Sachchidananda 'The Life Divine' Book I,Ch.9, 10, 11, 12 (The Mother Insitute of Research - MIRA) - Track 704

If there is only one reality then whatever there is in that reality this is you might say the first statement of what is called ‘argument for the existence of God’. Does God exist? This is the question which is asked very often and with which we started in fact several weeks ago and the ultimate statement that we have now put forward may be regarded as the first aspect, the basic aspect namely that there is a stable non-successive, non-extensive being  or reality or existence which is both by pure reason so that rationally you cannot reject it and which is also affirmed by experience so both ways we have confirmed that such a reality exist, but this is only the first step because God is not only that which exists. God is not merely that which is the container of the movement so far we only stated this that God exists or that which is existent is what we can call God. We are not making a mistake which Enselm had made God exist. We say that existence which is stable which contains the movement is what you call God and such a God is not only conceivable but the only thing that can be conceived. This is the utmost that the reason can affirm. At the highest level of the reason it must affirm an existence which is stable, which is non extensive and which is the base of all extensive movements whether non- successive or successive this is the definite conclusion to which we arrive. But this is not the full description of God, something more needs to be said and can be said and this is what is done in chapter no: ten, eleven and twelve. There are three chapters in which further elucidation will come out with regard to the nature of God. God is not merely existent, God is also conscious being and God is also a being of delight − this is the definition of God. God is self existent, conscious and delightful being. In the Vedanta we have a formula the reality or God is Sat Chit Ananda that which exists, which is conscious and which is delight. Now so far we have only proved that God exist or the other way round existence which is stable which contains movement − is God and which cannot but be conceived by the reason. This is all that we have so far established. Now let us see whether and in what way we can establish that God is also a conscious being. Now here you have a few steps, first of rational argument then we shall come to experience. The rational argument is to state that all the movement of the world, this is the first step of the argument, all the movement of the world can be reduced to one original force and the nature of the force is that it is capable of putting itself forth or withdrawing what is put forth. This is the nature of the force. Now let us substantiate these statements – all that is in the movement can be reduced to force. Now what you normally see is the physical reality with our physical eyes we see all that is spread out before us. So, let us for the moment concentrate upon what we see physically. What we see physically, very concretely is what is called prithvi, the element of earth. Now earth can be reduced to liquidity which is our common experience as solid can be turned into liquid. An ice cube can be turned into water. It is the same ice but which can be turned into water. Water can be reduced further by the power of the heat (Agni) into vapour which becomes vayu and vayu can be further reduced to pure space (Akasha). It is said that panchamahabhuthas, the five big principles of physicality can all ultimately be reduced to akasha and akasha is nothing but extension of force. The force in its original condition when it is extended it is akasha. This is the starting point of one of the very important schools of Indian philosophy called Sankhya. If you read the Indian philosophical systems among them this philosophy which is called Sankhya begins with this statement that there is this principle of earth which can be reduced to the principle of water or liquidity, which can be further reduced to heat, which can be further reduced to air and which can be further reduced to akasha is fundamentally one original force. According to Sankhya there are not many forces everything that is multiple in this world can ultimately be reduced to one basic force, so force is only one but which can take multiple forms and multiple states of itself. Now I don’t know if you have got the text of ‘The Life Divine’ but if you have I would like you to read with me one paragraph – page no. 80

The very first paragraph of this chapter no. 10 – “All phenomenal existence resolve itself into Force, into a movement of energy that assumes more or less material, more or less gross or subtle forms for self-presentation to its own experience. In the ancient images by which human thought attempted to make this origin and law of being intelligible and real to itself, this infinite existence of Force was figured as a sea, initially at rest and therefore free from forms, but the first disturbance, the first initiation of movement necessitates the creation of forms and is the seed of a universe.”

Now how this becomes a universe is expounded in the next paragraph.

“Matter is the presentation of force which is most easily intelligible to our intelligence, moulded as it is by contacts in Matter to which a mind involved in material brain gives the response. The elementary state of material Force is, in the view of the old Indian physicists, a condition of pure material extension in Space of which the peculiar property is vibration typified to us by the phenomenon of sound. But vibration in this state of ether is not sufficient to create forms. There must first be some obstruction in the flow of the Force ocean, some contraction and expansion, some interplay or vibrations, some impinging of force upon force so as to create a beginning of fixed relations and mutual effects. Material Force modifying its first ethereal status assumes a second, called in the old language the aerial, of which the special property is contact between force and force, contact that is the basis of all material relations. Still we have not as yet real forms but only varying forces. A sustaining principle is needed. This is provided by a third self- modification of the primitive Force of which the principle of light, electricity, fire and heat is for us the characteristic manifestation. Even then, we can have forms of force preserving their own character and peculiar action, but not stable forms of Matter. A fourth state characterized by diffusion and a first medium of permanent attractions and repulsions, termed picturesquely water or the liquid state, and a fifth of cohesion, termed earth or the solid state, complete the necessary elements.”