CHANGELESS, IMMUTABLE, ETERNAL REALITY--- ATMA BODHA 9

CHANGELESS, IMMUTABLE ETERNAL REALITY                   

                   SACCHIDATMANYA-NUSYATE NITYE- VISHNOW PRAKALPITAH    

                   

VYAKTAYOO VIVIDHAH SARVAH HATAKE KATAKADIVAT

“All the manifested things of the world and beings are projected by imagination upon the substratum. This substratum is none other than the Eternal, ALL pervading VISHNU. He is of the nature of Existence-Intelligence. Just  as the different ornaments are all made out of the same Gold.”

The ordinary mortal  cannot easily grasp the lofty Vedantic truths. These truths have to be driven home to him through numerous examples. Repetition of these Vedantic truths, with examples,  are needed to make the ordinary man comprehend them. It is then they understand the implications as well as the revelations even as the Truth becomes clear. Sankara does exactly the same to educate his readers by offering simple similes as examples to make the aspirants understand difficult philosophical truths! Creation consist of three important causes--- the material, the instrumental and the efficient causes.  The raw material, the equipment with which the object is created and the intelligence that creates the material are involved in the process. Generally, in creation, all the three causes are separate. In  other words, the material  cause transforms itself into  the created thing. For example, the pot and the potter are separate. But in the creation of the universe or world, the objects created are not different from the creator. The Supreme Self or the Paramatman , itself manifests as different objects. There cannot be a second Infinite!!

The AITAREYA UPANISHD affirms: “In the beginning all this was Atman—one only. There was nothing else active. He bethought himself, “Let me now create the worlds.” He created these worlds.”  The Atman thus created Guardians of the world, food for them, Speech, breath, sight, hearing, skin, and mind. They couldn’t grasp food.  He grasped food with digestive breath ( Apana). So, cleaving asunder this end of the head He entered by that way. This is the opening known as Vidriti (the cleft) ( Mantras 1 to 14).

The methodology of creation is beautifully described in the ANANDAVALLI of TITTIRIYA UPANISHAD. “In the beginning, before creation, the world ,with its names and forms, was unmanifest.  It is from this unmanifest state, that world of names and forms was created. That unmanifest Brahman voluntarily manifested itself as the world.  Therefore it is called “Swayamkartruka”—created by its own volition. That Brahman is in the form of Rasa or essence. All the Jivas enjoy the bliss of experiencing that rasa.” (Mantra 14)

The waves have no existence apart from the waters of the ocean. In the same manner, all our world of experiences in the physical, mental and  intellectual  realms  rise from, exist in, and merge back into that One Supreme Awareness which shines in everybody. Different experiences in different persons rise and fall  before that One Consciousness like the bubbles that form and burst on the surface of the water. The Self is eternal, indestructible, has no birth or death, all pervading. “ Ajayamano bahudha vijayathe”- though without birth it pervades all beings. Supreme Self is the prime and original material. But it assumes various forms and names. Simply because of these names and forms we should not think that they are separate entities. The raw material is one and the same. But out of this Eternal Self are made hundreds and thousands of other materials.  “Mruthpinda eko  bahu bhanda rupah  Gokshira  eko bahu dhenu jathaha  suvarna mekam bahu bhushanani  EKAH PARATMA BAHU DEHA VARTHY.” This simple truth is not realized by the ordinary mortal. The word VISHNU in the stanza has no reference to  the Lord of Vaikunta. The word is also used in describing Lord Vinayaka—“ Suklambara dharam Vishnum…”which means “ all pervading”.