NON-RELATIVE BEING

The world of objects is relative. An object exists in relation to something else. Its very existence is relative, differentiated, transitory, conditional, and in juxtaposition to other entities. It is neither absolute nor undifferentiated. A relative being, or a living being, exists due to the presence of other factors such as air, water, food, and so on. In this case, there is a persistent gap in coordination, orientation, thinking, knowledge, goal, performance, action, and fulfilment. This persistent gap is one of the basic characteristics of a relative being. Its identification is tied to something else, which could be ancestral, anecdotal, social, cultural, political, economic, or any number of other particularities. The leverage of space and time is there for its identification, existence, structuring, functioning, orientation, and several other ways. But the Absolute does not have to be defined, identified, or characterised; He is complete in every respect. His existence and completeness are in no manner related to other particularities. It's because the Supreme Self is a Non-Relative Being: Infinite, Absolute, Transcendent, Immanent, Undiferentiated, Unconditional, beyond space-time causality, duality, objectivity, and all conceptions of relativeness.

The Srimad Bhagavad Gita is quite emphatic on this aspect. It says that amongst thousands of persons, hardly one strives for perfection; and amongst those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth. Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita also says that the processes of creation and destruction do not seem to change the original will of Brahmān (Supreme Being) because He is both transcendent and immanent at the same time.

1. Outline

Nothing can transcend the Ultimate Reality or the Ultimate Existence. Everything is in a state of flux and transition. When everything passes away, something shall remain, and that something is the knowledge of Brahmān, or 'Brahmavidya,' the eternal knowledge of the Supreme Self, the Absolute, the Ultimate Reality, and the Ultimate Existence. He is His own existence, completeness, and fulfilment. He is the infinitude of the infinite. Others exist in relation to Him only, not the other way around. He is the basis of the formless Brahmān, the immortal and imperishable, of eternal dharma, and of unending divine bliss.

Absolute means all other truths are relative to Him or depend on Him. He is the source or cause of all sources or causes. Supreme Self is the ultimate cause, says Swami Sivananda. That is God. That is the supreme Brahman, or the Absolute. God is self-existent Being. He is infinitely powerful, wise, and good. He is Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss). Truth is His very existence. He shines by Himself, thus having His own luminosity. He is by Himself all Supreme Bliss that is degreeless. It is infinite or illimitable, as there is nothing superior to it. It exists in all states: waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.

He is “Om Tat Sat,” the symbolic representations of the Supreme Absolute Truth, from the beginning of creation. From these words came the priests, scriptures, and sacrifice.

He is satyam param, the highest Truth or Reality. According to Swami Krishnananda, the reality that cannot be further transcended is called the Absolute. He is so called because He is not related to anything else; He is a non-relative Being. The knowledge of Brahmān is called Brahmavidya, so declares the Srimad Bhagavad Gita in the colophon:

Om Tat Sat iti śrīmadbhagavadgītāsu upaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyāṁ yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṁvāde

Thus, in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad-Gita, the science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the... (first, or second, and so on) discourse entitled...At one go It is Brahma Vidyā, Yoga Sāstra, Upanishads, and the essence of all scriptures.

2. Scriptures

The scriptures are eloquent in their eulogies of the unparalleled, unalterable, and second-to-none qualities of the Absolute.

The Ishopanishad declares, O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee. When the truth is known, the universe is realised as Ātman, the Spirit that dwells in all hearts, says Isha Upanishad. The diversity of names and forms, changes, actions, and the rest are superimposed upon Ātman through ignorance. These are extraneous to It and unreal. Day and night the seeker after Truth meditates thus: Brahmān, or Supreme Being, alone dwells in all beings as Ātman; this universe, though ultimately unreal, appears to be real because Brahmān (Supreme Being) alone is its ground; since Brahmān is my inmost Self, the universe has its root in the Self; it cannot exist independent of Ātman. The Vishnu Purana (1.22.52) states that

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner

jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā

parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis

tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

Everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is the energy of the Supreme Lord. As fire emanating from one place diffuses its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere. Indeed, the whole cosmic creation is composed of different manifestations of His energy. The energy of the Supreme Lord is transcendental and spiritual, and the living entities are part and parcel of that energy.

Svetasvatara Upanishad, highlights that the Absolute is the Ultimate Truth. All creation has him as its creator, maintainer, and last resort. The universe seeks refuge in him. He is Sanātan Dharma's (eternal righteousness and order) eternal defender. He is the Supreme Divine Personality, eternal. Brahmān (Supreme Being) is the universal substance of the cosmos. Everything that is and will be is infused with him. This universe was created by Brahmān with His own maya and daivatma sakti.

 He is the essence of consciousness, pervading the entire universe, controlling time, destroying all material entities, bestowing three gunas via His māyā (illusory) power, being all-knowing, and appearing as the five elements (in the sense that they are superimposed upon Him), giving the impression that the cosmos is under His control.

 The Srimad Bhagavad Gita pronounces the supremeness of the Supreme Being.

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñchid asti dhanañjaya

mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

Nothing is greater than Me, and everything hangs on Me like beads on a string. He is the foundation upon which the entirety of this creation rests.

In the same vein, Sri Krishna states that I, in my unmanifest form, pervade this entire cosmic manifestation. I do not dwell in them; all living things dwell in me. Although I am the creator and sustainer of all life, I am neither affected by it nor by its material essence.

There is a beautiful eulogy by Arjuna of the Absolute in the Srimad Bhagavad Gita:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣhaṁ śhāśhvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

āhus tvām ṛiṣhayaḥ sarve devarṣhir nāradas tathā

asito devalo vyāsaḥ svayaṁ chaiva bravīṣhi me

You are the Eternal God, the Primordial Being, the Unborn, the Greatest, the Supreme Divine Personality, the Supreme Abode, and the Supreme Purifier. This has been declared by great sages such as Narad, Asit, Deval, and Vyas, and now You are proclaiming it to me directly.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna goes on to say that I acknowledge You as the highest untouchable entity, the Absolute Truth revealed in the scriptures. You are the eternal Supreme Divine Personality, the everlasting supporter of all creation, and the everlasting guardian of Sanātan Dharma (the Eternal Righteous and Order).

You are the primeval God and the original Divine Personality; You are the sole resting place of this universe. You are both the knower and the object of knowledge. Furthermore, you are the Supreme Abode. O possessor of infinite forms, You alone pervade the entire universe.

The Srimad Bhagavatam (1.1.1) also emphatically declares that Sri Krishna is the Absolute Truth and the primaeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance, and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He alone who first imparted the Vedic knowledge to the heart of Brahmā (creator of the world), the original living being. By Him, even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Sri Krishna, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.

3. Remarks

Swami Sivananda presents the essential ideas of Non-Relative Being in a most elegant way. His salient features are: There is just one nameless, formless essence behind all names and forms. The Supreme Governor of Governors is in charge of all governors. The one light of lights is behind all lights. The Supreme Silence, which is soundless, exists behind all sounds. The one Supreme Guru of Gurus is the one behind all teachings. The one imperishable Absolute is concealed underneath all of these transient things. The immobile infinite is hidden underneath all of these motions. Eternity lies behind minutes and days. It is the one hidden love that lies underneath riots, wars, and hatred. God is the entirety of all things, sentient and insentient, alive and inanimate. He is not afflicted with illness or bounds.

The aim or purpose of all yoga sadhanas is God. All things aspire towards him as their centre. He represents the ultimate goal, or welfare, of the universe. You're itching to eat. Food is available to satisfy hunger. You're feeling quite thirsty. Water is available to relieve thirst. The desire to feel joyful all the time exists. Something has to exist to sate this craving. God is this thing; he is bliss personified. Terms like God, immortality, freedom, perfection, pleasure, and love are interchangeable.

-Asutosh Satpathy