In the chain of evolution, the theory of relativity exists everywhere between the cause and effect

[dattaswami]

In the chain of evolution, the theory of relativity exists everywhere between the cause and effect

 

In the chain of evolution, the theory of relativity exists everywhere between the cause and effect. Science takes the absolute primordial energy as the ultimate cause and matter and life can be treated as relatively true products of the absolute primordial energy. The ultimate primordial energy is the direct cause of the matter and is the indirect cause of awareness. The theory of relativity applies between primordial energy and awareness also because the intermediate matter is only a relative truth in which the absolute truth is only the primordial energy.

 

Now that we have established that the ultimate cause is God and the primordial energy is His immediate relatively true effect, the entire universe becomes a relative product of God only. The rope gave an illusion of stick and the stick gave an illusion of serpent. Now both the stick and serpent are relative illusions of the absolute primary rope only. The dream is a relative effect of the soul, which is the absolute cause. Similarly, the entire universe is a relative effect (mithya) of the absolute God. Mithya is neither the independently existing truth (sat) nor the non-existing total unreality (asat). The dream does not exist independently without the awareness. You cannot also say the dream is non-existing unreality because it masks the reality and appears to exist as a separate entity other than the soul. Shankara says that mithya means neither existing nor non-existing (sadasat vilakshana mithya). This means that you cannot even define the relative effect of the unimaginable God. If you analyze, the relative effect vanishes on realization of the cause. If the rope is seen the serpent disappears. If the pearl shell is seen the silver disappears. But here God is not only invisible but also even unimaginable for us. In such a case how the world, which is His relative effect, can disappear in our eyes? If you say that the world vanished in your eyes, it means that your eyes see God. At least if God is imagined by our intelligence, this world can at least disappear in our imagination. Neither the world disappears from our eyes nor it disappears in our imagination.

 

This means neither God is seen nor even imagined. The defect in the above simile is that you (observer) are different from the serpent and silver. But here you are part and parcel of the world and when the world disappears, you will also disappear. Even God is managing His continuous entertainment by seeing the world constantly and the advaitin, who is part and parcel of the world boasts that the world is not existing. The world is relatively true with respect to God and not with respect to an advaitin or any soul. If it is relatively true with respect to yourself, it means that the world is relatively true with respect to itself. It is relatively true with respect to God only. In fact with respect to the world you are a tiny particle and you are almost non-existent. You are just reversing the truth. Even God enjoys continuously maintaining His ignorance experiencing the world as absolute truth. Only in certain special pressing occasions, He realizes the world as relative truth and then does the necessary modifications or violations of nature, which are called as miracles.