The snake and the rope

Most religions divide the omnipotence of God into two powerful kingdoms, 1) God and 2) the Devil. Vedanta terms them as “Real” and “Non Real”. The non-real is of course, only an imagined kingdom! Therefore the miseries in that kingdom are also imaginary.
The raw material of the intellect is matter. It is mere blood, flesh, bones, and nerves. So, what is “that” which suffuses it with the power to think, to project, and to imagine? Only when blessed with the light of consciousness can it project a whole world of light, sound, taste, smell, objects and living beings, and this intellect establishes a relationship with all. Doesn’t your own mind become your ex-boyfriend, your jealous husband and you, as well as the relationship among you in your dream? What is the power behind this dream creation? Not the flesh and bones intellect?
The Body, Mind, Intellect (BMI) seem to be brilliantly intelligent, and beautiful so long as the consciousness principle lends its glow to them. Blessed by this power alone is Miss World stunningly beautiful, and Einstein a brilliant scientist. Capacities of perceiving, thinking, feeling, do not belong to a matter constructed brain. How does this insentient “seem” sentient? Shankaracharya gives an apt example of (ayo-agni-yogad-eva). A piece of cold, hard, black iron, when in touch with fire becomes hot, soft, red and glows like fire, and when removed from fire it regains its natural qualities: cold, hard, black and glow less.
How real then is the snake that you see on the rope? The rope IS, the snake IS NOT, it NEVER WAS, and NEVER WILL BE. The rope lent a semblance of life to your imaginary snake reality. The intellect is a divinely charged, sophisticated instrument. Learn to use it as you would use the latest sophisticated car, else it becomes “bekaar” (useless).
Prarthna Saran, President Chinmaya Mission Delhi. Email: prarthnasaran@gmail.com