Steps to God-Realization

Source: Sixth Anuvaka, Bhrigu Valli, Taittiriya Upanishad

This story explores in a symbolic way how one can grow in spiritual understanding. It is based on a parable from the Vedas about a sage called Bhrigu and the stages of his God-realization. He is advised to sit in contemplation (tapas). And so he comes to various stages of understanding, beginning with the power of food, the most basic level of physical sustenance. He then proceeds to explore the role of prana (breath or life force), and later progresses to mind (manas) and intelligence or wisdom (vijnana), and finally to bliss (anand).

There was once a sage named Bhrigu in whose heart arose a deep desire to know Brahman, the Lord. He approached his father, Varun, who was a great Vedic scholar. Thus Bhrigu did not feel a need to go to any other teacher. He implored his father, saying: “I want to realize Brahman, the Lord. Please explain how I can realize the essence of Brahman.”

Varun explained to his son: “Food, prana, eyes, ears, mind, and speech are aids in realizing the Lord. The power of the Lord flows through all of them. Everything that you see in the universe, the power through which they originate, through which they live, and in which they re-enter after death, is Brahman. Realize that innermost kernel of spiritual self-knowledge – that is Brahman.”

Following his father’s words, Bhrigu observed abstinence and self-control, renounced the sense pleasures, and engaged in his spiritual practice of contemplation (tapas). Thus he realized that amman (food or sustenance) is Brahman, because all creatures are born through Brahman and by its nourishment they live and merge back in the earth after death.

He went to his father and told him what he had understood. His father did not say anything. He realized that Bhrigu had understood the material form of Brahman but had not yet reached its essence. Bhrigu needed to engage in contemplation again and concentrate more deeply. Varun knew that pointing out that his son’s understanding was incomplete would not benefit him. He therefore decided not to answer Bhrigu.

On not getting a reply from his father, Bhrigu said:” O Lord, if I have not understood you correctly, please explain how I can realize the essence of Brahman.”

Varun responded, “You are trying to understand the essence through tapas – contemplation. This contemplation is the means to know the Lord and so is fully adequate to help you realize the Lord.”

Bhrigu followed his father’s instructions and engaged in contemplation to realize the Lord. He came to the conclusion that prana (life force) is Brahman, because all the qualities that his father had told him about Brahman are present in prana. Prana gives life to everything. Through prana, one being gives life to another. Prana sustains life, and if prana is stopped, no one can remain alive. After death, everyone merges back into prana. It is a proven fact that a dead person does not have prana. Therefore, prana must certainly be Brahman.

Again, Bhrigu went to his father and narrated his experience. And once again, his father did not reply. Varun felt that his son had attained a certain subtlety compared to his first attempt, but he still had much to learn. Therefore, he felt it was better not to answer him, in order to increase his curiosity. So he did not reply to Bhrigu.

On observing his father’s silence, Bhrigu said: “O Lord, if I have not understood correctly, please explain how I can realize the essence of Brahman.” Varun repeated the same instruction: “Try to engage in contemplation to realize the Lord. Concentration is the most important means of realizing the Lord.”

Bhrigu followed his father’s instructions and again engaged in contemplation to realize the Lord.

This time he inferred that manas (mind) must be Brahman, because it has all the qualities described by his father. All beings are born through the mind; they are sustained by the mind and, at the time of dissolution, they enter and merge back into the mind. Therefore, the mind must be Brahman.

Once again, Bhrigu rushed back to his father with his experience. His father did not reply. He understood that his son was diving more deeply than earlier, but he knew that he still needed to engage in concentration. So he remained silent.

Bhrigu again requested: “O Lord, if I have not understood correctly, please explain how I can realize the essence of Brahman.”

The father replied: Concentrate and realize the essence of Brahman. Reflect on my teachings and engage in tapas. Contemplation is the means of realizing Brahman. There is no other way to know Brahman.”

Bhrigu followed his father’s advice and engaged in contemplation again. This time, he came to the understanding that vijnana – intellect or wisdom – is Brahman. All the characteristics that his father had described to him are present in the intellect. Everything is accomplished by means of the intellect. By means of the intellect, the body is sustained. Therefore Bhrigu felt that the intellect must be Brahman. But then the following doubt arose in his mind: Sensation as pain and pleasure are experienced by the intellect – hence the intellect cannot be Brahman. Furthermore, the intellect motivates us to seek, to inquire. This must be transcended in order to arrive at the final stage.

Again, he reported this to his father, Varun, and once again, his father did not reply. He knew that Bhrigu was now very close to realizing Brahman. He had risen above both the gross and subtle elements. But Brahman is beyond all this – it is constant bliss; it is the peerless supreme soul. Varun knew that his son needed to contemplate even more deeply. Therefore he gave him no reply.

This did not disappoint Bhrigu. He again implored his father: “O Lord, if I have not understood correctly, please explain how I can realize the essence of Brahman.”

His father replied: Concentrate and realize the essence of Brahman. Reflecting on my teachings, engage in contemplation. Contemplation is the means of realizing Brahman.

Bhrigu followed his father’s advice and engaged in contemplation with more confidence and greater concentration than ever before. He realized that anand (bliss) is Brahman. The blissful Lord is within every soul. All creatures are the material form of bliss. That is why they have intellect and other partial characteristics of Brahman. All beings are born out of the blissful Brahman and are sustained by that bliss. No one wants to lead a miserable life. In addition, all creatures are living because of the omniscient Lord’s constant energy. If the sun and other elements do not follow His command, beings cannot live here for a moment. The life force inside everyone is that blissful Lord. During dissolution, this creation merges back into Him. He is the source of everything. On experiencing this, Bhrigu realized the highest truth. He was not curious anymore.

The Shrutis also speak about realizing the supreme knowledge within oneself. This is the true knowledge as taught by Varun and experienced by Bhrigu.