Leo Tolstoy, the renowned novelist, graced us with the enchanting tale of “The Three Hermits.” In this captivating story, three humble hermits, dwelling on a remote island, offered a simple prayer: “We are three; Thou art Three—have mercy on us!” The purity of their prayer brought forth great miracles, a testament to the power of their sincere hearts.
When the local bishop heard of their unconventional prayer, he felt compelled to intervene. He visited the hermits to teach them the proper canonical invocations. After instructing them in various customary prayers, the bishop departed on a boat. As the vessel sailed away, a radiant light pursued it. To the bishop’s astonishment, the three hermits, holding hands, appeared on the waves, running towards the ship. Breathless, they requested the bishop to repeat the prayers he had taught them. Humbly, the bishop recognized the potency of their original prayer and allowed them to continue with it.
The miraculous nature of these events leaves us with profound questions. How did the three saints defy the laws of nature by walking on water? How did Christ achieve the resurrection of his crucified body? How did Lahiri Mahasaya and Sri Yukteswar perform their awe-inspiring miracles? Modern science, despite its strides, cannot yet explain these wonders.
However, with the atomic bomb and radar, the boundaries of our understanding have expanded. The once-prominent word “impossible” is fading from the scientific lexicon. Ancient Vedic scriptures proclaim that the physical world operates under the fundamental law of Maya, the principle of relativity and duality. This cosmic illusion, Maya, veils the true unity of the Sole Life, God. Every significant scientific discovery echoes the Rishis’ simple declaration.
Newton’s Law of Motion — Expression of Maya
Newton’s Law of Motion, for example, is a manifestation of Maya. “To every action, there is always an equal and contrary reaction; the mutual actions of any two bodies are always equal and oppositely directed.” These forces are equal and opposite, forming a pair. Nature itself is bound by polarity. No scientific law is free from inherent opposing principles.
Physical science operates within Maya, the very fabric of creation. Nature, under its domain, is eternal and inexhaustible. Future scientists may explore different aspects of this boundless infinitude, but they remain incapable of discovering the Law Framer and Sole Operator. Gravitation and electricity are known, but their essence eludes human comprehension.
The task assigned to humanity by the millennial prophets is to transcend Maya, to perceive the unity of the Creator beyond the duality of creation. Those who cling to the cosmic illusion must embrace its law of polarity, the cycles of rise and fall, pleasure and pain, birth and death. After numerous human births, this cyclic pattern becomes monotonous, prompting us to seek liberation from the compulsions of the Maya.
To pierce the veil of Maya is to unravel the secret of creation. The yogi who achieves this feat becomes the true monotheist, seeing beyond the heathen images. This transcendence isn’t attainable through intellectual conviction but through the interior state of nirbikalpa samadhi, a state experienced by the great seers and prophets of old.
Light — The Mystery
Light, the most phenomenal mystery of the cosmos, holds pivotal importance. Unlike sound waves that require a medium, light waves traverse the vacuum of interstellar space. The concept of ether, once deemed essential for light transmission, is now unnecessary in light of the geometrical properties of space, as posited by Einstein. Light velocity, the constant 186,000 miles per second, is the linchpin of the Theory of Relativity, defining time and space for finite minds.
Einstein’s Unified Field Theory unites the laws of gravitation and electromagnetism. It echoes the ancient rishis’ proclamation of a single texture of creation—protean maya. Twentieth-century science aligns with Vedic wisdom, advancing toward a non-mechanical reality, where the universe resembles a great thought rather than a machine.
The electron microscope revealed the light-essence of atoms, exposing the inescapable duality of nature. Atomic energy is unveiled as mind-stuff, affirming that the stuff of the world is indeed mind-stuff. The external world once considered a solid reality, now appears as a world of shadows. The substance dissolves as illusions are shattered.
The law of miracles is revealed through the mastery of the divine connection between the universal structure and individual consciousness. The perfected yogi identifies not with a limited body but with the cosmic entirety. Gravitation loses its grip, and the concept of “weight” becomes irrelevant. He who knows himself as the omnipresent Spirit transcends the rigidities of time and space. The yogi, shedding the illusion of a solid body, floats on the beams of light, knowing the universe as an undifferentiated mass of light.
In man’s dream consciousness, the omniscient Cosmic Director stages an epic motion picture, wherein the material universe is an illusory play of light and shadow. The cosmic stem of light, the essence of all objects, produces the pictures on the screen of consciousness. Creation is a dance of chiaroscuro, alternating between good and evil, a play within a play.
This realization transforms one’s perception, shifting values in the understanding that creation is a vast motion picture. The essence of all objects is light, and our ultimate reality lies beyond this grand cosmic theater.
As I sat on my bed in the lotus posture, a wondrous experience enveloped me. The room’s dim light revealed the ceiling dotted with small, radiant lights, quivering like the luster of radium. A stream of lifetimes, like sheets of rain, poured silently, and my physical body underwent a transformation, turning weightless, ethereal. My body, formed from the cosmic stem of light, resonated with the beams of creation.
The cosmic beam projected my body’s picture on the screen of space, as in a cinema. This revelation left me spellbound. I prayed to the Divine Light, entreating it to withdraw this bodily picture, to merge it back into itself. My humble request resonated, and the beam disappeared. My body regained its normal weight, resting on the bed, and the dazzling lights on the ceiling flickered and vanished.
My time to depart from this earthly existence had not yet arrived. “Besides,” I thought with a hint of humor, “the prophet Elijah might well be displeased at my presumption!”
These experiences provide glimpses into the cosmic motion picture, a profound insight into the true nature of creation. Through wisdom, we escape the cycle of suffering, transcending the mayic illusion and realizing our dominion over the cosmos.
As we explore the depths of creation, remember the words: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Embrace the dominion granted to us, the children of light, and awaken from the dream of Maya, knowing that the truth lies beyond the illusory play, in the eternal light of our divine essence.
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