What is Consciousness? What’s its nature? Can it be defined in precise terms? What was Rabindranath Tagore’s views on consciousness? How far his views on consciousness differed from other contemporary scientists and philosophers? Here is a very short analysis of the topic.
In very simple terms, consciousness is an awareness of an individual about his/her existence both internally as well as externally. Then without any doubt neither mind nor body is consciousness. But the awareness about mind or body is an indication of consciousness. Few others equate mind with consciousness or consider consciousness as a characteristic dimension of the mind.
Thus the term consciousness has been identified and categorised based on functions and experiences. Sometimes consciousness is defined as the quality or state of being aware of an external object or something within oneself. Awareness, self-awareness, self-consciousness, sentience, sapience – all are related to what is meant by consciousness. Consciousness thus is an elusive concept that presents many difficulties when attempts are made to define it. Nonetheless the dimensions of consciousness entail perceptive realisation, ability to experience or to feel, cognitive thinking etc.
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Tagore’s views on consciousness has been clearly delineated in his poem named ‘Ami’- ‘I’ of his poem book ‘Shyamali’. When he proclaimed that “In the hues of my own awareness the emerald glowed green, the ruby blushed red. I opened my gaze to the heavens, and light awakened in East and West”, it is clearly the ‘I’- “Individual Self”- the person who has been the central figure in the process of consciousness. As ‘I’ am the worshipper of the ‘beauty’ of a rose, that is why the rose becomes ‘beautiful’. Everything depends on ‘my’ experience and awareness; everything is subject to ‘me’ and ‘my perception’. Perception is reality!
To ‘Me’ this is ‘Truth’! But the question is: who am ‘I’? At this critical point Rabindranath, the poet-philosopher, realised that “The infinite Himself has pursued His realisation within the bounds of Man – that is what is called ‘I’!” This ‘I’ has been the “Universal Self”- the infinite, all-encompassing consciousness that transcends the boundaries of the individual. For Tagore, this “Universal Self” is the essence of existence in which every being participates.
Here arises the pertinent question: what is the connection between the “Individual Self” and the “Universal Self”? To Rabindranath Tagore who was the torch-bearer of Upanishadic worldview of Dharmic Life it was “Universal Consciousness”- the connector between the “Individual Self” and the “Universal Self”. This Universal Consciousness is the “Cosmic Consciousness”- the awareness about the universal truth and order, different both from the “Simple Consciousness” about the physical body as well as the “Self-consciousness” about the awareness of the “Self”.
The worldview and the way of life of Rabindranath Tagore have been the unification of consciousness and universe, and the complementary nature of man and world. He had realised the essence of the Vedic Gayatri Mantra: “Om Bhūh Bhuvah Svaha”- “Om- You are the Earth, the Sky between, and the Heaven beyond”- all beings are entwined and unified into One! To Rabindranath, this One and Oneness has been the “Visvadevata”- the “Cosmic Spirit” or “Universal Being” or “Upanishadic Brahmn” which transcends all beings. And this Visvadevata becomes “Jīvanadevata” as per Tagore’s realisation. Jīvanadevata has been “The Lord of Life within us”. When one individual transcends ego, one realises the oneness with the Universal Being. Tagore saw the relation between the two as a movement. Through self-realisation, surrender, and creative expression, the “Individual Being” expands into the “Universal Being”. So the Individual Self is not to be rejected but refined and tuned so that it can open and connect itself to the Universal Self.
In his essay “Atmar Dhristi”- “The Vision of the Soul” (Sādhana: The Realisation of the Soul), Tagore visualised the oneness of Soul that is Atma with consciousness that is Chetana. This Atma is Jivatma that is the Individual Soul which unites with the Paramatma that is the Universal Soul to fill up the whole universe with numerous manifestations. Tagore has experienced the Paramatma through the Jivatma and realised the essence of unity of Nature and Eshwar. This is the essence of Upanishadic worldview of Rabindranath Tagore.
To the poet, the world would be without any love and beauty if the Universal Soul is concerned only with mathematical calculations bereft of love and compassion. The creation of Eshwar would be meaningless. Without man the whole universe would be bereft of consciousness and personality. Because the human being is the carrier and bearer of consciousness of the Universal Consciousness.
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At this critical point, we can realise the difference of Tagore from his contemporary thinkers, particularly from the West, on the conception of nature of consciousness. The Tagore-Einstein conversation was one of the most critical dialogues ever documented in the history of civilisation. One was the Poet of the World and other the Scientist of the World. The conversations were mainly on the nature of reality, truth, beauty, consciousness and cosmic entity. In addition the difference between the Indian music and the European music was also discussed between these two great minds.
On reality and truth, truth is human-centric and reality exists only in relation to human consciousness as per Tagore’s views. But for Einstein, truth is human-neutral and exists independently of humans. For Tagore, truth and beauty are perceptive and subjective. Beauty has no meaning without human perception. Einstein differed and insisted that the Apollo of Belvedere statue would still be beautiful without any human being.
To Tagore, the universal order and harmony are realised through human consciousness where mind shapes reality. The universe, as per the views of Einstein, has an order independent of human beings who merely discover it. While Tagore has a belief in “Universal Mind”- Brahmn following the Dharmic legacy, Einstein was open to a “cosmic religious feelings” following the Abrahamic legacy.
Einstein’s worldview was characterised by objective and independent reality and truth. This is scientific realism. But the worldview of Tagore was subjective and human-perceptive where reality and truth are human-centric. This is anti-realism. Here both scientific and logical truth depend on human perception and consciousness which are entangled in universal mind and universal consciousness. That was Tagore’s worldview.
Furthermore, to Rabindranath Tagore, this universe is necessarily purposive and the human beings are parts of this purposeful world in that the universe gets manifested fully through the human beings. Thus human consciousness is being connected and tuned with the Universal Consciousness and the Individual Soul becomes ‘Blissful’ with the ever blissful Universal Soul. Man becomes ‘Beautiful and Blissful Being’.
So Rabindranath uttered:
“Your joy surpasses mine, and so You have descended to this mortal world. When You take me into Thyself, O Lord of the Universe, Your love is fulfilled, never in vain”.
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