In this capacity of the soul, or the Atman, of a person or a thing, consciousness absorbs the form into itself. It holds it tightly in unison with itself. Whatever is in a state of identity, communion and inseparability with this Atman-consciousness may be said to be in a state of absorption into this consciousness. It has practically become one with that consciousness. This body of yours looks identical with the 'I', or your consciousness. "I am coming." You do not say "my body is coming", though it is true that only the body is coming. But you say "I am coming" even when the body is walking. The identity of the body with the consciousness is so intense, the form and the essence have combined in such intensity that the absorbed and the absorber have become one. This is one aspect of the matter. The other side of it is that consciousness is universal in its nature. It is not only in one place. We have studied this earlier, and we need not again go into the details. So, if the analogy of the absorbing character of our consciousness in respect of our own bodily organism is extended to the whole cosmic structure then, by that analogy, it is seen that the Universal Consciousness absorbs the whole of creation into itself. It decides, determines and regulates every inch and every atom of creation. Just as your so-called personality-consciousness is determining your body and its organic work, if in just the same way this consciousness can extend its activity to the universal pervasive character of it, it will become the absorber of the cosmos.

In fact, you will become the absorber of the cosmos, not it. The idea of 'it' goes away here, because in a state of communion of consciousness with all things, the things themselves become inseparable from it.

Now, what is the effect of this kind of meditation? What is the effect of your consciousness being identical with this body? You have perfect control over your body. You can tell the body "do it", and it does, and if you tell the body "don't do it", it will not do it. You tell your hand "lift" and it lifts; but if you tell another person "lift", he may not lift because your consciousness is not identified with the limbs of the body of another person. So another person may not obey your orders, but your body fully obeys you. "Walk" means it walks; "eat" means it eats; "look" means it looks. You have such mastery, such control over all parts of your body because the central consciousness, which you are, absorbs the body into its operation. This is exactly what will happen if this consciousness which is the Atman - known also as Brahman, the Universal Being - becomes, analogically, the experience of a person. The whole world gravitates towards that person. As rivers rush into the ocean, things move in the direction of this centre, which is the meditating individual so-called. There is nothing which this person cannot achieve, in the same way as there is nothing which you cannot do with your body.

Such detailed explanation cannot be found in the Chhandogya Upanishad. I am going into a larger extensiveness of description of this central teaching of the Absorber Consciousness, which was the object of meditation of this great master Raikva. This is an interesting section of the Chhandogya Upanishad - worth remembering. If you understand it and retain it in your memory, you can take it as a system of your meditation, and no meditation can equal this method. This is the supreme art of universalising your existence and transforming yourself into a determining factor of everything anywhere. You become a Master.

In the Chhandogya Upanishad there are many other descriptions of teachings of this kind, one of which is the teaching on a vidya - another kind of vidya, like the Samvarga Vidya - known as the Bhuma Vidya. Bhuma in Sanskrit means Plenum, Fullness, That which is complete, That which fills all space, outside which nothing is. Such a thing is called Bhuma. Meditation on this plenum of existence is called Bhuma Vidya.

There was a great sage called Narada, whose name appears in all the Epics and Puranas. Narada was a very great angel, a Godman who could travel through all the realms of being. He went to a great master called Sanatkumara. Sanatkumara is supposed to be the son of Brahma, the Creator Himself.

Narada requested the master Sanatkumara, "Great sir, teach me."

The master said, "First of all, let me know what you already know. Then I shall try to say something."

Narada said, "I am a master of all the arts and the sciences - astronomy, cosmography, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, psychoanalysis, axiology, ethics, sociology, economics, military science, history, religion, philosophy and necromancy. There is nothing in which I am not proficient, but I have no peace of mind."

After having learnt so much, mastered every science and every art of the world, the great Narada said, "I have no peace of mind. Please give me peace of mind."

The great master retorted, "Oh, all that you have studied is mere words - namaivaitat - only words and words and words. Therefore, how can you have peace of mind?"

There is a very long discussion, which is the teaching of Sanatkumara to Narada. The essence of it is that the teacher gradually took the mind of the student from the lower level of comprehension to the next higher, and then stopped. Then the student asked, "Is there anything still further?"

"Yes," replied the teacher. He took him to the third level.

Then the student asked, "Is there anything further?"

"Yes."

Sanatkumara took him to the fourth level. He would not tell him all things at the same time. Then, he took him to another level, beyond which he said there is nothing.

"Are there objects in the world?" asked Narada.

"Yes, there are objects."

"Is there anything beyond the objects?"

"That of which the objects are constituted is above the objects."

"What is it, of which the objects are constituted?"

"The molecules."

"What is above the molecules?"

"The atoms."

"What is above the atoms?"

"Energy content."

"What is above the energy?"

"There is only space and time."

"Is there anything above space and time?"

I am not telling you the exact words recorded in the Upanishad, as they are too tedious and cumbersome to understand. I am putting it in a more moderate way, which will be intelligible to you. From the outer to the inner, from the external to the internal, from the lower to the higher is the mind gradually taken in this way of analysing the substance of all things.

The dialogue continued. "What is above space-time? If space-time is the essence of all things because nothing can exist without space-time, is there anything above space and time?" asked Narada.

"The consciousness of space and time is above," replied Sanatkumara.

Are you not conscious that there is space and time? Don't you feel that consciousness precedes space and time? That which precedes is, therefore, higher than that which succeeds.

"This consciousness, please instruct me about it. What is it, sir? I am eager to hear about it," said Narada. Yatra nanyat pasyati nanyac chrinoti nanyad vijanati sa bhuma (Chhand. 7.24.1): "That Consciousness is all-filling; it is complete in Itself." What is that completeness? Where is that state? That state of consciousness where you see nothing outside you and hear nothing outside you, think and understand nothing outside you, that is the Fullness. That state where you see something outside you, hear something outside you, think and understand something outside you, that is paltry, puerile, mortal, worth nothing. We are always conscious of something outside us. We see something, hear something, think something and understand something totally different from ourselves.

"This knowledge is puerile, worth nothing," said the great master, "because it is sensory, conditioned, determinate and, therefore, not real." In that condition of absorption - here again the word 'absorption' can be used - in that condition of the absorption of consciousness wherein you are in communion with That which pervades all things and, therefore, there is nothing for you to see externally, that state is the Bhuma - the fullness of all things. Whoever meditates like this becomes the master of all things. The mother is dear to all children. As children sit round their mother, seeking food from the mother, so will all things gather round this great person who is in a state of meditation of this kind, and seek his benediction. Sanatkumara, the great teacher, spoke thus to Narada, the learned sage, who had no peace of mind.

You shall have peace of mind only when there is nothing else to interrupt your peace. But as long as you are conscious of something outside you, there is inevitable disturbance from that thing which is outside you. But are you not living in a world where everything is outside you? And, do you not expect trouble from something or other? If that is the case, who in this world can have peace of mind? No one who is thinking in terms of sense organs can have real peace of mind. There is no use searching for peace in the caves of the Himalayas. Peace of mind cannot be found anywhere in this world, because the entire world of creation is a space-time externality. Therefore, it is nothing but objectivity; therefore, it is a content of sensory experience; therefore, it is incapable of giving peace of mind to anyone. Where does peace of mind rest?

People come to the ashram saying, "I want peace of mind." Where will you find it? Neither is it in you, nor is it outside you. It is everywhere. That is the Plenum, the Fullness, the Bhuma spoken of. Contemplate like this and be absorbed in this kind of consciousness, day in and day out, thinking of nothing other than this kind of thing, just as Raikva - the great master - concentrated on the Absorber of all things. Or, meditate on Bhuma - the great Plenum - as was told by the master, Sanatkumara, to Narada. Then you would have really studied something. Get transformed completely in your being and become a new person.