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Delight of Existence: The Solution(Book 1 Chapter XII)
[SUMMARY]In this chapter Sri Aurobindo reiterates that the very reason for creation is Delight, which we can experience at every level of life. He indicates that there is no inherent suffering in creation, but it only occurs when ego insists on its separate existence. What is inherent in all things is Delight.
He explains that Delight emerges through our inconscience; through pain, pleasure, and indifference. Whereas, pain, pleasure, and indifference come from living a superficial of the part, we can concentrate ourselves in the depths within, overcome our ego-sense, and thereby experience delight in any and all things. We can also use the higher powers of mind that are not tied to the life and body to free ourselves of these obstacles, enabling Delight in all things. [As we become more universalized with others and the environment, we move towards our destiny of experiencing Delight in all things.]
He further explains us that the one Existent intended and supports this slow and difficult emergence in life from the Delight being self-absorbed, to it emerging through sensation to its further emergence through pain, pleasure, and indifference, culminating in our experience of it when we are universalized. 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 stages. [Here is an analogy: the US is evolving extremely rapidly, like no place on earth. It is the world leader of evolution, despite its problems. It needed to move through wanting qualities of hand-gun obsession, not paying taxes, and forms of conservatism to manifest the higher emergence that the nations is moving towards.]
[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.
INNER SPIRITAL EQUALITY AND SOUL CONNECTION ALLOW FOR DELIGHT
-There is pain and suffering because there is not enough Conscious Force to meet the shocks of life.
-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.]