Daily Readings from the Works of Swami Venkatesananda
Daily Readings from The Yoga Vasistha (The Supreme Yoga)
May 6, 2025
Swamiji's Commentary
O Rama, this entire creation of world-appearance is but an accidental manifestation of the intention of the omnipotent consciousness energy (chit-shakti) of the infinite consciousness or Brahman. The intension itself condenses and thus gives rise in the mind to the substance thus intended. Immediately the mind reproduces the substance as if in the objective field. At this stage there is a notion of this creation having factually abandoned its fundamental and true nature as the infinite consciousness.
This infinite consciousness apparently sees within itself a pure void: and the conscious energy (chit-shakti) thereupon brings space into existence. In that conscious energy there arises an intension to diversify: this intension itself is then regarded as the creator Brahma, with his retinue of other living creatures. Thus have all the fourteen worlds appeared in the space of infinite consciousness, with their endless variety of beings – some immersed in the dense darkness, some very close to enlightenment, and others fully enlightened.
In this world, O Rama, among the many species of living beings only the human beings are fit to be instructed into the nature of truth. Even among these human beings many are obsessed by sorry and delusion, hate and fear. All this I shall presently deal with in great detail.
But all this talk about who created this world and how it was created is intended only for the purpose of composing scriptures and expounding them: it is not based upon truth. Modifications arising in the infinite consciousness or organization of the cosmic being do not really take place in the Lord, though they appear to do so. There is naught but the infinite consciousness, even in imagination! To think of that being the creator and the universe as the created , is absurd: when one lamp is kindled from another there is no creator-creature relationship between them. Fire is one. Creation is just a word, it has no corresponding substantial reality.
Consciousness is Brahman, the mind is Brahman’ the intellect is Brahman, Brahman alone is the substance. Sound or word is Brahman and Brahman alone is the component of all substances. All indeed is Brahman; there is no world in reality.
Just as when the dirt is removed, the real substance is made manifest; just as when the darkness of the night is dispelled, the objects that were shrouded by the darkness are clearly seen; even so when ignorance is dispelled, truth is realized.
This passage is taken from the Australian Edition of the Supreme Yoga The Daily Readings Vasitha published by The Childern Yoga Trust
Swamiji's Commentary
O Rama, this entire creation of world-appearance is but an accidental manifestation of the intention of the omnipotent consciousness energy (chit-shakti) of the infinite consciousness or Brahman. The intension itself condenses and thus gives rise in the mind to the substance thus intended. Immediately the mind reproduces the substance as if in the objective field. At this stage there is a notion of this creation having factually abandoned its fundamental and true nature as the infinite consciousness.
This infinite consciousness apparently sees within itself a pure void: and the conscious energy (chit-shakti) thereupon brings space into existence. In that conscious energy there arises an intension to diversify: this intension itself is then regarded as the creator Brahma, with his retinue of other living creatures. Thus have all the fourteen worlds appeared in the space of infinite consciousness, with their endless variety of beings – some immersed in the dense darkness, some very close to enlightenment, and others fully enlightened.
In this world, O Rama, among the many species of living beings only the human beings are fit to be instructed into the nature of truth. Even among these human beings many are obsessed by sorry and delusion, hate and fear. All this I shall presently deal with in great detail.
But all this talk about who created this world and how it was created is intended only for the purpose of composing scriptures and expounding them: it is not based upon truth. Modifications arising in the infinite consciousness or organization of the cosmic being do not really take place in the Lord, though they appear to do so. There is naught but the infinite consciousness, even in imagination! To think of that being the creator and the universe as the created , is absurd: when one lamp is kindled from another there is no creator-creature relationship between them. Fire is one. Creation is just a word, it has no corresponding substantial reality.
Consciousness is Brahman, the mind is Brahman’ the intellect is Brahman, Brahman alone is the substance. Sound or word is Brahman and Brahman alone is the component of all substances. All indeed is Brahman; there is no world in reality.
Just as when the dirt is removed, the real substance is made manifest; just as when the darkness of the night is dispelled, the objects that were shrouded by the darkness are clearly seen; even so when ignorance is dispelled, truth is realized.