A scene from the novel: Romancing the Truth in which the three guests, escorted by two students of the Academy of Overabundance, stroll in the lawns of the Academy and discuss ideas. Vivek is the enlightened teacher who runs the academy.

“Now what’s this quote that you have written,” interrupted Pawan, looking at Rashmi.

‘You can love only with your clothes off.’ – Rashmi, a DiAd leaf proclaimed.

“Well, that’s my thought for the day,” Rashmi proudly declared.

“For the day, or for the night?” commented Hannah with a giggle.

“It’s nothing to leer about,” Rashmi responded. “Every day, one of us writes a ‘Thought for the Day,” she explained. “And then we discuss it during our after-dinner meeting. This message of mine, which I posted last evening, means that we must not have any artificial barriers, conditioning, or prejudices, when we truly love. It’s CC’s turn today – you have not yet published your thought CC.”

“I have it ready,” CC said as he opened his phone app and replaced Rashmi’s message with: ‘No-Thy-self to Know-Thy-Self.’   – CC.

“This means your ego, your ‘I’ has to die before you can attain self-realization,” he explained. “I have used a small ‘s’ and a capital ‘S’ to differentiate the two selves,” he added. They strolled on, reading more messages.

“A true seeker truly seeks his true self,” Hannah read aloud.

“You are That, and anything you strive to change into, is still That,” read Neeraj, and commented, “The quotes are quite thought provoking.”

A large leaf displayed the AoOa mantra. “That is me; That is thee; That is all – and that’s all.”

 “Obviously That refers to God. Why doesn’t Vivek simply say: I am God; you are God; all is God – Oh my god!” laughed Hannah.

“I think That is not just any god,” Neeraj interrupted. “That, probably, refers to the Hindu concept of nirgun Brahman – the Brahman without any defining qualities and which is considered the ‘ground of being.’” Neeraj had recently written an article on Hinduism and Comparative Mysticism and the content was fresh in his mind. It was during research on this topic that he had learnt about the AoOa and its annual festival, and his ‘journalistic’ curiosity had brought him here. “Don’t get confused between Brahman and Brahma,” he cautioned. “The nirgun Brahman – the formless ‘potentiality’ without attributes comes closest to That. The sagun Brahma, with form is claimed to have produced the four Vedas. I think the AoOa mantra is derived from the four great mahavakyas, one from each of the four Vedas,” he added.

“What’s mahavakyas?” asked Pawan.

“Mahavakyas, meaning great statements, are more profound than Einstein’s ‘E is equal to m c squared,’ statement which shows the relationship between energy and matter. These mahavakyas demonstrate the relationship of individual awareness with universal consciousness that is Brahman. The first mahavakya from an Upanishad of the Rigveda, states, Prajnanam Brahman which means, Brahman is complete intelligence. The second mahavakya, Tat Tvam Asi meaning ‘That thou are,’ claims that you are also Brahman.’ The third, Aham Brahman Asmi meaning, ‘I am Brahman’, is from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad of the Yajur Veda. And the fourth mahavakya, Ayam Atma Brahman, meaning, ‘the self is Brahman’, is from the Atharvaveda.” Neeraj was thrilled to have got the opportunity to display his recently acquired knowledge, and to impress Hannah.

“So, in short, Brahman is All Intelligence, and you are Brahman, I am Brahman, and All selves are Brahman! Then what is unique about the AoOa mantra: I am That; You are That; All this, is That – and that’s that?” asked Pawan.

“I’m not sure,” said Rashmi, hesitantly. “But if we could substitute That with Brahman, then Vivek would have done so. There must be some significant difference between the two.”

“I feel they are all the same – the Hindu Brahman, the Tad Ekam, the Sikh Ek Omkaar, the Hermetic All, the Buddhist Tao, or Vivek’s That,” commented Neeraj. “Even the ‘I am That,’ is similar to Statements like, An-Al-Haqq, I And the Father Are One! Deus Factus Sum.”

What is the true name of the ultimate Truth? Is it That, or -ness? To know the Truth, click here.