Logic is used to reject and imaginable item claimed to be an unimaginable item

[dattaswami]

Logic is used to reject and imaginable item claimed to be an unimaginable item

Adi Shankara ( a previous human incarnation of God) made certain assumptions, which are hypothetical to preach the spiritual knowledge to the devotees at various levels. Generally the devotees are trained in the logic pertaining to the imaginable items in the world. The development of a concept by them is from a worldly example and also its application is to another worldly example. For example since the black color of the mud (cause) is entering into pot (its effect), the conclusion is that the nature of cause enters its effect. This conclusion is applied to another worldly example and they say that the bright color of the gold lump (cause) must also enter the chain (its effect).

 

Here, mud, pot, gold lump and chain are imaginable items and are worldly examples. Hence, all their logic is limited to the imaginable items only and that cannot be extended to the unimaginable God and His link with creation is also unimaginable because it is a link between unimaginable God and imaginable creation. This does not mean that logic is useless. It is useful in denying an imaginable item claimed to be unimaginable.

 

For example in the ancient time the awareness is thought to be independent energy like a free electromagnetic wave in space. But today due to advancement of science and analytical faculty it is clearly proved that awareness is not an independent item but it is completely dependent on the co-existence of functioning nervous system and the inert heat energy produced by the oxidation of food. It is only a special work form of energy appearing through a complicated special technology of brain and nervous system. It is not independent even like the electromagnetic radiation traveling in the space. That which was wonderful yesterday is clear today. It was unimaginable but now is imaginable. Therefore, there is a knowable region extending up to space in the creation.

 

In this knowable region there are certain layers of attained knowledge and certain layers of unimaginable nature. But the layers of unimaginable nature will certainly be analyzed by logic and science in the course of time. But there is a dead limit of this logic and analysis of science, which is the space beyond which the region of eternal unimaginable nature exists. Therefore, by conquering the unimaginable layers within the knowable region, it does not mean that one day or other the logic or science will cross the dead limit of space also and capture the unimaginable God existing beyond space. That is impossible.

 

You may try and try and one day you may touch the roof of your house by the constant practice of high jumps. But this does not mean that one day or other you will also touch the sky by the continuous practice of high jumps. Today the unimaginable layers within the knowable region may appear wonderful and these layers can be called as Maya. The word Maya comes from root meaning “wonder” (Maya vaichitrye). The word wonder does not mean that it will be always unimaginable. The temporarily unimaginable systems also look wonderful before the analysis. The magic show looks wonderful but it can be analyzed and the wonder may disappear after analysis. Hence, wonder need not mean the permanently unimaginable item only.

 

The deeper layers of this universe are wonderful without analysis but may be realized in future. These layers are temporarily unimaginable and the word wonder is used in the case of these also. Therefore, Gita says that you will find the universe as wonderful (Mayamtu Prakrutim…..).

 

At the Lotus Feet of His Holiness Sri Dattaswami

 

Anil Antony

 

www.universal-spirituality.org

Universal Spirituality for World Peace

antonyanil@universal-spirituality.org