Does the world exist independent of an 'observer'?

Did the world exist independent of an observer? This seems an interesting question! If we deeply contemplate, that the idea of world existing become null and void, if there is no observer! Einstein’s theory of relativity becomes invalid, if there is no observer of the motion and mass! Similarly, the entire creation is just an idea if there is no independent observer! The next important question is “who is the observer? The scriptures talk about the “Seer”, one who witnesses everything disinterestedly. Vedanta asserts that the seer is the self! The mind has got the power to construct night dreams and in the same analogy, it is expert in creating day dream also. In the dream state, the dreamer lays in the cot experiences many things! Only when he wakes up, he is aware that all the experiences are due to false imagination of the mischievous mind! When the body was lying in cot, how it can travel to places, meet many, dine and dance or even frightened due to some fear? I may be lying down on the bed in India but I dream about far off countries, travel in the plane, reach the other shore and perform many tasks (all in the dream). On waking up, I find myself lying on a cot in my room without stirring even a little! How this could be made possible? Dream is the creation of the mind like the magicians trick. The magician who is expert in hoodwinking the entire audience creates many things out of an empty hat. The audience becomes spell bound due to those astonishing tricks. But it is mere jugglery and not real. How a girl cut into two pieces across come out alive? Is it logic? Hence the magician is none but a trickster with his conjuring hands and magic wand! Of course, we go the magic show for amusement and recreation. But we are miserably connected to the magic mind since from our birth and we can get relief only when we die!

Do you believe your mind as a source of happiness and comfort? Sadly, you are brainwashed to accept such a blatant lie. Mind is the greatest mischief maker in the world. If we rely upon it as a best friend, it will dump us headlong into a bottomless pit! I don’t deny that the mind is needed for living life on earth since the mind is attached deeply to the body! Bereft of a body, mind cannot survive. We falsely attach and identify ourselves with the perishable body and hence we undergo all the troubles, problems, grief and pain. One may assert that he enjoys tasty dishes through the tongue, hear melodious songs with the ear, touch soft things like the flower petals, inhale the scented smell of perfumes etc. No doubt, all the pleasures of the external world is experienced through the sense organs of the body with the connection of mind remaining intact. Yes, without the medium of the mind, none can perceive or enjoy anything in this world. I may be enjoying the company of most beautiful girl, only with the involvement of mind. If I am concerned with some other thoughts in the mind, I may not enjoy her companionship. I may taste the sweetest dish but if I am worried about some situation, I may not relish even the sweet dish. The mind must be focused on the task in hand, then only it will enjoy the presence of a beautiful girl or taste the nice dish!

There is a funny story to elucidate this point. A teacher was teaching mathematics to the students and he was explaining about the principles of addition. But a boy was looking at the roof where a rodent was trying to enter a hole! The teacher asked the boy, have everything entered his head, the boy inadvertently spelt out, No sir, the tail is left 9indicating the rat). Though he was very much present in the class and his ears are sharp, yet his attention is on the rat on the roof. Hence the mind was absent at that time. Had he focused on what the teacher says, he would have taken in the lessons. Many a time, we may be watching a serial in TV but the mind is engaged in some distressing thoughts in the office work, we may not be aware what we see in the TV. Our eyes are open and focused on the TV, yet the mind is absent and hence nothing is perceived what goes on in the program. Hence, the mind is a vital link for leading our life on earth since we need to focus on our jobs to earn our food and wherewithal of life! At the same time, we must remember that the mind is not a dependable companion and it will lead us to wrong paths in a split second.

Now reverting back to the vital question, ‘without an observer, the world is null and void! “The observer really gives credence to world as such”. Think of a second that there is only an observer and there is no object! This is also a ridiculous statement. Hence we can safely conclude that ‘everything is within us; what we observe outside is really what is inside us or inside the self. We may conclude that the world is really an imagination of the mind or an idea of the mind which is not real. The reality is the SELF and there is no second to it; all that we observe through our mind is illusion and imagination!