Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 10 Contd…,
The bodily instrument may even in some directions dominate its user; it may too by a force of habit suggest or create involuntary reactions of the consciousness inhabiting it before the waking Mind and Will can control or interfere. All this is possible because the body has a “subconscient” consciousness of its own which counts in our total self-expression; even, if we look at this outer instrumentation only, we can conclude that body determines mind, but this is only a minor truth and the major Truth is that mind determines body.
EXPLANATION
The body may dominate the mind in some directions. By force of habit our body may suggest or create involuntary reactions of the consciousness dwelling in it before our waking Mind and Will steps in and takes control.
This is possible because the body has a subconscient consciousness of its own. In all our total self- expression it plays a role. If we take our body only, which is our exterior appearance, we may conclude that our body determines our mind. It is a minor truth. The major Truth is that mind determines body.
In this view a still deeper Truth becomes conceivable; a spiritual entity ensouling the substance that veils it is the original determinant of both mind and body. On the other side, in the opposite order of process,—that by which the mind can transmit its ideas and commands to the body, can train it to be an instrument for new action, can even so impress it with its habitual demands or orders that the physical instinct carries them out automatically even when the mind is no longer consciously willing them, those also more unusual but well attested by which to an extraordinary and hardly limitable extent the mind can learn to determine the reactions of the body even to the overriding of its normal law or conditions of action,— these and other otherwise unaccountable aspects of the relation between these two elements of our being become easily understandable: for it is the secret consciousness in the living matter that receives from its greater companion; it is this in the body that in its own involved and occult fashion perceives or feels the demand on it and obeys the emerged or evolved consciousness which presides over the body.
EXPLANATION
There is a still deeper Truth we can think of in this view. Is there something that determines both our mind and body?
We are endowed with a spiritual entity, an involved consciousness which is hidden within us. It is the original determinant of both our mind and body. If we go by the opposite order of process, it is by this consciousness that the mind can transmit its ideas and commands to the body; it (the mind) can train the body to be an instrument for new action; it (the mind) can impress the body (create imprint in the body) with its habitual demands or orders. As a result the physical instinct in the body carries them out automatically even when the mind is no longer consciously willing them.
Also, to an extraordinary extent beyond limit, the mind can learn to determine the reactions of the body even to the overriding of its normal law or conditions of action. Though such phenomena are unusual yet they are well attested by actual experiences.
These otherwise unaccountable aspects of the relation between the mind and body become easily understandable. Because it is the secret consciousness in the living matter (body) that receives from the consciousness which is evolved.
It is the secret consciousness in the body, in its own involved and occult fashion, perceives or feels the demand on it. It obeys the emerged or evolved consciousness which presides over the body.
Finally, the conception of a divine Mind and Will creating the cosmos becomes justifiable, while at the same time the perplexing elements in it which our reasoning mentality refuses to ascribe to an arbitrary fiat of the Creator, find their explanation as inevitable phenomena of a Consciousness emerging with difficulty out of its opposite—but with the mission to override these contrary phenomena and manifest by a slow and difficult evolution its greater reality and true nature.
EXPLANATION
Finally, the conception of a divine Mind (Spermind) and Will creating the cosmos becomes justifiable. At the same time we find perplexing elements in the universe. Our reasoning mind refuses to assign the reason for the existence of such perplexing elements in the universe to an arbitrary command of the Creator.
Now, we could find explanation for such perplexity as inevitable phenomena of an emerging Consciousness with difficulty out of its opposite. But this consciousness is emerging with the mission to override these contrary phenomena; to manifest by a slow and difficult evolution its greater reality and true nature.
PARAGRAPH 11
But an approach from the material end of Existence cannot give us any certitude of validity for this hypothesis or for that matter for any other explanation of Nature and her procedure: the veil cast by the original Inconscience is too thick for the Mind to pierce and it is behind this veil that is hidden the secret origination of what is manifested; there are seated the truths and powers underlying the phenomena and processes that appear to us in the material front of Nature.
EXPLANATION
In our material world-existence the veil cast by the original Inconscience is too thick for the Mind to pierce. It is behind this veil that the secret origination of what is manifested is hidden. What appears to us in the material front of Nature are the phenomena and processes. But the truths and powers underlying them are seated in that secret origination.
Therefore an approach from the material end of Existence cannot give us any certitude of validity for this hypothesis (i.e. the appearance of Consciousness out of an apparent Inconscience). It is the same difficulty with any other explanation of Nature and her procedure.
We live in our surface existence which deals mostly with this apparent physical world. From this end of our existence it would be hard to perceive the Truth behind.
To know with greater certitude we must follow the curve of evolving consciousness until it arrives at a height and largeness of self-enlightenment in which the primal secret is self-discovered; for presumably it must evolve, must eventually bring out what was held from the beginning by the occult original Consciousness in things of which it is a gradual manifestation.
EXPLANATION
What is to be done to perceive this Truth with greater certitude? Can we know for certain that there is emergence of Consciousness from Inconscience? To know this Truth with greater certitude (assurance) we must follow the curve of evolving consciousness until it arrives at a height and largeness of self-enlightenment. There the primal secret is self-discovered. Therefore, it is in our growth of consciousness we can discover the Truth.
Because, presumably, the involved consciousness must evolve. The things we see apparently are a gradual manifestation of the secret consciousness involved in it. It is held in them from the beginning by the occult consciousness. This hidden consciousness must be eventually brought out.
In Life it would be clearly hopeless to seek for the truth; for Life begins with a formulation in which consciousness is still submental and therefore to us as mental beings appears as inconscient or at most subconscious, and our own investigation into this stage of life studying it from outside cannot be more fruitful of the secret truth than our examination of Matter.
EXPLANATION
Can we seek this Truth in Life forms? We cannot. Because Life begins with a formulation in which the consciousness is still submental. This means, the life forms are below our mental level. Plants and other rudimentary life forms do not have the principle of mind. They appear to humans, the mental beings, as inconscient or at most subconscious.
Therefore, our investigation into this stage of Life will not result in finding out the secret truth. It is no different than trying to find out the secret truth from examination of Matter.
Even when mind develops in life, its first functional aspect is a mentality involved in action, in vital and physical needs and preoccupations, in impulses, desires, sensations, emotions, unable to stand back from these things and observe and know them. In the human mind there is the first hope of understanding, discovery, a free comprehension; here we might seem to be coming to the possibility of self-knowledge and world-knowledge. But in fact our mind can at first only observe facts and processes and for the rest it has to make deductions and inferences, to construct hypotheses, to reason, to speculate.
EXPLANATION
We find the initial stages of formation of Mind in animals. This first functional aspect is a mentality involved in action to satisfy the vital and physical needs and preoccupatons. The mental functions are involved in satisfying impulses, desires, sensations, emotions. As the mind is involved in action it is unable to stand back from these things and observe and know them. The functioning of the mind in animals is limited to this extent only.
Next comes the developed mind in humans. We find here the first hope of understanding, discovery, a free comprehension (meaning, the mind gains knowledge through all its dealings). Here comes the possibility of knowing about ourselves and the world.
Mind can at first only observe facts and processes. From the observation the mind has to make deductions and inferences. It constructs hypotheses from what it has observed. It reasons from the collected facts and speculates the future outcome.