QUESTION OF UNITY AND DUALITY

In the Yoga-Vasistha, the concepts of unity and duality are central to understanding Reality and the path to Moksha, or liberation. The text Yoga-Vasistha is attributed to Maharshi Valmiki, the author of Ramayana. Maharshi Valmiki, in the Yoga-Vasistha texts, presents conversations between Maharshi Vasistha and Bhagwan Sri Rama, discussing how the unchanging and limitless nature of Consciousness, known as Brahman or Cosmic Self, shows up as the separate world we experience. The Yoga-Vasistha asserts that this duality is ultimately an illusion, a mental construction, or projection of the mind, and that true understanding lies in realising the underlying unity. It postulates that our perception of a separate, dualistic world is a mental conditioning resulting from Avidya, or ignorance. This phrenic mode leads us to falsely perceive a separation between ourselves and the world, creating a sense of duality in our experience. It contends that Ultimate Reality is one, indivisible, imperishable, an infinity of infinitude, and unchanging consciousness, often described as Brahman, or Cosmic Self. This unity is the essence of all existence, and all apparent differences and dualities arise from it due to mental conditioning. The mind is considered the primary instrument through which this illusion of duality is created, recreated, amplified, and sustained. By purifying and controlling the mind, one can begin to see through the veils of illusion and recognise the truth of unity. Resolution of duality is Self-realisation through Self-enquiry, detachment, desirelessness, discrimination, equanimity, forbearance, and meditative practices. Self-realisation transcends the illusion of duality and reveals the underlying essence of unity. This realisation is often expounded as enlightenment, where Jivatma, or the individual self, mingles with Paramatman, or  Universal Self. The Yoga-Vasistha explains that Moksha, or liberation, is the present realisation of one's Self as the underlying essence of Universal Consciousness.

1. Outline 

This existence that shows itself as the world to sight, affirms the Yoga-Vasistha (CXCI 7.191.2), and appears as a delusion or deception of vision in view, though it cannot properly be called an illusion if it is composed of divine essence. The world shines in this manner in the light of the Divine Intellect, says the Yoga-Vasistha (CXCI 7.191.5-7), and knows this light to proceed from the Divine spirit, which is thus diffused all over the universe. As the light of the lamp or chandelier enlightens the house with its lustre, it was thus the holy light of the Divine spirit that shone itself, without presenting its outward appearance or having anyone to look upon it before creation. Thus, the Yoga-Vasistha contends, it is an immaterial and imperishable entity, without any appearance of or looker-on to it; it shines with the light of the divine intellect, upon the basis or stand of the Divine spirit. It shines only in the light of the intellect and appears as the created world before its creation, proclaims the Yoga-Vasistha (CXCI 7.191.9-14), all its visible and shining sheen being derived from Supreme Being. The one Supreme Intellect alone assumes the triple forms of the sight, seer, and seeing that may be stated as the subjective, objective, and the attribute in the beginning of creation and shows itself as the created world of its own nature and accord. We perceive a resemblance to such appearances in our dreams and the creations of our imagination; similarly, this creation shines before us with the light of intellect. It has become habitual to our nature to suppose the existence of the world, but the false impression of its visibility is lost in the consciousness of high-minded men. To them this creation presents no visible forms, nor any sensible appearance at all, and is a representation of fallacy only. The Yoga-Vasistha (CXCI 7.191.18-20) clearly states that the visible world is not just a dream but a direct expression of Brahma, or the Supreme Being; before the world was created, there was only the divine intellect, similar to an endless emptiness. The divine intellect, which beholds this universe as its body without being distributed or changed in the form of the world, is purely of a spiritual or vacuous form that manifested itself in this visible form before it came into existence. This world is like a vacuous body appearing in the vacuity of the intellect; the creation has neither its beginning nor end; it is a development of the intellect, which is distributed through it.

2. Scriptures 

Truth is One, Reality is One and Existence is One, so hold the Vedantic scriptures. Adi Shankaracharya's famous assertion:

 Brahma satyaṃ jaganmithyā jīvo brahmaiva nāparaḥ.

anena vedyaṃ sacchāstramiti vedāntaḍiṇḍimaḥ (Brahma Jnānavali Māla – Verse 20)

 The underlying essence of his assertion is that Brahman, or Cosmic Self, is real, and the universe is mithya, or it cannot be categorised as either real or unreal. Atman, or Self, is Brahman itself and not different. This should be understood as the correct Sastra, or scriptures. This is proclaimed by Vedanta. It is not confined to a particular set of scriptures but across the Vedantic tradition of Advaita Vedanta.

In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Brahman is described as the impersonal, formless, and eternal aspect of Supreme Being. It is presented as the Ultimate, unchanging Reality, the source and essence of all existence. The Bhagavad Gita (8.3) emphasises that Brahman is One, eternal, infinite, imperishable, indivisible, absolute, complete, and the foundation of everything, visible or invisible. 

akṣharaṁ brahma paramaṁ svabhāvo ’dhyātmam uchyate

bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo visargaḥ karma-sanjñitaḥ  (BG 8.3)

The Supreme Indestructible Entity is called Brahman; one’s own self is called Adhyatma. Actions pertaining to the material personality of living beings and its development are called Karma, or fruitive activities. In the Bhagavad Gita (14.27), Sri Krishna reveals himself as Brahman, stating that He is the source of the imperishable Brahman. He is both the impersonal, absolute Brahman and the personal, manifest form of that Ultimate Reality, or Absolute Existence. I am the basis of the formless Brahman, the immortal and imperishable, of eternal Dharma, and of unending divine bliss.

brahmaṇo hi pratiṣhṭhāham amṛitasyāvyayasya cha

śhāśhvatasya cha dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya cha (BG 14.27)

When the omnipotent God, according to the Yoga-Vasistha (XXXIII, 6.33.3-14), remains as Eka Brahm, or one unity of immensity, it is then, of course, absurd to speak of his duality or plurality and of the manifestation of a part or minimum of himself. It means the whole cannot be a part. The lack of the number one results in the absence of both unity and causality, as there can be no duality without the singular, nor a single entity unless there is a number two above it. The cause and its effect are the same, like the fruit and its seed. The mind evolves its thoughts at will; its changes are as natural as the mutual production of seed and fruit. The same fruit produces the same seeds, and these again bring forth the same fruits, e.g.,. Herein enquiring into the real truth, we must refrain from logomachy and find that though all things tend to establish the unity, yet it is difficult even in thought to do away with the difference of things, as that of words and their senses. The essence of divine omnipotence is not divisible into portions or their fractions, like the waves of the sea that are broken into bubbles and particles of water. All time and place and variety of figures and forms, being but modifications of the intellect, it is improper for us to question the reality of those and assert the certainty of this intellect. The entities of time and space and the powers of action and destiny (divine ordinance) are all derived from and directed by the intellect and bear their intellectual natures also.

The Brihadaranyak Upanishad (3.8.8) states, 

sa hovāca, etadvai tadakśaraḥ, gārgi brāhmaṇā abhivadanti, asthūlamanaṇvahrasvamadīrghamalohitamasnehamacchāyamatamo’-vāyvanākāśamasaṅgamacakśuṣkamaśrotramavāgamano’-tejaskamaprāṇamamukhamamātramanantaramabāhyam, na tadaśnāti kiṃcana, na tadaśnāti kaścana 

Sage Yajnavalkya, during his conversation with Gargi, elucidates that the knowers of Brahman say, This Immutable Brahman is that. It is neither gross nor minute, neither short nor long, neither red in colour nor oily, neither shadow nor darkness, neither air nor ether, unattached, neither savoury nor odorous, without eyes or ears, without the vocal organ or mind, non-luminous, without the vital force or mouth, not a measure, and without interior or exterior. It does not eat anything, nor is it eaten by anybody. Learnt people speak of Brahman as akshar (indestructible). It is also designated as Param (Supreme) because it possesses qualities beyond those possessed by maya and the souls.

Similarly, the Svetasvatara Upanishad (3.9-19) highlights the transcendental nature of the ultimate reality, Brahman, or Cosmic Self. He is all-pervading and beyond comparison, stressing its immutability and unity. It states that this Purusha, or Supreme Self, is the source and essence of everything, and that true knowledge of this reality leads to immortality. The whole universe, according to the Svetasvatara Upanishad is filled by Purusha, to whom there is nothing superior, from whom there is nothing different, than whom there is nothing either smaller or greater; who stands alone, motionless as a tree, established in His own glory. It pronounces that Brahman's perception or movement is not limited by the physical senses like eyes, ears, hands, or feet. It describes Brahman's ability to move and grasp without physical limbs, hear without ears, and know all that is to be known, yet remaining unknowable by any other. Brahman is the ultimate reality, beyond the limitations of the material world and the human experience. Prakriti is perishable, but Brahman, is immortal and imperishable. The non-dual Supreme Self rules both Prakriti (material creation) and the individual soul. Through constant meditation on Him, by union with Him, by the knowledge of identity with Him, one attains, in the end, cessation of the illusion of phenomena. The Svetasvatara Upanishad (1.10) says, Prakriti, or the phenomenal world is perishable. Hara, the Lord, is immortal and imperishable. The non-dual Brahman, or Supreme Self rules both Prakriti and the individual soul. Through constant meditation on Him, by union with Him, by the knowledge of identity with Him, one attains, in the end, cessation of the illusion of phenomena.

3. Remarks 

The Yoga-Vasishtha, according to sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda, accepts that there is 'externally' something in the form of the creation of Brahma, though the way of experience of this objective world by the individuals is limited and conditioned by their own psychic structures and modifications. He further says that though the Yoga-Vasishtha, in its mental theory of the creation of the world, may appear to land one in the doctrine of extreme subjectivism, this predicament is avoided by a simultaneous pronouncement that the individual mind is essentially inseparable from the Cosmic Mind. The relativity of the cosmos is in the end capable of being traced to the working of the Cosmic Mind itself, Brahma dreaming the world, as it were. The universe is regarded as a cosmic dream distinguishable from the individual dreams only by way of the length of their durations. But even this difference in length is just a relative concept, as can be observed in the long years through which one can live in a dream, though the dream lasted for only a few minutes from the standard of the waking consciousness. As the dream world vanishes in waking, the waking world vanishes in the experience of the Absolute.

-Asutosh Satpathy