The idea of Expansion...
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
A key principle of brahman is bṛh बृह् (also written bṛṃh ) which means to increase, to expand, to grow great, strong; from this we get a definition of brahman as growth, expansion, etc.
As I look around I cannot help but notice this expansion in simple everyday life, let alone cosmic proportions of the Universe expanding.
A simple thing like a bicycle tire or a car tire - it looses air over time. It goes from a constrained condition ( the tire) to a open environment - the atmosphere. A river flows to the sea, it goes from a constrained environment to an open environment. Atmospheric pressures also look for the condition to equal out it pressures (iso-bars).
One may think the overall model is to go from more ( pressure) to less ( pressure), as this is a natural principle in physics. But what if it is really the notion of going from more constrained, closed, bounded to a boundless condition , to bṛh बृह् ?
Take a bee. It goes from flower to flower in its quest. If one were observing the bee, they would think it does not know what its doing flying here and there. Yet on closer inspection we see it is very purposeful as it collects its nectar, yet still going from a low area of nectar to a higher area of nectar.
What of humans? They too may demonstrate this notion. Some may say people like to go from a more 'pressured' environment ( work, school, etc) to less pressured. But one could raise the argument there are many that thrive and look for this condition of pressure and acceleration - more ~pressure~. This could be, and I do not believe this is the driving force, we must look elsewhere.
What of thoughts? Just like the bee we go from thought-to-thought all day long as if there was no rhyme or reason to them. Yet, on closer inspection we may find this bṛh बृह् again. The mind, like the bee is looking for more-and-more, to expand. It is from this expansion that ~some~ satisfaction is gained. Hence we go from thought-to-thought looking for more. We go from desire to desire with the in-born notion of expansion that is to be gained, that satisfaction is there with the fulfillment of the next desire ( a bigger home, more friends, more cars, bikes, games, vacations). Some expansion ( bṛh बृह्) occurs and for that time; it can be brief or it may be sustained for a while, some joy is experienced. This is all triggered by the natural expansion rooted in bṛh बृह् Itself, in brahman.
But what happens ? This happiness seems to have a shelf-life and it erodes over time , it is not sustainable. The mind once again starts up and begins ( like the bee) in its quest for more and more.
Where do we, like the bike tire pressure or the river to the ocean, go to finally merge with this expansive state that finally satisfies the mind's desire for expansion bṛh बृह् ?
This is where the wisdom of our śāstra-s brings great value . It knows the human model, its paradigm for more and more and it tells us: nālpe sukham asti -or- finite (alpa) things do not (na) contain happiness (suka)¹.
That is, don't look for more then the most within the relative field of life, in objects. It does not say objects are bad ( we will talk about this in an upcoming post) - it says you are looking in the wrong place if you are on a quest for sustainable peace.
This notion of sustainability is key. I can experience peace, happiness, satisfaction for a while, yet it is fleeting in one's life , no?
One's intent then is to anchor this peace, this expansion so it does not wonder or wax-and-wane - this is mokṣa.
I hope to hear other's POV on this matter.
praṇām
references
Chāndogya upaniṣad, sanatkumāra is instructing nārada with these words.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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