Brahman he is and Brahman he goes… "Aryans had always considered themselves inherently superior to others; their [religious] rituals had bred within them a deep sense of entitlement that had fueled their raids and conquests. But the Upanishads taught that because the atman, the essence of every single creature, was identical with the Brahman, all beings shared the same sacred core…Everyone liked to imagine that he was unique, but in reality his special distinguishing features were no more permanent than rivers that all flowed into the same sea. Once they left the riverbed, they became “just the ocean” no longer claiming their individuality, crying “I am that river, “ “ I am this river.” Such strident assertion of the ego was a delusion that could only lead to pain and confusion. Release (moksha) from such suffering was dependent on the profound acknowledgement that at base everybody was Brahman and should therefore be treated with absolute reverence. The Upanishads...