind. Mind is the self, mind is the world, mind is Brahman. Meditate on mind.” “Whoever meditates on mind as Brahman moves freely wherever mind extends. Yet again, the seeker may ask, ‘Is there something greater than mind?’ The reply: ‘Yes, there is something greater than mind.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher explained, “Intention is indeed greater than mind. When one intends, then one contemplates; then one utters speech; then one utters name; in name, the mantras become one; in the mantras, the actions. All these have intention as their one course, are of the nature of intention, and are established in intention. Heaven and earth, wind and space, waters and fire—all are established by intention. For the sake of intention, rain is intended; for rain, food is intended; for food, breath is intended; for breath, mantras are intended; for mantras, actions are intended; for actions, the world is intended; for the world, everything is intended. This is intention. Meditate on intention.” “Whoever meditates on intention as Brahman attains worlds that are established and firm, and becomes established and unshaken. Yet, one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than intention?’ The answer: ‘Yes, there is something greater than intention.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher continued, “Awareness is indeed greater than intention. When one is aware, then one intends; then one contemplates; then one utters speech; then one utters name; in name, the mantras become one; in the mantras, the actions. All these have awareness as their one course, are of the nature of awareness, are established in awareness. Even if someone is learned, if he lacks awareness, people say, ‘He is not present.’ If he has only a little awareness, only to that extent do people attend to him. Awareness alone is their one course, awareness is the self, awareness is the foundation. Meditate on awareness.” “Whoever meditates on awareness as Brahman attains the worlds that are established and firm, and himself becomes established and unshaken. Still, one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than awareness?’ The answer: ‘Yes, there is something greater than awareness.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher said, “Meditation is indeed greater than awareness. The earth, the atmosphere, the sky, the waters, the mountains, the gods, and humans—all seem to meditate. Among humans, those who attain greatness do so through meditation; those who are small, quarrelsome, slanderous, and talkative are not so; those who are powerful appear so through meditation. Meditate on meditation.” “Whoever meditates on meditation as Brahman moves as he wishes wherever meditation reaches. Yet, one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than meditation?’ The answer: ‘Yes, there is something greater than meditation.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher then revealed, “Understanding is indeed greater than meditation. By understanding, one knows the Vedas, the histories and ancient lore, the Veda of Vedas, the rites for ancestors, the collections for the gods, treasures, words, single courses, knowledge of the gods, Brahman, beings, rulers, stars, serpents and spirits, heaven and earth, wind and space, waters and fire, gods and humans, animals and birds, grass and trees, wild beasts, insects, flying creatures, ants, righteousness and unrighteousness, truth and falsehood, good and not good, what pleases the heart and what does not, food and its taste, this world and the next—by understanding alone, all this is known. Meditate on understanding.” “Whoever meditates on understanding as Brahman attains the worlds of those who possess understanding, not those who lack it. Still, one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than understanding?’ The reply: ‘Yes, there is something greater than understanding.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher continued, “Strength is indeed greater than understanding. Even a hundred people with understanding cannot shake a single person with strength. When one is strong, one rises, moves about, approaches, sits, sees, hears, thinks, knows, acts, and understands. By strength the earth stands, the atmosphere, the sky, the mountains, the gods and humans, animals and birds, grass and trees, wild beasts, insects, flying creatures, ants—by strength the world stands. Meditate on strength.” “Whoever meditates on strength as Brahman moves as he wishes wherever strength reaches. Yet, one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than strength?’ The answer: ‘Yes, there is something greater than strength.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher said, “Food is indeed greater than strength. Even if one does not eat for ten nights, yet lives, one becomes a seer, hearer, thinker, knower, doer, understander; but when one eats, one becomes a seer, hearer, thinker, knower, doer, understander for the sake of food. Meditate on food.” “Whoever meditates on food as Brahman attains worlds rich in food and drink; wherever there is food, there he moves as he wishes. Yet, one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than food?’ The answer: ‘Yes, there is something greater than food.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher continued, “Water is indeed greater than food. When there is no good rainfall, living beings become distressed, thinking, ‘Food will become scarce.’ When there is good rainfall, they rejoice, thinking, ‘There will be much food.’ All these forms—earth, sky, heaven, mountains, gods, humans, cattle, birds, grass, trees, wild animals, insects, and ants—are all forms of water. Meditate on water.” “Whoever meditates on water as Brahman attains all desires and becomes satisfied; wherever there is water, there he moves as he wishes. Yet, one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than water?’ The answer: ‘Yes, there is something greater than water.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher revealed, “Fire is indeed greater than water. When fire seizes air, it pierces the sky, and people say, ‘It flashes, it thunders, it will rain.’ Fire first reveals itself and then produces water. The lightnings, with their upward and crosswise flashes, move about with thunder. Thus, people say, ‘It lightens, it thunders, it will rain.’ Fire first reveals itself and then produces water. Meditate on fire.” “Whoever meditates on fire as Brahman becomes radiant and attains luminous worlds free from darkness. Yet, one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than fire?’ The answer: ‘Yes, there is something greater than fire.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher said, “Space is indeed greater than fire. In space are set the sun and the moon, lightning, stars, and fire. By space one calls, hears, responds, delights, or does not delight; in space one is born, and into space one is born. Meditate on space.” “Whoever meditates on space as Brahman attains worlds that are vast, luminous, and unobstructed; wherever there is space, there he moves as he wishes. Yet, one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than space?’ The answer: ‘Yes, there is something greater than space.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher continued, “Memory is indeed greater than space. Even if many people are present, if they do not remember, they neither hear, nor think, nor know anything. But when they remember, then they hear, think, and know. By memory one knows sons, by memory one knows cattle. Meditate on memory.” “Whoever meditates on memory as Brahman moves as he wishes wherever there is memory. Yet, one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than memory?’ The answer: ‘Yes, there is something greater than memory.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher then said, “Hope is indeed greater than memory. Even if one does not remember the sacred texts, by hope one performs rituals, desires sons and cattle, desires this world and the next. Meditate on hope.” “Whoever meditates on hope as Brahman, all his desires are fulfilled by hope, and his wishes do not fail. Yet, one may ask, ‘Is there something greater than hope?’ The answer: ‘Yes, there is something greater than hope.’ ‘Please, revered one, teach me that.’” The teacher revealed, “Life-breath (prāṇa) is indeed greater than hope. Just as spokes are fixed in the hub, so everything is fixed in the life-breath. Life-breath moves by life-breath, gives to life-breath, gives for the sake of life-breath. Life-breath is father, mother, brother, sister, teacher, Brahmin. If one were to speak harshly to these, people would say, ‘Fie, you are a slayer of your father, mother, brother, sister, teacher, or Brahmin.’ But even if one were to strike them with a spear while their life-breath has not departed, people would not call him a slayer of any of these. For it is the life-breath that is all these. Therefore, one who sees, thinks, and knows thus becomes one who speaks beyond others. If someone says to him, ‘You speak beyond others,’ he should reply, ‘I do speak beyond others,’ and not deny it.” “But truly, he speaks beyond others who speaks with truth. ‘Sir, I wish to speak beyond others with truth.’ ‘One should desire to know truth.’ ‘Sir, I desire to know truth.’” “When one knows, then one speaks the truth; not knowing, one does not speak the truth. Knowing alone, one speaks the truth. One should desire to know knowledge. ‘Sir, I desire to know knowledge.’” “When one thinks, then one knows; not by name does one know, but by thinking alone one knows. One should desire to know thought. ‘Sir, I desire to know thought.’” “When one has faith, then one reflects; without faith, one does not reflect. It is only with faith that one reflects. Therefore, faith alone must be sought to be known. ‘Revered sir, I wish to know faith.