There is one Being, "the absolute existence of unmanifested nature," says Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in his "Science of Being and Art of Living", a Meridian book, 1995. The Yogi says "its tendency to vibrate and manifest is referred to as prana or in other words, Being vibrates by virtue of prana and manifests." Its expression is prana. All the rests both seen and unseen is then an expression of prana. As the Yogi mentions, "assuming a subjective nature Being becomes mind and assuming an objective nature it becomes matter", prana is seen underlying and driving all of creation. Prana as life force creates, sustains its creation, and rather than take an active hand in destroying its very creation it takes leave, leaving its creation to die, rot, break down and return into its individual elements.
"The one Being without undergoing any change in itself multiplies and diversifies in creation. The absolute being assumes the role of relativity. The unity appears as multiplicity." The irony of creation is that while the creator or the absolute is eternal in its never-changing status, its creation and its relative diversity of its creations is eternal too though in the context of its everchanging nature. From one becomes two. From unity came forth duality. One single cell divides into two identical daughter cells through the process of Mitosis, for the purpose of growth and to replace worn-out cells and through another process called Meiosis, a single cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half the original amount of genetic information as in sperm in males and eggs in females. (Source: https://www.yourgenome.org/facts/what-is-mitosis)
The absolute or unmanifested Being and it's relative or manifested creation both present themselves to us each moment. Both are eternal but in their respective realms, planes or dimensions. The poet Kannadhasan pens a lovely song for the Tamil movie "Thiruvilaiyaadal", giving form and expression to these manifestations.
"The one Being without undergoing any change in itself multiplies and diversifies in creation. The absolute being assumes the role of relativity. The unity appears as multiplicity." The irony of creation is that while the creator or the absolute is eternal in its never-changing status, its creation and its relative diversity of its creations is eternal too though in the context of its everchanging nature. From one becomes two. From unity came forth duality. One single cell divides into two identical daughter cells through the process of Mitosis, for the purpose of growth and to replace worn-out cells and through another process called Meiosis, a single cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half the original amount of genetic information as in sperm in males and eggs in females. (Source: https://www.yourgenome.org/facts/what-is-mitosis)
The absolute or unmanifested Being and it's relative or manifested creation both present themselves to us each moment. Both are eternal but in their respective realms, planes or dimensions. The poet Kannadhasan pens a lovely song for the Tamil movie "Thiruvilaiyaadal", giving form and expression to these manifestations.
ஒன்றானவன், உருவில் இரண்டானவன்,
உருவான செந்தமிழில் மூன்றானவன்,
நன்றான வேதத்தில் நான்கானவன்,
நமச்சிவாய என ஐந்தானவன்,
இன்பச் சுவைகளுக்குள் ஆறானவன்,
இன்னிசை ஸ்வரங்களில் ஏழானவன்,
சித்திக்கும் பொருள்களில் எட்டானவன்,
தித்திக்கும் நவரச வித்தானவன்!
பத்தானவன், நெஞ்சில் பற்றானவன்!
பன்னிருகை வேலவனைப் பெற்றானவன்!
முற்றாதவன்! மூல முதலானவன்!
முன்னைக்கும் பின்னைக்கும் நடுவானவன்!
ஆணாகிப் பெண்ணாகி நின்றானவன்!
அவை ஒன்று தான் ஒன்று சொன்னானவன்!
தான் பாதி உமை பாதி கொண்டானவன்!
சரி பாதி பெண்மைக்குத் தந்தானவன்!
காற்றானவன், ஒளியானவன்! நீரானவன் நெருப்பானவன்!
நேற்றாகி இன்றாகி என்றைக்கும் நிலையான
ஊற்றாகி நின்றானவன்! அன்பின் ஒளியாகி நின்றானவன்!
"That cosmic intelligence or creative power which is the nature of Being generates prana out of itself, hence starting the process of creation and evolution", with a purpose, says Mahesh Yogi. He reveals, "Expansion of happiness is the purpose of creation." Nature was happy till man encroached, invaded, raped, plundered, and enslaved her for his selfish needs. We turned into monsters and miserable beings, losing the happiness that we knew once existed in us.
We understand from the Yogi that the absolute Being through creation executes its divine play where the target is towards evolution or expansion of its being-ness. Thus we are products of the absolute Being finding ways to expand back into its majesty and expansiveness. Having initiated its play or creation the Being remains true to itself while watching its expansion take place through its creation. It is like watching the prana expand in us as we inhale the air mindful that the prana that created us and drives us is also traversing and traveling through each pore in the skin and cell in the body, akin to God watching his manifestation in joy, fathers watching their offsprings and lineage make headway in their lives.
P.Karthigayan in his "History of Medical and Spiritual Sciences of Siddhas of Tamil Nadu", Notion Press, 2016, tells us that the soul is the bridge between the spirit and the body. As Mahesh Yogi says that "assuming a subjective nature, Being becomes mind and assuming an objective nature, it becomes matter", could the soul be the innocent consciousness or mana satchi or witness that serves as a link between the subject, the spirit and the object, the physical body? Is the soul an extension of the Being then? Can we then safely assume karma as an expression of prana too?
As to the age-old question as to whether the chicken came first or the egg and whether the tree came first or the seed that is still being debated, the Yogi says "it can only be said that the seed is the cause of the tree and the tree is the cause of the seed. Which started the cycle cannot be ascertained." Then the Yogi puts forth the question of whether karma existed first or the mind existed first. We are told that karma is the machinery that moves the world and all of creation. We also know that prana is the life force that moves the world and all of creation.
The Yogi equates the mind to the waves in the ocean and the prana to the force in the wind that blows across the ocean's surface or the unmanifested absolute Being. "Karma acts as the force of the wind to produce a wave of the mind in the ocean of unmanifested Being." Karma creates the mind and the mind then brings on or about new karma. Since the mind is born of karma, and karma is born of the mind, the mind creates karma and so does karma create the mind. Could the mind be a continuation of the karma of the past life then?
"Karma is inert", the Yogi says. "This inert karma supplemented by the life force prana gives rise to the mind." Through prana it is connected with the unmanifested Being. So our minds and the absolute are connected. So it comes as no surprise when Agathiyar can read our minds and knows us from tip to toe. Prana manifests as mind. "Prana is the first expression of cosmic intelligence or cosmic mind", says the yogi. The mind created karma that necessitated a birth, the mind in the present birth gives rise again to karma. "The instrument is karma, propelled by prana, carried out by the mind."
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami clearly spells out Karma, its origin, its effects and recommendations to reduce, nay to absolutely rid of karma in his book "Merging with Siva - Hinduism’s Contemporary Meta Physics", Himalayan Academy, 2005,The Yogi equates the mind to the waves in the ocean and the prana to the force in the wind that blows across the ocean's surface or the unmanifested absolute Being. "Karma acts as the force of the wind to produce a wave of the mind in the ocean of unmanifested Being." Karma creates the mind and the mind then brings on or about new karma. Since the mind is born of karma, and karma is born of the mind, the mind creates karma and so does karma create the mind. Could the mind be a continuation of the karma of the past life then?
"Karma is inert", the Yogi says. "This inert karma supplemented by the life force prana gives rise to the mind." Through prana it is connected with the unmanifested Being. So our minds and the absolute are connected. So it comes as no surprise when Agathiyar can read our minds and knows us from tip to toe. Prana manifests as mind. "Prana is the first expression of cosmic intelligence or cosmic mind", says the yogi. The mind created karma that necessitated a birth, the mind in the present birth gives rise again to karma. "The instrument is karma, propelled by prana, carried out by the mind."
"Every action, every effect, in the universe has been preceded by a specific cause or set of causes. That cause is in itself an effect of prior causes. The law of karma is the law of cause and effect, or action and reaction. When we cause a traumatic disruption within ourselves or within others, the action is imprinted in the memory patterns of the muladhara chakra. The seed has been planted and will remain vibrating in the depths of the mind even though consciously forgotten. We carry it over from life to life, from birth to birth until one day it blossoms into the fruit of our action-reaction. Since we have forgotten our past life and are only left with the pranic reverberations deep in the memory cells, we don’t know the causes. In fact, there seems to be no cause for many of the things that happen to us in life, no reason or justification. This can be frustrating. However, that is karma."We sometimes cannot understand why certain events are taking place and they seem to be beyond our control. It is frustrating indeed as the Swami says. This is where the Siddhas come to our aid. As we do not have the ability or capacity to recollect our past, they help us by revealing them to us through the Nadi. The Siddhas are gifted with the Siddhis to look into the past, the present, and the future. This is what the Siddhas reveal too in the General Canto of each person who seeks to know his Nadi, where he is told about his past birth and subsequently his past karma. As for me, upon realizing my mistakes I had regretted and began to do charity and service, which brought on blessings. Hence the reason for taking this birth. But as the curses were brought forward too and continued into this birth, I saw obstacles placed in my path. Similarly, for one who has a yearning towards spiritual realization, he has to first know the obstacles that shall hinder him from achieving his goals. Agathiyar in the Gnana Canto, told me that although I would come to engage myself in worship and prayers, heeding to the agamas, worship Lord Siva and Agathiyar, and engage in practices initiated and blessed by the guru, I shall not excel in my spiritual ventures and practices as my karma shall come on as a stumbling block. Only when the karma is reduced can man approach God. It is an important aspect of the spiritual path.
Sogyal Rinpoche in his book "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying", HarperSanFrancisco, 1993, mentions,
The results of our actions are often delayed, even into future lifetimes; we cannot pin down one cause, because any event can be an extremely complicated mixture of many karmas ripening together.Hence I am right in assuming that this birth is a result of a combination of factors and karma that is accumulated over two or more births. If my earlier birth in Kerala impacted my present birth throwing obstacles on my path, the seva I did for Agathiyar while at Papanasam must be bringing me his blessings to counter an otherwise miserable life. If Karma both good and bad, is the catalyst that starts the ball rolling initiating the cycle of life and death, then it looks like my bad karma in my past birth in Kerala and my good karma in another birth in Papanasam had jointly contributed to this birth and this life where I have a good life thrown with some occasional obstacles and disappointments. This explains the occasional upheavals in an otherwise good life of others too.
Eknath Easwaran in his "Dialogue with Death" - A Journey Through Consciousness, Jaico Publishing House, 2002, quoting the Hindu and Buddhist mystics, says that "we have come into this life expressly to fulfill our unfulfilled desires, which as unconscious drives or samskaras, shape everything we do. The slightest thought has consequences, as does the slightest act. Over the years it is the sum of all these consequences, large and small, that shapes our lives. Nothing that he says, thinks or does is without consequences. Thoughts are the very source of our karma, for from our thoughts flows everything: words, actions, desires, decisions, and destiny." He reminds us that "Karma is not imposed by some cosmic lawgiver outside us."