EVERYTHING IS EVERYWHERE

""Everything is everywhere" describes a state or a condition of universal omnipresence, or the universality of being, elaborated and explained by sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda (The Universality of Being, Swami Krishnananda, Divine Life Society, Rishikesh). This underlying reality is often described as Pure Consciousness, or the Absolute Existence. This reality at the fundamental level is asserted by Swami Krishnananda: existence is a single, non-dual, complete whole, where space, time, individual objects, names, and forms are merely projections of only One non-dual, universal consciousness. In this underlying reality every point in space and time contains the potentiality and essence of the entire cosmos. It is an absolute truth, or cosmic law and order, regarding everything being everywhere, or the universality of being. It speaks of universal toleration, as nothing exists in isolation. Srimad Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 14) speaks of Prakriti (insentient) and Purusha (sentient) to describe the connectedness of this cosmic order based on Sattvika (purity and balance), Rajasika (passion and activity), and Tamasika (inertia and darkness). Purusha is sentient, and matter by itself is inert and insentient; it only comes to life and moves when animated by the conscious presence of the Purusha. It signifies that isolation is an illusion and all things in the cosmos are ubiquitously connected. It focuses on the existential condition, where the macrocosm exists entirely within the microcosm and vice versa.

1. Outline

The metaphysical nature of reality is a projection of consciousness, where the physical world is created by mental desire and ignorance, using the analogy of a snake and a rope, as described in Yoga-Vasistha (3.17.10-14). Yoga-Vasistha teaches that the mind acts as a magician that shapes space, time, and experience, creating a "waking" world that is effectively a dream-like state. Sage Vasistha in Yoga-Vasistha explains that the individual mind is simply a wave upon the vast, singular ocean of consciousness, which holds the key to transcending the illusion of name, forms, space, and time. Yoga-Vasistha uses this narrative to show that birth, death, distance, and historical eras are nothing more than waves shifting on the surface of an infinite, changeless ocean of Pure Consciousness (Brahman). When Queen Lila wakes up to this truth, her grief vanishes because she realises nothing was ever truly lost, separated by distance, or destroyed by time. Yoga-Vasistha (3.17.10) outlines perception-based existence in three nested spaces:

a. The Firmament / Region of the Sensible Worlds (Bhutakasha) is the gross physical space or physical universe perceived by the physical senses. It contains material elements, objects, planets, and stars. It is the objective world of concrete objects where regular physical laws apply.

b. The Region of the Mind (Chittakasha) is the subtle mental space. It is the subtle inner space of the mind and intellect. The realm where thoughts, emotions, desires, memories, and dreams arise and pass. It is the "seat of volition and creation"; this space holds thoughts, memories, desires, and dreams. It contains the one other, Bhutakasha. According to the Yoga-Vasistha, the physical universe is merely a projection of this mental plane—creation is a byproduct of mental perception (Drishti-Srishti Vada). Every individual experiences their own Chittakasha (mental space).

c. The Region of Intellect / Consciousness (Chidakasha) is the infinite space of Pure Consciousness, or Atman, or Self. The Ultimate Reality is underlying and contains the other two spaces. This supreme space includes the two others, Bhutakasha and Chittakasha. It is the non-dual baseline reality (Brahman) upon which both mental thoughts and physical universes manifest. It is not limited by any limited adjuncts of name, form, time, and space.

Bhutakasha exists inside the Chittakasha, and both planes exist entirely within Chidakasha, or Pure Consciousness. By mastering these planes, a liberated soul realises that the physical universe is an empty, dream-like illusion happening entirely within the vastness of Atman, or Self. The three levels of reality and perception (Akasha) in Advaita Vedanta philosophy correspond to the famous story of Queen Lila and King Padma from the Utpatti Khanda (chapter on creation) of Yoga-Vasistha. Sage Vasistha, in his discourses with Sri Rama, narrates that King Padma's spirit is "roving in the sky", beyond a singular physical body, to witness how reality is constructed. Yoga-Vasistha (Book 3, Utpatti Khanda, Chapter XVI: Joy and Grief of the Princess) marks a pivotal transition of perception-based existence into three nested spaces of Bhutakasha, Chittakasha, and Chidakasha in the famous story of Queen Lila and King Padma. It sets up a discerning philosophical contrast between the illusions of earthly pleasure (joy) and the inevitable reality of mortality (grief) to demonstrate how the human mind hooks itself to fleeting objects. Yoga-Vasistha describes the intense, unfeigned romantic love and worldly pleasures shared between King Padma and Queen Lila. This deep immersion in phenomenal enjoyment represents transient Samsara, or the wheel of birth and death, at its most alluring. It highlights how completely the human mind can become bound to ephemeral, material happiness, mistaking a temporary sensory experience for absolute reality. Queen Lila’s actions represent the human ego's desperate attempt to control destiny and freeze time. Ironically, by wishing to confine King Padma's soul to her palace, she sets up the upcoming revelation that all worlds exist entirely within the mind. It recognises the transitory nature of the Samsara chakra, or the wheel of birth and death, by addressing the swift transition from the romantic state to the dry rot of death, which demonstrates that the worldly state of opposites is inherently ephemeral and always shadowed by transition. It portrays the description of the king's failing health to show that life is not just physical; it is driven by the subtle mind and vital energies (lingadeha). When these energies shift focus, the phenomenality collapses. Devastated by the inevitable, Queen Lila pensively meditates on the goddess Saraswati, who grants her the boon to teach her that the "death" of the king and the reality of his kingdom are nothing more than a space-time construct generated by the mind. Space and time are entirely subjective. The mind creates its own framework of time. The waking world feels permanent only because all are dreaming it collectively in a particular time with a steady focus. Yoga-Vasistha, through the narration of a story on Queen Lila and King Padma, reinforces the concept of the three levels of existence that Queen Lila navigates: Bhutakasha (Physical Space), Chittakasha (Mental Space), and Chidakasha (Intellectual/Divine Space). It teaches that liberation is waking up from Bhutakasha and Chittakasha into Chidakasha.

Whereas death is a shift in perception, not an end. Yoga-Vasistha explains that King Padma did not travel to a faraway geographical heaven or hell. He "died" in his palace, and in that very same room, his mind projected a massive new kingdom with mountains, oceans, and armies. The text, through the story of Queen Lila and King Padma, highlights that worlds exist within worlds, layered on top of each other in the exact same physical space. Death is merely a change of channel in consciousness. The next world begins exactly where the last one ends, built entirely out of one's Vasanas, or latent impressions. The mind alone is bound and liberated depending on the level of Atma-jnana, or Self-knowledge, and Atma-sakshatkar, or Self-realisation. Through the grace of the Goddess Saraswati, Lila realises that she is not a physical body bound to a single lifetime. Memory and desire create the illusion of bondage. Because Queen Lila's mind was attached to King Padma, she projected herself into his dream world. Once the mind understands that all these realms are empty projections of Atman, or Self, fear of death and grief completely vanishes. Yoga-Vasistha, in this chapter, compares the universe to a mirage in a desert or a castle in the sky. Just as a person who knows a mirage is only water doesn't run to drink it, a liberated soul (Jivanmukta) interacts with the world but never forgets that it is fundamentally an illusion. Yoga-Vasistha describes how, just as a massive banyan tree is completely present as latent potential within a tiny seed, the entire cosmos exists within a single atom of Pure Consciousness. Within every atom (Anu), there are infinite universes, and within each of those universes, there are more atoms containing further infinite universes.

2. Scriptures 

Scriptures pronounce that everything in the universe, from the microcosm to the macrocosm, is connected, and nothing can exist independently, as existence is One only. The cosmic mind prescripted the outlines of all that existed, that exists, and that will exist. Srimad Bhagavad Gita (11.33):

tasmāt tvam uttiṣhṭha yaśho labhasva

jitvā śhatrūn bhuṅkṣhva rājyaṁ samṛiddham

mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva

nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sāchin.

(BG 11.33)

Therefore, arise and attain honour! Conquer your foes and enjoy prosperous rulership. These warriors stand already slain by Me, and you will only be an instrument of My work. Sri Krishna in Bhagavad Gita addresses Arjuna, saying that you become an instrument of action as the consciousness is already withdrawn from the opponents. This verse signifies that the bodies standing against Arjuna lost their sentience and are mere insentient ones. This verse reveals that the cosmic architecture executes itself; the individual is merely the physical point of contact where destiny manifests in the material world. In cosmic intelligence, structural shifts happen before they crystallise in the phenomenal world. The Kauravas lost their spiritual right to exist the moment they chose systematic unrighteousness; spiritually, they became hollow shells. The burden of action comes entirely from the false sense of Ahamkara, or psychophysical ego, i.e., the belief of "I am doing this". When Arjuna realises that the Ultimate Reality has already determined the outcome, his personal anxiety about killing his kinsmen vanishes. He is no longer the author of the action but its executor. It signifies that everything in the phenomenal world is born out of the Cosmic Mind, as names and forms are modifications of perception only. The underlying reality, Atman, is eternal, imperishable, and unattached. Bhagavad Gita (7.7) elaborates in detail through this verse:

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya

mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva. (BG 7.7)

Sri Krishna explicitly tells Arjuna that He is the Param Karana (the ultimate cause). Creation does not exist independently of Him; it is projected, maintained, and enlivened by His presence. The Supreme Self is the cosmic thread of the universe without that hidden thread holding every atom, planet, and living thing together. The entire creation, without that cosmic thread, would be in disarray and would cease to exist. Sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda, in his essays (The Universality of Being - Chapter 1: The True Nature of Life), explains an incisive phrase of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: "Those whom you take care of, they will take care of you." That phrasal line highlights the deep, living link between an individual and the entire universe. Everything in the universe is linked; nothing exists all alone by itself.

The Upanishad teaches that nothing in the cosmos is separate or isolated. He expresses that even the smallest particle or an ant is a vital part of the same universal setup. The line between "you" and "others" is an illusion; taking care of others is taking care of Atman, or Self. Your physical and mental form is made of the very same basic energy and atomic core that forms nature, animals, and society around you.

3. Remarks 

In Yoga-Vasistha (Book 3: Utpatti Khanda, Chapter IX), the core meaning centres on identifying pure, unconditioned consciousness as the Supreme Cause of All (Parama Karana) while explaining how recognising this truth leads to Jivanmukti (liberation while living) and Videhamukti (disembodied liberation). Sage Vasishta explains to Sri Rama that the Ultimate Cause of the universe is not a material building block but Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, which acts as an infinite, empty substratum for all subjective perception. Yoga-Vasistha (Book 3, Utpatti Khanda) introduces nested virtual realities, a multiverse, or space-time folding. Goddess Saraswati reveals a radical breakdown of spatial dimensions to Queen Lila. Space-time is relative and is not independent, as one's existence is related to the others and vice versa. Shifts in the story illustrate the Advaita Vedanta doctrine of Dristi-Sristi Vada—the philosophy that "creation is a projection of perception". The mind can create virtual realities, such as waking (long-dreaming) and dreaming (short-dreaming) worlds. The nested worlds exist within a realm of infinite dimensions. Sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda, in his commentary on Yoga-Vasistha (The Universality of Being—the Story of Liberation), says, 'In the relative cosmos, you cannot say "mine". There is no "mine", and you and everyone else are disconnected. This interconnection is a false operation of a dancing process of space and time, and you are confused because you are attached to a particular relationship between space and time.” King Viduratha's (the incarnation of King Padma) massive kingdom was structurally contained entirely inside the localised space of Queen Lila’s palace bedroom. Furthermore, Lila's entire universe (including her palace and dead husband) was simultaneously contained inside the tiny, thatched hut of a poor, deceased Brahmin; his name was Sage Vasistha, who had dreamed them into existence days prior. Yoga-Vasistha reverses the situation by explaining space is a projection inside the mind. Because space is psychological, it has no fixed volume or physical boundaries. Infinite, massive worlds can be nested within an atom or a single point of awareness. An infinite universe can easily reside within an atom or a single room because space is a psychological distance projected by the mind to separate objects. The structural timelines are flexible because each universe is a distinct mental projection; each operates on its clock. Time dilation occurs because time is tied to the intensity of experience, not an absolute cosmic clock. A soul can experience a lifespan of 70 years of war, family, and ageing in a parallel realm, while a bystander in our world observes only a few moments passing on a wristwatch. The text uses this mind-bending concept to show that what we call "solid reality" is actually a waking dream. The universe one experiences is simply what one's mind is currently tuned into. By changing one's state of consciousness—as Goddess Saraswati teaches Queen Lila to do—one can transcend one's current space-time coordinates entirely. Swami Krishnananda highlights everything is interrelated in such a way that nothing can exist independently. Everything exists by the operation of all the things that are taking place in the universe, so that every individual, so-called, is a universal unit.” “I am telling you all this so that you can understand that nothing whatsoever is existing independently. Neither you, nor your spouses, nor the world exists. Nothing is there. You cannot say what is there. Anything can be anywhere, at any time, and in any form. Yesterday, today, tomorrow—there is no meaning in these things. Space-time has presented you with a great chaos of perception. You can't know you're part of the mysterious, shocking operation of space-time. If you are involved in the world of space and time, you cannot make any reference to the world of space and time, because that reference will apply to you as well. No one can say, 'I am here' or 'That is there' because this 'I' is vitally connected to the existence of 'that', and 'that' is vitally connected to the existence of 'this'. Self-realisation is a great possibility. 

-Asutosh Satpathy