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Narrative method religion

CHENNAI: The dissemination of spiritual knowledge in the Upanishads is often done through stories and anecdotes embodying the dialogue between the preceptor (Guru) and the disciple as the knowledge that is imparted is very subtle. A formal method of teaching will not only make it more abstract but also difficult to hold the attention of the student. Study of the scriptures and assimilating the teaching by repeated recapitulation and reflection on it must eventually be understood by direct experience of the truth.

In his discourse, Sri Goda Venketeswara Sastri said the Chandogya Upanishad highlighted the importance of this narrative method through the example of Svetaketu. The story unfolds that his father was concerned that he who belonged to an illustrious lineage had not taken to scriptural study till the age of 12. So he called him one day and told him to study under a preceptor at his hermitage as was the custom in those days. Svetaketu pursued his study and returned home after 12 years. Just by looking at him his father knew that he had not realised the goal—Self-realisation—and on the contrary he had become conceited about his scholarship. He asked Svetaketu whether he had not asked his teacher about the instruction, “Through which the unheard of becomes heard, the unthought-of becomes thought of, the unknown becomes known?”

Svetaketu was perplexed by the question itself and asked his father how such a teaching was imparted. Then his father gave him the example of how by knowing a lump of earth all objects made from it can be known and explained that all transformation (cause-effect) is due to name only for essentially the effect cannot be different from the cause. For instance, when a nugget of gold is fashioned into ornaments it acquires different names like bangle, chain or ring but all are essentially gold.

This is a method of teaching the nature of the non-dual Absolute (Brahman), which is subtle and beyond the grasp of the senses and the intellect, by showing the relationship between what is palpable to the senses and then instructing that the entire phenomenal universe (effect) owes its existence to Brahman (cause).

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