A Labyrinth of Creational Caves
In my last article I had presented how the conclusions from Quantum Physics seem to dovetail into what has been the pursuit of the mystics. The argument and the tack taken there was that no matter which road you take, the final steps to “Truth” bring you face-to-face with the same questions and probes. I had thought that this was so obvious that I had become somewhat arrogant about the conclusions, thus losing the very essence of my journey. The conclusions that I drew from that exercise were the following:
The foundational raw material of creation is the same – energy. Somewhere it takes the form of matter and other stuff.
We create our own reality which is at the base of it – an illusion. A dream
Consciousness – or called as God by some – is probably the database and repository of the universal knowledge and anyone can use it if one can “tune” into it.
I subsequently had a long – and often intense – dialogue with a very close friend on this topic. He subscribes to the Vedic school of thought that forwards an interpretation of the Vedas as the Supreme and that they prescribe three basic and foundational creational elements – God (parmatama), Nature (Prakriti), and Being (Atma). He was further convinced that all three were “Eternal” and “Unborn”.
A Labyrinth of Creational Caves #Spirituality Click To Tweet
In my opinion this was almost impossible. There are three reasons why I believe to be so:
If there are indeed three foundational elements then it stands to reason that they would be interacting with each other and thus affecting the others. Anything that can be “caused” or have “effect” on anything else is within the “Causal plane” and so cannot be Eternal. So, of the three at least two would be in the “Cause and Effect” plane.
It is pretty evident that Prakriti and Atma “change”. Anything that changes, would necessarily have further distinctions and components in it. And thus fail to be the foundational element. Further, anything that changes cannot be Eternal, because for change to occur, something it in has to “die” or be “born” – whether it is the finer components or relational energies between those components.
At the very birth of this creation, there would, logically be just one element – for that is how every birth occurs. Whether it is humans or trees. How could other two then be ‘Unborn” and Eternal?
He was not convinced though and that was fine. He, then, questioned the Illusion state of “Prakriti” that I had put forward. And that was something I found to be very good line of questioning which I could argue from philosophical angle but not necessarily from practical standpoint. If intention is what creates “reality”, then how come things that occur in this world – of which I have no intent or “knowledge” of, still do?
That my son is standing in the room is a “reality” that both of us could witness. Could be wished away and be standing in another room? Was his “reality” based on my intent or his own “consciousness”? Very valid and difficult questions to argue from me.
Another question that put forward is if this creation is indeed an Illusion and not a reality and not even important, then – “Why wouldn’t God NOT ACT”? Why would consciousness be just an inert consciousness? Why does it need to create the waves of creation?
I was a little boy and flying around the streets of New Delhi of the 1980’s until I came to settle on a cricket field to play. My opponent was hitting the ball all over the sky and I was losing. My tension grew and suddenly a War started. I had to reach my family in the other part of city – for which somehow I had to fly back through the nicely manicured streets of Houston to reach my home in Karol Bagh. I could not find anyone and I was worried and stressed!
Until I suddenly realized that it was a dream. Suddenly it seemed nonsensical. What had created stress and worry was just an “illusion”, which interestingly ended when “I, the Dream Actor” identified himself with “I, the Dreamer”. Until this very simple but basic identification occurred, the Dream Actor would be compelled to “act” and Dreamer be just a witness of the Dream!
When I “knew” that it was a dream why was I so taken in by it such that I was “playing” cricket while a war was going on? Was it the “right” thing to do? Was it better for me to NOT do anything in my dream and be “inert”?
More importantly, Why Dream?
The questions that we had had for whom we consider the “Creator” were facing me.. a “creator” in my own respect! The inherent quality of creativity was undying which somehow linked the macrocosm with the microcosm in its entirety. The cascade of the “waves” and their collapses had an amazing labyrinth of creational caves, which was somehow forcing each subsequent “Creator” to “Act”!
The questions are upfront in our faces.. so are the keys to it!
Featured Image Source: Flickr