The “SELF” is not a function, but has functions; it’s not only movement and creation, but he is the origin, the source of all movement and future becoming: he is above all “ESSENCE”, “SUBSTANCE – TRANSCENDENCE
By Roberto Assagioli, (Date unknown), From the Assagioli Archive Florence
Generally speaking, people in this world are not often conscious of their “SELF”. However, this doesn’t mean that such consciousness cannot be obtained: at contrary, it can be by a direct and living experience. Obviously, the explanation of such an experience can only be symbolic, subjective and paradoxical, the “SELF” being the place, the Center, the Principle where all the apparent contradictions are solved, the synthesis of all opposite poles.
Talking about such an experience, I shall therefore rather speak of witnesses given than of proofs of it. There are differences between expressions and descriptions, although a basis unanimity exists. The experiment of the “SELF” becomes gradually a live reality and the SELF, a living being, an Entity, a living body.
The “SELF” is not a function, but has functions; it’s not only movement and creation, but he is the origin, the source of all movement and future becoming: he is above all “ESSENCE”, “SUBSTANCE – TRANSCENDENCE”, This last world, I know, sounds rather strange to modern ears and it’s even considered with suspicion in present times: lets first try do find out why.
We must, first of all, recall the three fundamental conceptions of the Supreme Reality, of the “Spirit”, of “God”. The first and primitive conception was a rather anthropomorphous one. Facing the frightening mystery men at-first projected an idealized, enlarged image of themselves and created a sort of pattern of a human image of God.
The psychological and human evolution made then little by little men aware of the wrong, childish, psychic aspects of such a conception. By successive eliminations, they then arrived to the conception of pure Transcendence, to affirm the pure “Spirit”, the Universal Spirit, with no individual or psychological elements. This led to dualism, i.e. to a dualistic attitude towards God and Nature, the Creator and the Creature: outlet of this were some desperate, inhuman theologies and philosophies – that still now have their representatives among some of the Protestant currents.
By reaction to this conception, Modern World has emphasized the concept of Immanence: the Spirit was felt in its multiple manifestations, in the exterior nature, in the human being and above all, in the becoming and in the vital and creative element displayed all around us. We could say that a pure concept of Immanence has been reached, and Transcendence was denied and forgotten.
Its seems to me, however, that this is a purely dialectic confrontation, an artificial opposition; this is not an alternative: thesis and anti-thesis are and have to be reunited in synthesis. I shall even go so far as to say something which may appear paradoxical: that transcendence is relative in this sense that there are a series of Transcendences. For example, each sphere, each field may be transcendental and is transcendental towards inferior spheres. A human body is transcendental towards a biological body. There is the mystery – which is explained in different ways – of animal humanization, and the human era appearing into animal biological form; then, the awakening of aesthetic sense and moral conscience in the psychological pure ego-centrical man.
And there are even higher awakenings: so that it can be said that there are a series of transcendences pertaining to different levels of life experiment.
But then coming back to Transcendence of human Spirit – I will quote three expressions coming from different sources, one of which belongs to the Modern World.
The first one, and the deeper in its meaning, is to be found in the BHAGAVAD GITA, the “song of God”, the religious theme of India, in which all the conceptions below are exposed and synthesized, being symbolized in KRISHNA, the supreme Spirit incarnation, when he speaks to his disciple Arjuna and says: “Having permeated all this Universe with a part of myself, I remain” This is a fantastic formula for co-existence, for union and communion of Immanence and Transcendence.
The second one is to be found in Aristotle, who calls God “The Immovable Mover”. This expression contains the same truth, although presented in a different way.
The third one is from a modern thinker, Hermann Keyserling, who has, in my opinion, expressed the reality of “Spirit” better than anyone else. I will quote from his book: “From suffering to Solitude”: “The Spirit is Substance in the very sense of the word: It’s what is considered most substantive in man. For this reason he has qualities, but is not himself qualities”.
It’s clear to us that this is all that men can say on the “Essence of the Self”. As for his qualities, these are above all pure initiative, free will, creative impulse, with which he conveys and spreads a part of himself in the Creation. He is also the Supreme Intelligence and therefore figures the aim he wants to attain by his creation, and uses wisely all the necessary means to reach his goal.
All this is applicable to the Universal and to the Individual plan. The “Self” is “Love”, for the individual Self feels one with all the other “Selves” – as well as with the Supreme Self; so that his love radiates on all the Creation of this Supreme Self.
The “Self” acts by his only presence, by “direct evocation”. The physical phenomenon of catalysis, meaning the production or substance, which doesn’t participate in the combination – is a mysterious one, although widely used in industry.
I will just mention that other qualities of the “Self” are JOY and BEATITUDE, and the effects of such self-realization in ones own personality within human consciousness, are described as follows by Keyserling: “The more Spirit becomes determinant in man, the more fright is substituted by courage, terrestrial gravity by a playful lightness, and sadness by joy.“
I think I don’t need to say more about this in order to make you aware of the splendid gifts offered by “Self-Realization”, and to incise you all to undertake the exciting adventure of its discovery. However, before ending my talk, I would like to cite Keyserling once more: “One can measure with a mathematical exactitude the degree of “Spirit” in a man by the degree and qualities of his interior Joy”. Don’t forget this.
And now I wish you all a successful climb towards such a luminous summit as well as the achievement of the Supreme Aim.
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