8. Manifested and Unmanifested

 

A small change in the trim tab attached to the rudder changes the course of a large ship. Similarly, a nudge to study the Gita can reorient our course in life. Though people perceive the Gita in different ways, it can be easily internalized by understanding a few basic concepts.

The Gita is an eternal textbook from kindergarten to post-graduation, for internal realization. It is likely that in the first reading, very few concepts are understood. They can be easily understood if we approach from the viewpoint of the manifested (vyakta) and unmanifested (avyakta). Manifested is that which is within the realm of our naked senses, including the scientific instruments built to extend these senses and unmanifested, is beyond the grasp of our senses.

 The story of the manifested begins with the Big Bang. It continues with the formation of stars. In the cores of these stars, atoms fuse to create heavier chemical elements. These elements are scattered when stars explode. Subsequently, planetary systems form from this cosmic material. Eventually, intelligent life evolves when conditions are suitable.

The scientific community agrees that all manifested forms - living entities, planets, stars, and even the universe itself - exist within a definite time frame. While the exact time scales may differ, their impermanence is a widely accepted fact.

On the other hand, behind the perishable manifested world, there exists the imperishable unmanifested which is like an invisible quantum field. Krishna calls the manifested as His lower nature (apara prakriti) and the unmanifested as His higher nature (para prakriti). Life is the combination of a manifested physical body which is perishable and an unmanifested soul which is eternal. With this clarity at the back of our minds, we can easily understand the relationship between them as explained in the Gita to reach the goal of realizing the unmanifested (moksha).

Though ahankaar stands in the way, the measure of anand felt, untouched by outer pleasure or pain, reveals how far we have travelled toward the unmanifested.


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