Listen, dear one, to the sacred dialogue of Sanatkumara, the wise teacher, as he gently guides his disciple through the ascending steps of realization, each step revealing something greater than the last, leading ultimately to the profound understanding of the Self. Sanatkumara begins by declaring: Awareness is greater than intention. It is only when one is truly aware that intention arises; from intention comes contemplation, then speech, then the utterance of names. In names, all the mantras are unified, and in mantras, all actions find their source. Thus, everything—intention, thought, speech, name, mantra, and action—flows from awareness, is made of awareness, and is rooted in awareness. Therefore, even if a person is said to possess much awareness, if he does not truly know, people say, “He is not present.” Or, if he is learned but lacks awareness, people attend to him only to the extent of his awareness. For awareness alone is the foundation, the very Self, the one course of all. Meditate, then, on awareness. Whoever meditates on awareness as Brahman attains the worlds that are firm and established, and he too becomes established and unshaken. Wherever awareness can reach, there he moves as he wills. Yet, the earnest seeker asks, “Is there something greater than awareness?” And the sage replies, “Indeed, there is.” Sanatkumara continues: Meditation is greater than awareness. The earth itself seems to meditate, as do the atmosphere, the sky, the waters, the mountains, the gods, and humans. Among people, those who attain greatness do so through meditation, while those who are petty, quarrelsome, or slanderous are not so. The powerful ones stand apart through meditation. Therefore, meditate on meditation. One who meditates on meditation as Brahman moves freely wherever meditation extends. But again, the seeker asks, “Is there something greater than meditation?” And the sage affirms, “Indeed, there is.” Understanding is greater than meditation. By understanding, one truly knows the sacred Vedas—the Rig, the Yajur, the Sama, and the Atharva, along with the Itihasa and Purana, the stories and the knowledge of gods, Brahman, beings, rulers, stars, serpents, and divine beings. Understanding encompasses all—the earth and sky, wind and space, waters and fire, gods and humans, animals and birds, grass and trees, wild beasts, insects, flying creatures, and even ants. Understanding discerns righteousness and unrighteousness, truth and falsehood, good and not good, what pleases and what does not, food and its taste, this world and the next. All is known by understanding. Meditate on understanding. Whoever meditates on understanding as Brahman attains the worlds of the wise. To the extent understanding reaches, there he moves as he wishes. Yet, again the question arises, “Is there something greater than understanding?” The sage replies, “Indeed, there is.” Strength is greater than understanding. Even a hundred learned men cannot shake one person of strength. When one is strong, one rises, moves about, approaches, sits, sees, hears, thinks, knows, acts, and understands. By strength, the earth stands firm, as do the atmosphere, sky, mountains, gods, humans, animals, birds, grass, trees, wild beasts, insects, flying creatures, and ants. The world itself stands by strength. Meditate on strength. Whoever meditates on strength as Brahman moves freely wherever strength extends. Yet, the seeker asks, “Is there something greater than strength?” The sage replies, “Yes, there is.” Food is greater than strength. Even if one lives without food for ten nights, one may still see, hear, think, know, do, and understand, but it is for the sake of food that these faculties are sustained. Meditate on food. Whoever meditates on food as Brahman attains worlds filled with food and drink, and wherever there is food, there he may go as he wishes. Yet, again: “Is there something greater than food?” “Yes, indeed, there is.” Water is greater than food. When rain is scarce, living beings are troubled, fearing food will be scarce. When rain is abundant, they rejoice, knowing food will be plentiful. All forms—earth, sky, heaven, mountains, gods, humans, cattle, birds, grass, trees, wild animals, insects, ants—are but forms of water. Meditate on water. Whoever meditates on water as Brahman becomes satisfied, all desires fulfilled; wherever there is water, there he moves as he wishes. Still, the question is asked: “Is there something greater than water?” “Yes, indeed, there is.” Fire is greater than water. When fire seizes air, it pierces the sky, producing lightning and thunder, heralding rain. Fire reveals itself first, then produces water. Lightning, with its flashing and thunder, moves in the sky, and people say, “It lightens, it thunders, it will rain.” Meditate on fire. Whoever meditates on fire as Brahman becomes radiant, attaining luminous worlds free from darkness. Wherever there is fire, there he moves as he wishes. Yet, again: “Is there something greater than fire?” “Yes, indeed, there is.” Space is greater than fire. In space are set the sun and moon, lightning, stars, and fire. Through space, one calls, hears, responds, delights or does not delight, is born and returns. Meditate on space. Whoever meditates on space as Brahman attains vast, luminous, unobstructed worlds; wherever there is space, there he moves as he wishes. Yet, the seeker asks: “Is there something greater than space?” “Yes, indeed, there is.” Memory is greater than space. Even if many are present, if they do not remember, they neither hear, think, nor know. When they remember, they hear, think, and know. By memory, one knows sons and cattle. Meditate on memory. Whoever meditates on memory as Brahman moves freely wherever memory extends. Again: “Is there something greater than memory?” “Yes, indeed, there is.” Hope is greater than memory. Even without recalling the sacred texts, it is by hope that one performs rituals, desires sons and cattle, and seeks this world and the next. Meditate on hope. Whoever meditates on hope as Brahman has all desires fulfilled by hope; wherever there is hope, there he moves as he wishes. Yet, again: “Is there something greater than hope?” “Yes, indeed, there is.” Life-breath is greater than hope. Just as the spokes are fixed in the hub, so is everything fixed in the life-breath. Life-breath moves, gives, and receives for its own sake. Life-breath is father, mother, brother, sister, teacher, Brahmin. If one were to speak harshly to any of these, people would call him a slayer of his kin or teacher. But even if one were to strike them with a spear while their life-breath remains, people would not call him a slayer. For it is the life-breath that is all these. One who sees, thinks, and knows thus becomes a speaker beyond others. If someone says, “You speak beyond others,” he should affirm it and not deny. Yet, Sanatkumara says, “Truly, he speaks beyond others who speaks with truth.” The disciple asks, “Sir, I wish to speak beyond others with truth.” The sage replies, “One should desire to know truth.” “Sir, I desire to know truth.” When one knows, then one speaks the truth. Without knowing, one cannot speak truth. Therefore, seek to know knowledge. “Sir, I desire to know knowledge.” When one thinks, then one knows; not by name alone, but by thought is knowledge gained. Therefore, seek to know thought. “Sir, I desire to know thought.” When one has faith, then one reflects; without faith, there is no reflection. Therefore, seek to know faith. “Revered sir, I wish to know faith.” When one is steadfast, then one has faith; without steadfastness, there is no faith. Therefore, seek to know steadfastness. “Revered sir, I wish to know steadfastness.” When one acts, then one is steadfast; without action, there is no steadfastness. Therefore, seek to know action. “Revered sir, I wish to know action.” When one attains happiness, then one acts; without happiness, there is no action. Therefore, seek to know happiness. “Revered sir, I wish to know happiness.” That which is vast is happiness; there is no happiness in the small. The vast alone is happiness. Therefore, seek to know the vast. “Revered sir, I wish to know the vast.” Where one does not see, hear, or know another—there is the vast. Where one sees, hears, or knows another—that is the small. The vast is immortal; the small is mortal. The disciple asks, “In what does the vast rest?” The sage replies, “In its own greatness—or perhaps not even in greatness.” Here, people think greatness lies in cattle and horses, elephants and gold, servants, wives, fields, and houses. But the sage says, “I do not call these greatness.” “Then what do you call greatness?” “One thing is established in another.” He is below, above, behind, before, to the right, to the left—he alone is all this. Thus, the instruction concerning the Self is: “I am below, I am above, I am behind, I am before, I am to the right, I am to the left; I alone am all this.” Therefore, the teaching is: The Self is below, above, behind, before, to the right, to the left; the Self alone is all this. One who sees, thinks, and knows thus delights in the Self, sports in the Self, mates with the Self, rejoices in the Self—he becomes sovereign, moving in all worlds as he wishes. But those who know otherwise are ruled by others, their worlds are perishable, and they cannot move as they wish. For one who sees, thinks, and knows thus, all arises from the Self: life, hope, memory, space, fire, water, appearance and disappearance, food, strength, knowledge, meditation, understanding, intention, mind, speech, name, mantras, actions—everything is the Self. Of this, there is a sacred verse: He does not see death, nor sickness, nor pain; he who sees sees all, attains all, everywhere. He becomes one, threefold, fivefold, sevenfold, ninefold, and again elevenfold; a hundred, ten, and one, and also twenty thousand are said. When food is pure, the mind becomes pure; when the mind is pure, memory is steady; when memory is steady, all knots of the heart are loosened. To him whose impurities are washed away, the venerable Sanatkumara shows the further shore of darkness. They call him Skanda; they call him Skanda. Now, in this city of Brahman—the body—there is a small lotus-like dwelling, and within it is a small space. That which is within should be sought; that, indeed, should be known.