Forward trace instead of back tracing

In the previous post we back traced to infer the fundamental cause for this universe. There is one more way that can lead you to the same conclusion. Instead of back tracing, trace forward.

Supposing you have a dying man. Observe him carefully. Gradually, his ability to see, hear, feel and so on cease. And finally he dies. His body is still there but he is dead. Why? Because the soul has left the body. 

Now observe the dead body. If you leave it as it is, it decomposes and finally gets transformed into the same basic elements from which it came. Essentially, you are left with basic elements and the soul from which the entire forward process started. And we have seen in earlier posts that it is the Sath that is the root of these elements and the soul.

What it means is that Sath is the prime cause of all existence as well the ultimate destiny of all that came from it. The world emerges from Sath and finally gets back to Sath. Or in other words, there is an endless cycle of ‘creation’ and ‘re-absorption’ of the worlds. What we have been talking about as the ‘the beginning’ is just one point in this endless cycle. And the ‘creation’,‘re-absorption’ are only changes in name and form.

But all these explanations don’t convince. We never see this happening - the same basic cause operating behind the diversity we see all around. How are we sure? The boy Swetaketu also has the same doubt. His father gives further illustrations.

We will see that in the next post.

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This is a series of posts based on the well known discussion in Chändogya Upanishad (part of Säma Veda, believed to have been recorded more than 3000 years ago) regarding ultimate truths.