Whatever one thinks within oneself in his own intelligence, that alone is expressed by him. To a suffering person a night is an epoch; and a night of revelry passes like a moment. In a dream a moment is non-different from an epoch. But to the sage whose consciousness has overcome limitations, there is neither day nor night.
All things are equally indwelt by intelligence, so at all times in every way the uncreated is all, the self of all. We use the expression ‘all things’: it is only a figure of speech, for only the infinite consciousness or Brahman exists. Just as there is no division between a bracelet and gold, there is no division between the universe and the infinite consciousness. The latter alone is the universe: the universe as such is not the infinite consciousness, just as the bracelet is made of gold but gold is not made of bracelet.
In that infinite consciousness there is an inherent non-recognition of its infinite nature: That appears to manifest as ‘I’ and ‘the world’. Just as there is an image in a marble slab even if it has not been carved, even so this notion of ‘I’ and ‘the world’ exists in the infinite consciousness. That is known as its creation. The word ‘creation’ has no other connotation. No creation takes place in the supreme being or the infinite consciousness; and the infinite consciousness is not involved in the creation. They do not stand in a divided relationship to each other.
The infinite consciousness regards its own intelligence in its own heart, as it were, though it is non-different from it, even as wind is non-different from its own movement. At that very moment, when there is unreal division, there arises in that consciousness the notion of space, which, on account of the power of the consciousness, appears as the element known as space. That itself latter believes itself to be air and then fire. From this notion there arises the appearance of fire and light. That itself further entertains the notion of water with its inherent faculty of taste; and that itself believes itself to be the earth with its faculty of smell and also its characteristic of solidity. Thus do the water and earth elements appear to have manifested themselves.
At the same time, the same infinite consciousness held in itself the notion of a unit of time equal to one-millionth of the twinkling of an eye: and from this evolved the time-scale right up to an epoch consisting of several revolutions of the four ages, which is the life-span of one cosmic creation. The infinite consciousness itself is uninvolved in these: for it is devoid of rising and setting (which are essential to all time-scales), and it is devoid of a beginning, middle and end.
The infinite consciousness alone is the reality, ever awake and enlightened: and with creation also it is the same. That infinite consciousness alone is the unenlightened appearance of this creation: and even after this creation it is the same always. It is ever the same. When one realises in the self by the self that consciousness is the absolute Brahman, then he experiences it as all — even as the one energy dwelling in all limbs.
One can say that this world-appearance is real only so far as it is the manifestation of consciousness and because of direct experience; and it is unreal when it is grasped with the mind and the sense-organs. Wind is perceived as real in its motion, and it appears to be non-existent when there in no-motion: even so this world-appearance can be regarded as both real and unreal. The mirage-like appearance of the three worlds exists as non-different from the absolute Brahman.
The creation exists in Brahman just as the sprout exists in the seed, liquidity in water, sweetness in milk, and pungency in capsicum; but in ignorance it appears to be different from and independent of Brahman. There is no cause for the world’s existence as a pure reflection in the absolute Brahman. When there is a notion of creation, the creation seems to be; and when through self-effort there is an understanding of non-creation, there is no world.
Nothing has ever been created anywhere at any time; and nothing comes to an end either. The absolute Brahman is all, the supreme peace, unborn, pure consciousness and permanent. Worlds within worlds appear in every atom.
As and when one turns away from the notions of ‘I’ and ‘the world’, one is liberated: the notion of ‘I am this’ is the sole bondage here. They who know the infinite consciousness as the nameless, formless, substratum of the universe, gain victory over Saṃsāra (repetitive history).