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"The Problem of Life"
(Book 1 Chapter XXII)

The Three Problems of Life
The first problem of life is that man is aware only of the surface of life, not his inner being and true Self. The second problem of life is that he is disconnected from the universal, and therefore from others. The third problem of life is that the body, the vital, and mind are not in harmony with each other, nor with its self. When man becomes conscious he becomes more aware of the discords and creates this harmony.
 

[DETAILS]

• Life is the putting forth of consciousness. [New, not yet incorporated into Summary]

• Conscious-Force has created the world-movement and its problems. It has to solve the problems. [New, not yet incorporated into Summary]

• The urge of man is to know himself, to be master of himself, and the world. The Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight (Sat-chit-ananda) behind compels him in this direction. How to achieve this is the question of life.

• The mental consciousness is not completely illumined since it emerged out of the obscuration of Matter. For example, mind sees partially, and does not know the whole truth.

• Man isn't aware of his own real self. He is aware of only a small part of his own being. He is aware only of his surface mentality, life, and physical being. He is unaware of the inner subconscious and subliminal realms, including the inner mind, life impulse, and corporeality. This is the first problem and difficulty of life.

• Man does not know others. He is separated in his mind, life, and body from the universal, and therefore he does not know his fellow creatures. This is the second problem and difficulty of life. [He takes up this subject in Reality and Integral Knowledge (Book 2 Chapter XV) when he describes the 7-fold Ignorance and Knowledge.]

• Man is divided among the three parts of his being. Matter, Life, and Mind each have their own law of working, and therefore the Life is at war with Matter; and the Mind is at war with Life and Matter. Not only is there a division among these three, but each of them is also divided against itself! This is the third problem and difficulty of life.

• When man becomes self-conscious he becomes aware of these discords and seeks to arrive at a harmony among these parts.

• A Vision of How Transformed Individuals Will Relate to Others at Mental, Vital, Physical Level -- "For only by developing a mind which shall have a knowledge of the mind of others as of itself, free from our mutual ignorance and misunderstanding, a will that feels and makes itself one with the will of others, an emotional heart that contains the emotions of others as its own, a life-force that senses the energies of others and accepts them for its own and seeks to fulfill them as its own, and a body that is not a wall of imprisonment and defense against the world ...all this under the law of a Light and Truth..." [This harkens back in the precious chapter to his new perception of the survival of the fittest.]