Astitiva
The book, In God’s Hand, provides the literal translation of Astitva as “is-ness” or existence (click here for details). Light without darkness has no nature or definition. It is the shadow that distinguishes the nature or existence of the light. Without the shadow, light may exist, but it has no nature that distinguishes it from anything else. For any particular thing to have definition it must have a context or interaction with what it is not. There is a natural duality for all things that define difference between what something is and what something is not, and that differentiating nature establishes existence.
For human beings, “is-ness” is ego. Long before even our parents exist there are events at work that contribute to who we are. We are born into a particular culture and within a family with particular traditions and history. The politics and philosophy of the past is a predisposition for how we will think of ourselves in the world and how we will approach the personal decisions we make. Biologically we have a genetic code that is formed by the experience of every ancestor we have ever had, going back to the first microorganisms on earth. Long before we are born there is a nature or “is-ness” in place that defines our human potential, and that is merely a foundation of individuality on which we pile our own experiences, thoughts and actions.
When we think of God we have no specific point of reference in the physical world. If God is everything then there is no description of what God is not. This makes it very difficult to say anything specific about the nature of God. Scientifically a singularity is something that is beyond description for this very reason, for a true singularity has no distinguishing characteristics or sub-identity within itself. If God is something that is beyond the universe and everything, then the universe is a singularity within the singularity of God, which is unimaginable. All we can say about the ultimate and pure state of God is that it exists, that it has Astitva. When there is no light, the darkness prevails as the pure state of existence.
The Book of Genesis describes the initial singularity with the spirit of God in a void (hovering over the waters or vastness). The initial state of God is thus a spirit or shadow state of creation from which the universe is formed beginning with a separation of light and dark. The Spirit form of God precedes the form of God.
So, why is this important? The reality of God is not in the “is” state of things. A chair is not a chair because it is made of a particular material, or has legs and a seat; a chair is a chair because of how it is used. Thus, a beanbag chair or a tree stump, which are somewhat unintentional chairs, become as chair-like as the most deliberately produced royal throne. It is the “is-ness” of the chair that is the reality of the chair, and that “is-ness” can be an expression of the illusion of the mind or the reality of God. Our egos are wrapped up in the illusions of the mind and through spiritual awakening the ego is transformed to become the “real ego” or God within us. Removing the burden of individuality and selfishness surrenders the ego to God.
It is the shadow world that defines the light, and without shadow the light has no direction and offers no clarity. It is the function of existence, the pure “is-ness” of the universe that is the true reality. In human form it is only possible to catch glimpses of this reality from the corner of our eye. The challenge is to live by knowing it is there. To be awakened to the ever present reality of God.
Astitva is the realm of the spiritual journey.
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