Blog by John Baxter
Subject and Object
Now I’d like to tackle one of the core concepts in Vedanta: the distinction and relationship between two primary categories: the subject and the object. Vedanta describes these as follows: The “subject” is the “ field of awareness” in which “objects” arise. Objects are everything else. “Object” includes anything that awareness notices, both gross and subtle. Gross objects would include things in the world that are perceived by the senses. Gross material objects include things such as rocks, trees and the human body. Subtle objects would include interior things such as thoughts, feelings, or even your belief of personhood.
Characteristics of the subject include: unchanging, stable, beyond-space-and-time, meaning “limitless.” But limitlessness doesn’t mean vast or big. It means that the subject, awareness, isn’t modified by the discrete subjective and objective experiences that present themselves to it.
Objects, on the other hand, are characterized by change, lack of stability, and are confined by space and time and are defective, meaning “limited.” Vedanta defines the unchanging subject as real, (sathya), and the changing objects as unreal or apparently real, (mithya.) This is a foundational idea, but like all ideas, it is nonetheless a provisional idea.
Since the ultimate goal of Vedanta is the understanding of the universe as nondual, meaning non-separate from the conscious self, you may have noticed that the idea of subject/object is clearly positioned in duality. But do not despair, this particular provisional idea is unbelievably useful. Let me explain.
As I explained in the previous blog on superimposition and negation, one of the goals of psychotherapy is to replace a bad set of ideas about yourself with better ones….a little upgrade in your identity. Hey, why not? What have you got to lose? But you’re still in the object realm.
A Major Upgrade
Vedanta challenges you with a set of ideas to completely transform your identity by asking you to begin identifying with the subject….that which is stable, unchanging, conscious, and unmodified by what it experiences. This is a major upgrade. It does this by teaching us that we mistakenly identify with objects that are unreal and not with the subject which is real. Typically, objects such as the contents of your mind and the body, are viewed as real….and in general we focus by default on objects, instead of on the subject. It’s nobody’s fault. Again this is built into the system. Vedanta calls this process “ignorance.”
So whether you’re doing psychotherapy or Vedanta, it’s important to understand that your mind naturally places too much emphasis on objects, leaving the subject unnoticed. With that in mind, you would be wise to be skeptical of your thoughts, ideas and beliefs, and pay more attention to the background subject. Unfortunately, noticing the background subject requires a calm, objective mind. A mind preoccupied with objects, even obsessively so, will not be qualified. Those with issues such as addiction, obsessive disorders, major depression or anxiety, will find it difficult if not impossible to refocus their minds on the background…the subject. This is where you should consider therapy (1) to calm down your nervous system (2) to determine what objects are distracting you (3) to prepare your mind to understand Vedanta, which is the firm knowledge that you are the stable subject. Cognitive therapy can be particularly helpful in this regard. Remember dealing with your mental health compliments your Vedanta practice.
When you express a concern about the unreality of the object, you start to notice how unreliable it is…as basis for emotional support. The subject is an ideal support “object” because it is always present and complete. This moves your focus to the reality-based subject. The subject is always there in the first place, but since it has no characteristics of its own, it goes unnoticed. You simply note that you are, and always have been, awareness…and you take that as your primary identity. This is the so-called “standing in awareness.
Love Your Fingers
Remember, thoughts are necessary and essential, but provisional. The same with your identity as a human, which is nothing but a collection of thoughts about experiences real and imagined that happened in the past. You can’t do without them, but they shouldn’t be completely trusted. They’re still in the unreliable realm of objects. Even though Vedanta thoughts are fingers-pointing to the moon, they’re not the moon…but don’t underestimate the importance of fingers….in this case, Vedanta. It is quite handy. However, it is important not to underestimate the value of a proper relationship with someone who knows the difference between the subject and the objects that present themselves to it. And don’t despair if you keep having to go back to your fingers to find your way. It comes with the territory….remember, there’s a moon out there even when hidden by the clouds.
