Winter Solstice and Creation

By Paramahamsa Hariharananda

On the winter solstice day Swami Shriyukteshwarji started his ashram in Puri, Orissa, in a place two minutes' walk from the ocean. On March 22nd the sun rises and sets at the same time. It is the balance day for meditation. Everybody must have a balanced day for meditation. Sunrise is giving light the whole day; that light is the life of all human beings. After sunset it is dark, darkness in human beings. In India it is called dino-man (daytime-respect). In the day time you will get respect because there is light. In the light you cannot do any bad work. Thieves and robbers always move in the night, not in the daytime. The sun rises early in the morning. So throughout the day you will search God. Before creation, there was only light and nothing else. No vacuum, no air, no fire, no water, no earth. So there was no grass, no creepers, no trees, no insects, no animals, and no rational beings. There was only smoky-white light. It is written in the Taittiriya Upanishad 2:6 that it was the desire of God: "Let me become many, let me be born." Then God thought very deeply how to become many. "How will I remain spread all over the universe, abiding in everything? So I will create everything in the whole universe. Only I will remain in many forms. I am the creator, I will create and remain in creation."

Then He started creation. Creation is also described in the Taittiriya Upanishad 2:1:1 "From this Self (God), verily, ether first arose; from ether air; from air fire; from fire water; from water the earth; from the earth, herbs; from herbs food; from food the person." He created ether, which is formless, and then air, which is also formless. No one can see the air, no one can touch air. There are many types of airs - 50 different types: storms, cyclones, hurricanes, etc. The very feeble air is called udana vayu. People inhale a very short breath, that is vayu, that is the life of all human beings, all animals, all insects, Worms, butterflies, silk worms: the insect covers its whole body with saliva and he hides inside the silk cocoon. Later, it cuts the cocoon and emerges as a butterfly, flying in the air and sitting on the trees. God also created fire from the air, which is remaining in our food center. In our whole cerebro-spinal system, there are 7 fires in 7 centers. These 7 centers are most important fires in human life. These are very spiritual fires. I am writing about the creator's creation - that He made air into fire, from fire to water. It is written in the same Taittiriya Upanishad 2:1:1. At that time earth was not created. It was all empty. Water is falling from the sky, and gradually falling down to the infinity South (down). At that time there was no ground. So where can the water go and collect? At that time there was no sea, no ocean, no river, no lake, no pond. Because there was no earth. So where could the water go? It was gradually falling from the infinity North toward infinity South. It took one year time for so many drops to fall, passing through the air. After that the water evaporated. Sunlight is there to evaporate the water, but the by-product of the water is accumulating below. I will give an example: if you keep a bucket of water in an open place, you will see after a long period that some dirt, some soil accumulated in the bottom of the bucket. The more sunlight falls inside the water in the bucket, the more it evaporates, and the by-product of the water transforms into dirt. Similarly, to get soil, earth, it took 50,000 years. Then in the soil the water is falling and depositing, and becomes oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers inside the land. In this way the creator made the earth.

Most probably you have seen stagnant water in the land, near a well. Below the water some life forms emerge: fungus, some small plants. Then they die. If you dig inside the soil, you will find some earthworms. This is the beginning of life. Following that, emerged the creepers, plants, and trees. Then animals are formed, gradually getting brain development. Many animals are intelligent, such as dogs, cows, horses, sheep, goats, etc. Finally human beings are made by the Almighty Lord. As the animals remain near the human beings, they get some rational qualities in them. From animality, rationality is coming gradually. It is written in Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." And in Genesis 2:7 "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." It is also written in Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6:11: "The one God hidden in all human beings" - and His hiding place is in the head (fontanel). Apart from that, He is remaining in the whole universe in everything. Anything you see, it is He. This is the creator's creation. At first, people were not so civilized. During the time of Jesus and before, there was no street, cars, trains, planes. Most of the women before marriage were virgins. There was no so-called "freedom of sex". At present it is the scientific age, the advancement of technology and knowledge. Before that people were having 10, 20 or more children. But at present with the spread of education and civilization there is also birth-control, but also an increase of syphilis, gonorrhea, AIDS, because of "freedom of sex" and human desires. Goats, sheep, cows, are moving in flocks but are not enjoying sexually until the females get their menstrual period. Men and women were remaining together, but at present sex prevails due to civilization. It is why the Bible, Torah, Vedas, Brahma Sutras, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, all spiritual books admonish us to be free from evils, wrongs, immoral sex, debauchery; to be pure, honest, full of knowledge, consciousness, super-consciousness, cosmic consciousness which remains in your astral body, inside the cranium. Sit and search the indwelling Self, He is not very far. It is taught by the silk worm. Human beings see that the silk worm is covering its body with saliva and remaining inside its cocoon. Then the insects cuts open the cocoon and emerges as a butterfly. This is a type of meditation.