Reality:Tattvas perspective part-2

 Part 2

In my previous article, I explained the first five pure tattvas. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, I recommend taking a quick look before we continue. These five tattvas are known as the pure tattvas, and they relate to the formation of the cosmos. Today, we'll delve into individuality."that is atma tattvas 

Let's begin with an analogy. It will be helpful to grasp the following tattvas before we explore each one individually

Analogy

Imagine a vast, supreme body of water. If a pebble is thrown into it, droplets fly out. Each droplet, now separate from the immense water body, might feel disconnected, like an independent entity adrift in the air – this feeling of separation is Maya. The brief time the droplet spends in the air is like Kala, our individual perception of time. Gravity, the unseen force, inevitably pulls the droplet back, causing it to merge once more with the larger body – this downward pull, this unavoidable return, is akin to Niyati. The droplet in the air, experiencing its surroundings, represents Prakriti, the realm of interaction. Its limited understanding of being just a droplet, not realizing its inherent connection to the whole, mirrors the limitation of knowledge, or Vidya. The act of falling and merging back is like death, while another pebble being thrown, creating new droplets, symbolizes new birth. The fundamental essence, the water itself, remains the same whether the droplet is in the air or part of the ocean; ultimately, it rejoins the vastness, just as water evaporates and returns as rain. This immense water body is Shiva, and the active force, the throwing of the pebble, is Shakti, which gives rise to Ishwara. The initial idea or intention behind throwing the pebble is Sadashiva. The immediate consequence, the ripple effect, is Shuddhavidya. And while the droplet exists in its environment, its individual consciousness, the feeling of "I," is Purusha.

Atma tattva

After the universe came into being, the same principles that governed its creation also apply to the emergence of the individual. At this stage, what arises is the formless individual, often referred to as the soul or consciousness. Modern science, however, doesn’t readily accept this idea of a formless consciousness. The prevailing scientific view is ‘that consciousness is a product of the brain. Yet, science isn’t entirely certain about this. In my own observation, consciousness seems to be linked to the brain but also possesses a degree of independence.

Let me illustrate this with an analogy. Imagine two people, A and B, each with a mobile phone. Every day, A speaks to B over the phone, and B hears A’s voice through their device. One might argue that A isn’t necessary; the phone alone is sufficient to produce A’s voice. However, if we look a little deeper, while the phone does transmit A’s voice, the phone itself is A’s instrument. It acts as a secondary means, not the primary source. The primary source is A; without A, the phone couldn’t generate that specific voice even its generate its not him. In this analogy, the phone represents the brain, and A voice represents consciousness.

May tattva

After the emergence of individual consciousness (Atma Tattva), even though we are still connected to the universe, this connection doesn't quite serve its purpose if we continue to perceive everything as one undifferentiated whole. So, this stage introduces a veil of illusion, Maya, which makes us believe we are individual and unique beings, causing us to forget that we all originate from a single source.

If we observe ourselves, we are constantly self-centered. We also tend to imagine ourselves in different scenarios, thinking, 'If I were in that situation, I would do this or that.' Even when we watch a movie, we do the same thing. This clearly shows that it's our imagination at play; it's not truly who we are, but rather who we might want to be. Our ego, too, is a kind of imagined identity that we mistakenly believe is our true self. This illusionary Maya creates the sense of separate individuals and gives rise to all forms of duality – like the two sides of a single coin, where we forget that both sides belong to the same coin. Think of concepts like good and bad, truth and lie, and so on."

“One might wonder if Kala, as we understand it now, truly exists. It’s important to remember that the concept of universal time already came into being with Ishwara Tattva. This stage of Kala Tattva is more about our individual perception of time – that layer of past, present, and future that feels so real to us is actually an Illusion.

Think of it like rolling multiple dice at once. While they’re rolling, what we consider the past, present, and future are all happening simultaneously. Our lives are similar to these dice; everything is occurring together. We don’t pause life to experience a distinct past, present, or future. Just like the dice keep rolling until a result appears, and then another roll begins, so too do birth and death occur within this continuous flow.

Actually, the ‘now’ as we experience it isn’t really a fixed point for us as individuals. It’s more a way for the universe to experience change. Our thoughts are what dissect this flow of existence, categorizing time into years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds, and so on.

Based on this, we differentiate between the past, present, and future. One more thing to observe is that the past is gone (dead), and the future is not happening; it’s just expectations. The present is what’s actually occurring. But how long does a single present moment last? It’s ever-changing. As I said earlier, past, present, and future are classified by our thoughts and imagination. Time even seems to act as a fundamental aspect when changes appear, which raises the question: is time an illusion or is it fundamental? Change might be a feature of secondary reality, while primary reality is different. Universal time is a single and constant flow, an uncategorized flow that we can observe hints of at the quantum level."

Niyati tattva

“Niyati Tattva acts as an update to both Shuddhavidya and Kala Tattva; it deals with the principle of limitation. For example, whatever seed you plant will give rise to that specific plant – first sprouts, then the plant, and finally the tree. A mango seed won’t grow an apple tree, and a tree won’t revert back into sprouts. This illustrates a predetermined outcome that cannot be escaped, where everything operates according to fixed laws.”

Raaga tattva

If you observe, there's a shift from broader concepts to narrower ones at this stage. Dependence and attachment begin to form, creating a sense of connection and reliance on specific things or people. Social bonds and family ties come into being here. These bonds become subject to expectations and desires. If these expectations and desires are met, it leads to happiness; otherwise, sadness arises. Not only that, but other emotions like anger and depression also start to emerge. This further reinforces the individual's sense of self and thickens the illusory veil of Maya, widening the perceived gap of separation.

Vidya tattva

"Vidya Tattva is about individual knowledge and, importantly, the limitations of that knowledge. After all the preceding stages, if complete knowledge were simply given to everyone, what would be the point? Whatever we know is still incomplete. Even in science, it's an ongoing process; for example, science first described gravity as a force, and then as a curvature of spacetime. If you ask whether it's a force or a curvature, the answer is still a subject of inquiry. Similarly, whatever you learn or practice, new questions will inevitably arise. Mystery remains Mystery knowledge is not enough to resolve it. It deals with limitation of knowledge is not just lack of knowledge. Vidya Tattva creates a sense of intellectual limitation and also sparks the need to constantly learn and gather information. Here, our perception is shaped by our individual experiences. Since individuality itself is considered an illusion, as discussed earlier, this also adds another layer of separation from a complete understanding.

Purusha tattva

Purusha Tattva marks the completion of individual consciousness, though not yet on a physical level. From this stage onward, Purusha represents the individual center of consciousness, the 'I' that experiences the world. It's the point of awareness that feels like 'you' and 'me,' distinct from everything else.

This individual consciousness isn't the pure, unlimited consciousness of Shiva directly. Instead, it's that pure consciousness that has become associated with and perceives reality through the limitations imposed by Maya and the Kanchukas (like limited time, desire, knowledge, and agency). Imagine pure light passing through colored and distorted lenses – the light is still there, but its appearance is altered. Purusha is like that altered perception of pure consciousness.

Key aspects of Purusha Tattva include:

 * Individuality: The sense of being a unique and distinct self.

 * Limited Awareness: Consciousness operating within the framework of Maya and the Kanchukas.

 * The Experiencer: The subject to whom all individual experiences occur.

 * Feeling of Separation: The primary illusion that obscures the underlying unity.

So, Purusha Tattva is the principle of individual consciousness that arises as pure consciousness becomes entangled with the limitations created by Maya. It's the 'you' that navigates the world, experiences joys and sorrows, and feels like an independent being.Independence is ultimately an illusion, and the true nature of Purusha is still connected to the universal consciousness."

Prakriti tattva

Prakriti represents the unmanifested potential of nature, which becomes the field for all further material evolution and experience. Prakriti Tattva is entirely dependent on Purusha Tattva, arising once individuality is fully developed. It’s the stage where unmanifested objective existence begins to manifest within individual consciousness, acting as the crucial link between objectivity and subjectivity. Simply put, Purusha, the 'I', is the experiencer, and what he experiences is Prakriti.This principle plays a significant role in the further development of the sensory Tattvas. While the Supreme Reality is one, numerous religions arise, all essentially speaking of the same ultimate truth but through different manifestations. In simple objectivity can’t be experienced without subjectivity. example Air ,water, earth sky and fire its common to all but individual perceive uncommonly

The defining characteristic of Prakriti is the equilibrium of the three Gunas:

 * Sattva: Represents purity, light, harmony, and illumination.

 * Rajas: Represents energy, activity, passion, and dynamism.

 * Tamas: Represents inertia, darkness, heaviness, and obstruction.”

Conclusion to the Tattvas of Individuality 

As I already mentioned in my previous article these these tattvas refelct individual perception as per my observation and understanding i explained it as above. 

We've followed the path from individual consciousness (Atma) through the illusion of separateness (Maya) and the subjective experience of time (Kala). The principles of limitation (Niyati) and attachment (Raaga) further define our individual existence, even with our limited knowledge (Vidya). Purusha emerges as the individual experiencer, engaging with Prakriti, the field of nature defined by the interplay of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. This journey reveals the illusory nature of absolute independence within our individual experiences, shaped by fundamental cosmic forces.

The Gunas of Prakriti, the building blocks of experience, naturally lead to the development of sensory and cognitive Tattvas. We will next explore how these Gunas manifest as our senses (sight, sound, etc.) and cognitive faculties (mind, intellect, ego), the tools Purusha uses to interact with the world.

For audio click below