Our inner world is richer, ampler, larger, and more complex. We can accomplish many things in the inner world of our mind which we would never be able to accomplish in the external world. For example, we would never be able to fly like a bird in the sky in the external world, but we could easily accomplish this miraculous act in the inner world of our mind.
But how is the inner world dangerous for us? How does it pose a real problem for us? The inner world of our desires, etc., is dangerous because due to it we become attached to the external world. If the internal world could somehow be destroyed, then there would be no question of forming attachments to the outer world. If the inner world could be destroyed, the outer world would not pose a problem for us.
As the scriptures state,
भरतहि होइ न राजमदु बिधि हरि हर पद पाइ।।
Bharathi hoi na rājmadu bidhi hari har pad pāi.- Ramayan Ayodhya Kand : Doha 231
“The individual whose internal world is destroyed remains detached from the outer world, even if he's offered the seats of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shankar, the highest seats.”
Some examples of such personalities are Dhruv, Prahlad, Ambrish, Janak, Dashrath, and so on. They were all kings and yet completely detached from the world, instead experiencing only the omnipresence of God in each and every particle of this creation.
ईशा वासिम दग्गम सर्वं
Ishā vāsim daggam sarvam.
They openly declared, “Purukhe vedaggam sarvam (पुरुखे वेदग्गम सर्वं), sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ brahm (सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म ) that (in) each and every particle of this creation, God resides in each and every particle.”
सीय राममय सब जग जानी। करउँ प्रनाम जोरि जुग पानी।।
Siya rāmamay sab jag jānī. Karauṃ pranām jori jug pānī.- Ramayan Bal Kand Chaupai 1.8
“Once the inner world is destroyed, the individual starts experiencing the omnipresence of God. He starts experiencing the bliss of God in each and every particle of the universe.
So if the inner world is destroyed, the outer world can no longer harm us in the least. Please pay attention. But what if the scenario is reversed? What if the outer world is non-existent? What if the inner world is still in existence, but the outer world is non-existent? In other words, it is no longer before us. Will our mind become detached seeing that the external world is non-existent? It is no longer before us? No. Our mind will stay attached to the external world as long as the inner world is in existence. Let me give you an example to show you what I mean.
Suppose you have a son to whom you are very much attached. And suppose one day he goes off to live in another country. Now your son is no longer in your presence. You cannot see him, hear him, or talk to him. In fact, none of your five senses can experience him. Does this mean that you will become detached from your son? No. Your mind is still attached to your son. You will still worry and think about your son. You will continue to worry and think about your son, although he's no longer in your presence. This is what is meant by the inner world continuing to exist in spite of the absence, even though the outer world is no longer in your presence.
