There is just one thing in this universe which has three qualities—it is, it knows it is and it is joy itself. This one thing is called Sat (existence), Chit (consciousness) and Ananda (bliss). Together, all the three have just one name and that is called I. When we say we, you, they, us and it, it means the same I only.
Sri Adi Sankaracharya in the lilting verses of Atma Bodha or knowledge of I, the self, says this whole universe is pervaded with this existing and conscious self alone.
Anusyuta is the word used, which means it is the covering as if there is a whole pocket called Satchidananda, in which all of us live. This is eternal and there is no day or time when this is not there. It is all pervasive and hence there is no place where you cannot find it. Wherever you may go physically, mentally, intellectually or emotionally, it is there.
A joke is very relevant here. The parents of a school boy were staunch atheists and so they named their son “There is no god!” The teacher in the class took attendance and called out the names, “Hari, Ram, Shyam, Krishna, Joseph, Charles, Zainulabbuddin, Siddharth….” They would answer as always, “Present sir.” “There is no god!” the teacher called out that sentence of a name on the attendance register and the answer invariably was, “Present sir!”
There is no absence for this presence called I or the self or Satchidananda. In this all-encompassing life that pervades everywhere, every name and form is an individuality called vyakti who has been conceived and imagined by the total self. In the presence of life, there is a big tree with many birds, there are animals and plants, there are humans, there are the reptile and insect species. Invisibly there are many beings that exist away from the infra-red and ultra-violet light frequencies that are not registered by our eyesight which can see colours only in between these two frequencies.
The poet philosopher gives a very beautiful example to illustrate how this one life is showing up as different forms of beings and objects. There is one gold molten, shining and yellow in colour. That gold is poured through a chain mould and it appears as a chain. That gold is poured through a bangle mould and it rolls out as a bangle. That molten liquid is passed through a bracelet mould and it looks like a bracelet and that same yellow metal is cast as thin anklets that girdle tiny feet. We call these ornaments by different names, but together they are nothing but gold. Take the gold away and the ornaments too disappear. Take life away and this whole universe too disappears!