One of the topics discussed in the Srimad Bhagavatam is the topic of primary and secondary creations. This may sound quite complicated, especially taking into consideration that the explanations are spread through different descriptions in different cantos. How can we understand it?

The primary creation is done by Lord Maha-Vishnu, who creates everything that will exist in the numerous universes in a subtle form (like a project or an idea). Later, Brahma is inspired from the heart to give physical forms to this project, performing the secondary creation. As he himself mentions in SB 2.5.17: “Inspired by Him only, I discover what is already created by Him [Nārāyaṇa] under His vision as the all-pervading Supersoul, and I also am created by Him only.”

This happens much like most contemporary constructions and products, that exist first in a subtle form (a project) and later are manifested in a gross form when finally built. Similarly, the ideas and desires stored in our minds are the basis for the gross forms and experiences that will be experienced in our future lives.

When Lord Maha Vishnu performs the primary creation, he creates all possible forms and experiences that exist in the material universes. During the secondary creation, Brahma creates a number of different levels of existence that correspond to the different levels of consciousness of the different living entities. There are thus 14 levels of planetary systems, subdivided into millions of planets and stars, each one containing an enormous volume of forms and experiences. By our consciousness, we take birth into one of these places, according to the level of consciousness and there we perform our small role in the creation, manipulating the different material objects and interacting with other living entities.

When an engineer desires to design a plane, for example, the Lord reveals to him, from inside his heart the knowledge necessary to build it. The engineer may thus take the credit for it, but the plane was actually conceived by the Lord long before. In reality, everything that exists inside the universe is the manifestation of ideas previously conceived by the Lord. As different living beings desire these things, the Lord gives the knowledge from the heart, so they can satisfy their desires.

The description of the creation of the universe given in the Srimad Bhagavatam (starting from the creation of material elements) gives us an idea of the work necessary for creating the environment we live in. It also helps us to better understand the nature of this world and gradually become free from it.

Srila Prabhupada frequently explains in his teachings that life in this material world is just like a dream. We spend time in this dream thinking that we are a man or a woman, that we have this or that position and do on, but because none of it is true in the ultimate sense we need to leave these positions in due time, just like someone awakening from a dream. This however should not be misunderstood.

Like all analogies, the comparison of material life and a dream offers many similarities with reality, but like all analogies, it doesn’t represent all the intricacies of the subject being discussed. We should thus take the main meaning, which is the temporary nature and illusion of our current situation, and not start believing that we are literally living inside a dream and everything around us doesn’t exist.

A dream is illusory in essence, but it is not false. It is real in the sense that someone is experiencing it, but at the same time, it is illusory in nature, since in the dream we forget our real identity and become absorbed in imaginary situations. A dream is thus not false, but it is illusory and based on the forgetfulness of our real identity.

Similarly, this whole material manifestation is not false. We are here experiencing it, as are all the people around us. Things are really happening. It is compared to a dream because we become forgetful of our real nature and become absorbed in the different temporary roles we play here.

Because they are not connected with our eternal nature, all the roles we play in this material world are temporary. We play for some time, but eventually, we are forced to leave, and this is called death. After that, if one is still not ready to accept his real nature, a new temporary role is accepted, which we call birth.

The Srimad Bhagavatam describes not only the illusory nature of reality in this material world but also explains how this “dream” or “virtual reality” is created.

In the teaching of Lord Kapila (3.26.34), it’s mentioned that: “The activities and characteristics of the ethereal element can be observed as the accommodation of room for the external and internal existences of all living entities, namely the field of activities of the vital air, the senses and the mind.”

In his purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada mentions that this verse could become the basis for great scientific research because it deals with the creation of reality from the ether.

According to the Vedas, there are five material elements: earth, water, air, fire, and ether. The “ether” mentioned in the Vedas is not connected with the disproven theory of the luminiferous ether from past centuries, nor is it just a vacuum, like in space. The Vedic conception of ether is a subtle element that serves as a fabric for all the other gross manifestations by the interaction with the mind, intelligence, and false ego. In other words: the reality in which each and every conditioned soul lives is created from his own consciousness.

The subtle elements (the mind, intelligence, and false ego, as well as all desires, ideas, and so on) are created from the ether, and from the further interaction of these subtle elements with the ether, gross elements (earth, water, air, and fire), as well as all physical manifestations are created. As previously discussed, everything that exists starts in the form of an idea, created as part of the primary creation by Maha-Vishnu. As different souls desire to create different objects and go through different experiences, the knowledge about all these creations is revealed to them from inside the heart and they use this knowledge to create the material forms and objects they desire. In other words, the ideas and desires stored in our minds are the basis for the gross forms and experiences that will be experienced in our future lives.

We should remember that when Lord Maha Vishnu performs the primary creation, he creates all possible forms and experiences that exist in the material universe. During the secondary creation, Brahma creates a number of different levels of existence that correspond to the different levels of consciousness of the different living entities. There are thus 14 levels of planetary systems, subdivided into millions of planets and stars, corresponding to different levels of consciousness of the different living entities who populate the universe. Each of these planets and stars contains an enormous volume of forms and experiences. According to the level of our consciousness, we take birth into one of these places and we perform our small role in the creation, manipulating the different material objects and interacting with other living entities.

This corroborates what Krsna says in the Bhagavad-Gita when He explains that one’s mental situation at death is the basis for his next birth. Srila Prabhupada explains that mental existence transforms into tangible form as soon as there is an opportunity. In other words, all the desires stored in the mind serve as the basis for the development of a new body, which will lead to a new birth in a situation that will allow the soul to act upon such desires.

By carefully studying these teachings we can understand the ephemeral (although not false) nature of this world, and how our reality is created from our consciousness, through the interactions of the subtle elements with the ether. Just as a material consciousness creates a material body and numerous material objects and experiences, a spiritual consciousness fixed in service to Krsna leads us to the spiritual, eternal reality.