Appearance and Reality

According to Shankaracharya's commentary, all entities in the world are appearances or modifications that have no independent existence. They borrow their existence from a higher reality, which is pure being or existence (sat). These appearances are called mithya, meaning false or unreal. The reality, sat, is unchanging and eternal, while the appearances are temporary and changing. Shankaracharya gives examples like clay and pot to explain how modifications depend on their material cause for existence. He emphasizes that the entire universe, including the body, mind, and external objects, are appearances of Maya, and their underlying reality is Brahman, which is pure existence. Understanding this distinction between appearance and reality leads to clarity and freedom from delusion and sorrow.