Expert: Aupmanyav - 9/3/2009

Question
my physcis teacher told me that everything in the universe is juts energy and matter arises from energy clumped together, is this energy the maya(illusion) brahman- the one that we perchieve or the parabrahman i.e the absolute reality?

Answer
Dear Vinay,

Your physics teacher may not be very wrong. I also hold the same views. I do not know what are your age and qualifications and whether you are familiar with relativity and quantum mechanic scenerios.

I think universe and all things in it are nothing else but energy, and therefore, 'Brahman'. Matter is not a clumping of energy, but how we perceive its natural varying fluctuations, you can say 'leela' (play). The overall effect of these is 'maya' (illusions). We ourselves are one of the illusions.

This is the absolute reality, what Adi Sankara described as 'Parmarthika' (param + artha) reality. What we see in Maya is 'Vyavaharika' (Vyavahar - practice) reality.

Our scriptures describe it quite clearly again and again:

-'Sarve khalu idam Brahma': All things here are Brahman
-'Eko sad, dwiteeyo nasti': What exists is one, there is no second
-'Brahma veda, Brahmaiva bhavati': One who understands Brahman, becomes Brahman (Finds that he/she is none other than the sole constituent of the universe, i.e., Brahman or energy).
-'Brahma satyam, jagan-mithya; Jeevo Brahmaiva na parah' (Adi Sankara): Brahman is truth, the observed is illusion; living beling is no other than Brahman.
-'Tat twam asi': That is what you are.
-'Aham Brahmasmi': I am Brahman.
-'So aham': I too am that.

If there is nothing else in the universe except one thing, then where is the question of there being a God? That is the Vedic basis of my atheism.

So, what are Gods? These are our mythologies. Our society has created these stories for the guidance of our people, to tell them what is right and what is wrong. Yudhishthira's 'Ashvatthama Hatah' was a lie, Lord Rama's killing of Bali was unfair. The rights and wrongs of our mythological characters are the beacons for our conduct in life. If some people take them as Gods directing human destiny, then it is their ignorance, and we should excuse them for it.

With best regards,

Yours sincerely,

Aupmanyav