BRAHMA IDENTIC WITH THE WORLD
or
IDENTITY OF THE WORLD WITH BRAHMA.
Argument. Production and names of the Varieties of Animal Life and
their spiritual Natures.
Ráma said:—Tell me, sir, about the production of animal beings from
Brahma, and let me know their different names and natures in full
length.
2. Vasishtha replied:—The manner in which the different species of
beings are produced from Brahma, and how they are destroyed afterwards,
as also how they obtain their liberation at last:—
3. Also the manner of their growth and sustentation, and fitness in the
world, are all what you must hear me now tell you in brief.
4. The power of the intellect of Brahma exerts of its free will, and
this omnipotence becomes whatever is thought of (chetya) in the Divine
Intellect.
5. The intellection becomes condensed to a certain subtile form, which
having the powers of conception (_sankalpa_), becomes the principle
entitled the Mind.
6. The mind then by an effort of its conception (called the Will),
expands itself to an unreal (ideal) scenery like that of the Fairyland,
by falling off from the nature of Brahmic Incogitancy.
7. The intellect when remaining in its original state, appears as a
vacuum or vacancy; but upon manifesting itself in the form of the mind,
it is seen as the visible sky by men.
8. Taking the conception of the lotus-born, it finds itself in its
conceived form of the lotus (Brahmá), and then it thinks of creation in
the form of Prajápati or lord of creatures.
9. He then formed from his thought (chitta) this creation, containing
the fourteen worlds with all the bustle of living beings in them.
10. The mind itself is a vacuity with a vacuous body; its conception is
the field of its action, and its sphere is full with the false workings
of the mind.
11. Here there are many kinds of beings, labouring under great
ignorance as the beasts and brute creatures. There are some with
enlightened minds as the sages; and others staggering in the
intermediate class, as the majority of mankind.
12. Among all living beings that are confined in this earth, it is only
the human race living in this part (India), that are capable of
receiving instruction and civilization.
13. But as most of these are subject to diseases and distress, and are
suffering under the thrall of their ignorance, enmity and fear; it is
for them that I will deliver my lecture on social and saintly
conduct—_rájatwikí níti_ (in the 42nd chapter of this book).
14. I will also treat there about the everlasting, imperishable and
omnipresent Brahma, who is without beginning and end, whose mind is
without error, and of the form of Intellectual light.
15. How endless beings are put to motion, by the momentum of a particle
of his motionless body; and resembling the rolling of boisterous waves
on the surface of the clear and tranquil ocean.
16. Ráma asked:—How sir, do you speak of a part of the infinite Spirit,
and of the momentum of the motionless God; as also of a change and
effort of it, that is altogether without them (vikárávikrama).
17. Vasishtha replied:—It is the usual and current mode of expression,
both in the sástras and language of the people to say, “all this is
made by or come from Him”, but it is not so in its real and spiritual
sense.
18. No change or partition, and no relation of space or time, bear any
reference to the Supreme, who is unchangeable, infinite and eternal;
nor is there any appearance or disappearance of Him at any time or
place, who is ever invisible every where.
19. There never was nor can there ever be any way, of representing the
incomprehensible, except by symbolical expressions; it was therefore in
accordance to common speech, that I have made use of those words.
20. Whatever words or sentences are used here as symbolical of some
sense, whether they express as “produced from it _tajja_” or as a
change of the same—“_tanmaya_”, the same should be used, in that sense
all along.
21. It is tajja, as when we say “fire proceeds from fire” (meaning, the
“mundane Brahma comes out of the spiritual Brahma.” Here fire is
symbolical of Brahma and the world). It is _tanmaya_ in the expression
“Brahma is the producer and produced” (which means the identity—and
transformation of the creator to the creation).
22. The first form is applied to the world as proceeding from Brahma:
but the other form of the producer and produced, means also the
creative power which made the world.
23. The expression _idam—anyat_ = _idem alius_ or this is one thing and
that another, is false, the difference is verbal and not real; because
there is no proof of it in the nature of God, which is one and all.
24. The mind, by reason of its birth (tajja) from Brahma, is possessed
both of the power and intelligence of his Intellect, and is enabled to
accomplish its intended purpose, by means of its intense application.
25. To say that one flame of fire, is the producer of another, is mere
logomachy, and there is no truth in this assertion. (Because it is no
other thing produced by another, but the very thing).
26. That one is the producer of another is also a paralogy; because the
one Brahma being infinite, could produce no other thing, beside
reproducing himself. (For where and whence could he get another thing
to create a thing anew beside in himself?).
27. It is the nature of disputation to contradict one another by
replies and rejoinders; but it is not right to foil the adversary by
false sophistry.
28. The learned know Brahma as the ocean rolling in its endless waves,
and as significant words and their significations, which go together as
Brahma and his creation.
29. Brahma is the Intellect—_Chit_, Brahma is the mind—_manas_, Brahma
is intelligence—_Vijnána_, and Brahma is substance—_Vasthu_; He is
Sound—_sabda_, He is understanding—_chit_, and He is in the principles
of things—_Dhátus_.
30. The whole universe is Brahma, and yet He is beyond all this. In
reality the world is a nullity, for all is Brahma alone.
31. This is one thing and that is another, and this is a part of the
great soul, are all contradictory assertions of ignorance (false
knowledge), as no words can express the true nature of the unknown.
32. The spirit rises as the flame of fire, and this flame is
significant of the mind. Its tremor signifies the fluctuation of the
mind, which in reality is not the case, there being no rise or fall of
the Divine Mind.
33. It is untruth that wavers and equivocates in _double entendres_. It
prevaricates the truth, as the defective eye views the double moon in
the sky.
34. Brahma being all (_to pan_) of himself, and all pervading and
infinite of his own nature, there can be no other thing beside himself,
and anything that is produced of him, is likewise himself.
35. Beside the truth of the existence of Brahma, there is nothing which
can be proved as absolutely certain; and it is a scriptural truth which
says, “verily all this is Brahma.”
36. This also must be the conclusion, which you will arrive at by your
reasoning, and which I will propound with many instances and tenets in
the Book of Nirvána or Extinction.
37. There are many things here in connection with this single question
of which you are ignorant, and all which you will come to know fully in
future, for dispelling your doubts on the subject.
38. The unreality having disappeared, the reality appears to view, as
the darkness of night being dispelled, the visible world comes to sight.
39. The spacious world which appears to your false sight of it, will
vanish, O Ráma! on your attaining to the state of calm quietism. The
fallacious appearances must disappear from your vision, as soon as the
light of truth comes to dawn upon your soul.