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Delight of Existence: The Solution

(Book 1 Chapter XII)

 

Introduction
In this chapter Sri Aurobindo continues his discussion on the subject of Delight (Ananda). He begins by restating that there is Delight in creation and is the very reason why a universe of forms was created from the conscious Being. He goes further here and says that it was in fact to create a variable, more dynamic Delight through the experiences of individual forms (including us) that creation occurred.

Sri Aurobindo then describes the difficult emergence of delight in creation, from it being involved in the inconscience of nature to its gradual emergence through sensation in life and then further still through experiences of pain, pleasure, and indifferences.

He then indicates that we can come out of Nature's difficult method and consciously evoke Delight. We can do so by moving to the depths within; by moving to a level of mentality that is not dominated by the lower nature, and by taking to a particular inner soul-like movement of detachment and inner calm. These are the solutions (as suggested in the chapter's title) to overcome ego, separateness, division, and therefore pain, thereby enabling Delight to issue forth.

 

Here are the main points in greater detail:

Reason for Creation is Delight
In this chapter Sri Aurobindo restates several things: that existence of Delight in creation; that the very reason for creation is Delight; and that though it is involved in life, we are capable of experiencing at every level of our lives. He adds here to the idea of creation being for the purpose of Delight. He says creation occurred to extend the static Delight of the Being to the variable forms of Delight experienced in the Becomings of life.

Difficult Emergence of Delight in Creation
Then he explains how Delight has emerged in creation. He says that at first Delight is submerged, involved, self-gathered, absorbed, subconscious in the physical universe. Then it emerges in the great mass of movements of life which is not quite sensation; and further still through pain, pleasure, and indifferences mind and ego take root. Finally, Delight emerges more consciously by a universality, an equality, self possession and conquest of the limits of nature.

The Being Sanctions the Difficult Emergence of Delight in Nature
He even says that that the one Existent, the Being intended and supports Nature's slow and difficult emergence of Delight from being self-absorbed to it emerging through sensation to its further emergence through pain, pleasure, and indifference, culminating in our positive experience of it when we are universalized. The Being in fact sanctions these stages for the unfolding of Delight in order to encompass the greatest variation and possibility of formation of It in creation.

Conscious Evocation of Delight in Depths  Key
Then what can we do to consciously evoked Delight? He then says that through an evolution of our consciousness we can consciously experience Delight, Bliss of being directly, without going through the negatives of pleasure, pain, and indifference.

He says that we begin this process by moving away from the surface of life as we do when we experience pain, pleasure, and indifference, we can concentrate ourselves in the depths within, overcome our ego-sense, and thereby experience delight in any and all things.

Conscious Evocation of Delight through Higher Mentality  Key
We can also use the powers of mind that are not tied to the life and body to free ourselves of these obstacles, enabling Delight in all things. Sri Aurobindo indicates that Mind is more flexible and capable of moving beyond our physical limited habitual nature, and can become the master of his own responses to the world. In particular, Mind can have this effect when it is not bound to the limits of the vital and physical parts of our being which are subject to limitation and egoistic impulses. Through higher aspects of mind, rational thought, pure thought, and spiritualized mind, he is freed from limits and ego, comes into harmony with other beings and universal forces, causing suffering to diminish and Delight to increase. [Free, unegoistic, harmonious mind is the conqueror over egoistic limitation. -MSS]

 

[Depths Enable Higher Mentality that Brings Delight
In fact, as man goes deeper within, down to the subliminal and the evolving Soul, he rises up in this mental capacity through insight, right thought, light, vision, intuition, and revelations controlling nature, overcoming suffering, and evoking delight.]

Conscious Evocation of Delight through Detachment  Key
Sri Aurobindo indicates that if we could be entirely disinterested in mind and heart and impose that detachment on the nervous being, we could eliminate the imperfect touches of pleasure and the perverse touches of pain. It is a first soul movement that would enable us to develop the capacity for universal Delight.

 

[DETAILS]

DELIGHT IS EXPERINCED ALWAYS WHEN ONE IS CONCENTRATED IN THE DEPTHS

-Delight is the secret of creation. [I.e. it is the purpose for which the Divine extended itself to a universe of forms of its force.]

-There is eternal and immutable Delight of Being moving out into infinite and variable delight of Becoming. [Static blast extended a universe to create infinite variable dynamic bliss, experienced when then those forms discover their higher nature.]

-Pain, pleasure, and indifference are a superficial arrangement created by that limited part of ourselves which is uppermost in our waking consciousness.

-There must however be something in us which takes Delight impartially in all experiences.

-Our mind moves and quivers on the surface and has to learn to concentrate itself in the depths.

-If we live within, we learn to awaken to its presence; the radiant penumbra of the Divine.

-From there (away from the surface), we can overcome the triple vibration of pleasure, pain, and indifference.

 

HOW (HIGHER ASPECT OF) MIND CAN BEGIN OVERCOMING PAIN AND SUFFERING

-Sri Aurobindo begins to explain the nature of pain and suffering.

-Mind is more flexible and capable of moving beyond our limited habitual nature.

-Through Mind, Man can thus refuse to be dominated by the physical, including its habits, the influence of the nerves, and pleasure and pain.

-Through Mind, Man can becomes the master of his own responses to the world.

-Pain of mind and body is a device of Nature; of her works to subserve a definite transitional end in her upward movement.

-Pain growths with the growth of Mind in life; where Mind is bound is the life and body; a subject of their limitations and egoistic impulses.

-If Mind can get free of these forces, be unegotistical, in harmony with other beings, and with the play of universal forces, suffering diminishes.

 

DETACHMENT THAT PREVENTS PAIN

-If we could be entirely disinterested in mind and heart and impose that detachment on the nervous being, we could eliminate the imperfect and perfect forms of Rasa that pleasure and pain are. We could thereby develop the capacity for the universal Delight.

-Neutrality to the imperfect touches of pleasure and the perverse touches of pain is the first direct and natural results of the soul's self-discipline. After that Delight can come.

 

THE STEPS FROM DELIGHT ABSORBED TO ITS EXPRESSION ON THE SURFACE IS SANCTION BY THE DIVINE

-Delight is first self-gathered, absorbed, subconscious in the physical universe; emerges in the great mass of movements which is not quite sensation; further emerges in the trip vibration of pleasure, pain, and indifference in the growth of mind and ego, and emerges by a universality, an equality, self possession and conquest of nature.

-He speaks of why the one Existent takes delight in this difficult emergence.

-The one Existence takes delight in such movements (as indicated above) because all possibilities are inherent in its Infinity, and the delight of existence lies precisely (?) in the variable realization of its possibilities. [In other words, the Existent sanctions the above process because in order to express the greatest variation and possibility in creation (which is the Existent's goals to enable the greatest variety of delight in the greatest number of forms), it has to pass through these less elevated stages from subconscious Delight to pain and pleasure to Delight on the surface.

-Man has to become and live a universal existence; to move to the superconscience, embracing all; move to universal love.

-Through all this play, the secret Reality is always the one and the delight of existence. [Brahman, the Reality thus expresses its Delight in the Unmanifest, as well as the Manifest.]

LACK OF CONSCIOUS FORCE & PAIN, SUFFERING

There is pain and suffering because there is not enough Conscious Force to meet the shocks of life.