The Supreme Teaching

Prologue

To Janaka king of Videha came once Yajnavalkya meaning to keep in silence the supreme secret wisdom. But once, when Janaka and Yajnavalkya had been holding a discussion at the offering of the sacred fire, Yajnavalkya promised to grant the king any wish and the king chose to ask questions according to his desire. Therefore Janaka, king of Videha,began and asked this question :

Yajnavalkya, what is the light of man ?

The sun is his light, O king, he answered. It is by the light of the sun that a man rests, goes forth, does his work and returns.

This is so in truth, Yajnavalkya. And when the sun is set, what is then the light of man ?

The moon then becomes his light, he replied. It is by the light of the moon that a man rests, goes forth, does his work and returns.

This is so in truth, Yajnavalkya. And when the sun and the moon are set, what is then the light of man ?

Fire then becomes his light. It is by the light of fire that a man rests, goes forth, does his work and returns.

And when the sun and the moon are set, Yajnavalkya, and the fire has sunk down, what is then the light of man ?

Voice then becomes his light ; and by voice as his light he rests, goes forth, does his work and returns.
Therefore in truth, O king, when a man cannot see even his own hand, if he hears a voice after that he wends his way.

This is so in truth Yajnavalkya. And when the sun is set, Yajnavalkya, and the moon is also set, and the fire has sunk down, and the voice is silent, what is then the light of man ?

The Soul then becomes his light ; and by the light of the Soul he rests, goes forth, does his work and returns.

What is “the Soul ? asked then the king of Videha.

Yajnavalkya spoke :

It is the consciousness of life. It is the light of the heart.
Forever remaining the same, the Spirit of man wanders in the world of waking life and also in the world of dreams. He seems to wander in thought. He seems to wander in joy.

But in the rest of deep sleep he goes beyond this world and beyond its fleeting forms.

For in truth when the Spirit of man comes to life and takes a body, then he is joined with mortal evils ; but when at death he goes beyond,, then he leaves evil behind.

The Spirit of man has two dwellings : this world and the world beyond.
There is also a third dwelling-place : the land of sleep and dreams. Resting in this borderland the Spirit of man can behold his dwelling in this world and in the other world afar, and wandering in this borderland he beholds behind him the sorrows of this world and in front of him he sees the joys of the beyond.

When the Spirit of man retires to rest, he takes with him materials from this all-containing world, and he creates and destroys in his own glory and radiance. Then the Spirit of man shines in his own light.

In that land there are no chariots, no teams of horses nor roads ; but he creates his own chariots, his teams of horses and roads. There are no joys in that region and no pleasures nor delights ; but he creates his own joys, his own pleasures and delights. In that land there are no lakes, no lotusponds, nor streams ; but he creates his own lakes, his lotusponds and streams.

For the Spirit of man is Creator.

It was said in these verses :

“ Abandoning this body by the gate of dreams, the Spirit beholds in awaking his senses sleeping. Then he takes his own light and returns to his home, this Spirit of golden radiance, the wandering swan everlasting.” /

“ Leaving his nest below in charge of the breath of life, the immortal Spirit soars afar from his nest. He moves in all regions wherever he loves, this Spirit of golden radiance, the wandering swan everlasting.”

“And in the region of dreams, wandering above and below, the Spirit makes for himself innumerable subtle creations. Sometimes he seems to rejoice in the love of fairy beauties, sometimes he laughs or beholds awe-inspiring terrible visions.

People .see his field of pleasure ; but He can never be seen.” *

So they say one should not wake up a person suddenly, for hard to heal would he be if the Spirit did not return.

They say also that dreams are like the waking state, for what is seen when awake is seen again in a dream. What is true is that the Spirit shines in his own light.

“ I give you a thousand gifts,” said then the king of Videha, “ but tell me the higher wisdom that leads to liberation.”

When the Spirit of man has had his joy in the land of dreams, and in his wanderings there has beholden good and evil, he then returns to this world of waking. But whatever he has seen does not return with him, for the Spirit of man is free.

And when he has had his joy in this world of waking and in his wanderings here has beholden good and evil, he returns by the same path again to the land of dreams.

Even as a great fish swims along the two banks of a river, first along the eastern bank and then the western bank, in the same way the Spirit of man moves along beside his two dwellings : this waking world and the land of sleep and dreams.

Even as a falcon or an eagle, after soaring in the sky, folds his wings for he is weary and flies down to his nest, even so the Spirit of man hastens to that place of rest where the soul has no desires and the Spirit sees no dreams.

What was seen in a dream, all the fears of waking, as being slain or oppressed, pursued by an elephant or falling into an abyss, is seen to be a delusion.

But when like a king or a god the Spirit feels “I am all,” then he is in the highest world. It is the world of the Spirit, where there are no desires, all evil has vanished and there is no fear.

As a man in the arms of the woman beloved feels only peace all around, even so the Soul in the embrace of the Atman, the Spirit of vision, feels only peace all around.

All desires are attained, since the Spirit that is all has been attained, no desires are there, and there is no sorrow.

There a father is a father no more, nor is a mother there a mother ;
the worlds are no longer worlds, nor the gods are gods any longer. There the Vedas disappear ; and a thief is not a thief, nor is a slayer a slayer ; the outcast is not an outcast, nor the baseborn a baseborn ; the pilgrim is not a pilgrim and the hermit is not a hermit.

Because :

the Spirit of man has crossed the lands of good and evil, and has passed beyond the sorrows of the heart.

‘There the Spirit sees not, but though seeing not he sees.
How could the Spirit not see if he is the All ? But there is no duality there, nothing apart for him to see.

There the Spirit feels no perfumes, yet feeling no perfumes he feels them. How could the Spirit feel no perfumes if he is the All ? But there is no duality there, no perfumes apart for him to feel.

There the Spirit tastes not, yet tasting not he tastes. How could the Spirit taste not if he is the All ? But there is no duality there, nothing apart for him to taste.

There the Spirit speaks not, yet speaking not he speaks. How could the Spirit speak not if he is, the All ? But there is no duality there, nothing apart for him to speak to.

There the Spirit hears not, yet hearing not he hears. How could the Spirit hear not if he is the All ? But there is no duality there, nothing apart for him to hear.

There the Spirit thinks not, yet thinking not he thinks. How could the Spirit not think if he is the All ? But there is no duality there, nothing apart for him to think.

There the Spirit touches not, yet touching not he touches. How could the Spirit touch not if he is the All ? But there is no duality there, nothing apart for him to touch.

There the Spirit knows not, yet knowing not he knows. How could the Spirit not know if he is the All ? But there is no duality there, nothing apart for him to know. .

For only where there seems to be a duality, there one sees another, one feels another’s perfume, one tastes another, one speaks to another, one listens to another, one touches another and one knows another.

But in the ocean of Spirit the seer is alone beholding His own immensity.

This is the supreme world of Brahman, O king.

This is the path supreme. This is the supreme treasure.

This is the world supreme. This is the supreme joy. On a portion of that joy all other beings live.

He who in this world attains success and wealth, who is Lord of men and enjoys all human pleasures, has reached the supreme human joy.

But a hundred times greater than the human joy is the joy of those who have attained the heaven of the ancestors.

A hundred times greater than the joy of the heaven of the ancestors is the joy of the heaven of the celestial beings.

A hundred times greater than the joy of the heaven of the celestial beings is the joy of the gods who have attained divinity through holy works.

A hundred times greater than the joy of the gods who have attained divinity through holy works is the joy of the gods who were born divine, and of him who has sacred wisdom, who is pure and free from desire.

A hundred times greater than the joy of the gods who were born divine is the joy of the world of the Lord of Creation, and of him who has sacred wisdom, who is pure and free from desire.

And a hundred times greater than the joy of the Lord of Creation is the joy of the world of Brahman, and of him who has sacred wisdom, who is pure and free from desire.

This is the joy supreme, this is the world of the Spirit, O king.

“ I give you a thousand gifts,” said then the king of Videha ; “
but tell me of the higher knowledge that leads to liberation.”

And Yajnavalkya was afraid and thought : “ Intelligent is the king : he has cut me off from all retreat.”

When the Spirit of man has had his joy in the land of dreams, and in his wanderings there has beholden good and evil, he returns once again to this the world of waking.

DEATH

Even as a heavy-laden cart moves on groaning, even so the cart of the human body,’ wherein lives the Spirit, moves on groaning when a man is giving up the breath of life.

When die body falls into weakness on account of old age or disease, even as a mango-fruit, or the fruit of the holy fig tree, is loosened from its stem, so the Spirit of man is loosened from the human body and returns by the same way to Life, wherefrom he came.

As when a king is coming, the nobles and officers, the charioteers and heads of the village prepare for him food and drink and royal lodgings, saying : “ the king is coming, the king is approaching,” in the same way all the powers of life wait for him who knows this and say ; “ the Spirit is coming, die Spirit is approaching.”

And as when, a king is going to depart the nobles and officers, the charioteers and the heads of the village assemble around him, even so all the powers of life gather about the: soul when a man is giving up the breath of life.

When the human soul falls into weakness and into seeming unconsciousness all the powers of life assemble around. The soul gathers these elements of life-fire and enters into the heart. And when the Spirit that lives in the eye has returned to his own source, then the soul knows no more forms.

Then a person’s powers of life become one and people say :
“ he sees no more.”
His powers of life become one and people say ;
“ he feels perfumes no more.”
His powers of life become one and people say :
“ he tastes no more.”
His powers of life become one and people say :
“ he speaks no more.”
His powers of life become one and people say :
“ he hears no more.”
His powers of life become one and people say :
“ he thinks no more.” His powers of life become one and people say :
“ he touches no more.”
His powers of life become one and people say :
“he knows nomore.

Then at the point of the heart a light shines, and this light illumines the soul on its way afar.
When departing, by the head, or by the eye or other parts of the body, life arises and follows the soul, and the powers of life follow life. The soul becomes conscious and enters into Consciousness, His wisdom and works take him by the hand, and the knowledge known of old.

Even as a caterpillar, when coming to the end of a blade of grass, reaches out to another blade of grass and draws itself over to it, in the same way the Soul, leaving the body and unwisdom* behind, reaches out to another body and draws itself over to it.

HE THAT DOES GOOD BECOMES GOOD

And even as a worker in gold, taking an old ornament, moulds it into a form newer and fairer, even so the Soul, leaving the body and unwisdom behind, goes into a form newer and fairer ; a form like that of the ancestors in heaven, or of the celestial beings, or of the gods of light, or of the Lord of Creation or of Brahma, the Creator supreme, or a form of other beings.

The Soul is Brahman, the Eternal.

It is made of consciousness and mind :
It is made of life ‘ and vision.
It is made of the earth and the waters :
It is made of air and space.
It is made of light and darkness : ‘
It is made of desire and peace.
It is made of anger and love :
It is made of virtue and vice. .
It is made of all that is near :
It is made of all that is afar.

It is made of all.

KARMA

According as a man acts and walks in the path of life, so he becomes.
He that does good becomes good ;
he that does evil becomes evil.
By pure actions Be becomes pure ;
by evil actions he becomes evil.
And .
they say in truth that man is made of desire.
As His desire is, so is his faith. As his faith is, so are his works.

As his works are, so he becomes. It was said in this verse :
“ A man comes with his actions to the end of his determination.”

Reaching the end of the journey begun by his works on earth, from that world a man returns to this world of human action.

Thus far for the man who lives under desire.

LIBERATION

Now as to the man who is free from desire.

He who is free from desire, whose desire finds fulfilment, since the Spirit is his desire, the powers of life leave him not.

He becomes one with Brahman, the Spirit, and enters into the Spirit. There is a verse that says ;

“ When all desires that cling to the heart disappear, then a mortal becomes immortal, and even in this life attains Liberation.”

As the slough of a snake lies dead upon an ant-hill, even so the mortal body ;
but the incorporeal immortal Spirit is life and light and Eternity.

Concernnig this are these verses :

“ I have found the small path known of old that stretches far away. By it the sages who know the Spirit arise to the regions of heaven and thence beyond to liberation.

It is adorned with white and blue, yellow and green and red. This is the path of the seers of Brahman, of those whose actions are pure and who have inner fire and light.”

Into deep darkness fall those who follow action.
Into deeper darkness fall those who follow knowledge.

There are worlds of no joy, regions of utter darkness.

UNITY BEYOND VARIETY

To those worlds go after death those who in their unwisdom have not wakened up to light.

When awake to the vision of the Atman, our own Self, when a man in truth can say “ I am He,” what desires could then lead him to grieve in fever for the body ?

He who in the mystery of life has found the Atman, the Spirit, and has awakened to His light, to him as creator belongs the world of the Spirit, for he is this world.

While we are here in this life we may reach the light of wisdom ;
and if we reach it not how deep is the darkness.

Those who see the light enter life eternal : those who live in darkness enter into sorrow.

When a man sees the Atman, the Self in him, God Him-self, the Lord of what was and of what shall be, he fears no more.

Before whom the years roll and all the days of the years.

Him the gods adore as the Light of all lights, as Life immortal.

In whom the five hosts of beings rest and the vastness of space. Him I know as Atman immortal.
Him I know as eternal Brahman.

Those who know Him who is the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind and the life of life, they know Brahman from the beginning of time.

Even by the mind this truth must be seen :
there are not many but only One.
Who sees variety and not the Unity wanders on from death to death.

Behold then as One the infinite and eternal One who is in radiance beyond space, the everlasting Soul never born.

THE SUPREME TEACHING

Knowing this, let the lover of Brahman follow wisdom.

Let him not ponder on many words, for many words are weariness.

Yajhavalkya went on :

This is the great Atman, the Spirit never born, the consciousness of life.
He dwells in our own hearts as ruler of all, master of all, lord of all.
His greatness becomes not greater by good actions nor less great by evil actions.
He is the lord supreme, sovereign and protector of all beings, the bridge that keeps the worlds apart that they fall not into confusion.

The lovers of Brahman seek Him through the sacred Vedas, through holy sacrifices, charity, penance and abstinence. He who knows Him becomes a Muni, a sage.

Pilgrims follow their life of wandering in their longing for His kingdom.

Knowing this, the sages of old desired not offspring. “ What shall we do with offspring,” said they, “ we who possess the Spirit, the whole world ? ” Rising above the desire of sons, wealth and the world, they followed the life of the pilgrim. For the desire of sons and wealth is the desire of the world. And this desire is vanity.

But the Spirit is not this, is not this. He is incomprehensible, for He cannot be comprehended. He is imperishable, for He cannot pass away. He has no bonds of attachment, for He is free ; and free from all bonds He is beyond suffering and fear.

A man who knows this is not moved by grief or exultation on account of the evil or good he has done. He goes beyond both. What is done or left undone grieves him not.

This was said in this sacred verse :

“ The everlasting greatness of the seer of Brahman is not greater or less great by actions.
Let man find the path of the Spirit : who has found this path becomes free from the bonds of evil.”

Who knows this and has found peace, he is the lord of himself, his is a calm endurance, and a calm concentration. In himself he sees the Spirit, and he sees the Spirit as all.

He is not moved by evil : he removes evil.
He is not burned by sin ; he burns all sin.
And he goes beyond evil, beyond passion and beyond doubts, for he sees the Eternal.

This is the world of the Spirit, O king. Thus spoke Yajnavalkya.

“ O Master. Yours is my kingdom and I am yours,” said then the king of Videha.

Epilogue  

This is the great never born Spirit of man, enjoyer of the food of life, and giver’ of treasure.
He finds this treasure who knows this.

The Supreme Teaching

Prologue

This is the great never born Spirit of man, never old and immortal.
This is the Spirit of the universe, a refuge from all fear.