By Victor M Fontane
The mind, though conditioned by worldly experiences, can attune itself to Brahman, the ultimate reality. In doing so, it gains profound knowledge, yet this understanding can only be articulated through the concepts and experiences the mind has previously encountered.
In the Indian spiritual tradition, the depth of scientific knowledge parallels the vastness of inner consciousness. Just as we map the external world, we also navigate the intricate topography of the mind. This reveals a profound connection between the outer and inner realities: we can grasp the essence of the world because we are inherently equipped with the faculties to do so.
The infinite expanse of undivided consciousness—Brahman—exists universally, both within and without all things. It is the eternal substratum that pervades everything. On the other hand, the infinite space of divided consciousness, which gives rise to the perception of time, is what creates distinctions and separations between beings and experiences. Finally, the physical space is the realm where the material elements reside.
Yet, these last two forms of space—divided consciousness and physical space—are not separate from the first. They are reflections or manifestations of the undivided consciousness. Just as a river's many streams still belong to the same source, so too do these various spaces emerge from and return to the same infinite oneness.
When sunlight passes through a prism, the light divides into a spectrum of colors, each distinct yet part of the same whole. Similarly, consciousness may appear divided and fragmented in our daily experiences, but in truth, it all stems from the singular, undivided Brahman. Just as the colors of the spectrum eventually converge back into white light, so too does the diversity of existence ultimately merge into the one unified consciousness.
This perspective reminds us that the separations we perceive—between time, space, and individual selves—are merely illusions born of the divided mind. Through spiritual practice and tuning into Brahman, we return to the awareness of our true, undivided nature.
Om Namah Shivaya 🙏🙏🙏
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