Chandogya Upanishad 6.6
beginner
यथा सोम्यैकेन नखनिकृन्तनेन सर्वं कार्ष्णायसं विज्ञातं स्याद्वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं कृष्णायसमित्येव सत्यमेवं सोम्य स आदेश इति॥
yathā somyaikena nakhanikṛntanena sarvaṃ kārṣṇāyasaṃ vijñātaṃ syādvācārambhaṇaṃ vikāro nāmadheyaṃ kṛṣṇāyasamityeva satyamevaṃ somya sa ādeśa iti ||
""Just as, my dear, by knowing one iron tool, all things made of iron become known - the modification being only a name, while the reality is just iron - such is the teaching, dear one.""
What This Means:
Know iron, know all iron implements. Sword, knife, needle - different names for iron forms. This is THE teaching.
Going Deeper:
Three analogies (clay, gold, iron) establish the principle: knowing the cause, all effects are known. This will now be applied to Brahman.
How To Apply This:
Apply this principle to existence itself: knowing the one source, all its manifestations are known.
#iron analogy#cause and effect#one teaching#completion