Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 6
But, in fact, the cause of this impression must necessarily be sought not in anything illusory or fantastic in the Supreme or the universal Self-existence, but in our own inability to seize the supreme clue to its manifold existence or discover the secret plan and pattern of its action. The Self-existent is the Infinite and its way of being and of action must be the way of the Infinite, but our consciousness is limited, our reason built upon things finite: it is irrational to suppose that a finite consciousness and reason can be a measure of the Infinite; this smallness cannot judge that Immensity; this poverty bound to a limited use of its scanty means cannot conceive the opulent management of those riches; an ignorant half-knowledge cannot follow the motions of an All-Knowledge.
EXPLANATION
We have seen in the previous paragraph that the Spirit that manifests in things looks to our reason like a Magician creating illusions. The reason for this impression is to be found in our inability to seize the supreme clue to its manifold existence. We are unable to discover the secret plan and pattern of its action. There is nothing illusory or fantastic in the Supreme or the universal Self-existence.
Why is it so? The Self-existent (the Divine) is the Infinite. Therefore its way of being and its way of action must be the way of the Infinite. But our consciousness is limited. Our reason is built upon finite things. Therefore it is irrational to suppose that a finite consciousness and reason can be a measure of the Infinite.
The smallness of our consciousness cannot judge that Immensity (the Supreme). We are bound to a limited means of our consciousness. We cannot conceive the wealthy management of the riches of the vaster consciousness of the Supreme. Our knowledge is an ignorant half-knowledge. We cannot follow the movements of an All-Knowledge.
Our reasoning is based upon our experience of the finite operations of physical Nature, on an incomplete observation and uncertain understanding of something that acts within limits; it has organised on that basis certain conceptions which it seeks to make general and universal, and whatever contradicts or departs from these conceptions it regards as irrational, false or inexplicable. But there are different orders of the reality and the conceptions, measures, standards suitable to one need not be applicable to another order.
EXPLANATION
How do we base our reasoning? Our reasoning is based upon the finite operations of physical nature. Whatever we deal with in this physical world are finite things or phenomena. Our reasoning is based on an incomplete observation and uncertain understanding of something that acts within limits. Our mind, with the use of reason, forms certain conceptions. It seeks to make these conceptions general and universal. Whatever contradicts these conceptions are regarded as irrational, false or inexplicable.
But we must understand that there are different orders of the reality. The conceptions and standards suitable to one order need not be applicable to another.
Our physical being is built first upon an aggregate of infinitesimals, electrons, atoms, molecules, cells; but the law of action of these infinitesimals does not explain all the physical workings even of the human body, much less can they cover all the law and process of action of man’s supraphysical parts, his life movements and mind movements and soul movements. In the body finites have been formed with their own habits, properties, characteristic ways of action; the body itself is a finite which is not a mere aggregate of these smaller finites which it uses as parts, organs, constituent instruments of its operations; it has developed a being and has a general law which surpasses its dependence upon these elements or constituents.
EXPLANATION
Our physical being is built upon the infinitesimal electrons, atoms, molecules and cells. But the law of action of these infinitesimals does not explain the physical workings of the human body. Then, how can they explain the workings of man’s supraphysical parts, his life movements and mind movements and soul movements?
Human body consists of finite parts. These finite parts have been formed with their own habits, properties and characteristic ways of action. The body itself is a finite. It is not a mere aggregate of these finites. The body uses these finite parts as organs and constituent instruments of its operations. Yet the body has developed a being and has a general law. It surpasses its dependence upon these constituent elements. The body as a being is more than its constituent parts.
The life and mind again are supraphysical finites with a different and more subtle mode of operation of their own, and no dependence on the physical parts for instrumentation can annul their intrinsic character; there is something more and other in our vital and mental being and vital and mental forces than the functioning of a physical body.
EXPLANATION
Apart from the body there is life and mind. Body is a physical unit. Life and mind are supraphysical finites with a different and more subtle mode of operation of their own. They have their own intrinsic character which is not eliminated by their dependence on the body. There is something more and other in our vital and mental being and their forces than the functioning of a physical body.
But, again, each finite is in its reality or has behind it an Infinite which has built and supports and directs the finite it has made as its self-figure; so that even the being and law and process of the finite cannot be totally understood without a knowledge of that which is occult within or behind it: our finite knowledge, conceptions, standards may be valid within their limits, but they are incomplete and relative.
EXPLANATION
Each finite is in reality an infinite and each finite has an infinite behind it. It is the Infinite which has built and supports and directs the finite. Therefore the being and law and process of the finite cannot be totally understood without the knowledge of the Infinite which is occult within or behind it. Our finite knowledge, conceptions, standards may be valid within the limits. But they are incomplete and relative as compared to the Infinite.
A law founded upon an observation of what is divided in Space and Time cannot be confidently applied to the being and action of the Indivisible; not only it cannot be applied to the spaceless and timeless Infinite, but it cannot be applied even to a Time Infinite or a Space Infinite. A law and process binding for our superficial being need not be binding on what is occult within us.
EXPLANATION
In this physical world everything is divided in Space and Time. We found a law based on our observation of what is divided in Space and Time. This law cannot be confidently applied to the being and action of the Indivisible. The Supreme is indivisible.
This law cannot be applied to the Spaceless and Timeless Infinite. Not only that it cannot be applied even to the Time Infinite or Space Infinite. The Supreme is beyond Space and Time and yet It manifests in Space and Time. What is applicable to our superficial being may not be applicable to what is occult within us.
Again our intellect, founding itself on reason, finds it difficult to deal with what is infrarational; life is infrarational and we find that our intellectual reason applying itself to life is constantly forcing upon it a control, a measure, an artificial procrustean rule that either succeeds in killing or petrifying life or constrains it into rigid forms and conventions that lame and imprison its capacity or ends by a bungle, a revolt of life, a decay or disruption of the systems and superstructures built upon it by our intelligence.
EXPLANATION
Our intellect is based on reason. It finds it difficult to deal with what is below reason, infrarational. Life is infrarational. Our intellectual reason applies itself to life; it is constantly forcing upon life a control, a measure and an artificial arbitrary rule. This iron rule either succeeds in killing or making life inactive or forces it into rigid forms and conventions. By this the life is made lame and its capacity imprisoned. Or it ends by a bungle, a revolt of life resulting in the decay or disruption of the systems and superstructures built upon life by our intelligence.
An instinct, an intuition is needed which the intellect has not at its command and does not always listen to when it comes in of itself to help the mental working. But still more difficult must it be for our reason to understand and deal with the suprarational; the suprarational is the realm of the spirit, and in the largeness, subtlety, profundity, complexity of its movement the reason is lost; here intuition and inner experience alone are the guide, or, if there is any other, it is that of which intuition is only a sharp edge, an intense projected ray,—the final enlightenment must come from the suprarational Truth-consciousness, from a supramental vision and knowledge.
EXPLANATION
Our intellect does not have an instinct, an intuition at its command. Or it does not always listen to it when it comes in of itself to help the mental working. It must be still more difficult for our reason to understand and to deal with what is beyond it – the suprarational.
The suprarational is the realm of the spirit. In the largeness, subtlety, profundity and complexity of its movement the reason is lost. Here intuition and inner experience are the only guide. If there is any other guide, the intuition will be its sharp edge, an intense projected ray. The final enlightenment must come from the supramental Truth-consciousness, from a supramental vision and knowledge.