Part Two
‘The manifest and the unmanifest are really one.’
Originally in the beginning, there was No-thing. Infinitude. Supreme Brahman (Shiva), birthless and deathless. And yet within that no-thing was some-thing. That some-thing can be called Shakti, vibration, or Nada. To understand Brahman from which this whole universe had emerged, you need Shakti, its dynamic aspect sometimes called Devi or Bhagwati, the Divine Mother. They are like the two sides of a single coin. The Principle of Shiva-Shakti is, in fact, neither male nor female. It is eternal and beyond understanding and all created things. It is God. Even the scriptures are powerless to approach that, saying helplessly, 'neti neti' (not this, not this). Shiva is the unmanifest, No-thing in which All-things are potential. Shakti is the manifest, the Some-thing within No-thing. Actually, the manifest and the unmanifest are really one, they only appear different. If you put a stick in front of you, you can talk of left and right, but remove the stick and where is left and right?
Actually, man and woman are not made for each other as they might think, but are made for Him. One Brahman becomes two. To create a current you need two wires and both are equally important. It is only our limited vision which sees a difference between man woman.
Though Shiva and Shakti are beyond the senses and mind and cannot be seen, they can be intuited by the spiritual eye of knowledge. For example, you cannot see the government, but observing its various manifestations and forms such as laws, rules, and its representatives, we can understand something of the government itself. Similarly, by looking at the manifestation or creation of Brahman, we come to understand something of It.
Look at this tube light here, (pointing above his head). When electricity flows into it, it manifests light. Similarly, when electricity flows into a fridge or heater, we get cold and heat, respectively. But is electricity itself light, cold, or heat? No. All we know is when we touch it we get a shock! One thing is certain. Two wires are needed for it to work, negative and positive. One wire is not enough. Similarly, creation is manifested through the principle of Shiva and His creative power, Shakti. Shakti is in all beings and in all things. Dead wood may look inert and you will probably say contains no Shakti, but rub two pieces together and you have fire. The blaze arising from that tiny spark could set the whole world ablaze.
From Shakti first the element of ether or space (akash) comes into existence, and its quality or emanation is sound or nada. Ether gives rise to air or wind, which has two qualities, touch and sound. The friction of wind gives rise to fire, which has three qualities, touch, sound, and vision (it can also be seen). With the interaction of these three elements, space, air, and fire, emerges the fourth elements water. This has four qualities, touch, vision, sound, and taste. W these four elements interact, earth comes into being, which contains five qualities, including smell. These five great elements are building blocks of creation. Indeed, man's body is thus composed and when the soul or atma comes to dwell in it, a human being is the result.
However, being and intelligence is not confined to human beings. Plants also have intelligence and communicate to one another as do birds. We just do not understand their language. Does not a police dog have intellect? It can be trained to catch a criminal in a way no policeman can. Indeed, if you look at animals and birds, find that in certain ways they manifest more intelligence than human beings. See how dogs and other animals mate only in season, whereas man's sexual appetite goes unchecked. Look how birds migrate for thousands of miles to a particular spot and how an animal and its way home when let loose far from its home. Think what service trees do for the world! They combat pollution by giving out clean oxygen and their branches give shade from the sun and a shelter and refuge to man, animals, and insects. The bark and leaves of certain trees are used for medicine. Others produce flowers and fruits. Think of the peace and joy given by flowers. Even in death a tree is invaluable and its wood sold for many purposes cooking, making furniture, and even building houses. Nothing is wasted. What service for the world!
As for animals, after death their meat is bought for high prices for food and their skins become leather which then becomes belts, shoes, and the like. Even the animal's gut can be used in making various racquets for sports. The fur of certain animals is also highly prized and even the bones are crushed and used as fertilizer.
For all life forms, however, there is a guarantee, just like a watch. For example, a certain kind of flea is born, married, has children, and dies, all within the space of a few hours. A man's life span is up to 120 years, as is an elephant's, whereas a dog's life span is only about twelve years. Certain trees and plants live for only a few months, some a few years, and some for hundreds of years. All the various species, however, are dependent on food to sustain them.
Actually, even the bodies of life forms do not get destroyed after death but only change their form. For example, the crushed bones of an animal used for fertilizer come up in the form of a plant. The plant is then eaten and passed out of the system into the earth, and so the cycle goes on. Tell me, does anything really get destroyed?