[philist] Story of Svetaketu - You have taught me THAT which cannot be taught (fwd)

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Tue, 7 Dec 1999 09:25:59 -0600

Panduranga Prabhu <mpr_prabhu

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[philist] Story of Svetaketu - " You have taught me THAT which cannot be

taught "

 

This is a story from the Upanishads.

 

There was a young boy named SvetaKetu.

 

He was sent to Gurukul of an enlightened master to learn.

 

SvetaKethu a sharp boy learned all that could be learned,

 

memorized all the vedas and all the sciences available

 

in those days. He became proficent in them and he became

 

a great scholar. His fame started spreading all over the

 

country. Then there was nothing else to be taught,

 

so the master said " You have known all that can be taught.

 

Now you can go back "

 

Thinking that everything had happened and there was

 

nothing else - because whatsoever the master knew, he

 

also knew, and the master had taught him everything - SvetaKetu

 

went back. Of course with great pride and ego, he came back

 

to his father.

 

When he was entering the village, his father Uddalak

 

looked out of the window at his son coming back from

 

the Gurukul. He saw the way he was walking;

 

the way he was holding his head - in a very egosistic way;

 

the way he was looking around - very self conscious that he knew.

 

The father became sad and depressed, because this is not the way of someone

 

who really knows, this is not the way of one who has come to

 

know supreme knowledge.

 

The son entered the house. He was thinking that his son

 

father would be very happy- he had become one of the supermost

 

scholars of the country, he was known everywhere respected

 

everywhere but he saw that the father was sad, so he asked

 

" why are you sad ? "

 

The father said " Only one question I want to ask you. Have

 

you learned that by learning which there is no need to learn

 

anything more ? Have you known that by which all suffering ceases ?

 

Have you been taught which cannot be taught ? "

 

The boy also became sad. He said " No, whatsoever I know has

 

been taught and I can teach anybody who is ready to learn. "

 

The father said " Then you can go back and ask your master that

 

you be taught which cannot be taught "

 

The boy said " That is absurd. If it cannot be taught, how

 

can the master teach me ? "

 

Father said " That is the art of the master; He can teach you

 

which cannot be taught. You go back "

 

He went back to the master and bowing at his feet said,

 

" My father has sent me for an absolutely absurd thing.

 

Now I dont know where I am and what I am asking you.

 

My father has told me return only when I have learnt that

 

which cannot be learned, when I have been taught that which

 

cannot be taught. What is it? You never told me about it

 

What is that ? "

 

The master said " Unless one inquires it cannot be told;

 

you never inquired about it; But now you are starting a

 

wholly different journey. And remember it cannotbe taught

 

so it is very delicate. Only indirectly I can help you.

 

Do one thing take all the animals of my Gurukul " - there

 

were atleast 400 cows cows, bulls and other animals- "

 

and go to the deepest forest possible where nobody comes

 

and moves. Live with these animals in silence. Dont

 

talk. Because these animals do not understand any language.

 

So remain silent. and when by just reproduction these animals

 

become 1000then come back "

 

It was going to be a long time - until 400 animals

 

became 1000. And he was to go without saying anything,

 

without arguing, without asking. He was to just live with the animals,

 

rocks and trees. not talking, forgetting the human world completely.

 

Becuase your mind is a human creation, if you live with

 

human beings the mid is continuosly fed. They say something

 

you say something - the mind goes on learning., it goes

 

on revolving.

 

" So go " the master said " to the hills, to the forest. Live alone

 

and dont talk. And there is no use in thinking. These animals

 

dont understand. So drop all your scholarship here "

 

So Svetaketu went to the forest and lived with the animals

 

for many years. For few days thoughts remained there in

 

the mind - the same thoughts repeating themselves again and

 

again. Then it became boring. If no new thoughts are felt

 

then you will become aware that the mind is just repetitive,

 

just amechanical repetition.

 

So Svetaketu became aware. There were 400 animals and birds

 

and other wild animals trees rocks rivers, streams but no

 

man and no possibility of any human communication. There was

 

no use in being egoistic, because these animals did not know

 

what kind of great scholar this Svetaketu was. They didnt

 

consider him at all. they did not look at him with respect,

 

so by and by the pride disappeared, becuse it was futile and

 

even looked foolish to walk prideful with the animals.

 

Even Svetaketu started feeleing " If I remain egoistic these

 

animals will laugh at me - so what am I doing? " Sitting under

 

the trees, sleeping near the streamsby and by his mind

 

became silent "

 

Years passed and his mind bcame so silent that Svetaketu

 

forgot when he had to return. His mind was silent that

 

this idea was not even there. The past dropped completely

 

and with the dropping of the past future drops, because

 

future is nothing but the projection of the past. There

 

was no when and where, he was just here and now. He lived

 

the moment just like animals, he became a cow.

 

The story ends with animals becoming 1000 and started feeling

 

un comfortable. So one of the cows tells Svetaketu

 

" Now it is time enough. You have completley forgotten

 

what the master had said. We must go back "

 

So Svetaketu went back with the animals. The master saw

 

from his ashram Svetketu returning with 1000 animals

 

and said to his disciples " Look 1001 animals returning "

 

Svetaketu had become such a silent being " No ego,

 

no self consciousness " Moving with the animals just being

 

one of them.

 

THe master came to receive him. The master was ecstatic.

 

He was dancing. He embraced Svetaketu and said

 

" Why have you come ? You have known that. There is nothing

 

to be taught. You have already known "

 

Svetaketu said " Just to pay my respects, just to touch

 

your feet, just to be greatful. It has happened.

 

You have taught me THAT which cannot be taught "