Chapter X – Conscious Force – Synopsis

CONSCIOUS FORCE

SYNOPSIS

• It is the Force and movement of energy which has assumed various forms. Initially it was free from forms. The first disturbance, created the need of forms which formed the seed of the universe.
• The force presents itself in various forms. Matter is the most recognisable form by our material brain. The elementary and the most subtle state of material Force is the ether (akasa). It successively modifies itself and forms air (vayu), light, the fire (agni), water (apas,jala) and earth (prithvi). Our sense experiences depend on these five elements – sound by vibration, touch by friction of force, sight by light, taste by water & smell by earth. These modifications are temporary phenomena. The pure energy which appears to the senses non-existent, intangible, is the only permanent cosmic reality. It is Conscious Force. Ancient thinkers linked all the five elements and bridged the gap between the pure Force (akasa) and the most material form, the earth.
• What creates consciousness? Sankhya philosophy says it is the reflection of Force and Ego and the principle of intelligence in the Conscious Soul (Purusha) which assume the character of consciousness and not by virtue of their Force. It means Force of Nature is an inert movement, not a conscious one.
• Yet we must certainly admit Nature as Force and it is the energy which causes the movement and the forms. The meeting of unshaped forces and mutual adaptation creates forms. Our sensations and actions are our responses as a form to the other forms of Force.
• Modern Science comes to the same conclusion that the matter is formed by the meeting of forces. Philosophy and Science finally come to an agreement. Though the Adwaitic philosophy says the world is essentially an act of consciousness but the very act implies play of Energy which is the fundamental nature of the world.
• At human level our activities are the play of three forces mentioned by the Sankhya philosophy- sattwa, rajas and tamas. Their origin is the same, the Adya Shakti. Even when we are at rest the Shakti is at play poised in perfect balance.
• How and when and why the movement took place in the Existence do not arise because the movement is eternal; not came in between; it is the very essence of all existence.
• Our ancient rishis acknowledged Shiva and Kali, Brahman and Shakti are one. Force is an integral part of the Self-Existent. The action of Force is not absent when it is at rest. This concept appeals quite well to rational mind as well, as evidenced by atomic activity in inert matter.
• Even Mayavadins cannot deny the fact that the power or Force of Maya is eternally present in an eternal Being. Sankhya philosophy also asserts an eternal Purusha and Nature, the Prakriti both eternally co-existing.
• The Force has alternative potentiality of rest and movement. Rest is the self-concentration in Force, movement is self-diffusion. Movement and rest occur in succession of Time or the rest can happen by an eternal self-concentration of Force in immutable existence and the movement can be a superficial play, like rising and falling of waves on the surface of the ocean. This superficial play can be an eternal phenomenon as the self-concentration of Force is or it may be an eternal in recurrence in a constant rhythm. What causes this movement? The rhythm of movement and rest is the self-existent nature of Force in existence. Both Existence and Force are conscious and intelligent with a purpose or final goal in evolution.
• Tantriks and Mayavadins view the cosmic God under the domination of Shakti or Maya or Purusha controlled by Shakti. Brahman is Transcendent and is logically anterior to Shakti or Maya. Brahman is Absolute. If it is controlled by Prakriti or Force, it cannot be Brahman. Nor can we take the stand that Existence is nothing but a Force and is controlled by itself as Force.
• We mean by the term Consciousness our obvious mental waking consciousness. This means only human beings can possess Consciousness in the entire order of material universe, that too not always. This idea is vulgar and shallow and has no place in philosophical thinking.
• Even in our waking state our consciousness covers only a very little of our entire conscious being. Behind this surface consciousness there is subliminal self which is much vaster and too deep for the man to fathom.
• Materialism view consciousness only as a material phenomenon associated with our physical organs This is an orthodox view and can no longer hold good. The capacity of our total consciousness far exceeds our organs, the senses, the nerves, the brain. It is the consciousness that uses the brain and not the other way round. Consciousness is prior to everything. Even in material objects a universal subconscient mind is present. There is a Conscious Soul, a Purusha who is ever awake within, in all that sleeps in the universe.
• The subconscious mind acting below the surface is not different from the outer mentality. We are not aware of it in our waking state. The subliminal self far exceeds our surface and subconscious mind and quite different from mentality in our waking self. The action of our subliminal self is far superior in capacity.
• There is a range of conscious faculties from subconscient to superconscient. The subliminal self rises in superconscience above mentality and it sinks in subconscience below mentality. As man has sub-mental forms of consciousness- vital and physical, plants and metals do have consciousness different from the human and animal mentality.
• Humans have vital consciousness acting without involvement of mind. In animals it is very prominent. It is observed in plant movements seeking water and sun light, response to external stimuli. The consciousness does not stop with the plants but extends below to matter. The first stuff of consciousness is found in matter as evidenced by Science.
• We cannot take it as our right to deny consciousness in Matter because it is difficult for us to understand. If one goes to the depth one sees that there cannot exist a sudden gap in consciousness between the plants and matter. Our thought has a right assume a unity of consciousness among all classes of existence right up to the level of matter.
• There is a conscious force of being exist in all forms. Here the word consciousness indicates self-aware force of existence. The mentality comes in the middle. Consciousness sinks into vital and material movements below the level of mind in the subconscient. Above mind it rises into supramental- the superconscient. Yet consciousness is the same organising itself differently at the mental, sub-conscious and superconscious levels.
• Conscious Force is nothing but Chit Sakti that created the worlds. Science says Mind is the force of Matter. Vedanta says Mind and Matter are different grades of the same energy. We find unity between the material science and the Vedantic thought.
• The conscious Force has intelligence behind its operations; it acts with purpose and self-knowledge. We observe in animals and insects operations of Force more intelligent, more purposeful, more aware of its intention than the highest individual mentality. The same supreme intelligence is hidden behind the operations of inanimate Nature also.
• We find there is a large waste in Nature’s operations. How can we call the waste, an intelligent and purposeful work of a conscious Force? This objection is based on the limitations of our human intellect which imposes its own particular rationality on the general operations of the World-Force. What appears to us waste may not be so from the holistic perspective of Nature. From an individual point of view, even our actions apparently seem to be waste. But viewed holistically our actions are not waste but serve the large and universal purpose of things.
• Whatever the purpose behind the part of Nature which we clearly see, Nature fulfils it for sure. This she does despite the so much waste we observe from our human angle. As we trust the Nature in respect of acts whose purpose we clearly see, so shall we trust Her in respect of acts whose purpose we do not see. There is a set purpose which drives all such actions. Whatever the target the Nature seeks for itself, it eventually attains it with certainty and swiftness.
• The scientific mind considers matter the only reality. Hence, it is right in not admitting any other force of intelligence behind the operations of Nature. Yet we cannot deny the fact that the human consciousness, intelligence and mastery has emerged out of an unintelligent and blindly operating unconsciousness. Man’s consciousness is nothing but a form of Nature’s consciousness. Human consciousness evolves from below and emerges into superior forms beyond mind. Perfect emergence of potentialities of Existence is the sole cause of manifestation of forms.