Development from Witness of the Nature to Master of the Nature

Sankhya philosophy, also referenced in the Bhagavad Gita and certain Upanishads with respect to its understanding of the respective roles of the Purusha, the witness consciousness and Prakriti, the active nature, provides a guiding light for those seeking liberation from bondage to the exte
al world. One need only find a way to separate oneself from identification with the active nature and position one’s awareness in the Purusha, a shift of standpoint from the ego-consciousness to the divine consciousness, in order to achieve liberation.

Sri Aurobindo takes this one step farther. Once the Purusha has been identified as being the divine consciousness at work in the individual, it becomes clear that the stage of liberation is essentially the passive or negative aspect. There is an active, positive aspect which asserts the mastery of the Divine over the manifestation. This implies that once an individual has identified with the Purusha, he can gain control over its development and future lines of action.

The passive identification is illustrated in the Mundaka Upanishad, Chapter 3, Section 1, Verses 1 and 2, as translated by Sri Aurobindo: “Two birds, beautiful of wing, close companions, cling to one common tree: of the two one eats the sweet fruit of the tree, the other eats not but watches his fellow. The soul is the bird that sits immersed on the one common tree; but because he is not lord he is bewildered and has sorrow. But when he sees that other who is the Lord and beloved, he knows that all is His greatness and his sorrow passes away from him.”

Once the identification is made that the observer is the Lord, the potential for mastery becomes clear and unequivocal.

The process is not perfect or immediate for a variety of reasons. First, there is the deep and embedded connection to the ego-consciousness and the active nature. As an individual assumes the witness status, he effectuates a separation from the exte
al nature. If he attempts to guide, control, or master that nature, there must be an unshakable and immovable status of that witness consciousness, or the seeker faces the risk of masking the involvement in the exte
al life with the illusion of separation and mastery. It requires a very solid shift to the divine standpoint, and a steadfast commitment to that when interacting with the nature, to succeed in this endeavour. For most people, even achieving the first step, that of the immovable and uninvolved observer or witness, is a very considerable stage of progress. In other words, without true liberation, mastery is not possible.

Sri Aurobindo notes: “The consciousness you speak of would be described in the Gita as the witness Purusha. The Purusha or basic consciousness is the true being or at least, in whatever plane it manifests, represents the true being. But in the ordinary nature of man it is covered up by the ego and the ignorant play of the Prakriti and remains veiled behind as the unsee
Witness supporting the play of the Ignorance. When it emerges, you feel it as a consciousness behind, calm, central, unidentified with the play which depends upon it. It may be covered over, but it is always there. The emergence of the Purusha is the beginning of liberation. But it can also become slowly the Master — slowly because the whole habit of the ego and the play of the lower forces is against that. Still it can dictate what higher play is to replace the lower movement and then there is the process of that replacement, the higher coming, the lower struggling to remain and push away the higher movement.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 5, Attitudes on the Path, pp. 147-148