Paragraph 4 – 6

Study Notes

PARAGRAPH 4 (Contd…)

The universal life in us, obeying this direction of the soul imprisoned in mind, itself becomes imprisoned in an individual action. It exists and acts as a separate life with a limited insufficient capacity undergoing and not freely embracing the shock and pressure of all the cosmic life around it. Thrown into the constant cosmic interchange of Force in the universe as a poor, limited, individual existence, Life at first helplessly suffers and obeys the giant interplay with only a mechanical reaction upon all that attacks, devours, enjoys, uses, drives it. But as consciousness develops, as the light of its own being emerges from the inert darkness of the involutionary sleep, the individual existence becomes dimly aware of the power in it and seeks first nervously and then mentally to master, use and enjoy the play.

EXPLANATION

     There is universal life in us. It obeys the direction of the soul imprisoned in mind. It itself becomes imprisoned in an individual action. This universal life in us exists and acts as a separate life with a limited insufficient capacity. It does not freely embrace the cosmic life around it. On the contrary it undergoes the shock and pressure of the cosmic life.
     Life is thrown into the constant cosmic interchange of Force in the universe. Life, as a poor, limited, individual existence at first helplessly suffers and obeys the giant interplay. It responds only with a mechanical reaction upon all that attacks, consumes, enjoys, uses, drives it (at the animal level).
     As consciousness develops the light of its own being emerges from the inert darkness of the involutionary sleep (at the level of matter). The individual existence becomes dimly aware of the power in it. It seeks first nervously (in plants and animals) and then mentally to master, use and enjoy the play (at the human level).

This awakening to the Power in it is the gradual awakening to self. For Life is Force and Force is Power and Power is Will and Will is the working of the Master-consciousness. Life in the individual becomes more and more aware in its depths that it too is the Will-Force of Sachchidananda which is master of the universe and it aspires itself to be individually master of its own world. To realise its own power and to master as well as to know its world is therefore the increasing impulse of all individual life; that impulse is an essential feature of the growing self-manifestation of the Divine in cosmic existence.

EXPLANATION

     The awakening to the Power in it is the gradual awakening to self. Life is Force (Chit-Shakti) and Force is Power. Power is Will and Will is the working of the Master-consciousness. Life in its depths becomes more and more aware that it is also the Will-Force of Sachchidananda. Sachchidananda is the master of the universe. Life aspires itself to be individually master of its own world. Man is ever aspiring to conquer the nature.
     Therefore, increasing impulse of all individual life is to realise its own power and to master as well as to know its world. This impulse is an essential feature of the growing self-manifestation of the Divine in cosmic existence.

PARAGRAPH 5

     But though Life is Power and the growth of individual life means the growth of the individual Power, still the mere fact of its being a divided individualised life and force prevents it from really becoming master of its world. For that would mean to be master of the All-Force, and it is impossible for a divided and individualised consciousness with a divided, individualised and therefore limited power and will to be master of the All-Force; only the All-Will can be that and the individual only, if at all, by becoming again one with the All-Will and therefore with the All-Force. Otherwise, the individual life in the individual form must be always subject to the three badges of its limitation, Death, Desire and Incapacity.

EXPLANATION

     Life is Power and the growth of individual life means the growth of the individual power. Yet it cannot become the master of its world. Because it is a divided individualised life and force. This prevents it from becoming the master of its world.
     Master of its world would mean to be the master of the All-Force. It would be impossible for a divided and individualised consciousness with a divided, individualised and therefore limited power and will to be the master of the All-Force.
     Only the All-Will can be that. The individual can be that only by becoming again one with the All-Will and therefore with the All-Force. Otherwise the individual life in the individual form must always be subject to Death, Desire and Incapacity, the three badges (characteristics) of its limitation.

PARAGRAPH 6

     Death is imposed on the individual life both by the conditions of its own existence and by its relations to the All-Force which manifests itself in the universe. For the individual life is a particular play of energy specialised to constitute, maintain, energise and finally to dissolve, when its utility is over, one of myriad forms which all serve, each in its own place, time and scope, the whole play of the universe. The energy of life in the body has to support the attack of the energies external to it in the universe; it has to draw them in and feed upon them and is itself being constantly devoured by them.

EXPLANATION

     Death is imposed on the individual life by two conditions. One is of its own existence. The other is by its relations to the All-Force which manifests itself in the universe. The individual life is a particular play of energy specialised to constitute, maintain, energise and finally to dissolve when its utility is over. It is one of the countless forms, all serving the whole play of the universe each in its own place, time and scope.
     The energy of life in the body has to support the attack of the energies external to it in the universe. It has to draw them in and has to feed upon them. At the same time it is being consumed by them.

All Matter according to the Upanishad is food, and this is the formula of the material world that “the eater eating is himself eaten”. The life organised in the body is constantly exposed to the possibility of being broken up by the attack of the life external to it or, its devouring capacity being insufficient or not properly served or there being no right balance between the capacity of devouring and the capacity or necessity of providing food for the life outside, it is unable to protect itself and is devoured or is unable to renew itself and therefore wasted away or broken; it has to go through the process of death for a new construction or renewal.

EXPLANATION

     Upanishad says all Matter is food. This is the basis for the formula of the material world that “the eater eating is himself eaten”. The life in the body is constantly exposed to the possibility of being broken by the attack of the life external to it. Or its consuming capacity becomes insufficient or is not properly served.
     Or there is no right balance between the capacity of consumption and the capacity of providing food for the life outside. Therefore it is unable to protect itself and is being consumed. Or it is unable to renew itself and therefore wasted away or broken. It has to go through the process of death for a new construction or renewal.