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How can a family bond be unreal when reality is gifted to the creation?

[Ms. Saatvika asked:- When both the creation and myself (being part of creation) are real due to the gifted reality from God, how can we say that bond with family is unreal?]

Swami replied:- Even though the world is real due to the gifted absolute reality from God, the world is inherently unreal whereas the absolute reality of God is inherently real. The reality of the world is with a defect and the reality of God is without any defect. Based on this defect, Shankara named the reality of the world as Mithyaa (neither absolutely real nor absolutely unreal) or relative reality. The giver of the gift is always superior to the receiver of the gift. This gift is always under the control of God and the world has no control on its absolute reality gifted by God. Hence, the worldly bonds are Mithyaa only and cannot be called as absolutely real. The bond with absolutely real God is absolutely real. The worldly bond may pose as real bond in isolation, but when it is compared to the bond with God, it is certainly relatively real or on analysis unreal. The worldly bonds are confined to this birth only. They neither existed previously nor will exist in the next birth. That which neither existed in the past nor will exist in the future is unreal in the present also (Yadanityaṃ tat kṛtakaṃ hi loke - Shankara). Hence, worldly bonds can be treated as relatively real or inherently unreal. Regarding the bond with God, if you form a bond with God in this birth, that will continue forever because the bond is with eternal God and not with non-eternal worldly items.

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