Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 11
This progressive development, this growing manifestation of the divine Consciousness and Force, Knowledge and Will that had lost itself in the ignorance and inertia of Matter, might well be a happy efflorescence proceeding from joy to greater and at last to infinite joy if it were not for the principle of rigid division from which Matter has started. The shutting up of the individual in his own personal consciousness of separate and limited mind, life and body prevents what would otherwise be the natural law of our development. It brings into the body the law of attraction and repulsion, of defence and attack, of discord and pain. For each body being a limited conscious-force feels itself exposed to the attack, impact, forceful contact of other such limited conscious-forces or of universal forces and, where it feels itself broken in upon or unable to harmonise the contacting and the recipient consciousness, it suffers discomfort and pain, is attracted or repelled, has to defend itself or to assail; it is constantly called upon to undergo what it is unwilling or unable to suffer.
EXPLANATION
The divine Consciousness and Force, Knowledge and Will (Chit-shakti) is involved in Matter. It had lost itself in the ignorance and inertia of Matter. The progressive development, this growing manifestation of this divine Consciousness would be a happy flowering out from joy to greater and finally to infinite joy.
But why it is not so? Why at every stage man is confronted by the dualities?
Because of the principle of rigid division from which Matter has started. Struggle always accompanies division. This division affects the man throughout in his physical, emotional and mental levels. Each individual is shut up in his own personal and egoistic consciousness of separate and limited mind, life and body. This separateness prevents what would be otherwise the natural law of our development. Each individual is constantly on the lookout to defend himself. Each one feels his body different from the other body. It brings into our body the law of attraction and repulsion. We feel attracted to some and feel repelled from some other. We defend our body against other bodies and sometimes we attack other bodies. The body is subject to the law of discord and pain.
Each body feels itself a limited conscious-force than being a part of an unlimited force. Because of this each body feels itself exposed to the attack and forceful impacts of other such limited conscious-forces (other living beings) or of universal forces (forces of Nature). When there is contact between limited conscious-forces one feels the intrusion of the other. There is no harmony between the contacting and the recipient consciousness. Consequently, it suffers discomfort and pain. There comes an attraction and repulsion. Either one defends itself or attacks the other. The body has to constantly undergo what it is unwilling or unable to suffer.
Into the emotional and the sense-mind the law of division brings the same reactions with the higher values of grief and joy, love and hatred, oppression and depression, all cast into terms of desire, and by desire into straining and effort, and by the straining into excess and defect of force, incapacity, the rhythm of attainment and disappointment, possession and recoil, a constant strife and trouble and unease. Into the mind as a whole, instead of a divine law of narrower truth flowing into greater truth, lesser light taken up into wider light, lower will surrendered to higher transforming will, pettier satisfaction progressing towards nobler and more complete satisfaction, it brings similar dualities of truth pursued by error, light by darkness, power by incapacity, pleasure of pursuit and attainment by pain of repulse and of dissatisfaction with what is attained; mind takes up its own affliction along with the affliction of life and body and becomes aware of the triple defect and insufficiency of our natural being.
EXPLANATION
The law of division also operates in the emotional and sense-mind. It brings the same reactions as that of a body but with the higher values: grief and joy, love and hatred, oppression and depression. We experience these states either in terms of fulfilment or unfulfillment of our desires. In order to fulfil our desires, there is straining and effort. By straining we put in either excess of force or defect of force and incapacity; the rhythm of attainment and disappointment; possession and recoil accompanied by constant strife and trouble and unease.
Into the mind as a whole, in its progressive development, the divine law of narrower truth must flow into greater truth; lesser light must be taken up into wider light; lower will must be surrendered to higher transforming will; pettier satisfaction must progress towards nobler and more complete satisfaction.
Instead, the law of division brings into the mind similar dualities. We do not arrive at the whole truth; it is pursued by error. We do not receive the true light; it is accompanied by darkness. Mind’s power suffers from incapacity. We pursue something in order to get pleasure by its attainment. But what follows is the pain of repulse and of dissatisfaction with what is attained. Mind takes up its own suffering and pain along with the suffering of life and body. It becomes aware of the triple defect (of mind, life and body) and insufficiency of our natural being.
All this means the denial of Ananda, the negation of the trinity of Sachchidananda and therefore, if the negation be insuperable, the futility of existence; for existence in throwing itself out in the play of consciousness and force must seek that movement not merely for itself, but for satisfaction in the play, and if in the play no real satisfaction can be found, it must obviously be abandoned in the end as a vain attempt, a colossal mistake, a delirium of the self-embodying spirit.
EXPLANATION
All this means the denial and negation of Sat-Chit-Ananda. We feel that these opposites of Sachchidananda cannot be overcome by us. Therefore, we are driven to the conclusion that this existence is purposeless and useless. Our existence is involved in the play of consciousness and force. In that movement, it must seek for itself satisfaction in the play. But in this world of dualities, we find no satisfaction in the play. Therefore, life must be abandoned in the end as a vain attempt, a colossal mistake, a delusion of the spirit living within the body. Such is the normal conclusion one is arriving at regarding this worldly existence.
PARAGRAPH 12
This is the whole basis of the pessimist theory of the world, —optimist, it may be, as to worlds and states beyond, but pessimist as to the earthly life and the destiny of the mental being in his dealings with the material universe. For it affirms that since the very nature of material existence is division and the very seed of embodied mind is self-limitation, ignorance and egoism, to seek satisfaction of the spirit upon earth or to seek an issue and divine purpose and culmination for the world-play is a vanity and delusion; only in a heaven of the Spirit and not in the world, or only in the Spirit’s true quietude and not in its phenomenal activities can we reunite existence and consciousness with the divine self-delight.
EXPLANATION
We come across in the world all that are the opposites of Sacchidananda. In a helpless state, unable to overcome the negative features of the world, one is driven to the conclusion that the existence in the world must be abandoned.
This forms the whole basis of the pessimist theory (Adwaitic- Mayavadic and Buddhist philosophies) of the world. One tends to look with optimism only at the worlds and states beyond this earthly existence. As regards this earthly life and the destiny of man in his dealings with the material universe, it is viewed with pessimism.
The very nature of material existence is division. The very seed of mind housed in the body is self-limitation, ignorance and egoism. Therefore, the pessimist thinks that to seek satisfaction of the spirit upon earth or to seek the solution to the problems of the world or to seek the divine purpose and its fulfilment in the world-play is an effort in vain and delusion.
The existence and consciousness are separated from their source. Therefore, the pessimist is of the view that the existence and consciousness can be reunited with the divine self-delight only in a heaven of the Spirit and not in this material world; only in the Spirit’s true quietude and not in its phenomenal activities in the world.
The Infinite can only recover itself by rejecting as an error and a false step its attempt to find itself in the finite. Nor can the emergence of mental consciousness in the material universe bring with it any promise of a divine fulfilment. For the principle of division is not proper to Matter, but to Mind; Matter is only an illusion of Mind into which Mind brings its own rule of division and ignorance. Therefore within this illusion Mind can only find itself; it can only travel between the three terms of the divided existence it has created: it cannot find there the unity of the Spirit or the truth of the spiritual existence.
EXPLANATION
The latter-day Indian Philosophies subscribed to this pessimist view of the worldly existence. They were of the view that the material world is the illusion of the Mind. Therefore, they advocated that the only way the Infinite can recover its original state is by rejecting its attempt to find itself in the finite (in the material world) as an error and a false step.
With the appearance of Man there is emergence of mental consciousness in the material universe. Neither this would bring with it any promise of a divine fulfilment as per the world rejecting philosophies. Because, according to them, the principle of division is not proper to Matter but to Mind. Matter is only an illusion of Mind. Mind brings its own rule of division and ignorance into the Matter. Therefore, Mind can find itself only within this illusion. It can travel between the three terms of the divided existence it has created i.e., body(matter), life and mind. It cannot find there the unity of the Spirit or the truth of the spiritual existence.
PARAGRAPH 13
Now it is true that the principle of division in Matter can be only a creation of the divided Mind which has precipitated itself into material existence; for that material existence has no self-being, is not the original phenomenon but only a form created by an all-dividing Life-force which works out the conceptions of an all-dividing Mind. By working out being into these appearances of the ignorance, inertia and division of Matter the dividing Mind has lost and imprisoned itself in a dungeon of its own building, is bound with chains which it has itself forged. And if it be true that the dividing Mind is the first principle of creation, then it must be also the ultimate attainment possible in the creation, and the mental being struggling vainly with Life and Matter, overpowering them only to be overpowered by them, repeating eternally a fruitless cycle must be the last and highest word of cosmic existence.
EXPLANATION
It is true that the principle of division in Matter can be only a creation of the divided Mind (up to the level of Overmind). It is the Mind which had descended into Matter and had precipitated itself (meaning subtle becoming gross form) into the material existence. Because the material existence has no self-being. It does not exist all by itself. It is not the original phenomenon. But it is only a form created by an all-dividing Life-force which works out the conceptions of an all-dividing Mind.
The dividing Mind works out being (substance, Sat) into the appearances of the Ignorance, inertia and division of Matter. By doing so, the Mind has lost and imprisoned itself in a dungeon (prison cell) of its own building; it has bound itself with chains of its own make.
The dividing Mind is not the first principle of creation as stated by the Mayavada philosophies. If that is so, it should be equally true that Mind is the ultimate attainment possible in the creation. We find that our mental being struggles with Life and Matter without result. Though it overpowers them, ultimately it is overpowered by them. This seems to go on endlessly as a fruitless cycle. In this scenario we come to the conclusion that this must be the last and highest word of cosmic existence. If we subscribe to this view then we would conclude that Mind is the ultimate and the last principle on this earth; Man cannot go beyond his present stage.