Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 6
Again if we look at World-Existence rather in its relation to the self-delight of eternally existent being, we may regard, describe and realise it as Lila, the play, the child’s joy, the poet’s joy, the actor’s joy, the mechanician’s joy of the Soul of things eternally young, perpetually inexhaustible, creating and re-creating Himself in Himself for the sheer bliss of that self-creation, of that self-representation, —Himself the play, Himself the player, Himself the playground.
EXPLANATION
The third relation of the world is to Ananda. We may take the view of the Ananda aspect of World-Existence. The World-Existence may be conceived to be the expression of self-delight of eternally existent being. All the world movements are regarded as Divine Lila. Everything becomes the Divine Lila- the child’s joy, the poets joy, the actor’s joy, the joy of the creator of things. Here the Divine creates things for the sheer Bliss of creation out of Himself; for the sheer Bliss of representing Himself the play, Himself the Player and Himself the playground.
These three generalisations of the play of existence in its relation to the eternal and stable, the immutable Sachchidananda, starting from the three conceptions of Maya, Prakriti and Lila and representing themselves in our philosophical systems as mutually contradictory philosophies, are in reality perfectly consistent with each other, complementary and necessary in their totality to an integral view of life and the world.
EXPLANATION
These are the three generalisations of the play of existence in its relation to the Divine Existence which is eternal and stable and which is the immutable Sachchidananda. They are expressed in three conceptions of Maya, Prakriti and Lila. The corresponding philosophical systems based on them are Adwaita, Sankhya and Visishtadwaita. Sri Aurobindo says though they appear to be mutually contradictory they are in reality perfectly consistent with each other. They are complementary to each other and necessary in their totality to an integral view of the world.
The world of which we are a part is in its most obvious view a movement of Force; but that Force, when we penetrate its appearances, proves to be a constant and yet always mutable rhythm of creative consciousness casting up, projecting in itself phenomenal truths of its own infinite and eternal being; and this rhythm is in its essence, cause and purpose a play of the infinite delight of being ever busy with its own innumerable self-representations. This triple or triune view must be the starting-point for all our understanding of the universe.
EXPLANATION
The world is a movement of Force of which we are a part. That Force in its depths is nothing but the constant and yet always mutable (changing) rhythm of creative consciousness. This consciousness creates appearances and movements on the surface which are nothing but phenomenal (relating to creation) truths of its own infinite and eternal being.
This rhythm of creative consciousness is in its essence is the play of the infinite delight of being ever creating its own innumerable self-representations. This triple view must be the starting point of our understanding of the universe.
The conclusion here is that, what we see may be Lila, or it could be Prakriti, or it could be Maya. What is the essence of all these experiences? It is Sachchidananda.
PARAGRAPH 7
Since, then, eternal and immutable delight of being moving out into infinite and variable delight of becoming is the root of the whole matter, we have to conceive one indivisible conscious Being behind all our experiences supporting them by its inalienable delight and effecting by its movement the variations of pleasure, pain and neutral indifference in our sensational existence.
EXPLANATION
We can come to the conclusion that delight of being is the fundamental truth. This delight of being is eternal and immutable. In manifestation (or creation) this delight of being moves out into infinite and variable delight of becoming. This fact is the root of whole matter. There is one indivisible conscious Being behind all our experiences. It supports all our experiences by imparting its delight. The conscious Being and Its delight are inseparable. By its movement, the conscious Being creates variations of pleasure, pain and neutral indifference in our sensational (causing emotions) existence.
That is our real self; the mental being subject to the triple vibration can only be a representation of our real self put in front for the purposes of that sensational experience of things which is the first rhythm of our divided consciousness in its response and reaction to the multiple contacts of the universe. It is an imperfect response, a tangled and discordant rhythm preparing and preluding the full and unified play of the conscious Being in us; it is not the true and perfect symphony that may be ours if we can once enter into sympathy with the One in all variations and attune ourselves to the absolute and universal diapason.
EXPLANATION
Then, what is our real self? It is the conscious Being of delight. Our mental being projected on the surface is only a representation of our real self. It is only our surface mental being subjected to pain, pleasure and indifference. This sensational experience of the man is the first rhythm of our divided consciousness. It is the response and reaction of our divided consciousness to multiple contacts of the universe.
Yet, it is an imperfect response. Our sensational responses are like confused rhythm of a music with discordant (not harmonious) notes. However, it is only a preparatory and preliminary movement on our part which paves way for the full and unified play of the conscious Being in us.
There is Oneness in all variations. If we enter into sympathy with this One in all, our reactions, instead of being like a discordant music will turn into a true and perfect symphony. We will attune ourselves to the absolute and universal in the whole range of musical notes.
Sri Aurobindo here conveys the fact that pain and pleasure are imperfect reactions caused by our divided egoistic self. Our surface self reacts to the surface self of all others and superficial events. Once we go beyond our ego and feel the oneness with all, our imperfect reactions will become a perfect and harmonious note of the musical symphony.
PARAGRAPH 8
If this view be right, then certain consequences inevitably impose themselves. In the first place, since in our depths we ourselves are that One, since in the reality of our being we are the indivisible All-Consciousness and therefore the inalienable All-Bliss, the disposition of our sensational experience in the three vibrations of pain, pleasure and indifference can only be a superficial arrangement created by that limited part of ourselves which is uppermost in our waking consciousness.
EXPLANATION
We have seen that our imperfect surface reactions will go away once we realise the Oneness in all. Consequently, we may conclude that our sensational experience (of our body, mind and life) in three vibrations of pain, pleasure and indifference are only superficial arrangement created by the limited part of ourselves. This limited part is uppermost in our waking consciousness.
In our depths we ourselves are that One. In the reality of our being we are the indivisible All- Consciousness and naturally the inalienable (inseparable) All-Bliss.
Behind there must be something in us, —much vaster, profounder, truer than the superficial consciousness, —which takes delight impartially in all experiences; it is that delight which secretly supports the superficial mental being and enables it to persevere through all labours, sufferings and ordeals in the agitated movement of the Becoming.
EXPLANATION
There is something behind our superficial consciousness (psychic being). It is much vaster, profounder (deeper), truer. It takes delight impartially in all experiences. It is that which secretly supports our surface mental being. Because of it, we are able to go through all hardships in life and sufferings in the agitated movement of the Becoming.
That which we call ourselves is only a trembling ray on the surface; behind is all the vast subconscient, the vast superconscient profiting by all these surface experiences and imposing them on its external self which it exposes as a sort of sensitive covering to the contacts of the world; itself veiled, it receives these contacts and assimilates them into the values of a truer, a profounder, a mastering and creative experience. Out of its depths it returns them to the surface in forms of strength, character, knowledge, impulsion whose roots are mysterious to us because our mind moves and quivers on the surface and has not learned to concentrate itself and live in the depths.
EXPLANATION
Behind our surface self, there is vast subconscient and the vast superconscient. This is our true self inside. What we call ourselves is only trembling ray on the surface. Both our subconscient and superconscient assimilate the experiences of our surface self.
Our external self acts as a sensitive covering to the contacts of the world. Our surface experiences are imposed on our external self. Our true self (psychic being) which is in our depth is veiled (concealed). It receives these external contacts and assimilates them into values of a truer, a profounder, a mastering and creative experience.
The assimilated experiences are returned by our true self which is in the depths of our being to the surface in forms of strength, character, knowledge and impulsion (motive power). We do not know the roots of these qualities which look mysterious to us. Because our mind is involved in trembling movements on the surface; it has not learned to concentrate itself and to live in the depths.