A devoted seeker approached his revered teacher, longing for the highest understanding. The teacher began by explaining the greatness of food: “Whoever meditates upon food as Brahman attains abundant worlds, filled with food and drink. Wherever there is food, he moves freely, as he wills.” Yet the student’s yearning was not satisfied. “Sir, is there something greater than food?” he asked. The teacher replied, “Yes, indeed, there is something greater.” The teacher continued, “Water is greater than food. When rains fail, all living beings are distressed, fearing scarcity of food. When rains are plentiful, all rejoice, knowing there will be abundance. 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 contemplates water as Brahman attains all desires and satisfaction, moving freely wherever there is water. Still, the student asked, “Sir, is there something greater than water?” “Yes, indeed,” replied the teacher. “Fire is greater than water,” the teacher explained. “When fire seizes air, it pierces the sky, flashing and thundering, and then it rains. Fire first reveals itself, then produces water. The lightning that darts and the thunder that rolls are fire’s signs, heralding rain. Meditate on fire.” Whoever meditates upon fire as Brahman becomes radiant, attains luminous worlds free from darkness, and moves as he wishes wherever there is fire. Yet, the student persisted, “Sir, is there something greater than fire?” “Yes, indeed, there is something greater,” came the reply. “Space is greater than fire,” the teacher said. “In space are set the sun, the moon, lightning, stars, and fire. Through space, we call, hear, respond, delight, and are born. Meditate on space.” Whoever meditates on space as Brahman attains vast, luminous, unobstructed worlds and moves freely wherever there is space. Still, the student’s inquiry continued, “Sir, is there something greater than space?” “Yes, indeed, there is something greater.” “Memory is greater than space,” the teacher explained. “If many people are present but do not remember, they neither hear, think, nor know. But with memory, 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 is. Yet again, the student pressed, “Sir, is there something greater than memory?” “Yes, indeed, there is something greater.” “Hope is greater than memory,” said the teacher. “Even if one forgets the sacred texts, by hope he 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 and moves freely wherever there is hope. Still, the student asked, “Is there something greater than hope?” “Yes, indeed, there is something greater.” “Life-breath is greater than hope,” declared the teacher. “As spokes are fixed in a wheel’s hub, so everything is fixed in life-breath. Life-breath moves, gives, and acts for its own sake. Life-breath is father, mother, brother, sister, teacher, and Brahmin. If anyone speaks harshly to these, he is condemned. Yet, even if he strikes them while their life-breath remains, he is not called a slayer. For life-breath is all these. One who sees, thinks, and knows thus becomes one who speaks beyond others. If challenged, he should acknowledge that he does indeed speak beyond others.” But the teacher added, “Truly, he speaks beyond others who speaks with truth.” The student humbly asked, “Sir, I wish to speak beyond others with truth.” The teacher replied, “One should desire to know truth.” The student affirmed, “Sir, I desire to know truth.” The teacher continued, “When one knows, then one speaks the truth; not knowing, one does not. Knowledge is the ground of truth. One should desire to know knowledge.” The student agreed, “Sir, I desire to know knowledge.” The teacher said, “By thinking, one knows—not by name alone, but by thought. One should desire to know thought.” The student responded, “Sir, I desire to know thought.” “When one has faith, then one reflects; without faith, there is no reflection. Faith alone must be sought,” said the teacher. “Revered sir, I wish to know faith,” said the student. The teacher continued, “Steadfastness gives rise to faith; without steadfastness, there is no faith. Seek to know steadfastness.” The student replied, “Revered sir, I wish to know steadfastness.” “By action, one is steadfast; without action, there is no steadfastness. Action must be sought,” said the teacher. “Revered sir, I wish to know action,” said the student. “When one attains happiness, then one acts; without happiness, there is no action. Seek to know happiness,” instructed the teacher. “Revered sir, I wish to know happiness,” said the student. “That which is vast is happiness; there is no happiness in the small. The vast alone is happiness. Seek to know the vast,” said the teacher. “Revered sir, I wish to know the vast.” The teacher revealed, “Where one does not see, hear, or know another—that is the vast. Where one perceives another, that is the small. The vast is immortal; the small is mortal.” The student inquired, “In what does the vast rest?” The teacher answered, “In its own greatness, or perhaps not even in greatness.” The teacher clarified, “People say greatness is cattle, horses, elephants, gold, servants, wives, fields, and houses. But I do not say so.” “What then do you say?” asked the student. The teacher replied, “One thing is established in another.” He explained further, “He is below, above, behind, before, to the right, and to the left; he alone is all this. Therefore, the teaching concerning the self is: I am below, above, behind, before, to the right, to the left; I alone am all this.” He continued, “Thus, 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 with the self, mates with the self, rejoices in the self—he becomes sovereign and moves as he wishes in all worlds. But those who know otherwise are ruled by others; their worlds are perishable, and they do not move as they wish.” “For one who truly sees, thinks, and knows thus, from the self arise life, hope, memory, space, fire, water, appearance and disappearance, food, strength, knowledge, meditation, understanding, intention, mind, speech, name, mantras, actions—all this is indeed the self.” The teacher recited: “He does not see death, sickness, or pain. He who sees, sees all, and attains all everywhere. He becomes one, threefold, fivefold, sevenfold, ninefold, and again elevenfold; a hundred, ten, one, and twenty thousand are spoken of. When food is pure, the mind becomes pure; when the mind is pure, memory is steadfast; when memory is steady, all the knots of the heart are loosened. To such a one, whose stains are washed away, the venerable Sanatkumara shows the further shore of darkness. They call him Skanda; they call him Skanda.” The teacher then spoke of the innermost truth: “Now, in this city of Brahman, there is a small lotus-like dwelling; within it is a tiny space. That which is within should be sought; that, indeed, should be known.” If asked, “In this city of Brahman, this small lotus-like dwelling, and within it this small space—what is there to be sought, what should be known?” the teacher would answer, “As vast as this space is, so vast is the space within the heart. Heaven and earth are contained within it, fire and air, sun and moon, lightning and stars; whatever is here and whatever is not—all is contained within it.” If asked, “If all this and all beings and all desires are contained in this city of Brahman, when old age or destruction comes, what remains?” the teacher would reply, “This does not age with age, nor is it killed by death. This is the true city of Brahman, where desires are contained. This self is free from evil, ageless, deathless, sorrowless, free from hunger and thirst, whose desires and intentions are true. As here, people attain according to their actions, so too, according to their desire, whatever end they wish—whatever world, whatever field—they attain it.” Just as the world won by action here perishes, so too does the world won by merit. But those who depart after knowing the self and these true desires move freely in all worlds. Those who depart without knowing the self and these desires do not have such freedom. If one desires the world of ancestors, by mere intention his ancestors arise, and with them, he is fulfilled and exalted. If he desires the world of mothers, by intention his mothers arise, and he is exalted. If he desires the world of brothers, sisters, or friends, by his intention they arise, and with them, he is fulfilled and exalted. Thus, the teacher led the seeker step by step, from the meditation on food to the innermost self, revealing the boundless, immortal reality within the heart—a reality in which all worlds, beings, and desires are contained, and in which the liberated soul moves freely, sovereign and fulfilled.