YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED: F.A.Q. 23

Momentariness QUESTION: Does Yoga believe in the momentariness of things? ANSWER: Momentariness or the material, objective World's quality of lasting just one moment, is a well-known Yogic teaching various forms of which have passed into Ancient Hindu, Buddhist and even modern scientific thought. This teaching is based on the fact that every perception can be analysed into a series of moments or Kshana and therefore may be described as momentary (Kshanika). For this reason, the teaching that concerns itself with this fact, is known as Kshanikavada (Doctrine of Momentariness). To begin with, we must define what is meant by perception or experience. Experience is an act of awareness whereby we become aware of, or consciously register, something such as a thought, emotion or sense perception. While experience is a more general term for this phenomenon, perception often refers to the registration of a specific sensory stimulus such as sound, feel, colour, flavour and scent or a combination of these. Every experience presupposes a subject and an object. The subject is the underlying substratum of every experience. It is that which experiences, or is aware of, a thing. And the object is that which is experienced by the conscious subject as being within the latter's sphere of experience or awareness. In Yogic terminology, the subject is called pramata (or pramatri, that which perceives or experiences) and the object is called prameya (that which is perceived or experienced). The subject's perception or awareness of the object is called pramiti (that which is perceived or known in relation to the perceived object). It is well to understand at this point that the object and our awareness thereof are two related yet distinct elements of experience like the two sides of a coin, for example. While the object is perceived as being located "out there", our awareness or knowledge of it clearly lies within us. Even when we close our eyes and visualise or dream a particular object, it is perceived as projected on to the mental screen before us, whereas our emotional and intellectual experience of the object is felt as lying deep within us. Thus the experience, awareness or perception of an object is experienced as being closer to our heart or innermost being, than the object itself. While object and experience are often confused with each other in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, a little analytical thinking will show that they are two distinct elements or phases in the process of knowledge.   The Fundamentals of Perception Armed with this knowledge, we may now investigate the nature of what we call experience so that we better understand both ourselves and the World "out there". Suppose I am looking at a flower which I see clearly before me and form in my mind the concept, "I see a flower". According to what has been said before, the flower is the object-element or objective factor of my experience, technically called prameya. The object has two aspects: (1) the flower itself, growing in the garden, which is the external physical object on one hand, and (2) the mental image or impression I form of it in my mind, on the other hand. NOTE: As direct perception of any object, without the intermediacy of the senses, is ordinarily impossible, the object we are talking about is nothing but this mental image. The faculties of perception, which convey the object's properties (sound, touch, colour, taste and smell) to the mind; the mind itself which turns its attention to, selects and builds these up into an image; the ego or personality whereby I relate to this image as "mine"; and the intellect whereby I compare the image of this flower to that of others seen in the past, and whereby moreover I form a judgement as to whether I should carry on looking at this particular flower or turn my attention to other things; in short, what may be generally termed mind and its cognitive processes, is the means (pramana) or inner instrument (antar karana) whereby I come into possession of knowledge about the object. The awareness or knowledge of the perceived object as an effect (pramana-phala) of the above described cognitive processes is the pramiti or what I know about the object. I myself, as the conscious entity holding this awareness of the object within myself, am the subject-element (pramata) of any perception. Thus every act of perception may be analysed into four fundamental factors: 1. The Subject or perceiving entity (Pramata). 2. The Awareness or Knowledge of a perceived object (Pramiti). 3. The Means of perception (Pramana). 4. The Object of perception (Prameya).   The Momentariness of Perception Although, superficially speaking, the object may be said to be a permanent, simple and solid thing, a little reflection will show that this is not so. To begin with, the object consists of the five sense perceptions (sound, touch, colour, taste and smell). For we cannot say anything about an object other than the fact that it makes a particular sound when it is moved or comes into contact with other things, it feels in a particular way when we handle it, it exhibits a particular size, shape and colour when we gaze at it, etc. Psychologically speaking, the object is not simple but composite or complex, consisting of the just mentioned sensory properties. Moreover, each of the component perceptions turns out to consist of innumerable, minute points or units of perception appearing and disappearing before our faculties of sight, smell, etc., at such a speed as to give the impression of permanence in much the same way as an electrical bulb emits rays of light, or a candle emits a series of flames that give the appearance of permanent luminosity. Just as a wave that first rises from the sea, endures for a moment and finally subsides, so also every momentary unit of perception has three phases: (1) origination (utpatti), (2) persistence (stithi) and (3) subsidence (samhrti) or merging back (laya) into its original ground. In the same way as each flame comes into being and vanishes in quick succession according as each particle of fuel is being lit by the previous one and consumed, so also each mental image of my flower is created in quick bursts or pulses by the mind. This is not only observable as a fact of experience (with a little training) but is also a logical necessity. For, were the image of the object not recreated every moment afresh, we could hardly speak of an experience (any experience) as taking place in the present. Were the image to last any longer than a very brief moment, it would lose its freshness and its direct relation to the physical object and become like a still painting or photograph. In other words, the mental image or impression would be out of synchrony with the physical object. That this is not the case, we know from the fact that as soon as a breeze starts, the flower slightly changes its position in space, a change that is immediately reflected in our mental image of the moving object. The objective image, therefore, which we form in our mind as a replica of the external object, must be admitted to be not permanent but momentary.   The external object It will be useful at this point to say a few words regarding the nature of the physical objects themselves. A physical object - as opposed to an inwardly perceived mental image - is what we experience as lying outside our physical body. For this reason, it is called external object (bahyartha). Concerning external objects, even modern Science admits that they consist of component elements such as cells, molecules, atoms and subatomic energy particles none of which are permanent, so the objects, too, are impermanent. Moreover, since according to Western Science, physical objects are made up of tiny parts which are divisible into progressively tinier parts, we logically arrive at substances that are ultimately so subtle as to be practically indistinguishable from the mind that is perceiving or conceiving them. This means that, in the final analysis, no essential difference can be established between physical objects and the mind which perceives them. Even if such objects existed independently of the mind, our conscious perception of them would still be required in order for practical life to be possible. In practice, therefore, we must admit that the existence of physical objects depends on our perceiving them. In different terms, it may be said that the external, physical object (bahyartha) is in fact a creation of consciousness, as will be explained later. Meanwhile, what is essential to understand is that we cannot, in ordinary experience, directly perceive any external object but only a momentary image thereof (every perception taking place through the medium of our faculties of perception which can provide us with nothing more than an image made of the five sensory elements, sound, touch, etc.). Even if we were able, by means of a magnifying implement such as a microscope, to see an atom or some other tiny component of a physical object, our perception thereof would still consist of nothing but the above mentioned sensory element, in this case, colour. All we could say, in such a case, would be: "I see certain shapes, forms, etc., which are modifications of colour which are the product of my faculty of sight". As already explained, all visual perceptions are momentary. And because all our mental processes such as perceiving, thinking or feeling are based on such momentary images, they also must be and, indeed, are momentary.   Permanent Spirit vs. impermanent Matter It is important to understand at this point that the momentariness of objective reality does not mean that "nothing is permanent" in an absolute sense. Such a position would lead to nihilism, anarchy and chaos. Although such a negative stance has been adopted by certain philosophical schools in the past, it is a patent fact that Life and the Universe are based on enduring order and harmony. This is only natural, if we consider that Spirit or Consciousness which is the underlying ground of all things, is an Eternal Reality. In consequence, the ancient saying, "everything is impermanent (sarvam anityam)" applies to the objects of the World and experiences based on them only, and not to the conscious Soul himself. Nor must we believe that the World of objects is somehow illusory or unreal just because it is made of moments of perception. Such a belief would lead to the same kind of negative attitude towards the World as the belief that nothing is permanent. The World is a momentary, yet real, creation of Consciousness. The Teachings of Yoga, therefore are positive and realistic. They may accurately be described as Realistic Idealism. Yoga is Idealistic because it teaches that the World is an "Idea", that is, a creation of Consciousness. And it is Realistic, because it teaches that the World is real and not a mere illusion. To sum up, although the objects of the World are impermanent (or momentary), the Supreme Being or Universal Soul is both Permanent and Eternal. The personal, embodied Soul is equally permanent though not eternal in his limited, human form. He becomes Eternal, properly speaking, in the final stages of Enlightenment (Nirvana), when he becomes One with the Supreme, the Changeless, the Uncreated, the Unborn Eternal Principle (Amarta Dhatu). What becomes evident is that the only thing that is not permanent is the object. The subject, on the other hand, which is the more important of the two, is Permanent. This is why man instictively gives more importance to himself than to external things. All man needs to do is become clear as to his true identity. This is why it has been said, "All living creatures are aware of subject and object. However, Yogis alone know the true relation of the two" (Vijnana-Bhairava Tantra 106). This, therefore, is the purpose of Yoga: to awaken in man a higher knowledge of himself. The answer to the age-old question, "who am I?" is this: the conscious entity who is aware of object, means of knowledge, knowledge of the object and their momentariness (kshanikatva) or impermanence (anityata) as opposed to his own changelessness and permanence, is the Soul, who is the true man. Soul or Spirit has two aspects: one personal or human, and one Universal or Divine. The human Soul is a limited subject, whereas the Universal Soul is Limitless. The Universal Soul (God) is the Supreme Subject Who is aware of and experiences all other things. As the South Indian Yogi and poet, Maheshvarananda said: "The Yogi wears - like a rosary of variegated gems - the manifold succession of (the various states) waking, dreaming, deep sleep and Awakening, strung upon the single thread of Self-awareness" (Maharthamanjari 61). Self-awareness is the key to a higher experience of life. In the final analysis, therefore, the Soul or the Consciousness-element of the experience alone qualifies as Subject while everything else, from and including the intellect or thinking faculty down to what is perceived by means of the senses and processed by the mind is, by virtue of its being objectively perceived, called object. This object is called material, because it consists of Material Energy which is a condensed, "dormant" form of consciousness as opposed to the free, radiant, awake and self-aware consciousness of the Soul proper. In the same way as rising and subsiding waves require the permanent background of the sea, or a burning flame requires the permanence of the wick and fuel in an oil-lamp, so also momentary perceptions require the permanence of a perceiving subject. The perceiving subject or conscious Soul, therefore, is the background against which all states, experiences and perceived objects constantly come and go like clouds in the sky and ripples in the sea. The fact is that the perception of a sense datum vanishes the moment it is apprehended, like a snowflake held in the hand. However, it does not dissapear entirely without a trace, but it leaves an impression upon the permanent Soul. This impression is combined by the conscious Soul with those of previous perceptions and formed into a coherent whole, thereby giving rise to the appearance of permanence, coherence and meaningfulness. Without the permanent Soul, no such experience would be possible. All we could see would be a series of momentary, unrelated and unintelligible pieces of perception or experience. Moreover, in the same way as every experience requires a permanent, changeless and still principle (the conscious Soul) in order for the awareness of momentariness, movement or change in the object or objects to arise, it also requires a permanent substance out of which the momentary components of experience arise and to which they return once they have been experienced or consciously registered. This permanent substance or material is the Soul's own material, objective aspect called Matter or Material Energy (Prakarti or Pradhana). This is why it has been said: "From Self, Matter flows forth". Material Energy is that aspect of the Soul which provides the material of our experiences. From that permanent material, the momentary factors of experience (intellect, ego, mind, senses and sense objects) arise and to that they all return, Material Energy being both their source and place of rest.   From Impermanence to Eternity It will be remembered that the momentariness of the object of experience involves a series or sequence of mental images quickly following one after the other as to give the appearance of permanence in the object. Now the object is reflected on the mirror-like light of the Soul like a dark shadow on a snow-covered mountain. Suppose there is a sequence of shadows cast by passing clouds on the snow-white mountain. If instead of observing the passing shadows the observer were to focus his gaze on the mountain itself, he would then be able to see it in all its white, sunlit brilliance in the intervals between the end of one shadow and the beginning of the next. Similarly, by concentrating his attention on the point between the subsiding of one image or object and the coming into being of the next, that is to say, on the brief breaks or gaps in the rapid flux of objective awareness or perception, a trained Yogi can catch a glimpse of the light of the Soul and recognise himself as that. Penetrating even further, the Soul recognises himself as one with the Universal Self. NOTE: The above is a very important point to understand because it demonstrates why, in Yoga, the existence of both Soul and God is not a matter of belief or conjecture but of direct experience. References to this teaching are found in some of the earliest Yogic texts such as the Yoga Sutra (3:52) and Vijnana-Bhairava Tantra (62). Says the Vijnana-Bhairava: "Let not the mind, having just quit one object of perception, turn to another. For, by means of that which is between them (i.e., between one perception and the next), the Great Realisation (of Reality) unfolds in all its intensity". The Yoga Sutra also declares: "Higher Knowledge is attained through concentration on the moment". As has been rightly said: it is through Yoga that Wisdom arises. It is only through Wisdom (or Higher Knowledge) derived from Spiritual Practice that the Self, the World, and everything else is truly known. By penetrating into the intermediate space between one moment of perception and the next, we gain access to the mysteries of life itself. In the Yoga Tradition, the Supreme Lord is compared to a Great Magician (Mayavin, Mayin) who creates the Universe by means of his Magic Power (Maya), and also with a Great Artist who paints the Universe against the canvas of infinite space. As the 9th-century Kashmiri Saint and poet, Bhattanarayana beautifully puts it: "Obeisance to the Divine Trident-Bearer Who, even in the absence of a wall, unfolds the painting of the Universe without cause or instrument. Great indeed, is His skill!" (Stavachintamani 9). Shiva, the Supreme Lord and Wielder of the Trident of Divine Powers (Will, Knowledge, Action), is the Supreme Artist Who paints the Universe against the background of His Own Changeless Consciousness. In the same way as we can make out how a painter produces a painting by having a close look at the thousands of brush strokes of paint that together bring a work of art to life, so also by concentrating on the moments of perception, we can discover the secrets of Creation. The Supreme Being creates the World for His Own enjoyment. He delights in the Cosmic Play (Leela) of Creation, Permanence and Dissolution. In His Infinite Compassion, the Lord of the Universe invites us to discover the secrets of Creation, that we may participate in His Highest Mysteries and share in His Supreme Majesty and Glory. Thus, in every moment of Time an Atom of Life (Anu) comes into being and endures for a while. The Supreme Being's Universal Consciousness (Parasamvid) creates the World as a projection of Its own Power of Creative Intelligence (Spanda Shakti). All the energy particles, or units of perception, that constitute the World are therefore projected into being, withdrawn into their source and projected again at unimaginably small intervals (or high frequency), giving the impression of continuity and permanence. For this reason Scripture says: "As waves from Water, as sparks from a Fire, as rays from the Sun, all life springs forth from Me, the Lord, the Source of all Life". The intervals at which the atoms of Consciousness (or units of perception) are projected into "measured" or limited life are the smallest units of Time. In consequence, they represent the points at which limited time and limited life come into being as an inseparable unity. By concentrating our awareness on the interval between one moment and another, we eventually break the chain of limited time and enter into the domain of Eternal Life. We thus complete the Soul's journey from impermanence to Eternity, from humanity to Divinity, from death to Immortality and from darkness to Infinite Light. Yoga is the Glorious Path that leads from the suffering and isolation of ordinary life to the Boundless Freedom and Bliss of Unity with the Supreme. For a better understanding of the Yogic concept of time and its relevance to Spiritual practice, see also Indian Calendar.   <<  Yoga Council Home   ||    Questions & Answers >>