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I ADHYAYA, 3 PÂDA, 7.
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teacher on the other hand, holding that even that knowledge is not the highest, spontaneously continues his teaching, and tells the pupil that truly he only is an ativadin who proclaims the supremely and absolutely beneficial being which is called 'the True,' i.e. the highest Brahman. On this suggestion of the highest Brahman the pupil, desirous to learn its true nature and true worship, entreats the teacher, 'Sir, may I become an ativadin by the True!' Thereupon the teacher—in order to help the pupil to become an ativadin,-a position which requires previous intuition of Brahman--enjoins on him meditation on Brahman which is the means to attain intuition (You must desire to know the True!'); next recommends to him reflection (manana) which is the means towards meditation (You must desire to understand reflection'); then-taking it for granted that the injunction of reflection implies the injunction of hearing' the sacred texts which is the preliminary for reflecting-advises him to cherish faith in Brahman which is the preliminary means towards hearing ("You must desire to understand faith '); after that tells him to practise, as a preliminary towards faith, reliance on Brahman (You must desire to understand reliance'); next admonishes him, to apply himself to 'action,' i.e. to make the effort which is a preliminary requisite for all the activities enumerated ("You must desire to understand action '). Finally, in order to encourage the pupil to enter on all this, the teacher tells him to recognise that bliss constitutes the nature of that Brahman which is the aim of all his effort (You must desire to understand bliss '); and bids him to realise that the bliss which constitutes Brahman's nature is supremely large and full ( You must endeavour to understand the " bhuman," i.e. the supreme fulness of bliss '). And of this Brahman, whose nature is absolute bliss, a definition is then given as follows, 'Where one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, knows nothing else, that is bhūman.' This means—when the meditating devotee realises the intuition of this Brahman, which consists of absolute bliss, he does not see anything apart from it, since the whole aggregate of things is contained within
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