136 - The Nature of the Empirical World| Swami Tattwamayananda

<b>Title: The Nature of the Empirical World</b><br /><i></i><br /><i></i>15th Chapter: Verses 1, 2<br /><br />In previous chapters of <i>Gita</i>, various methods of spiritual practices are discussed, such as the path of <i>bhakti,</i> the path of <i>karma yoga</i>, the path of <i>dhyana yoga</i>, the path of <i>jnanam</i>, and the path of transcending the three <i>gunas</i>. One essential characteristic in all these paths is that the seeker should develop detachment towards worldly enjoyments. For that, it is important to understand what constitutes the world.<br /><br />Matter, energy, mind and time constitute the empirical world. This empirical world is explained by imagery in the 1st verse.<br /><br />In the first verse, the whole world is compared to the <i>Ashvattha</i> tree – the tree of life. Its roots are above and the branches are below. Roots represent the origin or the source which is the <i>Atman</i>. From this <i>Atman</i>, the empirical world, which is represented by the branches and leaves, evolves and moves downward. Only the <i>Atman</i> is eternal – the empirical world is non-eternal.<br /><br />The verse says that the leaves are the ritualistic portion of the <i>vedas</i>, where one performs rituals with the purpose of some empirical gain. Leaves represent the continuous flow of <i>samsara</i> (empirical world) through human desires, actions and results.<br /><i></i><br /><i>Vedanta</i> defines something as real if (1) it remains without change in the past, present and future (2) It is beyond time, space and causation and (3) it remains without change in waking, dream and deep sleep states.<br /><br />According to the commentary on the 3rd verse, this world is non-eternal – it is something that you see now, and which is gone the next moment (<i>drashta-nashta</i>). What we see in a dream seems real in the dream – we realize it is not real when we come out of the dream. Similarly, worldly enjoyments seem real at the empirical plane, but are unreal from the view of absolute reality in Vedanta.<b