Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 8
Finally, Consciousness being thus omniscient and omnipotent, in entire luminous possession of itself, and such entire luminous possession being necessarily and in its very nature Bliss, for it cannot be anything else, a vast universal self-delight must be the cause, essence and object of cosmic existence. “If there were not” says the ancient seer “this all-encompassing ether of Delight of existence in which we dwell, if that delight were not our ether, then none could breathe, none could live.”
EXPLANATION
The Consciousness (in the trinity of Sat-chit-ananda, Existence-Consciousness-Bliss) is omniscient (All-Knowing) and omnipotent (All-Powerful). It is in luminous possession of itself (meaning, it is in possession of itself, full of light). Such a luminous possession is in its very nature Bliss. It cannot be anything else because a vast universal self-delight must be the cause, essence and object of cosmic existence.
Vedic Rishis had stated that it is the Delight of existence which is the all-encompassing substance of our existence. If Bliss is not the fundamental element of our existence none could breathe and none could live.
This self-bliss may become subconscient, seemingly lost on the surface, but not only must it be there at our roots, all existence must be essentially a seeking and reaching out to discover and possess it, and in proportion as the creature in the cosmos finds himself, whether in will and power or in light and knowledge or in being and wideness or in love and joy itself, he must awaken to something of the secret ecstasy.
EXPLANATION
This self-bliss (meaning, bliss which is always inherent in all things) may be lost on the surface and become subconscient. It must be there not only at our roots; but all existence must be essentially a seeking and reaching out to discover and possess it. As man more and more finds himself in the cosmos whether in will and power(chit-shakti) or in light and knowledge(chit) or in being and wideness (sat)or in love and joy(ananda) itself he must awaken to something of the secret bliss.
Joy of being, delight of realisation by knowledge, rapture of possession by will and power or creative force, ecstasy of union in love and joy are the highest terms of expanding life because they are the essence of existence itself in its hidden roots as on its yet unseen heights. Wherever, then, cosmic existence manifests itself, these three must be behind and within it.
EXPLANATION
When life expands itself, it reaches the highest in terms of joy of existence (Sat aspect) delight of realisation by knowledge (Chit aspect), rapture of possession by will and power or creative force (Chit-shakti aspect), ecstasy of union in love and joy (Ananda aspect).
All the above aspects are the essence of existence itself in its hidden roots on its heights which are not yet seen by us. Therefore, wherever cosmic existence manifests itself Sat-Chit-Ananda must be behind and within it.
PARAGRAPH 9
But infinite Existence, Consciousness and Bliss need not throw themselves out into apparent being at all or, doing so, it would not be cosmic being, but simply an infinity of figures without fixed order or relation, if they did not hold or develop and bring out from themselves this fourth term of Supermind, of the divine Gnosis. There must be in every cosmos a power of Knowledge and Will which out of infinite potentiality fixes determined relations, develops the result out of the seed, rolls out the mighty rhythms of cosmic Law and views and governs the worlds as their immortal and infinite Seer and Ruler.*4
*4 The Seer, the Thinker, He who becomes everywhere, the Self-existent.—Isha Upanishad, Verse 8.
EXPLANATION
Sat-chit-ananda is infinite – infinite Existence, Consciousness and Bliss. What happens if Sachchidananda manifests in this apparent world with all Its infinite qualities? In that case it would not be cosmic being with a determined form; it would simply be an infinity of figures without fixed order or relation. Therefore, the infinite Existence, Consciousness and Bliss bring out from themselves, the fourth term of Supermind of the divine Gnosis.
A power of Knowledge and Will (Knowledge-Will) must be in every cosmos. It fixes determined relations, develops the result out of the seed, rolls out the mighty rhythms of cosmic Law and views and governs the worlds as their immortal and infinite Seer and Ruler.
This power indeed is nothing else than Sachchidananda Himself; it creates nothing which is not in its own self-existence, and for that reason all cosmic and real Law is a thing not imposed from outside, but from within, all development is self-development, all seed and result are seed of a Truth of things and result of that seed determined out of its potentialities. For the same reason no Law is absolute, because only the infinite is absolute, and everything contains within itself endless potentialities quite beyond its determined form and course, which are only determined through a self-limitation by Idea proceeding from an infinite liberty within. This power of self-limitation is necessarily inherent in the boundless All-Existent.
EXPLANATION
The power of Knowledge and Will is nothing else than Sachchidananda Himself. Sachchidananda creates nothing which is not itself. Therefore, all cosmic and real Law is something imposed not from outside but from within. All development in the cosmos is self-development i.e., development from within. All seed and result are seed of a Truth of things and result of that seed determined out of its potentialities.
There is no cosmic Law which is absolute. Only the infinite is absolute. Everything we find in the universe has a determined form and course. Still, everything contains within itself endless potentialities beyond its determined form and course. The form and course are only determined through a self-limitation by Idea proceeding from an infinite liberty within. This power of self-limitation is necessarily inherent in the infinite All-Existent (Sat).
The Infinite would not be the Infinite if it could not assume a manifold finiteness; the Absolute would not be the Absolute if it were denied in knowledge and power and will and manifestation of being a boundless capacity of self-determination. This Supermind then is the Truth or Real-Idea, inherent in all cosmic force and existence, which is necessary, itself remaining infinite, to determine and combine and uphold relation and order and the great lines of the manifestation. In the language of the Vedic Rishis, as infinite Existence, Consciousness and Bliss are the three highest and hidden Names of the Nameless, so this Supermind is the fourth Name*5—fourth to That in its descent, fourth to us in our ascension.
*5 Turıyam svid, “a certain Fourth”, also called turıyam dhama, the fourth placing or poise of existence.
EXPLANATION
It is the Infinite which has assumed multiple finite forms in the universe. If it could not assume these finite multiple forms, it would not be the Infinite. The Absolute when manifests in the universe has a boundless capacity of self-determination. Supposing the Absolute is denied in knowledge and power and will and manifestation of being this boundless capacity of self-determination then it would not be the Absolute.
The Supermind is the Truth or Real-Idea. It is inherent in all cosmic force and existence. Itself remaining infinite, it is necessary to determine and combine and uphold relation and order and the great lines of the manifestation. Vedic Rishis had called the infinite Existence, Consciousness and Bliss, the three highest and hidden Names of the Nameless.
The Supermind is the fourth Name. Fourth to That (Sat, Chit and Ananda) in its descent and fourth to us (Matter, Life and Mind) in our ascent.
PARAGRAPH 10
But Mind, Life and Matter, the lower trilogy, are also indispensable to all cosmic being, not necessarily in the form or with the action and conditions which we know upon earth or in this material universe, but in some kind of action, however luminous, however puissant, however subtle. For Mind is essentially that faculty of Supermind which measures and limits, which fixes a particular centre and views from that the cosmic movement and its interactions.
EXPLANATION
The higher divine principles Sat, Chit, Ananda and Supermind are indispensable for all existence. But Mind, Life and Matter the lower triple aspects are also indispensable to all cosmic being. We cannot discard these lower principles in favour of higher principles. Their significance need not necessarily in the form or with the action and conditions we know upon this earth. As we presently know, our Mind is ignorant, our Life is limited by incapacity and our body is gross and rigid. But they may be in some kind of action however luminous, however puissant, however subtle.
Because Mind is essentially that faculty of Supermind which measures and limits; it fixes a particular centre and views the cosmic movement and its interactions from that centre.
Granted that in a particular world, plane or cosmic arrangement, mind need not be limited, or rather that the being who uses mind as a subordinate faculty need not be incapable of seeing things from other centres or standpoints or even from the real Centre of all or in the vastness of a universal self-diffusion, still if he is not capable of fixing himself normally in his own firm standpoint for certain purposes of the divine activity, if there is only the universal self-diffusion or only infinite centres without some determining or freely limiting action for each, then there is no cosmos but only a Being musing within Himself infinitely as a creator or poet may muse freely, not plastically, before he proceeds to the determining work of creation.
EXPLANATION
At our level mind works in a limited way. We can see things only from a particular point of view. We can suppose that in a particular world, plane or cosmic arrangement mind need not be limited. The being, say the Supramental being who uses mind as a subordinate faculty would be capable of seeing things from other centres or standpoints or from the real Centre of all (from Transcendent) or in the vastness of a universal self-diffusion (from the Universal).
Still, one cannot do away with the faculty of mind. It makes one capable of fixing oneself normally in one’s own stand point for certain purposes of the divine activity. Mind as a faculty is required for a determined action in the universe. Supposing the mind is not able to fix itself at a point it would be only a universal diffusion (spreading out). Or instead of a fixed centre it will have infinite centres without a determining or limiting action. Such an action cannot be possible in the universe.
Such an action would be like a Being musing (thinking about something) within Himself infinitely as a creator or like a poet who is lost in his thought forms before he proceeds to a determined poetic form.