Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 12 (Contd…)
But the individualised life-force is to its own consciousness limited and full of incapacity; for it has to work not only against the mass of other environing individualised life-forces, but also subject to control and denial by the infinite Life itself with whose total will and trend its own will and trend may not immediately agree. Therefore limitation of force, phenomenon of incapacity is the third of the three characteristics of individualised and divided Life. On the other hand, the impulse of self-enlargement and all-possession remains and it does not and is not meant to measure or limit itself by the limit of its present force or capacity. Hence from the gulf between the impulse to possess and the force of possession desire arises; for if there were no such discrepancy, if the force could always take possession of its object, always attain securely its end, desire would not come into existence but only a calm and self-possessed Will without craving such as is the Will of the Divine.
EXPLANATION
The life-force is individualised within a form. It is limited and full of incapacity on account of two factors. One, it has to work against the mass of other surrounding individualised life forces. Secondly it is subject to control and denial by the infinite Life itself. Because its own will and trend may not immediately agree with the total will and trend of the infinite Life.
Therefore, the third characteristic, namely the limitation of force and phenomenon of incapacity of individualised and divided Life happens.
On the other hand, the impulse of self-enlargement and all-possession remains. It is not limited by its present force or capacity. Hence there is a gap between the impulse to possess and the force of possession (which is limited). This gap leads to the birth of desire.
Let us assume that there is no discrepancy. Whatever we want to possess, we have the necessary force to securely obtain it. Then desire would not be there. Instead, we will have a calm and self-possessed Will without craving. This is nothing but the Will of the Divine.
PARAGRAPH 13
If the individualised force were the energy of a mind free from ignorance, no such limitation, no such necessity of desire would intervene. For a mind not separated from supermind, a mind of divine knowledge would know the intention, scope and inevitable result of its every act and would not crave or struggle but put forth an assured force self-limited to the immediate object in view. It would, even in stretching beyond the present, even in undertaking movements not intended to succeed immediately, yet not be subject to desire or limitation. For the failures also of the Divine are acts of its omniscient omnipotence which knows the right time and circumstance for the incipience, the vicissitudes, the immediate and the final results of all its cosmic undertakings. The mind of knowledge, being in unison with the divine Supermind, would participate in this science and this all-determining power.
EXPLANATION
The individualised force in us is handicapped by limitation and ignorance. Because, as we have seen in the beginning it is governed by a divided mind separated from Supermind.
On the contrary, if the individualised force were the energy of a mind free from ignorance it would not be affected by limitation and desire. When mind is one with the Supermind it would be a mind of divine knowledge. It would know the intention, scope and inevitable result of its every act. It would not desire or struggle to obtain something. Whatever it wants to achieve as an immediate object it would put forth the assured and self-limited force.
It may even try to stretch itself beyond the present or undertake movements not intended to succeed immediately. Yet it would not be limited by desire and limitation. The failures of the Divine are also its acts of omniscient omnipotence. In such acts also, the Divine knows the right time and circumstance for beginning of a work, its ups and downs and the final results of its entire cosmic works. The mind which is united with the Supermind is the mind of knowledge. It would participate in the Divine knowledge and this all-determining power.
But, as we have seen, individualised life-force here is an energy of individualising and ignorant Mind, Mind that has fallen from the knowledge of its own Supermind. Therefore incapacity is necessary to its relations in Life and inevitable in the nature of things; for the practical omnipotence of an ignorant force even in a limited sphere is unthinkable, since in that sphere such a force would set itself against the working of the divine and omniscient omnipotence and unfix the fixed purpose of things,—an impossible cosmic situation.
EXPLANATION
We have seen that Mind has fallen from the knowledge of its own Supermind. The individualised life-force is the energy of the individualising and ignorant Mind. Therefore, incapacity becomes inevitable to its relations in Life and in the nature of things.
We cannot think of an all-powerful ignorant force in a limited sphere. An infinite force cannot work in a finite environment. If that be so, such a force would work against the working of the divine and omniscient omnipotence. It would unsettle the fixed purpose of things. It would lead to an impossible cosmic situation.
The struggle of limited forces increasing their capacity by that struggle under the driving impetus of instinctive or conscious desire is therefore the first law of Life. As with desire, so with this strife; it must rise into a mutually helpful trial of strength, a conscious wrestling of brother forces in which the victor and vanquished or rather that which influences by action from above and that which influences by retort of action from below must equally gain and increase. And this again has eventually to become the happy shock of divine interchange, the strenuous clasp of Love replacing the convulsive clasp of strife. Still, strife is the necessary and salutary beginning. Death, Desire and Strife are the trinity of divided living, the triple mask of the divine Life-principle in its first essay of cosmic self-affirmation.
EXPLANATION
There is instinctive or conscious desire in each limited form. By its driving impulse, the individually limited forces struggle to increase their capacity. This struggle to increase the capacity is the first law of Life.
This struggle must rise into a mutually helpful trial of strength. Here there should be mutual gain and increase among the co-existing forces. Even in struggle between forces each must gain. There is an influencing action from above and a responding action from below in which both gains.
This should eventually has to become the happy shock of divine interchange. The clasp of struggle should be replaced by clasp of Love.
Struggle is inevitable and helpful in the beginning. Death, Desire and Strife are the trinity (three aspects) of divided living. They are the triple mask of the divine Life-principle in its first attempt of cosmic self-affirmation.
(When two or more life forces meet there is mutual devouring. However, as evolution proceeds this mutual devouring leads to mutual self-giving. The truth remains that each life-force gains, grows, by joining with other life forces. This joining with other life forces is not voluntary in our stage of ignorance; it is aggressive, it tries to absorb. After a certain stage of evolution is reached, there is recognition that this aggressive devouring is not necessary; a mutual self-giving can do much more. So, the clasp of strife is replaced by clasp of love. There is mutual self-giving, each enriches the other. Till that stage is reached strife is normal feature. – Shri M.P.Pandit – Talks on the Life Divine, p. 130, Dipti Publications)
SYNOPSIS
- The Mind and Life are the creations of Consciousness-Force and the Knowledge-Will. But this Force operates for maintenance of clearly demarcated individual forms. They are in mutual opposition and interchange in which the soul in each form of being works out its own mind and life separated from others.
- Life is the final operation by which the Force of Conscious-Being maintains and energises, constitutes and reconstitutes individual forms. As Supermind is behind Mind so is Conscious-Force behind Life. Life is only its final operation intermediary between Mind and Body.
- Mind which is separated from the Supermind by the action of Avidya has to unite with it. Similarly Life has to become aware of the Conscious-Force operating in it. Otherwise Life would remain unconscious in its darkened action and serve its operations blindly and ignorantly.
- Our Life is functioning under the darkened and dividing operation of Mind. Therefore, Life itself is darkened and divided. It undergoes subjection to death, limitation, weakness, suffering and ignorant functioning.
- The individual soul is self-limited and bound to self-ignorance. It sees itself separate from the cosmos and regards all cosmic action as if coming from outside instead of seeing itself as a conscious form of the One. Thus, the original source of perversion is self-limitation of the individual soul. So is the universal life in us which obeys the direction of the soul imprisoned in mind. It exists and acts as a separate life with a limited insufficient capacity not freely embracing the cosmic life around it.
- Life is thrown into the constant cosmic interchange of Force in the universe. Life, as a poor, limited, individual existence at first helplessly suffers and obeys the giant interplay. As consciousness develops it seeks first nervously and then mentally to master, use and enjoy the play. Life aspires itself to be individually master of its own world.
- As long as individual life remains a divided individualised life and force, the individual life in the individual form must always be subject to Death, Desire and Incapacity, the three badges of its limitation.
- Death is imposed on the individual life by condition of its own existence and by its relations to the All-Force which manifests itself in the universe. The energy of life in the body has to support the attack of the energies external to it in the universe. It has to draw them in and has to feed upon them. At the same time it is being consumed by them.
- Upanishad says all Matter is food with the formula “the eater eating is himself eaten”. The life in the body is constantly exposed to the possibility of being broken by the attack of the life external to it. Or its consuming capacity becomes insufficient or is not properly served. Or there is no right balance between the capacity of consumption and the capacity of providing food for the life outside. It is unable to renew itself and therefore it has to go through the process of death for a new construction or renewal.