Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 19
At the same time indeterminability is also a necessary element in our conception of the Absolute and in our spiritual experience: this is the other side of the supramental regard on being and on things. The Absolute is not limitable or definable by any one determination or by any sum of determinations; on the other side, it is not bound down to an indeterminable vacancy of pure existence.
EXPLANATION
We have so far seen the determinations of the Absolute: love, joy, knowledge, will, Self. But we should note that whatever the determinations they cannot delimit or define the indeterminability of the Absolute. The indeterminability is also a necessary element in our conception of the Absolute and in our spiritual experience.
We have seen in the previous paragraph that the deploying (putting into use) of powers and possibilities of the Infinite through its determinations is held by the Supermind awareness in intimate oneness. At the same time the indeterminability is the other side of the supramental regard on being and on things.
On one side the Absolute is not limitable or definable by any one determination or by any sum of determinations. We cannot say the Absolute is love alone or knowledge alone or joy alone or will alone or a sum of all these things. It cannot be limited by any of these determinations.
On the other side, it is not bound down to an indeterminable vacancy of pure existence. The perception of the Divine Absolute as pure, silent, inactive, featureless Infinite is not the final truth.
On the contrary, it is the source of all determinations: its indeterminability is the natural, the necessary condition both of its infinity of being and its infinity of power of being; it can be infinitely all things because it is no thing in particular and exceeds any definable totality.
EXPLANATION
The Divine, the Absolute is on the contrary, the source of all determinations. Both of its infinity of being (Sat) and its infinity of power of its being (Chit-shakti) indeterminability is the natural, the necessary condition.
The Divine can be infinitely all things. Because it is nothing in particular. It exceeds any definable totality.
It is this essential indeterminability of the Absolute that translates itself into our consciousness through the fundamental negating positives of our spiritual experience, the immobile immutable Self, the Nirguna Brahman, the Eternal without qualities, the pure featureless One Existence, the Impersonal, the Silence void of activities, the Nonbeing, the Ineffable and the Unknowable.
EXPLANATION
We have seen that the Absolute is indeterminable. How does this indeterminability translate itself into our consciousness ? While we have a positive spiritual experience of the Divine, this experience negates itself by the indefinable nature of the Divine by any of the qualities.
We experience negating positives like the immobile immutable Self, the Nirguna Brahman, the Eternal without qualities, the pure featureless One Existence, the Impersonal, the Silence void of activities, the Non-being, the Ineffable and the Unknowable.
On the other side it is the essence and source of all determinations, and this dynamic essentiality manifests to us through the fundamental affirming positives in which the Absolute equally meets us; for it is the Self that becomes all things, the Saguna Brahman, the Eternal with infinite qualities, the One who is the Many, the infinite Person who is the source and foundation of all persons and personalities, the Lord of creation, the Word, the Master of all works and action; it is that which being known all is known: these affirmatives correspond to those negatives.
EXPLANATION
We have seen the negating positives of our spiritual experience. What are affirming positives?
The Divine is the essence and source of all determinations. This is the essential dynamic side of the Divine. It manifests through the fundamental affirming positives in which the Divine equally meets us.
Because it is the Self that becomes all things. It is the Saguna Brahman, the Eternal with infinite qualities, the One who is the Many. He is the infinite Person who is the source and foundation of all persons and personalities. He is the Lord of creation, the Word, the Master of all works and action. It is that which being known all is known. These affirmatives correspond to those negatives.
(..this Absolute renders itself in our consciousness as negating positives, e.g. immobile, immutable Self, the impersonal, and affirming positives, e.g. the Self that becomes all, the Lord of creation. There are no real negatives, because the Absolute is a supreme positive, everything that proceeds from it is positive. But some are exclusive positives, some are inclusive positives – Shri M.P.Pandit: Talks on the Life Divine, Dipti Publications, p. 10)
For it is not possible in a supramental cognition to split asunder the two sides of the One Existence,—even to speak of them as sides is excessive, for they are in each other, their coexistence or one existence is eternal and their powers sustaining each other found the self-manifestation of the Infinite.
EXPLANATION
How the Divine existence is perceived in supramental knowledge? Are the positives and negatives seen separately?
In supramental knowledge it is not possible to split apart the two sides of One Existence. There even to say they are two sides is too much. Because, they are in each other. Their coexistence or one existence is eternal.
The powers of the both negatives and positives sustain each other and they found the self-manifestation of the Infinite.
PARAGRAPH 20
But neither is the separate cognition of them entirely an illusion or a complete error of the Ignorance; this too has its validity for spiritual experience. For these primary aspects of the Absolute are fundamental spiritual determinates or indeterminates answering at this spiritual end or beginning to the general determinates or generic indeterminates of the material end or inconscient beginning of the descending and ascending Manifestation.
EXPLANATION
In a spiritual perception one can experience the negative side of the Divine or positive side of the Divine exclusively. This separate perception of the Divine is not an illusion or a complete error of the Ignorance. This too has a validity in spiritual experience
There is a spiritual end on one side and a material end on the other side of manifestation. The primary aspects of the Absolute are fundamental spiritual determinates. Or they are indeterminates responding at the spiritual end. Or they are the beginning to the general determinants or generic indeterminates of the material end. Or they are the inconscient beginning of the descending and ascending Manifestation.
Here Sri Aurobindo mentions four statuses of the Divine Absolute. One is Sat-chit-ananda state from which fundamental spiritual determinates arise, second is indeterminate featureless Absolute state, third is the beginning of the material state and fourth is the inconscient stage of the descending involution. All these states are valid truths of the Divine existence. Nothing can be considered as an invalid spiritual experience.
Those that seem to us negative carry in them the freedom of the Infinite from limitation by its own determinations; their realisation disengages the spirit within, liberates us and enables us to participate in this supremacy: thus, when once we pass into or through the experience of immutable self, we are no longer bound and limited in the inner status of our being by the determinations and creations of Nature.
EXPLANATION
Here Sri Aurobindo speaks of the spiritual experience one gets when he realises the silent, featureless, immutable and static aspect of the Divine Absolute. This may seem to us a negative experience. But they carry in them the freedom of the Infinite from limitation by its own determinations. Their realisation makes our chained spirit free. We are no more bound by the limitations of our body, mind and life. It liberates us and enables us to participate in the Supreme aspect of the Divine.
What happens when we realise the immutable self? We are no longer bound and limited in the inner status of our being. We are liberated from the determinations and creations of Nature.
On the other, the dynamic side, this original freedom enables the Consciousness to create a world of determinations without being bound by it: it enables it also to withdraw from what it has created and re-create in a higher truth-formula. It is on this freedom that is based the spirit’s power of infinite variation of the truth-possibilities of existence and also its capacity to create, without tying itself to its workings, any and every form of Necessity or system of order: the individual being too by experience of these negating absolutes can participate in that dynamic liberty, can pass from one order of self-formulation to a higher order.
EXPLANATION
What happens on the dynamic side of the Divine? There is original freedom obtained by the realisation of the immutable aspect. This original freedom enables the Consciousness to create a world of determinations without being bound by it. There is manifestation of Divine consciousness through its various creations in this universe. Yet it is not limited by any of its creations.
Also there is freedom to withdraw from what it has created; it can re-create in a higher truth formula. We see in this world there is conscious evolution of forms from the lowest level of matter to the higher level of mind. The Divine consciousness will create yet another higher form surpassing the present mental man.
We have seen that in cosmic determination, each creation brings out the possibility of truth inherent in them. The spirit’s power of infinite variation of the truth possibilities of existence is based on its freedom. The variety of creations we see in this world is on account of the freedom of the Infinite though it manifests through finite forms. This freedom also enables its capacity to create without tying itself to its workings. It is not bound by any and every form of Necessity or system of order.
The individual can experience the negating absolutes of the Divine aspect. Yet he can participate in that dynamic liberty. He can pass from one order of self-formulation to a higher order. A liberated individual can reach the higher planes of consciousness from the present level of physical, vital and mental planes. He need not be bound by them.