Returning to Goloka

Chapter 1
The Cycles of Time
There are various accounts of the age and origin of our universe from
ancient scriptures and scientific theories. I have studied many of them,
including Creationism from the Christian Tradition, Creationism from the
Vedic Tradition, Catastrophism, and Darwinism, and also researched this
topic in consciousness. The mind is our best research instrument. This is
because our universe is made of consciousness. Consciousness is a mysterious
term that defies a simple definition. We could say it is the quality of the state
of awareness of something within oneself. It is the “content” of the mind.
But then what is the mind? Mind is a tool of consciousness, and it is made of
consciousness.
Consciousness is the fundamental substratum of all there is in this
universe. Everything exists in a sea of consciousness, and everything is made
of consciousness. Consider bubbles in the ocean. What is a bubble made of?
Water, just as the ocean is made of water. Everything is like a bubble in the
ocean of consciousness. If we look at one thing, one bubble, it is found to be
just a modification of consciousness. How do we research something in
consciousness? Using the mind, through the process of meditation. By
turning our awareness inward, applying a technique of meditation, and with a
specific intent to know something, that thing can be known.
The Vedic Literature is the written record of the knowledge and
experiences of Veda Vyasa, who composed the Vedas and the Puranas, and his
son Shuka who composed the Srimad Bhagavatam.
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