Waste, Absolute Justice

October 21, 1998

• There is no waste in Nature. She is the greatest master of efficiency who achieves several things by one move. p. 89, LD
• There is no justice behind each individual act, but there is an absolute justice behind all acts of the whole. p. 383, LD
• We notice the deficiency of delight as it is pain. But Truth, Knowledge, Beauty, Power and Unity are the other elements whose deficiency we seldom notice. p. 390 LD

   These three are similar in appearance, but the same in essence or content. A boy who neglects his studies in the college is a colossal waste, while, if his political career is built up by that, it is an enormous gain.  If Nature wants to accomplish a whole act comprising of five or ten parts, she begins one, deserts it in the middle, pursues another to desert it at some stage, until the conditions for all the five or ten works are simultaneously ripe. It is the moment of Truth when she comes down heavily on all to accomplish all simultaneously. This is the law behind one good act being followed by several others simultaneously. Considered by the view of this whole, the waste in individual acts is not a waste but a small investment of energy to accomplish a great thing. There is a wisdom in that patience and even in abandoning a good project in the middle. Mental view takes it as a waste. History studied in this light will be rewarding.

   A man works hard, but the results do not issue or go to another. In our view, it is injustice to the man. To take away the present result of his physical labour is for the greater justice for which his whole being awaits. The idea that hatred is the opposite of love issues form this concept.  Nature, says Sri Aurobindo, tried foreign invasion of Indian when she failed in her efforts to unite the nation. In favour of the future unity of India which is a needed basis for becoming the Guru of the world, Nature brought in invasion, slavery, humiliation, poverty, loss of self-confidence and the whole list of depressing human phenomena.

   Recent disturbances of pollution are another expression of this. The attempt to counter pollution indirectly led to greater wholesome technology such as bio-engineering.

   Consider the devastation of World War II and the development in the last 50 years. Are we to regret the eruption of the war? The turmoil of the last ten years in Russia will certainly disabuse their minds of market economy as well as command economy. It will force them to evolve a new system.

   The concept of UNITY, unity of Knowledge, Truth, Beauty, Power, etc. is the ultimate concept as it is of Sat which is the very first to issue out of Brahman. Consider the scale of Unity to contradiction in the light of development work. It will be very educative. Sat -- Unity; Consciousness -- Union;  Supermind -- Harmony;  Spiritualised mind range -- reconciliation; Mind -- compromise;  Life -- conflict;  Matter -- contradiction.