Existence

Existence (Sanskrit: अस्तित्व, Astitv) is defined as that which is.

The existence can be described in many words, such as:

• Which is
• Everything
• That which is happening
• All
• Completeness
• Emptiness
• Supreme
• Absolute
• Ultimate
• Transcended
• Greatest

There are many more names.

Analysis

Analysis of existence can be done on the basis of seven basic questions. Here some conclusions are stated in brief, the full analysis can be seen in detail on these links.

• Essence of existence: is nothingness.
• Cause of existence: is acausal.
• Generation of existence: is nonprocedural.
• Place of existence: is nonlocal.
• Time of existence: is nontemporal.
• Personality of Existence: is impersonal.
• Number of existences: is one.

Nondual Nature

Existence is one. It appears in many forms, but is unbroken, undivided. It is apparently divided into many by the differentiating activity of the memory. The first division is that of the experience and experiencer. The distinction between seen and the seer is the first. Thus there are apparently two parts of the existence. Duality originates here.

Because this distinction is an illusion, duality is false, it appears. The nature of existence is nondual, not two. This is established in the article on Oneness.

Knowledge of Existence

Existence is infinite. Part of it is manifested, which is being sensed via senses of various kinds. These sensations are stored in the memory as impressions and the same are being experienced.

When logical relations are formed between these contents of the memory, we call them knowledge. Thus knowledge is very limited. There is a limit to memory and to the senses. Logical relations are formed by the intellect and are also limited. They are different for each and every organism. Whatever is known, it is not the existence as it is, its a distorted form of the existence. There is no other means for knowledge. Therefore it is impossible to know existence as it is.

Experiences are a result of apparent vibrations and are changeable, they are change manifested, hence they are false according to the accepted criteria of truth. All knowledge is experiential, hence it is a knowledge of that which is false. Knowledge of truth is negative knowledge. Thus existence is Unknowable.

This may look like a big problem, but it is not. Even if it is impossible to know it, it is possible to be it. I am already it. This idea is introduced below. Existence is unknowable precisely because it is totally empty, there is nothing to know here. This idea is also discussed briefly below. All such notions are discussed in much more detail in the links given in those introductory sections. There is nothing here, and probably that is the most interesting and mysterious aspect of it.

Qualities

Because existence is everything, it has all qualities and it also lacks all qualities, thus completing itself.

Existence can be understood in terms of both the manifested and the unmanifested. It is with attributes and also is attributeless. Thus existence is perfection, it is complete in every aspect, it is whole. It has the symmetry of negative and positive qualities, and is therefore zero or empty.

There is causelessness and there are also causes (apparently). Similarly, there is timelessness and there is also time. Likewise location etc. There is happiness, and also sorrow, light and darkness, male and female, good and evil, birth and death. And so on.

Because everything is included in the existence and everything is also empty, it can be said that it has all the qualities, and no qualities. It sounds contradictory but that is how it is.

Existence is often given some special qualities. All these qualities are negative. Such as :

• Infinite
• Undivided
• Nonlocal
• Nontemporal
• No beginning
• Never ending
• Unknowable
• Nondual

Truth of Existence

In simple words, it can be said that existence is nondual, one and unbroken. Entering illusory duality, there are two faces of existence.

1. Real form that is immutable
2. That which appears and is variable

According to the definition of truth, the first face is true and the second is false. Existence itself is beyond the duality of true and untrue.

Existence and Experience

Experience is the face of existence that appears. Is visible. It is variable. Is untrue. It can either be called vibrations or memory. This face of existence is also called illusion. It has many other names like Energy or Nature. Knowledge of experience is called knowledge of the illusion or science. The use of this knowledge is in survival or desire fulfilment. Science is a subset of occult or occult sciences, which deal with the whole of the experience, its knowledge and application of that knowledge.

Existence and Experiencer

Experiencer is the face of existence that is imperceptible. It is changeless. Is true. It can also be called the seer or the witness. The existence is witnessing itself as experience, via this aspect of the experiencer. It is a self-aware existence. This is what any human would call I. Thus I am the existence, especially its experiencer aspect. This knowledge is called Self Knowledge.

Existence and Experiencing

Experiencing is existence itself. When there is no ignorance of duality, then whatever that remains is experiencing. This is the state of union. This is the equanimous state. It can be understood by controlling the activity or in the state of awareness. This knowledge is called Realisation of Oneness. There is no I here because I originates with No-I and at this stage there is no such distinction. There is no individual here. This is the state of egolessness.

Comparative Study

A Comparative study of existence, experience, experiencer and experiencing.

Existence and Change

There is change and there is no change in existence. Here there is nothing that changes actually, it is just an apparent change. We can also call it probable change. This appears to be due to activity of memory, but is really not there. In this way, we get the answer to the question - how can that which is unchanging and timeless, is also changing?

The answer is that there is no change in existence, nor has it ever happened, because there is timelessness. Whatever is changing is apparent, it is false, only an illusion.

All events are merely change, therefore it can be said that there are no events, nothing happens and nothing will ever happen. There is neither past nor future. Neither I was born nor will I die, there is no journey called life.

Existence and Emptiness

According to the above argument, nothing exists and nothing will exist. Whatever appears here is totally false according to the chosen criteria of truth. That which actually exists is not manifested, it is imperceptible, ungraspable. Thus existence is empty or devoid of anything.

However, all duality or multiplicity arise in this existence from emptiness. In spite of it being nothing, there are infinite possibilities. Emptiness, despite being void, is densely packed with infinite potential.

Being unknowable, it is impossible to know emptiness. It is beyond intellect. The one who knows this can be called the transcended one.

Beliefs ​​

That which is within the reach of physical senses of human body is the only Existence there is.

Existence is nothingness.

Existence is only physical.

We need to worship it.

It has an intelligence which is similar to human intelligence.

Existence in Scriptures

Brahman :

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