Of all knowledge, only this remains

The innumerable structures which arise as a result of the countless vibrational undulations of the Supreme Entity, have on the one hand enlivened every step of creation with restless vitality and blissful sweetness – and on the other, given scope for the mistaken understanding of Him as many, not one. From this mistake arises all life’s delicious sweetness, its spicy flavours – and also its piercing bitter scorpion stings, its heart-rending moans of grief. Hence in One we see many, in all their perfections and imperfections, in all their sweetness and bitterness, all due to the special role of the indriyas – sense organs.

In the first stage of human life, when people notice the colourful processions of various tanmátras such as form, taste, smell, colour, touch, etc. they immediately become attracted towards them. The entire universe appears to be a grand caravan of many colours: it seizes their senses and their minds rush after it, taking it to be the goal of life. In the first stage, this enchanting material panorama propels people from their inner world to external life. If at that stage, someone tells them to move towards the internal world, they become irritated and annoyed. They think “Oh, I’m quite fine here!” Blending their colours with the colours of all, strolling on soft carpets of green grass, they think, “All these things are meant for me!”

This material-oriented existence is the first stage of human life. At this stage, one wants to express only one thing with the whole of one’s being, and that is, “I exist, only I exist.”

Trials and tribulations compel people to ponder deeply; sorrows inspire them to analyse the law of cause and effect. Their wounded hearts want to be soothed with a healing balm from an Entity greater than themselves. They realize then that there is a greater Entity than their little selves. Whatever might be their relation with that Entity, and whether that Entity is within their reach or not, they cherish the hope of gaining something from Him: they cry out, “Save me, protect me!” Then they change their mental tune and say, “I exist, You also exist.”

When this relationship of hope and fulfilment fails to remove their internal dissatisfactions, when the greenness of the external world fails to moisten the desert of their minds, when the seeds of their desires do not sprout, then they realize that they will have to go still deeper inside – the key to the solution lies deeper within. They are still within locked doors and windows; in search of the key, they move inwards, but they are unable to find it. They do not feel that they are even near a guide – far less in close association. Concentrating all their mental anguish, they begin to shed tears in their minds and, beating their heads, say to the unknown Lord of their life:

I have spent my life in vain;
Such a great Lord I did not worship –
I lost the greatest jewel.
I am indeed an unfortunate creature;
I never enjoyed
Even a drop of nectar
Of the love of God.

Parama Puruśa (the Supreme Consciousness) is the Supreme Cognitive Faculty; nothing is outside Him. He too feels the inner agony of despairing people in the core of His heart, and shows them the soothing path of enlightenment. Then those despairing people cry out in the exuberance of their joy, “You exist, O Lord, I also exist!”

They continue to move into the inner world. The charming allurements of the external world no longer keep their minds in thrall. The dazzling splendour of form and colour, their glittering attraction, no longer evokes any response in the innermost recesses of their minds. The radiance of the colourful world and the effulgence of their inner life become one. Just as –

Prasad says, what you were in the beginning;
You will become in the end –
Just as bubbles rising from the water
Into the water will merge again.

And further –

The pot is in the water;
The water is in the pot.
Water inside and outside.
If the pot is broken, the waters become one –
Only the wise understand this great idea.

The indriyas’ externalization and internalization of tanmátras from the external world then appears to be a play of Maya (illusion). The external world merges into the internal world and ultimately there remains only one Entity – “You exist, only You exist.”

So it has been said, Jiṋánasyáyaḿ bhásate nányathaeva – “Of all knowledge, only this remains.”