Tat Tvam Asi: That Thou Art

Thinking more of the body versus soul debate, I am impressed by some of the writings of the upanishads.

The father-teacher Aruni says to his son-disciple Svetaketu:
“Sa ya eso anima, aiatat atmyam idam sarvam; Tat satyam, sa atma, tat tvam asi, Svetaketo--”
(Chandogya Upanisad, VI.8.7)

Loosely translated:
“You are that Atman, infinite, immortal, and ever pure: that is your true nature. You are not this organic system; you are not this tiny flimsy individual that you suppose yourself to be. There is an infinite dimension behind your finite organic individuality. Try to understand it; try to manifest it in yourself and help others to manifest it. That is the science of human growth, development, and fulfillment.”

The first form of energy that becomes manifest in a human being is his/her muscular energy. This muscle power develops slowly in the child through his instinctive flexing of his limbs, through his continual, animal exercise of his body and through nourishment. This is, perhaps, a coarse form of energy.

Behind the muscle, there is a tiny nerve fibre that provides the more sophisticated electrical energy needed for the physical muscles to flex.

And behind the nervous system there is the even more subtle psychic energy system sustaining and controlling that nervous system.

So, as we go deeper and deeper into man, we come across subtler and subtler forms of energy within him. Each form of energy creates the next. It is like peeling an onion.

And just like an onion peel, the coarsest, crudest, least onion-tasting parts are the ones most apparent and right on the surface. The more you peel, the more “onion-y” the onion gets; the closer you get to the onion’s core, the more you get its essence.

And so, behind the body, behind the nervous system, and behind even the psychic energy system, comes the infinite core, the essence, the Being of the being and the Seed of the seed.