Matter & Spirit explained in Philosophy
A caution about todays blog, it is a bit abstract and may need that extra from you to follow the concept.
Once you understand and accept the below concept / hypothesis (whatever you want to deem it), then reading through Hindu philosophy becomes easier. These are the basic parameters for the philosophy in a nutshell.
Imagine the ocean to be the Universe and the Supreme Reality. Sanatan Dharma (Timeless Wisdom) which pre-dates Hinduism refers to this Supreme Reality as Brahman, a shapeless, formless, attribute less reality.
All oceans have waves. A wave is just a manifestation for a period of time and then goes back to the ocean. So in the example, that wave is us, human life. Like waves, we also have a time stamp, attributes and a name (a human) and then go back into the ocean.
The philosophical meaning from the above example — All waves are still ocean although they think I am a wave, separate from ocean.
So the wave is just 3 things — a name, a form and attributes. But once is goes back into the Ocean, you have none of these.
Continuing with the example and stretching the concept — a wave is impermanent like human life (Jiva) and the ocean is the one permanent (Brahman). All things impermanent are made of Matter. They take shapes, forms, get destroyed and made again like we learn in science.
All things permanent (Soul/Atman) is made of Spirit. Indestructible. Invisible. Inaudible. Intangible. Yet, only when it comes does life come and when it goes, life goes. It is believed that the this soul carries across lives in different bodies (hence the concept of re-birth for the ones who believe). So when a woman announces she is pregnant, a soul has entered her body and she is only making the wrapper for it, from matter. Those sheaths and wrappers are called Koshas.
What is evident now is that Matter takes form & Spirit is formless. Hindu Dharma says that the spirit in each of us is the same, like every wave is the same ocean. We normally dont think that way like every wave thinks it is different.
Spirit and matter are the first opposites we deal with. That is where we start to make choices for life. The body wants materials, desires and stays in this worldly pleasures. The Soul is free from desire and wants to go back to Brahman. Both are within us. Who do we listen to? Cater to?
o The Spirit (Atman) has 3 qualities — It is the Being, The Thought Power and the Bliss
o Matter has 3 qualities — Inertia, Mobility & Rhythm
That is why when philosophers say all things around us is Maya (illusion), they are referring to Matter, the one which is destructible, time stamped, like the wave. Every philosopher keeps reminding us not to put all our thoughts, energies into believing what is Maya.
We are always dealing in such opposites. The choices we make within such opposites will determine Karma and the next set of choices we get. These choices in one life or across lives start to form patterns (paradigms).
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