Wisdom of Consciousness

Before this world came into existence there was nothing — there was no ‘thing’ distinguishable. When this world ceases to be, again everything will be nothing. While this world exists, we say that there is ‘something’ I know, there is ‘something’ I do not know. There is ‘something’ I have, there is ‘something’ I do not have. There is ‘something’ I am, there is ‘something’ I am not. But do we know what that ‘something’ is? That ‘something’ is really nothing.

Before ‘something’ came into being, everything existed in the state of non-being. We can say, ‘Being arose from Non-Being.’ It is like saying, “Before something existed, it existed in the state of non-existence.” (Or, you can say it existed as a potentiality.)

‘Being’ (in this example) refers to some ‘thing’ or to any ‘thing’. In this sense, all the objects of this world are things: a thought is a thing; the mind, senses, intellect and ego are ‘things’. Even the living soul, Jivatman, is a thing that exists, that is real, but only in the state of the ‘existence of things.’

Before this Creation (the ‘world’, the Universe, the Multiverse, Life, or whatever) came into being, there was absolutely no ‘thing’ that existed. Therefore, we can say that all that existed (as in the existence of, ‘something’) was Absolute Nothingness. If that nothingness is truly absolute, then it must exist absolutely, forever; and so it does. Absolute Nothingness is PRAKRITI, the Material Cause of all things. Or, worded differently: it is the Absolute Substance from which all things are materialized, although that Substance itself is not a material thing, which is why we call it absolute nothingness. Its existence is manifested (exists) only because of its relationship to the Absolute by which it is pervaded.

The Absolute ‘exists’ absolutely (unchangeably, forever), but never as some ‘thing’, or nothing, nor even as everything. Some people say that the Absolute (GOD, Atman) is the creator of everything; they say that everything came from GOD (and the Self). The truth is, everything came from nothing and returns to nothing. GOD creates everything out of nothing (Prakriti); He does NOT create it out of Himself. Worded differently: everything is absolutely created out of nothing and therefore is essentially, NOTHING; which is why this Life is called a Drama, a Play, a Sport, a Game, and a Dream.

[Those who say God created everything, or that everything came from God (or that the Self is the doer) will have to accept that God created child molestation and child molesters, cruelty, torture, hatred, bigots and bigotry, hell, helplessness, unhappiness, misery, and everything else imaginable. Only an ignorant person will believe or accept this.]

We experience our absolute nothingness in the state of consciousness that the Buddhists call ‘Shunya’, the VOID. Unfortunately, the Buddhists do not see beyond this state of Absolute Nothingness; they do not perceive the Absolute.

The Absolute ‘exists’ absolutely. Its ‘existence’ is not in relation to something, or anything, or even everything. Its essential nature is Absolute Existence, Absolute Consciousness, and (in the case of GOD) Absolute Happiness (Bliss). By ‘essential nature’ we mean that this IS THE ABSOLUTE, which is why we call the Supreme Absolute Sata-Chit-Ananda (Sachidananda).

The Absolute is ever-manifest. The manifestation of the Absolute is eternal and unchangeable, which means this manifestation is not in relation to any ‘thing,’ which is the same thing as saying it is in relation to nothing. The manifestation of the Absolute is absolute, and that ‘absolute manifest existence’ is absolute nothingness (Prakriti). Prakriti is the Substance of the Absolute, or the Absolute Substance, through which the Absolute is manifested. As this Substance is invisible and formless, so too the manifestation of the Absolute is formless.

Does this mean the Absolute is devoid of qualities? No, the Absolute is absolutely formless; and this absolute formlessness is itself a quality of the Absolute. ‘Form’ implies variation or change, but the quality of the Absolute is absolute changelessness and therefore absolute formlessness.

There is nothing in this world that can be said to be the Absolute, because everything in this world is relative: everything in this world is in relation to something, but the Absolute is in relation to nothing (Prakriti).

Absolute Consciousness is forever manifested in Prakriti in the relation of the Pervader (the Absolute) to the that which is pervaded (Prakriti). Again, before this Creation came into being, all was nothing: everything existed in the state of Absolute Nothingness in the form of Prakriti, pervaded by Consciousness (the Absolute).

Absolute Consciousness is not some ‘thing’, which means Consciousness is NOT a manifestation of Prakriti. Consciousness is NOT nothing. Consciousness is the Absolute that pervades Absolute Nothingness.

Again, that Absolute nothingness of the Absolute is called PRAKRITI, and is the source of the primordial matter with which, and from which, all ‘things’ are formed (created). Thus, we can say that ‘everything has been created from nothing,’ realizing that the ‘nothing’ we are referring to is the unmanifested Prakriti, which we call the absolute nothingness of the Absolute.

The Supreme Absolute (the Supreme Self, or simply the ‘Absolute’) is all-pervading (VISHNU), and this quality of the Supreme (like all of Its qualities) is also absolute. It is like saying, ‘the Absolute is absolute’, which is true; and all-pervadingness (VISHNU) being absolute, we can just as well say Vishnu is the ‘Absolute,’ or Shiva (Supreme Goodness, Killer of Ignorance, and Bestower of Bliss) is the ‘Absolute,’ or Brahma (Absolute Creator) is the ‘Absolute’; and it is truly so.

What is that which the Absolute absolutely pervades? Who or what is the beneficiary of Supreme Goodness, and whose ignorance is annihilated, and upon whom is bliss bestowed? What is the creation of that Absolute Creator?

The Absolute absolutely, forever, always, without beginning or end, pervades Prakriti, and also pervades this writer and you, the reader, and every conscious being that lives, has lived, or will live in the future. We, all of us, are the recipients of Supreme Goodness in the form of Divine Wisdom which destroys our ignorance and bestows divine bliss. We, as living human beings and other creatures, and this entire Universe, and every Universe, are the creation of that Absolute Creator.

We were nothing, we are nothing, and we will be nothing. Beyond nothing, we are the Absolute Consciousness. We experience the Absolute Consciousness when we go beyond everything, which is nothing.

The Self experiences the Self by the Self, and this is the state of the Absolute.

[Note: This article contains what may appear to be non-Vedic views. This article is calculated to draw those having a Buddhistic mindset back to their Vedic roots.]

As long as we think we are somebody or something, we cannot find lasting peace.

“We were nothing, we are nothing, and we will be nothing. So why play the ego-game?”

Dr. T. R. Khanna

We waste so much time trying to impress others, or fighting with others, or struggling with our own mind because we have not gotten in touch with our Real Self.

Our Real Self is not what we think we are; so why spend so much time thinking about what we are not? We are not our body, we are not our mind, we are not our ego or personality: WE ARE NOTHING.

Everything is nothing, and nothing is everything, but something is only a very small part of everything, and a very small part of nothing.

We are not promoting existentialism or nihilism, we are simply propounding the truth, and the truth is that what we think we are, WE ARE NOT, because what we REALLY ARE is unthinkable by the mind. Our little individual mind cannot see beyond ‘little me’, and ‘little me’ is a myth, it is NOT real.

We are caught up in Mithya-Gyaan, false knowledge, or we can say ‘mythical knowledge.’ If our understanding is based on a myth, then we will never understand what is real. If our understanding of ourselves is based on ‘little me’ we will misunderstand our well-wishers and never know our real self. In other words, our mind cannot reflect the Light of the Soul, the Wisdom of Pure Consciousness, so long as it is preoccupied with thoughts of ‘little me.’

The Wise see our blight, and so they shine the Light of Wisdom to remove our ignorance. But if we run and hide behind our images, or we put up a screen of resistance (in the form of ego and self-will), the light will not reach us.

Life teaches us lessons, but we are the ones who must do the learning. If we don’t learn from life, we will never become learned (Wise). The ‘learned ones’ are those who have learned their lessons and passed the test of Life. They see beyond the superficial and experience what is Real. Our small self (ego) is not real, and everything associated with it is unreal.

Our ego is the thought that we are something or somebody. When we think we are something or somebody we get caught up in the ego-conflict, the ego-struggle, and the ego-emotional-pain. This is the ego-game, and we don’t have to play the ego-game so long as we stay away from our ego. That’s why we say. . . “I was nothing, I am nothing, and I will be nothing.”