Consciousness
There’s an old joke of a student in a philosophy class who asks his teacher, “Professor, how do I know that I exist?” Pat comes the response, “And who is asking the question?”
Every question that arises in our minds presumes the self-evident truth of our existence. From there, we proceed to perceive the world in our unique way. Needless to say, the process of understanding the world depends on our physical and mental faculties.
If you were to pursue the line of argument of Can’t we question our own existence?, the answer would simply be: Sure, but even this question is the product of your own existence!
Therefore, we arrive at a fundamental truth: Our existence—however it may be—is eternal as far as we are concerned.
Each one of us experiences the three basic states of consciousness – the wakeful state, the dream state, and the deep sleep state (dreamless sleep).[1]
Our experiences in the wakeful state—or even in the dream state—are entirely different from place to place, time to time, person to person, and thought to thought. But in sound sleep, aren’t we all the same! In a state of dreamless sleep, each one of us has the same universal experience of absolute immersion and perfect detachment. It is a state that transcends space and time, matter and energy. When we don’t perceive space and time, where is the question of causation (cause and effect) and duality (me and other) or of activity, fatigue, pain, and selfishness! No wonder deep sleep is so refreshing and blissful.
In deep sleep, we don’t feel any distinctions – neither the diversity of nature nor human-made divisions. Age, gender, race, nationality, educational qualifications, religion, cultural background, social status, financial situation – none of these things are experienced in deep sleep. There is nothing to know or feel, nothing to like or dislike, for nothing exists other than one’s own self. It is only in the wakeful and dream states do we have the baggage of ourselves.
Let us now examine a statement, which we may easily ratify from our personal experience –
“In the wakeful state, the sense organs and the mind are active; in the dream state, only the mind is active; and in sound sleep, neither the senses nor the mind are active.”
Before we readily accept this statement, let us pause to consider our bias. It is a statement born out of bias towards the wakeful state[2]. When we are inside a dream, we feel the existence of body (as conceived in the dream). The overall physicality of the experience is indisputable. When we are in deep sleep, there is no paucity of fulfilment nor a feeling of inadequacy.
It is only when we examine human life from the three states of consciousness do we get an overall picture of human life. There exists in deep sleep a universal basis that provides a solid foundation upon which we may construct our cognitive edifice.
Hindu foundational texts start their self-enquiry with an analysis of the states of consciousness.[3] This is the starting point of our investigation into philosophy, which is itself a means to understand ourselves and the world around us.
Objectives of Human Life
In deep sleep, there is no desire nor disagreement because nothing apart from our self exists. In the dream state, there is a play of emotion and passion but the ramifications are personal; they do not interfere with society.* In the wakeful state, a tumultuous drama of proposals and disposals, likes and dislikes, wants and needs occur—all of which impact not just the individuals but also the world around them.
Desire is the starting point of our individuality. The feeling of our existence and our identity stems from desire. Desire drives us to action, which is essential to fulfil the desire. By its very nature, desire arises from inadequacy; indeed, if we are self-complete and fully satisfied, we don’t wish for anything further. It is the incompleteness within us that drives us to obtain something. If we are partaking of a meal at a buffet, we keep going back to the dishes as long as we have hunger (read desire). But the moment our stomachs are full, do we have the drive to return to the dishes? We are satisfied and not in need of any more food.
To reinforce our understanding, let us take an example from the world of matter.
In an atom, unsaturated electrons in the outermost orbit are chemically reactive—they are, by nature, inclined towards saturation. The measure of the combining capacity of an atom with other atoms is known as valency; as a result of such combinations, chemical compounds or molecules are formed. And similarly, our desires—according to their valencies—trigger action.
The inadequacy or incompleteness within us may be called Primordial Ignorance—this creates Desire, which impels us to Action.[4] The fulfilment of desire is usually partial and thus, we are driven to action repetitively in a bid to fulfil the unending sequence of desires. This is a downward spiral—and the only way to escape its effects is to find fulfilment within and exhaust our ignorance.
If we use the parlance of Economics, we may liken desire to the concept of demand and the action we undertake to fulfil it to the concept of supply. We know from our high school Economics that
Demand is the quantity of a resource that consumers are willing and able to purchase at a certain price.
Supply is the quantity of a resource that producers are willing and able to provide at a certain price.
In the long run, supply can never catch up with demand because the human mind always harbours desires. Demand is not constrained by any material limitations. This is however not the case with supply, which is bound by constraints of space and time.
Similarly, desires arise in the mind and may be infinite but actions take place in the material world and have limitations. Desire is always greater than the means employed to satisfy it because agencies that try to fulfil desire are constrained by matter, energy, space, and time but desire is not restricted by material boundaries.
There will always be an acute shortage of supply against perpetual demand. In other words, desire (kāma) is unlimited whereas the means of satisfying desire (artha) is limited.
If desire goes on a rampage in a blind pursuit for gratification, the world will come to a standstill in seconds. The reason this does not happen is the compromise, willing or unwilling, that we have made within and amongst ourselves. We agree to abide by the rules that we have ourselves set for the smooth functioning of our families and societies. In fact, this compromise evolves naturally—and without it, our own existence is threatened. There is no doubt that such a compromise will not be pleasing to everyone; it is always the second-best choice in any situation (the best being what is solely convenient to us). The mode of implementation of this global compromise will differ according to the frames of time, space, and mind-set.
In a free market that is unfettered by all other considerations, Price represents that compromise. If the price of a resource is too high, the consumers may not be able to afford it and if the price is too low, the producers may not be able to continue making it. The price of a certain resource makes sure that its consumption is regulated.
A universal compromise is needed to balance the forces of demand and supply. If this compromise is enforced from outside, it becomes a law or an order. When it is realized from within, it becomes awareness and responsibility. This universal compromise, which is both a rule and a realization, is known as Dharma.
We realize these three concepts (kāma, artha, and dharma) in the physical world.
There is a fourth idea called mokṣa, which roughly translates to ‘Liberation,’ ‘Release,’ ‘Ultimate Bliss,’ etc. This is treated separate from the other three because in order to realize it we have to relinquish desire and transcend the physical world. And therefore, we may define mokṣa as liberation from the triangular frame of desire, means, and compromise.[5]
Needless to say, mokṣa is an extremely difficult state to realize.
First we must efficiently manage kāma by using artha by adhering strictly to dharma. This leads to a well-rounded life with its balanced share of sincere hard work and mindful leisure, neither losing calmness nor developing apathy. If we consistently lead a happy life, dynamically handling ups and downs with maturity, we prepare the ground for mokṣa.
The cardinal values of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa are together called ‘puruṣārtha’ (puruṣa+artha) or fourfold objectives of human life. Puruṣa means ‘the Self’ or ‘that which dwells in the body’[6] and artha is ‘the means’ (to understand the Self).
The conception of the four puruṣārthas is relevant across time and is applicable to every human society. It is not dependent on age, gender, religion, political identity, nationality, etc. Puruṣārtha represents the fundamental human values.
Dharma has been given the first position of the four because it is the key to balancing the natural instinct of kāma and the relentless attempt at artha; this balance, when sustained over long years, holds the potential to ultimately attain mokṣa.
Therefore, let us first embark on understanding the concept of dharma.
[1] These are together known as the avasthā-traya—jāgrat (wakefulness), svapna (dream; which happens during REM sleep), and suṣupti (deep sleep; non-REM sleep). See Māṇḍūkyopaniṣad
[2] This is technically known as ‘jāgrat-abhiniveśa.’
[3] See Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad 4.3
[4] This is the vicious cycle of avidyā (primordial ignorance), kāma (desire) and karma (action).
[5] Dharma, artha, and kāma are collectively called the ‘tri-varga,’ while mokṣa is known as ‘apavarga.’
[6] The word ‘puruṣa’ is explained as puri śete iti puruṣaḥ or puri vasati iti puruṣaḥ.
To be continued.
