Response by Learner JT
If we have to understand any support, we have to understand the entities which are involved in supporting each other. Equality is a principle. Yoga of works, knowledge and devotion are the areas of application of that principle. However the principle itself has two forms. That means equality can be static. It can be dynamic also.
In the case of yoga of knowledge, the version of equality we experience as a guiding principle is static in nature. Whereas in the yoga of devotion and in the yoga of works we experience a dynamic equality.
The next question, which comes is - 'What is the quantum of equality that creates fulfillment in the yoga of work, devotion and knowledge'?
That is the time when we have to look at the object of the Integral Yoga. The yogas of work, devotion and knowledge have one object which is the principle object of integral yoga. And that is divine himself. So here the object will mean uniting with divine through work, devotion and knowledge.
So the fulfillment would generally refer to uniting with the divine using the paths of knowledge, love and action. And the most important factor to reach this union would be equality. Here the support will be in the form of platform where the process of union can happen through three different paths - knowledge, devotion and work.
Request for Clarification by Course Facilitator LS to Learner JT
So equality supports the yogas of work, devotion, and knowledge by serving as a platform for their processes? But serving as a platform is an abstract concept which means essentially the same as "supports." So your answer takes us in circle which brings us back to the original question, only this time in the form of "how does equality serve as a platform for the processes of the yogas of work, devotion, and knowledge?" I hope you will take the time to read the previous postings which have been made pertaining to this question.
Response by JT to LS
Yes, serving as a platform is itself a support. In fact, it is the highest grade of support which can be provided. It's not an abstract concept. It’s an activity.
I made a little condensed statement in different semantics. Let me show how it is derived from the statement that you made in the earlier comments about the triple form of yoga and the supportive relation of equality.
Equality creates a sense of detachment which purifies the knowledge so distortion of knowledge evaporates. All knowledge is a description of a perspective. Perspective here refers to way of seeing things. And knowledge gives you another way of seeing things. So if you are too attached to one way of seeing things then the knowledge loses the capability of expansion and gets distorted with a lot of bias added on it. However, more equanimity helps you to access more knowledge and more viewpoints free the distortion from the knowledge.
An analogy can be given regarding the two viewpoints we generally have. One is an orthodox viewpoint and the other is an unorthodox viewpoint. By the line of orthodox viewpoint, you were right when you said sometime back that as an academic discipline, studying Sri Aurobindo requires its own stock of words and semantics. So when you elaborate the thoughts on the subject you can use related semantics.
