Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 19
This, then, is the logic of the way of universal being of Brahman and the basic working of the reason, the infinite intelligence of Maya. As with the being of Brahman, so with its consciousness, Maya: it is not bound to a finite restriction of itself or to one state or law of its action; it can be many things simultaneously, have many co-ordinated movements which to the finite reason may seem contradictory; it is one but innumerably manifold, infinitely plastic, inexhaustibly adaptable.
EXPLANATION
Diversification and unification is the logic of the way of universal being of Brahman. Behind this there is the infinite intelligence of Maya. Like Brahman, its consciousness, Maya is not bound to a finite restriction of itself or to one state or law of its action. It can be many things simultaneously. It can have many coordinated movements. All this may seem contradictory to our finite reason. It is one but innumerably manifold, infinitely plastic, inexhaustibly adaptable.
Maya is the supreme and universal consciousness and force of the Eternal and Infinite and, being by its very nature unbound and illimitable, it can put forth many states of consciousness at a time, many dispositions of its Force, without ceasing to be the same consciousness-force for ever. It is at once transcendental, universal and individual; it is the supreme supracosmic Being that is aware of itself as All- Being, as the Cosmic Self, as the Consciousness-force of cosmic Nature, and at the same time experiences itself as the individual being and consciousness in all existences.
EXPLANATION
Maya is the supreme and universal consciousness and force of the Eternal and Infinite (Chit-shakti of the Sat, the Absolute). Because it is unbound it can put forth many states of consciousness at a time. Its Force may assume different states of its action without ceasing to be the same consciousness-force for ever.
It is at once transcendental, universal and individual. It is the supreme supracosmic Being. It is aware of itself as All-Being, as the Cosmic self, as the consciousness-force of cosmic nature. At the same time it experiences itself as the individual being and consciousness in all existences.
The individual consciousness can see itself as limited and separate, but can also put off its limitations and know itself as universal and again as transcendent of the universe; this is because there is in all these states or positions or underlying them the same triune consciousness in a triple status. There is then no difficulty in the One thus seeing or experiencing itself triply, whether from above in the Transcendent Existence or from between in the Cosmic Self or from below in the individual conscious being.
EXPLANATION
We live in the individual consciousness. That is why we see ourselves as limited and separate. Yet, the individual consciousness in us can put off its limitations and know itself as universal. Still further, it can know itself as transcendent of the universe. This is because, there is the underlying triune consciousness in a triple status (Sat-chit-ananda) present in all these states.
Once we realise this truth there would be no difficulty in our understanding the One experiencing itself in these triple states; whether from above in the Transcendent Existence or from between in the Cosmic Self or from below in the individual conscious being.
All that is necessary for this to be accepted as natural and logical is to admit that there can be different real statuses of consciousness of the One Being, and that cannot be impossible for an Existence which is free and infinite and cannot be tied to a single condition; a free power of self-variation must be natural to a consciousness that is infinite. If the possibility of a manifold status of consciousness is admitted, no limit can be put to the ways of its variation of status, provided the One is aware of itself simultaneously in all of them; for the One and Infinite must be thus universally conscious.
EXPLANATION
How can we accept this fact as natural and logical? We must admit that there can be different real statuses of consciousness of the One Being. Therefore, it cannot be impossible for a free and infinite Existence to assume these different statuses. It cannot be tied to a single condition of an immobile, immutable, silent, transcendent state. For an infinite consciousness a free power of self-variation must be natural.
We must admit the possibility of a manifold state of consciousness. Then, there can be no limit put to the ways of its variation of status provided the One is aware of itself simultaneously in all of them. Because the One and Infinite must be universally thus conscious.
The only difficulty, which a further consideration may solve, is to understand the connections between a status of limited or constructed consciousness like ours, a status of ignorance, and the infinite self-knowledge and all-knowledge.
EXPLANATION
We live in a status of limited or constructed consciousness which is a status of ignorance. On the other side there is the infinite self-knowledge and all-knowledge. The only difficulty is to understand the connection between the two. Yet, this too can be solved by a further consideration of facts and realities.
PARAGRAPH 20
A second possibility of the Infinite Consciousness that must be admitted is its power of self-limitation or secondary self-formation into a subordinate movement within the integral illimitable consciousness and knowledge; for that is a necessary consequence of the power of self-determination of the Infinite. Each self-determination of the self-being must have its own awareness of its self-truth and its self-nature; or, if we prefer so to put it, the Being in that determination must be so self-aware.
EXPLANATION
We have seen that Oneness, in becoming Many does not fall away from its Oneness. But, it is really an inexhaustible diverse display of unity. This is the miracle of the Maya of the universe.
A second possibility of the Infinite Consciousness is its power of self-limitation. There is a secondary self-formation into a subordinate movement within the integral illimitable consciousness and knowledge. Because self-limitation into a form is a necessary consequence of the power of self-determination of the Infinite. Each self-determination (form) is aware of its self-truth and self-nature. Rather the Being in that determination (form) is aware of itself.
Spiritual individuality means that each individual self or spirit is a centre of self-vision and all-vision; the circumference —the boundless circumference, as we may say,—of this vision may be the same for all, but the centre may be different,—not located as in a spatial point in a spatial circle, but a psychological centre related with others through a coexistence of the diversely conscious Many in the universal being.
EXPLANATION
What we call our individuality is our individual body, mind and life separated from others. But spiritual individuality means each individual self or spirit is a centre of self-vision and all-vision. That is, it knows itself and at the same time it knows all others as itself.
The circumference of this vision is boundless unlike our physical consciousness which is bounded by body, mind and life. It may be the same for all. Yet the centre may be different. It is not located in a point in a space, in a circle in a space. But it is a psychological centre. It is related with others through a coexistence of the diversely conscious Many in the universal being.