Progression

There is a concept in Vedanta that creation arises from the formless, without qualities. What causes creation to arise? We could say recognition of Self. Self aware of Itself. And what is that recognition? It remembers itself. This is Smriti or memory.

The mind streather here is that in order to remember itself, it had to have already experienced itself. But keep in mind, this is before time. It happens in every moment, eternally.

What’s equally interesting is that the sum of memory is called Atman, usually translated as Self.  Self remembers what it already knows.

If we understand that the world exists for Self to experience Itself, then naturally we are the memory of all those experiences. And the experiences are reminders as the memory preexists. We are made of memory and thus preexist. No wonder we tell ourselves story’s.  😉

These observations were made after I read this quote from the Rg Veda, the oldest known text.

Yatha purvam akalpayat
— Rg Veda 10.190.3

This means ‘creation is based on what was before’

Put another way, creation is a progression. We build experiences on what has been experienced. What is to happen is what has not yet been experienced, based on the memory of what has been. A progression from memory to memory. But as it is eternal, it has already been experienced and remembered.

It also means that creation arises from memory, from Atman, the Self. You are the creator from that which you have always been and known.

Too abstract? It is your fundamental nature.
Davidya