Svetaketu, the son of great and wise man Uddalaka, was twelve years old, he was sent to a teacher with whom he studied until he was twenty-four. After learning all the Vedas, he returned home full of conceit in the belief that he was consummately well-educated, and very censorious.
Father saw his son's pride. "My dear son," he asked, "I wonder if you have learned the wisdom of the Veda. Can you hear what cannot be heard by the ear? Can you see what cannot be seen by the eyes? Do you know what cannot be known by the mind?"
"What do you mean, dear Father?" asked Svetaketu in surprise.
His father replied, "My son, when you know one lump of clay, you know all that is made of clay."
"When you know one nugget of gold, you know all that is made of gold."
"I have not yet learned this teaching," said Shvetaketu humbly. "Please, Father, teach me."
"As you wish, my dear son" said the father
"In the beginning there was a unbounded ocean of consciousness, one without a second(Ekam evaadvitiyam). It thought to itself 'I am one - may I be many,' and created light. Light thought to itself, 'I am one - may I be many,' and created water. Water thought to itself, 'I am one- may I be many,' and created matter. So consciousness became light, water and matter and the three became many and it is the essence of all things. That thou art(tat tvam asi), Shvetaketu."
... And he said, "Bring me a fruit of banyan tree."
Shvetaketu went outside and picked a fig from banyan tree. "Here it is, Father." said Shvetaketu.
"Break it open." said his father. "Tell me, what do you see inside?"
"I see many seeds"
"Break one seed open." said his father. "Tell me what do you see."
"I see nothing at all." said Shvetaketu.
"My son, that 'nothing' is the subtle essence of all living things, which appears as nothing because you cannot perceive it, but the tree has grown, and of that you are created.
"Please, honored Sir, teach me more," said Shvetaketu.
"As you wish, my dear son", said his father. "Place this salt in a glass full of water, and come to me in the morning."
Shvetaketu did this.
Next morning the father said, "Bring me the salt you poured into the water."
The son looked for it, and said "The salt has disappeared, Father."
"Please take a sip from the top of the glass," his father said. "How does it taste?"
"Salty."
"Now pour out some and take a sip from the middle," said his father. "How does it taste?"
"Salty."
"Now pour out some and take a sip from the bottom. Tell me, how does it taste?"
"Salty," said Shvetaketu.
"Even though you couldn't see it, the salt was found in every drop of water. In the same way, pure consciousness is found in all beings. That subtle essence of the whole world, the Self of all that is, the ocean of pure consciousness - that is truth. That is the all-pervading Self. That thou art Shvetaketu."
...And then Shvetaketu understood the true teaching of the veda, and became a famous teacher in the court of King Janaka, Shvetaketu always remained humble, once he had realized the Self, the ocean of pure consciousness.
Source: Chandogya Upanishad
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=BcDlPTSbEoEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Father saw his son's pride. "My dear son," he asked, "I wonder if you have learned the wisdom of the Veda. Can you hear what cannot be heard by the ear? Can you see what cannot be seen by the eyes? Do you know what cannot be known by the mind?"
"What do you mean, dear Father?" asked Svetaketu in surprise.
His father replied, "My son, when you know one lump of clay, you know all that is made of clay."
"When you know one nugget of gold, you know all that is made of gold."
"I have not yet learned this teaching," said Shvetaketu humbly. "Please, Father, teach me."
"As you wish, my dear son" said the father
"In the beginning there was a unbounded ocean of consciousness, one without a second(Ekam evaadvitiyam). It thought to itself 'I am one - may I be many,' and created light. Light thought to itself, 'I am one - may I be many,' and created water. Water thought to itself, 'I am one- may I be many,' and created matter. So consciousness became light, water and matter and the three became many and it is the essence of all things. That thou art(tat tvam asi), Shvetaketu."
... And he said, "Bring me a fruit of banyan tree."
Shvetaketu went outside and picked a fig from banyan tree. "Here it is, Father." said Shvetaketu.
"Break it open." said his father. "Tell me, what do you see inside?"
"I see many seeds"
"Break one seed open." said his father. "Tell me what do you see."
"I see nothing at all." said Shvetaketu.
"My son, that 'nothing' is the subtle essence of all living things, which appears as nothing because you cannot perceive it, but the tree has grown, and of that you are created.
"Please, honored Sir, teach me more," said Shvetaketu.
"As you wish, my dear son", said his father. "Place this salt in a glass full of water, and come to me in the morning."
Shvetaketu did this.
Next morning the father said, "Bring me the salt you poured into the water."
The son looked for it, and said "The salt has disappeared, Father."
"Please take a sip from the top of the glass," his father said. "How does it taste?"
"Salty."
"Now pour out some and take a sip from the middle," said his father. "How does it taste?"
"Salty."
"Now pour out some and take a sip from the bottom. Tell me, how does it taste?"
"Salty," said Shvetaketu.
"Even though you couldn't see it, the salt was found in every drop of water. In the same way, pure consciousness is found in all beings. That subtle essence of the whole world, the Self of all that is, the ocean of pure consciousness - that is truth. That is the all-pervading Self. That thou art Shvetaketu."
...And then Shvetaketu understood the true teaching of the veda, and became a famous teacher in the court of King Janaka, Shvetaketu always remained humble, once he had realized the Self, the ocean of pure consciousness.
Source: Chandogya Upanishad
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=BcDlPTSbEoEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
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