The generation of world from God cannot be explained by any example in this world

[dattaswami]

The generation of world from God cannot be explained by any example in this world

 

The pot generated from mud and the chain generated from the gold are the examples given in the generation of the universe. In these examples both the cause (mud or gold) and the effect (pot or chain) are knowable items and cannot be applied to God (cause) and universe (effect) because God is unknown or unimaginable and the universe is known or imaginable. The generation of world from God cannot be explained by any example in this world because there is no unimaginable item in this world, which can stand as a simile for God. Every item in the world including the soul (awareness) is imaginable only. Therefore, all these examples are applicable only to the generation of the universe from the imaginable primordial energy, which is the first created item of the universe from God. The generation of primordial energy from God cannot have a simile in this world. The process of generation of knowable primordial energy from the unknowable God is unknowable because any process of generation of any effect from its cause in this world is knowable since both the cause and the effect are always knowable items. This primordial energy is called as Sat (Sadevasomya… Veda), which exists as the first effect with respect to God but it is the first cause with respect to all other items of the world. Since the process of generation of the primordial energy is unknown, it is always taken as the primary cause of the world. It becomes the absolute reality for all the other relative effects (matter and awareness) and hence is called as Sat. It is also called as the relative reality (Asat) as the effect of God, which exists in the beginning of the world (Asadvaidamagraasit… Veda). Thus the primordial energy is both Sat and Asat, which exists in the beginning of the creation. This primordial energy being the greatest item is called as Brahman. God who is indicated by silence only is called as ParaBrahman by Shankara Himself. Shankara said that the awareness becomes Brahman in the deep sleep because the awareness is transformed into the primary energy due to the resting nervous system. Such primary inert energy in the cosmos is called as Brahman and the same primary energy in the human being in deep sleep is called as Atman. Shankara told that Brahman and Atman are devoid of any quality that characterizes awareness and it is called as Nirguna. The functions of awareness cease and hence the activities like thinking (manas), decision (buddhi) and experiencing itself (ahankara) also vanish. Such primary inert energy, which simply stores the information in the deep sleep, is called as chit or chittam or para prakruti. Such primary energy called as Atman functions with qualities in the awakened and dream states as Jeeva.

 

Such soul is unknown to ordinary human beings and is known to scholars (Drushyatetvagraya… Veda, Pashyanti Jnanachakshushah… Gita) and thus it is not unknowable forever to all. Such soul cannot be the God who is unknowable forever to all. Advaitins are confused in this point and say that God is unknown to ordinary human beings and is known to scholars. Veda says that even angels like Yama is unable to know God (Kathametat vijaniyam… ) and does this mean that the scholars are greater than Yama? Gita says that nobody knows God and Veda says that the knower of God is God alone (Brahmavit Brahmaiva…). People misinterpret Gita that nobody among the ordinary people can know God and they misinterpret Veda also by saying that the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman. If you accept such interpretation, you must say that the scholar who knows Brahman is greater than Yama who declares that even He cannot know God. The Advaita scholar who claims that he knows Brahman shivers even by seeing the messengers of Yama! The Advaita scholar who became Brahman by knowing Brahman must be greater than Hanuman, who does not say that He is Brahman (since he does not know Brahman) and who says that He is only servant of Brahman (Dasoham)!

 

Without touching the unknowable God, Shankara has taken the primordial energy as the meaning of Brahman, which is the primary cause of this world. The primordial energy creates the rest world by the will of the God only because any cause in this world generating the effect is by the will of the God only. Even a pot cannot be produced from the mud if God‘s will is against to it. Hence, in every generation process the real cause is only God even though the apparent cause can be any item of this world. In this sense the creation of the rest world from the primordial energy can be treated as the creation of the world from God Himself.