The Primary Arbitrary

We may look at our consciousness as subjective; and the world as objective. The primary arbitrary seems to be our identification with the subjective, and then assuming that the objective lies outside of us.

If we do not make this identification and assumption then there is simply the postulate of sensations being assimilated into perceptions and conceptions. We then have the following:

  1. The sensations belong to the subjective consciousness, and the perceptions belong to the objective world.
  2. The sensations and perceptions are substantial, and they must have SUBSTANCE to be sensed and perceived.
  3. The substance of subjective consciousness appears to be THOUGHT.
  4. The substance tof the objective world appears to be MATTER and RADIATION.
  5. The relative extents of substance appear as SPACE. Matter lies within radiation, and radiation lies within thought.
  6. The relative durations of substance appears as TIME. Matter has some motion, radiation has very fast motion, and the motion of thought appears to be instantaneous.
  7. The assimilation brings about the continuity, consistency and harmony of ONENESS.
  8. The ONENESS provides the criterion for the correctness of cognition.

We have assumed that the subjective consciousness has no substance.

We have assumed that space and time are independent of substance.

And, we are missing the exact criterion for the correctness of cognition and have been going by some vague assumed idea.

These assumptions are arbitrary.

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November 26, 2025 – 8:02 PM Categories: Postulate Mechanics | Post a comment

The Two Postulates

Not only the external world, but also the inner sense, are part of this Universe. Both the external world and the inner sense appear to be based on the following two postulates:

FIRST POSTULATE
The first postulate is that both consciousness and the world are substantial. The substance of the world is matter and radiation; and the substance of the inner sense is thought. The natural extension of substance appears as Space; and the natural duration of substance appears as Time.

SUBSTANCE
Substance is that which is substantial enough to be sensed and perceived. We may divide the substance of this universe into three categories: (1) matter, (2) radiation, and (3) thought. Matter has extremely high consistency called mass. Radiation has a such small consistency that it is considered to have no mass. Thought has still less consistency that cannot be sensed physically. It can only be sensed mentally. Consistency means “a degree of density, firmness, viscosity, etc.” We have decreasing consistency from matter to radiation to thought. Matter and radiation are considered to be physical substances. Thought is considered to be a metaphysical substance, or even a spiritual substance.

SPACE
Space refers to the extension of substance. There is no space in the absence of substance. The “empty space” is empty of matter only; but it defines the extension of radiation and thought. The “space” studied in geometry is actually the abstraction of matter-space.

TIME
Time refers to the duration of substance. Matter has near infinite duration. Any duration, which is less than infinite, appears as motion. In the absence of substance there is neither duration, nor motion nor time.

SECOND POSTULATE
The second postulate is that the the goal of both consciousness and the world is integration toward a oneness (continuity, consistency and harmony) of form. This appears as chaos converting into order.

ONENESS
In Postulate Mechanics, Oneness is understood as CONSISTENCY among parts. This consistency appears as CONTINUITY at very small scales, and as HARMONY at very large scales. Oneness does not imply sameness. Oneness means that all that is known is continuous, consistent and harmonious. Oneness lies in the continuity of dimensions, consistency of realities, and harmony of relations. Oneness underlies the very concept of the Universe, and also the concept of Scientific Method. Oneness is not a monotone canvas; but it is a beautiful painting full of colors and forms that are continuous, consistent and harmonious.

November 26, 2025 – 5:06 AM Categories: Subject Clearing, Uncategorized | Post a comment

Substance and Consistency

Reference: Essays on Substance

Light has no mass, but it has momentum. This indicates that, according to Einstein’s famous equation E = mc2, light could have a “mass” of the order of 1/c2 in mass units. This amount is so small that it is ignored as mass. But it is still significant as momentum; and we can call it consistency.

CONSISTENCY means “a degree of density, firmness, viscosity, etc.” The use of ‘consistency’ in place of ‘mass’ establishes an equivalence between radiation and matter as two different categories of substance.

The terms SUBSTANCE and CONSISTENCY have not been used in the vocabulary of science because they have not had precise definitions in the past. The Theory of Substance now assigns them precise definitions as follows:

SUBSTANCE
“Substance is anything that is substantial enough to be sensed. We can sense matter, radiation and thought; and, therefore, they are three different categories of substance.”

CONSISTENCY
“Consistency is the measure of the substantiality of substance. Matter has very high consistency called MASS. Radiation has no mass but it has consistency of the order of 1/c2 in mass units. Thought has a consistency so small that it can be sensed only mentally.” 

To be part of scientific vocabulary, a term must have precise definition. Newton introduced the terms FORCE, INERTIA, MASS and GRAVITY to science by assigning them precise definitions. We now introduce the terms SUBSTANCE and CONSISTENCY to the scientific vocabulary.

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November 24, 2025 – 4:23 AM Categories: Physics Book | Post a comment

My View of Sri Aurobindo

I think I am done with Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy after grasping his concepts of ego, psychic being, Individual Divine and the Supreme.

He defines EGO as a temporary construct formed by Nature to organize thoughts, desires, and actions into a separate individual personality within the external world.

He defines PSYCHIC BEING as the evolving soul—our inmost divine center that grows through lifetimes, aspiring for truth and harmony, and survives physical death to continue its journey of spiritual development.

He defines INDIVIDUAL DIVINE as the eternal, unchanging individual Self—a pure portion of the Divine that stands above and beyond the evolutionary process, remaining unaffected by birth and death. It serves as the spiritual center, or the true “I,” which can realize its oneness with the Supreme and is necessary for spiritual liberation.

He defines the SUPREME as the ultimate Reality, which is absolute, infinite, and eternal, simultaneously transcendent and immanent in the universe. The Supreme is described as Sachchidananda, meaning Existence (Sat), Consciousness (Chit), and Bliss (Ananda), which is the foundational triune nature of Reality.

To me, the “ego” starts as the body mechanism that assimilates sensations into perceptions. But then it grows into a mental mechanism of “mind” that assimilates perceptions into memories, memories into experience and experience into knowledge. Ultimately, it grows into a spiritual mechanism of “self” that assimilates all knowledge into wisdom. Thus, ego expands from being individual (body), to being mental (familial, social, racial, and cultural), to being spiritual (human and representative of all life and universe). But it still remains rooted in the body and dies with the body. However, it influences the progress of all surrounding selves; and the effect is for all selves to grow in wisdom.

Dualities are two ends of a dimension; for example, “hot-cold” expands into the dimension of temperature. Similarly, “ego-spirit” expands into the dimension of self. This is pointed out by Sri Aurobindo.

Sri Aurobindo has taught me: The Gradient of Enlightenment. I regard him very highly.

This is a never ending evolution. The ultimate reality is Unknowable.

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References used:
An Analysis of Sri Aurobindo’s The Life Divine
Renaissance—Sri Aurobindo Society
Karmayogi.net
A Study Guide compiled by David Hutchinson

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November 23, 2025 – 5:16 AM Categories: Subject Clearing | Comments (2)

The Gradient of Enlightenment

The gradient of enlightnemnt appears to be as follows. As one progresses along this gradient the postulates become finer and finer and so does the ego formation. Ego represents the agency of assimilation. There are finer postulates and a finer ego mechanism at each stage of this sequence.

For various definitions, please see Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and PM: Glossary.

The Gradient

  1. Unknowable
    1. The ultimate goal is to know
    2. Knowing is postulating
    3. Perfect knowledge is Oneness (CCH*)
  2. Postulate
    1. There is substance with inherent motion
    2. All motions have a tendency towards Oneness (CCH*)
    3. The substance requires unpacking and assimilation
    4. Any lack of assimilation appears as force
  3. Ego formation
    1. Basic ego is a point of coordination
    2. Its purpose is to unpack and assimilate
    3. It does that by resolving anomalies
    4. The anomalies are violations of Oneness (CCH*)
  4. The elements
    1. Substance (inertia)
      1. Matter
      2. Radiation
      3. Thought
    2. Space (extent of substance)
    3. Time (duration of substance)
    4. Motion (opposite of inertia)
    5. Natural laws (patterns of solutions)
    6. The spectrum of substance provides the expansion of oneness in time and space.
  5. Material forms and motion
    1. The Inconscient (Objects)
      1. Matter has inherent motion
      2. Motions interact to generate actions
      3. Such actions are unconscious and automatic
      4. These actions follow simply laws.
    2. The Subconscient (subconscious mind)
      1. DNA—molecular level computer
      2. The motions become increasingly complex
      3. The resulting actions become regulated patterns
      4. Subconscious is composed of programmed complex motion
    3. The Subliminal
      1. Physical (cell body)
        • The body anchors the life of the individual.
        • Individual life is perishable; but life continues through reproduction.
        • The ultimate desire of life is to know.
        • Knowledge appears as genetic programming of complex activity.
      2. Vital (cell being)
        • The awareness such as that expressed by plants and animals.
        • There are reactions but the being has no consciousness of them.
  6. Mind (mental being with many dimensions of assimilation)
    1. Higher Mind
      • This is the state of awareness of oneness and anomalies accompanied by thinking.
    2. Illumined Mind
      • At this level a person is advancing into looking instead of thinking. The anomalies resolve with flashes of realizations.
    3. Intuitive Mind 
      • At this level a person is becoming aware of the postulates, principles and laws underlying reality.
    4. Overmind
      • At this level a person is becoming aware of oneness among the postulates in different areas of activity.
    5. Supermind
      • At this level all awareness is completely continuous, consistent and harmonious. There is total oneness of knowledge.
  7. Sachchidananda (Spirit)
    1. Delight of existence comes from the resolving of anomalies.
    2. In the state of Satchidananda, one is always resolving anomalies.
    3. The ultimate delight is contained in Oneness (CCH*)
  8. Maya
    1. Maya consists of postulates.
    2. When a postulate is unpacked it generates dimensions.
    3. The dimensions provide appearance to existence.
  9. Oneness
    1. Force is present where oneness is missing.
    2. Liberation lies in the achievement of Oneness.
  10. Unknowable
    1. The Ultimate Reality is Unknowable.

Notes

  1. The universe started with the postulate of unknown sensations.
  2. Unpacking this postulate led to the five major physical sensations and the sensation of mental thought.
  3. Assimilation of these sensations led to perceptions. Further assimilations led to memories, experiences, knowledge and wisdom.
  4. It is to be noted that this unpacking and assimilation required many secondary postulates.
  5. The basic postulates have become so solid that they appear as the material body. This material body houses the mechanisms of sensing. These mechanisms are the sense organs and the brain. Together they form the mind.
  6. The first function of the mind is to assimilate sensations into perceptions. This level of the mind may be described as genetic programming.
  7. The self-aware mind starts with perceptions. It is much less solid than the material body.
  8. The consciousness of individuality (ego) comes about when bodily senses start to get coordinated and assimilated from a point sensed as “I” or self.
  9. Sensations get assimilated into perception, perceptions into memory, memories into experience, experiences into knowledge and knowledge into higher wisdom.
  10. Such assimilation follows the natural principle of Continuity, Consistency and Harmony (CCH*). This principle gives rise to natural laws.
  11. The individuality (ego) assimilates in the background with just a sense of self but without further attention on it. This a natural consequence of having a body that is sensing the environment.
  12. A baby’s self is based on the ego that is coordinating and assimilating body sensations. But, as the baby grows, the sense of self becomes larger as ego also starts assimilating the growing experience and knowledge. Over time, this sense of self starts to include the family, the society, the mankind, the life, and the universe.
  13. Maturity comes about with the assimilation of experience and knowledge through various levels of mind into the wisdom of Sachchidananda. Thus, as the mind is purified, it slowly turns into pure spirit.
  14. When a grown up person is acting in an immature, egoistic manner, he has confusions due to unassimilated perceptions, memories, experiences and knowledge. He then lacks wisdom.
  15. One cannot get rid of the ego because ego will always be there as long as there is a body assimilating sensations. The unwanted influence of the ego can be eliminated only through proper assimilation.
  16. The assimilated wisdom of spirit is way beyond the primitive sensations of the body.

*CCH = Continuity, Consistency and Harmony

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November 12, 2025 – 6:23 AM Categories: Postulate Mechanics | Post a comment