Yoga Vasishta - Post 36

Only one who has arrived at wisdom can ascend to the ethereal realms, O Lila, not others. This Lila does not possess such wisdom; hence, she only fancied that she had reached the city where her husband dwelt.

 

The enlightened Lila said:

 

Let that be as you say, O Goddess. But, please tell me: how did the objects acquire their characteristics—like heat in fire, coolness in ice, solidity of earth? How did  the world order (niyati) first arise, as also birth and death?

 

Sarasvati said:

 

Dear one, during the cosmic dissolution, the entire universe having disappeared, only the infinite Brahman remains in peace. This infinite being of the nature of  consciousness feels 'I am' and then 'I am an atom of light'. 

 

Thus it experiences the truth of that statement within itself. It also fancies the existence within itself of the  diverse creatures: and since its nature is pure and absolute consciousness, that fanciful creation appears to be a real creation, with objects of diverse characteristics in  strict accord with the fancy of the infinite consciousness.

 

Whatever, wherever and however was conceived or fancied by the infinite consciousness during that first creation, all that has remained there and in that manner and  with those characteristics even now. Thus was a definite order brought into being here.

 

In fact, this order is inherent in infinite consciousness. All these objects and their characteristics were potentially present in it even during the cosmic dissolution: into  what else could they dissolve? 

 

Moreover, how can something become nothing? Gold that appears as bracelet cannot become formless entirely.

 

Thus, although all the elements of this creation are utter emptiness, yet whatever element was conceived of in the beginning with whatever characteristic, such order has  persisted until now. All this is only from the relative point of view: for, the universe has not been created at all, and whatever is, is the infinite consciousness and naught  else. It is the nature of appearance to appear to be real, even though it is unreal.

 

Such is the order (niyati) in the universe, that nothing until now has been able to alter it. It was the infinite consciousness itself that thought of all these elements within itself and it experienced them within itself, and that experience appears to have materialised. 

 

Continued.. 

 

Love