Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 6
We shall understand better if we go back at once to the original principle of things. Existence is in its activity a Conscious- Force which presents the workings of its force to its consciousness as forms of its own being. Since Force is only the action of one sole-existing Conscious-Being, its results can be nothing else but forms of that Conscious-Being; Substance or Matter, then, is only a form of Spirit. The appearance which this form of Spirit assumes to our senses is due to that dividing action of Mind from which we have been able to deduce consistently the whole phenomenon of the universe. We know now that Life is an action of Conscious-Force of which material forms are the result; Life involved in those forms, appearing in them first as inconscient force, evolves and brings back into manifestation as Mind the consciousness which is the real self of the force and which never ceased to exist in it even when unmanifest.
EXPLANATION
We know that Sat-chit-ananda is a unity but triune (three-in-one) in its aspects. Its three aspects Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence, Consciousness (Force) and Bliss) are inseparable and one. Existence is in its activity a Conscious-Force. The working of its force is presented to its consciousness as forms of its own being.
Let us imagine a big rock. We call its gross form as Matter. But in its subtlest form it is the Existence or Sat. This rock at its subtlest level is conscious of itself. It acts through its Conscious-Force or Chit-shakti to create the form of rock. Therefore, it is conscious of itself as a form of rock which is created by its own Conscious-Force. Whatever the Conscious–Force makes out of the Substance can be nothing else than the Substance (Sat) itself.
Conscious-Being (Sat-chit) is sole-existing (One). Force is the action of the Conscious-Being. Therefore, its results can be nothing else than the forms of that Conscious-Being. Substance or Matter is the form created by the Conscious-Force. Therefore, going by the above truth principle, Matter is only a form of Spirit (Sat). Formless Spirit takes form as Matter.
Let us take the example of sea. Sea in its depths is calm and motionless. We see the force of sea in action in the form of waves. Though waves are produced by the force, waves are not different in their substance from the sea. Likewise, Matter is produced by the Conscious-Force (Chit-shakti) which is nothing but Existence (Sat) in action. Therefore, Matter cannot be different from Existence (Sat).
But the Spirit in its manifestation appears as many forms of Matter. Yet, we are not able to perceive the Spirit in the appearances through our senses because of the dividing action of the Mind. We are able to deduce the whole phenomenon of the world only through Mind.
Life is an action of Conscious-Force (Chit-shakti); material forms are the result. Life is involved in those forms. It first appears in them as inconscient force. It evolves and manifests as Mind. In manifestation as Mind, Life brings back the consciousness which is the real self of the force. It never ceased to exist even when it was unmanifest.
We know also that Mind is an inferior power of the original conscious Knowledge or Supermind, a power to which Life acts as an instrumental energy; for, descending through Supermind, Consciousness or Chit represents itself as Mind, Force of consciousness or Tapas represents itself as Life. Mind, by its separation from its own higher reality in Supermind, gives Life the appearance of division and, by its farther involution in its own Life-Force, becomes subconscious in Life and thus gives the outward appearance of an inconscient force to its material workings. Therefore, the inconscience, the inertia, the atomic disaggregation of Matter must have their source in this all-dividing and self-involving action of Mind by which our universe came into being.
EXPLANATION
Mind is an inferior power or a subordinate term of Supermind. Life acts as an instrumental energy to the Supramental power. Consciousness or Chit descends through Supermind and represents itself as Mind. Force of consciousness or Tapas descends through Supermind and represents itself as Life.
Mind is separated from its own higher reality in Supermind. This divided Mind gives Life the appearance of division. Mind becomes subconscious in Life by its farther involution in its own Life-Force. This gives the outward appearance of an inconscient force to its material workings.
There is inconscience, inertia and atomic disaggregation (separation) of Matter. All these must have their source in this all-dividing and self-involving action of Mind by which our universe came into existence.
As Mind is only a final action of Supermind in the descent towards creation and Life an action of Conscious-Force working in the conditions of the Ignorance created by this descent of Mind, so Matter, as we know it, is only the final form taken by conscious being as the result of that working. Matter is substance of the one conscious-being phenomenally divided within itself by the action of a universal Mind3* – a division which the individual mind repeats and dwells in, but which does not abrogate or at all diminish the unity of Spirit or the unity of Energy or the real unity of Matter.
FOOT NOTE:
3*Mind is here used in its widest sense including the operation of an Overmind power which is nearest to the supramental Truth-Consciousness and which is the first fountain of the creation of the Ignorance.
EXPLANATION
Mind is the final action of Supermind in the descent towards creation. Life is an action of Conscious-Force working in the conditions of the Ignorance created by this descent of Mind. So, Matter is only the final form taken by conscious-being (Sat) as the result of that working.
Sri Aurobindo says Matter is substance of the one conscious-being (Sat). But in its manifestation in the world, it is divided within itself by the action of a universal Mind. The individual mind repeats this division and dwells in it. Yet, the division does not put an end or diminish the unity of Spirit or the unity of Energy or the real unity of Matter.