Matter vs. Spirit

Chapter 13 in The Bhagavad Gita is a nice recap of the distinction between Matter and Spirit, or Prakrti and Purusa, or in the case of this chapter in particular “The Field and its Knower.” The misidentification between these two things, Avidya – spiritual ignorance, is the reason yoga exists, and why the conversation and dilemma between Arjuna (Prakrti in human form) and Krishna (Purusha in avatar form) exists in The Gita.

At the beginning of the chapter, Arjuna asks Krishna “How can one distinguish between one’s worldly body and godly soul? What is the difference between physical matter and the world of the Spirit? And is there any benefit in learning this?” (BG 13.1) Krishna’s answer comes in the form of explanation of the evolutes of matter (the Field) as they stand apart from the Soul (the Knower), and reminds Arjuna that “bliss is acquired” when this discriminative knowledge is learned.

The elements that make up “The Field (Prakriti, the World of Nature)” are listed clearly in paragraphs 3-6 of chapter 13. Krishna tells Arjuna that “To know something is to be conscious of it” (BG 13.5-6), it is not just a mental memorizing of a list of terms. So, though in this moment, Krishna does not give a mechanism of becoming conscious of the Field, that is indeed what the entire Yoga Sutras of Patanjali set out to explain. The 8 limbs of the practice of yoga are the step by step process to begin to fully “know” the field of your embodiment. The first thing to know is that “In the natural world Supreme Consciousness separates into many forces both physical and mental – endlessly combining and recombining.”

• Mahat – “latent reasoning force…the ‘unmanifested’ that gives rise to mind, matter, and energy”
• Buddhi – “higher mind, inellect, discriminatory faculty, the ability to distinguish between the spiritual Self and the worldly self”
• Ahamkara – “the principle of individuation, ego, to be aware of one’s self as an apparently separate entity”
• Manas – “lower mind”, receives messages from the field through the senses of perception and organs of action
• Indriyas – sense organs (jnanendriyas) and organs of action (karmendriyas)
• Tanmatra – sense objects of sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell
• Maha bhutas – 5 main physical elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space

Knowing these components not just on a superficial level, but on an experiential and consciousness level is what the practice of yoga leads us to do. Separating out these elements and being able to distinguish each from the other leads us toward the ultimate truth that the impermanence of all of it is not what is truly “real.” The impermanence of all of it. The 3 aspects of energy that flow through all of the Universe – The Gunas – sattva, rajas, and tamas also underly all of these permutations and combinations of nature.

It is the final, ultimate, distinction between the “The Knower of the Field” (Purusa) and “The Field” (Prakrti) – the wisdom of the eternal vs. the attachment to the impermanent – that leads to union (yog) with the Atma.

The cause of your body is nature (prakrti), but the cause of your aliveness – your experience of being an individual, feeling joy and sorrow in a particular body – is Spirit (Purusha) BG 13.20

Krishna also lists distinguishing qualities of “The Knower”, Divinity, Soul, and Purusa in chapter 13, repeating in even more ways some of those listed in chapter 12 and in chapter 6. Another addition here is that one merged in the Divine is “beyond all this natural world of prakriti and gunas. The fire of this great knowledge will burn out all your karmas, and there will be no more motivating force within you to create another birth.” (BG 13.23).

The paths to get to this union have already been detailed by Krishna in previous chapters, but he again lists them in 13.24 – meditation (dhyana), knowledge (jnana), action (karma), and devotion (bhakti). However, no matter how you get there, the “great knowledge” of the Atma, the Soul, or Purusa, removes the illusion that our essential Truth can ever be killed. Bodies will always fall, but the Atma will remain forever. And, it is heartening to know that even Krishna acknowledges that “this True Self within is indeed mysterious…It is subtler that the subtlest…never tainted though it dwells in every creature.” (BG 13.32)

Krishna urges Arjuna (and us) to remember that “the goal is not to get entangled in the world, but to use the world to reach Divinity.” To give up the fruits of all action, but keep acting with the thoughts of Divinity … always …

We will continue reading Chapter 14 and 15 this week.

Remember SIGN UP NOW for the August 21 Book Club Discussion and Yoga Class – Hybrid option is available!