Spiritual Message for the Day – The Process of Creation by Sri Swami Krishnananda

Baba Times Digest© | 26 April 2015 21.37 EST | New York Edition

The Process of Creation according to Sankhya and the Vedanta

Divine Life Society Publication: Everything About Spiritual Life by Swami Krishnananda

The process of the coming down of the categories of creation, both from the point of view of the Sankhya and the Vedanta. What does the Sankhya say? There is an infinite universal purusha consciousness all pervading. There is a prakriti or the potentiality for the manifestation of all the things of the world. In light of the Sankhya philosophy, this prakriti or the potentiality of creation is made up of three strands, as they call it, the properties sattva, rajas and tamas. The equilibrated condition of the prakriti is called sattva; the rajasic or distracting, dividing activity of prakriti is called rajas; and the inert, non-active, inactive condition is called tamas. When the purusha consciousness reflects itself in this equilibrated aspect of prakriti, it becomes a cosmic conscious potential creative force called Mahat. Sometimes this Mahat is identified with Brahma, the creator, about which we hear much in the Puranas and the epics. This Mahat is a cosmic generality of awareness of everything. In the case of purusha, we cannot say that it is aware of everything, because there is no question of space, time, or anything. So, purusha is just what it is. So, we cannot say purusha is cosmically conscious, etc. That designation is applicable only to Mahat, where the potentialities of space-time emerge, and there is a cosmic consciousness, potential omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. This cosmicality of Mahat becomes conscious of itself: “I am the all-pervading being.” This particular stage is called Ahamkara when the cosmic consciousness makes a cosmic affirmation of this otherwise-universal omnipresence and asserts itself as aham asmi – I am, I am what I am, I am that I am. Don’t mistake this Ahamkara with egoism of a human being. Egoism, as we understand in common parlance, is pride, assertiveness of a bodily individuality. This has to be distinguished completely from the word Ahamkara. Actually, the Sankhya could have used another word, instead of confusing this Ahamkara with that ahamkara. Anyway, this has been called Ahamkara – cosmic awareness of one’s being oneself only, and there is nothing external to oneself.

Here, we have a similarity with the Vedanta doctrine of the Absolute Parabrahman. There also the word prakriti is used. Sometimes, the word maya is used. They are practically the same thing, and the Vedanta also accepts the term prakriti, as we have it in the Mahabharata. The Manusmriti and the Bhagavadgita also accept the presence of a prakriti, though from another standpoint altogether. This prakriti has three strands, as I mentioned, three properties – sattva, rajas and tamas. When this cosmic enlightened condition, pure reflective capacity, receives the cosmic consciousness of the Mahat in its assertive, self-conscious form, it becomes Ahamkara. Thus, we have purusha, prakriti, Mahat, Ahamkara, the categories of descent.

Here, a threefold splitting of operation takes place. The adhyatma, adhibhuta, and adhidaiva stages are supposed to be the threefold ramifications of this central universal Self-consciousness of ‘I am’. What are these three categorisations or split forms? On the one hand, there is the individual observer of the world; on the other hand, there is the observed physical world; in the middle, there is the connecting link – the purusha, Supreme Brahman consciousness itself linking the subject with the object. The objects cannot be known to exist unless the senses are connected to the object through a third medium, which is invisible to the sense organs. That medium is called adhidaiva, a superintending divinity. So, three ramifications take place after the Ahamkara manifests itself – the individual perceiver, the world of objectivity or perception, and the invisible connecting link which is the devata, adhidaiva.

The rajasic aspect of prakriti has created this threefold ramification, and the sattva aspect gives the tinge of consciousness in the individual that cognises. We are aware that we are cognising or perceiving things; this awareness consciousness is a reflection of purusha, Brahma consciousness itself. The differentiation that we feel between ourselves and the object is due to the rajas. The tamas aspect has its own say; space, time, and causation is the first vibratory process in the tamas aspect of prakriti. That condenses itself into a grosser form of vibrations called potentials for the manifestations of the five elements earth, water, fire, air, ether. These potentials are called tanmatras; the pure potentialities of that which is to be manifested afterwards is called tat matra – the essence of the physical world. These are known as the potentiality for hearing, for seeing, for touching, for tasting, for smelling; in Sanskrit they are called sabda, sparsa, rupa, rasa, gandha. They are not processes of the senses such as hearing; they are the potentialities which make it possible for us to see, or hear, or touch, etc. These potentialities get condensed in a particular form, called panchakarana. They become actual physical elements of earth, water, fire, air, ether; this is the world before us.

I have described the whole process of creation. Indriyebhyaḥ parā hy arth paraḥ. Of course, the senses are a reality for us, but the first step in yoga is knowing the objects which stand by themselves as pure primary qualities – with whom we have to think and with whom we have to be in harmony.

This is a very difficult subject. I am trying to purify your mind, and make you semi-divine at least, if not entirely divine. You will feel surprised that you are living in a different world altogether than what you are seeing with your eyes.

Mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ (Gita 9.17). In the Bhagavadgita Sri Krishna Bhagavan says, “I am the father, I am the mother, I am the grandfather, I am the protector, I am the refuge, I am everything for you. Come on, I shall take care of you.”

This happens when you stand with the things of the world. Never look at them as if they are to be exploited by your perception. These ideas of enjoying them, taking them, repelling them must go. So, I have told you only the first step in yoga – but it is such a tremendous step that it will revolutionise your whole life. You will digest your food better, you will speak nicely, you will become a friend of all people, and the whole world will protect you. Be happy. God bless you.

Excerpts from: The Process of Creation According to Sankhya and the Vedanta - Everything About Spiritual Life by Swami Krishnananda

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