Knowledge dispels delusion. Just as once we clearly recognize a rope for what it is, all illusions vanish and the mind becomes firm—”This is nothing but rope”—so too, once the true nature of the Self is realized, all false notions (I am the body, I am happy or sorrowful, I am limited) shatter. Then the Self reveals itself in its singular, unbroken essence.
The world too is illusion. Like a dream, this world appears before us. While the dream lasts, it seems real; but upon waking, we understand it was unreal. It is like a mirage in the desert—we see it, the thirsty run toward it, yet nothing is there. A castle in the sky (flowers blooming in the air or fortresses suspended above)—this is pure fancy, nothing that occurs in reality. The wise in Vedanta say—this entire cosmos is likewise; in truth, nothing exists but the non-dual Self.
The ultimate truth is this—in reality there is neither creation nor dissolution. There is no one “bound,” no one “seeking liberation,” no one “practicing discipline,” nor even anyone “freed”—all this is merely illusion, maya. The Absolute Truth is simply this: only the non-dual Brahman exists; everything else is the play of maya. As rope is always rope, so too the Self is eternally Brahman; the various forms are mere imaginations of maya.
In a village, a man was walking along a road after dusk, in the gathering darkness. He saw something—a long object lying there. He started in fear, thinking—”A snake!” Another person said—”No, perhaps it is a shadow or a stream.” But when dawn came and the light revealed all, it turned out to be neither a snake nor a stream—it was simply an ordinary rope.
As in darkness we mistake the rope for a snake and become afraid, so too do we mistake the Self—we take it to be the body, the mind, a being who experiences pleasure and pain. Just as all confusion vanishes when light comes, so when the true nature of the Self is known, all illusions dissolve.
Suppose you dreamed at night—that you owned a grand mansion, possessed great wealth, were being attacked by enemies. Upon waking, all of it vanished. There was no mansion, no enemies—it was all mere imagination of the mind. This world too is the same—it seems as real as a dream, yet in truth only the Self is real.
I say it once more. In reality there is no creation, no dissolution. No one is truly “bound,” no one is truly “free.” “I am a seeker, I shall attain liberation”—these too are merely the play of maya. Only Brahman exists—non-dual, imperishable, eternal. Therefore Vedanta declares—”The Self is forever free. Only delusion makes it seem bound.”
Descriptions of creation using “earth-metal-sparks” and the like—these are merely methods of teaching. The scriptures tell us that pots, vessels, plates are all forms of earth; ornaments and bangles are all forms of gold; countless sparks are in truth fire itself. These examples are given to help us grasp the truth, so we understand: beneath the multiplicity of forms lies a single substance, a single essence. Why is it said there is “no real difference” here? Pots, urns, and plates look different, yet in substance they are one—they are earth. Rings, chains, and bracelets look different, yet in substance they are one—they are gold. Through this metaphor we are taught: however much names and forms may differ, in their essential nature all are one. Thus the scriptural “creation-narratives” are means, not ultimate truth. The same electricity operates a refrigerator, a fan, a bulb—in different forms; the machines are distinct, yet the current is one.
The “birthless being” appears differentiated only through maya. The eternal, immutable essence (the Self/Brahman) is itself unborn. Yet it seems “many”—this is the effect of maya (conditioning/superimposition), not real division. If division were real, then the immortal essence would have to be deemed mortal and mutable—a contradiction. When sunlight passes through colored glass, the light appears red or blue, though the sun itself has not changed color. When a transparent crystal sits beside a red flower, the crystal appears red; yet the crystal’s nature is unchanged. So too, though the Self is singular, it appears differentiated through the conditioning of maya.
“The unreal” does not come into being—does the son of a barren woman ever exist? Let us distinguish between two levels: the *impossible* and the *illusory*. The impossible (what is utterly unreal): such as “the son of a barren woman” or “a square circle”—these never come into being, neither in dream nor in reality. The illusory or maya-born: what appears to exist but lacks independent, ultimate reality—like a dream-city or a mirage. The example of a barren woman’s son conveys this: to speak of the “origin” of what is wholly impossible is meaningless. As for “the world,” Vedanta teaches that at the ultimate level it is “not-real” (illusory/maya); it exists only at the pragmatic level. In a video game, when a “character is born,” it seems true within the game; yet at the player’s level, nothing has actually been born.
This mind neither vanishes nor scatters—when this mind becomes still, it “becomes Brahman.” What does this mean? Mind does not vanish = the being does not sink into unconsciousness (the mind is not swoon or sleep). Mind does not scatter = there is no pulling of the senses toward objects, no crowd of imaginary images. Still and without reflection = tranquil, transparent in the one-pointed focus of non-dual knowledge.
Mind “becomes Brahman”—what does this mean? It is not a transformation—the mind is not “changing into” Brahman. Rather: when the mind becomes a clear mirror, the nature of Brahman is unobstructed in its reflection and radiance; the knowledge of the Self awakens. Let us understand through analogy. In a still lake, the moon is clear; but with waves, it is distorted. A clean cinema screen shows the image sharply. The point: the mind must become not unconscious, but motionless—so that the knowledge of one’s true nature awakens.
“No person is ever born”—at the highest truth, to say this of the birthless may sound stark, yet at the subtle pragmatic level, birth-death-cause-effect exist—such is the social and scientific order. At the ultimate level (from the non-dual perspective) there is no beginning or end—the Self is one, unborn; the rise and fall of name and form belong to the level of conditioning. Thus it is said: “No one is born”—that is, as an independent entity, no “person” ever comes into being at the ultimate level.
In a dream, thousands “are born” and “die”—upon waking, from the standpoint of your waking awareness, no one was ever truly born. The word “birth” requires distinct cause-effect-entities; but at the ultimate level, since there is only one consciousness, there is no room for “cause and effect.” This is not nihilism or void-philosophy; it is explaining levels: at the pragmatic level, responsibility, compassion, and ethics are wholly valid; in your true nature, you transcend birth and death.
The many in the one: clay—pots, gold—ornaments. Their forms differ; their essence is one. Division is born of maya: the sun does not change; the light changes in colored glass. At the ultimate level, in the unborn: from the perspective of waking, no one is born in a dream—just as from the perspective of the Self, there is no “birth.”
The metaphor of creation is only a ladder for teaching; it is not ultimately true. Division is superimposed by maya; the Self is eternally singular. The impossible has no birth (the barren woman’s son), while the world appears in maya. When the mind is still and conscious, the knowledge of the Self shines forth in it. At the ultimate level, in the unborn (meaning the birthless, that which was never produced)—in final truth there is no birth, no creation, no destruction—what is, eternally is—the one, non-dual Brahman; no one is born, nothing is born—save Brahman alone.
A potter shaped a house from clay—along with it, vessels, urns, plates, and toys. Each appears different, each serves a different purpose. But the essential material? All of it is clay. A goldsmith crafted rings, chains, bracelets. Each in its own form, yet the substance remains one—gold. Thus the scriptures offer us the examples of earth, metal, and sparks—so that witnessing multiplicity, mankind may understand: “Form varies, but essence does not.”
Why is difference illusion?—In darkness, a rope appears to be a serpent. The rope has not changed; it is false perception that conjures the snake. Similarly, the birthless Self—through maya—seems to become many and different. If this multiplicity were truly real, then the immortal Self would have to be mortal—which is utterly absurd.
The son of a barren woman: never born. A square circle: entirely inconceivable. These are not real, nor do they arise even in illusion—just so, the “unreal world” does not exist in ultimate truth—it merely appears, like a dream or a mirage.
When the mind is extinguished, there comes unconsciousness. When the mind scatters, it means entanglement in desire and imagination. But—when the mind is neither extinguished nor scattered, but rather still, unmarred by reflection, unmoved, then that mind becomes like a mirror, reflecting Brahman. In that moment, the true nature of the Self is revealed.
In the Unborn (the birthless truth)—the scripture declares: “No individual is ever born.” For birth means a relation of cause and effect—while in ultimate reality, there exists only one Consciousness, with no second cause. Just as in a dream thousands of people are born and die, yet upon waking, it becomes clear—no one was ever born.
Creation mythology is a ladder for teaching; difference is the imposition of maya. The unreal is that which is never born (as a child in a barren womb). When the mind grows still, the Self shines forth. “In ultimate truth, the Unborn” means—no one is born, nothing is born—there remains only the immutable Brahman. Just as the rope remains always rope, so the Self remains always Brahman—the various forms, colors, and bodies are merely maya’s play.