Day 297 - The Sage's Discourse on Consciousness, Samskara, and Causality

Day 297 - The Sage's Discourse on Consciousness, Samskara, and Causality

The Nature of the World and Self-Knowledge

The sage explains that true self-knowledge dispels the illusion of a separate world, revealing that only Brahman, the ultimate reality, exists. The world, as experienced, is akin to a dream where the objects seen are not real, nor do they have a cause such as karma. This illusory perception is created by the mind, with notions of past and future arising from one’s mental conditioning (vasana). Just as in dreams, the waking world is experienced as real due to deeply ingrained mental patterns.

The Appearance of Objects and Awareness

The appearance of the world is merely the movement of consciousness, akin to wind and its movement being inseparable. The creation exists within the heart of infinite consciousness, just as a dream does. Initially, consciousness experiences itself as the world in a particular manner, giving rise to what we perceive as time, space, and objects. Yet, this process is merely an astonishing act of consciousness.

The Concept of Rebirth and Afterlife

When asked how one attains a new body after death to experience pleasure and pain, the sage clarifies that terms such as dharma, adharma, and jiva are mere notions within consciousness, without any independent reality. The idea of rebirth arises from a deeply rooted belief within consciousness that persists even after physical death. This illusory continuity creates the sense of being reborn into different worlds and forms.

The Multiplicity of Worlds

The sage reveals that the infinite consciousness gives rise to countless worlds, all of which are non-existent when seen in the light of pure awareness. Each individual experiences their own reality based on their perceptions, thus reinforcing the illusion of a world. What is perceived as real for the sage is an illusion for the ignorant, and vice versa.

The Experience of Consciousness

Whatever arises in consciousness appears to be real for the experiencer. Yet, in truth, there is no duality; the experiencer and the experienced are not separate. When consciousness recognizes its own awareness as the object, there is no distinction between knowledge and the known. Everything dissolves into pure awareness, where distinctions such as real or unreal, truth or illusion, lose their meaning.

Samskara and Creation

The sage further explains that samskara, often interpreted as the latent impressions of past actions, is merely a notion held in consciousness. There is no separate, external force creating these impressions. The arising of various experiences in consciousness constitutes creation, while their cessation is termed cosmic dissolution. This diversity of experiences, though seemingly real, is essentially non-different from pure consciousness.

The Illusion of Cause and Effect

The sage clarifies that in the beginning, creation had no cause; it simply appeared as an expression of Brahman. This causeless creation manifests without any inherent desire or psychological causation. Although a world order (niyati) appears to govern creation, it exists within Brahman and is non-distinct from it. The ignorant may perceive a world of cause and effect, but this perception is ultimately an illusion.

The Role of Niyati

Niyati, or the world order, is inherent in Brahman, directing the apparent unfolding of creation. The relationship between creation and its governing principles is like that of two arms restraining each other, though both belong to the same being. This illustrates the inseparability of the world and the consciousness that perceives it.

Conclusion on the Illusion of Creation

The sage concludes that the notion of causality and creation is an illusion. Everything exists as pure consciousness, and whether one perceives the world as real or unreal, it remains a manifestation of the same infinite awareness. Just as a coincidence might be misinterpreted as cause and effect, so too does the world appear as a structured reality due to the illusion of causality.