Existence and Non-existence

    The Vedic doctrine is: In the beginning there was neither 'Existence' ('sada') nor 'Non-existence'' ('asada')! In this doctrine of 'nasadiya sukta' of Rk Veda, Mandala X, it is clear that, 'The universe was in such a state that could be stated as either 'is' or 'is not'. What was this state? It is a state of dynamic silence, a state of suspended animation. The Brahmanda purana says, "Supreme Creator breathes out a span of fourteen smavatsars and during 'His Day' and takes rest for equal length of time! This apart, one can easily visualize the fleeting time that takes the present in a fraction of a sec. into 'past' and 'future rendering the whole existence as a meaningless, futile exercise. The physical body of the humans mature without showing any sign of mental development, let alone spiritual!  There is another presentation in this regard. It state, there was nothing, so to say, llike akasha, air, water or fire  in the beginning! 

    If one says, "In the beginning, everything was ‘asat’ (Non-existence). Out of ‘asat’ (Non-existence) emerges ‘sat’ (Existence) how can existence come out of non-existence?" This is what the ordinary people normally ask since they cannot understand the subtler aspects of creation. It is their ignorance that they ask such questions since “Everything comes only out of nothing”. This does not mean that there was nothing before something came out! Whatever was already there only can come out. We cannot say things are not there just because we cannot see them.  What seems to be ‘nothing’ holds all things within, but in an invisible, subtler, finer form of potential ‘Energy’. ‘Everything is Energy’ is the fundamental principle. What was unmanifest (‘avyakta’) in the beginning only becomes manifest (‘vyakta’). What is already inside only must come out of it just whoever goes inside only comes out! Potential energy or Energy that is in a dormant or equilibrium state, a static condition, becomes kinetic, vibrant, creating different forms due to vibration at different amplitude, intensity, frequencies, and wave lengths. All that we see is nothing but forms, images, creation of our vibrant mind (chittavrutti). Thus, ‘brahmn’ is unmanifest, ‘avyakta’, from which everything manifest as the multifarious objective phenomenal world, just like the rain and snow precipitating out of clouds that appear in a clear blue sky! 

    The term ‘sat’ also means ‘Truth’; it also means light, consciousness, energy, and everything! Hence, the learned sages simply said everything is ‘sat’, the brahmn.  sarvam khaluvidam brahmaa | these terms – sat, chit, anand are of highly esoteric nature and of great significance. A lot can be said about them. In fact, the one ‘sat’ only has manifest as the ‘chit’ (consciousness, knowledge), and ananda (bliss); and, the entire universe is thus, the ‘sat’ only. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, “Om tat sat iti” and concludes that everything is ‘That’, ‘that is it’!

     Now, whatever is ‘sat’ (‘tyat’/‘That’) is also the manifest phenomenal objective world-‘this’. This universe is the manifest form of the ‘sat’! Whatever is that eternal, immortal, intransient only has come within limitations of time, space, causality (cause and effect), and name, forms and functions. Duality such as this and that ceases to exist when these limitations are overcome with the help of ‘transcendental meditation, (samadhi yoga). When a person is ignorant of his true self, he /she tends to think- “I am different from that, this, you, he, she it, etc. Knowledge, truth, or reality dawns when this ignorance, avidya, knowledge covered by attachment, ego, desire, etc. are removed. This is what Bhagavan Shree Krishna teaches us through Arjuna. In Bhagavad-Gita, the Lord says, “Arjuna, you are full of attachment, ego, desire and have forgotten your true self. Once you realize who you are, ‘realize that you are none other than the unborn, eternal, immortal sat, you become Me only. You and I are always one. But, the moment you get attached to phenomenal objective world and begin to think of i, me, mine, etc you go away from Me. You can always return to Me when you drop what all you have acquired as the blemishes of the soul. This is the ‘Truth’.”

    The Universe in Different Perspectives: The Universe is like a mosaic seen through a kaleidoscope (triangular glass tube with one side closed) which displays ever-changing, colorful objects, in varying forms (like pieces of colorful glass bangles). So, each one of us get a different perspective of this transient phenomenal world. Little do the living beings (jivarashi) ever realize the ‘truth’, reality of this existence, until they get a divine vision?

       The living beings revel in ignorance and believe whatever is presented to them or they see as the illusory world. In fact, it is not that the world is unreal, but its transient or ever changing nature that makes it difficult to know. The scientists deal with matter and use their mind, intelligence, and the senses to study matter. They invent new methods and equipment such as the spectrometer, telescopes and microscope to study things that are beyond the capacity of their sense organs.