The universe within us

From a study of the Vedas and the Upanishads, we get to understand that before the Almighty indulged in the creation of this finite world that we see around us comprising  the Earth, the Sun, the planets, the stars and other solar systems comprising of various other planets and stars stretching to billions of light years in distance, there was only an immense void (emptiness) stretching to infinity. We all know that the definition of infinity refers to something that has no boundaries, no limits and no restrictions. It is continuous and unending in all directions. So before creation, the Vedas tell us that this unending continuity of infinity, completely empty, extended in all directions. Next, the Vedas tell us that this unending continuity of infinity though fully empty of material objects, had always been completely filled by an immense, all potent, all pervading and infinitely powerful Universal force, again extending in all directions to the extent of infinity. In the Vedas, this infinite, universal force is referred to as the 'Primal Purusha' or the 'Ancient one'. It is also called as the 'Parabrahman'/ 'Nirguna Brahman' (The one without attributes) or the Almighty. It refers to the Almighty Lord, the great creator. The one who is formless, nameless, colorless and shapeless and infinite in all attributes. There is not an inch of space anywhere on the earth, the sky, the stars, the planets or even beyond which this Ancient one does not occupy. He is beyond time, space and limitation. He has always existed and will always exist. He was never born and nor does he ever die. He is the cause of all causes and effects while he himself does not have a cause. The Vedas say that words cannot do justice in describing the extent, immensity and entirety of this Ancient one. They say that the human mind cannot understand the extent of scope and reach of the Almighty. One can fully understand this creator called the Almighty only further to self-realization and complete merger within him. Those who merge this way into the Supreme cannot return back to tell us of the experience. It is like a drop of water that has merged into the ocean. Further to merger, it is no longer distinguishable and cannot ever, ever be brought back. It is impossible to get that particular drop back into our hands again.

In the Bhagavatham, it is said:
"Prathamo Brahman, Dwitheeyo Naasthi"

- HE was the first, there is no second.

This means that HE has always existed and nothing ever was born or nothing came after HIM. This is a beautiful statement that points to us that all that we see around us comprising of mountains, land, rivers, oceans, the sky, planets and everything else was created by HIM out of his will. Yet we also know that all this creation of his is again unreal and only his Leela (divine play) and non-existent in terms of reality. It is like the work of a magician - appears real but is unreal. We know very well from the laws of physics that all matter is really not matter but energy held together within a frequency of vibration that makes it appear to be matter. The denser the energy and its frequency, the harder and more solid the object. So objects are really energy and not matter. In reality, no matter exists. No object exists. It is all the work of energy manifested in this form by that one single Almighty through his 'Leela (divine play) enforced by Maya (the cosmic illusion)

In what order did he create this world? The 'Taithariya Upanishad' describes this clearly:

"Aakashaath Vaayuhu, Vayo agnihi, Agney aapaha, aapah prithivi, pritivyaad oshadayaha, oshadheebhyo annam, annath purushaha..."

- "First he created Akaasha or space. From space he created Vaayu or air. From air he created Agni or fire. From fire he created Aapaha or water. From water he created Prithivi or the Earth. From the Earth was created oshadhi or nutrients. From the nutrients came annam or food. From food came this human body."

Since we are not the body, mind, intellect, consciousness or ego but only the soul, since all objects are not really objects but only forms of energy, it remains that all forms of energy originate from HIM. So if we discount the presence of this body and its faculties, the world of unreal objects and physical creations in the reverse order as that mentioned in the Upanishad, we come back to the one and only Supreme who is the source. So the Atman or the pure soul is no different from the Almighty and as described in the Bhagavatham, he came first and there was nothing that came after him. So everything other than HIM is unreal and false. HE alone is real. This implies that the Atman or pure soul is only a relative concept as regards this body but not an absolute concept. In terms of the absolute, the Parabrahman or the Almighty alone exists and the concept of Atman dissolves. The Almighty alone is absolute and this concept of us as individuals is false and only the result of 'Maya' or the cosmic illusion where in the Almighty himself makes a 'small part' of his infinite self forget its true nature of infinity by wrapping it with layers of ignorance and this physical body with its mental faculties. The 'small part' referred to above is the Atman and further to this cosmic illusion, it becomes the 'Jivatma' (individual degenerated soul). In reality, everything is an illusion similar to the one created by the magician, but only much better in quality. The Almighty alone is real and we ourselves are a part of this Almighty and become the Almighty himself further to merger. Even before the merger, we still are an indivisible part of this Almighty. We have have not REALIZED this fact due to the ignorance surrounding our soul and hence consider ourselves separate from HIM.

Since the Almighty occupies all space and time comprising of infinity, this entire universe and beyond is us alone and nothing else. We occupy everything and pervade each and every inch of space and time to entirety. We DO NOT yet have this realization. That will come further to self-realization. The objects such as mountains or rivers or stars or planets are unreal further to the fact that they are only forms of energy and not matter in reality. So what now remains? We alone remain and it is no longer 'WE' but everything. Further to dissolution of this unreal body after self-realization, the realized soul merges into the infinity of space filled with HE himself in entirety. Then, there is no difference between him and the Almighty. Even before realization there is no difference. HE THINKS HE IS DIFFERENT due to the cosmic illusion of Maya.

Shri. Shankaracharya the great Yogi who propounded the Advaita philosophy has hence said -
"Aham Brahmaasmi" - "I myself am the Brahman or Almighty".

The Upanishads say - "Tat Tvam Asi" - "You are THAT Supreme. Nothing else"

The 'I' referred to here is not the body, mind intellect or the ego but the Atman. The Atman in the final state is the Almighty himself and occupies all space and time to an extent of infinity. Hence the Atman contains everything and everything exists and springs from the Atman alone.

To overcome the wrong thinking which has brought us down into this limited state, which has made us forget our real nature of infinity, karma has to be undone and cleansed around the Jivatma and the mind united with God in totality. It then automatically merges in the one totality called the Brahman. So the whole universe and beyond is within oneself as one has occupied each and every inch of it in totality. When one being the Atman which is the Parabrahman himself has filled everything in totality, where is the need to look for something outside? Where is 'outside'? There is no outside or inside. Outside and inside arise when there is a demarcation. when there is a boundary. How can outside or inside exist in empty space extending to infinity filled by us completely? So the vedas declare:

"Sarvam Khalvidam Brahman"
-" Everything is verily the Brahman or Almighty."

So everything is within us and we are within everything. We are 'Sat-Chit-Ananda' or the one and only truth-consciousness-bliss. The purpose of Yoga & Brahmacharya is to work at negating the illusion which is preventing us from realizing this fact and REALIZE the unity of one's infinity with the Supreme.

ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)