Book – II Chapter – III : The Eternal and the Individual- Para 16 to Para 17

Study Notes

PARAGRAPH 16

     The positives of the Absolute are its various statements of itself to our consciousness; its negatives bring in the rest of its absolute positivity by which its limitation to these first statements is denied. We have, to begin with, its large primary relations such as the infinite and the finite, the conditioned and unconditioned, the qualitied and unqualitied; in each pair the negative conceals the whole power of the corresponding positive which is contained in it and emerges from it: there is no real opposition.

EXPLANATION

     We describe the Absolute, the Brahman by its positives. For example we describe the Absolute as Unity, Infinite, Timeless, Silent, Immutable, Transcendent etc. Whatever that appears contrary to these positives – Multiple, finite, time-bound, active, mutable, cosmic we treat them as its negatives.
     But we must understand that the positives convey only the partial truth; the negatives convey the rest of the truth. The denial of full truth by the positives alone is set right by stating its corresponding negatives. The complete view of the whole truth is provided by both positives and negatives stated together. There is a limitation in making only positive statements which is removed by making its corresponding negative statements.
     We can begin with its large primary relations: infinite and the finite, the conditioned and unconditioned, the qualified and unqualified. In each pair of these relations the negative conceals the whole power of the corresponding positive. The whole power is contained in it and emerges from it. There exists no real opposition. For example the finite contains in itself all the powers of the infinite.

We have, in a less subtle order of truths, the transcendent and the cosmic, the universal and the individual; here we have seen that each member of these pairs is contained in its apparent opposite. The universal particularises itself in the individual; the individual contains in himself all the generalities of the universal. The universal consciousness finds all itself by the variations of numberless individuals, not by suppressing variations; the individual consciousness fulfils all itself when it is universalised into sympathy and identity with the cosmic, not by limiting itself in the ego.

EXPLANATION

     We can then go into the less subtle order of truths: the transcendent and the cosmic, the universal and the individual. Here each member of these pairs is contained in its opposite.
     For example the universal particularises itself in the individual. The individual contains in himself all the generalities of the universal. The universal consciousness is manifested by the variations of numberless individuals. These individual variations do not suppress the universal consciousness.
     Similarly the individual consciousness fulfils itself when it expands itself into universal consciousness by its sympathy and identity with the cosmic. If the individual consciousness is tied down by its ego there cannot be any fulfilment.

So too the cosmic contains in all itself and in each thing in it the complete immanence of the transcendent; it maintains itself as the world-being by the consciousness of its own transcendent reality, it finds itself in each individual being by the realisation of the divine and transcendent in that being and in all existences. The transcendent contains, manifests, constitutes the cosmos and by manifesting it manifests or discovers, as we may say in the old poetic sense of that word, its own infinite harmonic varieties.

EXPLANATION

     We can take up the transcendent and the cosmic. The cosmic contains in all itself and in each thing in it the complete in-dwelling presence of the transcendent. It maintains itself as the cosmic-being by the consciousness of its own transcendent reality. It finds itself in each individual being by the realisation of the divine and transcendent in that being and in all existences.
     The transcendent contains, manifests, constitutes the cosmos. While manifesting it manifests or discovers its own infinite harmonic varieties to say in the old poetic sense (Ref: Para 9 “…the cosmos which we thus include and are included in is not the physical cosmos, but the harmonically manifest being of God in certain great rhythms of His conscious force and self-delight.)

But even in the lower orders of the relative we find this play of negative and positive, and through the divine reconciliation of its terms, not by excising them or carrying their opposition to the bitter end, we have to arrive at the Absolute. For there in the Absolute all this relativity, all this varying rhythmic self-statement of the Absolute, finds, not its complete denial, but its reason for existence and its justification, not its conviction as a lie, but the source and principle of its truth.

EXPLANATION

     We can observe the same truth even in the lower orders of the relative. Here also we find this play of negative and positive. For example we find truth and falsehood, Good and evil, pleasure and pain, joy and suffering etc. Yet we have to arrive at the Absolute through the divine reconciliation of its terms and not by removing them or by carrying their opposition to the bitter end.
     The truth is, all this relativity, all this varying rhythmic self-statement of the Absolute finds its reason for existence in Absolute and not its complete denial; we find its justification for existence not condemned as a lie but as the source and principle of its truth.

Cosmos and individual go back to something in the Absolute which is the true truth of individuality, the true truth of cosmic being and not their denial and conviction of their falsity. The Absolute is not a sceptical logician denying the truth of all his own statements and self-expressions, but an existence so utterly and so infinitely positive that no finite positive can be formulated which can exhaust it or bind it down to its definitions.

EXPLANATION

     The cosmos finds its true truth of cosmic being and the individual finds its true truth of individuality in the Absolute. There is no denial of them or conviction of them as being false in the Absolute.
     The Absolute is not a sceptical logician denying the truth of all his own statements and self-expressions. It is an existence so utterly and so infinitely positive. There is no finite that can be formulated which can exhaust it or limit it within its definitions.

PARAGRAPH 17

     It is evident that if such is the truth of the Absolute, we cannot bind it either by our law of contradictions. That law is necessary to us in order that we may posit partial and practical truths, think out things clearly, decisively and usefully, classify, act, deal with them effectively for particular purposes in our divisions of Space, distinctions of form and property, moments of Time. It represents a formal and strongly dynamic truth of existence in its practical workings which is strongest in the most outward term of things, the material, but becomes less and less rigidly binding as we go upward in the scale, mount on the more subtle rungs of the ladder of being.

EXPLANATION

     We have seen that the consciousness of infinite Existence, which is the truth of the Absolute, reconciles in its great primal facts of being what appear as irreconcilable contraries to our mind. Such being the truth of the Absolute we cannot bind it by our law of contradictions either.
     Our mind operates by the law of contradictions in dealing with the practical aspects of life. It believes that two contradicting facts cannot be true. For example a place cannot be far and near at the same time, an object cannot be round and flat at the same time, an event cannot be short and long in time dimension. Such practical distinctions are required to deal with material facts in our day to day life.
     The law of contradictions represents a strongly dynamic truth of existence in its practical workings. It is more relating to the outward form of things and this law is strongest in the domain of matter, the gross forms. This law becomes less and less binding as we go upward in the scale and climb on the more subtle rungs (psyhic and supramental) of the ladder of being.

It is especially necessary for us in dealing with material phenomena and forces; we have to suppose them to be one thing at a time, to have one power at a time and to be limited by their ostensible and practically effective capacities and properties; otherwise we cannot deal with them.

EXPLANATION

     The law of contradiction is useful in dealing with material phenomena and forces. While dealing with the objects we have to suppose them to be one thing at a time. For example a solid substance, say an iron piece, cannot be a liquid at the same. The power to heat and the power to cool cannot work at the same time. We suppose them to be limited by their apparent and practically effective capacities and properties. Otherwise we cannot deal with them. For example while dealing with solid objects we assume that they are stable and materially recognisable; we do not suppose them to vaporise and become invisible.

But even there, as human thought is beginning to realise, the distinctions made by the intellect and the classifications and practical experiments of Science, while perfectly valid in their own field and for their own purpose, do not represent the whole or the real truth of things, whether of things in the whole or of the thing by itself which we have classified and set artificially apart, isolated for separate analysis.

EXPLANATION

     Even in the material field the distinctions made by our intellect and the classifications and practical experiments of Science do not represent the whole truth or the real truth of things. Yet they may be perfectly valid in their own field. Because we have not taken things as a whole; we have taken them only as parts ignoring the fact that the parts do not represent the whole.
     We have classified them and set them artificially apart; we have isolated them from the whole for separate analysis.

By that isolation we are indeed able to deal with it very practically, very effectively, and we think at first that the effectiveness of our action proves the entire and sufficient truth of our isolating and analysing knowledge. Afterwards we find that by getting beyond it we can arrive at a greater truth and a greater effectivity.

EXPLANATION

     This process of isolation helps us to deal with the thing very practically, very effectively. We are satisfied with the effectiveness of our action; we are convinced of our isolating and analysing knowledge. We think that the effectiveness of our action is a proof of the entire and sufficient truth of our analysing knowledge. But we realise afterwards that by getting beyond the isolating and analysing knowledge we can arrive at a greater truth and a greater effectivity.
     For example there are specialisations in the medical field which deal with our body parts in isolation. For any ailment they attribute a physical cause and they do not go beyond it. But the cause lies in our subtle physical which the medical science fails to take note of.