Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 24
The Conscious Being, Purusha, is the Self as originator, witness, support and lord and enjoyer of the forms and works of Nature. As the aspect of Self is in its essential character transcendental even when involved and identified with its universal and individual becomings, so the Purusha aspect is characteristically universal-individual and intimately connected with Nature even when separated from her.
EXPLANATION
The individual aspect of the Self is the Conscious Being, Purusha. It is the Self as originator, witness, support and lord and enjoyer of the forms and works of Nature.The aspect of the Self is in its essential character transcendental. At the same time it is involved and identified with its universal and individual becomings.
Therefore, the Purusha aspect is characteristically universal-individual. It is intimately connected with Nature even when separated from her.
For this conscious Spirit while retaining its impersonality and eternity, its universality, puts on at the same time a more personal aspect;7* it is the impersonal-persona being in Nature from whom it is not altogether detached, for it is always coupled with her: Nature acts for the Purusha and by its sanction, for its will and pleasure; the Conscious Being imparts its consciousness to the Energy we call Nature, receives in that consciousness her workings as in a mirror, accepts the forms which she, the executive cosmic Force, creates and imposes on it, gives or withdraws its sanction from her movements.
7* The Sankhya philosophy stresses this personal aspect, makes the Purusha many, plural, and assigns universality to Nature ; In this view each soul is an Independent existence although all souls experience a common universal Nature.
EXPLANATION
The Purusha is the conscious Spirit. While retaining its impersonality and eternity, its universality, it puts on at the same time a more personal aspect. (In the Sankhya philosophy this personal aspect is stressed upon. It makes the Purusha many, plural and assigns universality to Nature. In this view each soul is an independent existence although all souls experience a common universal Nature)
It is the impersonal-personal being in Nature. The Purusha is not altogether detached from Nature; it is always coupled with her. Nature acts for the Purusha; It acts by the Purusha’s sanction and for the Purusha’s will and pleasure.
The Purusha is the Conscious Being which imparts its consciousness to the Energy we call Nature. The Purusha receives in that consciousness Nature’s workings as in a mirror; it accepts the forms which she, the executive cosmic Force, creates and imposes on it; it gives or withdraws its sanction from her movements.
The experience of Purusha-Prakriti, the Spirit or Conscious Being in its relations to Nature, is of immense pragmatic importance; for on these relations the whole play of the consciousness depends in the embodied being. If the Purusha in us is passive and allows Nature to act, accepting all she imposes on him, giving a constant automatic sanction, then the soul in mind, life, body, the mental, vital, physical being in us, becomes subject to our nature, ruled by its formation, driven by its activities; that is the normal state of our ignorance.
EXPLANATION
The experience of Purusha-Prakriti, the Spirit in its relations to Nature is of immense practical importance. Because on these relations the whole play of the consciousness depends in the embodied being.
The Purusha in us may be passive, allowing Nature to act, accepting all she imposes on him; it may be giving a constant automatic sanction. Then the soul in mind, life, body, the mental, vital, physical being (purusha) becomes subject to our nature. It is ruled by its formation, driven by its activities. That is the normal state of our ignorance.
If the Purusha in us becomes aware of itself as the Witness and stands back from Nature, that is the first step to the soul’s freedom; for it becomes detached, and it is possible then to know Nature and her processes and in all independence, since we are no longer involved in her works, to accept or not to accept, to make the sanction no longer automatic but free and effective; we can choose what she shall do or not do in us, or we can stand back altogether from her works and withdraw into the Self’s spiritual silence, or we can reject her present formations and rise to a spiritual level of existence and from there re-create our existence. The Purusha can cease to be subject, anisa, and become lord of its nature, isvara.
EXPLANATION
If the Purusha becomes aware of itself as Witness and stands back from Nature, that is the first step of soul’s freedom. The soul becomes detached. In that state it becomes possible to know Nature and her processes. We are no longer involved in her works. Therefore, it becomes possible for us, in all independence, to accept or not to accept her impostions on us.
We can make the sanction to the movements of Nature no longer automatic but free and effective. We can choose what the Nature shall do or not do in us. Or we can stand back altogether from her works and withdraw into the Self’s spiritual silence. Or we can reject her present formations and rise to a spiritual level of existence and from there we can re-create our existence.
The Purusha can cease to be subject, anisa. It can become lord of its nature, isvara.
PARAGRAPH 25
In the philosophy of the Sankhyas we find developed most thoroughly the metaphysical idea of Purusha-Prakriti. These two are eternally separate entities, but in relation to each other. Prakriti is Nature-power, an executive Power, it is Energy apart from Consciousness; for Consciousness belongs to the Purusha, Prakriti without Purusha is inert, mechanical, inconscient.
EXPLANATION
In Sankhya philosophy we find the metaphysical idea of Purusha-Prakriti. They are held as separate entities but in relation to each other. Prakriti is Nature-power, an executive Power. It is Energy apart from Consciousness. Consciousness belongs to the Purusha. Prakriti without Purusha, the Consciousness is inert, mechanical, inconscient.
Prakriti develops as its formal self and basis of action primal Matter and in it manifests life and sense and mind and intelligence; but intelligence too, since it is part of Nature and its product in primal Matter, is also inert, mechanical, inconscient,—a conception which sheds a certain light on the order and perfectly related workings of the Inconscient in the material universe: it is the light of the soul, the Spirit, that is imparted to the mechanical workings of sense-mind and intelligence, they become conscious by its consciousness, even as they become active only by the assent of the spirit.
EXPLANATION
Prakrtiti develops as its formal self and basis of action, primal Matter. In matter it manifests life and sense and mind and intelligence. Here, intelligence is part of Nature; it is a product of Nature in primal Matter. Therefore, it is also inert, mechanical, inconscient.
This conception sheds a certain light on the order and perfectly related workings of the Inconscient in the material universe. Based on the above conception we may ask, If there is no intelligence in the workings of the inconscient then how to account for the order and perfect relations in the workings of the material universe?
The conclusion would be, it is the light of the soul, the Spirit, that is imparted to the mechanical workings of sense-mind and intelligence. By that, they become conscious by its consciousness though they become active only by the approval of the spirit.
The Purusha becomes free by drawing back from Prakriti; it becomes master of her by refusing to be involved in Matter. Nature acts by three principles, modes or qualities of its stuff and its action, which in us become the fundamental modes of our psychological and physical substance and its workings, the principle of inertia, the principle of kinesis and the principle of balance, light and harmony: when these are in unequal motion, her action takes place; when they fall into equilibrium she passes into quiescence.
EXPLANATION
The Purusha becomes free by drawing back from Prakriti. It becomes the master of Prakriti by refusing to be involved in Matter. Nature acts by three principles. These are its modes or qualities of its stuff and its action.
These three principles become the fundamental modes of our psychological and physical substance and its workings. These are the principle of inertia (Tamas), the principle of kinesis (Rajas) and the principle of balance, light and harmony (Satva).
When these three modes of Nature are in unequal motion her action takes place. When they are in equilibrium she passes into inactivity.
Purusha, conscious being, is plural, not one and single, while Nature is one: it would seem to follow that whatever principle of oneness we find in existence belongs to Nature, but each soul is independent and unique, sole to itself and separate whether in its enjoyment of Nature or its liberation from Nature. All these positions of the Sankhya we find to be perfectly valid in experience when we come into direct inner contact with the realities of individual soul and universal Nature; but they are pragmatic truths and we are not bound to accept them as the whole or the fundamental truth either of self or of Nature.
EXPLANATION
Purusha, conscious being, is plural, not one and single while the Nature, Prakriti is one. Therefore it follows that whatever principle of oneness we find in existence belongs to Nature. But each soul is independent and unique. It is sole to itself and separate whether in its enjoyment of Nature or its liberation from Nature.
We find all that is stated in Sankhya philosophy to be perfectly valid in experience when we come into direct inner contact with the realities of the individual soul and universal Nature.
But they are only practical truths. We are not bound to accept them as the whole or the fundamental truth either of self or of Nature.
Prakriti presents itself as an inconscient Energy in the material world, but, as the scale of consciousness rises, she reveals herself more and more as a conscious force and we perceive that even her inconscience concealed a secret consciousness; so too conscious being is many in its individual souls, but in its self we can experience it as one in all and one in its own essential existence. Moreover, the experience of soul and Nature as dual is true, but the experience of their unity has also its validity.
EXPLANATION
Though Prakriti presents itself as an inconscient Energy in the material world, as the scale of consciousness rises she reveals herself more and more as a conscious force. We perceive that even her inconscience concealed a secret consciousness.
Likewise conscious being is many in its individual souls. But in its self we can experience it as one in all and one in its own essential existence. Moreover, the experience of soul and Nature as dual is true. But the experience of their unity has also its validity.
If Nature or Energy is able to impose its forms and workings on Being, it can only be because it is Nature or Energy of Being and so the Being can accept them as its own; if the Being can become lord of Nature, it must be because it is its own Nature which it had passively watched doing its work, but can control and master; even in its passivity its consent is necessary to the action of Prakriti and this relation shows sufficiently that the two are not alien to each other. The duality is a position taken up, a double status accepted for the operations of the self-manifestation of the being; but there is no eternal and fundamental separateness and dualism of Being and its Consciousness-Force, of the Soul and Nature.
EXPLANATION
If Nature is able to impose its workings on Purusha, conscious Being it is because it is the Energy of Being. Therefore the Being accepts the Energy as its own. If the Being can become the lord of Nature it is because it is its own Nature. The Being had passively watched Nature doing its work but can control and master.
Though the Being is passive, its consent is necessary to the action of Prakriti. This relation shows sufficiently that the two are not alien to each other.
The duality is a position willingly chosen, a double status accepted for the operations of the self-manifestation of the being. But there is no eternal and fundamental separateness and dualism of Being and its Consciousness-Force, of the Soul and Nature.