The One

The One:  Brahman

Outside the prison of Space, Time, Objects; beyond the confines of Names, Forms and Functions; and alien to any semblance of duality, there is just One.

One - that is Existence. Consciousness. One that is Infinite. Satyam. Gyanam. Anantam.

Without attribute. Immutable. Eternal. The One Reality is known by the name Brahman.  Brahma Satya. Brahman is the ultimate reality.

Maya

A power that Brahman possesses causes modulations to appear when there are actually none. Like Mirages. This power is referred to as Maya. Maya is not a different entity with an independent existence. Maya is itself an appearance in One Consciousness or Brahman and can be likened to a mirror in which Brahman regards itself within itself.

When Brahman regards itself in the mirror of Maya an infinite number of such modulations (or mirages) appear. Each modulation can be thought of as a localized appearance of the Infinite One as a Finite Temporary phenomenon. This is the process through which the Infinite Eternal All Encompassing One appears as infinite number of temporary appearances. One appears as Many.

This Infinite (Many) appeared in and from That Infinite (One).  

Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam

Puurnnaat-Purnnam-Udacyate 

The Jagat

The sum-total of the entirety of these Many modulations (appearances, mirages) is known as Jagat. From Universes to Kirtans. From imaginations to Time or Numbers. From Amoeba to GPT. From Humans to the high Devatas, everything are instances of such modulations that form part of Jagat.  All essentially appearances in Brahman activated by Maya.  Jagat is therefore called an empirical reality but not the ultimate one.  Jagat Mithiya.

Jiva

Two known categories of these modulations are Insentient objects like AI that can’t reflect consciousness and sentient objects like kittens that can. Jada and Chetan.  For Chetan, the word that is used often is Jiva.

"Jiva" refers to the individual self or the individual soul. It is the limited and conditioned aspect of consciousness that identifies with the body, mind, and ego. The Jiva is seen as the individualized expression of Brahman. The Jiva is associated with a sense of individuality, personal desires, and the egoic identity.  Jiva is You and I.   What we identify with is are the trappings of Maya - Body, Mind, Relationships, Possessions, all of which are just mirages, appearance.  

The fundamental reality of Jiva, the core, when all trappings are shed, is consciousness alone.  What we fundamentally are, is nothing but Brahman.   

Jivo Brahmaiva Naparah   

The soul, Swami Vivekananda has once said, is a circle whose circumference is nowhere, but whose centre is in some body. The so-called death is only a shift in this centre to another body. God, similarly, is a circle whose circumference is nowhere, but whose centre is in every body.

The reason for Jiva’s existence is know the answer to the question - Who Am I?

The Answer:  That Thou Art.  Tat Tvam Asi.

The path to realize the answer is called Sadhana.  For Sadhana to reach its outcome, there are many requirements and condiitons but nothing is more important than Grace.

Lord Sri Krishna

Grace can only be given by a special appearance of Brahman called Ishwara.  Ishwara can be thought of as the reflection of Brahman in the entirety of Maya. This reflection is all-powerful, all knowing, benevolent. Ishwara is also known as Lord Sri Krishna and many other names. He/She/They are beyond Maya and are self-same as Brahman. Ishwara is Saguna Brahman.  Brahman appearing with all auspicious attributes. 

It is His grace, His mercy alone that allows a Jiva to Transend the shackles of Maya and know the reality. Bhakti makes a Jiva ready to receive that Grace, which Ishwara is always transmitting.  It makes one worthy of reaching enlightenment. 

So, finally, the main thing to strive for is Bhakti.  Achieve that and all else will follow.    

Sri Krishna Saranam Mamah.

“हरेर्नाम हरेर्नाम हरेर्नामैव केवलम् । कलौ नास्त्येव नास्त्येव नास्त्येव गतिरन्यथा॥”

Further Study:

Dear reader, it is natural for many questions to come when we contemplate of this subject matter - such as why does Maya appear? What impels the One to appear as many?  Why should we care even if it does?

Swami Sarvapriyananda ji masterfully addresses these questions in the clip below.  Please do watch.

Finally, I had to add these few line from Srimad Bhagavad Purana that demonstrates one practical implications of this knowledge of Brahman. 

There are other deeper implications, we will cover them together very soon.