Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 14
That which is common to all is, we have seen, the satisfaction of conscious-force of existence developing itself into forms and seeking in that development its delight. From that satisfaction or delight of self-existence it evidently began; for it is that which is normal to it, to which it clings, which it makes its base; but it seeks new forms of itself and in the passage to higher forms there intervenes the phenomenon of pain and suffering which seems to contradict the fundamental nature of its being. This and this alone is the root-problem.
EXPLANATION
We have seen that all that exist in the universe is the conscious-force of existence (Chit-Shakti); this force has created forms out of itself; it seeks delight while creating the forms. We have also seen that the conscious force of existence is nothing but the delight of self-existence. There is delight of self-existence present at all levels from matter to super-conscient.
The satisfaction of delight of existence is common to all three layers of the world – infra-ethical, ethical and supra-ethical. This satisfaction is normal to all forms of existence. It forms the base and to which all clings. It seeks new forms of itself. In its passage to higher forms (matter to plants, plants to insects, insects to animals to man) there is intervention of pain and suffering. At the level of matter consciousness is involved and no pain or suffering is felt. As consciousness evolves into life forms pain and suffering are felt.
This contradicts the fundamental nature (delight) of being. This alone is the root problem for all pain and suffering.
PARAGRAPH 15
How shall we solve it? Shall we say that Sachchidananda is not the beginning and end of things, but the beginning and end is Nihil, an impartial void, itself nothing but containing all potentialities of existence or non-existence, consciousness or non-consciousness, delight or undelight? We may accept this answer if we choose; but although we seek thereby to explain everything, we have really explained nothing, we have only included everything.
EXPLANATION
We have seen in the previous paragraph that existence in its passage to higher forms comes across pain and suffering. This is the root of the problem. How to solve this problem?
We know that everything that exists in the universe is Sachchidananda. Can we deny this fact by saying that Sachchidananda is the beginning of the universe but the end is Nihil (meaning – nothing)? Can we take this as an impartial void (emptiness) as Buddhist say? Can we say this ‘nothing’ contains all potentialities of existence or non-existence, consciousness or non-consciousness, delight or undelight?
By answering ‘yes’ to above questions we really explain nothing regarding the problem faced by us though we include everything. Buddhists are of view that only by escaping into Nirvana (Nihil or Nothing) we can get rid of the pain and suffering.
A Nothing which is full of all potentialities is the most complete opposition of terms and things possible and we have therefore only explained a minor contradiction by a major, by driving the self-contradiction of things to their maximum. Nihil is the void, where there can be no potentialities; an impartial indeterminate of all potentialities is Chaos, and all that we have done is to put Chaos into the Void without explaining how it got there. Let us return, then, to our original conception of Sachchidananda and see whether on that foundation a completer solution is not possible.
EXPLANATION
We have seen in the previous paragraph that existence in its passage to higher forms comes across pain and suffering. This is the root of the problem. How to solve this problem?
We know that everything that exists in the universe is Sachchidananda. Can we deny this fact by saying that Sachchidananda is the beginning of the universe but the end is Nihil (meaning – nothing)? Can we take this as an impartial void (emptiness) as Buddhist say? Can we say this ‘nothing’ contains all potentialities of existence or non-existence, consciousness or non-consciousness, delight or undelight?
By answering ‘yes’ to above questions we really explain nothing regarding the problem faced by us though we include everything. Buddhists are of view that only by escaping into Nirvana (Nihil or Nothing) we can get rid of the pain and suffering.
PARAGRAPH 16
We must first make it clear to ourselves that just as when we speak of universal consciousness we mean something different from, more essential and wider than the waking mental consciousness of the human being, so also when we speak of universal delight of existence we mean something different from, more essential and wider than the ordinary emotional and sensational pleasure of the individual human creature. Pleasure, joy and delight, as man uses the words, are limited and occasional movements which depend on certain habitual causes and emerge, like their opposites pain and grief which are equally limited and occasional movements, from a background other than themselves. Delight of being is universal, illimitable and self-existent, not dependent on particular causes, the background of all backgrounds, from which pleasure, pain and other more neutral experiences emerge.
EXPLANATION
What do we mean by the term universal consciousness? It is certainly different from our normal waking consciousness. It is more essential and wider than the ordinary consciousness of human being.
It exists in the universe independent of all existences. Whether human beings are there or not in the universe, the consciousness exists. It is something fundamental in the universe.
In the same way the universal delight of existence is different from the ordinary emotional and sensational pleasure of human being. It is more essential (meaning, it is very fundamental) and wider (not limited to one existence) than the individual pleasure. The universal delight exists irrespective of the fact whether human beings exist or not in the universe.
What is the nature of pleasure, joy, delight as man calls them by these words? They are limited and occasional movements. Their occurrence depends on certain external causes which are formed by habit. For example, people feel joy when they listen to their favourite music, eat their favourite food, meet their favourite friends etc.
In the same way pain and grief also are limited and occasional movements. Here, what we should note is, both pleasure and pain arise from a background which is other than themselves, that is the delight of being.
Why this limitation giving rise to pain and pleasure should take place? We know that Sachchidananda is in its nature Infinite. When it manifests in the universe it takes up finite forms. These finite forms mean limitation and imperfection. Sachchidananda in its limited manifestation becomes pain and pleasure.
What is the nature of delight of being? It is universal (present in all existences) and illimitable. It is self-existent, meaning- it is not dependent on any external causes. It is the infinite Bliss of Sachchidananda which forms the background of its finite expressions of pleasure, pain and the neutral state of indifference.
We must first make it clear to ourselves that just as when we speak of universal consciousness we mean something different from, more essential and wider than the waking mental consciousness of the human being, so also when we speak of universal delight of existence we mean something different from, more essential and wider than the ordinary emotional and sensational pleasure of the individual human creature. Pleasure, joy and delight, as man uses the words, are limited and occasional movements which depend on certain habitual causes and emerge, like their opposites pain and grief which are equally limited and occasional movements, from a background other than themselves. Delight of being is universal, illimitable and self-existent, not dependent on particular causes, the background of all backgrounds, from which pleasure, pain and other more neutral experiences emerge.
EXPLANATION
Delight of being is the ultimate background of everything and is self-existent. This delight of being in manifestation seeks to realise itself as delight of becoming. We have seen that the Conscious- Force (Chit Shakti) throws itself out to create infinite forms of itself.
The delight of being also moves in the movement of conscious force and itself takes different forms of movement. The pleasure is the positive current of this movement and the pain is the negative current. This means, both pleasure and pain arise from the same source of movement – the delight of being.
This delight is present in subconscient state below in matter, superconscient state beyond mind. Between matter below and superconscient above, mind and life exist. This self-delight seeks to realise itself in life and mind by its emergence (coming out of itself) in the becoming. Because, life and mind operate at more conscious state than matter, the emergence of delight occurs in the increasing self-consciousness in the movement.
What is the nature of the delight in its realisation in mind and life? Its first movement happens between the two ends of pain and pleasure. Thus, to start with, its action is impure consisting of two parts. Yet its ultimate goal in the movement is to make itself known in the purity of the supreme delight of being. Because that is its very nature. This supreme delight of being is self-existent without the need of any external objects or causes.
Just as Sachchidananda moves towards the realisation of the universal existence in the individual and of the form-exceeding consciousness in the form of body and mind, so it moves towards the realisation of universal, self-existent and objectless delight in the flux of particular experiences and objects. Those objects we now seek as stimulating causes of a transient pleasure and satisfaction; free, possessed of self, we shall not seek but shall possess them as reflectors rather than causes of a delight which eternally exists.
EXPLANATION
Sachchidananda in Its becoming (coming forth) takes hold of the individual mind, life, and body. This complete change of mind, life, and body of an individual by Sachchidananda consciousness is the ultimate purpose of human existence. Its consciousness exists beyond forms. It seeks to realise itself in the form of body and mind.
The delight of being is universal, self-existent and objectless (not dependent on any object for its existence). Sachchidananda moves towards realisation of this delight, in the flowing out of particular experiences and objects. In other words, the delight which is universal, seeks to express through individual experiences and objects in the world, in its becoming (manifestation).
We seek those objects in our day-to-day life to stimulate joy and satisfaction in us. Yet, such happiness is very temporary.
The delight is eternally present within us. Living on our surface-self in a world of matter, we are not aware of existence of this self-delight. Once we become aware of this self-delight then we shall not seek external objects to make us happy. Instead, whatever objects we possess, will merely reflect the delight which is already within us. We attain freedom from our dependency on external objects. All existences in the world will reflect nothing but Ananda. We will enjoy causeless delight.
PARAGRAPH 17
In the egoistic human being, the mental person emergent out of the dim shell of matter, delight of existence is neutral, semi-latent, still in the shadow of the subconscious, hardly more than a concealed soil of plenty covered by desire with a luxuriant growth of poisonous weeds and hardly less poisonous flowers, the pains and pleasures of our egoistic existence. When the divine conscious-force working secretly in us has devoured these growths of desire, when in the image of the Rig Veda the fire of God has burnt up the shoots of earth, that which is concealed at the roots of these pains and pleasures, their cause and secret being, the sap of delight in them, will emerge in new forms not of desire, but of self-existent satisfaction which will replace mortal pleasure by the Immortal’s ecstasy. And this transformation is possible because these growths of sensation and emotion are in their essential being, the pains no less than the pleasures, that delight of existence which they seek but fail to reveal, —fail because of division, ignorance of self and egoism.
EXPLANATION
At the human level why we are not able feel this delight of being?
Because human being is still an egoistic mental person. He has emerged out of the dim shell of matter. The hangover of material consciousness is still weighing on him. The delight of existence is neutral and half-concealed in him. It is hidden in his subconscious parts.
Here Sri Aurobindo makes an analogy of fertile soil covered with poisonous weeds and flowers. In the same way our delight of existence is shadowed by the pains and pleasures of our egoistic existence.
There is something which is hidden at the roots of the pain and pleasure. It is their cause and It is their secret being. That is nothing but the sap of delight. When the divine conscious force, working secretly in us, consumes our desires like the Vedic fire, the sap of delight which is at the root will emerge in new forms. These new forms will no more contain desire in them but will have self-existent satisfaction. This self-existent satisfaction will replace the temporary human pleasure by the Immortal’s (Divine) ecstasy (great delight).
Sri Aurobindo says, the transformation of growths of pains and pleasures into Divine Ananda is possible. Because, in their essence, equally, both pleasure and pain are nothing but the delight of existence they seek. But they fail to reveal it because man’s nature is divided; he is ignorant of his true self; he is egoistic.
As man’s consciousness grows from egoistic division to unity, as he realises his true self which is One with others’ he will realise the Immortal Ananda in him.