Overview

In this introductory text, Shankara explains the various facets of non-dual reality by drawing parallels with everyday life examples. Consider a container that divides expansive space into internal and external parts. We can compare the vast external space to the Supreme Soul, and the space enclosed within the container to the individual soul. Just as there is no actual division of space through a container, there is no real division in the Supreme Soul by the presence of a living being. If multiple containers exist, they create many distinct divisions in the space. Similarly, numerous living beings can coexist in one Supreme Soul, divided by differences in their minds, bodies, etc. The Supreme Soul remains unaffected by the pleasures and pains experienced by living beings, much like space remains unchanged by its divisions. Furthermore, just as each container possesses its unique existence and characteristics, all living beings can have separate existence within one Supreme Being, each with its own distinct joys and sorrows. Or we can illustrate the concept of an embodied or bound soul through multiple reflections of the sun (or moon) in various bodies of water. We can liken the sun to the Supreme Being, its several images to different living beings or bound souls, and the water to the mind or intellect. In this analogy, the existence of the non-dual sun is entirely independent of the existence of any particular image, even after the water evaporates. The various reflections may appear clean or murky, in motion or still, depending on the nature of their hosting water bodies. Nevertheless, these variations do not affect either the reflection or the sun itself. By analogy, this invariance also holds true for the individual souls and the Supreme Soul.

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