Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The purpose of Manifestation

We have seen in the last post, all the "manifestation" spring forth from the mind born beings of the first principle (the Rishis, kumaras and Manus) who have the root in the SEED eternal i.e., LORD himself.

1 cosmic Manas or "Brahma the creator with four heads"
4 kumaras representing the highest knowledge / the silent link between macro & microcosms
7 Rishis representing principles behind the macrocosm
14 manus representing the principles behind the microcosm

The teaching of kumaras is silence
The teaching of Rishis are called shruti
The teaching of manus are called smriti (or LAW)

From the manus all the microcosmic being are born or brought into manifestation. Each manu has his own code of conduct and he also enforces that law over his manvantara (his period of rule over this loka - current manvantara is of vaivasvata) The time period of each manu is 71 maha yugas consisting 10 charanas (4 krita + 3 treta + 2 dvapara + 1 kali yuga charana making up 10 charanas, each charana is 432000 Earth years)

14 such manvantaras make up a day time + 14 manvantaras make up night time making up a ahoratra

360 such ahoratras make up one year and 100 such years is the life-span of Brahma (the creator) which is the first principle that came out of the LORD effortlessly which is called as "cosmic mind". At the end of that time-span, the next Creator Brahma effortlessly emerges out of the SEED eternal!

The question here comes is WHY? What is the purpose of these beings emerging out?

The primary purpose:
The sole purpose of manifestation is for "mutual enlightenment" of wise beings! The Rishis, Kumaras and manus having completed their respective prescribed duties, merge back into the LORD alone by getting the buddhi yogam as mentioned by LORD. They have attained those positions by carrying out the suitable actions in the past KALPA, manvantara, yuga etc.,

In Lord's own words:
अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो मत्तः सर्वं प्रवर्तते।
इति मत्वा भजन्ते मां बुधा भावसमन्विताः।।10.8।।

मच्चित्ता मद्गतप्राणा बोधयन्तः परस्परम्।
कथयन्तश्च मां नित्यं तुष्यन्ति च रमन्ति च।।10.9।।

तेषां सततयुक्तानां भजतां प्रीतिपूर्वकम्।
ददामि बुध्दियोगं तं येन मामुपयान्ति ते।।10.10।।

तेषामेवानुकम्पार्थमहमज्ञानजं तमः।
नाशयाम्यात्मभावस्थो ज्ञानदीपेन भास्वता।।10.11।।

The secondary purpose: (my own notes)
This manifestation is an eternal cycle. There is no first manifestation and neither there will be a last manifestation.

As the Manu's let the microcosmic beings manifest based on their past actions and pre-dominant qualities, each being is unique and on its own point on the path of spiritual evolution. They, through their actions, make the "events" happen in this world. All the suitable beings that can manifest in the current yuga (time period) are allowed their own respective bodies to work out their own karmas (pending actions) by the current Manu. (in their respective loka)

There are infinite microcosmic individual beings and only a finite number of them are allowed to manifest based on suitability at the discretion of the current Manu in this current set of lokas. Also, new dormant beings start accumulating the likes and dislikes by misusing the witnessing capability to "judge" the "events" in these lokas.

So, World serves as:
a platform to carryout the actions and enjoy the fruits according to each individual's tendencies within the LAWs of the current Manu. As per the LAWS, the beings are divided into the respective categories and assigned their own duties. Those who follow the natural laws of manu will skillfully complete all the pending actions (or the damages caused to this world from infinite past) and strive to attain the absolute on the path of YOGA. The rest of the beings keep on taking different bodies/minds and continue to go on and on in the never ending cycles of time.

Lord gives the wise ones who have thoroughly washed away all the sins with the "buddhi yogam" or jnana yogam to finally attain the absolute Truth. The primary purpose of this world is for mutual enlightenment of those wise ones! Out of sheer compassion on those wise ones, LORD allows the rest of non-perfect beings also to workout their own karmas giving everyone an equal opportunity to realize the absolute TRUTH.

om tat sat

(On Sri Sankara Jayanti)

Note: There are several other points that can be elaborated from these four verses. I have elaborated only the phrase "bodhayanta parasparam" in 10.9. It is advised for serious seekers to meditate on each verse to get the complete meaning of it!

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