Development from Witness of the Nature to Master of the Nature

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Sankhya philosophy, also
referenced in the Bhagavad Gita

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and certain Upanishads with
respect to its understanding of

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the respective roles of the
Purusha, the witness,

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consciousness and Prakruti.
The act of nature provides A

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guiding light for those seeking
liberation from bondage to the

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external world.
One need only find a way to

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separate oneself from
identification with the act of

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nature and position one's
awareness in the Purusha, a

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shift of standpoint from the ego
consciousness to the divine

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consciousness, in order to
achieve liberation.

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Sri Aurobindo takes this one
step farther.

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Once the Purusha has been
identified as being the divine

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consciousness at work in the
individual, it becomes clear

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that the stage of liberation is
essentially the passive or

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negative aspect.
There is an active positive

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aspect which asserts the mastery
of the divine over the

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manifestation.
This implies that once an

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individual has identified with
the Purusha, he can gain control

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over its development and future
lines of action.

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The passive identification is
illustrated in the Mundaka

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Upanishad chapter 3, Section 1,
verses 1 and 2 as translated by

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Sri Aurobindo.
Quote Two birds beautiful of

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wing close companions cling to 1
common tree.

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Of the two, one eats the sweet
fruit of the tree, the other

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eats not but watches his fellow.
The soul is the bird that sits

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immersed on the one common tree,
but because he is not lowered,

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he is bewildered and has sorrow.
But when he sees that other who

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is the Lord and Beloved, he
knows that all is his greatness

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and his sorrow passes away from
him.

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End Quote.
Once the identification is made

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that the observer is the Lord,
the potential for mastery

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becomes clear and unequivocal.
The process is not perfect or

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immediate for a variety of
reasons.

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First, there is the deep and
embedded connection to the ego

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consciousness and the active
nature.

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As an individual assumes the
witness status, he effectuates A

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separation from the external
nature.

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If he attempts to guide, control
or master that nature, there

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must be an unshakable and
immovable status of that witness

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consciousness, or the seeker
faces the risk of masking the

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involvement in the external life
with the illusion of separation

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and mastery.
It requires a very solid shift

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to the divine standpoint and a
steadfast commitment to that

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when interacting with the nature
to succeed in this endeavour.

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For most people, even achieving
the first step, that of the

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immovable and uninvolved
observer or witness, is a very

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considerable stage of progress.
In other words, without true

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liberation, mastery is not
possible.

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Shrioro Bindo notes quote The
consciousness you speak of would

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be described in the Gita as the
witness Purusha.

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The Purusha or basic
consciousness is the true Being,

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or at least in whatever plane it
manifests, represents the true

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Being.
But in the ordinary nature of

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man it is covered up by the ego
and the ignorant play of the

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procrity, and remains veiled
behind as the unseen witness

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supporting the play of the
ignorance.

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When it emerges, you feel it as
a consciousness behind, calm,

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central, unidentified with the
play which depends upon it.

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It may be covered over, but it
is always there.

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The emergence of the purusha is
the beginning of liberation, but

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it can also become slowly the
master.

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Slowly, because the whole habit
of the ego and the play of the

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lower forces is against that.
Still it can dictate what higher

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play is, to replace the lower
movement.

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And then there is the process of
that replacement, the higher

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coming, the lower struggling to
remain and push away the higher

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movement and quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother Looking

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from within, Chapter 5,
Attitudes on the Path, pages 147

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to 148.