Space and Mind
We must begin to mentalize Space and spatialize Mind.
- Paul Brunton
Brahma; his spirit is enwrapped in himself. He, the mighty one, is present in every part of space.
- Ludwig van Beethoven
The above two quotations – the first from a transcendent philosopher1 and the second from a sublime composer – encapsulate the nub of this short dissertation. Given sufficient contemplation and meditation upon these uplifting passages, no further words need be forthcoming; however the following may help the reader in understanding why the esoteric sciences have consistently affirmed that Space and Mind co-exist, pari passu.
It is axiomatic that manifestation, at any level, involves a triplicity as the product of a duality. Just as an electric current is the third factor arising from the dual positive and negative polarities, so manifestation involves the interaction of Spirit, the positive pole, and Matter the negative pole. Similar terms to Spirit and Matter are Masculine and Feminine, Seed and Soil, Life and Form, and others. These are all generalized abstract terms, not to be understood in any physical sense. So here we immediately run the risk of becoming clogged in terminology, therefore it is essential to grasp the fundamental principle. By Spirit we mean the Universal Consciousness, or Mind. By Matter we certainly do not mean physical stuff, but rather that Matter-principle (sometimes referred to as Substance), which provides the field in which Spirit can express. Thus the action of Spirit is centrifugal, its action being from the centre outwards; and that of Matter is centripetal since its action is to contain (hence centre-seeking) the outward impulse of Spirit. In other words, Matter is the expression of manifested Spirit; Spirit is the originant and Matter the resultant. All manifestation is the result of an interplay between the primary duality of Spirit and Matter, a fact declared unequivocally by philosophers and mystic scientists since time immemorial.2
Now what is Space? It is the vesture or garment of Mind;3 in other words, the Matter of Mind. Let us see why. The word Brahma derives from the Sanskrit brih, meaning ‘expansion’. The creative impulse expands, or breathes out as the vast expanse of Cosmos – Space. Note that the expansion occurs as Space, not in Space, for Space is not a box or container into which Brahma does his expanding, rather His expansion constitutes Space.4 So Space (Cosmos) is His expression and field of manifestation, His vesture drawn of His own essence which is Spirit, or Mind itself. Here again we must caution against the mistake of regarding Mind and Space as a discrete duality. They are not. They are two aspects of one principle: just as a spider spins his web drawn from his own bodily secretions, so Space is the ‘secretion’ or projection of Mind, its manifested ex-pression.5
So why should we mentalize Space? This is one way of becoming aware that the space created by the activity of Mind, i.e. the field of Mind, is of the very nature of Mind; in Beethoven’s words, that ‘Brahma … is present in every part of space’, as indeed Beethoven, rather his consciousness, is present in every note of his music. Then by spatializing Mind, we are reminded that Mind by its very nature, must seek its outgoing self-expression and manifest itself, thereby enveloping and self-imbuing the sphere of its own activity.
In conclusion, when we look deeply into Space, its character changes from the familiar appearance of an outward fact cognized by the physical senses into what is essentially a mental factor. Even though it appears to be so, Space is not an intrinsic property of the external world, but an inward, subjective element that conditions our entire perspective of the so-called objective world.
1 Paul Brunton, The Hidden Teaching Beyond Yoga, Century, 1987, p. 185.
2 For example it can be shown that Newton’s entire work, ranging from his mechanics, optics, alchemy, church history and chronology, forms a single body of thought where he was identifying two fundamental forces in nature: the contracting, centre-seeking force of gravity, and a single expanding force which operates not only in the radiation of light, in chemical composition and biological growth, but also governs the mind and behaviour of human beings.
3 More accurately it is the Space-Time duality that weaves the fabric of Cosmos: Space as weft and Time as warp on ‘the roaring loom of Time’ in the words of Beethoven’s great admirer, Goethe. However such technicalities are beyond the scope of this short exposition and are explained in detail in the article by Edi Bilimoria, The Garment of Cosmos: An Inquiry into the Nature of Matter – Scientific and Occult Perspectives, The Theosophist, April and May 1999.
4 There is a remarkable correspondence with big bang theory which posits that the early universe existed as a near-dimensionless point which then expanded (after the bang) as space. But it is emphasised that the esoteric doctrines do not support a literal, physical interpretation of big bang theory, for the expansion is a change of condition and not of volume.
5 Deliberately hyphenated in order to draw out the inner meaning ‘to press out of’.
2 For example it can be shown that Newton’s entire work, ranging from his mechanics, optics, alchemy, church history and chronology, forms a single body of thought where he was identifying two fundamental forces in nature: the contracting, centre-seeking force of gravity, and a single expanding force which operates not only in the radiation of light, in chemical composition and biological growth, but also governs the mind and behaviour of human beings.
3 More accurately it is the Space-Time duality that weaves the fabric of Cosmos: Space as weft and Time as warp on ‘the roaring loom of Time’ in the words of Beethoven’s great admirer, Goethe. However such technicalities are beyond the scope of this short exposition and are explained in detail in the article by Edi Bilimoria, The Garment of Cosmos: An Inquiry into the Nature of Matter – Scientific and Occult Perspectives, The Theosophist, April and May 1999.
4 There is a remarkable correspondence with big bang theory which posits that the early universe existed as a near-dimensionless point which then expanded (after the bang) as space. But it is emphasised that the esoteric doctrines do not support a literal, physical interpretation of big bang theory, for the expansion is a change of condition and not of volume.
5 Deliberately hyphenated in order to draw out the inner meaning ‘to press out of’.