Gita Rahasya -Tilak
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CHAPTER VI
THE INTUITIONIST SCHOOL AND THE CONSIDERATION OF THE BODY AND THE ATMAN
(ADHIDAIVATA-PAKSA AND KSETRA-KSETRAJNA-VICARA) It cannot be said ' that all this is done by the gross Body of man. Because, when 'cetana' or activity leaves this gross Body, this gross Body is unable to perform these functions although it remains behind; and as the component parts of the gross Body, namely, the flesh, the muscles, etc., are the result of food, and these- are continually worn out and continually re-formed, it cannot be said that the feeling of sameness by which a person realises that I ", who saw a particular thing yesterday, am the same as the ' I ' who see a different thing to-day, is the- property of the continually changing gross Body. If, however, one leaves aside the gross Body, and says that cetana (Activity) is the owner of the body, then, in deep sleep, one does not continue to possess the 'I' feeling although such activities or cetana as breathing or blood-circulation are going on. [1] It, therefore, follows that Activity or the functioning of Life forces, is a specific quality which has been acquired by the gross Body, and is not the controlling factor, owner or power which synthesizes all the activities of the organs [2] The possessive case adjectival forms ' mine ' or ' another's ' prove to us the existence of the quality of Individuation (ahamkarah). But by knowing that, we do not come to a conclusion as to who this 'aham' or 'I' is If you say, that this 'I' is a pure illusion, then the experience of everybody is just the contrary; and imagining something which is inconsistent with this personal experience of every- body, would place one in the position described by Sri Samartha Ramadasa as: "saying something which is in- consistent with experience is wholly tiresome ; it is as useless as opening one's mouth wide and crying" [3] and even if we do this, the fact of the synthesis of the activities of the organs is not satisfactorily explained. Some go so far as to say that there is no such individual thing as ' I ' but that the name ' I ' should be given to the conglomeration or the fusion of all those elements, such as, the Mind, Reason, Activity, gross Body etc., which are included in the word ' ksetra '. But we see by our own eyes, that by merely piling a piece of wood on another piece of wood, we cannot make a box. ; nor is motion created in a watch by merely putting together all its various wheels. We cannot, therefore, say that activity arises by mere juxta-position. Nobody need be told that the various activities of the ksetra are not purely foolish activities and that there is some specific intention or object in them. "Who is it that gives this direction to the various workmen, such as, buddhih etc., in the factory of the Body? Juxta-position (samghatah) means merely putting together. Although several things may be put together, it is necessary to thread them together in order that they should form one whole. Otherwise, they will become disorganised at any moment. |
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