Day 277 - Vasistha's Discourse on Ignorance and Egosense

Day 277 - Vasistha's Discourse on Ignorance and Egosense

The Illusion of the World and Ignorance (Avidya)

Vasistha continues explaining that the notion of the world only arises in the ignorant, much like how a tree might "sense" its limbs, an entirely illusory apprehension. This illusion, termed avidya or ignorance, does not truly exist—it is as real as water in a mirage. However, for the sake of instruction and understanding, Vasistha urges the listener to momentarily accept the existence of ignorance as real. In doing so, it becomes clear that everything in this world perishes at the end of a world-cycle, except for Brahman, the ultimate reality.

The cycle of creation and destruction has no true cause, as there is no causal relationship between the appearance of the world and the ultimate reality of Brahman. The reality is indivisible consciousness—all that seems to arise from it, such as the world and individual beings, is a mere expansion of consciousness without a real cause or effect. Everything that appears, perishes again and again, with Brahman being the only constant reality.

Creation, Illusions, and the Nature of Brahman

Vasistha emphasizes that creation does not come into being from nothing, nor does it have any true cause. It is merely a name given to an illusory appearance. Brahman, the undivided reality, appears as both divided and non-divided, but this division is only an illusion—just as a figure may be carved out of marble, yet the essence of the marble remains unchanged.

Creation, in this sense, is unborn and uncreated; it exists as part of the Great Silence. The world of diversity—good and evil, life and death, truth and falsity—is like waves in the ocean, all of the same substance, without real separation.

The Question of the Banyan Seed

Rama questions whether the world is hidden in Brahman like a banyan tree hidden within a seed. Vasistha responds by explaining that such analogies do not apply because the world does not have a real seed or cooperating causes during the dissolution of the cosmos. In Brahman, which is infinite consciousness, there is no form, seed, or cause. Thus, creation is simply a fancy within consciousness, like space within space—inseparable and indistinguishable.

Consciousness, Egosense, and the Ghost of Ignorance

Vasistha provides a profound insight into the nature of egosense (the feeling of "I" or individuality). The egosense is like a ghost created by ignorance, but upon investigation, it is revealed to be a non-entity. Just as darkness vanishes in the presence of light, ignorance dissipates when one looks for it with the light of wisdom. In this way, the world is created by ignorance but is not real. The infinite consciousness (Brahman) cannot be the seed for the world because it is beyond form and duality.

Vasistha asserts that Brahman alone exists, and whatever it experiences is part of its own being. The dream-like nature of the world and the egosense becomes evident when one realizes that there is no separation between experiencer, experience, and experiencing—all are Brahman.

The Persistence of Egosense in the Enlightened

When Rama asks how even an enlightened person might experience egosense, Vasistha explains that egosense persists in both the ignorant and the wise because the body requires a support for existence. However, for the wise, the egosense is like a painting of fire—it seems to exist but is inoperative. The wise one has understood the illusory nature of the egosense, which allows them to transcend it, even while it appears to exist.

Transcendence of Duality

Ultimately, Vasistha describes the enlightened state as one in which all notions of division—whether it is the subject-object duality, the distinction between self and other, or between "I" and the world—cease. The wise person lives as if beyond space and creation, seeing everything as Brahman. In this state, the egosense dissolves, and the enlightened person understands that "all is and nothing is", living in the oneness of reality.