Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 10
But these conclusions are only first reasonings or primary intuitions founded on our inner self-experience and the apparent facts of universal existence. They cannot be entirely validated unless we know the real cause of ignorance, imperfection and suffering and their place in the cosmic purpose or cosmic order. There are three propositions about God and the world,—if we admit the Divine Existence,—to which the general reason and consciousness of mankind bear witness; but, one of the three, —which is yet necessitated by the character of the world we live in,—does not harmonise with the two others, and by this disharmony the human mind is thrown into great perplexities of contradiction and driven to doubt and denial.
EXPLANATION
We have seen in the earlier paragraph that there is concealed Divinity within us that keeps alive the flame of aspiration within us, pushes us to throw off our mask to reveal the Godhead in the manifest spirit, body, mind and life. Our present imperfect nature is only transitional and a starting point for achieving still higher, greater, wider divine nature.
But these conclusions are our primary intuitions based on our inner experience and the apparent facts of our existence. But we should know the real cause of ignorance, imperfection and suffering. We should know their real place in the cosmic purpose and cosmic order. Only then the above conclusions can be validated.
If we admit the Divine Existence, we are aware of three propositions about God and the world in our general reason and consciousness. One of the three propositions does not harmonise with the other two though it is necessitated by the character of the world we live in. This disharmony drives the human mind into doubt and denial.
For, first, we find affirmed an omnipresent Divinity and Reality pure, perfect and blissful, without whom, apart from whom nothing could exist, since all exists only by him and in his being. All thinking on the subject that is not atheistic or materialistic or else primitive and anthropomorphic, has to start from this admission or to arrive at this fundamental concept. It is true that certain religions seem to suppose an extracosmic Deity who has created a world outside and apart from his own existence; but when they come to construct a theology or spiritual philosophy, these too admit omnipresence or immanence,—for this omnipresence imposes itself, is a necessity of spiritual thinking.
EXPLANATION
First we affirm an omnipresent Divinity and Reality which is pure, perfect and blissful; nothing could exist apart from him. All admit this fundamental concept unless one is an atheist or a materialist or else a primitive and an anthropomorphic (one who gives human attributes to non-human forms especially to the Divine).
Certain religions conceive of an extracosmic God(God thought to be outside the universe). They think God is a separate existence apart from this created world. But in their spiritual teaching they too admit the fact that God is omnipresent (present everywhere) and immanent (present in each thing). The omnipresence of the Divine is so powerful that no spiritual thinking can ignore it.
If there is such a Divinity, Self or Reality, it must be everywhere, one and indivisible, nothing can possibly exist apart from its existence; nothing can be born from another than That; there can be nothing unsupported by That, independent of It, unfilled by the breath and power of Its being. It has been held indeed that the ignorance, the imperfection, the suffering of this world are not supported by the Divine Existence; but we have then to suppose two Gods, an Ormuzd of the good and an Ahriman of the evil or, perhaps, a perfect supracosmic and immanent Being and an imperfect cosmic Demiurge or separate undivine Nature.
EXPLANATION
Omnipresence means the Divine is everywhere, one and indivisible. Nothing can exist outside of it and nothing can be born other than that. Nothing can exist unsupported by it, independent of it.
It has been thought that the ignorance, the imperfection, the suffering of this world are not supported by the Divine Existence. This implies that there are two Gods, one supporting good and another supporting evil (Sri Aurobindo uses the terms Ormuzd – Chief deity of Zorastrianism; source of light and embodiment of good and Ahriman – embodiment of evil, opponent of Ormuzd). One is a perfect supracosmic and immanent Being and another is an imperfect cosmic Demiurge (creator of the universe).
This is a possible conception but improbable to our highest intelligence,—it can only be at most a subordinate aspect, not the original truth or the whole truth of things; nor can we suppose that the one Self and Spirit in all and the one Power creator of all are different, contrary in the character of their being, separate in their will and purpose. Our reason tells us, our intuitive consciousness feels, and their witness is confirmed by spiritual experience, that the one pure and absolute Existence exists in all things and beings even as all things and beings exist in It and by It, and nothing can be or happen without this indwelling and all-supporting Presence.
EXPLANATION
The God of the good and the God of the evil is a possible conception but improbable to our highest intelligence. At the most this can be a subordinate aspect and not the original truth or the whole truth of things.
We cannot suppose that the one Self in all and the one Power creator of all are different. We cannot hold the view that they are contrary in character, separate in their will and purpose.
The one pure and absolute existence exists in all things and beings; all things and beings exist in It and by It. Nothing can be without this indwelling and all-supporting Presence. This is what our reason tells us, our intuitive consciousness feels and confirmed by spiritual existence.