Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 15
Yet, as in our subliminal or inner Mind, so in this Mind also a larger power of communication and mutuality still remains, a freer play of mentality and sense than human mind possesses, and the Ignorance is not complete; a conscious harmony, an interdependent organisation of right relations is more possible: mind is not yet perturbed by blind Life forces or obscured by irresponsive Matter. It is a plane of Ignorance, but not yet of falsehood or error,—or at least the lapse into falsehood and error is not yet inevitable; this Ignorance is limitative, but not necessarily falsificative.
EXPLANATION
We know that our subliminal or inner Mind is always open to the Universal mental plane. There is constant communication and mutual interchange happening between the Minds at the subliminal plane. Likewise, in this separated Mind (here Sri Aurobindo refers to Cosmic Mind separated from the Overmental source) also a larger power of communication and mutuality still remains.
There exists a freer play of mentality and sense than the human mind possesses. Here the Mind is not limited by body and life; it is not conditioned by senses either. The Ignorance is not complete. A conscious harmony, an interdependent organisation of right relations is more possible. The exclusive concentration to the point of ignorance of other minds is not yet found at this level.
Mind is not yet perturbed by blind Life forces or obscured by irresponsive Matter. This means the Mind at this level is not driven by the blind Life desires; its functioning is not affected by the obscurity of Matter like the ordinary mind. Here, at this descending stage from the Overmind, Cosmic Mind has not yet come under the complete influence of Life and Matter.
It is a plane of Ignorance (because it is separated from Overmind) but it is not yet a plane of falsehood and error; or at least the lapse into falsehood and error is not yet inevitable. Though the ignorance limits it does not falsify.
There is limitation of knowledge, an organisation of partial truths, but not a denial or opposite of truth or knowledge. This character of an organisation of partial truths on a basis of separative knowledge persists in Life and subtle Matter, for the exclusive concentration of Consciousness- Force which puts them into separative action does not entirely sever or veil Mind from Life or Mind and Life from Matter. The complete separation can take place only when the stage of Inconscience has been reached and our world of manifold Ignorance arises out of that tenebrous matrix.
EXPLANATION
In the Mind separated from Overmind there is limitation of knowledge. Consequently there is an organisation of partial truths. At the same time there is no denial or opposite of truth or knowledge.
This character of an organisation of partial truths is founded on the separative knowledge (from Overmind). Because the separated Mind does not have the global knowledge of Overmind. As it has not completely fallen into Inconscience there is, as yet, no denial of truth.
This character (of partial knowledge) persists in Life and subtle Matter. Because the separative action of the Mind which is caused by the exclusive concentration of Consciousness-Force does not totally disconnect or veil Mind from Life or Mind and Life from Matter. The partial knowledge of the Mind is passed on to the Life and subtle Matter.
The complete separation of Mind, Life and Matter from each other can take place only when the stage of Inconscience has been reached and the world of manifold Ignorance arises out of that dark origin.
These other still conscient stages of the involution are indeed organisations of Conscious Force in which each lives from his own centre, follows out his own possibilities, and the predominant principle itself, whether Mind, Life or Matter, works out things on its own independent basis; but what is worked out are truths of itself, not illusions or a tangle of truth and falsehood, knowledge and ignorance. But when by an exclusive concentration on Force and Form Consciousness-Force seems phenomenally to separate Consciousness from Force, or when it absorbs Consciousness in a blind sleep lost in Form and Force, then Consciousness has to struggle back to itself by a fragmentary evolution which necessitates error and makes falsehood inevitable.
EXPLANATION
In the process of involution of consciousness there are still conscient stages. They are indeed organisations of Conscious Force in which each lives from his own centre; each follows out his own possibilities. The predominant principle itself whether Mind, Life or Matter works out things on its own independent basis. What is worked out of itself are truths of itself. They are neither illusions nor a tangle of truth and falsehood, knowledge and ignorance.
But by an exclusive concentration on Force and Form, Consciousness-Force seems phenomenally (in real world) to separate Consciousness from Force; or the consciousness is absorbed in a blind sleep lost in Form and Force. Here the Form and Force seem to be apparently Inconscient as seen in this material world. In such a scenario the Consciousness has to struggle back to itself by a fragmentary evolution. This process necessitates error and makes falsehood inevitable.
In short, we can conclude from the above that there are two processes involved. One is the Involution from the level of Sat-chit-ananda down to the level of Matter. In this downward process, Ignorance and division begin from the level of Overmind. Going further downwards, there is division and an exclusive concentration of Consciousness-Force which results in Inconscience. Second is the evolution from the level of Inconscience. The involution does not directly end up in Inconscience. There are still conscient stages of involution in which there are no illusions and falsehood. Only in evolution of Consciousness from the Inconscience is it accompanied by error and falsehood.
Nevertheless, these things too are not illusions that have sprung out of an original Non-Existence; they are, we might say, the unavoidable truths of a world born out of Inconscience. For the Ignorance is still in reality a knowledge seeking for itself behind the original mask of Inconscience; it misses and finds; its results, natural and even inevitable on their own line, are the true consequence of the lapse,—in a way, even, the right working of the recovery from the lapse.
EXPLANATION
However, these errors and falsehood arising out of evolution are also not illusions that came out of an original non-Existence. They are the unavoidable truths of a world born out of Inconscience. Here Sri Aurobindo refutes the Nirvanic theory that the ultimate origin of everything is Shunya or Non-Existence.
Because in reality, Ignorance is a knowledge seeking for itself behind the original mask of Inconscience. It misses the knowledge and finds it again. The results of this seeking are natural and inevitable on their own line. They are the true consequence of the lapse. They are in a way right working of the recovery from the lapse.
Let us take the example of a man who had fallen into a dark pit. He struggles to come out of the pit. In this process he succeeds after making so many attempts and slips. He gains the knowledge to come out only after committing mistakes. In the same way the Ignorance seeks after Knowledge to come out of the Inconscience.
Therefore, Sri Aurobindo says, the error and falsehood we see in this world are the inevitable consequence of the evolutionary process.
Existence plunging into an apparent Non-Existence, Consciousness into an apparent Inconscience, Delight of existence into a vast cosmic insensibility are the first result of the fall and, in the return from it by a struggling fragmentary experience, the rendering of Consciousness into the dual terms of truth and falsehood, knowledge and error, of Existence into the dual terms of life and death, of Delight of existence into the dual terms of pain and pleasure are the necessary process of the labour of self-discovery.
EXPLANATION
What are the results of the involution of Consciousness from the Divine world of Sat-chit-ananda & Supermind into the lower triple world of Mind, Life and Matter?
Existence (Sat) plunges into an apparent Non-Existence (Asat). Consciousness plunges into an apparent Inconscience. Delight of existence plunges into a vast cosmic insensibility. These are the first results of the fall.
Having fallen, the process of evolution starts. The Consciousness returns from the fall by a struggling fragmentary experience. Whatever we experience in this divided state is not full; we do not experience total happiness, total truth, total good; everything is mixed with its opposites.
In this process the Consciousness in its evolution, renders itself into the dual terms of truth and falsehood, knowledge and error. The Existence renders itself into the dual terms of life and death. The Delight of existence renders itself into the dual terms of pain and pleasure. They are the necessary process of the labour of self-discovery.
A pure experience of Truth, Knowledge, Delight, imperishable existence would here be itself a contradiction of the truth of things. It could only be otherwise if all beings in the evolution were quiescently responsive to the psychic element within them and to the Supermind underlying Nature’s operations; but here there comes in the Overmind law of each Force working out its own possibilities.
EXPLANATION
In our lower triple world, there is the Overmind law of each force working out its own possibilities. We know that all the elements of the Divine Reality are allowed to work out their potentialities independently to their utmost in the Overmental plane. Here all beings in the evolution are not passively responsive to the psychic element within them or to the Supermind underlying Nature’s operations.
Therefore, a pure experience of Truth, Knowledge, Delight, imperishable existence would be in this world a contradiction of the truth of things.
The natural possibilities of a world in which an original Inconscience and a division of consciousness are the main principles, would be the emergence of Forces of Darkness impelled to maintain the Ignorance by which they live, an ignorant struggle to know originative of falsehood and error, an ignorant struggle to live engendering wrong and evil, an egoistic struggle to enjoy, parent of fragmentary joys and pains and sufferings; these are therefore the inevitable first-imprinted characters, though not the sole possibilities of our evolutionary existence.
EXPLANATION
An original Inconscience and a division of consciousness are the main principles in this world. Therefore, the natural possibilities of this evolving world would be:
- emergence of Forces of Darkness. These forces are driven to maintain the Ignorance by which they live.
- an ignorant struggle to know which can create falsehood and error.
- an ignorant struggle to live causing wrong and evil.
- An egoistic struggle to enjoy which causes fragmentary joys and pains and sufferings.
These are therefore the inevitable first-imprinted characters though not the sole possibilities of our evolutionary existence.
Still, because the Non-Existence is a concealed Existence, the Inconscience a concealed Consciousness, the insensibility a masked and dormant Ananda, these secret realities must emerge; the hidden Overmind and Supermind too must in the end fulfil themselves in this apparently opposite organisation from a dark Infinite.
EXPLANATION
The Non-Existence is a concealed Existence. The Inconscience is a concealed Consciousness. The insensibility is a masked and dormant Ananda. Therefore, these secret realities must emerge.
What we see in this world is the apparently opposite organisation from a dark Infinite. In this the hidden Overmind and Supermind also must fulfil themselves in the end.