Summary:

Lesson 72 provides several metaphors to clarify “How is there ONE Awareness, when I experience many?”. We see what function does maya play in creating many appearances out of one Brahman. Purpose is to bring Oneness understanding to personal relatable context, rather then a distant theory.

Source: Bhagavad Gita, CH9 – verse 7, 8, 9

REVISION:

• Īśvara is of TWO natures:
  • Higher: parā-prakṛti, consciousness/awareness, Brahman.
  • Lower: aparā-prakṛti, matter, māyā, mithyā (EG: Hand > molecules > atoms > particles > energy > space > thought. Forms within forms. At each level of form, experientially available but factually non-existent.)
  • Real nature of Īśvara is Higher, described in V4-10, which includes lower. Just how Gold (higher) includes all ornaments (lower). Meaning there is actually ONLY Higher (which doesn’t exclude lower).
    • However while māyā is operating, it manufactures appearances (ornaments). And to account for the appearances, Vedānta introduced concept of māyā to explain why we see MANY. (EG: To explain rain: evaporation, condensation, precipitation.)
• 5 glories/features of Īśvara’s Higher nature:
  • Glory 1: Lord is formless (avyakta): Not available to sense organs. Free from properties: sound, touch, form, taste, smell. If experience Lord with properties, only Lower nature (māyā).
  • Glory 2: Omniscient, all-pervading (sarvagatatvam): Meaning no boundaries / without limits (limitless).
  • Glory 3: Īśvara is substratum of material universe (mithyā jagat). Meaning, Consciousness (higher) is essence of matter (lower).
    • Substratum isn’t like screen/movie (2 different sources). But as in, personality is substratum for physical expression (eg: actions/behavior). Wherever there is behavior, that’s where personality is. Thus personality CAN be without physical expression, but physical expression can’t be without personality.
    • In other words: Consciousness is independent of matter. While matter depends on (manufactured out of) Consciousness.
  • Glory 4: Consciousness is fundamental CAUSE out of which creation arises, rests and resolves.
    • Metaphor: Ink is fundamental CAUSE out of which word (creation) arises, rests in and resolves into.
  • Glory 5: I am unsullied (asaṅgatvam): Like space never tainted by any impurity/event accommodated.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 9 – Verse 7:

sarvabhūtāni kaunteya prakṛtiṃ yānti māmikām |
kalpakṣaye punastāni kalpādau visṛjāmyaham

Oh! Arjuna, at the end of each cycle, all beings resolve into My Prakṛti. Again, at the beginning of the (next) cycle, I create them.

• Expands V5/6, which stated Īśvara is sṛṣṭi, sthiti, laya kāraṇam.
• QUESTION: How does Īśvara “create” the universe? Everything below will answer and provide metaphor of oneness…
  
• Krishna says, BEFORE creation of this manifest universe, it was ALREADY existent in Me, AS unmanifest form, IN potential possibility.
  • Meaning universe (matter) is NOT EVER created newly. Law of conservation of matter-energy. Even Īśvara cannot create new matter. Else presupposes Īśvara created out of LIMITED knowledge (forgot something, so needed to add something new).
• METAPHOR OF UNMANIFEST POTENTIAL: Intelligent tree exists within miniscule seed.
  • Grown adult exists in potential within fertilized egg. Egg holds DNA, which correspondingly represents the kāraṇa śarīra for soon-to-be-born jīvātma.
    • DNA contains 262,000pgs. Only 500pgs dictates individuality. Rest, SAME in all.
    • If boldness at age 50, already coded.
    • If cancer, asthma, dementia at age 80; already coded.
    • Explains why most ailments comes later in life. Meaning ailment was existent, but in potential.
• Krishna says: all details of entire universe ALREAY CODED in Me, as unmanifest universe, called prakṛti/māyā.
  • In other words, BEFORE this universe came, this universe was ALREADY in dormant SEED state (matter in potential). Which then evolves AGAIN into manifestation. Like heart contract-expand.
    • Also in 2.28 (all beings unmanifest in beginning, manifest middle, unmanifest end). 8.18 also supports.
• METAPHOR OF UNMANIFEST/MANIFEST: Waker is compared to mini-Īśvara (parā-prakṛti). Tonight’s dream is like universe in potential (māyā).
  • What is a dream? Expression of all past vāsanās/saṃskārās (stored in Causal Body) within the waker.
    • Meaning when conditions are right, māyā (potential in waker) WILL project dream universe, manufactured out of waker (parā-prakṛti).
    • Suppose waker (self) within own dream, wants to FIND the waker. Is this possible? No.
      • Because entire dream is MANUFACTURED out of waker ALONE. The thought of dreamer contemplating about the waker is also pervaded by the waker alone.
      • Meaning all dreamer can do is OWN UP that all that is here is ONE Waker without a second. Upon doing so, and firmly assimilating that realization, called jīvanmukta.
        • What happens when jīvanmukta BMI dies? Dream disappears. Eternal Waker sat-cit-ānanda remains. (EG: What happens when I break pot? Remains clay alone).
• Kaunteya! Sarvabhūtāni parkṛtim yānti: Hey Arjuna! All begins come back to Me in prakṛti (unmanifest state / māyā).
  • In this way, prakṛti (unmanifest/manifest) of whole creation depends on Me. Just like unmanifest/manifest dream depends on waker.
    • COMPARISON vyaṣṭi / samaṣṭi:
      • Individual dream world is caused by? Individual’s saṃskārās (causal body, mainly tamas).
      • Total dream world (14 lokās) is caused by? Saṃskārās of all individuals. (Macro causal body; Īśvara, pure sattva)
• WHEN does unmanifest occur? Kalpakṣaye, end of Brahmāji’s 1 kalpa (1000 four-yugās, 4.32 billion years).
• WHEN does unmanifest universe, manifest AGAIN? Kalpādau, when Brahmāji wakes up after 1 kalpa.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 9 – Verse 8:

prakṛtiṃ svāmavaṣṭabhya visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ |
bhūtagrāmamimaṃ kṛtsnamavaśaṃ prakṛtervaśāt

Resorting to My prakṛti, I create again and again this entire multitude of beings which is helpless, being under the control of Prakṛti.

 

• visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ: I create this world again and again in cyclic process, repeatedly and forever.
  • Accordingly in Vedānta, creation is cyclic process of eternal manifests/unmanfiests. Not linear with beginning/end. Else endless logical problems. Creates unsolvable disputes like “chicken/egg”.
    • For this reason, we can’t ask “when did creation FIRST begin”. It’s like asking “what happens when unstoppable bullet hits impenetrable wall?”
• How does Brahman create universe on and on? prakṛtiṃ svāmavaṣṭabhya, by help of My prakṛti / māyā.
  • Just like waker can’t dream WITHOUT saṃskārās (impressions of past).
• Consequently, owning to My prakṛti / māyā — bhūta grāmam imaṃ kṛtsnam, I create multitude of sentient begins.
• What kind of beings are created throughout the universe? Avaśam, helpless begins.
  • Meaning person cannot stop eternal manifest/unmanifest. No off button. Even committing suicide won’t work; reborn with MORE suffering, because suicide is pāpam.
  • ONLY way to get out of process is mokṣa. How? Vedanta classes + self-study/reflection.
• In summary: Māyā alone evolves into this creation (sṛṣṭi). Dances (sthiti) for some time (symbolized by Naṭarāja; Śiva). Then resolves (layam).
  • Furthermore creation, dance, resolution does NOT happen in time. But time itself happens WITHIN this 3 step process. Reason why nothing to say before big bang.
• Verse 8 message: Creation is an eternal cyclic process.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 9 – Verse 9:

na ca māṃ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya |
udāsīnavadāsīnamasaktaṃ teṣu karmasu ||

Oh ! Arjuna, However, those actions do not bind Me who am uninvolved in those actions and who remain like an indifferent person.

• What is Glory 6? DOUBT will give: If Īśvara is sṛṣṭi kāranam (glory 4), that seems like Īśvara is a DOER (kartā). EG: Can’t create/sustain/destroy without action.
  • What’s more, to “DO” an action (kartā) is to enjoy results of those actions (bhoktā). IE: Karma is always for sake of karma-phalam.
  • Seems Bhagavān is a sadist. EG: Bhagāvan gives us bodies which suffers even mosquito bite. Not to mention psychological trauma like abandonment, LOSS of family relative, temporary rejection.
• ANSWER: Suppose waker has śakti called māyā. When śakti is operating tonight, a dream world is created.
  • What determines the dream movie? Individual’s saṃskārās.
  • Suppose the dream character plays role of Hitler. And does actions of destruction for sake of enjoying.
    • Upon waking, can waker be held accountable for what happened? Because (1) waker didn’t willfully intend the dream movie, and (2) DREAM is different order of reality.
    • Meaning despite dream actions/enjoyments (MADE of waker alone), the actions/enjoyments did not belong to Waker puruṣa, only dream puruṣa.
• Hence Krishna says: I am akartā and abhoktā. I am neither creator, nor destroyer. Hence can’t attribute any action, nor result to Me.
• Furthermore, māṃ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti, all actions do not bind Me, because they are lower order of reality (māyā).
  • Just like like how waker says “It was just a dream”. Meaning actions/enjoyments of DREAM do not make waker’s life miserable/happy.
• QUESTION: How come Īśvara does not accrue any puṇya/pāpa karma, despite being the cause of Universe?
  • teṣu karmasu asaktam, Because I am not identified WITH, attached TO, involved IN any karma. Consequentially…
  • udāsīnavat āsīnam, I remain as though an indifferent puruṣa. Uninvolved person.
    • Giving HINT how to live, abhimāna tyāga (renunciation of pride IN results of PERFORMED actions).
      • Not talking about renunciation of action. But sense of “I am enjoying results because of my past actions”.
• GLORY SUMMARY:
  • Glory 1: Lord is formless. Avyaktam (not perceptible).
  • Glory 2: Lord is all-pervading. Sarvagatatvam (being everywhere, omnipresent).
  • Glory 3: Lord is support of all, the substratum of the mithyā universe. Jagat adhiṣṭhāna (Abode of world).
  • Glory 4: I am creator, sustainer, swallower of mithyā universe.
  • Glory 5: I am unsullied. Asaṅgatvam.
  • Glory 6: I am akartā/abhoktā. Free of all karma and karma-phalam.

Keywords: abhimana tyaga, abhokta, akarta, ananda, apara-prakriti, asangatvam, Avasam, Avasha, avyakta, bhokta, bhuta gramam imam krtsnam, ishvara, isvara, jivan mukta, jivanmukta, jivatma, Kalpadau, Kalpaksaye, karana sharira sarira, karta, maya, maya shakti, mithya, nataraja, papa, para-prakriti, prakrti, punya, purusa, purusha, sakti, samashti, samasti, samskaras, satchitananda, satcitananda, shakti, siva, shiva, srishti, srshthi, srshti, srsti, vasanas, vyasthi, vyasti, yugas

—

• After classwork

Credit for help in Bhagavad Gita teaching given to Chinmaya Int. Foundation & Swami Paramarthananda

Recorded 29 Oct, 2019