Why Does the Universe Appear?

The universe appears, and it appears to be constantly changing. But upon what unchanging “ground” does the universe appear to change?  In other words, if change is perceived in the universe, the change is being measured, necessarily, against some unchanging standard by which to measure it. The unchanging “standard” is simply the underlying existence, the only reality; everything that changes is unreal, and comes about by a mistake.

The Unchanging, Undivided, and Infinite gives birth to a universe that is changing, divided, and finite. How does it do that? How does the universe come about?

The universe comes about by apparition. In other words, it appears. The universe is not caused. Or, you could say, the first cause is apparitional. This will be an important point to remember later on, because something that arises by apparition can only be escaped by seeing it as apparition.

So, how does the universe appear? It appears by perceiving itself changing, and perceiving itself divided, and perceiving itself finite. It appears by perceiving itself as dispersed in time and space. In other words, the appearance of the universe comes from a mistake in perception, from the word “go.”

The universe appears because it appears to change. The universe appears because it appears to be in time and space. If it did not appear to be in time and space, it simply would not exist. (But that does not mean nothing would exist. The Unchanging, Undivided, Infinite – Brahman – always exists, as the only reality.)

This “apparition” is not perceived only by human beings with large brains and complex nervous systems: Maya is not just for big smart bi-peds. This mistaken perception actually happens at the very smallest level of matter. We can see it in everything that obeys the laws of physics. If it obeys the laws of physics, then it is an apparition, I guess you could say. Even a proton “feels” the repulsion to like-charged electrical particles. Even a cell “feels” the gravitational attraction to other objects. These tiny things are, like us, also perceiving the universe to be all split up and constantly changing, and their “goal,” like ours, is to be real – undivided, unchanging, infinite. This “desire” actually shows up in the physical world, and is observable everywhere. There is nowhere it is not present. 

Everything in the universe “wants” to be real – undivided, unchanging, infinite. Every single thing in it – from the most basic hydrogen atom that appears – is “working” against the apparition, to return to the underlying existence. “[Matter] is driven toward all other [matter] in the universe because the reality is undivided. The electrical particles are driven toward infinite expansion because the reality is infinite. And all matter is driven toward resisting every change in its state of motion because the reality is changeless.” (John Dobson) This is what you are doing, too. And you can’t succeed, because frustration is built into the apparition. The universe is made of frustration. 

Where does this leave you as a “person” in the apparition? Well, nothing can be gained by action for something that appears by apparition. The only thing that an apparition can do is to see through the fact that it is an apparition, and quit trying to get things by action. Do whatever you like, but don’t expect your actions to bear fruit. They won’t. Money you earn in a dream never gets in the bank.

Your freedom will not ever come in this world. You have nothing to gain by doing anything. You can't get anything. Nothing you do changes anything in reality. There is nothing you can get in this world – nothing, nothing, nothing – that will ever end your frustration. Only one thing will end your frustration, and that is seeing the universe as unreal, and as immune to your actions.

So live your life, and enjoy it, but realize you can't live it for yourself. You can only devote it entirely to Reality, to Brahman. That's all there is. So devote every action completely away. Devote every thought. Enjoy every pleasure only for God, for Being. Erase yourself, and see that Life and Love abound here, in the pureness of your heart. It cannot ever be any other way, and it is already yours.