Philosophy and Religion / Arthur Avalon: Mahamaya

Sir John Woodroffe and Pramatha Natha Mukhyopadhyaya

Mahamaya. The World As Power: Power As Consciousness (Chit-Shakti)

Chapter VIII. Chit and “Centres”

With the aid of the explanations given in the foregoing sections, we can attempt to formulate an approximate idea of Chit—approximate because Chit as the Whole¹ is alogical, and therefore, indefinable.² It can be thought about and defined only in aspects or sections.³ Now, Chit is the Reality-Power which is fundamentally the Consciousness in us, but which as such is infinitely larger than what is commonly and pragmatically accepted as our “conscious life”; stretching over, and remaining as the realms of the “sub-conscious” and “unconscious”; evolving and manifesting as Vital Power and Forms,⁴ and as Material Power and Forms;⁵ in other words, evolving and manifesting as the Universe which we regard and treat in Time, Space and Causality (which does not mean that these are only Forms of Thought), but which has an aspect transcending these categories also.⁶

Further, Chit in evolving and manifesting as this universe of multifarious forms, in some of which its essential nature as Consciousness and Joy seems to be veiled or even reversed,⁷ never ceases to the Perfect Reality-Power that it is. That is, Chit as Perfect Being-Consciousness-Bliss⁸—(a) becomes the World of finite forms; (b) is immanent in the World of finite forms; and (c) is transcendent in relation to the World of finite forms. It never ceases to be (b) and (c) in being (a).

The unchanged Perfect-Reality-Power, as underlying, and yet distinguished from, the changing world-forms, has, again, two aspects: (1) the absolutely great,⁹ diffuse and undifferentiated aspect which is the Ether of Consciousness¹⁰ and (2) the absolutely small¹¹ condensed, “potentized” aspect which is Bindu of which “Self,” living “Germ,” material “Atom” or corpuscle are lower forms and evolutes. As the Perfect Continuum¹² has a tendency to evolve as a series of Lower Continua in which it still remains immanent (and also, transcendent), so the Perfect Dynamic Point¹³ has a tendency to evolve as a series of Lower “Centres,” and yet remain as the “Point” at the base of them all: it is thus, “the Centre of all centres”. It is also transcendent in this sense that a given Centre, say, a material atom or a living cell, ordinarily manifests and draws upon a part of its infinite dynamism or potency.

As the Ether of Consciousness¹⁴ is the direction of Unity and Undifferentiation, so the Point¹⁵ is the direction of Plurality and Heterogeneity. That is. Chit, in having to become many and varied, must begin as Bindu, so that Bindu is the start of the creative and evolutionary process as the result of the Desire “may I be many”.¹⁶ Bindu contains within itself “seeds” of multiplicity, illustrated by the desire of the Self to multiply or reproduce itself in generation and creation by the vital impetus in the “cells” towards cell-division and multiplication; by radioactivity and other phenomena showing how matter continually tends to split and rebuild itself into new kinds of matter starting, as physicists now generally believe, from one fundamental kind of matter. By reason of this fundamental tendency to multiplicity, we have the Prime Bindu¹⁷ splitting into a multiplicity of Points¹⁸ which become the starting nuclei of the world of correlated centres.

Chit, which is immense Power, condenses itself into the Bindu for purposes of creative evolution. By this operation, as we must think, magnitude or “field” of being is infinitely contracted, but Power is infinitely massed—which is infinite Potency and Readiness.¹⁹ Bindu, therefore, in our conception, is the “Limit” of strain (i.e., change of dimensions), as also the “Limit” of Stress (i.e., power involved in the change of dimension, e.g., in a rubber ball pressed by the hand, or in a stretched bowstring; and also the power by which it tends to regain its natural dimensions or form). “Limit” means here “the ultimate point or extent beyond which we cannot go”. So that Bindu is the ultimate point of Power beyond which a thing or energy cannot be contracted and condensed (i.e., strained)—perfect condensation or compactness; it is also Perfect Stress in the sense that it is endowed with perfect Power to regain its original Form, i.e., Brahman as immense kinetic, manifest Power. In a limited way, this is illustrated by a germ or seed, when, by its inherent power, it tends to grow into an animal or a plant. Bindu's inherent power to evolve may be otherwise expressed by saying that Bindu possesses Perfect elasticity. Ordinary centres have imperfect strains and stresses (for practical purposes), so that their elasticities too are imperfect.

As Bindu is at the base or “heart”²⁰ of all cosmic Centres, its elasticity is the basis of the differing elasticities of different centres on account of which they grow, tend to push back and outgrow their constraints, and gradually evolve towards perfection. The reason of cosmic stressing and evolution is, therefore, given in the elasticity of the Bindu which must “swell”.²¹

Thus we have a fundamental cycle or “circuit” involved in the very fact of creation: Brahman as the Kinetic Immense infinitely strains (i.e., condenses) into Brahman as Immense Potential (which is Bindu); this Immense Potential by reason of its perfect Elasticity swells into Immense Kinetic or Manifest again. Here we have cyclic movement which requires that (1) the Cosmos as a system of centres must have cyclic life; and (2) individual centres and groups of centres (e.g., species of animals, communities, nations and so forth), must have cyclic life too. The factor of Bliss and Play²² ensures, however, that this cyclic life is not a mere mechanical spinning round and round in an eternally fixed groove.

Elasticity, as we have seen, involves both Strain²³ and Stress.²⁴ The correlate “pole” of the illumined²⁵ is illuminator.²⁶ The latter (or Shiva) “projects” out of Itself Its own creative Power (with which It is in indivisible unity): this Primary action is the illumined²⁷ then, the latter reacts on the former²⁸ by “reflecting itself on it,” i.e., by making itself an Object of Illumination or Consciousness. Thus arises the Supreme Cosmic Self-Consciousness or Supreme Self²⁹ which is the state of Supreme Bindu.³⁰ From this last, by multiplication, correlation and co-ordination, the World (often compared to an Ashvattha Tree) sprouts into manifestation. In the plane of Mind, the Bindu is represented (perfectly in the case of the Lord, but approximately in our case) by the Ego or Self; in the plane of Life, it is represented by the “cell-nucleus” (which is also “Self ” veiled); and in the plane of Matter, it is represented by the “central electric charge” (as known to physicists so far)—which is “Self” still further veiled. Self, therefore, is—and according to the Cosmic plan above explained, must be—in every form of being. Modern physiologists generally restrict consciousness to the cortex of the brain; so that actions of the sub-cerebral centres are sub-conscious or unconscious. But from the premises which have been submitted, and also from other scientific and quasi-scientific considerations which we have previously partly stated, it should on a Vedantic view follow—(1) that Consciousness and Self cannot be restricted to the life of the cerebrum; (2) that all Centres of the organism (down to the cells or even their elements) must have their own consciousnesses and selves, which are, generally, “ejective,” (in the sense in which William James used the word)³¹ in relation to central consciousness and our ordinary self; and (3) that these selves, though they may be mutually ejective, co-operate for the purposes of the enjoyment and action³² of the organism.³³ The Body (gross and subtle) is thus a corporation of Devatas or Divinites. What is true in this case, is true in the case of all Things constituted. There is no unconsciousness, or unconsciousness appearing as consciousness³⁴ to be controlled only by Chit. Chit is both the Material and Efficient Cause.

As we have seen, the appearance of Bindu and its derivate, Centres, implies Power operating as a contracting Force.³⁵ The result of such contraction is called Kanchuka or envelope.³⁶ Diversity of Centres imply divergent working of such envelope³⁷; a higher Centre is that in which the constraint³⁸ is comparatively more relaxed. Parameshvara or Supreme Self is the Lord of such constraints.³⁹ In point of relaxation these constitute an ascending order of higher and higher Centres. Its operative arrangement in a given Centre constitutes its system of “sheaths”. All Centres have “sheaths”. In man, their operative arrangement is given by the system of the “five sheaths”.⁴⁰ According to another scheme, the arrangement is represented by the “seven planes”⁴¹; according to another, it is the “seven Centres”.⁴² Planes, sheaths and so forth are, however, not peculiar to human constitution; they are involved in all things, though, possibly, in varying degree “folded up”.

The World shews Centres in different stages of growth: they appear to constitute an hierarchy from “dead” matter to the highest Spirit. It both means and requires that their positions in the cosmic dynamic system are different, and their actions or karmas, that is, more or less spontaneous activities by which those positions are sought to be altered, are different. Adrishta is often substituted by its equivalent, Sangskara (“tendency” or “predisposition”), and Karma by its expression, Bhoga (enjoyment of Pleasure and Pain, etc.). Bhoga is the expression of Karma, because Adrishta, though apparently a factor conditioning Karma, and therefore Bhoga, is itself the result of previous Karma. At the root, we can have nothing but Chit “elaborating” its Bliss by Play; no particular Centre can, therefore, have its action absolutely determined. Practically, however, Adrishta and Karma constitute what is called “cyclic causation” in which the latter is conditioned by certain pre-existent tendencies. Two Centres, A and B, are different; because, their Adrishta and Karma are different; these latter are different because the elasticities of A, B have been different; that is, A’s power to modify its strains has been different from that of B. And, in our temporal thinking, there is no absolute beginning in time of these differences in the elasticities of Centres: in Laya or “Cosmic Sleep” these differences must be imagined as still persisting as “seeds”.

Differences are infinitely various, yet Centres may be grouped together as Matter, as Life and as Mind. We have seen that there is, in a certain sense, an antithesis between Adrishta as presently determined condition and Karma which essays to change and master it; and that Karma is essentially the expression of Joy and Play.⁴³ Now Matter is that in which Adrishta predominates, and Karma, from man’s standpoint at least, in the sense of autonomous action, is almost completely disguised. Mind (as Self-Consciousness and Self-determination) is that in which Karma predominates. Life, in the plants and animals, regarded from man’s standpoint again, lies midway between these two. In fact, the greater its co-efficient of Karma, involving control of Adrishta, and the greater, therefore, its manifestation of Joy and Play,⁴⁴ the higher is the place of a Centre or group of Centres in the Scheme of Beings.

Matter moves, but its “career” is traced in almost (it cannot be absolute) fixed curves and expressed in nearly fixed rounds or routines, covered by the physicist’s formulae and equations. The “ life-curve ” comes to be less and less fixed as we proceed from Matter to the lower forms of Life, and from these to the higher forms; because the factor of Karma more and more asserts itself. The lowest forms of life seem to be endowed with power of spontaneous action: Life is seen to seize upon the atoms of C, H, N, 0, build by means of these materials the cell of protoplasm, which it then proceeds to differentiate and integrate with a view to reproduce a certain species or kind. This power of construction for an end is even more marked in the activities of the Self working through, and as, Mind.⁴⁵ This power, which is natural in man, can be developed by self discipline and development,⁴⁶ so that the limited self may progressively become controller and creator of wider and wider phases of creation, until at last it becomes identified with⁴⁷ the Supreme Creator and Controller⁴⁸ Himself.⁴⁹ Shastra, therefore, holds—first, that any Centre, by appropriate Karma, can raise itself to the level of the Highest Centre, because it carries, as manifestation of Power⁵⁰ the potentiality of the Immense or Brahman; secondly, that Manu, Daksha and other Higher Powers who preside over what are called their respective jurisdictions,⁵¹ are Centres who have attained their high altitude by Karma; and thirdly, that aspects of the world -process, as a whole presided over by the Supreme Centre, are presided over by “deputies” in detail—an arrangement which, while ensuring the rational direction of the creative process, does not annul the possibility of Karma on the part of subordinate Centres. Karma, implying freedom, is the “birthright” of every Centre; it is not “delegated”; it cannot, therefore, be taken away. On the other hand, evolution does not proceed on a footing of “fortuitous modifications” and “chance conglomerations.” It is a directed and “supervised” process.

If the world-process were to proceed on purely mechanistic and deterministic lines, its curve of history would be absolutely and eternally fixed: things and processes would go on spinning in eternally fixed cycles. On the other hand, if Karma were to work absolutely independently of Adrishta, (i.e., total assemblage of conditions), the curve would most likely be a “whimsical” one, not amenable to law and order. As a matter of fact, the curve has reference to collective Adrishta as well as to collective Karma; so that the world-process, though generally cyclic, moves to change also. And, in order that such movement may on the whole be towards betterment or “progress,” collective Karma must include Karma by some Higher Centres who know the road to real betterment and are competent to direct the Karma of others, without compulsion, to and along that road. This shows the place of Manu and others in the economy of world evolution.⁵² The Karma of Centres makes the curve of history not a mere cycle, which, Adrishta left alone, would make it. The control of Higher Centres makes the curve, so to say, spiraline,⁵³ that is, one in which the movement of rotation is combined with a movement of upward (and, from man’s limited point of view, sometimes downward) translation. But for this control, the Karma of ordinary Centres—not generally characterized by any clear and sure intuition of the True, Good and Beautiful—would, in the resultant, be either mutually destructive (truths and falsities, good and evil intentions neutralizing one another), or be precarious and unsteady (that is, not steadily making for an ideal).

From man’s pragmatic point of view, the Cosmic Spiral ⁵⁴ is generally hidden as a whole, and manifest only in parts, sections or aspects. He, therefore, sees now upward phases, and now downward phases—in his own life-history, in the history of groups, and, as he thinks, in the history of the world as a whole. Hence there is both progress and “reversion” (or degeneracy) in the career of a Centre or a group of Centres. In the complete view, all such upward and downward phases are seen to be “elements” of the continuous World-Spiraline Movement.

The Spiral, as we have seen, combines translation with rotation, the former being due to Karma, especially those by the Higher Centres. Any Karma done affects, therefore, the aspect of translation; both as regards magnitude and duration. A good and wise Karma contributes to upward translation or progress⁵⁵ being greater and more rapid; a bad and foolish act tends to make it less and delayed. By ignorance and sin man falls. This fall may, in the long run, raise him, through repentance and expiation, after several births if not in the same birth, higher than where he had been before he fell.⁵⁶ This shows that there is progress even through falls and lapses. But the path would assuredly be both straightened and shortened if man could, at the critical moment, develop Power or Shakti, in knowledge and will, so as not to fall. Hence the spiraline (or cosmically progressive) nature of the world-curve does not warrant that any Centre should merely drift in order to reach the highest point. Since the current is towards the highest end, it could reach it by drifting along the current; but it could not reach it, even in that prodigious age which is called Kalpa (counted in thousands of billions of human years), but, so far as man can see in nothing short of infinite time; and, during that unending course, it would have to pass through countless ups and downs spelling untold miseries. In order to cut short this protracted career, in fact, in order to dissociate himself from the mazes of the Spiral, “the Wandering”⁵⁷ itself, man must be up and doing, and be a devotee and striver or Sadhaka, and “tap” the potentiality of infinite knowledge and power and bliss which is contained in his being.

Any discipline⁵⁸ which is calculated to straighten and shorten its career in the Spiral is called the Dharma or Law of Form (incompletely translated as Religion) of a given Centre; by following it, its “lifts” are assured and multiplied, and its “falls” prevented and minimized. The result is called progress.⁵⁹ When, ultimately, the Centre, by realizing itself as the whole Consciousness-Power,⁶⁰ can dissociate itself from the Spiral itself, having no further need of specialized effort and movement, the consummation reached is called Liberation.⁶¹

Where the co-efficient of Karma is, practically, very small, as in the case of the Matter-centres, Dharma is Power as Law summing up and describing the routine of their behaviour. In the case of higher centres, there is no “routine” strictly so called; so that Dharma is Power as Law (“regulative” or “normative” without being binding) relative to the conservation⁶² of those Centres essentially as such, as well as to the progress and liberation⁶³ (in the senses above explained) of them.

It has been seen that voluntary control of evolutionary movement especially by the higher Centres (from Man upwards) is not only possible, but it exists. We have to consolidate and intensify this control—which is Sadhana. In this process, intellect, feeling and will are at work to prepare the aspirant for Yoga⁶⁴ directed for the attainment of the Supreme End.⁶⁵ This Yoga effects the transformation of the “Little Self”⁶⁶ into the “Supreme Self”⁶⁷ by removing the veil of ignorance⁶⁸ which alone separates the one from the other; the Yogi leaves behind his “little” intellect, feeling and will, as tools of practical deliberation and selection (therefore, tools that limit, dissect and define), in entering into the realm of the super-consciousness,⁶⁹ and Alogical. All forms of Yoga agree in placing the Supreme Experience beyond the reach of “Mind ” and “Speech”. In the last stages, therefore, the Method is Intuition and Ecstacy.⁷⁰ The enveloping⁷¹ and thus limiting powers which confine a Centre to its “little sphere” of pragmatic life must be removed in order that it can realize itself as All. In the progress of this liberating process, the Centre subsumes and extends its control over the elements of matter.⁷²

Essentially and dynamically the same, Matter-centres, Life-centres and Mind-centres are not only correlated in the Cosmos, but are interchangeable; that is, a Matter-centre can, under proper conditions, “transmute” not only into another kind of matter, but into life and mind; and vice versa. Any Centre, in its beginningless career, may have, therefore, passed through all these forms, which means that “sheaths” and “instruments” of the imperishable Chit have only varied.

Since Chit-Shakti, which is the essence of all centres both as regards being and as regards evolving impetus, is imperishable, it follows that all centres, considered as modes of Being-Energy, are so. The particular forms (“sheaths” and “instruments”) of the centres are continuously changing, however, according to the varying ratios of their Karma and Adhrishta. Even during what is called a single "lease of life” or birth, the sheaths and instruments of a centre are changing from moment to moment; and what is called the “personal identity” of a centre is only pragmatic identity which, strictly speaking, is not identity. This is true not only of “Selves” and living organisms, but also of material corpuscles which physics has now discovered to be “systems” (and even the Electron, being of finite mass and energy, ought to be so). But in the midst of all this continuous flux, a centre has its endurance or persistence assured in two important respects: (a) a centre is in reality the whole Being-Consciousness-Bliss Power, and as such is absolutely imperishable; and (b) that Power wills to evolve and “live” as a particular centre so that this “will” is the “seed” and “root” of that particular centre manifestation; and this seed also is (conditionally) imperishable, that is, as long as the Basic Will lasts. From the latter position it follows that the seed and principle of a given centre must persist through cycles of creation and dissolution, being variously evolved during the former and involved or latent during the latter. The seed of a centre is not destroyed through all these changes of condition—of sheaths and instruments: the “will” of Brahman to be and become such centre remaining all through. A centre ceases to be such when it realizes itself as the Whole; therefore, when the Basic Will of Chit to be and become this particular centre goes, and therefore the root of this particular manifestation “dies”.

Of the “sheaths” and “instruments” of a Centre, all are not susceptible to change and disintegration to the same degree. The principle which determines susceptibility to change and disintegration is this: A form of Power which evolves (integrates and organises) another form, and controls the latter when evolved, is more persistent than the latter, e.g., Vital Power which evolves protoplasm out of C, H, N, 0, and elaborates this into a living organism, is more persistent than the “material vehicle” so organized and controlled by it; so that, it will persist after the material body has disintegrated. The Self (represented by Ahangkara or “I-making” Principle) which, according to the views here explained, evolves and controls vehicles or sheaths subtler than the gross body, and, through these subtler vehicles the gross body also, is more persistent than all its vehicles, subtle or gross. Power as Bindu is the most fundamental form of Power in relation to the evolution of centres; hence, Bindu must persist even after centre has disintegrated in all other forms. Finally, Consciousness-Power as Whole or Perfect Experience is absolute persistence, since It evolves the Bind/u itself and involves it again.

So that we have an hierarchy of persistent forms, having at the bottom material vehicles or bodies, and at the top, Bindu, if we exclude the Whole which is absolute persistence. The subtle forms of Power are thus more “vital” and enduring than those that are relatively gross.

The death of the physical body does not, according to this view, mean the death of Life and Soul and Spirit. Death separates the subtle vehicle of a Centre from its gross vehicle, and, though these may continuously change by Karma, yet they are relatively persistent (i.e., do not disintegrate) through countless births, till by realization, the Centre transcends its own limited self, and becomes merged in the Perfect Whole itself which is absolute deathlessness.

Whether Power as a Centre does or does not evolve and provide itself with a sensuous material vehicle depends on its Karma, (and Adrishta). Its existence as such Centre does not depend upon its having evolved a gross material vehicle; so that, it may exist with or without (as the case may be) of a gross vehicle having been evolved and associated with it. Thus Centres may be incarnate or embodied, disincarnate or disembodied.

In its beginningless career a Centre may describe its curve of life according to the “equation” of its varying Karma on a board which is infinite Space and Time. And this curve may exhibit it in all possible positions—now embodied, now disembodied; now a “god” now a material thing; now a man, now an amoeba. In its passage it meets with no “forbidden tracts” and “reserved compartments”. Fulfilling the Karmic conditions, it can become anything from a Creator of the worlds down to a blade of grass or particle of dust. And we have seen that all these Centre-Forms are essentially transmutable into one another, all being in essence Consciousness-Power. Of these countless forms, the Human form possesses some advantages in respect of further evolution; since, this form has a mixed experience of pleasure and pain, good and evil acting as an incentive to betterment, and self-consciousness and self-determination to a requisite degree to think out a path and take to it.

Since the curve is described by Karma, we may say that a Centre in its ages-long career ever becomes what it chooses to become. It is a Centre of Power the essence of which is Joy and Freedom. Its “littleness” as well as its “greatness” are due to its action—its bondage and liberation; its degeneration and progress. An individual Centre may enter, when the ratio of its collective Karma and Adrishta so requires it, a given and relatively fixed line of character-attitude in the world which is called a Type, Kind, Species, Race or Caste; but by Karma again it can leave that line, and pass into another, higher or lower; and by suitable spiritual effort, it can assimilate itself to the Summum Genus which is Chit as Whole and Perfect. This consummation is Yoga or “Union”.

The Shakta Doctrine thus makes every Centre a Magazine of free and undying Power—essentially Perfect, but pragmatically limited, that is, veiled and ignored.

Footnotes

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE