This is a beautiful story from the Chhandogya Upanishad about the beautiful relationship of father Uddalak & son Shvetketu.
When Shvetketu returned from his guru’s house to his father, Uddalak asked him, ”Son, what all have you studied?”
He said, ”I studied the Vedas, the Upanishads, the scriptures of the Brahmins, I studied the Aranyas, the Puranas, grammar, language” – whatever was known at that time – ”I studied everything. I have come bringing whatever the guru was able to give.”
The story says the father became sad. Shvetketu asked, ”But you are not happy. I have come with the highest degrees. I have come with great respected.”
But the father said, ”I have one thing to ask of you: have you learned that one, the one that when it is known all is known?”
Shvetketu said, ”Who is that one? I have learned everything. Whatever was available at the guru’s house, at the guru’s school. I come after have learning everything.”
The father said, ”This is of no use. Go back, know the one then come. You have come having learned the many. What can happens from the many? Learn the one then come. Who are you? Know this and come. Until you have known the being you have not known anything. And remember, I have become old. Perhaps I will be able to see you return knowing the one, perhaps not. But one thing I want to say to you, in our house there have not been Brahmins in name only. We call ourselves Brahmins only when we have known Brahma, the ultimate. Remember this. Don’t consider yourself a Brahmin until you have known Brahma. In our family no one is born as a Brahmin. In our family we are Brahmins only when we know Brahma. This is what my father had told me, this is what I tell you. Know the one then come, then only will you be a Brahmin. No one becomes a Brahmin just by being born in a Brahmin home.”
