Text 1] Questions by the Sages 47
the spiritual world. Absolute Truth is in the spiritual sky, not the material
sky. In the material sky everything is relative truth. That is to say, one truth
depends on something else. This cosmic creation results from interaction
of the three modes of nature, and the temporary manifestations are so
created as to present an illusion of reality to the bewildered mind of the
conditioned soul, who appears in so many species of life, including the
higher demigods, like Brahm, Indra, Candra, and so on. In actuality, there
is no reality in the manifested world. There appears to be reality, however,
because of the true reality which exists in the spiritual world, where the
Personality of Godhead eternally exists with His transcendental parapher-
nalia.

The chief engineer of a complicated construction does not personally
take part in the construction, but he knows every nook and corner
because everything is done under his direction. He knows everything
about the construction, both directly and indirectly. Similarly, the Person-
ality of Godhead who is the supreme engineer of this cosmic creation
knows every nook and corner, although affairs are being carried out by
demigods. Beginning from Brahma down to the insignificant ant, no one is
independent in the material creation. The hand of the Lord is seen
everywhere. All material elements as well as all spiritual sparks emanate
from Him only. And whatever is created in this material world is but
the interaction ‘of two energies, the material and the spiritual, which
emanate from the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna.
A chemist can manufacture water in the chemical laboratory by mixing
hydrogen and oxygen. But, in reality, the living entity works in the
laboratory under the direction of the Supreme Lord. And the materials
with which he works are also supplied by the Lord. The Lord knows
everything directly and indirectly, and He is cognizant of all minute details,
and He is fully independent. He is compared with the mine of gold, and
the cosmic creations in so many different forms are compared with
objects made from the gold, such as gold rings, necklaces and so on. The
gold ring and the gold necklace are qualitatively one with the gold in the
mine, but quantitatively the gold in the mine is different. Therefore, the
Absolute Truth is simultaneously one and different. Nothing is absolutely
equal with the Absolute Truth, but at the same time, nothing is independent
of the Absolute Truth.

Conditioned souls beginning from Brahma, who engineers the entire
universe, down to the insignificant ant, are all creating, but none of them
are independent of the Supreme Lord. The materialist wrongly thinks that
there is no creator other than his own self. This is called maya, or illusion.
