CONSCIOUSNESS AND WORLD APPEARANCE-Part 1

Mind is the Creator of the World

Consciousness (Absolute Reality, unmoving Supreme Brhaman) is the one substance that pervades the entire universe like water pervades the ocean. The entire mind arises from within the Consciousness like a wave arises from within the ocean. The movement (thought) arises non volitionally on its own accord in the imperishable still eternal ocean of Consciousness. This thought movement comes in the form of sound OM (I AM) and it is the beginning of creation that takes place aeons after the previous universal destruction (kalaratri). Sage Vashista says: mind is produced by the will power of the infinite principle of the Supreme Self (Consciousness). The Supreme Self (Brahman) quite spontaneously manifests the intention of omnipotent conscious energy (chit shakti) in the form of thought. That alone is the cause of the vast jugglery of world appearance or maya. Indeed the mind or thought is impure outward movement of pure Consciousness (within). Mind is mere thought with objectivity. Sage Vashista calls the Cosmic mind in its original form as Brahma. The ideas manufactured in the mind of Brahma are the common objects of experience to us all, although in our own minds they enter as our own ideas. And every mind being the manifestation of the same Cosmic mind, is capable of representing within itself other individual minds also as ideas within itself. The common ideas of all give us the appearance of a common world. Thus sage Vashista admits the plurality of minds and also a common world appearance.

It should be emphasized there are innumerable minds. They all have their origin in the Cosmic mind. The Cosmic mind has its origin in the Absolute Consciousness. From the Absolute Reality which is like a calm ocean of Light, the Brahma (Cosmic Mind) springs up like a wave. The rise of the Cosmic Mind in absolute Consciousness is not due to any external agency nor is it determined by any previous karmas and is not due to any purpose to be achieved. The Creative activity which manifests in the Cosmic Mind is inherent in the Absolute Reality like sweetness in sugarcane or oil in the sesame seed. It works quite spontaneously. According to sage Vashista before the rise of the Cosmic Mind the law of karma does not operate. The law of karma, however begins to bind an individual the very moment he begins to live a life of separation and distinction from the Reality as a Whole. Even if an individual may think himself to be separate from the Absolute, he is in reality ever identical with It, for he is a manifestation of Its Creative Power (e.g.: although bracelet is created from Gold and it cannot claim separate identity.) Hence when Consciousness attains to the form of thinking it is known as Brahma or Mind. Thus the Cosmic mind Brahma is the creator of the world and is called the Creator God. From the creator God arise rest of the minds. Thus just like Brahma the mind has the quality of creating through imagination! Sage Vashista says that Brahma is the form of mind and mind is the body of Brahma. The world is produced by Brahma who has gone to a state of mind.

Thus all the animate and inanimate beings come from Consciousness like waves arise from sea on account of its own expansion or movement or sparks fly out of fire. Sage Vashista says: "Rama! This universe exists only within the Consciousness. Its cognition arises from the abundance of place, time activity and objects."

Every visible object in this world is mere Consciousness. The sage says that infinite worlds appear and disappear in this great sky of Consciousness called Chidakasha like waves appear in our ocean.