The Puzzle of Multiplicity
If Vedānta says “All is Brahman” and that our ultimate goal is to realize we are God, then a natural question arises: Why do we appear as many and not as one?
It feels contradictory on the one hand, scriptures affirm there is only one divine reality, yet here we are, billions of human beings, animals, plants, worlds, and galaxies. Where does this multiplicity come from?
One Light, Many Reflections
Vedānta uses a simple metaphor: imagine the sun reflected in countless pots of water. Each pot shows a “different” sun, but in truth, the sun is only one.
- Break one pot, the reflection disappears, but the sun remains untouched.
- Even if there are a million pots, the sun does not multiply.
In the same way, the one Brahman reflects through countless body-mind instruments as individual consciousness (jīva). It looks like there are many, but the essence is always one.
The Veil of Māyā
What causes this illusion? Vedānta calls it Māyā – the cosmic ignorance.
- Māyā projects names, forms, and boundaries.
- Just as one ocean rises in countless waves, one reality appears as countless beings.
- We identify with the wave (our body, ego, story) and forget we are the ocean itself.
Māyā is not “evil”, it is the stage on which divine play (līlā) unfolds. Without Māyā, there would be no experience, no relationships, no growth.
The Ego’s Role
Each of us says, “I am this body, this mind, this name.” This is the ego (ahaṅkāra). It creates the sense of separation: “me” and “you,” “mine” and “yours.”
But when we look deeper, the Upaniṣads remind us:
- “Tat Tvam Asi” – You are That.
- “Ayam Ātmā Brahma” – This Self is Brahman.
The ego is like a cloud passing in front of the sun. It does not change the sun’s brilliance, but it hides it from our sight.
Two Levels of Reality
Vedānta makes an important distinction:
- Absolute Reality (Paramārthika Satya): Only Brahman exists – one without a second.
- Relative Reality (Vyāvahārika Satya): The world of multiplicity, where dualities, relationships, and separations are experienced.
Both are valid depending on perspective. In daily life, we operate in the relative. But in the deepest meditation or realization, the Absolute alone shines.
The Goal of Realization
The purpose of spiritual practice is not to destroy the world or escape it, but to see through its illusion of separateness.
When realization dawns:
- The many are understood as expressions of the One.
- The wave knows itself as water.
- The reflection realizes it is nothing but sunlight.
This is liberation (mokṣa) not becoming God, but realizing you were never anything else.
A Practical Reflection
Look at the people around you. Each has a different body, story, culture, and personality. Yet, the awareness that looks out through their eyes is the same awareness that looks out through yours.
The multiplicity is on the surface, like costumes in a play. The actor inside is always one.
Conclusion
We are not “many gods.” We are one divine reality playing as many selves. The goal of human life is to awaken from the dream of separation and recognize the truth: All is Brahman, and That am I.
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