(Aug 23,2013) Spiritual Message for the Day – Consciouness and Matter

Consciousness and Matter

Divine Life Society Publication: Discourse 37: Commentary on the Bhagavadgita by Swami Krishnananda

There is a belief among commentators of the Gita that the great Upanishadic statement tat tvam asi has something to do with the threefold classification of the chapters of the Gita. The individual is tvam – 'thou'. This 'thou', or individual, is taken up for an intensified form of study in the first six chapters. Tat means 'That' – the Supreme. The nature of 'That' is taken up for study in the next six chapters. Asi means 'art'; 'That thou art'. The unification of the 'thou' and the 'That', the methodology of attaining the unity between the individual and the Universal, in all its detail, is explained in the last six chapters.

Sri Krishna Himself starts speaking, without any question from Arjuna. Idam sariram kaunteya kshetram ity abhidiyate (13.1): "This body, this physical embodiment of the human being, is technically called kshetra or the field where some activity takes place. A field is an area where something happens.

While this body, which is physical in nature, is a field of operation, there must be somebody who carries on this operation in the field. The field is the body; but the knower of this body is the operator behind it. This body is, no doubt, the vehicle of action; but there is somebody who is conscious that there is a body which is to be used for the purpose of some activity. This body is an instrument of action in this world, but this body cannot act by itself. It is inert, constituted of the five inert elements – earth, water, fire, air and ether. Inert instruments cannot act by themselves. Even a car cannot move unless there is a driver. So is the case with this body. Unless there is prana and an intelligence that drives the prana in respect of the bodily limbs, there can be no activity.

So while this body may be called kshetra or field, the one who knows this field is conscious of it, and operates through it – lives in it, indwells it, and handles it in a different manner – such a principle is called kshetrajna. Jna means knower, and kshetra is, of course, field, so kshetrajna means 'the knower of the field'. Hence, this body is the kshetra, the field, and the one who knows this field is kshetrajna.

Consciousness and matter constitute the subject of this chapter. The so-called field – this body or anything that is material – is an unconscious presentation that is usually called matter. That which knows matter is consciousness. How do we connect consciousness with matter?

The knower of the field knows the field. Consciousness has no characteristic of matter, and matter does not have the characteristic of consciousness. Consciousness does not move, whereas matter is always in a state of flux and agitation. Therefore, they are dissimilar in their character. Objectivity is the character of the body and matter, whereas subjectivity is the nature of consciousness. They are totally opposed to each other. So how can that which is pure subject come in contact with that which is pure object? How would we solve this great issue of what the relationship between two terrible contraries is? They cannot have any kind of connection. Yet they seem to be working together in some way for the purpose of effecting some aim, which seems to be the very process of evolution.

"Arjuna, I am the knower of the field." The Lord says, "I am the Pure Consciousness that knows all things and operates these material forces; and I am not merely in one body. When I refer to the body, you may be thinking of some particular body – this body or that body – and there is a consciousness in each body. That may be so – that consciousness is inherently present in every body, within each person – but that is not the point. "I am present as the kshetrajna, or the knower of the field, in all the fields. That is, all individuals whatsoever – right from Brahma, the creator, down to the atom – are indwelt by Me, and I know all things as the Omniscient Knower."

In a sense, it means that the kshetra is the entire physical universe. The whole of creation can be considered as the kshetra or the field of action, and Omniscient Intelligence that is operating in terms of this material manifestation is kshetrajna. Therefore, the question of the relationship between God and creation, consciousness and matter, kshetrajna and kshetra, purusha and prakriti – all mean finally one and the same thing.

"This is real knowledge. I consider this to be supreme and real knowledge." What is that knowledge? It is the knowledge of kshetra and kshetrajna. If we can know the actual relationship between God and the world, soul and body, consciousness and matter, knower and the known – if this can be clear to us – we have known everything. This knowledge is the highest knowledge. 

Excerpts from:

Commentary on the Bhagavadgita by Swami Krishnananda

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