Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 4
The intermediate link exists. We call it the Supermind or the Truth-Consciousness, because it is a principle superior to mentality and exists, acts and proceeds in the fundamental truth and unity of things and not like the mind in their appearances and phenomenal divisions. The existence of the supermind is a logical necessity arising directly from the position with which we have started. For in itself Sachchidananda must be a spaceless and timeless absolute of conscious existence that is bliss; but the world is, on the contrary, an extension in Time and Space and a movement, a working out, a development of relations and possibilities by causality—or what so appears to us—in Time and Space.
EXPLANATION
What is that intermediate link? It is the Supermind or the Truth-Consciousness. It is a principle superior to mentality. It exists, acts and proceeds in the fundamental truth and unity of things. On the contrary our mind acts on the appearances and the phenomenal (happening) divisions.
The existence of Supermind is the logical sequence arising from the original position of Oneness in Existence, Consciousness and Bliss. Sachchidananda is a spaceless and timeless absolute of conscious existence that is bliss. But the world on the contrary is an extension in space and time. The world is a place of working out possibilities and development of relations by what appears to us as causality (chain of cause and effect of things and events) in Time and Space.
The true name of this Causality is Divine Law and the essence of that Law is an inevitable self-development of the truth of the thing that is, as Idea, in the very essence of what is developed; it is a previously fixed determination of relative movements out of the stuff of infinite possibility. That which thus develops all things must be a Knowledge-Will or Conscious-Force; for all manifestation of universe is a play of the Conscious-Force which is the essential nature of existence.
EXPLANATION
What is it really that appears to us as Causality? Causality means something is the cause which produces an effect in the field of Space and Time. Its true name is Divine Law. Whatever is the truth of things that inevitably leads to its self-development. This is the essence of its law. There is an Idea (Real-Idea) in the essence of what is developed. The relative movements of this world happen in the Time and Space of infinite possibilities. The Divine Law is the previously fixed determination out of these infinite possibilities. The truth of tree is already contained in the seed.
It is the Knowledge-Will or Conscious-Force which develops all things. We have already seen that the essential nature of existence is the Conscious-Force. The manifestation of universe is nothing but the play of the Conscious-Force. Therefore, what appears to us as Causality is really the work of Conscious-Force.
To go back to our earlier example, it is not the seed that produces the tree, nor the tree that produces the seed. It is the Conscious-Force that produces both.
But the developing Knowledge-Will cannot be mental; for mind does not know, possess or govern this Law, but is governed by it, is one of its results, moves in the phenomena of the self-development and not at its root, observes as divided things the results of the development and strives in vain to arrive at their source and reality. Moreover this Knowledge-Will which develops all must be in possession of the unity of things and must out of it manifest their multiplicity; but mind is not in possession of that unity, it has only an imperfect possession of a part of the multiplicity.
EXPLANATION
It is the Knowledge-Will that develops all things. This cannot be mental. Because the mind does not know. It does not possess or govern this Law. Rather our mind is governed by this Law and is one of its results. Our mind is a part of the movement in the phenomena of the self-development. Mind is not at the root of its movement. Mind only observes the results of the development as divided things. For example, it observes the seed and the tree separately. Mind struggles to arrive at the source and reality of things but only without any result (like Philosophy and Science do).
This Knowledge-Will which develops all is in possession of unity of all things. It manifests multiplicity out of this unity. Whereas mind is not possession of unity. It has only imperfect possession of a part of the multiplicity.
PARAGRAPH 5
Therefore there must be a principle superior to the Mind which satisfies the conditions in which Mind fails. No doubt, it is Sachchidananda itself that is this principle, but Sachchidananda not resting in its pure infinite invariable consciousness, but proceeding out of this primal poise, or rather upon it as a base and in it as a continent, into a movement which is its form of Energy and instrument of cosmic creation. Consciousness and Force are the twin essential aspects of the pure Power of existence; Knowledge and Will must therefore be the form which that Power takes in creating a world of relations in the extension of Time and Space.
EXPLANATION
We have seen in the earlier paragraph that it is the Knowledge-Will or Conscious-Force which develops all things and that this cannot be mental. It is a principle superior to the Mind. It satisfies the conditions in which Mind fails.
Sachchidananda has two statuses. One is its status of pure infinite invariable consciousness. This is its primal poise. Second is its status of movement which is its form of Energy and instrument of cosmic creation. The first status forms the base and continent of its second status of movement. This Sachchidananda in movement is the principle of Supermind with its Knowledge-Will.
Consciousness and Force, Chit-shakti are the twin essential aspects of the pure Power of existence, Sat. Therefore, Knowledge and Will must be the form which that Power takes in creating this relative world in Time and Space.
This Knowledge and this Will must be one, infinite, all-embracing, all-possessing, all-forming, holding eternally in itself that which it casts into movement and form. The Supermind then is Being moving out into a determinative self-knowledge which perceives certain truths of itself and wills to realise them in a temporal and spatial extension of its own timeless and spaceless existence. Whatever is in its own being, takes form as self-knowledge, as Truth-Consciousness, as Real-Idea, and, that self-knowledge being also self-force, fulfils or realises itself inevitably in Time and Space.
EXPLANATION
This Knowledge and this Will must be one, infinite and all-embracing. Because it is the power of the chit-shakti. It possesses all and it forms all. It holds eternally in itself whatever it brings out into movement and form.
The Supermind moves out into a self-knowledge that determines. It perceives certain truths of itself. It wills to realise them in an extension of Time and Space. Yet, it does it from its own timeless and spaceless existence.
Whatever, Supermind is in its own being, takes form as self-knowledge, as Truth-Consciousness, as Real-Idea. This self-knowledge is also self-force. Hence, it fulfils or realises itself inevitably in Time and Space.
PARAGRAPH 6
This, then, is the nature of the Divine Consciousness which creates in itself all things by a movement of its conscious-force and governs their development through a self-evolution by inherent knowledge-will of the truth of existence or real-idea which has formed them. The Being that is thus conscient is what we call God; and He must obviously be omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent. Omnipresent, for all forms are forms of His conscious being created by its force of movement in its own extension as Space and Time; omniscient, for all things exist in His conscious being, are formed by it and possessed by it; omnipotent, for this all-possessing consciousness is also an all-possessing Force and all-informing Will.
EXPLANATION
It is the Divine Consciousness which creates all things in the Universe, Truth-consciousness is its operative principle. It creates things by movement of its conscious-force. It is the inherent knowledge-will of the truth of existence or real-idea which formed all things. It is by the self-evolution of the knowledge-will the development of things is governed.
We call the Being that is thus conscient as God. All forms are forms of His consciousness, being created by its force of movement in its own extension as Space and Time. Thus, He is omnipresent.
All things exist in His conscious being, are formed by it and possessed by it. Thus, He is omniscient.
This all-possessing consciousness is also an all-possessing Force and an all-informing Will. Here the phrase all-informing means, it is the Will that gives the character or essence to the form. Thus, He is omnipotent.