Maharshi - Creation - 3

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Questioner:

 

You seem to be an exponent of ajata doctrine of advaita Vedanta.

 

Maharshi: I do not teach only the ajata doctrine. I approve of all schools.

The same truth has to be expressed in different ways to suit

the capacity of the hearer.

 

The Ajata doctrine says,

 

'Nothing exists except the one reality. There is no birth or death, no projection

or drawing in, no seeker, no bondage, no liberation. The one unity alone exists.'

 

To such as find it difficult to grasp this truth and who ask, 'How can we ignore

this solid world we see all around us?' , the dream experience is pointed out

and they are told, 'All that you see depends on the seer. Apart from the seer,

there is no seen.' This is called the drishti-srishti vada or the argument that

one first creates out of one's mind and then sees what one's mind itself has

created.

 

Some people cannot grasp even this and they continue to argue in the following terms:

'The dream experience is so short, while the world always exists. The dream

experience was limited to me. But the world is felt and seen not only by me,

but by so many others. We cannot call such a world non-existent.'

When people argue in this way they can be given a srishti-drishti theory, for

example, 'God first created such and such a thing, out of such and such an

element, and then something else was created, and so on.' That alone will

satisfy this class. Their minds are otherwise not satisfied and they ask themselves,

'How can all geography, all maps, all sciences, stars, planets and the rules governing

or relating to them and all knowledge be totally untrue?' To such it is best to say,

'Yes, God created all this and so you see it.'

Question:

But all these cannot be true. Only one doctrine can be true.

 

Sri Ramana Maharshi:

All these theories are only to suit the capacity of the learner.

The absolute can only be one. The Vedanta says that the cosmos

springs into view simultaneously with the seer and that there is no

detailed process of creation. This is said to be yugapat-srishti

(instantaneous creation). It is quite similar to the creations in dream

where the experiencer springs up simultaneously with the objects of

experience. When this is told, some people are not satisfied for they

are deeply rooted in objective knowledge. They seek to find out how

there can be sudden creation. They argue that an effect must be preceded

by a cause. In short, they desire an explanation for the existence of the

world which they see around them. Then the srutis (scriptures) try to

satisfy their curiosity by theories of creation.

 

This method of dealing with the subject of creation is called krama-srishti (gradual creation).

But the true seeker can content with yugapat-srishti, instantaneous creation.

There may be any number of theories of creation. All of them extend outwardly.

There will be no limit to them because time and space are unlimited. They are

however only in the mind. If you see the mind, time and space are transcended

and the Self is realised. Creation is explained scientifically or logically to one's

own satisfaction. But is there any finality about it? Such explanations are called

krama-srishti (gradual creation). On the other hand, drishti-srishti (simultaneous

creation) is yugapat-srishti. Without the seer there are no objects seen. Find

the seer and the creation is comprised in him. Why look outward and go on

explaining the phenomena which are endless? Where are you now? Are you in

the world or is the world within you? You must admit that the world is not perceived

in your sleep although you cannot deny your existence then. The world appears

when you wake up. So where is it? Clearly the world is your thought. Thoughts

are your projections. The "I" is first created and then the world. The world is created

by the "I" which in its turn rises up from the Self. The riddle of the creation of the world

is thus solved if you solve the creation of the "I". So I say, find your Self.

Again, does the world come and ask you 'Why do "I" exist? How was "I" created?'

It is you who ask the question. The questioner must establish the relationship between

the world and himself. He must admit that the world is his own imagination. Who

imagines it? Let him again find the "I" and then the Self. Moreover, all the scientific

and theological explanations do not harmonise. The diversities in such theories

clearly show the uselessness of seeking such explanations. Such explanations

are purely mental and intellectual and nothing more. Still, all of them are true

according to the standpoint of the individual.

 

There is no creation in the state of realisation. When one sees the world, one

does not see oneself. When one sees the Self, the world is not seen. So see

the Self and realise that there has been no creation.

 

Be As You Are , David Godman