"As when rivers flowing towards the ocean find there final peace, their name and form disappear, and people speak only of the ocean, even so the sixteen forms of the seer of all flow towards the Spirit and find there final peace, their name and form disappear and people speak only of Spirit. There is a verse that says: 'These forms in him find rest like spokes in the centre of a wheel. Know ye the Spirit that should be known that death may afflict you not.'" -- Prasna Upanishad

I believe when the sage said "Thus far I know the Surpreme Spirit. There is nothing beyond". I believe. I must remind myself more often how lucky I am to have faith and to able to believe. With "steadiness, purity, and faith", I can draw the water of wisdom from the Ocean of Wisdom that never dries out, in order to conduct my life with joy and peace. I must find time every day to reflect like this. Maybe I will take up Yoga once I settle down and make use of the quiet exercise time to reflect and to find my inner Self.

"All things find their final peace in their inmost Self, the Spirit: earth, water, fire, air, space, and their invisible elements; sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and their various fields of sense; voice, hands, and all powers of action, mind, reason, the sense of 'I', thought, inner light, and their objects; and even life and all that life sustains. It is the Spirit of man who sees, hears, feels perfumes, touches and tastes, thinks and acts and has all consciousness. And the Spirit of man finds peace in the Spirit Surpreme and Eternal." -- Prasna Upanishad.

Peace.

Very agitated. Wish I knew how to calm down and be productive again. Last night I picked up the Upanishads again. Books like this are like religious texts that religious people read to get in touch with their gods. I suppose if I am calm enough, Bible or Koran would help, although today when I was listening to Shalom Goldman's lecture on Ancient Near Eastern Mythology, the romantic Songs of Solomon were hardly soothing. I have no patience right now to gain insights into the Bible or metaphysical meanings of life. I only want the practical advice on how to conduct life in a peaceful and joyful way. I no longer want to ask why and who and what. I want to know how.

(Is this a sign that I am getting old??? I wrote the following on Sunday: "For the first time in my life, I want what other people have. This is different from the earlier times when I wanted what others had because I thought they knew how to be happy and I knew not. Now I know what happiness is and how to attain it, in theory. I want to experience life like everyone else. I shall not lose myself even if I live like everyone else. Deep down inside of myself I know who I am.") The problem is that only deep down inside I know who I am, but when I am troubled, I am on the surface. I cannot reach inside. I need to find a way to go back to myself, to get in touch with the godhead inside of myself.

"... live in steadiness, purity, and truth..." (Prasna Upanishad)

Perhaps wisdom is the ability to transform learnings into the desired attitude and action. I have much to learn. After writing this, I am more peaceful. I think the Islamic way of praying five times a day is very wise. If for five times a day I am reminded of who I am, I will probably become who I am.