Brihadaranyaka

From delusion, darkness and death Lead me To Truth and Light and Life eternal.

“ Maitreyi/’ said one day Yajnavalkya to his wife, “ I am going to leave this present life, and retire to a life of meditation. Let me settle my possessions upon you and Katyayani.”

“ If all the earth filled with riches belonged to me, O my Lord,” said Maitreyi, “should I thereby attain life eternal ? ”

“ Certainly not,” said Yajnavalkya, “ your life would only be as is the life of wealthy people.
In wealth there is no hope of life eternal.”

Maitreyi said : “ What should I then do with possessions that cannot give me life eternal ?
Give me instead your knowledge, O my Lord.”

On hearing this Yajnavalkya exclaimed : “ Dear you are to me, beloved, and dear are the words you ‘say. Come, sit down and I will teach ; but hear my words with deep attention.” ‘

Then spoke Yajnavalkya :

“in truth, it is not for the love of a husband, that a husband is dear ;
but for the love of the Soul in the husband that a husband is dear.

It is not for the love of a wife that a wife is dear ;
but for the love of the Soul in the wife that a wife is dear.

It is not for the love of children that children are dear ;
but for the love of the Soul in children that children are dear.

It is not for the love of riches that riches are dear ;
but for the love of the Soul in riches that riches are dear.

It is not for the love of religion that religion is dear ;
but for the love of the Soul in religion that religion is dear.

It is not for the love of power that power is dear ;
but for the love of the Soul in power that power is dear.

It is not for the love of the heavens that the heavens are dear ;
but for the love of the Soul in the heavens that the heavens are dear.

It is not for the love of the gods that the gods are dear ;
but for the love of the Soul in the gods that the gods are dear.

It is not for the love of creatures that creatures are dear ;
but for the love of the Soul in creatures that creatures are dear.

It is not for the love of the all that the all is dear ;
but for the love of the Soul in the all that the all is dear.

It is the Soul, the Spirit, the Self, that must be seen and be heard and have our thoughts and meditation, O Maitreyi.

When the Soul is seen and heard, is thought upon and is known, then all that is becomes known.

Religion will abandon the man who thinks that religion is apart from the Soul, Power will abandon the man who thinks that power is apart from the Soul.

The gods will abandon the man who thinks that the gods are apart from die Soul.

Creatures will abandon the man who thinks that creatures are apart from the Soul.

And all will abandon the man who thinks that the all is apart from the Soul.

Because religion, power, heavens, beings, gods and all rest on the Soul.’

As when a drum is being beaten its sounds cannot be holden ;
but by seizing the drum or the beater of the drum the sounds are holden.

As when a conch is being blown its sounds cannot be holden ;
but by seizing the conch or the blower of the conch the sounds are holden.

As when a lute is being played its sounds cannot be holden.
but by seizing the lute or the player of the lute the sounds are holden.

So it is with the Spirit, the Soul.

As when a lump of salt is thrown into water and therein being dissolved it cannot be grasped again, but wherever the water is taken it is found salt, in the same way, O Maitreyi, the supreme Spirit is an ocean of pure consciousness boundless and infinite. Arising out of the elements into them it returns again :
there is no consciousness after death.”

Thus spoke Yajnavalkya.

Thereupon Maitreyi said : “ I am amazed, O my Lord, to hear that after death there is no consciousness.”
To this Yajnavalkya replied : “ I am not speaking words of amazement ; but sufficient for wisdom is what I say.

For where there seems to be a duality, there one sees

another, one hears another, one feels another’s perfume, one

thinks of another, one knows another. But when all has

become Spirit, one’s own Self, how and whom could one

see ? How and whom could one hear ? How and of whom

could one feel the perfume ? How and to whom could one

speak ? How and whom could one know ? How can one

know Him who knows all ? How can the Knower be

known?”