Consciousness and the Self V

Subjective Evolution of Consciousness

An analysis of the subjective evolution of consciousness is found in many places in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and in its commentaries from the original commentator Śrīdhara Swāmī to Jīva Goswāmī. 

The most erudite scholar of the Bhāgavatam in the 19th century was Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

 His explanations of Vedic ontology are found in his books, especially Kṛṣṇa-saṁhita, (Krishna-samhita)  Caitanya-Sikṣamṛta, (Caitanya Sikshamrita) and Tattva-Viveka (Tattva-Viveka) When we approached Śrīdhara Mahārāja to clarify some of his remarks about Subjective Evolution he referred us again and again to these three books, especially Kṛṣṇa-Saṁhita.

In our previous article, we mentioned cidābhāsa a kind of intermediary state between pure consciousness, or cit  and the degraded consciousness covered by different kośas experienced in the world of misconception called māya.  We're interested in understanding how pure consciousness gradually becomes deformed and degraded into successively lower states. 

Śrīdhar Mahārāja has explained cidābhāsa as a kind of filter between consciousness and matter. We have seen that there may be many filters between spirit and matter, including the various kośas, for example mind, intelligence and false ego. 

Cidābhāsa is described by Bhaktivinoda Thakura as an indication of spirit in his Kṛṣṇa-Saṁhita:

He begins his discussion of the nature of the living entity in his conclusion to the work, after quoting a verse from Bhāgavad-Gīta. Here you may find Bhaktivinod Thakura's own explanation of Subjective Evolution of Consciousness.

apareyam itas tv anyam
prakrtim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho
yayedam dharyate jagat

SYNONYMS

aparā—inferior; iyam—this; itaḥ—besides this; tu—but; anyām—another; prakṛtim—energy; viddhi—just try to understand; me—My; parām—superior; jīva-bhūtām—the living entities; mahā-bāho—O mighty-armed one; yayā—by whom; idam—this; dhāryate—being utilized or exploited; jagat—the material world.

TRANSLATION

Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe. (Bhagavad-Gita 7.5)

"By studying this verse it is clearly understood that the living entities are different from the previously mentioned material elements mind, intelligence, and false ego. This is certainly a swanlike conclusion. 

"In this visible world of varieties, there are two elements,  or prākṛtis: the individual spirit soul (jīva) and dull matter (jaḍa-jagat) , or the elemental spiritual entities and the material elements. 

"The Vaisnavas accept these two prākṛtis as the effects of the inconceivable potency of the Supreme Lord.  

"Now let us standardize the definitions of the material elements and the living entities. The living entities are conscious and can act independently. Matter is dull and under the control of consciousness. 

If we consider the existence of a human being in his present conditioned state, then we will undoubtedly consider his consciousness and the material elements, because by the Lord's sweet will the conditioned souls are seen to be riding on a machine of the material elements. 

The material body made of seven constituent fluids,  the senses, as well as the mind, intelligence, and false ego (which are the sources of material knowledge),  as well as other factors: the place, the time factor, and consciousness are all seen in the existence of a human being."

Bhaktivinoda continues: 

"The body on the other hand is completely material, because it is made of material elements and their characteristics. 

"The material elements are not able to realize spirit, but we can perceive some evidence of spiritual existence in wonderful instruments like the eyes, ears, and nervous system in the body of a human being. The instruments by which material knowledge enters the material body are called senses. 

"After entering the material body,  material knowledge mixes with an internal instrument that interprets the material elements. This instrument is called the mind. 

"The mind realizes material knowledge through the medium of the heart and accumulates knowledge through the medium of remembrance. 

"The shape of material knowledge changes through the medium of imagination. Material objects are considered with the support of two mediums developed and undeveloped intelligence. 

"Apart from this, in the existence of a human being an indication of spirit (cidabhasa) is found in the form of ego, which pervades the intelligence, mind, and body. From these symptoms a strong feeling of "I" and "mine" has become accepted as part of the human beings existence. 

"This is known as false ego. It is to be understood that knowledge of subjects up to false ego is called material knowledge. Yet false ego, intelligence, mind, and the prowess of the senses are not totally material. In other words, they do not consist entirely of material elements, but their existence is rooted in material elements. In other words, unless they are related with the material elements their existence is incomplete. 

"They are under the shelter of spirit to some extent, because the act of revelation is their very life and material knowledge is the result. From where does this consciousness originate? 

"The soul is pure and the basis of consciousness. It is not easy for a soul to come under the subordination of matter. By the will of the Supreme Lord—certainly for some reason—a pure spirit soul has contacted matter. Although in our conditioned state it is very difficult to investigate the cause, if we consider the lack of happiness in our conditioned state, we can certainly realize that our present condition is a degradation from our original consciousness."[i]

While we may quibble endlessly on the use of “mind” vs. “spirit,” the vocabulary used in English for defining matters of consciousness is vague. 

For example the distinction between “mind and spirit.” Hegel’s “Phenomology of Geist” has been translated both as Phenomonology of Spirit, and Phenomology of Mind. So sometimes the words “mind” and “spirit” are confused. "Mind" has a variety of meanings. "Mind your manners." While perhaps in the early part of the 20th Century the word "Mind" may have had a more "spiritual" context, "mind" today is such a flexible term as to be devoid of any real philosophical meaning. The word "Spirit" is also problematic may refer to the fervor of "team spirit," academic nostalgia as "school spirit," or even a "spirited" horse. "Spirit" can can even refer to "alcohol." 

As a student of Hegel, Śrīdhara Mahārāja uses "mind" in the sense of "Geist" as an interchangeable coverall term that may approach the  meaning of "spirit" in the same sense that Hegel's word Geist has been translated both as "spirit" or "mind." But his definition of cidābhāsa  refers back to Bhaktivinoda. Anyone interested in further elucidation on the subject of cidābhāsa is invited to go through Kṛṣṇa-saṁhita, especially in the original Bengali.

In "Subjective Evolution of Consciousness," Śrīdhara Mahārāja elaborates on the analysis made by Bhaktivinoda Thakura:

“The soul, coming into material consciousness, must come through some hazy reflection of consciousness, chidābhāsa. Only then can the soul experience material consciousness. Before pure consciousness evolves to material consciousness, it will pass through a hazy stage of consciousness or chidābhāsa. 

So in the background of every material thing, there is a spiritual conception. This cannot but be true. What is chidābhāsa? 

Something like mind: Suppose consciousness comes to feel matter. When consciousness is coming to the material world to know the material world, it has to first pass through material consciousness, and then it can feel what is matter. 

According to Darwin’s theory, matter gradually produces consciousness, but before producing consciousness it must produce some hazy consciousness, then mind, and then the soul. 

But in reality, it is just the opposite. So subjective evolution parallels objective or material evolution. 

But in the evolution of consciousness, the Supersubject is first, then the individual soul or jīva-subject is next. Then, from the subjective consciousness of the jīvas, matter is produced. But consciousness must penetrate hazy consciousness to perceive matter.

I say that the process of evolution moves from the top downward.  Reality the Absolute is full in Himself. All other things are coming from Him. The perfect substance already exists. 

What appears to us as imperfect comes down according to our own defective senses. The imperfect must be dependent upon the perfect, the ultimate reality. And the imperfect may be so arranged by Him in order to prove His perfection. 

To prove the perfection of the Absolute, there is conditioned and unconditioned, finite and infinite reality. The defective world therefore has an indirect relation to the truth.

However, consciousness cannot jump at once into the conception of matter; it must pass through a process to come to material consciousness. 

From the marginal position, from the verge of the higher eternal potency, evolution and dissolution of this material world begins. This takes place only on the outskirts of svarūpa-śakti, which is the system responsible for the evolution of the spiritual plane, and is an eternally evolving dynamic whole. 

It is not that nondifferentiation is the origin of differentiation. An eternally differentiated substance exists. 

That plane is filled with līlā, dynamic pastimes. If a static thing can be conceived of as eternal, then why can’t a “ a dynamic thing be conceived of as eternal? That plane of svarūpa-śakti is fully evolved within. 

It is eternal. Evolution and dissolution concern only the degradation of the subtle spirit to the gross material platform and his evolution towards perfection. Here there is evolution and dissolution, but these things do not exist in the eternal abode of svarūpa-śakti.[ii]

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[i] Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Krishna-Samhita, translated by Kushakratha p. 99.

[ii] Excerpt From: Swami B. R. Sridhar. “Subjective Evolution.” Guardian of Devotion Press, 1989..