Moment to Speak

Fate is preordained, fixed, and set by Supreme Being without any deviation whatsoever. Fate is preordained, immutable, and merely the consequence of our past actions without any variation, asserts Yoga-Vasistha (2.6.1). It is feasible to detach from it and liberate oneself from its constraints by engaging in virtuous companionship and the study of sacred scriptures. Simply put, destiny is the result of an already exercised freedom of choice, also known as free will (William Kingsland, Rational Mysticism, London, G. Allen & Unwin, 1924, p.353).Time along with space is a projection of Cosmic Self, states sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda . He goes on to say that the Absolute Existence, or the Cosmic Self, appears to be engaged—in an act of externalising itself—and space and time are only names for the force of externalisation. Time is an active potency in the past, present, and future as part of cyclic processes of creation, growth, decay, dissolution, and reincarnation as part ...

Time is pervasive, invisible, indescribable, and incomprehensible to a being who is a very participant in the structure of this phenomenal world. That put a limitation on his intellectuality, as that is involved in the structure of the externality of his being. To understand at a miniscule level, one needs to transcend from particularity to universality by expanding his consciousness to the level of universal. It can be initiated by contemplation from outward to inward based on meditation or yoga. Time, according to Ramana Maharshi , is only an idea. There is only the Reality Whatever you think it is, it looks like that. If you call it time, it is time. If you call it existence, it is existence, and so on. After calling it time, you divide it into days and nights, months, years, hours, minutes, etc. Time is immaterial for the Path of Knowledge (Talks With Ramana Maharshi: On Realising Abiding Peace and Happiness, Ramana Maharshi, Munagala Venkataramiah). Sage philosopher Swami Krishn...

Every being in the phenomenal world cannot remain idle even for a moment without doing some activity, whether physical or mental, manifest or unmanifest. Self-action, or self-effort, is basic to a being's trajectory of existence momentum. Is there any destiny in the trajectory of existence? The Yoga-Vasistha categorically invalidates the concept and belief in destiny. It claims that destiny has no form, act, motion, or might, but is merely a myth perpetuated by stupid people. It is a word that has gained popularity from the concept of future retribution for one's previous actions, or retributive justice, and the like, which is known as "destiny." If the idea of destiny differs from that of an agent, it must signify something else; if it is the same as the agent, why give it a new name like destiny? If it is proven to be an imagined phrase, it is preferable to consider one's exertion as the agent of one's actions. As a past misdeed is remedied by a good acti...

Existence is one only that is the basic premise, or conception, that we know, that we do not know, or that we are not capable of knowing. It's because our existences are embodied, finite, and conditioned by time, space, and causation. Whereas Existence is Plenum, Absolute, Infinite, Eternal, Imperishable, Immutable, and Immanent, as well as Transcendent, Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss), Complete, Full, Nirakara (formless), Nirguna (qualityless), and Nirvisesa (attributeless), and unconditioned by time, space, and causation. We can at best strive to realise, but that realisation cannot be expressed as expression involves identification through medium of parts. We as part cannot express the Whole, or created cannot describe the creator. The fact is that we are in forms that are subject to limited adjuncts of birth, growth, decay, death, dissolution, reincarnation, and so on. If that is so, forms are facts in a state of flux, objectification, and finitude of the ...

Brahma Satyam jagan-mithya , an assertion by Adi Shankaracharya to the declaration of "There are no others" by Sage Ramana Maharshi profoundly enunciates the non-duality of existence, reality, and truth. There are no second but only one. The subject and objects are one only. The entire cosmos is a projection or manifestation of Brahmān , the Absolute Existence or the Cosmic Self. Paramaguru Gaudapadacharya, Adi Shankaracharya, Sage Ramana Maharshi, Swami Vivekananda, and Swami Sivananda, among others, are the leading lights of non-duality. They advocate that Brahman is Real and the rest are illusions. The doctrine of Ajativada (no change), propounded by Gaudapadacharya (Parama Guru according to Adi Shankaracharya) in his Karika (commentary) states that this world does not exist in the past, present, or future. Brahmān ( Cosmic Self, or Absolute Existence) is not subject to being and becoming, nor to birth, change, and decay. This world is a mere collection of Samskaras cr...

The person is a consciousness centre labelled by imperfections such as limitation, birth, growth, change, decay, and death. Sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda lucidly states that thought is the objectified form of awareness. The higher the objectification, the denser the ignorance, and the more aggravating the suffering. Truth does not shine as brightly as it might because of the inner instruments, the obstructing psychological changes. Crossing the barrier of these restricting adjuncts appears to lead to a larger reality, better freedom, and a more fulfilling life. Every being has a shared desire-impulse to exist indefinitely, to know everything, to dominate everything, and to experience the greatest bliss. Despite individualised appetites that may attempt to hinder it, sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda underlines that every form of cogitation flows, propelled by an undetectable power that progresses towards the recognition of the indivisibility of existence and the discovery o...

The manifestation of the universe is a projection of Brahmān , or Cosmic Self, the Absolute Existence. Creation is nothing but the projection of the externality of something as part of the cosmic will of Cosmic Being, the Subject. Something is a thing, or an object, i.e., the creation of the universe, is not the manufacture of a new thing but a manifestation from a state of unmanifestation. It manifests out of Brahmān , the Cosmic Self and the all inclusiveness of subjects and objects as Absolute Existence. The word ' Brahmān ,' according to sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda , is derived from the Sanskrit root ' brhm ', which means to expand, be comprehensive, include, or be flawlessly. He refers to it as bhuma , the All-inclusive Absolute, or Plenum, which includes everything. He goes on to say that it is inappropriate to call Brahmān creates the universe because Brahmān is eternity, complete, indefinable, infinite, perfect existence par excellence. It has no nec...