Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 3
Therefore it is a purely conceptive—a spiritually, not a mentally conceptive difference ending in a practical distinction, which creates the series descending from Spirit through Mind to Matter and ascending again from Matter through Mind to Spirit. But the real oneness is never abrogated, and, when we get back to the original and integral view of things, we see that it is never even truly diminished or impaired, not even in the grossest densities of Matter. Brahman is not only the cause and supporting power and indwelling principle of the universe, he is also its material and its sole material. Matter also is Brahman and it is nothing other than or different from Brahman. If indeed Matter were cut off from Spirit, this would not be so; but it is, as we have seen, only a final form and objective aspect of the divine Existence with all of God ever present in it and behind it.
EXPLANATION
The practical distinction between Spirit and Matter is caused by a spiritually conceptive difference and not by a mentally conceptive difference. This distinction creates the series of substance descending from Spirit through Mind to Matter and ascending back from Matter through Mind to Spirit.
In the series of substance from Spirit to Matter the real oneness is never lost. In fact, in the original integral view of things, the oneness is truly not diminished or impaired even in the grossest density of Matter. Brahman is the cause, supporting power and indwelling principle of the universe. He is also the sole material of the universe. Matter is Brahman and not different from it.
Matter is only a final form and objective aspect of the divine Existence. All of God is ever present in it and behind it.
As this apparently brute and inert Matter is everywhere and always instinct with a mighty dynamic force of Life, as this dynamic but apparently unconscious Life secretes within it an ever-working unapparent Mind of whose secret dealings it is the overt energy, as this ignorant, unillumined and groping Mind in the living body is supported and sovereignly guided by its own real self, the Supermind, which is there equally in unmentalised Matter, so all Matter as well as all Life, Mind and Supermind are only modes of the Brahman, the Eternal, the Spirit, Sachchidananda, who not only dwells in them all, but is all these things though no one of them is His absolute being.
EXPLANATION
The inert Matter is everywhere and always instinct with a mighty dynamic force of Life. This dynamic and apparently unconscious Life has within it a secret and an ever-working Mind which is not apparent. The outward energy of unconscious Life is caused by the secret Mind in it.
The Mind which is ignorant, unillumined and groping in the living body is supported and guided by its own real self, the Supermind. The Supermind is equally present in Matter which is unmentalised. Therefore, all Life, Mind and Supermind are only modes of the Brahman. The Sachchidananda, the Eternal equally dwells in them all. He is also equally all though none of them is His absolute being.
PARAGRAPH 4
But still there is this conceptive difference and practical distinction, and in that, even if Matter is not really cut off from Spirit, yet it seems with such a practical definiteness to be so cut off, it is so different, even so contrary in its law, the material life seems so much to be the negation of all spiritual existence that its rejection might well appear to be the one short cut out of the difficulty,—as undoubtedly it is; but a short cut or any cut is no solution. Still, there, in Matter undoubtedly lies the crux; that raises the obstacle: for because of Matter Life is gross and limited and stricken with death and pain, because of Matter Mind is more than half blind, its wings clipped, its feet tied to a narrow perch and held back from the vastness and freedom above of which it is conscious.
EXPLANATION
Spiritually there is a conceptive difference between the Spirit and Matter (Consciousness is fully evolved in the Spirit whereas it is fully involved in Matter) and our mind makes the difference between the two for practical reasons. In reality Matter is not cut off from Spirit. Yet for all practical purpose material life seems to be the denial of spiritual life. Therefore, rejection of material life seems to be the short cut out of the difficulty. But it is not a real solution.
The crux of the difficulty lies in Matter. Life limited by Matter is affected by death and pain. Mind limited by Matter, is unable to function under its full light of knowledge. Mind is denied of its vastness and freedom because it is unable to free itself from the clutches of Matter. Here Sri Aurobindo compares Mind with the bird whose wings are clipped, feet are tied to a narrow branch; though it sees the vastness and freedom above itself in the sky, yet it cannot liberate itself.
Therefore the exclusive spiritual seeker is justified from his view-point if, disgusted with the mud of Matter, revolted by the animal grossness of Life or impatient of the self-imprisoned narrowness and downward division of Mind, he determines to break from it all and return by inaction and silence to the Spirit’s immobile liberty. But that is not the sole view-point, nor, because it has been sublimely held or glorified by shining and golden examples, need we consider it the integral and ultimate wisdom. Rather, liberating ourselves from all passion and revolt, let us see what this divine order of the universe means, and, as for this great knot and tangle of Matter denying the Spirit, let us seek to find out and separate its strands so as to loosen it by a solution and not cut through it by a violence. We must state the difficulty, the opposition first, entirely, trenchantly, with exaggeration, if need be, rather than with diminution, and then look for the issue.
EXPLANATION
The spiritual seeker, dissatisfied with the inertia of Matter, animality of Life and self-imprisoned narrowness and downward division of Mind (Mind separated from the unity of Supermind above fell below to the state of division), therefore, decides to break away from body, mind and life. He chooses to return to inaction and silence to enjoy the Spirit’s immobile liberty.
Such an immobile spiritual state has been glorified by seers and yogis who were looked upon as shining and golden examples. Yet we cannot consider it the integral and ultimate wisdom. We should liberate ourselves from all passion and revolt against the material world. There is divine order in the formation of universe from Spirit above down to the Matter below. We should see what this divine order of the universe means.
It is a fact that there is this great knot and tangle of Matter denying the Spirit. The knot has to be untied only by loosening its separate strands and not by cutting it by violence. To solve a difficulty all its various aspects have to be stated in its totality, each aspect of it has to be accorded its due significance and then we should look for the solution. An exaggeration of problem is better than understating the problem and then to look for the solution.
PARAGRAPH 5
First, then, the fundamental opposition Matter presents to Spirit is this that it is the culmination of the principle of Ignorance. Here Consciousness has lost and forgotten itself in a form of its works, as a man might forget in extreme absorption not only who he is but that he is at all and become momentarily only the work that is being done and the force that is doing it.
EXPLANATION
Spirit is the culmination of Knowledge. Matter is the culmination of the principle of Ignorance. This is the fundamental opposition Matter presents to Spirit.
At the level of material workings, Consciousness has lost and forgotten itself in a form of its works. It is like man, when he is engaged in his work, in a total self-absorption, may forget who he is; he becomes the work itself that is being done and the force that is doing it.
The Spirit self-luminous, infinitely aware of itself behind all workings of force and their master, seems here to have disappeared and not to be at all; somewhere He is perhaps, but here He seems to have left only a brute and inconscient material Force which creates and destroys eternally without knowing itself or what it creates or why it creates at all or why it destroys what once it has created: it does not know, for it has no mind; it does not care, for it has no heart.
EXPLANATION
The Spirit is self-luminous and infinitely aware of itself behind all workings of force and their master. But at the level of the material Force, It seems to have disappeared and not to be present at all.
The Spirit seems to exist elsewhere leaving only a brute and inconscient material Force here below. This inconscient Force eternally creates and destroys. It is not knowing itself nor does it know what it creates or why it creates at all. It does not know why it destroys what once it has created. It has no mind and hence it does not know. It has no heart and hence it does not care.