Chapter XXI Paragraph 10-11 & Synopsis

Study Notes

PARAGRAPH 10 (Contd..)

Nor can this relation of mutuality between the individual and the world he lives in be expressed or complete or secure unless the same relation is established between individual and individual and between aggregate and aggregate. All the difficult effort of man towards the harmonisation of self-affirmation and freedom, by which he possesses himself, with association and love, fraternity, comradeship, in which he gives himself to others, his ideals of harmonious equilibrium, justice, mutuality, equality by which he creates a balance of the two opposites, are really an attempt inevitably predetermined in its lines to solve the original problem of Nature, the very problem of Life itself, by the resolution of the conflict between the two opposites which present themselves in the very foundations of Life in Matter. The resolution is attempted by the higher principle of Mind which alone can find the road towards the harmony intended, even though the harmony itself can only be found in a Power still beyond us.

EXPLANATION

     This relation of mutuality between the individual and the world he lives in can be complete and secure only when there is love and association established between individual and individual and between aggregate and aggregate.
       Man strives to possess himself by self-affirmation and freedom. By association and love, fraternity, comradeship he gives himself to others. He creates a balance between these two opposites through his ideals of harmonious equilibrium, justice, mutuality and equality. The efforts of man to achieve these objectives are really predetermined in its lines to solve the original problem of Nature. This is the very problem of Life itself. These two opposites (individual freedom vs. submission to collectivity) present themselves in the very foundations of Life in Matter.
     The resolution of these opposites is attempted by the higher principle of Mind. Mind alone can find the road towards the achievement of harmony. Yet the harmony itself can only be found in a Power (Supramental) still beyond us.

PARAGRAPH 11

     For, if the data with which we have started are correct, the end of the road, the goal itself can only be reached by Mind passing beyond itself into that which is beyond Mind, since of That the Mind is only an inferior term and an instrument first for descent into form and individuality and secondly for reascension into that reality which the form embodies and the individuality represents. Therefore the perfect solution of the problem of Life is not likely to be realised by association, interchange and accommodations of love alone or through the law of the mind and the heart alone. It must come by a fourth status of life in which the eternal unity of the many is realised through the spirit and the conscious foundation of all the operations of life is laid no longer in the divisions of body, nor in the passions and hungers of the vitality, nor in the groupings and the imperfect harmonies of the mind, nor in a combination of all these, but in the unity and freedom of the Spirit.

EXPLANATION

     The human Mind is the parent of limitation and ignorance and the dualities. It is only a dark figure of the Supermind. Therefore, the goal of Life (Divine Life) can only be reached by Mind passing beyond itself. It has to reach That which is beyond Mind. Mind is only inferior term of That (Supermind).
     Mind is the instrument first for descent into form and individuality. Secondly, it is an instrument for reascension (climbing back) into that reality which is present in the form and represented by the individuality.
     The prefect solution to the problem of Life cannot be reached by association, interchange and accomodations of love alone or by mind alone or by heart alone.
This must come by a fourth status of life. In that status the eternal unity of many is realised through the spirit. The conscious foundation of all the operations of life is not based on the divisions of body; not in the passions and hungers of vitality; not in the grouping and imperfect harmonies of mind; not in the combination of all these. It is founded on the unity and freedom of the spirit.

                                                                     SYNOPSIS

  • Life is the parent of death, hunger and incapacity. It is only a dark figure of the divine superconscient Force whose highest terms are immortality, satisfied delight and omnipotence. The relation between the Life and the Consciousness- Force determines the first, second and third stages of our evolution. The first terms of our Life are division. There is subconscient will which is driven by a force. Here the form is helplessly subjected to the mechanical forces that govern the interchange between the form and its environment.
  • With the emergence of Life from Matter and the emergence of conscious Mind from Life, a new set of balance of forces is introduced in the realm of Matter. Till Life becomes one with its source – the Conscious-Force, death, desire and incapacity form the intermediary status of evolution of Life. Darwinian theory deals with this intermediary status only.
  • Through death Life tempts its own positive being to seek immortality. Hunger and desire involve a struggle towards attaining satisfaction and security. Desire is the stimulus by which Life tempts its own positive being to attain the delight of existence by full possession. Limitation and defect are the negations by which Life tempts its own positive being to seek for the perfection of which it is eternally capable.
  • The struggle for life is not merely a struggle to survive. It is a struggle for possession and perfection. The survival can be secured only by taking hold of the environment, by adapting oneself to it or by adapting the environment to oneself. This is the truth the Darwinian formula of survival of the fittest sought to express.
  • The Darwin’s theory seeks to explain evolution in terms of mechanical principle proper to existence and the concealed mechanical consciousness in Matter. It fails to see that a new principle (Mind) has entered in the realm of Life. It concentrated only on aggressive principle of Life.
  • It comes by experience of life and love and mutual help to realise that individual is only a minor portion of the entire scheme of life. He exists only by the universal. Man has reached a point where the Mind realises the truth that there is something beyond itself. This becomes a turning point in his evolutionary journey towards supermind.
  • Atom is the very type of the rigid division of matter forming the basis of all material form. In Nature unity is as strong a principle as division. It allows the atom to resist the process of fusion in order to have a firm basis for her combinations. Yet she compels the atom to subordinate itself to the process of fusion by aggregation.
  • In the second stage comes the Life principle, the vitality. The physical type of separate ego is obliged to undergo dissolution. The elements of our physical body, the elements of our subtler vital being, our life-energy, our desire-energy, our powers, our passions enter both during our life and after our death into the life-existence of others. Interchange, intermixture and fusion is the very process of life.
  • In the midst of this continuous change and in the infinite unity, Nature ensures separateness and individuality of forms. Once the Nature achieves her objective of securing sufficient firmness in her operations she reverses the process. Individual form perishes. The aggregate life gains by the dissolved elements of individual form. The last stage (Supramental) can be reached when, in a state of harmony the individual can remain in the consciousness of his individuality and yet he can fuse himself with others.
  • In the ascent of Life there is full emergence of Mind without which there cannot be a well-balanced vitality. The nature of physical life does not permit the individual form to possess its inherent power of persistence (continuation in the same form). Yet, it is possible for the mental being to have a psychic centre within, supported by a secret soul by which it can persist by the power of its connecting the past to the future in a stream of continuity. The mental being in us is not only aware of his individual life but also aware of the past and future of aggregate life.
  • With the emergence of a well-developed mental being there comes the need for mutual association with other individuals. Love will be the dominant factor and its peak emergence is the governing principle of the development into the third status. There is conscious acceptance of the necessity and desire for interchange, fusion with other individuals.
  • In the third stage, the ‘fittest for survival’ will be those individuals and groups who develop most the law of association and the law of love. Common help, kindliness, affection, comradeship and unity will be the dominant characteristics. There will be harmony between the individual survival and mutual self-giving. The aggregate profits the individual and the individual profits the collectivity.
  • In the third stage Mind progressively imposes its own law more and more on the material existence. Mind is subtler than the gross body. Unlike the body it does not need to feed upon something to assimilate it and to possess and grow. The Mind, more it gives fuses itself with others the more it fuses, receives others into itself and increases the scope of its existence.
  • In the third status we find the principle of association and the growth of love. Love is the desire to give oneself and receive others in exchange. At first love enjoys receiving and demanding from others as it is under the influence of physical and vital.
  • The true law of love is to establish an equal commerce where the joy of giving equals the joy of receiving. In the end the joy of giving tends to become greater; its not-self seems to be greater and dearer than its own individuality when love exceeds itself under the pressure of the psychic flame to attain to the fulfilment of unity with others.
  • In the course of development into the third status the struggle of life is transformed into fulfilment and harmony. There is an increasing impulse of aggregate life to absorb the individual. The individual possesses the life of others as his own. This fulfils the opposite impulse of individual possession found in the second stage of Life.
  • Man strives to possess himself by self-affirmation and freedom. By association and love, fraternity, comradeship he gives himself to others. He creates a balance between these two opposites through his ideals of harmonious equilibrium, justice, mutuality and equality. The resolution of these opposites is attempted by the higher principle of Mind. Yet the harmony can only be found in a Power (Supramental) still beyond us.
  • The goal of Life (Divine Life) can only be reached by Mind passing beyond itself. The prefect solution to the problem of Life cannot be reached by association, interchange and accomodations of love alone or by mind alone or by heart alone. This must come by a fourth status (supramental) of life. In that status the eternal unity of many is realised and founded on the unity and freedom of the spirit.