Book – II Chapter – II : Brahman, Purusha, Ishwara — Maya, Prakriti, Shakti – Para 8 to Para 9 (3rd Part)

Study Notes

PARAGRAPH 8

     It is evident that such a Consciousness and Will need not act in harmony with the conclusions of our limited reason or according to a procedure familiar to it and approved of by our constructed notions or in subjection to an ethical reason working for a limited and fragmentary good; it might and does admit things deemed by our reason irrational and unethical because that was necessary for the final and total Good and for the working out of a cosmic purpose.

EXPLANATION

     We have seen that there is a Consciousness and Will behind all actions in the universe. It is the Consciousness and Will of the Infinite. Therefore, it need not act in harmony with the conclusions of our limited reason. Nor will it act according to a procedure familiar to our reason. It need not conform to our constructed notions and subject itself to our ethical reason working for a limited and fragmentary good.
     Rather it might and does admit things which are considered by our reason irrational and unethical. Because that was necessary for the final and total Good and for the working out of a cosmic purpose.

What seems to us irrational or reprehensible in relation to a partial set of facts, motives, desiderata might be perfectly rational and approvable in relation to a much vaster motive and totality of data and desiderata. Reason with its partial vision sets up constructed conclusions which it strives to turn into general rules of knowledge and action and it compels into its rule by some mental device or gets rid of what does not suit with it: an infinite Consciousness would have no such rules, it would have instead large intrinsic truths governing automatically conclusion and result, but adapting them differently and spontaneously to a different total of circumstances, so that by this pliability and free adaptation it might seem to the narrower faculty to have no standards whatever.

EXPLANATION

     On what basis do we consider something irrational or condemnable? It is based on a partial set of facts, motives and requisites. But they might be perfectly rational and approvable in relation to a much vaster motive and totality of data and requisites.
     Our reason with its partial vision sets up constructed conclusions. It turns them into general rules of knowledge and action. It then compels into its rule by some mental device. It gets rid of whatever does not conform to it.
     An infinite Consciousness would have no such rules. Instead, it would have large intrinsic truths governing automatically conclusion and result. But it adapts them differently and spontaneously to a different total circumstances. We have a narrower mental faculty. Therefore, this pliability and free adaptability of the infinite Consciousness might seem to our mind to have no standards whatsoever. It might seem to be rather erratic to our mind.

In the same way, we cannot judge of the principle and dynamic operation of infinite being by the standards of finite existence,—what might be impossible for the one would be normal and self-evidently natural states and motives for the greater freer Reality. It is this that makes the difference between our fragmentary mind consciousness constructing integers out of its fractions and an essential and total consciousness, vision and knowledge.

EXPLANATION

     In the same way, we cannot judge the principle and dynamic operation of the Infinite being by the standards of our finite existence. Our existence is limited. What is impossible to us may be normal and self-evidently natural states and motives for the greater freer Reality.
     Our mind consciousness is fragmentary. It constructs a whole out of its factions. Whereas the Infinite Consciousness is an essential and total consciousness, vision and knowledge.

It is not indeed possible, so long as we are compelled to use reason as our main support, for it to abdicate altogether in favour of an undeveloped or half-organised intuition; but it is imperative on us in a consideration of the Infinite and its being and action to enforce on our reason an utmost plasticity and open it to an awareness of the larger states and possibilities of that which we are striving to consider. It will not do to apply our limited and limiting conclusions to That which is illimitable.

EXPLANATION

     We use reason as our main support. So long as we are compelled to rely on our reason, we cannot discard it in favour of an undeveloped or half-organised intuition. Can we remain satisfied with the use of our reason only?
     We endeavour to enlarge ourselves to the scope of the Infinite and its being and action. Therefore, it is necessary for us to enforce an utmost plasticity on our reason. We must make it open to an awareness of the larger states and possibilities which we are striving to consider. We cannot apply our limited and limiting conclusions to That which is illimitable.

If we concentrate only on one aspect and treat it as the whole, we illustrate the story of the blind men and the elephant; each of the blind inquirers touched a different part and concluded that the whole animal was some object resembling the part of which he had had the touch. An experience of some one aspect of the Infinite is valid in itself; but we cannot generalise from it that the Infinite is that alone, nor would it be safe to view the rest of the Infinite in the terms of that aspect and exclude all other view-points of spiritual experience.

EXPLANATION

     Our reason deals with the parts and ignores the whole. We concentrate on only one aspect and treat it as the whole. It is like the story of blind men and the elephant, each person concluding that the whole of the animal would resemble the part with which he had the touch.
     An experience of one part of the Infinite is valid enough. But we cannot conclude that the rest of the Infinite would be in terms of that one aspect. We cannot exclude all other view-points of spiritual experience.

The Infinite is at once an essentiality, a boundless totality and a multitude; all these have to be known in order to know truly the Infinite. To see the parts alone and the totality not at all or only as a sum of the parts is a knowledge, but also at the same time an ignorance; to see the totality alone and ignore the parts is also a knowledge and at the same time an ignorance, for a part may be greater than the whole because it belongs to the transcendence; to see the essence alone because it takes us back straight towards the transcendence and negate the totality and the parts is a penultimate knowledge, but here too there is a capital ignorance. A whole knowledge must be there and the reason must become plastic enough to look at all sides, all aspects and seek through them for that in which they are one.

EXPLANATION

     The Infinite is at once an essentiality – essential truth of all that is manifested, a boundless totality – an infinite whole and a multitude – One present as Many. All these aspects must be known in order to truly know the Infinite.
     We may see the parts alone completely ignoring the totality (perceiving only the multiplicity aspect). Or we may see the totality as a sum of parts. This is a knowledge at the same time an ignorance. Or we may see the totality alone ignoring the parts (perceiving only the boundless cosmic aspect). It is also a knowledge and at the same time an ignorance. Because a part which belongs to the transcendence may be greater than the whole.
     Or we may see the essence alone (neti neti approach)because it takes us back straight towards transcendence. Here we negate the totality (cosmos) and the parts (multiplicity). It is a penultimate knowledge. But here too there is a capital ignorance.
     A whole (total) knowledge must be there. The reason must become plastic enough to look at all sides, all aspects. It must seek through them an integral knowledge in which they are one.

PARAGRAPH 9

     Thus too, if we see only the aspect of self, we may concentrate on its static silence and miss the dynamic truth of the Infinite; if we see only the Ishwara, we may seize the dynamic truth but miss the eternal status and the infinite silence, become aware of only dynamic being, dynamic consciousness, dynamic delight of being, but miss the pure existence, pure consciousness, pure bliss of being. If we concentrate on Purusha-Prakriti alone, we may see only the dichotomy of Soul and Nature, Spirit and Matter, and miss their unity.

EXPLANATION

     We have seen that Self, the Brahman, is the aspect of Divine Reality that supports all forms and movements. Without Self nothing can exist in this universe. If we consider only the aspect of self we may concentrate on its static silence and miss the dynamic truth of the Infinite.
     We have seen that Ishwara is the aspect of Divine Reality that constitutes the Universe. If we see only the Ishwara aspect we may concentrate on the dynamic truth and miss the eternal status and the infinite silence. We will become aware of only dynamic being, dynamic consciousness, dynamic delight of being (dynamic aspect of Sat-chit-ananda) but will miss the pure existence, pure consciousness, pure bliss of being (pure and static aspect of Sat-chit-ananda).
     We have seen that Purusha is the aspect of Divine Reality that constitutes the individuality. If we concentrate on Purusha-Prakriti alone we may see only the dichotomy of Soul and Nature, Spirit and Matter and miss their unity.

In considering the action of the Infinite we have to avoid the error of the disciple who thought of himself as the Brahman, refused to obey the warning of the elephant-driver to budge from the narrow path and was taken up by the elephant’s trunk and removed out of the way; “You are no doubt the Brahman,” said the master to his bewildered disciple, “but why did you not obey the driver Brahman and get out of the path of the elephant Brahman?” We must not commit the mistake of emphasising one side of the Truth and concluding from it or acting upon it to the exclusion of all other sides and aspects of the Infinite.

EXPLANATION

     We must not commit the mistake of emphasising one side of the Truth of the Infinite. Nor should we conclude from one aspect of the Truth and act upon it to the exclusion of all other sides and aspects of the Infinite.
     Sri Aurobindo quotes here the legendary story of a disciple who thought himself as Brahman and refused to give way to the approaching elephant despite the warning of the mahout. He was promptly thrown off by the elephant. When the shocked disciple narrated this incident to his guru, he was asked by his guru why he had not listened to the mahout who was also Brahman and got out of the way of the Elephant, who was also Brahman.

The realisation “I am That” is true, but we cannot safely proceed on it unless we realise also that all is That; our self-existence is a fact, but we must also be aware of other selves, of the same Self in other beings and of That which exceeds both own-self and other-self. The Infinite is one in a multiplicity and its action is only seizable by a supreme Reason which regards all and acts as a one-awareness that observes itself in difference and respects its own differences, so that each thing and each being has its form of essential being and its form of dynamic nature, svarupa, svadharma, and all are respected in the total working.

EXPLANATION

     The realisation “I am That (Brahman)” is true. But we should also realise that all is That. Our self-existence is a fact. But the Self in others is also a fact. We must be aware of both. And we must be also aware of That which exceeds both own-self and other-self.
     We find multiplicity in this manifested world. Yet the Infinite is one in a multiplicity. The action of the Infinite is only seizable by supreme Reason. This supreme Reason regards all and acts as a one-awareness. It observes itself in difference and respects its own differences. Here each thing and each being has its form of essential being, svarupa; each thing and each being has its form of dynamic nature, svadharma. All are respected in the total working.