Rama Learns About the Jiva and the Illusion of Duality

Day 138

Rama Learns About the Jiva and the Illusion of Duality

Vasistha guides Rama deeper into the nature of reality, explaining how the infinite consciousness appears as individual beings and the universe itself.

The Infinite Consciousness and Its Manifestations:

Vasistha uses the analogy of a calm ocean that appears agitated in certain areas. Similarly, the infinite consciousness, though nondual, seems to manifest diverse forms in certain aspects. This is the natural play of its infinite power.

The Role of Time, Space, and Causation:

The infinite consciousness interacts with time, space, and causation to manifest its infinite names and forms. These names and forms, however, are ultimately not separate from the underlying consciousness.

The Witness Consciousness and the Jiva:

The aspect of the infinite consciousness that relates itself to these manifestations is called the "knower of the field" or the witness consciousness. The body is the field, and the witness consciousness observes this field with all its complexities. This witness consciousness, however, can become entangled with its own predispositions and develop an ego-sense.

The Evolution of the Mind and Senses:

The ego-sense generates thoughts and intentions, becoming the intellect. Further modification leads to the mind, the thinking instrument. Finally, the intellect further transforms into the senses – the tools for perception. These stages can be seen as a gradual transformation of the pure consciousness as ignorance deepens.

The Peril of Ignorance:

A person who abandons self-inquiry and embraces ignorance as bliss gets trapped in a cycle of activities and false identification with the doer. This leads to self-imposed suffering. Vasistha emphasizes the mind, filled with sorrow and desires, as the root cause of all misfortunes. It forgets self-knowledge and gets entangled in the fire of sense objects.

True Demons and the Diverse Beings:

Vasistha describes those who remain unaffected by the mind's impurities as demons in human form. They are subject to the cycle of birth, death, and despair. He then unveils the vast spectrum of beings in the universe – some new, some ancient, some liberated, some suffering. This diversity arises from the conditioning of the individual consciousness (jiva).

Bound by Conditioning and Karma:

These beings, across countless universes, are bound by their own mental conditioning and karma. They move from one life to another, driven by desires and attachments, until they attain self-realization – the knowledge of their true nature as infinite consciousness.

The Dreamlike Nature of Creation:

Vasistha emphasizes that this entire creation is like a dream, not truly real. A liberated sage, though seemingly aware of this dream world, doesn't perceive it as reality. The world appears as a potential thought or intention within every jiva until liberation.

The Origin of Brahma and the Jivas:

Vasistha explains the creation myth symbolically. The infinite consciousness, free from limitations, playfully assumes time, space, and causation. This gives rise to the cosmic person, also known as the cosmic mind and life force. This cosmic person, through its desires, brings forth the five elements – space, air, fire, water, and earth – that form the building blocks of the universe.

The Spark of Consciousness and the Ego:

The cosmic person then perceives itself as infinite sparks within space. This sparks develop an ego-sense and, using the five elements, create a physical body. This is Brahma, the creator. He appears to create and protect countless beings, but in reality, he himself arose from the infinite consciousness and became limited by forgetting his true nature. Liberation comes through self-inquiry and the realization of one's true Self.