Study Notes
There is a self that is of the essence of Matter—there is another inner self of Life that fills the other—there is another inner self of Mind—there is another inner self of Truth- Knowledge—there is another inner self of Bliss.
Taittiriya Upanishad.1
SEVEN GRADES
Our physical body is merely the outmost material body constituted of material substance supported by a physical self: the annamaya kosha around the annamaya purusha. It is supported by another body with its appropriate self: the pranamaya kosha around the pranamaya purusha. It is supported by another, still subtler body, the mind body with its own self: the manomaya kosha around the manomaya purusha. Behind it is the causal body with its due self: vijnanamaya kosha around the vijnanamaya purusha. The last body is formed of the principle of Truth-Knowledge, the supramental consciousness. Around it is the body of bliss centred around its characteristic self: the anandamaya kosha around the anandamaya purusha.
Thus, there are five successive bodies formed of five different grades of substance. They are, the material substance, life-substance, mental-substance, ideal-substance, beatific substance. If we add to them the substance of chit, consciousness-force and that of Sat existence in itself, we have seven grades of subtlety or seven grades in a descending order of increasing density. Indeed, it is one Substance of the Spirit that grades itself seven-fold for the purposes of manifestation.
They climb Indra like a ladder. As one mounts peak after peak, there becomes clear the much that has still to be done. Indra brings consciousness of That as the goal.
Rig Veda, 1.10.1,2
LADDER OF ASCENSION
All existence is the Divine Being in Form. It has many grades of consciousness, the peak of each grade opening the vista of the next higher one. The human soul ascends this stair of Being, step after step, as it advances in the course of its evolution: from material stage to the life-stage, from the life to the mind-stage, from the mental to the still higher stages that lead up to the peaks of the spirit. None can stop midway for all time. The goal of life is to arrive at the undefinable Reality at the summit that is symbolised by the Sun of Truth ever shining on the meridian of the cosmic skies.
Like a hawk, a kite He settles on the Vessel and upbears it; in His stream of movement He discovers the Rays, for He goes bearing his weapons: He cleaves to the ocean surge of the waters; a great King, He declares the fourth status. Like a mortal purifying his body, like a war-horse galloping to the conquest of riches He pours calling through all the sheath and enters these vessels.
Rig Veda, 9.96.19,20
SOARING SPIRIT
It is the Creative Spirit, the Divine as Delight, Soma, that holds and carries aloft the material Vessel that is to be filled with the Delight of Sat-chit-ananda. He passes through the Life-regions in his rapid stream of movement, he enters into the Rays of illumination of the Mind. He bears upon himself all the powers and faculties that are evolved in the course of the ascending effort and gets a hold on the Waters of Consciousness in the spiritual realms. Master of what he surveys, he announces his arrival at the Fourth status, the World of Mahas, the Supramental Truth. From this high station in the Truth-Knowledge, he pours down the purifying streams of light and power. Filled with the strength and Will of the supramental Truth, he gallops in the manner of a battle-steed to conquer the rich plenitudes of the Spirit for humanity. He pours his consciousness-power in every sheath, every layer of these embodiments and enters into them to take complete possession of them. The Spirit takes possession of Matter and Matter is consciously filled with the Spirit.
PARAGRAPH 1
IF WE consider what it is that most represents to us the materiality of Matter, we shall see that it is its aspects of solidity, tangibility, increasing resistance, firm response to the touch of Sense. Substance seems more truly material and real in proportion as it presents to us a solid resistance and by virtue of that resistance a durability of sensible form on which our consciousness can dwell; in proportion as it is more subtle, less densely resistant and enduringly seizable by the sense, it appears to us less material. This attitude of our ordinary consciousness towards Matter is a symbol of the essential object for which Matter has been created.
EXPLANATION
What are the aspects by which we call something as Matter? They are, its aspects of solidity, tangibility, increasing resistance, firm response to the touch of Sense. If a substance presents to us a solid resistance, then as a result of that resistance we perceive durability of sensible form on which our consciousness can dwell. The more we feel this resistance the more we feel the substance truly material and real.
If the substance appears more subtle, less densely resistant and not sufficiently perceivable by sense, it appears to us less material. This is the attitude of our ordinary consciousness towards Matter. It is a symbol of the essential object for which Matter has been created.
Substance passes into the material status in order that it may present to the consciousness which has to deal with it durable, firmly seizable images on which the mind can rest and base its operations and which the Life can handle with at least a relative surety of permanence in the form upon which it works. Therefore in the ancient Vedic formula Earth, type of the more solid states of substance, was accepted as the symbolic name of the material principle. Therefore, too, touch or contact is for us the essential basis of Sense; all other physical senses, taste, smell, hearing, sight are based upon a series of more and more subtle and indirect contacts between the percipient and the perceived. Equally, in the Sankhya classification of the five elemental states of Substance from ether to earth, we see that their characteristic is a constant progression from the more subtle to the less subtle so that at the summit we have the subtle vibrations of the ethereal and at the base the grosser density of the earthly or solid elemental condition.
EXPLANATION
The substance is perceived by our consciousness. In order that our consciousness perceives the substance in durable and firmly seizable images, the substance passes into material status. Only on durable images our mind can fix itself and base its operations. Only if the substance is firm and durable our Life can handle it with relative surety of permanence in the form upon which it works.
Therefore, in the ancient Vedic formula, Earth which is the type of the more solid states of substance was accepted as the symbolic name of the material principle. Touch or contact is the essential basis of Sense for us. All our other physical senses taste, smell, hearing, sight are based upon more and more subtle and indirect contacts.
The Sankhya philosophy classified the five elements as ether(space), air, fire, water and earth with the associated five senses – sound, touch, sight, taste and smell. In this classification we see the substance assuming from the more subtle to the less subtle status. At the summit we have ether, the subtlest of all vibrations; at the base we have the grosser density of solid earth.
Matter therefore is the last stage known to us in the progress of pure substance towards a basis of cosmic relation in which the first word shall be not spirit but form, and form in its utmost possible development of concentration, resistance, durably gross image, mutual impenetrability,— the culminating point of distinction, separation and division. This is the intention and character of the material universe; it is the formula of accomplished divisibility.
EXPLANATION
Therefore, in the progress of pure substance towards a basis of cosmic relation Matter is the last stage known to us. Here the first word shall be form and not spirit. We come across only material forms in the universe. The form of matter we find here is in its utmost possible development of concentration, resistance, durable gross image, mutual impenetrability. The material form would be the culminating point of distinction, separation and division. In the material universe we find the formula of accomplished divisibilty.
PARAGRAPH 2
And if there is, as there must be in the nature of things, an ascending series in the scale of substance from Matter to Spirit, it must be marked by a progressive diminution of these capacities most characteristic of the physical principle and a progressive increase of the opposite characteristics which will lead us to the formula of pure spiritual self-extension. This is to say that they must be marked by less and less bondage to the form, more and more subtlety and flexibility of substance and force, more and more interfusion, interpenetration, power of assimilation, power of interchange, power of variation, transmutation, unification.
EXPLANATION
In the nature of things there must be an ascending series in the scale of substance from Matter to Spirit. As Matter assumes more and more subtler states there is a progressive diminution (decrease) in its capacities of concentration, resistance and grossness which are the characteristics of the physical principle. On the contrary, there is a progressive increase of the opposite characteristics. In the material level there is formula of divisibility. Whereas, the opposite characteristics of subtler states will lead us to the formula of pure spiritual self-extension (Oneness).
In the ascending subtler states, we find less and less bondage to form. There is more flexibility of substance and force. There is mutual fusion of forms. One form penetrates into the other and vice versa. There is power of assimilation, power of interchange, power of variation. The forms while mixing with other forms give rise to newer forms. There is power of unity among all forms.
Drawing away from durability of form, we draw towards eternity of essence; drawing away from our poise in the persistent separation and resistance of physical Matter, we draw near to the highest divine poise in the infinity, unity and indivisibility of Spirit. Between gross substance and pure spirit substance this must be the fundamental antinomy. In Matter Chit or Conscious-Force masses itself more and more to resist and stand out against other masses of the same Conscious-Force; in substance of Spirit pure consciousness images itself freely in its sense of itself with an essential indivisibility and a constant unifying interchange as the basic formula even of the most diversifying play of its own Force. Between these two poles there is the possibility of an infinite gradation.
EXPLANATION
In this ascension to subtler states durability of form at the material level is replaced by the eternity of essence. We are no more bound by the separation and resistance of physical Matter. We draw near to the highest divine poise of infinity (from our present limitedness), unity (from our present division) and indivisibility of Spirit (from the present divisibility of Matter). These are the fundamental contradiction we find between the gross substance and the pure spirit substance.
In Matter, there is more and more gathering of Chit or Conscious-Force to resist and stand out against other masses of the same Conscious- Force. In substance of Spirit, we find the pure consciousness in its essential indivisibility and in a constant unifying interchange. These characteristics form the basic formula even of the most diversifying play of its own Force. Between these two poles of Matter and Spirit there is the possibility of an infinite gradation.