Because man has the whole universe within himself just as an acorn has the whole oak tree in potency dwelling within it, therefore he can, by diving deep within himself, find out the mysteries of the producing Source, Being and Processes of working of the universe.
If we think on the process of the development of a tree from a seed, we will find that process as marvelous as the most marvelous phenomena of nature. Indeed, this process of the birth of a tree out of a seed is the process, in miniature, of the birth of the universe out of Krishna-Love. This process of Creation is being repeated every moment throughout Creation itself. The laws of production and destruction, formation and disintegration are the same in scientific exactitude as those which produce and form, and destroy and disintegrate the universe. The operation of these laws is going on as much in the inner as in this outer world of ours—as constantly on the mental plane as on the physical. The law which brings forth a tree out of a seed is exactly the same as that which, in a finer manifestation, operates through the birth of a thought in our mind. The rooting, the shooting, the growing, the flowering and the fruiting of a tree is but a gross reproduction of the process by which a thought awakes, develops and takes shape and action within us. The stages of a thought's birth can be clearly perceived when the mind is calm; at first there is an Unknown Feeling, then an Indefinite Vibration, which develops into Abstract Idea. Idea develops into Thought, and Thought becomes action.
Out of Krishna (Love) Creation springs into existence like a thought. Thought exists in our mind like a seed, in the shape of previous impressions of objects and ideas; so the seed of creation lies in the bosom of Krishna, in the shape of impressions of ideas of previous Creations. This seed or germ is made up of three attributes, called Sattwa (Illumination), Rāja (Activity or Motion), and Tama (Obscuration or Darkness). So long as these three attributes, forming the essence of the germ, are in equilibrium, that is to say, are of equal degree or force or intensity, Creation remains in the germ-state in the bosom of its First Cause (Krishna). But the moment there is the least tendency of any of these attributes of this germ-essence to fall out of equilibrium with the other two, that is to say, when one becomes more powerful than the others, then they start out of the Central Self—Krishna, encased in another form, almost like unto the Krishna-Form, a state which is analogous to the Unknown-Feeling state in the development of human thought.
This state is called Vāsudeva, which again has a form-centre of its abstract self-radiance, pervading all space. It is the least pronounced state or stage of differentiation induced by the tendency of loss of equilibrium in the even forces of the three Cardinal Attributes (Gunas), illumination, motion and obscuration. The second stage, called Sankarsana, analogous to the Indefinite-Vibration stage of the development of thought, has again a form-centre of its all-pervading abstract self-radiance. This Sankarsana is the Unconscious Cause of Creation. The third stage, called Pradyumna, analogous to the Abstract-Idea stage of thought, has likewise a form-centre of its all-pervading abstract Self-radiance. This is the Semi-Conscious Cause of Creation; and from this develops the fourth stage, called Aniruddha, which is analogous to the full-developed Thought-stage and is the Full Conscious Cause of Creation. This Aniruddha is called Vishnoo or Nārāyan, from nār (water), and ayan (bed), because he floats on his back on the water of Love-life, while out of his navel springs a gigantic lotus—a figurative expression, meaning the Universe in bud—in which is encased the sleeping Brahmā, the operating Creator, with the germ of Creation dwelling within his mind and about to shoot forth.
In Aniruddha the real stage of inequilibrium of the Attributes (Gunas) develops, and in Brahmā it assumes full development. With the opening of the petals of the Mystic Love-lotus, Brahmā awakes from his sleep (deep trance state), and, unable for a moment to understand the meaning of the Lotus-bed or the Water of Life around (just as a man suddenly roused out of sleep is dazed and forgets to think and therefore feels stupid for the moment), he goes down through the hollow of the Lotus-stalk in order to find out the bottom of the Lotus. He goes down, down, down, and at last finds its depths unending, bottomless. He therefore comes up to the surface again and sits down mystified, when he suddenly hears a voice from the water, as it were, saying: "Tapa, tapa, tapa!" which means, "Meditate, meditate, meditate!" With the sound of that word the meaning becomes apparent to Brahmā. It means: "Why art thou looking outward? Look inward and thou shalt know." Whereupon his eyes involuntarily close, and his mind becomes concentrated inward. Then he sees before his mental vision Aniruddha (Vishnoo) appear and say: "O Awakened One! know and remember that thou art Brahmā, the Creator." At the very suggestion he finds out his own self and exclaims: "Oh, yes! I am Brahmā." Then Vishnoo again says: "Thou hast now to create the universe."
"Oh, yes!" he exclaims, as the memory of his function springs within him, "I am to create the universe; but how?"
"By meditating upon the former creation. As the memory of past creation, which dwells within thee, shall awake, creation will begin."
With hearing begins action; and as Brahmā concentrates his mind upon his former creation, its memory in time flashes through him, and with the flashing of that memory creation manifests itself, in the shape of earth, and sky, and trees, and grass, and ocean, and rivers, and in time beast, and bird, and man, all complete. Just as a master painter first designs a picture in his mind and reproduces that design upon the canvas, even so is the picture of creation produced upon the canvas of Love-life. Only the painter Brahmā paints with the brush of his all-powerful mind-force, which, the moment the design forms in his mind, is materialized into living substance.
SECTION III. THE STEPS OF CREATION.
The Veda says that the universe is like a tree; that is to say, it is a tree, the roots of which are embedded in the unmanifested First Cause—Krishna. Aniruddha is the seed, and Brahmā is the first sprout. This analogy between the seed and the sprout, between Aniruddha (also called Vishnoo and Nārāyan) and Brahmā seems so perfect that it justifies the conclusion that the process of the birth of a plant is only an imitation of the process through which the universe springs into being.