Universal Consciousness propelling an Universal Mission

Have you ever had the eerie realization that you are alive - breathing, seeing, feeling, smelling, hearing, wanting, needing ...? Have you ever tried to look at your palm & fingers and tried to voluntarily stretch them, move them around ... the way you want to? It may sound trivial on the face of it. But underneath it shall speak volumes about your existence, and more so about your consciousness of your existence in this universe.

Human beings have consciousness. They are aware, not just about their surroundings, but also about themselves. They have emotions, feelings, observations, opinions & desires. They can identify their needs, label them, prioritize them. If you ponder over why a human being or for that matter any being should have consciousness, you may conclude that consciousness is perhaps a means for sustenance, perhaps a way to thrive in the universe through maximization of gains & minimization of losses. Humans also have memory (as a part of his consciousness) which help him to recall his past experiences and use them to better his present & future. In contrast, other forms of life have various degrees of consciousness, humans perhaps are at the top of the pyramid with the most sophisticated abilities including analytical capabilities which enable him to be not just reactive but also proactive. So he forms dreams & visions and he consciously tries to arrive at those dreams/visions through certain ways (strategies).


In my previous post I had put forth the following concept: everything in this universe including animate & inanimate objects is a manifestation of energy, universal energy. Extrapolating this concept, we can argue that human consciousness is therefore a manifestation of universal consciousness. The universe is conscious. It tends to conserve, thrive, sustain itself; and to that end it uses its consciousness as a vehicle. This universal consciousness is an expression of the universes tendency to conserve, thrive & sustain. Therefore this consciousness is holistic, all pervasive. Your consciousness, my consciousness, a tiger's consciousness, a butterfly's consciousness - all are integral parts or quanta of the universal consciousness. In the microscopic world, the affinity of atoms to one another to form compounds is a manifestation of universal consciousness aimed to conserve, thrive & sustain. Chemical reactions take place in line with this spirit, cell division & multiplication take place in this spirit, photosynthesis takes place in this spirit, herbivores consume plantations in this spirit, carnivores hunt for & consume other animals in this spirit, floods occur in the same spirit, earthquakes occur in the same spirit, humans think, feel & act in this spirit, battles take place in the same spirit, politics & terrorism take place in the same spirit, bees make honey in the same spirit, economies trade in the same spirit, name anything that concerns you - and you can explain it in the context of universal consciousness. Underlying every event - minor or major - there is always a quantum of the universal consciousness, and the universal tendency towards conservation, thriving & sustenance.

In India we believe that whatever happens, happens for good of all. This message is in a way an instruction to surrender to the universal consciousness. The Gita says "Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana, Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhurmatey Sangostva Akarmani" which asks us to do our duties without expecting fruits of our action. Yet again, a surrender to the universal consciousness. When we exist here as humans (or for that matter as anything - a flower, a butterfly, a tiger, an amoeba or a stone) we are carrying out the universal mission. Our consciousness which is a part of the universal consciousness is helping us to carry out this mission. The result of an action may not be perceivable explicitly in our frame of reference spun by the three spatial dimensions & the non-spatial dimension of time (refer to my previous post), it may not be felt during our lifetime; but that does not mean that action has gone futile because somewhere somehow in the universal context it has contributed to the universal mission.

I have been trying to take cognizance of my consciousness being a part of the universal consciousness. I do this especially when I tend to get overwhelmed by joy or sorrow. This realization helps me to remain grounded and to celebrate my joys & sorrows in the name of the universal consciousness propelling an universal mission.