The Knot of Matter... Note 1

Life Divine........................................................Shrikant Soman

Ch 25 - The Knot of Matter

Based on Life Divine by Sri Aurobindo

Note 1

In this note we will explore the aspects of : Relation between Matter and Spirit. Are they eternally irreconcilable ? What is the fundamental reality ? The role of Space and Time. Sense perception.

Our experience in the world points towards the dichotomy between matter and spirit. We are also accustomed to believe in this division. However, it is NOT the fundamental reality. In reality, the matter and spirit are one. There is unity at the core and diversity at the periphery – a ‘differentiated unity’ we can say. Oneness is inherent in the manifold manifestations. This is not a stretched unity as a result of ‘compromise of the opposites’. Neither it is a ‘struggle’ towards unity of these eternal dissonances. It is a basic and fundamental truth at the core of all the existences.

We have a pure unity as the foundation of this manifested world. This unity manifests into variety of the worlds. There is a secret Consciousness and Will behind all this manifold manifestations emerging out of the Unity of the Existences. Consciousness - Will is the Master of these diverse manifestations. This worldly manifestation is having Matter at one end of its reality and the Spirit at the other – while both being One at its Core. Spirit is the Soul of Matter, whereas Matter is the Form of Spirit – it depends which way you look, both are the two sides of the same coin.

We are NOT denying the reality of differentiation of existence which we experience in this world. This differentiation is REAL and not false. On this differentiation is founded the ever ascending degrees of the world existence. Substance is nothing else but the conscious existence presenting itself to the sense as object. It is like the head of the snake catching its own tail ! This creates the ‘sense relation’ to the object – or rather can we say a FEELING of sense relation to the object. In other words, this relation of the sense to the conscious existence gives the ‘SOLIDITY’ to our manifested world – taking it beyond the scope of the ‘dream’ state or just an IDEA. In this sense, this world which we perceive is NOT an illusion. It is REAL within a defined framework of SPACE and TIME. The work of world formation and cosmic progression emanates from this equation. Without this sense relation, there will be no manifested World. We should remember that this substance is of various ‘degrees’ of existence. In our mundane life, we are aware of the ‘material’ substance. There are also the substance of the mind, This substance is far more subtler, more flexible and more plastic beyond our experience which is based on physical sense experience. We can become aware of this substance of the mind when we perceive the forms arising out of this substance and the action taking place in this substance – a world of Thoughts. Similarly, there is a substance of the pure dynamic life-energy – the Vital World. This substance is made of such a subtle stuff, it is way beyond finest possibility that the matter and its physically sensible force-currents can achieve. Even the Spirit is also a substance. Of course with our material sense organs we can not directly perceive the spirit as an ‘object’. Nor can we tangibly perceive it (not the mental imagination) through our mental power. Spirit is perceivable in the ‘light of a pure spiritual perceptive knowledge’. This is concept is a little bit difficult to understand at the level of our material world limited to sense and metal faculty of cognition. At this level, the subject becomes its own object. At this level, the One is beyond the dimension of Time and Space. The awareness is beyond the matrix defined by Time and Space. It is a pure spiritually self-conceptive self-extension as the basis and primal substance of all existence. That is why it is said that at this level the subject becomes its own object. It is ‘self-conceptive’ meaning it is aware of itself in its pure form without the need of the ‘instrumentality’ of the ‘sense relation’ as we have explained above. There is no differentiation of ‘subject’ and ‘object’ and the subject taking the cognizance of the object through the instrumentality of the sense in the matrix of Space and Time. The Spirit is ‘Self Aware’ and therefore it is ‘Self Conceptive’. This is in the realm of ‘consciousness’ equivalent to the Time dimension in the physical world. Similarly, the Spirit is ‘self extensive’, meaning it is beyond the limitation of Space. Actually at this level, Space and Time merge into one. Therefore, both these terms of Self Conceptive and Self Extension connote one and the same thing.

Beyond this level of the Spirit, the concept of Substance vanishes. There is no differentiation between subject and the object. It is pure Unity.