Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra
The doctrine of the three poises of Brahman is the cornerstone in Sri Aurobindo’s edifice of reconciliation. It enables him to hold simultaneously several theses which in other systems are incompatible.
The first and most important reconciliation it makes possible is that between the real world and the non-dual Absolute. By maintaining that Brahman itself is the world, or becomes manifest as the world (cosmic poise), Aurobindo indicates that the world is not a second substance, other than Brahman. Thus Brahman remains “one without a second.” At the same time, the world becomes real, because Brahman is real and its act of manifestation is real. But by insisting that Brahman also has a transcendent poise, he avoids the error of pantheism which would simply identify God and the world. The world, in Aurobindo’s system, has no reality which is not Brahman’s reality, yet the reality of Brahman is not exhausted by the reality of the world.
Making the world consubstantial with Brahman is the surest way to protect its reality against the type of eventual dissolution to which it is subject in Mayavada. A creation out of nothing would not suffice for this purpose, Aurobindo feels. “Nothing” is too reminiscent of Sunya, the Void. That which is made out of nothing is essentially nothing, is an illusion. Here, of course, those familiar with the creation doctrine of the West will feel disappointed that Aurobindo so far failed to understand this thesis as to reject it in this naive way. He nowhere considers the possibility that God could give an act of existence of its own to a creature which previously had no reality whatsoever. However, Aurobindo was not a student of Western metaphysics, nor was he assembling his arguments in terms of a Judaeo-Christian theological context. His context was the Mayavada, and against that background any suggestion of a creation out of nothing would have weakened his case for the reality of the world. As it is, Aurobindo’s position is neither creationist nor emanationist—or else it is a reconciliation of chosen aspects of each view.
Compilations:
- 54 / Preparing for Yoga through Human Love
- 55 / The Descent of Spiritual Peace
- 56 / Peace is most Needed in Sadhana
- 57 / To Prepare for Spiritual Life - Cultivate Equality (Samata)
- 58 / Necessity for Spiritual Perfection is Perfect Equality
- 59 / Fundamental Faith Required in Yoga
- 60 / Faith Precedes Spiritual Experience
- 61 / Regain Faith if Faith Falters
- 62 / Cure from Illness by Faith
- 63 / Courage in Sadhana
- 64 / Humility in Sadhana
- 65 / Sincerity in Sadhana
- 66 / How to Become Absolutely Sincere
- 67 / Insincerity can be Changed in Yoga
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