Merge in that Vision - the One

In Taittiriya Upanishad, Varuna directed his son Bhrigu to enter upon spiritual exercises that would ultimately reveal the Truth. Brighu, with full faith in his father’s words, immersed himself in concentrated spiritual practices. When he returned and declared what he had come to know, that food was Brahman, his father told him that his answer was not right. So Brighu continued the spiritual practices and came back with deeper answers, that Prana or vital air is Brahman, then the Mind, and later that the Intellect (Vijnana) is. But each time he was sent back by his father to search deeper. After undergoing a fifth course of spiritual practices, he became aware that spiritual bliss (ananda) was Brahman. Brighu stayed in the bliss of that awareness and never needed to consult his father again. The father then, himself sought Bhrigu, and congratulated him and said, “Son! You have merged in that vision.” Every being must march on to the goal, from food to bliss. 

Baba (thought for the day)

The Upanishads is about the scriptures and we know he is telling us always to refer to the scriptures if it is about right or wrong or good and bad, so let’s listen …  and think it over, and we will see what we can absorb.

The story is about Bhrigu and he is the son and he gets a spiritual training. He had to find truth or it had to reveal the truth. What does that tell us?

Truth is not just there and understood and done, but we have to do exercises to reveal the truth. So how much exercise?

In the study circle we had points of view and little discipline, but somehow it worked out with focus on Baba’s words, after all smiling and happy, only I had to think it over because it felt too much like developing only the imaginative faculty of the mind and I had difficulties to take that. 

Brighu, with full faith in his father’s words, immersed himself in concentrated spiritual practices. When he returned and declared what he had come to know, that food was Brahman, his father told him that his answer was not right.

The body level is the level of food, Annamaya kosha, the food sheath … everything is in some why food for another thing and it is the idea of sacrifice. The big fish eats the small fish …

The father was not happy with the answer.

So Brighu continued the spiritual practices and came back with deeper answers, that Prana or vital air is Brahman, then the Mind, and later that the Intellect (Vijnana) is. But each time he was sent back by his father to search deeper. After undergoing a fifth course of spiritual practices, he became aware that spiritual bliss (ananda) was Brahman.

We have five sheaths, five Koshas, after the body we have energy or Prana, the breath and it has the tendency of fire and heat and is moving upwards and third we have the mind related to the moon and water and it is cold and the movement is going down in to the senses. After the mind sheath there is the intellect, one is always subtler than the other and also with the natural tendency of fire and heat moving upwards and last we are in the core the heart, where we find ananda, bliss. 

The minds natural tendency is downwards into the senses and sense gratification thinking that the world is real. The intellect realizes that the world is illusion and turns the direction inwards or upwards …, but not down into the senses, but in a constant effort and concentration towards divinity.

After undergoing a fifth course of spiritual practices, he became aware that spiritual bliss (ananda) was Brahman.

Thus we had first – body, matter and food and second - energy, prana and breath and third - the mind, senses and mind purification and forth – intellect, discrimination and heat upwards and we have fifth - the last sheet and the core of it – bliss in the heart, ananda.

Body is heavy and downwards – energy and breath is hot and upwards – mind is cold and downwards – intellect is hot and upwards and we want to reach the heart – the core of it and bliss.

Brighu stayed in the bliss of that awareness and never needed to consult his father again. The father then, himself sought Bhrigu, and congratulated him and said, “Son! You have merged in that vision.” Every being must march on to the goal, from food to bliss. 

There is no need to consult the father again, because he arrived. The father congratulated him for the job done.

Conclusion, every being must march on to the goal, from food to bliss.

There are actually three lessons in the last sentence. 

The father didn’t have to tell him anymore to do it. The father nevertheless went back to his son to confirm it that he has merged with the vision, without being confirmed it is not realized.

There is orderliness is it. It is experienced as order as it takes care of it itself, it has to do with the master, the divine principle and Atma and most important is telling his son that he has merged. Everybody has to march to the goal.

Merged in that vision means getting aware that all are the same 'I am that' and it is the Atmic principle, always true, no more difference and if we get that vision all merge in it and thoughts stop. There is nothing else but 'that', there is only One and all are the same 'I' and all merge in the same oneness.