‘Enjoy the cosmic drama’

The Big Bang is perceived to have created the universe that is ever expanding. In the same way, universal consciousness is perceived to have split into fragments at different levels and forms, and all these levels and forms will again merge into single largest universal consciousness at the end.In between the cycle of this creation and destruction are the changing phases that are constantly metamorphosing. Prakriti, for instance, is an outcome of this change which manifests into earth, water, fire, air, ether, manas, buddhi and ahamkara. The five gross elements, five subtle elements, 11 indriyas, represented by manas, buddhi and ahamkara constitute the 23 tattvas.After metamorphosing into these elements, God created beings which are under the delusion of three gunas — sattva, rajas and tamas — and they are influenced by prakriti. The will of God, however, governs the whole manifestation. At the end, the Supreme Consciousness will draw back all forms and levels of consciousness into itself, as it has expanded in the beginning.Amidst this whole drama, rest our life, dreams, joys and tragedies, the benefaction of redeemers and betrayal of antagonists.During this life course, some recede without realisation, and some rise and resurrect to the original. The grace, however, will descend on him who realises the Supreme. All endeavours without His grace will not come of age as all souls will have to go through the process and continue with the cosmic drama, and do the best karma for reaching the highest pinnacle of the ultimate source. We all have divinity within us. This is what all scriptures teach us. However, deluded by ‘I’, we become victims of bondage, which is the main reason for all our problems and suffering. With the realisation, ‘I’ transforms to Self-realisation, however, it requires certain conditioning.As the grain of sand, while transforming into a pearl, undergoes certain conditioning, so will the soul’s union with the Supreme. Adverse conditions that might occur during this interlude have the potential to produce remarkable results.Problems create an environment for His grace to flow. When troubles come, they bring humility, which creates an environment for His grace to flow to us. Problems also create an environment for our faith to be strengthened, and this faith unlocks the storehouse of realisation. Stronger faith will have God’s grace in our lives. So the faith only grows when it is tested in troubled times. It is like a muscle: if there is no resistance, it stays flabby and weak. It takes stress and strain to strengthen it. But God is always humble and gracious in eliminating our troubles.The Bhagwad Gita tells us why the eternal being is caught in the circle of rebirth and also the way to come out of it. This cycle is formed of five gross elements, along with the mind, intellect and ego. When the intellect manifests with attachment and desire, which is the greatest deceiver, man perishes within the cosmic cycle of time and space. The eternal self that leaves the body, enters into another through the five gross elements. When we perform actions with our mind on the objects, we develop an attachment for them, and this attachment gives rise to desire; desire to anger; anger to delusion; delusion to confusion; and confusion of memory to loss of intellect; and when intellect is lost, everything is lost. The human being perishes within the cosmic drama.True Freedom The Gita also says that we can save ourselves from perishing by steadying our intellect and freeing ourselves from desires and ego, through Self-realisation and not with an idea of ‘I’, man and woman. Krishna says in the Gita, ‘Then you will be free from illusion, you will see all in yourself and perceive all in myself.’ Becoming free from time and space does not mean abstaining from action or enjoyment of objects, but becoming free from desire and attachment of alluring sense objects. It is the desire of objects that leads to anger, delusion, confusion and loss of intellect, and finally, death. Therefore, a person who frees himself from all desires and attachments will become non-perishable, yet will continue to enjoy the cosmic drama of time and space.■ Post your comments at speakingtree.in