Thursday 18 August 2011

The most difficult author I know

This is how chapter XXII of Sri Arabindo's voluminous book 'Life Divine' begins:

".....He who knows the Truth, the Knowledge, the Infinity that is Brahman shall enjoy with the all-wise Brahman all objects of desire. (Taittiriya Upanishad).

Life is, we have seen, the putting forth, under certain cosmic circumstances, of a Conscious-Force which is in its own nature infinite, absolute, untrammelled, inalienably possessed of its own unity and bliss, the Conscience-Force of Sachithananda. The central circumstance of this cosmic process, in so far as it differs in its appearances from the purity of the infinite Existence and the self-possession of the undivided Energy, is the dividing faculty of the Mind obscured by ignorance. There results from this divided action of an undivided Force the apparition of dualities, oppositions, seeming denials of the nature of Sachithananda which exist as an abiding reality for the mind, but only as a phenomenon misrepresenting a manifold Reality for the divine cosmic Consciousness concealed behind the veil of mind...."


I have been off and on grappling with this 1,100-page book for the last six months and reached page No. 208 this morning.

Have a great day!

(Lesson: Take some heavy exercise in the morning. It will make everything seem so light during the entire day!)

*****

5 comments:

Anonymous said...
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My Thoughts and I said...

It doesn't get heavier than this, does it Mr V?!

P. Venugopal said...

very heavy indeed. concentrate on your work.

MTaI said...

Aye! Aye! Sir!!!
Sir! Assignment completed, Sir!
Permission to comment, Sir!

P. Venugopal said...

That's just great, though not a surprise! One delivers it each time, though after doing everything possible to take it to the last second of the deadline.