ABSTRACT
Hindu philosophers have formulated a doctrine of cycles to explain the unceasing process of creation and destruction, or more precisely, of manifestation and non-manifestation. Hence the Vedic philosophers felt the need of conceding a relative reality to the phenomenal universe and have offered various statements regarding the creation. According to the non-dualistic Vedanta, this conditioning of Brahman is not real, but only apparent. Brahman projects the universe without any effort or outside compulsion, as suggested by the illustration of exhalation and inhalation. Vedanta philosophy often uses the word maya to describe the creation. In this chapter, the authors have discussed God and the creation from the standpoint of non-dualism, which, as the perennial philosophy of India, has a significant message for the modern world.
