This is part V of the series ‘the supreme creation’. In continuation of our discussion on the Brahman, consciousness or cit is the Brahman. Consciousness in operational stage is the cause of all energies, be it static or kinetic, the canonical requirements of creation. This cit transmutes into the five basic elements of akash or ether, air, fire and earth. These in turn form various forms and shapes in combination with other factors, about which we shall discuss later in this series. The consciousness is invisible in nature. It appears in the visible form due to the effects of maya or illusion. This is the reason for considering maya or illusion as part of the Brahman. Without the effects of maya, the existence of objects cannot be recognized. The Brahman has two aspects. One is the cause (karana) and another is its effect (karya). Cause is the origin and effect is the end. Any activity that takes place is juxtaposed between these two. In reality, the cause cannot be perceived as it is beyond perception. But the effect is always visible as it is a reality. Though cause and effect originate from the same Brahman, effect alone is visible and therefore, there should be something else, possibly a different aspect of the Brahman. This aspect is called maya or illusion. Maya plays a vital role in our very existence. Transcending maya is a difficult task.

The realisation of the Self is possible only if the veil of maya is abstracted. There is nothing more potent than cit or the pure form of consciousness. Apart from this, there are other two factors that contribute to the Brahman with attributes. They are ‘sat’, the existence and ‘ananda’ or bliss, the highest form of happiness. Because of these contributory factors, we experience and feel our existence. The Brahman, existence (sat) and consciousness (cit) are inseparable from each other but the ignorance makes us to realize that they are different. Ignorance is nothing but the impure form of consciousness. In other words, the lack of adequate knowledge about the Absolute is the reason for our failure to understand that everything that exists in this universe is only the reflection of the Brahman. This reflection is known as manifestation. The absence of any one of the three leads to a stage of catastrophe where none in this universe is realized. However, the most essential part of the three is the Brahman, without which the other two are not possible. This is based on the fact that the Brahman is the first of entire creation and its origin remains unexplored. Therefore, on the basis of above discussions, the universe and the Brahman are not two separate entities, but as a result of maya, we are conceiving them as two discriminated entities. Here comes the philosophy of advaita or non-duality. The third aspect of the Brahman is the bliss. Bliss is nothing but the supreme happiness derived from the highest level of experience. This is unique and stand alone aspect of the terrestrial experience. This can never be jubilated when the consciousness continues to dwell in the lower planes. When cit or consciousness has to reach the higher planes, it has to necessarily associate with sat or experience. Without experience, one cannot enunciate whether what is realised is pleasure or pain. The extract and essential nature of our experience, called sat, in combination with the highest level of cit or consciousness is called ananda or bliss. Bliss can be attained only through the essence of our experience and not on the basis of gross form of experience. Sat-cit-ananda means their combination in a highly condensed form. The condensed forms are arrived at, by experiencing through their gross forms over a period of time.

This experiencing is called practice. Sat-cit-ananda in their gross forms is called maya or illusion. This goes to prove that the Brahman is not just a myth, but a reality. It is a principle based on the theory of evolution, as sat-cit-ananda the three interdependent factors constantly undergoing changes, moving from lower levels to higher levels. It is important to note that the process of evolution unfolds only on the attributes of the Brahman, and not on the Brahman itself. It is like gold remaining as gold, even though it undergoes changes in the form of various ornaments. The gold is Brahman and the ornaments are sat-cit-ananda. The former is pure Brahman and the latter is Brahman with attributes. At this stage, we have discussed about the internal tools called anthakkaranam (mind, intellect, consciousness and ego), soul, prakriti and the Brahman. We are yet look into one more aspect of creation viz. external tools called tatwas or principles that will be taken up in the next article. Finally, we will look into the combined effect all these factors in the supreme creation. (to be continued)