The Vedantic philosophy holds the view that "All this is verily the absolute alone" indicating the ultimate 'oneness' of all that exist. The Upanishadic statements "Sarvam khalvidam Brahmam" and "Isovasyam idam sarvam" (All this is permeated by the Godhood) are just two of many such instances where this idea is explicitly expressed. How can "all this" be the absolute itself? Can the creation be same as the creator? Most of the religions say just the opposite. Some may even take it as blasphemy. And above all is it practically possible? So how can Vedanta make such an outrageous statement? Let's explore and see if there is any substance to this claim.

We have two entities to consider. The creator on one side and the entire creation - both material and non-material - on the other. From our basic observations we can very easily see that when we create something it stands apart from us. A shirt for example though cover my body, cannot be myself. It is made of threads of cotton or something and not of the same stuff that I am made of. It is true that I created it but the difference and separation from me is comprehensive and obvious. Then how can we prove the creation is the creator himself?

Since we have to begin somewhere, let's begin from the very beginning itself. The beginning of "All this", the cosmic creation. If you acknowledge that there is creation, naturally there must be a creator. (There are a few who uphold the non-creation theory - Ajaatavada). At this stage we don't know anything about the creator as such. But it is not really important. What we have to see is, is there a possibility that the creation can be the creator himself whoever he may be. That's all.  Lets call the creator by the popular name "God" during this discussion.

So conceptually speaking, God is the one who created all these and controlled the evolution. He is potential enough to create, sustain and destroy all at his will. What caused the beginning of creation?  How did he create it? What raw materials did he use? How long it took him to make it alive and kicking? Where is he now leaving his creation in turmoil? There are questions which perhaps God only can answer. One has to step into the creator's shoes to have a proper perspective before attempting to analyse them. Now the question is, "Do we have any right to do that?"

Isn't it a fact though we fall into the category of creation we are also endowed with some creative powers? We do create various things. We use our intelligence, creative power and materials to produce a lot many things. It is said that the macrocosm and microcosm differ only in magnitude but are similar in essence. So there is justification for our attempt to peep into the intricacies of creation as we are creators as well. Let's investigate the observable facts in order to gain some insight into the possibilities and impossibilities involved in this great mystery of creation. We can use logical reasoning on one side to arrive at conclusions and make a comparison of our own creativity on the other to validate the possibility of the same in a miniature scale.

By definition, God is the ever existing reality beyond space and time and is uncaused and uncreated. In the beginning God alone existed. And then all on a sudden (yet another popular assumption) the process of creation began to unfold. We don't know whether it all happened in a flash or it took eons but what we know is that any creation requires many ingredients apart from the creator. Factually speaking, something cannot come out of nothing. So there must be some raw materials to start with. Also needed are some tools and instruments as well as the technical know-how. What are the raw materials used by God? What tools did he use? Mind you,  at the time of creation there was nothing existing other than God. Then where did the raw materials come from? Probably God must have created these things first. If that's the case, where from the raw materials for those things  came to begin with? Do you see the impossibility of such a situation? There cannot be any raw material available other than the only existing thing which is God himself prior to the commencement of creation.

So the only logical conclusion is that whatever came out as creation must have originated from God and given ex-pression by God. The raw material must be God himself, the tools must be God himself and the knowledge must be God himself and the creative power must be God himself. There is no other possibility! So whatever exists as creation must be God himself through and through.

One may argue that God need not create the world the same way a potter creates the pots. Digging out clay, mixing it with water, loading it on the wheel and shaping it into pots and finally cooking it out to get the finished pot. God is all powerful and can create anything out of his own "WILL" in no time without the need of any raw material.

Well, it is a possibility. Let's see what happens in such a situation in our own life. I want to build a house. I have the desire, the plan and will to do but have absolutely no money with me and there is no chance that I will ever have any. Take it further that even if I have money, there is no building materials available anywhere ever. Then how will I fulfill my desire? Is there a way I can make a house without bricks and concrete. Can I fix doors without using wood? Can I color it up without paint and brushes? Well, there is one way! Just go to bed and close your eyes. You may have a dream and construct a house exactly as you want it without carrying bricks or concrete or wood or paint there. That too in no time! It will be a dream house...

Don't you think it must be same case with God as well? If he creates something out of his will, without using any substance, it must be of the nature of the 'will' which is mind stuff - same stuff that dreams are made of. God will have a dream and in his dream creations will emerge and events will happen one after another as he willed(so to say). No need of any material at all.

In that case the creations cannot be real. Isn't it? But the world what we see and interact looks so real and materialistic. How can that be justified? Just the way our own dreams looked real while it happened, the creations of God's dream will find it real and materialistic as long as looked from within the dream. Once "awakened out of this sleep" one will see the dream as a dream and know the real nature of existence.

Now, what would be the relation of such a dream creation to the creator? Does the dream exist apart from the dreamer? Is not my dream a projection of my own consciousness and confined to my own consciousness? And made of my own mental imagery? Anything and everything in a dream is just mind stuff. Same way the cosmic dream creations are permeated with and sustained by God consciousness and cannot exists apart from God consciousness.

On the other hand if you hold on to a materialistic creation as analysed earlier, you have to account for the pre-existing substance to mould things into. Since the only substance that existed was God, it was God who must have moulded himself into the creations.

So in either case the proclamation of the Vedas hold some waters. As a matter of fact this is the only way possible. If at all there is creation it must be the creator himself expressed explicitly as a concrete materialist world or implicitly as movements of consciousness - like a dream. So in reality God alone is and whatever is seen as creations are just his ex-pressions upon or within himself. Thus the Vedantic proclamation has to be true.

We have equated our capacity to dream with that of God's creative technique for creating a dreamy world. But what if the world is really materialistic and substantial? Is there any creative activity in our life that resembles the same scenario where the creation is the same as the creator?

Looking into our own creations we see that our creations range from mathematical equations to magnificent monuments. Poetry and paintings to rockets and robots. Concepts of communism to super computers. And the list goes on. Is there anything particular where the creation turns out to be the creator himself? 

YES!  The act of dancing, which is one of the finest form of creative ex-pressions!

Here the creation is nothing but various gestures, postures and ex-pressions sprouted from and upon the dancer himself. A series of self ex-pressions. Nothing external is required. The raw material is the dancer himself and the creation is the dance which is nothing other than the dancer himself. The dance is the dancer and the dancer is the dance. Every moment is a moment of creativity. The next moment it is gone and gives way to another creation. And it goes on. Birth and death in every moment. Moment to moment to moment...

No wonder the cosmic creation is symbolized by the cosmic dance of Shiva, the Nataraja. "Taandav" as it is called depicts the creation and immediate destruction - birth and death - as an eternal process. Shiva, the supreme dancer is blissfully engrossed in his own creativity. If he stops even for a moment, the cosmos disappears. Leaving the absolute consciousness in deep sleep, without dreams. This is "Pralaya" - The great dissolution until the dance resumes.

So it is Shiva all along. Whether dancing or at pause. All this is Shiva. Whether expressed or suppressed. There is nothing else but Shiva. The creator and the creation in one. The only one...

Shivoham! Shivoham!!