Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 31
Again, if we remain absorbed in the Silence, the creative Consciousness and her works disappear into the Silence; Nature and the creation for us cease to exist or be real. On the other hand, if we look exclusively at the Being in its aspect of the sole-existent Person and Ruler, the Power or Shakti by which he does all things disappears into his uniqueness or becomes an attribute of His cosmic personality; the absolute monarchy of the one Being becomes our perception of the universe.
EXPLANATION
If we remain absorbed in the Silent status of Brahman, the creative Consciousness and her works disappear into the Silence. A Yogin who reaches this state has the experience that Nature and her creation are not real and do not exist at all.
On the other hand we may look at the Being exclusively in its aspect of the sole-existent Person and Ruler. Then, the Power or Shakti by which he does all things disappears into his uniqueness. That is, the Power becomes the attribute of the Person, His cosmic personality. We perceive the one Being as the absolute monarch of the universe. Here we impose an entirely human perception on the qualities of the Divine.
Both these experiences create many difficulties for the mind due to its non-perception of the reality of the Self-Power whether in quiescence or in action, or to a too exclusively negative experience of the Self, or to the too anthropomorphic character our conceptions attach to the Supreme Being as Ruler. It is evident that we are looking at an Infinite of which the Self-Power is capable of many movements, all of them valid.
EXPLANATION
The exclusive experience of Silent Self as the One Reality and the experience of the Divine as the one Cosmic ruler, both create many difficulties for the mind. Because the mind cannot perceive the reality of the Self-Power whether in inaction or in action. The mind cannot perceive the Self-Power in a too exclusively negative experience of the Self; nor in our human conception of the Divine as Cosmic Ruler.
The Divine Reality is an Infinite of which the Self-Power is capable of many movements. All of them are valid.
If we look again more largely and take account of both the impersonal and the personal truth of things as one truth, if in that light, the light of personality in impersonality, we see the biune aspect of Self and Self-Power, then in the Person Aspect a dual Person emerges, Ishwara-Shakti, the Divine Self and Creator and the Divine Mother and Creatrix of the universe; there becomes apparent to us the mystery of the masculine and feminine cosmic Principles whose play and interaction are necessary for all creation.
EXPLANATION
We can take a larger look at things. We can take account of both the impersonal and personal truth of things as one truth instead of opposing truths. By that, we see the light of personality in impersonality. We see the biune (two-in-one) aspect of Self and Self-Power.
Then in the Person Aspect a dual Person emerges, Ishwara-Shakti, the Divine Self and Creator and the Divine Mother and Creatrix of the universe. The mystery of the masculine and feminine cosmic Principles becomes apparent to us. Their play and interaction are necessary for all creation.
In the superconscient truth of the Self-Existence these two are fused and implied in each other, one and indistinguishable, but in the spiritual-pragmatic truth of the dynamism of the universe, they emerge and become active; the Divine Mother-Energy as the universal creatrix, Maya, Para-Prakriti, Chit-Shakti, manifests the cosmic Self and Ishwara and her own self-power as a dual principle; it is through her that the Being, the Self, the Ishwara, acts and he does nothing except by her; though his Will is implicit in her, it is she who works out all as the supreme Consciousness-Force who holds all souls and beings within her and as executive Nature; all exists and acts according to Nature, all is the Consciousness-Force manifesting and playing with the Being in millions of forms and movements into which she casts his existence.
EXPLANATION
In the superconscient truth of the Self-Existence, the Self and Self-Power (Ishwara-Shakti, Existence and Consciousness-Force) are fused and implied in each other, one and indistinguishable. In the spiritual-practical truth of the dynamism of the universe they emerge and become active.
The Divine Mother-Energy emerges as the universal creatrix. She as Maya, Para-Prakriti, Chit-Shakti manifests the cosmic Self and Ishwara and her own self-power as a dual principle (Ishwara-Shakti).
It is through her that the Being, the Self, the Ishwara acts. Whatever the Ishwara does, is done only by Shakti. The Will of Ishwara is implicit in Shakti. It is She who works out all as the supreme Conscious-Force who holds all souls and beings within her and as executive Nature.
All exists and acts according to Nature. The millions of forms and movements we see in this universe are the manifestation and play of the Consciousness-Force with the Being. Into them the Shakti casts the Ishwara’s existence.
If we draw back from her workings, then all can fall into quiescence and we can enter into the silence, because she consents to cease from her dynamic activity; but it is in her quiescence and silence that we are quiescent and cease. If we would affirm our independence of Nature, she reveals to us the supreme and omnipresent power of the Ishwara and ourselves as beings of his being, but that power is herself and we are that in her supernature.
EXPLANATION
If we withdraw from the workings of Nature then all can fall into inactivity. We can enter into the silence. It is because the Shakti consents to cease from her dynamic activity (It is not that she becomes non-existent). In her inactivity and silence we become inactive and silent.
The Supreme and omnipresent power of Ishwara is revealed to us by Shakti when we become independent of Nature-Force. She would reveal ourselves as beings of his being. The omnipresent power of Ishwara is herself and we are that in her supernature.
Here Sri Aurobindo brings out the truth that one can realise the Brahman, the Self only with the consent of Nature-Force, and not by exclusion and rejection of it. The world activities are sustained by the Nature-Force and only through Her one can realise the Self.
If we would realise a higher formation or status of being, then it is still through her, through the Divine Shakti, the Consciousness-Force of the Spirit that it has to be done; our surrender must be to the Divine Being through the Divine Mother: for it is towards or into the supreme Nature that our ascension has to take place and it can only be done by the supramental Shakti taking up our mentality and transforming it into her supramentality.
EXPLANATION
We may realise a higher formation or status of being. Yet it is still through the Divine Shakti, the Consciousness-Force of the Spirit that it has to be done. Our surrender must be to the Divine Being through the Divine Mother.
Because our ascension has to take place towards the supreme Nature (Para-Prakriti). It can only be done by the supramental Shakti taking up our mentality and transforming it into her supramentality (Supermind).
Thus we see that there is no contradiction or incompatibility between these three aspects of Existence, or between them in their eternal status and the three modes of its Dynamis working in the universe. One Being, one Reality as Self bases, supports, informs, as Purusha or Conscious Being experiences, as Ishwara wills, governs and possesses its world of manifestation created and kept in motion and action by its own Consciousness-Force or Self-Power,— Maya, Prakriti, Shakti.
EXPLANATION
Thus we see that there is no contradiction or incompatibility between these three aspects of Existence i.e. transcendent aspect of Brahman-the Self, cosmic aspect of Ishwara and the individual aspect of Purusha; or between them in their eternal status and the three modes of its Power working in the universe.
One Being, one Reality as Self bases, supports, gives an essential quality. One Reality as Purusha or Conscious Being experiences. One Reality as Ishwara wills, governs and possesses its world of manifestation; a world created and kept in motion and action by its own Consciousness-Force or Self-Power, – Maya, Prakriti, Shakti.