What is beyond this universe? || Acharya Prashant, with youth (2013)
Questioner: Sir, what is beyond this universe?
Acharya Prashant: If I say there is something beyond this universe, then you will think of it and it will become a part of this universe. The universe is in your mind. It is like asking that what is beyond infinity.
I will say, ‘Infinity plus one’ and it will be infinity.
So this question of ‘beyond this universe.’ What do you mean by beyond this universe?
If there is something beyond this universe, it has to be ‘that’ which is beyond the mind , because the universe is the mind itself. There is no objective existence of space. Didn’t we say that space and time exist not there but here(the *mind*) and when you say universe you mean space.
It exists here (mind), so beyond the universe is beyond the mind. You cannot think of it. You can’t ask it. I can’t tell it. But surely the mind has its limitations. So that means there is for sure something beyond the universe. If there is something beyond the mind and the universe is mind, then there is bound to be something beyond the universe as well. But don’t think of it, you’ll come to know, but thinking will not take you there.
For you it is sufficient to see that the mind is limited. Limited by what?
Its own thoughts, conditioning, past and experiences. That’s all it knows. It is like there is infinite space available but the mind roams about in this small room. And what is this small room?
The room of the past. The room of the knowledge that the mind has gathered. The room of its experiences. Mind keeps on roaming about in this only and the mind thinks that this is all there is.
The mind has no idea of what lies beyond, because this is the mind. It’s captured here (pointing at the room) .
Excerpted from a ‘Shabd-Yog’ session. Edited for clarity.
