Acharya Prashant explains that as one begins to understand anything, no matter where one starts, the parts of that field of understanding will start to dissolve. An integrating commonality will emerge. He uses the analogy of seeing small patches of sunlight on the ground. As you begin to understand what this sunlight or light is, you will start from these small pieces and reach the one, whole sun. These patches of sunlight are not mere fragments but are the sun itself, appearing through small holes between the leaves, which act like a pinhole camera. The entire sun descends through these small cracks. Similarly, even a small plant is the entire sun descended. It is not that it appears to be the sun; it *is* the sun. The Upanishads say, "Pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate," meaning from the complete, the complete is born. Even after the complete is born from the complete, the complete remains complete. It is a trick of creation that we see parts; there are no parts. Whatever is, is the whole. That is also the whole sun, and this fragment is also the whole. The leaves themselves are nothing but the sun. All life and energy on this earth is the sun's energy. The energy flowing within the tree is also the sun's energy. This tree is nothing but the sun. The sun is above, the sun is in the middle, and the sun is below. It is your choice to not call it the sun, to call it a tree, or a patch of sunlight, or give it some other name. But there is nothing other than the sun. Responding to a question about people living in crowded cities in search of peace, Acharya Prashant states that the mind will go wherever it finds peace; that is its deepest aspiration. However, because the mind itself is limited, it can be mistaken in identifying where peace is. It searches for security in misguided ways—in money, relationships, and prestige. The four Mahavakyas (Great Sayings) of the Upanishads are then discussed. The entire Vedanta is contained within these four sayings. The first is "Prajñānam Brahma" (Consciousness is Brahman), meaning the knowledge of the world in fragments is called 'gyan' (knowledge), and the meaning of 'pragyan' (consciousness) is to reach the very root. The second is "Ayam Ātmā Brahma" (This Self is Brahman). The truth of the entire expanse outside is the same as the truth of your personal expanse. The relationship the body has with the world is the same relationship the Atman (Self) has with Brahman. The third is "Tat Tvam Asi" (That Thou Art), which is like a medicine for the sick. It reminds you that you are That. The 'you' who hears this is different from the 'you' who knows it in meditation. The 'I' that is the body is not what is being referred to; it is the 'I' that is the witness of the body. The fourth and culminating Mahavakya is "Aham Brahmāsmi" (I am Brahman). This is where the two worlds become one. The 'I' that was the disease has now dissolved into supreme health. The disease has merged into health. The ego, which was my disease, has now dissolved into bliss. The ego, which I was, is now united with Brahman.
