The Divine Feminine is commonly known as Prakriti or nature, from which all matter in the Universe arises. One of the most significant and perceptible aspect of Prakriti is its duality, where everything on Mother Earth, reveals itself in pairs such as, happiness and sadness, day and night, pain and pleasure, hot and cold, male and female, creation and destruction, birth and death and light and dark to name a few. This duality provides life the complexities and intricacies in which we make choices of the type of existence we choose to live in, to keep our existence exhilarating, mysterious, variable and infinite. Existing in the smallest particle of creation to the highest manifestations of the Universe, Prakriti, offers us with the material manifest of the Universe.

“Duality,” is the nature in which everything exists in contrast to each other, whilst depending on each other for its existence. It is a symbiotic relationship that gives and takes, creates and destroys all at the same time – creating the movement of our Universe that our lives are so dependent on. Our lives depend on this duality so that we are able to exist through the cycles of time, change and the process of evolution.

Creation and Destruction

The two most prominent aspects of Prakriti are creation and destruction for within these premises, reside the cycles of change and transformation. Everything on Mother Earth, is bound by cycles and periods of time – everything changes at every moment of existence; nothing is permanent. The same goes with the cycle of life and death – for there to be a “newness,” or a change, death or destruction must first happen.

Subtle and Gross

Water, fire, earth and our physical bodies are viewed as gross matter, that which can be seen by the naked eye. Our Souls, air and space are the subtle matter, that which cannot be seen, yet exists and can be felt. The flower is gross matter of which, its sweet smelling fragrant essence is the subtle matter. All subtle and gross matter coincide with its existence – either one exists of the other.

Knowledge and Ignorance

Knowledge arises from the observation and the understanding of everything we pursue which rises from our perceptions and processing of everything we see. Ignorance on the other hand, is the absence of wisdom, the lack of knowing, the void of awareness and the delusion of the mind. Knowledge accomplished through freedom of our Souls is considered to be the highest form of knowledge. Hence, the global need for Self-Realisation!

Bondage and Liberation

Prakriti binds Her innumerable facets together to create new things. One such evidence is the bondage of the five elements, bound together in diverse amalgamations and scopes to create the various life forms on Mother Earth. Prakriti is also accountable for binding the Soul to the body, where the Soul experiences the cycles of birth and death. Liberation occurs when the body dies and the Soul is freed of its bondage. The liberation of the Soul occurs through the process of Transformation when the Soul is free from the influences of the physical body.

Delusion and Reality

Maya or delusion is one of the reasons why human beings are so far away from the ultimate truth and reality. Everything around us is Maya – a delusion of our perceptions, which blinds us about who we really are. It creates the misconception of what life is and the reality we aim to perfect. The Maya in our lives differs from one person to another, based on the levels of the roles we are sent here to play.

Active and Inactive

Prakriti encompasses both active and inactive elements in Her creation. Lifeless or inanimate objects are inactive, while, plants and other lower life forms are partly active and the higher life forms are wholly active. These levels of activeness hinge on the Being’s determination for desires and needs in life.

Pleasant and Unpleasant

Prakriti also contains both pleasant and unpleasant attributes within Her, which play important roles in the parade of nature. The pleasant characteristics of nature are its capacity to create, nurture and liberate, whilst the unpleasant characteristics of nature are its capacity to bind, conceal and destroy. Nature can be calm, passive, caring and beautiful as well as, be powerful, destructive, ferocious and chaotic. In her calm state, everything looks majestic while in her ferocious state, she is destructive and merciless – this is Mother Nature: beautiful yet, intimidating at the same time.

Good and Evil

Both good and evil qualities in Nature in order to recompense all living beings the lessons of either of Her qualities. Evil exists to create suffering that leads Man towards the path of righteousness and liberation. All mortal Beings are susceptible to evil, from evil thoughts to evil deeds, for the human body perpetually seeks recognition of its existence. The ego in human beings is the very confines in which evil harbours in. Only breath can alleviate the existence of evil within the human body, purifying the body of evil intent and evil doings, as, it is through breath that we regain awareness and a consciousness of our actions and deeds.

Dependent and Independent

The law of creation comprises both dependent and independent facets of Nature. Human beings are dependent on Divine Beings for protection and support while the Divine Beings are dependent on human beings for sustenance. Everything on planet Earth was created in such a way that they exist co-dependent of each other. Hence, the feminine energy is equally dependent of the masculine energy as the masculine energy is of the feminine.

Manifested and the Un-manifested

The Manifested (Sambhuti), means all that have appeared and have taken place while, the Un-manifested (Asambhuti), means all that are yet to appear. Our past is considered to be manifested whilst our future, un-manifested as it is yet to take place.

Prakriti ceaselessly continues Her ecstatic dance to set all life into motion, creating, manifesting and destroying in every cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The unification of Man and Nature is the Universe’s display to create the awareness of the Self and the liberation of the Self. The duality in existence of what is and what may be, is a vivid demonstration of human beings’ reflections of all that is within.

All manifestations and the elaborate theory of nature suggest the existence of duality. In its absence, nothing can exist.

Om Sri Matre Namaha.

SUJATA NANDY WORLD GURUKUL

www.sujatanandy.com

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